EPISODE 21 – Episode 21 – Level Three Killstorm

Its a Level Three Killstorm out there, and there’s no way that the guys were going to ever be able to get together at HQ to get this one done – so for the first time ever it’s a Mega Skype-athon!

Marty does his best to keep Dave, John and Aaron on target, but you know us, it goes as well as we all expected!

We chat all about the recent games in the EIHL for the Belfast Giants, how each of our NHL teams are getting on and then get stuck right into the meat and bones of the podcast. The NIHL is continuing to confuse yet somehow entertain us, this time with added police involvement, John gets to chat more about All-Star Weekends, and the impending Olympics remains never far from conversation. The Stars are dominated by the Giants as they continue to be dominant themselves (mostly) and as “Blue Monday” passes by, we look at those niggly resolutions and how they can be applied to our hockey teams.

As always though, we bring you – the tables as they stand from the NHL and the EIHL.

Since the last episode, the Giants have begun their home swing in earnest, with back to back games against the Sheffield Steelers, a mid-week trouncing of the Fife Flyers in the Challenge Cup quarter final second leg and then the double header weekend versus the Nottingham Panthers.

First up, was the arrival of the Steelers, with first blood going to the Steelers in a hard fought and sometimes fractious, 3-2 win in the SSE Arena. The following night however saw a Giants team resurgent as they cruised to a 5-1 victory.

Next saw the arrival of the Flyers for what would be a ‘why bother turning up’ game for the visitors, who likely could have had less goals scored against them had they just forfeited…however, a 7-0 scoreline on the night saw the Giants comfortably through to a semi-final matchup with the Nottingham Panthers, to be played later in the season, but first…

The Panthers arrived in Belfast looking to get their groove back, but unfortunately for them, found a Giants side ready for them in almost every respect, taking 5-2 and 6-4 victories, with a ‘goal of the season’ moment coming from the Giants’ 5th goal on the Saturday.

All the highlights from these games can be seen below, from Giants Live TV.

The Steelers return from Europe’s second string competition with Bronze, but was it really worth it all?

The Match between the Jets and the Mustangs back in December got massiely out of hand, as you can see here.

Ryan Finnerty of the Manchester Storm got a little heated in Edinburgh following an apparent inability to get a Goal Line Technology review of a disallowed goal for his team, contributing to a defeat to the Capitals. We discussed it, but we’re sure if you look hard enough, you’ll find the video (no bleeps on this one!!)…

It’s a buyers market out there as the trade deadline approaches, and we look at the names being thrown around by ESPN….

This time around, it’s the KHL All-Star jerseys that have been announced, and we want to know what your thoughts are on these! Are they better than the NHL ones like John, Dave and Aaron think, or is Marty right that the NHL did the better job? Forgot what the NHL ones looked like? Then have a look back at the last podcast page for a glimpse!

We head back to the Olympics again to round out Nockey News, as the Canadian team is announced, with some notable names and still a fair amount of NHL experience in the now internationally skilled roster and the Russian-Not Russian team get a mock up of what their jersey could look like if they compete…eugh…maybe don’t turn up guys….

This time around the stars awarded by the guys came as no real surprise as both Marty and Dave picked the most recent games in Belfast vs the Panthers and John went with the game against Fife (because he was the only Giants fan at their webcast showing in Kirkcaldy mostly!), highlights of the games are all above.

Aaron did throw a last minute curve with the addition of Detroit Redwings netminder Jimmy Howard. We’ll try to find the video and put it hear to see!

So the penalty box is quite full this time around, with much of it coming from the matches in Belfast as they took on the Steelers. On the first night, Zack Fitzgerald was ejected and initially banned for 4 games, with an additional game being issued the following day. see the details via EIHL DOPS below.

This game also saw the Giants lose two players to suspensions following incidents involving both Spiro Goulakos and Sebastien Sylvestre, with 1 game and 2 game bans respectively, details of which are outlined below.

The following night in Belfast, Andreas Jamtin would find himself on the wrong side of DOPS with a 3 match suspension.

Amazingly, there were other things for DOPS to look at outside of these, and both Fife Flyer’s Carlo Finucci and Coventry Blaze’s Vojtech Kloz recieving bans for their actions.

In the NHL too however, a player safety decision was made all the more important as the NHL’s DOPS decision to suspend Anaheim’s Adrew Cogliano for two games snapped the 4th longest run of consecutive games played by a player at 830. The call has since been berated by fans, officials and other players both past and present, but what are your thoughts?

The best combo ever: a great cause, hockey and a good dog!

He can drop it wherever he wants because he's a GOOD DOG. pic.twitter.com/cZ8gJzDu8M

— NHL (@NHL) December 22, 2017

Blue Monday is just behind us and it’s that day where most of your New Years resolutions apparently go astray….we chat about the piece here from PuckProse where they chat about what every team in the NHL should have set as their resolutions. What do you make of the ones for your team, and what aout the ones the guys set for the Giants?! Got any better ones? Let us know via Twitter!

With Seattle looking so unflappably likely to be the NHL’s 32nd franchise – what could this mean for the divisional makeup of the league? Does what ESPN suggest here ring true for you?