V
Saturday 7th February: Newcastle Vipers (7th) v Excel Hull Stingrays (9th) @ Metro Radio Arena, F/O 6.30pmSunday 8th February: Excel Hull Stingrays (9th) v Nottingham Panthers (3rd) @ Hull Arena, F/O 6pm
Form
Stingrays- L W L L W
Newcastle- PSL W L L L
Nottingham- L W L W W
Last 3 Meetings
v Newcastle
11/01/09 3-4 OTL H
24/01/09 2-3 L A
25/01/09 4-2 W H
v Nottingham
11/10/08 4-7 L H
23/11/08 4-5 PSL A
18/01/09 2-3 W A
Season Series
v Newcastle 2-3, 5 points, 14GF, 18GA
v Nottingham 1-3, 1 draw, 4 points, 15GF, 22GA
Man of the Moment
Stingrays- Pavel Gomenyuk (42GP 10+16)- Has scored three goals in four games, including two in the last five minutes against Cardiff last weekend, and is currently having a career year with the Stingrays bettering his previous best by four points with 13 games remaining.
Newcastle- Ed Courtenay (19GP 8+17)- Has gone pointless in just three games out of 19 games after making a return from retirement mid-season. Has recorded five assists in four games against the Rays.
Nottingham- Kevin Bergin (43GP 23+25)- Scored three goals in two games against the Manchester Phoenix last weekend in the Panthers back to back wins. Also has ten goals in thirteen games since Boxing Day.
Absentees
Stingrays- Stuart Kerr (knee), Matt Reynolds (broken finger), Paul Moran (shoulder), Jamie Thompson (neck)
Newcastle- Jeff Hutchins (knee), Dean Holland (groin), Burt Henderson (broken wrist)
Nottingham- David Clarke (doubt) Rumun Ndur
Other News
- The Excel Hull Stingrays will continue on their seemingly everlasting mission to win in Newcastle. The Stingrays have failed to win at the Metro Radio Arena, formerly known as the Telewest Arena, and Whitley Bay, the Vipers second home, in ten attempts during their three year tenure in the Elite League.
- The battle for the playoffs between the Stingrays and Edinburgh Capitals seems likely to go down to the final game where the two teams face up to each other for the final time. Last weekend both sides, who now sit on 27 points each, scored goals with less than 30 seconds remaining to take the point stalemate into another weekend.
- Nottingham defenceman Ed Hill had a steady debut last weekend against the Manchester Phoenix in a double header that the Panthers won two games to nil. The former Alaska Aces defenceman, who visited Boston Bruins training camp in 2001, recorded one assist and two penalty minutes in back to back games.
Predictions
Newcastle 3-4 Stingrays
Stingrays 4-5 Nottingham
