v
Saturday 20th December- Excel Hull Stingrays v Coventry Blaze @ Hull Arena, F/O 5.30pmSunday 21st December- Newcastle Vipers v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Metro Radio Arena, F/O 6pm
Form
Stingrays- L W L L L
Coventry- L W W W W
Newcastle- L W L W L
Last 3 Meetings
v Coventry
20/09/08 0-2 L H
12/10/08 3-7 L H
12/11/08 1-6 L A
v Newcastle
29/12/07 2-4 L A
09/03/08 1-3 L A
25/10/08 4-3 PSW H
Players to watch
Stingrays- Aaron Wilson (21GP 1+6)- Has recorded five points in six games from defence including his first goal for the club against Edinburgh.
Coventry- Dan Carlson (28GP 13+30)- Currently has 158 assists in three seasons with the Blaze and has scored three goals and seven assists in his last four games.
Newcastle- Jeff Hutchins (9GP 9+5)- Has recorded a goal a game and over a point a game since moving from Edinburgh where he scored three goals and five assists in six games.
Absentees
Stingrays- Troy Neumeier (torn knee ligament), Stuart Kerr (knee), Slava Koulikov (doubtful; leg), Curtis Cruickshank (doubtful; concussion), Richie Thornton (doubtful; illness)
Newcastle- Burt Henderson (broken wrist)
Coventry- Mattias Soderstrom (groin)
Other stuff
- The Stingrays have yet to win at the Metro Radio Arena in their three year Elite League stay. The only other rink the Rays have failed to win in is the Sheffield Arena.
- Curtis Cruickshank will ice during warm up against Coventry to assess whether he will ice or not after a collision with Belfast player/coach Steve Thornton left him with a concussion.
- Jeff Glowa will officially ice as the Stingrays captain for the second time this season. Glowa was previously the Stingrays captain in 05/06 in the EPL as well as last season in the Elite League, Lee Mitchell took the alternate captaincy in place of Glowa.
- The Stingrays loss against Edinburgh last weekend left them three points short of an eigth placed playoff spot.
- The Stingrays lost to the Belfast Giants for the first time this season. Curtis Cruickshank and Slava Koulikov went off with injuries during the first period with the scores at 0-0 before Belfast took the game 8-2 with Stingrays back up Andrew Jazsczyk facing 37 shots.
Predicitions
Stingrays 2-5 Coventry
Newcastle 4-3 Stingrays
