19th/20th September Weekend Preview

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Saturday 19th September: Excel Hull Stingrays (4th) v Edinburgh Capitals (8th) @ Hull Arena, F/O 5.30pm

Sunday 20th September: Coventry Blaze v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Coventry Skydome, F/O 6pm (Challenge Cup)

Form
Stingrays- W L D W L
Edinburgh- First Game
Coventry- W W W L L

Last 3 Meetings
v Edinburgh
16/11/08 3-7 L A
14/12/08 3-2 L A
22/03/09 5-8 L H

v Coventry
10/01/09 1-7 L A
31/01/09 2-6 L H
08/03/09 1-4 W A

Season Series (08/09)
v Edinburgh: 2-4, 18GF, 28GA
v Coventry: 1-6, 18GF, 38GA

Players to Watch
Stingrays: Konstantin Kalmikov (3GP 5+0) You can't ask for much more than five goals in three games from your team leading forward, and that is what the Ukrainian has provided so far. He bagged five of the Rays six goals last weekend and, with Curtis Huppe out of the lineup for the next five games, he will need to continue that form if the team are to win.

Edinburgh: Chris Allen (0GP 0+0) Allen is a capable former NHLer that last season stood on the blueline in the Asian league with High1. Standing at 6'3 and weighing in at 223llbs, the Caps defenceman provides his team with some real size at the back as well as giving them a leader in front of Rudkowski.

Coventry: Greg Owen (3GP 3+1) Brit Owen returned from a championship winning season in France with Briancon to sign for GB boss Paul Thompson at the Blaze. So far this season he has not disappointed the national team coach, scoring three goals in Coventry's somewhat disappointing start to the season.

Between the Pipes
Stingrays: Tommy Sandahl (3GP, 92.1%, 3.33GAA) The Rays number one chalked up his first league win last weekend, stopping 40 of Cardiffs 42 shots, before he went into South Wales on Sunday and faced 50 shots from a re-surgent Devils side.

Edinburgh: Cody Rudkowski (-GP, -SV%, -GAA) Rudkowski is another former NHLer and is one that still holds the NHL record for most minutes without conceding a goal. Replacing Curtis Sandford in the St Louis net in 2002, he stopped all ten Edmonton shots in his only appearance in 'The Show'. After a year out of the game due to injury, he will want to replicate that form for the Capitals.

Coventry: Peter Hirsch (3GP, 92.7 SV%, 2.33 GAA) A regular on the international stage with Denmark, Hirsch has four years experience in the Swedish Elite League and last year battled with Stingrays netminder Tommy Sandahl in the Swedish Allsvenskan. He has been consistent between the pipes so far this season as the Blaze have had an average start to the season.

Absentees
Stingrays: Lee Mitchell (knee), Adam Knight (suspended), Curtis Huppe (suspended), Glowa (doubt; concussion)
Edinburgh: Jeff Miles (failed medical)
Coventry: Full Strength

News
- Adam Knight and Curtis Huppe will this weekend miss the first two of their five game suspension. Huppe was caught launching his stick into the Cardiff bench during the Rays ill-tempered 5-2 Challenge Cup loss, whilst Knight fought Brad Voth off the ice after the pair had been handed two match penalties for Travesty of the game.

- Player-coach Sylvain Cloutier will return to face his old side Coventry Blaze on Sunday in the Challenge Cup. A favourite at the Skydome, Cloutier scored 131 points in 115 games and won a number of trophies in his two year stint in Coventry, part of which he captained the side for.

- Saturday will mark the start of the Edinburgh Capitals season after they were allowed to delay their season by two weeks. Next week sees the Capitals and Giants take on two AHL sides in a Hockey's Homecoming tournament and it is thought they were given special dispensation to delay their season because of the landmark tournament.

What the coaches say..
Cloutier (Stingrays)

"I am looking forward to going back to Coventry. I made a lot of friends during my two years there. I had a great experience with Coventry, something I will never forget. We won two league titles and had a really tight group of guys.

"I have a lot of respect for Thommo and we keep in touch. I loved playing for Thommo and learned a lot from him. He is a great coach, probably the best in the UK. He has all the trophies to prove it."

Predictions
Stingrays 5-4 Edinburgh
Coventry 3-1 Stingrays