V
Sunday 10th October: Edinburgh Capitals v Hull Stingrays @ Murrayfield Ice Rink, F/O 6pm
After one long wait for hockey action comes another albeit shorter wait. With the next home game not for another a week and a half, the Rays follow up their encouraging 3-3 Challenge Cup tie against Cardiff last weekend with a Scottish league double header against Braehead and Edinburgh that will be a good yardstick for the early part of the season.
The Stingrays showed determination and resilience to blow off the summer cobwebs last weekend, tying the game at three and hitting the post with seconds remaining after being 3-1 down with goals coming from debutant Matti Uusivirta, returnee Ryan Lake and coach Sylvain Cloutier. It was a gritty, hardworking 60 minute opening performance from the Rays in front of a healthy 1000 strong crowd and that momentum will be important during the coming fixtures
This weekends opponents both look set to be scrapping for mid-table mediocrity as opposed to an Elite League title in the coming year and, while they have a few weeks head start on the Rays, the double header should be a better marker as to where all three sides abilities lay this season.
Braehead, whom the Rays face for the first ever time on Saturday, were predicted by many to struggle in the coming year, both on and off the ice. That was never going to be the case with former EIHL 30 goal scorer Brendan Cook, point per game CHLer Bobby Chaumont and former DEL defenceman Jon Landry joining a club whose supposed owner is Nottingham's Neil Black.
Initial impressions have been very positive for the Clan and their new fanbase. A win over Scottish rivals Dundee was quickly followed by the shock fixture of the young season so far, as former Panthers favourite and Clan player-coach Bruce Richardson went to the NIC and handed the Panthers their first loss of the season, a bitter sweet moment for backer of both clubs Black.
The following night they were brought back down to earth with a 5-3 loss to the same Devils side that the Rays came close to defeating last week while last weekend they split a home-away series with the Newcastle Vipers, winning in a shootout at home before struggling to a loss at notorious Whitley Bay.
The aforementioned Richardson, Cook, Chaumont and Landry will be tough to beat, and a backing cast of familiar names inclduing former Manchester forward Kyle Bruce, former Stingray and Hull raised Kevin Phillips and Cedric Bernier, brother of former Stingray tough guy Jonathan Bernier, won't make things much easier. Needless to say the Clans positive start to the year sees the Rays visit Braehead Arena, which turned out more than 1600 in their first ever home fixture, on the crest of a wave with both sides hoping to top the bottom back at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, on Sunday the Rays travel to old foes Edinburgh Capitals to take on a side that has continued their tradition as the Elite League's slow starters.
Already decimated by a number of injuries, they have wins over Dundee (3-2) and Newcastle (7-4) to their name so far this year but have lost 8-0 to Sheffield and were massacred 12-4 by Cardiff in midweek prior to the Devils visit to the Hull Arena last weekend.
Although it looks like being a rollercoaster of a ride in the Scottish capital this season, new coach Brad Gratton, like his predecessor Doug Christiansen, has signed a couple of gems that will more than hold their own in the Elite League. Californian born Alex Kim joins the Caps from the Asia, where he hit 75 points in 35 games after regularly netting in the ECHL four years ago, and he has joined up well with fellow new signing Chris St.Jacques, who hit 99 points in the Dutch league last season, with the pair accounting for eight goals and 19 points so far this year.
The Caps and their severely decimated blueline very nearly beat the Coventry Blaze last weekend, eventually running out of steam to lose 6-4. But with the news that American defenceman Jacques Perreault is finally set to join up the the squad following VISA issues, things are beginning to look up for a Caps side hoping to hit early highs of their season long rollercoaster with games against struggler's Dundee and the Rays this weekend.
Cloutier and his Stingrays squad will be looking to continue momentum from an encouraging weekend and get off to a good start in the league with a full strength squad travelling for a weekend in Scotland.
EIHL
The Stingrays showed determination and resilience to blow off the summer cobwebs last weekend, tying the game at three and hitting the post with seconds remaining after being 3-1 down with goals coming from debutant Matti Uusivirta, returnee Ryan Lake and coach Sylvain Cloutier. It was a gritty, hardworking 60 minute opening performance from the Rays in front of a healthy 1000 strong crowd and that momentum will be important during the coming fixtures
This weekends opponents both look set to be scrapping for mid-table mediocrity as opposed to an Elite League title in the coming year and, while they have a few weeks head start on the Rays, the double header should be a better marker as to where all three sides abilities lay this season.
Braehead, whom the Rays face for the first ever time on Saturday, were predicted by many to struggle in the coming year, both on and off the ice. That was never going to be the case with former EIHL 30 goal scorer Brendan Cook, point per game CHLer Bobby Chaumont and former DEL defenceman Jon Landry joining a club whose supposed owner is Nottingham's Neil Black.
Initial impressions have been very positive for the Clan and their new fanbase. A win over Scottish rivals Dundee was quickly followed by the shock fixture of the young season so far, as former Panthers favourite and Clan player-coach Bruce Richardson went to the NIC and handed the Panthers their first loss of the season, a bitter sweet moment for backer of both clubs Black.
The following night they were brought back down to earth with a 5-3 loss to the same Devils side that the Rays came close to defeating last week while last weekend they split a home-away series with the Newcastle Vipers, winning in a shootout at home before struggling to a loss at notorious Whitley Bay.
The aforementioned Richardson, Cook, Chaumont and Landry will be tough to beat, and a backing cast of familiar names inclduing former Manchester forward Kyle Bruce, former Stingray and Hull raised Kevin Phillips and Cedric Bernier, brother of former Stingray tough guy Jonathan Bernier, won't make things much easier. Needless to say the Clans positive start to the year sees the Rays visit Braehead Arena, which turned out more than 1600 in their first ever home fixture, on the crest of a wave with both sides hoping to top the bottom back at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, on Sunday the Rays travel to old foes Edinburgh Capitals to take on a side that has continued their tradition as the Elite League's slow starters.
Already decimated by a number of injuries, they have wins over Dundee (3-2) and Newcastle (7-4) to their name so far this year but have lost 8-0 to Sheffield and were massacred 12-4 by Cardiff in midweek prior to the Devils visit to the Hull Arena last weekend.
Although it looks like being a rollercoaster of a ride in the Scottish capital this season, new coach Brad Gratton, like his predecessor Doug Christiansen, has signed a couple of gems that will more than hold their own in the Elite League. Californian born Alex Kim joins the Caps from the Asia, where he hit 75 points in 35 games after regularly netting in the ECHL four years ago, and he has joined up well with fellow new signing Chris St.Jacques, who hit 99 points in the Dutch league last season, with the pair accounting for eight goals and 19 points so far this year.
The Caps and their severely decimated blueline very nearly beat the Coventry Blaze last weekend, eventually running out of steam to lose 6-4. But with the news that American defenceman Jacques Perreault is finally set to join up the the squad following VISA issues, things are beginning to look up for a Caps side hoping to hit early highs of their season long rollercoaster with games against struggler's Dundee and the Rays this weekend.
Cloutier and his Stingrays squad will be looking to continue momentum from an encouraging weekend and get off to a good start in the league with a full strength squad travelling for a weekend in Scotland.
EIHL
Stingrays: 9TH 0GP 0W 0L 0OTL 0GF 0GA 0PTS
Braehead: 6TH 5GP 2W 2L 1OTL 18GF 17GA 6PTS
Edinburgh: 8TH 6GP 1W 5L 0OTL 19GF 41GA 2PTS
Form
Stingrays: X X X X D
Braehead: W W L W L
Edinburgh: L L W L L
Last 3 Meetings
v Braehead
First Meeting
v Edinburgh
26/12/09 3-4 W A
27/12/09 5-3 W H
24/02/10 5-4 L A
Stingrays 09/10 Series
v Braehead: First Meeting
v Edinburgh: 8GP 4W 4L 10PTS 30GF 33GA
Key Player
Stingrays: D Kurtis Dulle (1GP 0+1 0PIM)
Braehead: F Brendan Cook (GP5 4+1 8PIM)
Edinburgh: F Alex Kim (7GP 4+7 0PIM)
Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Christian Boucher (1GP 3.00GAA 93.5sv.%)
Braehead: J F Perras (5GP 3.15GAA 89.6sv.%)
Edinburgh: Scott Reid (7GP 6.14GAA 85.9sv.%)
Absentees
Stingrays: Full Strength
Braehead: Full Strength
Edinburgh: Daniel Madsen (doubt; leg ligament), Neil Hay (ankle)
Predictions
Braehead 4-2 StingraysEdinburgh 3-4 Stingrays
