Hull Stingrays 9-0 Edinburgh Capitals (Pre-season)
The Scottish side travelled to Hull with just seven imports and were forced to borrow three players from the Stingrays NIHL side including Jamie Cobley and Kieran Beach in order to fill out their roster.
They started the game with back-up netminder Craig Holland between the pipes and he was soon forced to fish the puck out of the net as debutant Gulliaume Doucet attempted a neat set up which eventually found its way to Jereme Tendler - who continued where he left off last season and scored from an acute angle.
In an understandably scrappy and disjointed first period, the Rays went close again in the dying stages as Derek Campbell - who unsurprisingly linked up with Jason Silverthorn on the second line - rang the cross bar.
The home side again scored early in the second period with the first line of Doucet, Tendler and Matty Davies combining well to move the puck swiftly from behind Ben Bowns' net to the Caps zone before Davies scrappily fired home the second of the night.
Given their short bench, the Caps would have been happy with the 2-0 scoreline at the halfway point and, as seemingly agreed prior to the game, replaced Holland - who stopped 23 of 25 shots - with number one netminder Tomas Hiadlovsky.
With the Edinburgh side in front of him tiring due to their lack of numbers the Slovakian stopper quickly found himself under fire and 5-0 down as the Stingrays barraged him.
Shortly after Hiadlovsky's arrival the Rays made it 3-0 following some good work in the defensive zone from British debutant, and a player expected to surprise many this season, Jamie Chilcott. The defenceman persevered in the defensive zone and eventually found Davies, who combined with Doucet before Tendler was put through on goal and added his second of the night.
Less than a minute later, the puck was worked out from the corner to another debutant, Omar Pacha - thought to be the Stingrays number one offensive defenceman in the coming season and a replacement for former captain Kurtis Dulle - who bulleted a slapshot high over the glove of the Caps netminder for a 4-0 lead.
Five minutes later, the Rays completed a horrible return to action in the UK for Hiadlovsky as Doucet tapped home his first goal as a Stingray on a two-on-one with Tendler at the backpost giving the netminder a save percentage of 50% having allowed three goals on six shots.
Capitals head coach Richard Hartmann was clearly unhappy with his sides performance, not just in the second period but throughout the game, and publicly and loudly berated a number of his players.
On his way to a comfortable 24 shot shutout, Stingrays keeper Bowns made his biggest contribution to the game in the third period, denying the an Edinburgh attack with a wonderful sprawling kick save.
Bobby Chamberlain then rounded off the party with two of the standout goals of the evening. First, the returning Brit sniped home a wristshot in off the crossbar with Hiadlovsky none the wiser before being put in on a breakaway to slot backhanded past the netminder having faked a forehanded wristshot.
Though the 9-0 drubbing is a positive from a Stingrays point of view, it is extremely difficult to judge either side on this opening pre-season fixture, particularly given the Capitals lack of depth. With imports Les Reaney and Martin Cingel both missing from the lineup and two further imports to sign, the Capitals will surely offer the Rays a far sterner challenge as they near full strength, although it appears that may yet take some time.
As far as Sylvain Cloutier's side is concerned there are no worries so early in pre-season as the side regain match fitness and match sharpness. Indeed, six goals from the club's new first line of Doucet, Davies and Tendler is encouraging while the Silverthorn and Campbell again proved they will continue their brilliant partnership from 11/12 alongside Tom Squires - who himself looked improved. Two goals from returning hometown favourite Chamberlain late in the day was a big a bonus.
Defensively, a shutout for Bowns will do no harm and Pacha's offensive ability and shot from the point will . On a final note, Chilcott and Scott Robson proved that they are capable of playing at Elite League level, albeit against a somewhat limited Edinburgh side .
The Stingrays are back in pre-season action tomorrow night against the English Premier League's Sheffield Steeldogs at Ice Sheffield (7.30pm) where they will continue preparations for the upcoming season.
