So it’s two weeks on from version 1.0 of the G-H.com Elite league power rankings and it’s about time I brought out version 2.0

If you missed version 1 you can view it here, and read about how this works.  Simply put however, it’s the goal difference of each team divided by the amount of games played over a period of time.  It’s not perfect but it’s a decent enough measuring stick on how good or bad teams are of late, it just doesn’t factor in the quality of opposition a team plays in the two week period.

So without further ado, here’s a look at how the team’s rankings over the last two weeks of action:

1. (3) Belfast Giants: +6 / 3gp = 2.00
2. (6) Hull Stingrays: +4 / 2gp = 2.00
3. (2) Cardiff Devils: +1 / 1gp = 1.00
4. (10) Newcastle Vipers: +4 / 4gp = 1.00
5. (4) Coventry Blaze: +1 / 3gp = 0.33
6. (5) Manchester Phoenix: -1 / 3gp = -0.33
7. (9) Sheffield Steelers: -2 / 4gp = -0.50
8. (7) Edinburgh Capitals: -2 / 3gp = -0.67
9. (8) Basingstoke Bison: -4 / 4gp = -1.00
10. (1) Nottingham Panthers: -7 / 5gp = -1.40

Check back in two more weeks for the next update…

The Steelers where in town for the Elite League clash and it wasn’t a tame affair.  In fact, it was a classic.  It all kicked off right at the end of the first period, as the hooter went a small scuffle broke out.  Skiehar and Cloutier where coming out of their respective penalty boxes after serving matching minors and the fun began.  The rest, well you can see it all for yourself.

Most of the debate generated however was during the Skiehar – Cloutier fight, it was a close fight with both guys exchanging big punches when suddenly Brett Cloutier gouged at the left eye of Shawn Skiehar (see photo above) and then fish hooked him in the mouth.  The linesmen then came in to separate Cloutier and a stunned and disadvantaged Skiehar, but Cloutier continued throwing shots.  It was then Jason Ruff decided to help out and that snowballed into everyone getting involved.

Giants fans will tell you this is exactly what this team needed and It was a superb team bonding exercise, the fans loved it and the team rallied around each other to go on and win the game without Skiehar, Ruff or goalie Mike Minard who was also tossed from the game for tangling with Steelers nettie Jody Lehman.

No doubt the debate on this will continue to run.
Please can I encourage you to download the video clips and then view them.  I don’t have the bandwith for a huge amounts of downloads.
(right-click on PC, “save target as…”; hold the mouse button down on a Mac and choose “save target as…” or something similar).

For the video clip of the brawl, right click here.
For a quick four-second clip on the controversial gouging, right click here.

Giants 6, Steelers 3 

If you had asked any fan coming into the game tonight how they felt the Giants would do in a game against the Steelers without goalie Mike Minard and forwards Jason Ruff and Shawn Skiehar, you wouldn’t have got to many positive responses.  Well that was exactly the case after twenty minutes of play when all three got thrown out for their parts in a bench clearance brawl at the end of the first period with the Giants leading 2-1, but the Giants still managed to go on and win 6-3 in the game that racked up 191 penalty minutes.

For more on the brawl click here

Box Score »

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Here’s a quick look at what went down around the Elite League last night:

- Basingstoke get a much needed win over the Phoenix 4-3 after over time.  The Phoenix must have had tired legs having played in Belfast the night before to a win that sent them into the semi-finals of the challenge cup.

- Like the Bison, the Vipers too got a much-needed win when they beat an inconsistent Coventry side 4-2.  After making a number of personnel changes the last couple of weeks the Vipers are looking to get back to the form they had last season and get themselves off the foot of the table.

- Arguably the game of the season as the Steelers had the shoe on the other foot when it comes to come back games as they turned around a 4-1 deficit to the Panthers to win out 5-4 after the shootout.  The game had it all, fights, misconducts, goals, comebacks, penalty shots and a shootout.  The Panthers now have just one game in hand on the Giants that if won would still keep them a point back on the league leaders.

Ex-Giants star Shane Johnson who played in Belfast for 6 seasons has signed with rivals Sheffield Steelers.  Shane who was an original Giant was not re-signed by Courtenay this off season and so left Kelman as the last original Giant standing.  He joined the Slough Jets of the EPL at the start of this season but when Sheffield came calling with a chance to get back in the Elite League Shane jumped at the chance.  He’ll now be playing under coach Dave Matsos who was a team-mate of Shane’s for a couple of seasons in his Belfast days.