Warning: Incase you listen to this and somehow managed to get all excited for the game they are talking about, I’m a bit late on this one and the game has actually taken place, but it is worth pointing out anyway since it involves a Giants player – and not just any Giants played but the most talked about Giants player of all-time on message forums – Sean McMorrow.
The Sheriff appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield talking to their hosts about his teams upcoming double header (this past weekend) against Sheffield Steelers (in which each team won one game a piece) while also having an on-air chit-chat with Steelers new enforcer Mike Sgroi. The chat with Sgroi is the interesting point – an insight into what some of these tough guys think about one another. If you’re looking fireworks and trash talking then don’t bother, the respect is clearly there between these two heavies who have been doing the dirty work for their teams for over a decade now but it is worth tuning in to hear how they set up their fight for the first period of the first game between the two teams. (They did indeed go in the first and McMorrow got the edge).
Detractors will crucify this as them ‘arranging the fight’, but in Hockey this is something McMorrow would be expected to do. He is the leagues top enforcer and when someone new comes in to enforce for his team it’s only right that McMorrow gives him his stage, welcomes him to the league and lets him set a tone for his own team. Thankfully when it did happen McMorrow won the scrap and then the teams got on with the Hockey. The Giants won that one and lost the following night were both big boys kept clear of one another.
McMorrow goes on to say how he’d like every team to carry a player like himself and Sgroi on the line-ups and it’s hard to disagree with him. It would be good to see an extra element of entertainment on top of the skillful hockey some teams are producing and it would help add to the rivalries.
The irony in this radio piece though is that this is the same Sheffield team that earlier in the season said they were going down the skill hockey only route and that McMorrow wouldn’t be able to “buy a fight” against Sheffield but after a poor start to the year they have addressed a potential weakness by adding some toughness to the line-up (or if not to change fortunes at least give the fans something to cheer about) to fight, who else, but Sean McMorrow.
Normally when you win 3-0 all the attention is around the goalie for picking up the shutout and while nothing will be taken away from Murphy for another fine performance between the pipes, all the talk will centre around new boy Jeff Szwez and his two goal debut performance. He only met up with his new team-mates earlier in the week but seems to have settled immediately as seen by tonights showing. Not only did the result come against the Panthers, but against the league leading Panthers and was enough to jump the Giants to the top of the Elite League table. Thank you Jeff Szwez. Read More»
All the goals, fights and big moments from the big game last night in the Odyssey. The stand out thing for me aside from some very nice goals was the size of the crowd and the noise it was making — it was a throwback to the days of yore. Some have called the Odyssey a graveyard for atmosphere lately, but this certainly changed that. Enjoy and pay up for tonight’s re-match at giantslive.tv
We’ve seen what Newcastle can do to your players when they come into your barn and know that you don’t really have a player that can stand up to them. You might win the game but you won’t go home without bruises and the risk of injury. There is no doubt the Giants escaped injuries with some of the Vipers tactics, but this time out had someone on the ice who would distract the Vipers muscle and keep them honest towards the Giants skill.
Enter Jason Rushton. He has played four games now for the club getting in two fights so far and even scoring a goal and an assist with the limited ice time that has been afforded to him. He may not have scored in tonight’s contest but he was quick to drop the gloves, put the Vipers players off their game, give the Giants stars the freedom to play their game free of intimidation and ultimately win the game 4-1.
Watch Carlyle Lewis give Ryan Shmyr a bit of a beating. Shmyr got the take down maybe but Lewis did all the damage. Big win for a guy on real fighting form and really protecting his team-mates.
