Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Quarter Final Preview: Nottingham Panthers v Braehead Clan

Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Quarter Final Preview: Nottingham Panthers v Braehead Clan

Braehead clan were given a boost ahead of tonight's EIHL Play Off Quarter Final first leg away to Nottingham Panthers, as head coach Ryan Finnerty committed to leading the Purple Army in next season's battles.

He confirmed he would return for a second season at the Clan's Player of the Year awards dinner on Tuesday night. The announcement was the ideal appetiser ahead of their tasty, two legged clash with last year's Play Off champions.

 "I'm excited to be returning for next season and I think we've brought through some good hockey players and exceeded everyone's expectations," the former Sheffield Steelers coach said.

"We're looking to build on that and it's not something we want to gut and cut up then have to bring in a new raft of imports and British players.

"I'm looking forward to getting back some of my guys that we want and build on something here."

A victory in Nottingham tonight, would go some way to helping him with the foundations of building his side for next season, more so if they can follow that up with a victory in Saturday night's second leg at Braehead Arena. A swell in the Clan's support this season has seen the four year old side average crowds of around the 3000 mark all term, which Finnerty says has been instrumental and indicative of the Clan's performances on and off the ice this year.

"The support from the fans has been tremendous all season, even when things haven't gone well and you won't find that in many places," he said.

"For the guys it's been great to play in front of and for me, it's been great to coach in front of it as the crowds have grown each week.

"It's putting pressure on us to compete and give something back and my aim is to bring a trophy to Braehead.  We're knocking on the door, but there are steps we have to take.

"It's going to take time, but we've taken a massive leap already this year both on and off the ice and I want to continue that."

The Clan know that reaching the Play Off final weekend next Saturday and Sunday won't be an easy task, as the Panthers have got great pedigree in the competition. Indeed, they showed great battling qualities on Tuesday night to claim the Challenge Cup in dramatic style against Belfast Giants.

Having lost the first leg of the cup final 5-2 in Northern Ireland, a 4-1 regulation time victory in the midlands took the game to a goalless round of overtime, with Petre Kalus netting the winner in the penalty shootout.

The Clan will be hoping those exertions will have tired the Panthers out for their first leg encounter, but having been bitten by Corey Neilson's team at the same stage two seasons ago, the players and fans are wary of their rivals.

Regardless of the outcome of the first leg, Braehead Arena is set to be rocking again on Saturday for the return game, as another sell out is expected for the Clan's final home game of the season, in the hope that they'll travel back to Nottingham next weekend for their first ever Play Off finals weekend. 

EIHL GARDINER CONFERENCE FINAL WEEKEND PREVIEW

This weekend is the final weekend of the inaugural Gardiner Conference in the Elite Ice Hockey League and it is all set to go right to the wire, to determine the winner of the Division. It has been a hard fought season, with plenty of drama, goals and controversy and has provided much more entertainment than the rival Erhardt division. Despite the Scottish sides making up the bottom half of the big league, the local rivalries have intensified throughout the year and have built up to this last round of games.

Last weekend saw the end of season picture become a little bit clearer in terms of how the efforts of Braehead Clan, Fife Flyers, Dundee Stars, Edinburgh Capitals and Hull Stingrays will be rewarded come this Sunday evening. With The Clan and The Stars in pole position for the Gardiner title, they faced off at Braehead Arena last Saturday, knowing that the victor would gain a slender advantage in the battle for the first Conference trophy.

Despite having held a 3-1 lead, Jeff Hutchins' side capitulated to an Ash Goldie inspired Clan, who romped to a 6-3 victory, earning the Purple Army back to back wins for the first time since arresting their recent winless slump. It was Braehead's only game of the weekend, which took them two points clear of the Stars, albeit for 24 hours. The Tayside club took on Hull Stingrays on Sunday, shutting them out 5-0 to draw themselves back to level pegging at the top of the Conference.

A Hull win would have been the ideal way to end their Conference season, as it would have pushed them ahead by two points atop the Gardiner, but it wasn't to be as Sylvain Cloutier's side now must concentrate on their final big league weekend to earn a Play Off quarter final berth. With matches against Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze on the radar, two wins may still not be enough to see them rise off the foot of the EIHL table.

A double header between Fife Flyers and Edinburgh Capitals saw a minor upset, as the much improved Caps suffered two losses to their Kirkcaldy rivals, losing out 5-1 in Fife on Saturday and 4-2 on home ice the following night. With the Flyers two points clear of the rest of the Scottish sides in the big league, those wins mean they are in the best of the PlayOff positions of the Gardiner sides.


With the destination of the Gardiner Conference title being Braehead or Dundee, Fife Flyers are ending the season in the best PlayOff position of the Scottish sides. With Nottingham Panthers having secured the Elite League title last week after beating Belfast Giants on their own patch, the Playoffs are the Flyers last chance of grabbing some silverware in what has been an up and down season for the Kirkcaldy club.

Assistant Coach Danny Stewart too some time to talk to STV abut how the Conference system has been received in its debut season and what the focus for the Flyers is going in to their last regulation season game this weekend, as well as their PlayOff hopes.

"I thought the conference system was a good idea when they implemented it last summer," says the experienced forward, "I don't think anybody could have predicted it would be this successful".

"The conference standings, especially the Gardiner, have been so tight. I think last season there was close to a 35 point gap between between 6th-7th place and to compare that to now its obvious it has worked."

"I also think some of the credit has to go to the so called "smaller" clubs in the fact that each team improved dramatically in the calibre of players they brought in, the depth they have, and definitely the goaltending which has helped everyone be more competitive."

"It's exceeded my expectations!"

With the Conference being so closely fought, with positions in the division changing on a weekly basis, the close proximity of the sides involved, bar Hull, have created more I tense rivalries, which Stewart feels has benefitted the players and the fans.

"There has always been the rivalries between clubs but due to the conference system, and putting that added importance on games,  there has been much more to play for. "

"The fans definitely play their part with intensifying the rivalries, as the away travel has been great from all local clubs and increased the atmosphere in most buildings."

In their own barn, the Flyers have had a pretty good term, having been. Beaten there for a good chunk of the early part of the season, scoring some decent wins over the EIHL's bigger teams in the process. These performances have been key in Stewart's eyes for the success of the Flyers second season in the Elite League set up.

"I think the high point of our season so far has been our home form and being able to turn over some of the big clubs and beating everybody except Nottingham. We have made it a tough place to play in for away teams and that is essential to success."

"Last weekend against Edinburgh were highlights as well solely because of how well we played in those two games that were "must win" games."

Where the home for, has been their bedrock, the Flyers away for,particularly since the turn of the year, has perhaps hindered their season, costing them Gardiner glory.

"On the flip side I think our away results have hurt us big time. We have played many good games on the road but have just found ways to lose games. I think we had a stretch in the first couple months where we lost four or five games in the last five minutes, two of those in the last minute, which may have been a big factor on our confidence playing on the road."

While Braehead Clan have the opportunity to win the Conference in Fife on Saturday night if they beat Dundee Stars on Friday, Stewart and his team mates have their own agenda and will be looking to spoil the party while focussing on finishing their own season as best they can. A last eight game against the Panthers or the Giants may await depending on their standing after Saturday night,

"Being realistic, if we can win on Saturday and get that 7th spot I believe we have a great chance to progress to the Play Off Quarter Finals. If we get an 8th seed, or face a Belfast or Nottingham then we need to really up our game. They are fantastic teams but by no means unbeatable!"

"To be honest though I along with our squad are not looking anywhere past Saturday night against Braehead, as a win there would put us in the best position possible going forward. Whatever happens such as placement or who we play is out of our control so that's what we must focus on."

"We are a very motivated team right now. We proved that last weekend but need to continue and find that consistency heading into playoffs. Our goal is to beat Braehead to put ourselves in the best position possible. We can't win the conference now so to me it doesn't matter who wins it."

"Our main concern is just beating Braehead to ensure we definitely advance to the playoffs."

A home win for Danny Stewart's side on Saturday could see them safely in to those quarter finals and would also see the title fight reach fever pitch as if Dundee Stars get a in over Braehead tonight (Friday) they could win the Conference with a regulation time win at home to Edinburgh at the same time as Flyers v Clan. If Braehead get the W in 60 tonight but lose to Fife on Saturday, the Stars earning a Saturday win, Sami Ryhanen and co can win the the Conference at Murrayfield on Sunday with a victory. However, two Braehead wins in regulation would see the title go to the Clan, even if Dundee win both games against Edinburgh, based on having had more was in regulation time.

These games will also have Play Off position permutations, meaning that every side will be going at it to earn those extra games. For some, their season will end this weekend, for others, they have a further shot at glory in the coming weeks, but each side in the Gardiner has put up a great fight in an entertaining first ever Conference set up, ensuring a nail biting end to the season.

Myself (@krisjack85) and Andy Alston (@andyalstonf1) will be live tweeting from Braehead Clan v Dundee Stars tonight and Fife Flyers v Braehead Clan tomorrow night, to keep you enthralled with every pass of the puck as the Gardiner Conference reaches its destination.

Fixtures:


Fri, Mar 22, 2013 7:30 pm GMT Dundee at   Braehead 7:30 pm GMT

Sat, Mar 23, 2013 7:00 pm GMT Edinburgh at   Dundee 7:00 pm GMT
Sat, Mar 23, 2013 7:15 pm GMT Braehead at   Fife 7:15 pm GMT

Sun, Mar 24, 2013 6:00 pm GMT Dundee at   Edinburgh 6:00 pm GMT

Clan 3.0

With the disappointing final loss to Fife in the Autumn Cup,  a week ahead of the first proper competitive Challenge Cup games, Clan fans looked to the opening night tie against Belfast with much excitement. They weren't let down thanks to a cohesive 3-2 victory over the Elite League Champions, showing that the conference split for this season won't be the dominant and the diddies. With impressive displays from the other Scottish sides against their southern rivals, the opening weekend looked to prove that the Gardiner section will be a close division to call.

This was typified for Braehead on Sunday night when they managed a third period three goal blitz to force overtime against Rene Jarolin inspired Edinburgh Capitals. However, it would be Jarolin to break those brave Clan hearts with his OT winner, to frustrate the Purple Army within 24 hours of a confidence and morale boosting defeat of the Giants. Frustration mainly borne from the previous season, where inconsistency on the road saw some stumbles in the side's second season.

Still missing Ryan Campbell and the game changing Jade Galbraith, confined to Canada under Visa issues, Jordan Krestanovich knows that this weekend's games will go a bit of a way to proving the Clan's mettle early on in this 2012-13 campaign. The Belfast victory showed plenty of positives in the attack with Ash Goldie and Robert Farmer's goals not their only contributions to a forward thinking front line, and at the back, Mitch Maunu looked solid and dependable enough to earn the right to his Man of the Match award. The third period showed the players to tire a little though, which is probably expected given the first gung ho game of the calendar.

It seemed to carry over to Sunday, and with the Caps 3 goals to the good going in to the third, a herculean effort was needed and was produced, before Jarolin beat Zemlak for the W. With three games in three nights the week before and then two in two, JK's side will need to pull focus on the whole weekends to prevent any slip ups in a season where silverwear is an expected bare minimum, be it the Gardiner trophy, the overall league title or the Playoffs.

With no home games for the next month, Krestanovich must kae sure his side are well equipped for the road. it will give the side more time to bond on their travels, with this season's imports hoping to bed in as quickly as possible to make the season memorable. A look to Twitter shows that Steve Birnstill and Bobby Chaumont are bonding fairly well with the Brit Twits of Adam Walker, Sammy Zajac and Matty Haywood, while I'm sure once Jade Galbraith is back, much ten pin bowling will ensue to help the team adhere.

The summer arrivals of the above, along with Zemlak, Hansen,Watt, Maunu and Captain Ash Goldie, will do well to fill the void of some of the lads who opted not to return this year. As still a relative newbie to the sport, being weaned on football up until 2010, you get used to players coming and going after maybe 2 or 3 years, but in hockey the turnovers are much quicker, resulting in fan favourites making an impact and then leaving in the space of 9 months. Jim Jorgensen, who many seen as a staright swop for now NHL man Jon Landry had a great seaosn at the arena, but has gone south to Sheffield for the bigger money. Mike Wirll has moved to Dundee, Mike Bayrack has not returned, Tim Wedderburn has put his time at Clan on hold, Jaako Suomolainen has been ousted from between the sticks and, rather acrimonously, Drew Bannister took another option after re-signing.

Guys who put up a solid number of points last term needed to be replaced and JK moved quickly to do so. These are the men charged with bringing some silverware to Braehead, the men who most believe will be the Premier Scottish team in the EIHl yet again, but this year with something tangible in place of just the loftiest league standing. I was impressed with my first viewing of Clan 3.0 last weekend and with an expectedly hostile visit to Fife before journeying to Cardiff on the cards this weekend, it will not be an easy two games. However, a continuation from last week's Giant's win and the comeback against the Capital's may see two wins from two for JK's men.

Mon The Clan

The KJ WellCast 1801

The KJ WellCast 1801

THE BRAEHEAD BLOG: FRUSTRATION IS NOT JUST A BOARD GAME.

As a man in his mid 20s, with the mindset still of an adolescent, many things frustrate me. Not having a job where I can use my degree. Having a job, which I know could pay better. Having the same conversations with people's voices on a daily basis. Having to commute on the world's warmest bus. Council Tax and many more. All affectations of being an adult that you don't think about when you are a student. These are all constants, and I'm pretty sure most people have the same or similar gripes. However, inconsistency gives just as much frustration to me as consistency.

On Boxing Day, Elaine and I bounded in to Braehead so she could do some shopping and I could carry said shopping, before going to watch the Clan v Belfast Giants. Regular readers will know the tie in, with my fiancee being from outside Belfast and formerly a Giants fan. The last match between the 2 at Braehead had ended in a 4-1 win for the Clan, which was followed up by much nose rubbing from myself in the direction of the in laws. Then, when Clan played giants at the Odyssey a few weeks ago, despite running them close, the Giants got revenge. Add in to this mix the Doucet/Zajac issues, and it set up Boxing days game to be a pretty tasty affair. It wasn't.

Belfast ran out 7-2 winners and barely had to try for their goals, with a number of them being gifted to them on a Christmas day leftovers sized plate. Clan just did not get going. Whether they were harboring food babies or whatnot, I do not know, but it was as toothless a display as I have seen the Purple Army (Richardson's or Bannister's) put on. The much lauded Krestanovich - Galbraith - Bayrack line just didn't put in the graft. The usually reliable Jade, looke dlike he was using someone else's stick, as time and again he couldn't get the puck out from under him, same with Mike Bayrack, whose skates saw more of the puck than his stick.

The D didn't fare much better, with Suoma exposed time after time. The second line with Haywood, McPherson and Campbell in attack were just as inept,and Giants were deserving of the win. The only one looking interested in fighting was wee Sammy, but that was more for his own sake than for the good of the team. As we filed out, Elaine and myself were baffled as to how Soupy could get MOM, as we'd agreed that purely for his assist and goal that Jim Jorgensen was the only worthy recipient. It summed up a rather frustrating night.

Fast forward 24 hours, and I'm sitting eating a big dirty burger in my living room, reading @ClanFans Twitter updates flood in and read on as Clan run out 4-1 winners at the Odyssey! A few expletives were uttered mid chew as I saw Bayrack had got goals 3 and 4, adding to Brocks first and Campbell's penalty shot. Where was this performance the night before? How could there be such a radical change in fortunes in the space of a day? As has been the want of Bannister's team this season, Clan are supposed to be poor on their travels and fairly unbeatable at home. Why did this change in the last 2 days?

Having been to every Motherwell FC game this season, I have seen the Well look shaky at home, but majestic everywhere else, which I know is frustrating for the season ticket holders at Fir Park. They are not getting the value for money that those who go to the away games seem to be getting, and unfortunately when the Club managed to incentivise them to travel through to Tynecastle at the weekend, they saw the team outplayed by Hearts. Those who journeyed through to Edinburgh who wouldn't normally, must be have been thinking that the away form was a myth.

This is sort of how I felt reading Twitter last night. Due to the holiday season, there was a bumper crowd at Braehead on Monday night. I'd imagine a fair few first timers went along, whether as an after shopping treat or were given tickets as Christmas presents, or maybe even regulars bringing their families along for a good night out. While the atmosphere was quite good (not as good as the last game v Belfast), the game was a bit of a damp squib as outlined above. With a larger home audience than normal, I suppose it would have been nice if the boys could have switched their performances around. A win would maybe have seen a swell in numbers for the Dundee game on Friday, which should still get a decent crowd due to folk still having Christmas money to burn.

Looking at the EIHL table, it perfectly highlights the inconsistency that has dogged this season. 14 wins and 12 losses, for every game won, we are losing another pretty much. Yes, we are top of the Scots (and Hull) and trying closing the gap on Cardiff, but if we could cut out the inconsistency and find a level or standard to play at in each game, Clan could be pushing for 4th or even 3rd. Wins over Belfast and the upper teams, as great as they are, don't mean anything if the team struggle against the likes of Hull and Fife. That is no disrespect to those teams, but the defeats the Clan have had to them this season are probably ranked as the worst in the Club's short history.

Going in to the second half of the season, Coach Drew needs to give the team a bit of a rocket in my opinion. Cut ot the mistakes and the inconsistencies and we can only progress. while the League would be a long way off, there is no reason why they can't push for silverware in the Challenge Cup and Playoffs. The guys need to get their eyes on the prize and start committing in every game, not just every other game.

Frustartion's well and truly vented for now...back to work for me!

Mon The Clan!

The Braehead Blog: A Bit of an Overall Round Up

Having been the subject of 2 or 3 Follow Fridays on Twitter this week from various hockey outlets, I feel I should probably get back in to the habit of regularly blogging about my beloved Clan. Work and other things have been piling up, so finding the time to write has been scarce of late. I am also finding that not attending games as much as I would have liked, is putting me in a position whereby my thoughts may not be as insightful as they could be.

Indeed, I had written a full blog about a week and a bti ago, after the glorious Belfast match, about what a great performance it had been in light of the Hull defeat, and that it was maybe down to the cracking Movember mousers that the team had sprouted, injecting some testosterone in to the lads performances. Alas, a bumpy bus and thick thumbs on an iPhone combined to accidentally copy and paste a text message on to my Notes app just as I was finsihing, meaning my work of literary genius ended up as " Sorry for putting the x at the end, force of habit."

The Belfast game itself was an awesome spectacle. It was the first time this season I had seen the elements of Richardson's legacy break through under bannister's stewardship. They had gusto, they were fighting, they were taking and giving big hits and not allowing the Giants in to the game. That's not to say the Giant's were poor, as in the first few minutes, it looked like arguably the best team in the league were going to give us a right good tanking. However, it didn't come about and some cracking goals, particularly the 3rd form Galbraith, gave Braehead a famous victory.

That was the last match I witnessed, so I have missed the 10-1 and 8-2 wins over the Flyers and the Caps, as well as last weekend's 2 defeats, which hurt both pride and momentum. A lot has been said about the Doucet hit on Zajac and the resulting farce of a decision that the league dished out regarding it. Having not seen KB54's check that resulted in a 3 match ban, I don't know how it could have been much worse than the hit on Sammy. I know that The EIHL gave a statement on the reasons for the 3 game ban to our talisman, but the inconsistency of these calls is abominable.

I got in to Ice Hockey at a time when the SPL and football in general was becoming more and more farcical, particularly with last year's referees strike and the contrivedness of the SFA, SPL et al to do anything substantial regarding it. In most sports, fortune falls on the big hitters, but I didn't really expect there to be as much of an issue between the way the "Big 4" are treated in comparison to the rest of the league. It seems almost like they are shutting the door after the horse has bolted, Clan complained about being hard done by, so next time it happened, the league imposed their ruling to the detriment of Bannister's Purple Army. Farcical.

It means Bruce's influence was missed in the 2 Edinburgh games and more importantly this weekend agaisnt Belfast. Having seen Clan win at the Odyssey on Boxing Day last year, I know they have it in them to pull off an upset, but without, Bruce and Krestanovich, hopes will be pinned on Galbraith, Bayrack and McPherson for a repeat performance.

Bayrack's scoring exploits have been noteworthy, having scored almost the same number of goals in his first ten games for us than he managed in the whole of last season. The line with he, Jade and Jordan is very very potent, which is in no small part thanks to former Panther Galbraith's skill and vision. I've said it before, he may not look much of an athelete, but by jove can he handle a puck. I'm enjoying seeing Brock get amongst the goals ona regular basis, as he is a beast of a man, and his size and speed are a great thing for Coach Drew to rely on.

Despite losing to Edinburgh and Sheffield, I still see the Belfast game as somewhat of a turning point. It was a more rough and tumble performance than we had seen all season, and saw a real step up in the strength of the team. If I was beign uber-critical, I'd say the D need to give Suoma a little bit more protection, as as well as he plays, he is having to make saves from plays that the D should be sweeping up. Still on goalies and hard hitting, the stae of Mike Will's face after Voth's bemch check on him was horrific. Players get less beat up on the ice than what Mike got on the sidelines, but coming away with the road win, maybe made the pain hurt a little less.

Aidan Fulton got his first goal for the Clan v Edinburgh, and he took it will with a cheeky backhander past the impressive Craze. I only know this form the Clan TV highlights and the Twitter updates, that have kept my eye on the Clan in my absence. The wonders of technology eh?

With that, I'm out. Clan are way all weekend, which gives me a chance to save for the next home game v Coventry next Wednesday. Hopeful of a repeat of the last time they visited, to stake a claim in progressing up the league.

Mon The Clan!

The Braehead Blog: Win Some Lose Some, It's All The Same To Me (to an extent...)

Nine games in to the Clan's Second Season, and it's been as much of a mixed bag as you would get trick or treating at this time of year. Despite the horror show in Hull that seems to have spooked many Clan, can we really have too much of a go at our men on the eve of our Edinburgh double header?

5 wins and 4 defeats, is an average start to the season. Everything given in one game is almost taken away the next. Having lost heavily to Nottingham last week, a bounce back win against Fife was always going to be needed. While not carried out in as impressive a way as many would have liked, it was a big W nonetheless.

Expectations of a win in Hull were extinguished almost immediately after face off, Clan going down to their heaviest defeat in their 2 year history. From reports I've read, the D may as well not have been there, as Suma was swapped for Mike Will for the second time in a week.

To compete with the big boys, the guys know they need to prove themselves better than the bottom feeders. There was ignominy in being turned over by a very good Panthers side, but I don't believe the Stingrays are as good a team Neilson's men.

So what is the issue? Why are Braehead Clan so liable to collapse at the minute. From the games I've been at so far this year, they seem to suffer a second period dip. Maybe they are committing themselves too much in the 1st, before gaining a second wind in the third, which against Fife, Coventry and Edinburgh seems to have been fine, but it won't do against the top 5.

Travelling seems to be an issue too with only one road victory so far. Whether its the journey to blame I do not know, but the away matches need to provide better fare, if not for the points, then at least for the ardent traveling support.

Whatever the issues are, it needs to be fixed. I'm not panicking yet though. November through December was a rough ride last year, with few points picked up in the lead up to Christmas, but Richardson's boys rode the storm out and had a cracking end to the season. I'm confident that Bannister can get the same drive and impetus from this years crew to settle the early season nerves.

We look to have the players to make an impact. A month in to the season and it's clear that theres a solid core of a team, provided game faces are on. For me, Jade Galbraith has been a stand out. Despite his reputation, his range of passing, his vision and his skill set belie his shabby looking frame. That's no disrespect to the man. Tommy Coyne, a Motherwell legend, never looked the most athletic in Claret and Amber, but did wonders for the Well. Galbraith has been integral to the workings of the team this season and his assists and goals are credit to his work rate.

Now that Bayrack is up to speed, he has become part of our import cluster who will make the difference. Jorgensen, McPherson and Suma have been strong players putting up decent numbers and stops respectively. Added to the old guard of Wedderburn, Campbell, Kyle Bruce, Krestanovich and Bannister himself, there is plenty experience on show. The youngsters, Zajac, Walker, Haywood and Connon are putting in fine performances as well.

Despite the win one lose one pattern, I do not see any cause for concern just yet. I don't want to sound like too much of a happy clappy here, but it's still early in the season. The league is so random at the minute, anything could happen. Hull lost to Edinburgh last week, yet horses the Clan. Bannister's men put away Coventry, yet they turned over the Panther's who dispatched Braehead easily. If results continue to be as polarising, then there will be cause for concern. But right now, it's all about backing the boys to the hilt, especially this Halloween weekend. No scares please!

As a side bar, I was a bit dissappointed to see that Jim Jorgensen retired from Twitter today. Whether he had been wound up after the Hull game, was getting too much attention from certain over enthused clan fans or just got bored of it all, who knows?

Seeing how open the players are to fraternising with the fans, social networking allows us to maybe see them more as regular guys and view their team camaraderie. In the past few weeks I've read about Jade's penchant for 10 pin bowling and FIFA, seen Sammy Zajac, Adam Walker and Brock McPherson feeding ducks and Jim himself in drag.

I know that makes me sound like some sort of stalker, but being right in to my social networking stuff, it's cool to see that these Saturday night heroes can be just as mundane as the rest of us.

So, what should you readers take from this blog?

Well, first of all, a heavy defeat does not mean the wheels have come off. Coach Drew has apparently noted the problems and is aiming to rectify them. The 2 Edinburgh games at the weekend will be the proof, as despite lowly status, they have had a decent November. It's up to the Clan to halt their resurgence and get some momentum of their own for the visit of Belfast next weekend.

Unfortunately I'll miss the double header due to a jaunt to Inverness for my other "job" but between 7 and 930ish, I'll be on Twitter to keep up to date with the hopeful tanking of the Caps.

Enjoy the Halloween and Hockey festivities, Clan Fans! My next blog will more than likely be about the Belfast game and the number of folk I have managed to coax along to the Arena for it.

Mon The Clan!!

The Braehead Blog: Start As You Mean To Go On

The Braehead Blog: Start As You Mean To Go On

As I took my seat in Braehead Arena Block B on Saturday night, even before the first face off, I knew it was going to be the start of something good. I'd entered the arena on my own, as I'd got from Fir Park to Paisley before my fiancee and my folks, and sat down in the corner of the bench side stand.

Both the Clan and Dundee were warming up as I soaked in the ambience and the view from an unfamiliar seat. I'm usually a K man. As I notified my cohorts that I was inside already, my eyes buried in my phone, I could hear the clunk and thud and scraping of skates, sticks and pucks emanate from the pond.

A shrill cry of "heids!" broke the audio of the rink, but not enough for me to take notice. What did make me look up from my texting, was 2 lads dog piling on to the seat next to me from over my shoulder. It was then that I realised what had happened.

In events similar to my first Clan game, also against Dundee, a stray puck had flown from the ice and landed right next to me. However, on this occasion, I had not seen it coming. Had I been sat 1 seat to my right I would probably be still looking for my teeth or phoning the insurance company to explain how my phone had been shattered by a hockey puck.

By the time I'd realised it all, there were now 4 boys scrapping for the puck. Eventually 1 of them was declared the victor, with his prize the black rubber disc that could have easily broken my glasses.

The puck that I claimed last year has pride of place on my desk at work. It acts as a boredom killer, a stress totem and a really thick coaster. It still has the scuff marks from the ticks that had passed it around and is a conversation starter with newbs to the office.

It also serves as a reminder of my first season following The Clan. Now that we are 2 games in to our season, I'm wondering what I will gain in the season ahead as a reminder of how it pans out.

I'll have my blogs and my reports and the tweet I got from David Simms after objecting to him diminishing the league by highlighting Edinburgh Capital's misfortune. I see no merit to the EIHL from playing on the poorer aspects of what is a fairly decent British League, and the promotion of the league should be put ahead of anything negative.

Maybe this season's must have black Clan shirt will be the material possession to spark the memories. It does look rather fetching and think the team will look awesome in a slightly more intimidating kit. Not that there's anything wrong with the home colour scheme, it's just not very menacing.

However, Bannister's Purple Army sounds just as good as Richardson's. The 2500+ crowd on Saturday night made sure of that by making the new coach welcome, as well as the new starters for this season.

Jaakko Suomalainen was under the cosh for most of the 2nd period, keeping out 33 efforts in total. His performance fully merited the chants of "Sumo" from the crowd and he was unlucky not to be Man of the Match. Jimmy Jorgensen scored a debut goal and Behemoth Brock McPherson was unlucky to hit the post. That man is a giant and could be the muscle we need this season. Of the old guard, Jordan Krestanovich started as he meant to go on with 2 fine goals, as did Vince Connon, Adam Walker and Ryan Campbell, all ably assisted by Jade Galbraith.

Knowing of Galbraith's notoriety, it was good to see him get on with playing the game, assisting with assists and fancy stick play when needed. With Bayrack to come in as well, this bunch of Braehead battlers look like they could be a very good team in a few weeks.

A 6-0 win is as emphatic as you can really get for a 1st game, but I'm lead to believe game 2 v Edinburgh was not quite the cakewalk many expected. Winning 4-2 is still a good result against a resilient if depleted Caps side.

From what I have read, Clan were a bit sluggish and fatigued, but that was probably to be expected. Without a proper preseason and a good few games behind everyone else in terms of fitness, it was always going to tell. Coach Drew was certainly keen for the lads to perform better, but a win is a win is a win. All eyes point towards next weekends game against Cardiff. This will be the first proper test for Clan 2.0 as The Devils have started the season fairly well, most recently defeating Coventry, who themselves are having a less than perfect start to the 2011/12 season.

Unfortunately my footballing commitments will see me travelling back from Dundee while this game is on, so I'll be keeping my eyes glued to my phone for updates, just like I did when narrowly avoiding death by puck.

However, regardless of the result and indeed any of the future results, I know this will be a season to remember. The players, the fans and the urgency are a there to make season 2 a success. Whether we are in the Arena, The Puck Stop or The SnoBar or coaxing others to join us for games, we believe that our team can make an impact this year.

A Trophy at the end of it would be a good memento to remind us of the season as well....

Mon The Clan!

Clan Match Report: Braehead Clan 6 - Dundee Stars 0 24/09/2011

Braehead Clan 6 - Dundee Stars 0

The Clan made a magnificent return the Braehead Arena with a comprehensive 6 goal whitewash of Dundee Stars.

Goals from Jordan Krestanovich, Vince Connon, Jimmy Jorgensen, Adam Walker and Ryan Campbell, as well as a debut shut out for Jaakko Suomalainen, meant that the Clan's new season was opened in style. The new look squad took to the ice in forn of just over 2500 of Bannister's Purple Army, and the treated the fans to a competent display of hockey.

Decked out in this season's new white home kit, the new players were introduced to the crowd to cheers along side first season returnees such as Kyle Bruce, Tim Wedderburn and Captain Krestanovich. With the franchise's debut season a relative success under Bruce Richardson, Drew Bannister knew that the bar for this season would be set high, one of the first things needing doing would be to start the season with a bang.

After a cagey opening, Clan clicked in to gear as Connon scooped the puck past Whitley on 8:40. It was a deserved lead and one that the home crowd raised the roof for. Key to continued success this season was the retention of former Colorado Avalanche forward Jordan Krestanovich, and he started this season as he ended last with a clinical second goal of the night. Picking up a loose puck around centre ice, he drove down the right hand side before blasting high beyond the Stars nettie at 16:58.

The second period was played much more defensively by Bannister's charges, almost as if to see what Clan's new number 1 Suomalainen could bring to the table. The Finn had an impressive period, keeping out all comers with a string of glove, stick and pad stops. "Sumo" had a great debut, which his team mates built upon in the 3rd.

Krestanovich got his second of the night 5 minutes in to the 3rd, with Jorgensen netting off the back pipe for a debut goal less than a minute later. the blades had come off Dundee and their puck retention got poorer and poorer as the game continued, which didn't do much to stop the waves of Clan attack.

The final goals were scored by a pair of players who chose to return to The Clan for Season 2. Adam Walker's strike forced Dundee to bring in McGill for the defenceless Whitley, and his first task was to pick the 6th goal of the night, from Ryan Campbell out of his net.

It was an emphatic, confident and professional performance from both the old and the new guys. Jade Galbraith played his part with 2 assists, while Matty Haywood showed his tough side with a few spells in the box, as did Coach Bannister. Jorgensen and the behemoth that is Brock McPherson made astute debuts, with the latter striking the post with a great strike.

The game ended 6-0 to Braehead with Krestanovich pipping Suomalainen to the MVP award. Stars minder Whitley picked up his side's gong, giving the small Dundee crowd who had travelled down something to cheer. The performance bodes well for the season, and the crowd can look forward to another exciting season at Braehead Arena, with Cardiff visiting next Saturday night.

KJ WellCast with BLJ and Flemi

KJ WellCast with BLJ and Flemi by krisjack. Uploaded with SoundCloud iPhone

THE BRAEHEAD BLOG: HERE’S TO SEASON 2!

Last weekend, I drove through to Braehead for the first time, having only just passed my test. At 26, I’m a late bloomer in the driving world, but shopping needed doing and I needed to learn the road. Walking in through the revolving doors, myself and Elaine were greeted by last years posters, adorned with the faces of the players who excited, dazzled and fought for the Clan last season. Tehn I realised most of them on the walls would not be back this season.

It feels like an ice age since I last took my seat in the Arena for a Clan game. The playoff first leg against Nottingham was to be the last time I would see Brendan Cook, Dominic Noel, Bobby Chaumont, JFP and Brucie in the purple of Braehead Clan. Had I known this would be the case, I would have made sure I’d enjoyed the game more from a fan’s point of view, than that of a fledgling Hockey writer.

The reporting I was doing on last season’s games definitely helped me to understand more about the game that I have come to love, but on occasion it alos kept my eye off the things that made me a fan in the first place. I have noticed this as well in my role as online match reporter for Motherwell FC. The enjoyment of being at the games is still there, but on a different level to that of a straightforward fan.

Analysis comes in where blind optimism once inhabited. You find yourself watching the opposition just as much as your own team, while trying to maintain some dechorum while all around are hollering and hounding the players on the ice. There’s a fine line that needs to be kept to stop yourself becoming jaded though and that is evident when the puck leaves the stick and nestles between the red pipes.

You can act as professional as you like, but when your team scores a goal, you can not help but celebrate it. And that is why I can’t wait for Season 2 to begin for the Clan. The buzz from Braehead last term was amazing and I have my fingers crossed that this season will not disappoint. Yes, this season will be very different based on a change of clientele, but who is to say that Bannister’s Purple Army won’t outshine Richardson’s?

It was a huge shock on the day that the news broke that Brucie would not be returning. At his stage in his career though, the opportunity to coach in a better quality league, in his homeland, after spending so much time in the UK, is something that none of us Clan Fans would begrudge him. I’ve realised that there is definitely limited loyalty in UK Hockey, as players don’t necessarily grow up as fans of the EIHL teams or stick around for too long of a time. Seasonal change is as inevitable as , well seasonal change.

Clan’s inaugural season was as good as anyone could have hoped it could be. Finishing in the upper echelons of the table as an unfancied team, winning silverware and having a good stab at the playoffs, meanwhile garnering cult like status for certain members of the 1^st ever squad, is no mean feat. To carry that momentum in to Season 2 may have meant keeping the likes of Cookie, Dom, JFP and especially Richardson.

But those men are gone. This season we will look to Drew Bannister, a man of the NHL and of vast knowledge of the EIHL. A man charged with carrying on the good work that Richardson began. A man who despite knowing the budgetary limitations of our Purple franchise, is hopeful of repeating some of the first season successes. This will be helped by the number of last yea’rs men who have stayed. Krestanovich, Campbell, Haywood, Will, Kyle Bruce, Walker, Connon, Wedderburn, Phillips, hav all signed on for season 2, joined by new boys Sam Zajac, Brock McPherson, Callum Adamson, James Jorgensen and probably biggest of all Jade Galbraith.

Known throughout the EIHL as a bit of a goon and a troublemaker, Galbraith comes to the Clan with a bit of a rep. He hit’s hard and parties hard but also scores hard and an offensive line with him and Krestanovich, backed up by Kyle Bruce could be the key tosuccess for this season. As we saw on many an occasion last year, Bruce was none too shy in getting involved where he could if fists were flying, more often than not as Hauners for his Coach. This year he has a new set of players to look out for and I’m hoping for more of the same from him.

One man Bannister has yet to pin down is a replacement for JF Perras. While Mike Will has signed on to be back up, he could very well be thrown in as starting minder for the first few games if no one is in place by then. JFP is going to be a hard act to follow as last years Road MVP earned the Clan a decent amount of Ws with his performances. While erratic on occasion, he typified last season’s success. When he announced via Facebook last week that he was hanging up his skates for good, I wished him well with a tinge of sadness.

I’ve always had a soft spot for goalies form football and moreso in hockey this year. Having been in Canada during the NHL Playoffs this year, the somewhat epic displays of the likes of Niemi, Luongo and the amazing Bruins goalie Tim Thomas proved that having the right goalie can be the difference between trophies and bugger all. Whoever Bannister brings in has a big glove to fill.

Hopefully, some of us will be able to meet JFP’s replacement at the Jersey Launch next Friday night, which was announced today by the club. The ever hospitable SNObar is hosting the event and is looking to continue the tradition of making the Clan one of the most approachable sports teams in the UK. The amount of fan/player interaction on offer is staggering compared with other sports. At one of the Skate With The Clan events last year, my mum was so bowled over by meeting most of the team that she fell over and broke her elbow!

One man we spoke a lot with that night is the one man I am really hoping to see back in the Purple come the 24^th. Jon Landry was immense last season, putting up points and shutting up shop at the back in formidable fashion. If we don’t have him back then I see him as big a loss as Perras.

The new lads will definitely come under some scrutiny form the core of the fan base, purely because of how well the team performed last year. It is important not to get on their backs early though, if it is not quite clicking straight away. During the abysmal run the team had around November last year, it would have been all too easy to harangue the players for under-performing, but we didn’t. Instead we backed them to the hilt and eventually they steered themselves sout of the funk they were in and went on to having a cracking run in.

Hopes of a repeat performance this year may be hindered by the loss of last year’s key men, but there’s only 2 weeks to wait until we see what the new breed will bring . I for one, can not wait.

Mon The Clan!

The Braehead Blog: Chapter 4 Oh Canadaaaaa!!!

Greetings readers! It has been a while since the season ended now and while most Clan Fans have either been speculating over next seasons signings or gearing up for the big barbecue thing at Strathy Park, I have journeyed to the land of the sport we adore, Canada. It wasn't a hockey intentional trip, but rather for my future sister in laws wedding. That's not to say that a fair amount of Playoff action wasn't consumed, but it wasn't the reason for going.

Much like football is in central Scotland, the NHL is inescapable over there. If you thought us Scot's were daft for our game, the Canadians ramp it up for their skates and pucks. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs hadn't made it as far as the 7 game series lottery of the Stanley Cup, but there were 2 Canadian teams who were backed to some degree by the people in the various parts of Ontario we visited.

The Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs' arch rivals, put on some fine showings versus the Boston Bruins, but failed to get past them losing game 7. D-Man, PK Subban, had a decent series for them, scoring some important goals, but also mucked up a line change that cost one of the games. This is the same Subban who a year earlier had faced off against Edinburgh and Belfast at Murrayfield for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Going from playing in a frozen shed to the Stanley Cup must have been some gear shift and is probably the closest I'll get to seeing an NHLer live. When you have no allegiance to a team in a competition, it can be hard to pick one to follow. After much contemplation during the first round of playoff series, I settled for the Vancouver Canucks. The reasons are thus:

They have a goalie who is a bit dodgy, like myself.

They are the only Canadian team left in the competition.

I had to pick a different team to my in laws to keep up our opposing team rivalries.

They put out the current holders, the Chicago Blackhawks.

That's enough reasons, but they also have a fairly decent squad. As dodgy as Luongo is in goal, he's kept them in the playoffs, the Sedin twins do a good hustle job and Ryan Kesler has hit good form in the series with Tampa.

All in I'd say I've latched on to a decent team. Having beaten both the Blackhawks and Predators, I wouldn't bet against them and Boston having a cracker of a final.

A trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame was on the agenda when we visited Toronto, and despite not knowing a lot about the history of the sport, I got a bit of an education. Seeing Gretzky's 802 goal display with the net he got his record breaking score in and 802 spelled in pucks was a sight to see. Honouring the greatest plyer the sport has seen was done in a fitting and intelligent way, like most of the HoF memorabilia on display. We then went on to have our picture taken with the Stanley Cup itself. It's prettay, prettay big.

The interactive zone was awesome as it was where my training came in to play. I say training, a large amount of playing mini-sticks with Elaine's little cousins James and Connor in their basements is more accurate.

While being outscored on shooting by Elaine, I kept a clean sheet on All Star setting as a video Gretzky fired pucks at me from point blank range.Apparently I looked like I was taking it too seriously, and I suppose I was after being beaten at snapshots by my fiancée. Still, a clean sheet is a clean sheet!

As well as submerging myself in the NHL, I kept my ear to the ground and finger to my phone by keeping up to date with the signings The Clan were making.

Brucie has had a busy off season, resigning Wedderburn, Kyle Bruce, Haywood, Connon and himself, as we as signing 2 up and coming Brits in Hutchison and Zajac. I'm sure there are more to come, and hopefully all the rumours that are flying about will bring some solid signings. There's been much talk of the likes of Voth and Galbraith coming north, which split opinions on how you look at big players being committed or being goons.

Also while I was away, Team GB had a good showing at the Worlds, getting Silver. Belfast's Stephen Murphy gained alot of plaudits from the games, a man whose name has been on the tips of the rumourists since last season ended.

He would be a fantastic signing but has apparently agreed terms with the Giants again for next season. Maybe Brucie boy can work his magic and wangle him out of contract and give me something to rib my Giant in laws over.

The post season has thrown up some good signings so far, and hopefully that will continue, leading to a good amount of momentum for the start of season 2011-12. The loss of Newcastle Vipers from the EIHL has probably deprived the local fans of Elite hockey as well as depriving the travelling fans of a night on the Toon.

It's sad to see any team fall out a league through off-ice reasons but hopefully, if there is a replacement, the EIHL won't suffer for it. With a strong first season behind Braehead, season 2 should be a set to be a cracker...if only the Clan office would give me a job....

Mon The Clan!!!

Alternative Match Report: Panthers @ Clan

Alternative Match Report: Panthers @ Clan

An enthralling first leg of the EIHL 2010/2012 Play Off Quarter Final saw Nottingham Panthers gain the upper hand with a win by the odd goal in 9.

In front of a packed Braehead crowd, both teams set their intent to go for the jugular early on. Buoyed by the noisy spectators, both teams created half chances in the opening exchanges before Nottingham drew first blood.

Meyers scored the all important first goal of the game, bringing cheers from their travelling support and jeers from the Purple Army. Clan dominated most of the period as indiscipline by the Panthers left them men down on more than one occasion. However, Braehead huffed and puffed but couldn't break Kowalski, until Chaumont finished from Cook's lay off to tie the game.

Soon after, a 3 on 3 brawl ensued, spilling over to Clarke and Noel having a joust. Noel was at disadvantage for most of the spar as Clarke pulled on his visor as refs failed to attend the 2. All 6 men picked up penalty minutes, allowing Panthers coach Corey Neilson to score from distance. The period ended with some more argy bargy, setting up a tense 2nd 20.

Within 22 seconds of the restart, Panthers increased their lead in fortuitous circumstances. A high shot from Bellamy should have been comfortable for Perras, but the puck spun off his glove, over his head and slid over the line. 3-1 and Panthers were cruising. The game of hockey is a fickle mistress though and 2 penalties 10 seconds apart swung the game in Braeheads favour.

Clan made no mistake on making the PPs count in the 2nd as with 5v3, Cook pulled it back to 3-2, before Krestanovich had the home fans on their feet with Clan's second leveller of the night. Momentum was now with the home side as Richardson tried to play mind games with Beauregard as the clock ticked down.

The final period could have swung either way as both teams looked to get a foothold on this quarter final. Just when it seemed each side would cancel each other out, Richardson was put through on Kowalski after Panthers lost the puck on their blue line. The Coach of The Year Nominee made no mistake as Braehead Arena erupted. Chants of Richardson's Purple Army and You're Not Singing Anymore echoed around as the Clan lapped up their comeback efforts. But, just as Panthers capitulated in the second, the same fate befell Braehead.

Phillips and Bruce were binned for holding and slashing respectively, giving Nottingham a 5 on 3 then 5 on 4 advantage where Clarke and Ryan contributed a goal a piece.

5-4 Panthers with just over 10 minutes left, and only some heroics from Perras, making up for his earlier gaffe, kept it at that. At the opposite end, Kowalski and his D- Men did well to shut Clan out on the powerplay. Both coaches called time outs but no masterplans were hatched by either team.

In the end, Panthers ran out 5-4 victors, taking a 1 goal lead in to tomorrows crucial second leg. Neilson and Wedderburn picked up the MOTMs.

Upon leaving the Arena, fans trooped past Braehead's newly acquired Aladdin Cup. Upon entering the arena next season, there may be 2 shiny trophies greeting the supporters.

Nottingham were only just worthy of their win, but if Braehead can play to their potential, they should make it to next weekends Play Off Finals.

Alternative Match Report: Steelers @ Clan 19/03/2011

Sheffield put one hand firmly on the Elite League Championship with a competent and powerful display against Braehead. After a tight opening period, Steelers took control and delivered a 5-1 victory for their large travelling support.

Before the match, both teams were recognised for having players in the League All Star team and Bruce Richardson picked up Hockey Journalist UK Coach of the Year award, to a rapturous ovation.

Play raged from end to end in the first 5 minutes, with neither Mustukovs or Perras being tested too much. Clan were the first to get a decent chance when Richardson's shot cannoned back to Bruce, whose follow up went wide. Tait had an effort that went in to the Clan's side netting before Mustukovs prevented Cook from opening the scoring.

Perras became the busier of the 2 minders as he stopped Legue on a 1 on 1 and then stopped Thomas and 2 efforts from Hewitt to keep Braehead in it. Munn then served 2 penalties in quick succession, giving the ref absolute pelters for the second. It would soon become a game full of bewildering ref's decisions that incensed both teams.

Cook then had a great chance to put Clan ahead but hit the side net from Chaumont's cut back. Much like the previous meeting at Braehead, the game showcased a lot of niggle. Kyle Bruce spent the first of a few penalty minutes in the bin for roughing, after a tussle with Simon. Simon was sat atop Bruce and wouldn't let him up, getting the expected response that Clan's EIHL Entertainer of the Year nominee would give.

When he returned to the ice, he almost instantly gave Clan the lead, but Mustukovs again stood firm. Perras then made a great one handed save from Globke, before Steelers took the lead. Phillips prodded home from close range after good net work from Globke at 19:08

The second period descended in to a farce for Clan as Steelers spent much of the 20 on the powerplay. The numerical advantages were too strong for Braehead as Legue, Talbot, Clark and Tait put Sheffield 5-0 up. However the turning point of the game were Darnells penalty calls.

Firstly, Jon Landry decked Ben Simon after Steelers number 8 had been slashing at him. He pounced like a tiger, almost giving him a Lou Thesz Press ( one for the wrestling fans), resulting in a bit of a rammy in the Clan goalmouth. The antagonising Munn then got involved but was soon contained. Both Landry and Simon were given penalties.However, Steelers already had Phillips in the box for hooking, but were allowed to still have 4 v4 on the ice.

Munn then took out Richardson's legs from under him on a break, which Kyle Bruce didn't take too kindly to. An epic brawl erupted at the boards between the 2, with both men landing some heavy blows before Munn hit the deck first. As they skated away, Bruce threw up his arms in celebration at getting 5 for fighting plus 2 for charging. Richardson also got box time and Munn was called for roughing. Again, Steelers were allowed their full compliment of players on the ice as Clan were down to 3, conceding twice as a result.

If Richardson's men want to play with the big boys next season, then they need to work on their discipline. Too many times this year, games have been thrown away for silly penalties and players guilty of losing the head. As entertaining as it is to see the fisticuffs, and as good as Sheffield were at instigating indiscipline, keeping the head could be the difference between 5th and 1st next year.

Both Richardson and Bruce had words with the ref as they left the ice, with Munn again winding up Bruce at the close of the period. The 3rd began with Sheffield content to sit back and absorb pressure, while attacking on the break.Clan had more urgency in the 3rd, but found it hard to break down the Steelers backline. Bruce and Noel both had half chances stopped, while Hewitt forced a blind save from Perras.

Mustukovs then plucked a rifled shot from Krestanovich out of the air before Noel hit the post. Bolibruck then received a penalty for holding, which Clan finally took advantage of. Chaumont pulled 1 back from Cook's set up at 51:15, but Steelers held out til the end.

Legue and Krestanovich picked up the Man of the Match awards in what was a fast paced, entertaining game. The performance of Darnell in the stripes played a major part in the outcome, but Sheffield deserved their win. Unless Braehead can stop their momentum, Steelers will be league champions come Sunday evening.

Clan's season isn't over just yet though, as the playoffs begin next week. Their first match is against Challenge Cup winners Nottingham. Discipline will be key in progressing.

Final score at Braehead Arena, Steelers 5-1 Clan.

The Braehead Blog; Chapter 4 - The Frustration Of Missing A Game: LIVE!

Tonight's Blog is written "as live". I've not been able to make it to the Arena tonight as A) I'm skinto, and B) getting from Paisley to Lanark on a school night would be horrific. Instead, I'm going to blog during the game thanks to the mediums of Twitter, www.eliteleague.co.uk and www.clanfans.net.

I'm just in from work and have devoured a curry made by my currently baking better half. the blog will be timestamped in accordance with what is happening in the game and will give as much interesting and/or banal comments as I go along...enjoy!

19:43 Logging in to the sites above to see what I have missed so far....and I've missed a goal already! 1-0 up after 3:57, HockeyBurst UK tweeting that Coach Richardson got it, while EIHL site claims it was Kyle Bruce. Have gone to seek clarification at ClanChat, but I'm the only one in the room. If a hockey blogger is alone in a chatroom, and no one is there to see him type, does his keyboard make a noise?

19:48 Whether it's Kyle Bruce or Coach Bruce, we are 1-0 to the good against our challengers for 5th place. Both men seemed to enjoy the skate with the Clan event after the Edinburgh game at the weekend. Kyle was getting in amongst the fans, getting his photo taken with pretty much everyone on the ice, and I even spotted him cutting some shapes as he went. Coach Bruce, post shower and clean up, spent a fair amount of time on the ice too, signing my mum's shirt before ignoring her plea for help as she decked it...

19:52 2-0 Clan! Ryan "Soupy" Campbell doubles the lead at 10:02. I don't know if "Soupy" is his actual nickname, but I've heard a few rabid female fans shouting it at him. An undeniably Scottish nickname nonetheless. He's been getting amongst the goals quite often, but seems to get less adulation than Cook, Krestanovich et al. So, as I was saying, Ishbel sent herself sprawling at the heels of Brucie, but the rink staff were quick to help her up. Despite her fall, she had a good night, as did many others, mixing with the players, an opportunity no other sport in Scotland affords itself.

19:57 CO DEEEEEE BOSSSSS TOCKKKKKKK (Cody Bostock) makes it 3-0! My cooking Mrs and I had a good wee chat with Cody on Saturday night, where he made an honest assessment of the 7-1 win over The Caps. "It was a bit boring." he told us. And to be honest, it sort of was. A 7-1 win over anyone BUT Edinburgh would have been lauded as a season highlight, but the plight of our east coast neighbours made it more of a formality than an exciting game.

20:00 4-0!!!! Of all the games to be blogging about rather than being at! Brendan Cook, Cookie, The Cook-Meister...he's added yet another goal to his impressive season with us. Although, HockeyBurst Twitter is claiming it's Adam Walker's goal. Who to believe? Looks like 5th place could be in the bag and it's not even the end of the 1st. This is the kind of horsing that surely won't be boring for Mr Bostock. He cuts an intimidating figure from afar. He reminds me of ex WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, minus the homicidal and suicidal tendencies the Rabid Wolverine exhibited before his demise. (I've used rabid twice in this blog and both uses could not be further apart in context.) As we regaled him with chat of our upcoming trip to Canada, he seemed to be happy to let us talk to him, not giving up his game face just yet.

20:05 End of the first period, 4-0 Clan! I'm off to eat some cookies and wonder what the heck my downstairs neighbour is up to tonight. It sounds as if he is trying to move the heaviest furniture in the world with a hammer and trumpet.

20:19 As the Zamboni presumably prepares the ice for the 2nd period, I am being treated to the delights of "Ouch! Sextuplets!" on the box. A reality show about a woman who dropped 6 babies at once. That's one for each Caps players who will be icing on the last game of the season. They also have a massive pram. (Secto Parents, not Edinburgh.) As the second period looms, I'm still the only one in ClanChat...

20:27 Irn Bru and Laney's Cookies now dispatched, Twitter informs me of a 5th Clan goal. No name on it, so a quick dash to www.eliteleague.co.uk tells me it's Jon Landry who has netted. I was about to write that he is probably our most important D-man, but that would be a disservice to Tim Wedderburn and Cody. Landry's points tally for the season is now over the half century mark though, so I'll stand by my plaudits. He was another who took the time to chat with Laney and me on Saturday night.

One thing I took from meeting the guys is that while they are sportsmen, and famous to a certain extent, I wasn't overawed by them, like I was when I met Motherwell FC cult icon Eliphas Shivute in ASDA in Motherwell when I was about 13. As a youngster, seeing one of my sporting idols up close filled me with wonder and amazement, like my nephew Aiden gets when he's down at Fir Park. Now I'm older, I respect them for making something of their lives and taking the opportunities that have come there way. Jon is a year older than me and a professional sportsman in a foreign country. He's gotten there through hard graft andrealised potential which I salute him and the rest of the team for. Our conversation was just shooting the breeze, like you would in any other situation, which grounded the team for me. Top bloke!

20:39 Ohup. (That's the noise I just made...) apparently the Blaze are clawing back in to the game, 5-2 according to Twitter, 5-1 says EIHL site. Cowley has definitely scored though. In fact it's now 6-2 according to HockeyBurst! Goalarama! No scorers for the second Blaze and 6th Clan goal to report, despite many refreshes of the page. As great as the modern world we live in is, with tweets and texts and whatnot, I'm gutted I'm missing this game as it has now gone 6-3 to the Clan! Flip Me! Owen got Blazes 2nd, Krestanovich with Clan's 6th and Farmer with Cov's 3rd.

20:50 Now it's 6-4! What is going on? During the barren spell of November, it was not a strange site to see Richardson's Purple Army surrender a 2 or maybe 3 goal lead, but surely not a 5-0 deficit????Owen has his second of the night. What a mad 11 minutes that has been. Knowing nothing of the way the game is being played, I say Coach Bruce should call a time out ala the Cardiff game 2 weeks a go and get them told to cut out the nonsense! Squeaky bum time is coinciding with the lesbians on Coronation street having a rammy.

20:56 7-4! Maybe, somehow, I've channelled my thoughts (and more likely everyone inside Braehead Arena's) to Bruce and he's got them kicking arse and taking names. The 2nd period has just ended, Cookie getting the 7th for us. 6 goals in that period, Blaze outscoring 4-2. Third period should be dynamite! It's nights like these that I regret pulling out too quickly and making that Volkswagen Polo stop as I made the final turn of my driving test all those years ago. Had it not been for that, I could have driven to work, then on to Braehead, and witnessed what seems to be an epic game. Drat and Blast!

21:19 3rd underway and according to the newly revived @clanfans on Twitter, Campbell has got himself in the bad books for a "high stick double minor". During the break I saw James Nesbitt pull a catheter out of a man's penis. Spoiled by the evening's television tonight! FYI, I won't be doing this on Saturday during the Aladdin Cup. Sofa shopping instead. I like the idea of this mini tournament, akin to 20:20 Cricket. Opens up the game to something more dynamic as a one off, promoting tactic, guile and speed. Also gives us a crack at some silverware before the Playoffs...

21:26 No further scoring as yet. Speaking of the Playoffs, if we win tonight, then it looks like Nottingham would be our first round opponents. The Panthers have succumbed to the Clan a few times this season, and no doubt Brucie and Cook would love to get one over their old team. Any decent Playoff efforts will be a great end to a great first season in the league. Getting past the first hurdle is paramount though, and having had Nottingham's number a few times already this season, it shouldn't be too arduous a task. In other news, I have now left Clan Chat empty.

21:30 They say that no news is good news, and by far the most frustrating part of relying on second hand information, is the impatient wait that one has to endure before being told what is actually going on. Hopefully I've kept you interested to this point. I've just been reprimanded by @laneyferg , "you're no' writing a book".

21:35 Just as I started following Olly Murs on Twitter to tell him how bored I am of hearing his cockney lilt each time I call Mumbai at work, I get confirmation that it is now 8-4 Clan! My "celeb" abuse will quell until I find out who scored it. "Goooooooooooalllllllllll Clan!" screams/shouts/elongates @clanfans. Still no idea who the scorer is. Surely that's the game wrapped up now? It's Matty Haywood, assisted by Landry. 7 and a half minutes to go...

21:47 YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Clan clinch 5th place in what was probably an end to end, action packed game. A big well done to Bruce and the boys on the ice, as well as Kirsty and co off the ice in making the season a success. A double triumph in the Aladdin and the PlayOffs would be too greedy to ask for, but it's not beyond our means. Richardson's Purple Army, we salute you!

And I salute you as well for sticking with me all the way through this long winded and slightly egotistical blog. Quite why you would want to know every nuance of my night I do not know, but I've enjoyed my experiment.Would much rather have been at the game though...

NaNight!

Mon The Clan!!!

Alternative Match Report: Capitals @ Clan 05/03/2011

Alternative Match Report: Capitals @ Clan 05/03/2011

Braehead stretched their unbeaten run to 5 games with a thumping 7-1 win over Edinburgh. Had it not been for Jens van Poucke (wearing Reid 33) in the Caps goal, a repeat of February's 15-0 embarrassment or last nights 16-0 mauling at Nottingham would have been likely.

In a game that resembled a drill practice more than a league match, Clan rested EIHL Player of the Week JF Perras and Dominic Noel for the visit of their Scottish rivals, the kind of luxury Edinburgh could only dream of.

Van Poucke's goal took a battering from the off and made some stunning reflex saves from Cook, Krestanovich and Chaumont, who seemed to have an ongoing battle with the Caps' keeper for the duration.

Some lapses at the back almost caught out Clan in the early exchanges but Michael Will stood firm. At 11:19, Tim Wedderburn scored the first of the night and his first of the season after good net work by Bruce and Richardson.

Clan looked to build on the 1 goal advantage but van Poucke made a double save from Chaumont and kept out Cook after the speedy number 18, sprinted through. A fizzer from Cook was also well stopped by the badly exposed minder.

To the Capitals' credit, they plugged away but most attempts on Will were well blocked by Bostock and Wedderburn. With just over a minute left in the first, Wathier succeeded where the front line couldn't, smacking a shot through Reid from the point. 2-0 at the end of the first and It could have been so much more.

The second period followed the same pattern, Clan teasing and toying with their opponents. Richardson thought he'd extended the lead to 3 but had his close range goal disallowed. McKenzie then had a gilt edged chance to pull 1 back but Will's pad stop roused a chant in his honour.

Landry then had 2 shots on Will, before Chalmers brought yet another reflex stop from the Caps star man. A quick break carved open the Clan defence, but Hutchins couldn't connect at the back pipe from Cingel's delivery.

Haywood then made it 3-0 from close in just before the halfway point. Cingel and Bowie tried in vain to pull 1 back but couldn't beat Will. The subdued Krestanovich then brought out a tremendous split legged stop from Reid, his best of the night. It was to be the last reprieve for Edinburgh as Campbell made it 4-0 from Cook's rebound. At the buzzer, Clan had outshot Caps 40-15.

Cook added a 5th after great individual play on the right and it seemed like Clan would go on to get double figures. The Capitals D started to pack itself tighter, but couldn't stop Campbell and Cook getting their 2nd of the night, making it a magnificent 7. Edinburgh pulled 1 back with 44 seconds remaining, Hutchins netting through a crowd of bodies, denying Will the shutout.

Van Poucke rightfully earned the MOTM while Cook picked up the gong for Clan. Edinburgh skated off without acknowledging the half dozen or so fans who had travelled through, which seemed harsh on their support, as the game ended Edinburgh Capitals 1 Braehead Clan 7.

The Braehead Blog: Chapter 3 - Hero Worship

For the first time in any blog I've written, I'm going to apply a bit of the knowledge I gained as a Media Student to the opening of this chapter. I will get to the hockey eventually, but any opportunity to use my education these days is welcomed and I promise it will make sense... I hope.

I'm going to write for a bit about Propp's "Theory of Narrative". Propp, whose first name I forget, might be Ian, can't remember, looked at stories, tales, anecdotes and came up with a theory that everything that entertains us, very roughly follows the same patterns in the way things play out.

(Having begun writing this, I realise that I may butcher "Ian" Propp here by paraphrasing him, but what the hell.)

Everything we consume, whether a movie, a soap, an advert, a music video and even songs to that matter, contain the same or similar mixture of elements to one another. Propp devised a list of all of these functions used in the myriad of storytelling mediums that we absorb.

These include: An underdog, a problem or problematic situation, a goal to be achieved, a villain, love, obstacles caused by the villain/ preventing the achievement of love, love being in danger, a show down between lead and villain,positive or negative resolution.

There are more aspects in Propp's list, as obviously not every story ever told has these components explicitly, but these themes are the most commonly used and are the ones that engage us the most. That is why you could be contorversial and say that the genius film "There's Something About Mary", is technically the same as something as awful as "The Notebook" for the sake of a loose argument.

Both centre around a troubled male lead who, having initially made embarrassing advances towards his prospective love, has a fleeting romance, that come to an end through bad choices. Both then go on to attempt to win their women back but are thwarted by villainous new lovers, only for everything to be reconciled in the end.

In terms of audience, both of these films could not be further apart, but the sentiment of both is still the same. They seem like polar opposites, but only the presence of testicles caught in flies and semen in the hair really set them apart in narrative terms.

(I realise that I have just admitted to knowing a lot about the least manliest film ever on a board dedicated to one of the manliest sports in the world. Please be considerate in your abuse.)

I'll try and reel it in now. Propp's "Theory of Narrative" can also translate in to the ever pantomime becoming world of sports. With increased media coverage on all athletic performance, being good at the sport is giving way to the controversy and misdemeanours involved. We as Clan fans are enjoying the determination and effort of the boys in purple week in week out. But at the back of our minds, any time we see the Bruces get checked or high sticked, we want a fight. There's nothing wrong with that as it is a part of the game which is allowed.

And in part, we can credit this to the things outlined in Propp's theory. Our leading men are trying to achieve their goal and are thwarted by villainous opposition and, due to what we are used to costuming in films, TV etc, we expect a battle. Occasionally we get it, but more often than not, the high ground is taken and the battle is won by netting the puck more than the adversary.

By doing this, the Clan become Heroes in their 60 minute battles. Heroes who have expectation from the puck drop to the buzzer. No one that frequents Braehead Arena of a weekend can say that the Clan haven't played like Heroes this season. You can even use Propp's narrative to tell the season's story for Richardson and his Purple Army. Go, try it, I'm not lying.

This FINALLY brings me to the point of this Blog. To a man, Clan have exceeded any expectations we had at the start of the season. The PlayOffs, wins over the top teams in the league, a likely midtable finish, an ever increasing crowd and most importantly, a product of quality.

All this has been made possible by players who have performed heroics all season long. I'm not going to give a stat attack here, but rather my own take on the players who have been imperative to our season. I may miss out your personal favourites, but the beauty of Propp's narrative is that, for your own story, you get to pick the characters.

JF Perras: Netminder and in my eyes, the one man who is capable of keeping us in the mix come the PlayOffs. The current EIHL Player of the Week and a contender for Player of the Year at the upcoming Awards Dinner, JFP has been outstanding all season, with last weeks displays against Cardiff and Coventry amongst his best games for us. Keeping him for next season will go a long way to determining how our second season goes.

Jordan Krestanovich: After what I felt was a dodgy start, Jordan has been very influential in the recent good run of form. I think his fitness or lack of was key to begin with, but once he found his groove, he stuck in it. It's very rare he fails to find the net and he even travelled halfway round the world to play for us when his Visa expired! His turn around in form was also augmented by the return of...

Kyle Bruce: His influence since returning from injury has been phenomenal. Without him, the squad lacked confidence and bite when under the cosh, but with him Clan have looked stronger and harder. The fact that so many games were lost in November and December while he was absent is mirrored by our playoff berth and midtable certainty while on the ice. The fact that he'll throw down where Bernier wouldn't also adds a bit of character to him. If Perras has been our most solid man, Bruce has been our most inspiring.

Bruce Richardson: The Coach clearly loves it up here and has become a player who others would love to have but hate to have him against. An antagoniser he may be, but his style of play and his diminutive stature make him the perfect coach for us. His terrier like aggression on the ice and his manner off it seem poles apart, but Coach Bruce is a man who knows how to get what he wants from his men.

Brendan Cook: Cookie is the flair player, the speedster and the spearhead of most attacks, feeding off of Krestanovich and vice versa. His points tally this season will surely grow in the final weeks of the season and he will be pivotal come the PlayOffs.

My lunch break is soon to end, but honourable mentions go to Bostock, Landry, Chaumont, Wathier, Campbell, Walker and Will for his shut out v Edinburgh.

Perhaps he'll get another outing tomorrow night to make it 2 from 2 v the Caps.

All of the above have become our heroes in the story of our season, the wins in the small battles are aiding us towards winning the war of the PlayOffs. I wonder how Propp would have told the story?

Mon The Clan!

Alternative Match Report: Clan @ Blaze 27/02/2011

An immense defensive display sees Braehead edge out Coventry in a tight 60 minutes.

Blaze looked to bounce back from defeat at Nottingham against an on form Clan, looking for another 4 point weekend. The gruelling EHIL fixture schedule did not take effect on either team as both teams started the game at pace.

Selmzer was first to test Perras, who set the tone for the game with the first of many game saving stops. Russ Cowley then went close before Weaver and Robinson found the bin in quick succession. Much like last night's Braehead game, the 5 on 3 power play didn't bring the desired goal, despite Cook hitting the bar when it would have been easier to net. Matty Haywood also went close.

A penalty for high sticking was called on Lee shortly before the game's first goal. Cook worked the puck on the left and fed Landry, whose laser blasted past Brett Jaeger. First blood to the Clan. A flurry of action resulted in both Walker and Richardson earning some box time. Perras then had to look sharp to deny Weaver twice in the lead up to Blaze's equaliser.

Blaze worked the PP well as Fulghum struck a distance shot through a ruck of players. Owen looked to have got the final touch, but the goal was credited to Fulghum at 13:34. Cook earned himself a penalty as the period ran it's course.

If Perras was the Clan hero in the first, Jaeger took the spoils in the second. Great stops from Krestanovich, Chaumont and Landry kept the score down, while JFP kept out Crowley and Selmser.Clan soon regained the lead on 26:59 when Adam walker's shot rebounded to Saturday night's Man of the Match, Matthew Wathier. The defenceman slotted home to silence the home crowd.

Farmer tried to hit back instantly but was shut out by Perras once more before Fulghum almost doubled his tally with a shot that smacked the bar. More penalties led to more chances with Campbell, Landry and Soderstrom looking to get on the scoresheet. However the next name to be added was that of Bruce Richardson.

Good net work by Richardson and Kyle Bruce found the Coach go round the back unchallenged to slot under the despairing Jaeger. 3-1 Clan at the end of the second, despite being outshot by the hosts.

Coventry needed to come out of the blocks to get anything from the game, but could not break down a resolute Clan defence.Nell, Cowley, Carlson and Lee had the best of the chances of the period but could not find a way through. Another Clan powerplay gave Cook and Landry some shots on Jaeger, before Carlson went 1 on 1 with Perras to no avail. Cook then smacked a shot off Jaeger's helmet with around 5 minutes left.

The complexion of the game briefly changed with 90 seconds remaining. Cruickshank netted again through a ruck of players after some great blocking form Bostock and Wedderburn.

Jon Landry then incurred a delay of game penalty, leaving Clan with a powerplay kill for the remainder of the match. Blaze called a time out, pulling Jaeger for the 2 man advantage.

The Clan defence thwarted all attempts and as the pressure mounted, Richardson made a ground block, got up, swivelled and shot in one fluid movement, finding the empty net in the process. 4-2 Clan with 2 seconds remaining. The Braehead fans that travelled to Coventry stood proud at the end as Weaver and Wedderburn received their MOTM awards.

Coventry fall a further 2 points behind Braehead in the race for 5th place in a game won by a team very much on form. Final Score at the Coventry SkyDome, Clan 4- Blaze 2.