EHM The Blue Line

Calv wrote:Koitmaa isn't even playing MK have 11 skaters and 1 netminder

I know mate. Massive injury-Crisis for Thunder I hear (Nicklin, both Goode brothers, McGiffin and Coffey I think all injured long-term). I don't think Wall and Poole are playing away games for some reason (Poole was at the Lightning game last night in a suit) and guessing Koitmaa isn't part of the team anymore since Wall-y signed (or surely he'd be playing).

Crazy business and I'd be fuming if I was a Thunder fan. Maybe it's a financial thing? Thunder don't have the biggest budget, but you think there'd be some youngsters in the Junior ranks at MK who could step-up for nothing to play!

You'd think they'd know in advance as to how many players can ice, especially if they're long term injuries. The MK U18s didn't have a game yesterday, and they don't have a U20 team so I'm not sure why they couldn't have got some players to play up.

Apart from Line & Bowers, there was very little quality that I saw in the Thunder team (although lots of effort). Camisnky looks okay, but he'll want a couple back

For sure. The players out are all long term, they've been missing for a few weekends now. They were short benched at Oxford when I saw them but Koitmaa made the difference there.

Made it to the Flames-Phatoms cup final game (might have to run for my train home afterwards! ). Flames are resting Kralj (I'm not his biggest fan after seeing him a few times) and there's a 4 man system for a change!

Actually, it turns out the Phantoms twitter is wrong, unless one of the refs is hiding!

Good game so far, Flames playing a physical game and have been on top. Kristoffersson looks like a man possessed! Nice stickhandling from Campbell for the goal, Flames should be ahead by more, Ozolins hit the post on a penalty shot

A Lundin one timer from the blue line and a terrible giveaway by the Phantoms makes it 3-0 to the Flames. Flames are all over Peterborough!

Speaking as a Lightning fan...good!

8-1 with 4 minutes to go, Flames are just on another level compared to a very poor Phantoms team

Probably the best game I've seen the Flames (or any EPL team) play ever. All of their players turned up and played well

Love nights like that. Best game for me this season was us completely demolishing Bison at home earlier in the season with Skinns keeping net.

I'm off to watch MK v Bracknell at the weekend. Was going to give it a miss but going to be in MK anyway. Hoping it's a good win.

What a crazy result. I had expected the Phantoms to be marginally the favourites to win. I'm looking forward to seeing the highlights. From what I'm hearing it seems like the good team we have had on paper has finally produced a performance in line with what you'd expect.

Annoyingly I've been working crazy hours this week and completely forgot that the second leg was tonight. I remembered about 30 mins ago and so I've tuned into the live stream with about 7 minutes of the second period left. Flames seem to be playing well from what little I've seen. Auzins seems to be getting wound up which isn't going to help their cause.

I don't know what it is about Toffee. It seems come March each season he plays like a man possessed. If only he were a little more consistent for the remainder of the season!

So fellas: Bracknell looking like they'll be closing up shop end of the season? Sad times!

Yes it's looking very precarious. It sounds from what the owners are saying that they are packing it in. Maybe we'll see a similar fans' trust arrangement as the Tigers used to have. I guess that's the only potential solution unless somebody wealthy comes in.

Fan's trust looks the only way forward for them? Sad to see for a club with so much history.

Happier news it'll be standing-room only tonight in MK. Glad I bought my tickets early!

Anyone else seeing any hockey this weekend?

Was an incident-packed game against Bison yesterday. Went 1-0 up early and the usual Bison 'antics' started and there were about 6 fights (only 3 between willing combatants mind). Grant McPherson answered the bell twice while Jamieson and Greener went at it (I think in response to an admittedly bad hit from Martti Jarventtie that cut and concussed Connolly).

The others were just out and out Goonery from Bison attacking Jordan Cownie who wanted no part of fighting, blindsiding Frankie and hitting him on the ice when he went down and blind-siding Tahtinen causing him to leave the game.

Utter lack of class from the 'champions'.

In Oxford tonight. Vs Bracknell Hornets. Bit one sided so far!

Steelers won the Elite League Title tonight

The play off quarter finals have been announced too

Steelers v Blaze
Devils v Stars
Clan v Flyers
Giants v Panthers

Steelers went out of the play offs last night after losing 8-6 on aggregate to the Coventry Blaze.

Wow... So how long before the coach gets the sack?

Just kidding mate: don't follow the Elite too closely and didn't realise they'd knocked Steelers out. That explains the 'congrats to the Blaze' thread on THF!

Must be gutting for you, but keeps things interesting I suppose?

I was at MK Thunder v Oxford City Stars last night. Finished 1-0(!!!) to Oxford and was a fantastic game for it!

Hope he doesn't get the sack been to many changes last few seasons

Not really gutted as we won the regular season, never been too fussed by the play offs. I've been brought up with football so play offs have never seemed to important for me personally (having said that it is always great to win as much as possible)

MWE wrote:Hope he doesn't get the sack been to many changes last few seasons

Not really gutted as we won the regular season, never been too fussed by the play offs. I've been brought up with football so play offs have never seemed to important for me personally (having said that it is always great to win as much as possible)

Its strange, I saw someone mention last night that Thompson has performed worse this season than the man he was brought in to replace.

This season we had 72 points in the regular season last season we had 74. Won the title both times.
Made it to the play off final last season and, lost knocked out in the first round this season
Last season we were runners-up in the challenge cup this season we made it to the semi-finals (off the top of my head)

I think he's done a good job upto now I certainly wouldn't replace him.

I think that Steelers were probably the best team throughout the entire season, and deserved their title win (as did the Bison). It's good to see the Blaze beat them in the playoffs though, as well as Fife making it to the final 4. Should be an interesting couple of games next weekend.

Interesting to see the Lightning move the the EIHL in 2017. The EPL is undergoing significant change (not sure if all of it is good though) at the minute, and it will look very different in the 2017-2018 season compared to now I think.

Also, good to see the EIHL playoff weekend sold out already

MK Lightning are joining the Elite League in 2017/2018...

...so looks like I'll be having to pay attention to how your team gets on next year then MWE!

Not sure how I feel about it to be honest, I like the EPL, but have one more season to try to win it (providing things don't change in the next year)...

Edit: and Calv beats me to it...