Can the Stingrays make last four?

Whilst Hull Stingrays won’t be many people’s favourites going in to the playoff clash with Cardiff Devils, Bench coach Bobby McEwan believes they can cause an upset and book their place in the semi-finals. Stingrays, who finished seventh, meet runners-up Cardiff over two legs in the first round of the playoffs, with the first clash taking place at Hull Arena this Saturday.

Cardiff are the only side Stingrays have not beaten yet this season but McEwan has backed the team to find the perfect moment to end that run.  He said: “We will have to go and do things we have not done before. They are one of the top sides in the league and have been very consistent in all departments this season. But I am looking forward to it and we owe them after the 12-0 defeat on TV so maybe there will be a bit of retribution at the right time for us.”

McEwan added “…on paper most people probably won’t give us a chance but hockey is not played on paper. They have got to try and beat us over six periods. Over the two legs we just have to take one game at a time and make sure we compete in every period and see where we are after six periods.”

“We have to go to Cardiff with something to compete for. We have to make sure we are still in the tie going down there because while you can’t win it in the first leg, you can certainly lose it. If we go into Cardiff with half a chance we will give it all we have got. It could be the last 60 minutes of the year. Hopefully we can pull it off.”

Defeating the Devils would represent the Stingray’s finest hour, and would provide them with the biggest prize the club has ever had, a shot as one of the final four in Nottingham.