The Business End: Elite League Run-in Analysis

Is it just me, or has this season flown by? It only seems like yesterday I was previewing new teams and giggling at the names of new players and just a few short months later, here we are with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, said players have become household names and itӳ time for us to try and figure out how it will all end.

Itӳ been a season of three mini-leagues; key battles have been fought at the top, in the middle and at the bottom of the league and will continue to be fought for the remaining fixtures. Here is a summary of what each team has in store for them over the final two weeks, and where I predict the chips will fall when the season draws to a close on 25th March.

Tough at the Top

Belfast Giants

Games remaining: Sheffield twice, and Nottingham once, all at Home

This is the sort of run-in that separates the men from the boys. With their remaining games against top 3 opponents, this will make or break the season and decide the championship. Despite their away form being the key to this seasonӳ success for the Giants, it seems unlikely they will not win two of the three games in front of an Odyssey crowd who will be baying for blood. Even if Sheffield win one of their two games in Belfast and achieve a full complement of points from their remaining fixtures, if the Giants can win two, the title will be sewn up. Nottingham will be tough final opponents, particularly given that the two will have faced each other in the double-headed Challenge Cup final, a tie which the Giants look set to lose given their poor showing in the first leg. However with a strong showing against the Steelers they could potentially lift the cup this Saturday night, rendering the final game meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Points Prediction: I think they will pick up 5 of the 6 available
Predicted final position: 1st
Play-off opponent: Dundee Stars

Sheffield Steelers

Games remaining: Belfast twice and Hull on the road; Edinburgh and Braehead at home

Sheffield can pick up a clutch of points in their remaining games, however if they donӴ win both games against Belfast this weekend the title race is over and the incentive may be somewhat lost. Itӳ too little too late for the Steelers, who despite a valiant effort with a densely packed schedule in the second half of the season havenӴ maximised their opportunities and unless they can pull something absolutely monumental out of the bag at the Odyssey this weekend, they cannot win the league this year. They look to set up a play-off quarter-final meeting with the Hull Stingrays.

Points Prediction: 8 of the 10 available
Predicted final position: 2nd
Play-off opponent: Hull Stingrays

Nottingham Panthers

Games remaining: Braehead, Edinburgh at Home, Belfast on the road

With nothing to play for but pride and third place all but in the bag itӳ possible the Panthers will take their foot off the gas and look towards lifting the play-off trophy in front of their home crowd, but Corey Neilson and co. will not want to lose against the likes of Braehead at home so will dig their heels in and pick up a few late points. This game in particular looks likely to be a preview of their potential play-off quarter-final match-up so they will be taking notes on an opponent who has bested them twice already this season and could prove a stumbling block on their road to the finals weekend.

Points Prediction: 4 of a possible 6
Predicted final position: 3rd
Play-off opponent: Braehead Clan

The Middlemen

Cardiff Devils

Games remaining: Edinburgh, Dundee, Coventry at Home; Fife, Coventry on the road

Cardiff have a chance to finish their season on a high, with one of the easier run-ins and a chance to pick up a clutch of late points and secure fourth spot in the league. However they will need to be careful ֠with their two Scottish opponents battling for 8th spot and Coventry battling for 5th, it will be far from an easy ride. However with the Blaze having a chance to overtake Braehead in 5th, it looks likely as it has all season that they will face each other in the play-off quarter-finals, with a double-header against one another in the final weekend of the season things could get feisty between these two sides, and itӳ hard to say who will have the mental fortitude to fight their way through to the finals. For the Devils the return of Mark Smith could be key.

Points Prediction: 8 from a possible 10
Predicted final position: 4th
Play-off opponent: Coventry Blaze

Braehead Clan

Games remaining:֠Fife and Hull at Home; Nottingham and Sheffield on the road

With two difficult road trips on the horizon, Braehead will be looking to their home form to keep the ship steady and clinch 5th spot; the battle between them and Coventry is key to avoiding a clash with the Panthers in the play-off quarter-finals. Notoriously good in pressure situations, the Nottingham side will be desperate to avoid an embarrassing absence from the play-off final weekend and will be arguably a much tougher match-up for one of these two sides. However Braehead have faltered of late and Iӭ not sure they are strong enough to hold off the challenge of a Blaze side who are having a storming run-in and who have a game in hand on their Scottish rivals.

Points Prediction: 2 of a possible 8
Predicted final position: 6th
Play-off opponent: Nottingham Panthers

Coventry Blaze

Games remaining:֠Edinburgh and Cardiff at Home; Edinburgh, Dundee and Cardiff on the road

Like Braehead, Coventry will be looking to avoid finishing in 6th place, where they currently reside. They have a game in hand on the Glasgow side however and will look to take advantage of this; the Blaze are in great form at the moment, scoring plenty and playing well, Shea Guthrie, Mike McLean and Robert Farmer all improving their game just at the right time. Itӳ late in the season for them to come good but itӳ promising for a play-off quarter-final against potentially the Cardiff Devils, with whom they have been closely matched all season.

Points Prediction: 7 of a possible 10
Predicted final position: 5th
Play-off opponent: Cardiff Devils

Basement Battles

Hull Stingrays

Games remaining: Sheffield and Dundee at Home; Fife and Braehead on the road

The Ғays have quietly gone about their business this season maintaining what seems to be a very comfortable and familiar position for them in 7th, their performance matching that of the 2010/11 season, although at times it seemed as though they should be doing a lot better; no doubt Sylvain Cloutier will hope that next season they can be battling with the likes of Coventry and Braehead for a higher spot. In their final run-in, they have a chance to collect a few extra points to consolidate 7th spot and prepare for a tough play-off quarter-final clash, probably against the Steelers.

Points Prediction: 6 of a possible 8
Predicted final position: 7th
Play-off opponent: Sheffield Steelers

Dundee Stars

Games remaining: Coventry at Home; Cardiff, Fife and Hull on the road

Dundee are resurgent at the moment – where was this team earlier in the season? With free-scoring Mark Kolanos, who Stars fans are so enamoured with they are purportedly offering cash to the club from their own pockets on order to secure his services again next season, and goaltender Chris Whitley also in sparkling form, they have picked the perfect time to hit their stride and I believe they have the momentum to see it through. With Edinburgh in freefall, 8th spot is theirs to lose; even with the Caps’ game in hand I can’t see Dundee losing their grip on this one. They have some winnable games remaining despite most of them being on the road, as they look to set up a daunting play-off quarter final against the league champions – most likely Belfast.

Points Prediction: 7 of a possible 8
Predicted final position: 8th
Play-off opponent: Belfast Giants

Edinburgh Capitals

Games remaining: Coventry and Fife at home; Coventry, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield on the road

Despite a surprisingly successful first half of the season, the Capitals find themselves back in the familiar surroundings of the bottom two with the end of the season closing in on them. TheyӶe had a terrible run of form despite some really strong team performances, and the late resurgence of Dundee all but puts paid to their play-off hopes unless they can string together some shock results in what is by far the hardest run-in of any team in the league. Their fate is in their hands, however I think it will prove to be too much for them.

Points Prediction: 2 of a possible 12
Predicted final position: 9th

Fife Flyers

Games remaining: Hull, Cardiff and Dundee at Home; Braehead and Edinburgh on the road

In a season in which they were always going to struggle, Fife have at times stuck their head above the parapet and looked to be a cohesive and hard-working side, and they have pulled off some decent results at home. Sadly with key imports missing and tragic circumstances putting on-ice matters into perspective, Fife will be unable to make much of an impression in their remaining games, but will undoubtedly pull together to try and put smiles on the faces of their loyal fans, who will hope for a stronger campaign next time around.

Points Prediction: 1 of a possible 10
Predicted final position: 10th