As the Elite League skates full-tilt into the final stretch, players across the country have one eye on the standings and the other on looming contract decisions.
Collectively and individually, everything is to play for during the business end of the campaign — and our latest Team of the Week picks stand-out above the rest…
Elite League Team of the Week: Round 22
Justin Fazio, Guildford Flames
Justin Fazio, Guildford Flames (Image: Karl Denham)
Just Fazio’s record on the season speaks for itself: 14 wins in 23 appearances, with a crisp .926 save percentage behind an inconsistent Guildford Flames defence.
The Canadian’s play last time out warrants further praise, despite his best effort coming in a 4-2 reverse to the Cardiff Devils on Friday [6 February].
Fazio made 40 saves on 42 shots before Cardiff scored twice into an empty cage, denying four of the five high-danger scoring chances he faced.
The 28-year-old backstopped Guildford into win the column on Sunday [8 February], with 27 saves on 30 shots helping the Flames edge the Manchester Storm in overtime.
Mike Lee, Belfast Giants
Perennial Team of the Week candidate Mike Lee takes our first defensive spot after his three-point performance against the Coventry Blaze.
The 29-year-old scored and provided an assist as Belfast overturned a 4-0 deficit to deflate the Blaze in Coventry, adding to the secondary assist he tallied the night before against the Fife Flyers.
Jordon Southorn, Sheffield Steelers
Jordon Southorn, Sheffield Steelers (Image: Dean Woolley)
Jordon Southorn’s longevity jumps off the page.
The 35-year-old remains a force to be reckoned with on the blueline and has tallied seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last five games, including three helpers in Round 22.
Adam Robbins, Coventry Blaze
Adam Robbins is riding quite the hot streak.
The 25-year-old has eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last five games, taking his tally on the season to 22 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 25 appearances.
Robbins’ standout form coincides with Coventry’s charge up the standings, with the American making key contributions once again in Round 22.
With the Motorpoint Arena hoping for a miss, he sunk the Blaze’s shootout winner against the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday and tallied again, this time at even strength, against Belfast.
Signed after an underwhelming stint in the ECHL, Robbins is well on his way to repaying Kevin Moore’s faith.
Robert Dowd, Sheffield Steelers
Becoming the first player to reach the Elite League’s 400-goal plateau, Robert Dowd has made history once again.
In addition to tallying in Sheffield’s 9-0 hammering of the Dundee Stars, Dowd also provided a hattrick of assists in the Steelers’ 5-2 win over Manchester.
Ryan Barrow, Cardiff Devils
The Devils stayed in title contention with wins over Guildford (4-2) and the Fife Flyers (4-2), with Ryan Barrow playing an out-sized role.
He tallied four points over the weekend: a goal and an assist versus Fife, plus a pair of helpers against Guildford.
The Canadian is up to 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 37 games on the season.
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