It’s all to play for in the Elite League playoff quarter-finals.
After the first night of the postseason, nobody is out of contention.
The Guildford Flames and Sheffield Steelers played out a rare, 1-1 draw in Surrey, while the Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, and Manchester Storm punched out one-goal wins over the Glasgow Clan, Coventry Blaze, and Nottingham Panthers.
Sunday’s action will set the table for Playoff Finals Weekend. Stay tuned.
Welcome to Around the Rinks: our daily summary of every team’s post-game media remarks.
Around the Rinks: Saturday, 11 April
Guildford Flames 1-1 Sheffield Steelers
Matthew Greenfield, Sheffield Steelers (Image: John Uwins)
Paul Dixon, Guildford Flames:
It was a good game of playoff hockey. I thought we were very good in the first period and Sheffield pushed back in the second.
We had a couple of shifts [in the second period] where we were hemmed in, but we managed to keep them at bay, and got going again in the third.
From the scoreline, you can see that both goalies were very good. It was a real game of playoff hockey. I liked our compete level and I like where we are heading into the second leg.
Aaron Fox, Sheffield Steelers:
It was an entertaining, two-way, physical playoff hockey game. Both teams competed hard. I thought we started the game a little bit slow, but we played really well after the first ten minutes.
It’s a 1-1 hockey game going home, which we probably would’ve taken before the game. At times, we weren’t rewarded tonight: Guildford’s goaltending was outstanding.
We’ve got the chance to go home tomorrow and win to advance, so we can’t really complain.
Belfast Giants 1-0 Glasgow Clan
David Goodwin, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
George Awada, Belfast Giants:
That was a tight battle. Both teams are playing good hockey and it was tight through the neutral zone. It’s playoff-style hockey and we knew that it was going to be close.
We know that they’re very good in their building and we have to be ready for that tomorrow.
Glasgow Clan, Mike Sirant:
I thought our guys competed hard and played well: it’s tough to lose that late in the game, but it’s a playoff game. It was intense, physical, and fast game, and we’ve given ourselves a chance tomorrow.
We’re looking forward to getting back on home ice in front of our fans and hopefully winning the game to move on to Nottingham.
Coventry Blaze 1-2 Cardiff Devils
Kristoff Kontos, Cardiff Devils (Image: Scott Wiggins)
Kevin Moore, Coventry Blaze:
I think it was a good game overall. In the two-leg setting, it’s hard to give my thoughts because the game is half-done. There’s not a whole lot of analysis that needs to be made: we need to make sure that we get our rest and recovery and that we bring our best tomorrow.
Paul Thompson, Cardiff Devils:
We’re halfway there. I thought we played a pretty good road game. We didn’t give up too much today and we were strong in the face-off circle. When you’re winning those battles, you can play a bit more. I thought our centremen and wingers did a great job.
Manchester Storm 2-1 Nottingham Panthers
Cam Critchlow, Manchester Storm:
It was certainly a playoff-style game: both teams came out hard and there was a lot of pace and physicality. [Drew DeRidder] was great in net, both teams had plenty of opportunities, and there could’ve been more goals, but it’s tight out there.
Tomorrow, we’ve got to go in and get a win. We expect Nottingham’s best tomorrow.
Danny Stewart, Nottingham Panthers:
I thought they came out with a little more jump than us in the first and earned their lead. I’m still not sure how the first one went in, a little unlucky on our side.
I liked our second and third periods. [Drew] DeRidder was really good, but it was a playoff game: a lot of physicality.
If you said to me before the game: going down by two early and finishing the game down one, we’ll take it.
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