Leeds Knights in ‘elimination hockey’ as they battle for their NIHL National play-off lives against Bees IHC and Telford Tigers
KIERAN BROWN admits Leeds Knights are effectively playing ‘elimination hockey’ as they prepare to salvage their NIHL National play-off campaign with a win against Bees IHC at Elland Road tonight.
The pain of two defeats to Milton Keynes Lightning on the opening weekend of the post-season is still fresh in the minds of the Knights players, who know they are probably going to have to win all four of their remaining group games in order to achieve their dream of making it to the Final Four Weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena on April 30-May 1.
The Knights are effectively adopting a ‘Game 7’ mentality, a phrase often used to describe NHL teams who are left facing elimination in the play-offs, usually early on in a seven-game series, knowing one more defeat could signal the end of their season for the year.
Brown himself is in something of an uncharacteristic slump, himself and line-mate Adam Barnes – both so prolific during the regular season run-in – not having registered a point in the last three games, a run which began with a 2-0 home defeat to Sheffield Steeldogs in the last game of the regular season.
It’s a small source of frustration to Brown – who has taken the second-tier by storm this season by posting 137 points in total, from 62 games, 69 of them goals.
But he is determined to break his play-offs duck this weekend, starting against a Bees team he has enjoyed great success against previously during the regular season, scoring 21 points in seven encounters, including 10 goals.
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“Of course we think we can still make it to Coventry,” insisted Brown earlier this week.
“You can’t dwell on last weekend too much. It was tough to come out of that weekend with no points but we need to focus on the next games coming up and look to Saturday at home to Bracknell (Bees) and make sure that we take two points there.
“And then, on Sunday, we know it’s going to be tough in Telford but we’ve just got to go down there with a positive mindset and make sure we get a four-point weekend and go into next weekend knowing our chances of making it to Coventry are still alive.
“Yes, it is essentially a Game 7 mentality now for us because we can’t afford to lose any more points - every game matters.
“We didn’t get the points we wanted against Milton Keynes - far from it. For myself, I’ve not been able to get going yet and I don’t know what it is - but this weekend offers a fresh start.”
This post-season is a new experience for Brown and the majority of his Knights’ team-mates, who are playing play-off hockey for the first time.
Last weekend, that inexperience played a part in them coming away with empty-handed against Milton Keynes, a team packed with players full of play-off pedigree.
But the Knights have their own experienced players with the likes of Sam Zajac, Matty Davies and Sam Gospel, something which Brown admits will be crucial to their chances of making Coventry.
“We’re a very young team, myself included, so we’re going in and not a lot of guys have experienced play-off hockey before, including myself and it’s a lot different to the regular season,” added Brown.
“So it’s massive for us having the likes of Sammy, Sam and Matty. They are the guys who stay positive in the period breaks, they have experienced it all before, they know what to expect and they are always helping us younger guys, pushing us to keep going.”