PREVIEW: Storm @ Braehead Clan

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Milton Keynes Lightning on the 20th January 2018, here at Planet Ice Altrincham in Elite League action! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.

Your Go Goodwins sponsored Manchester Storm are back in action this Saturday as they start their Scottish weekend with a trip to Braehead to take on the Clan in a 7:00 pm faceoff.

Its sixth vs eighth in the league standings as the Storm find themselves nine points and two places ahead of the Clan. Storm are equal on points with seventh-placed Nottingham Panthers and a single point behind the Guildford Flames who are in fifth. It’s tight between seventh and second, with only four points separating the sides. It’s also tight in the race for the final playoff spot, with the Clan and the Blaze equal on 30 points and the Lightning only three points behind, with the Stars two points further back.

The Clan come into the weekend off the back of a double header against the Fife Flyers, taking Saturday’s game to overtime but falling short on Sunday. Goals from Mike Embach and Adam Brace secured a point for the Clan in Kirkcaldy, before the Flyers won in the extra period. In the return fixture on Sunday, the Clan went down 4-1 against their rivals, Adam Brace getting his second goal of the weekend. The Storm travelled to Nottingham on Saturday and also went down in overtime. A Mike Hammond double and a goal from Ciaran Long gave the Storm a chance before the Panthers took the extra point. The Storm then hosted Guildford on Sunday, eventually winning 4-3. The Storm spread the scoring around, with Ehrhardt, Moffatt, Trenz, and Beca each scoring a goal in the first period before a Guildford come back in the second period. Mike Clemente’s 25 saves were enough to secure a Storm victory.

This is the first league meeting of the season between the sides, although they have met in the Challenge Cup, with the points going to the home side on both occasions. The Clan secured victory in Braehead with a 7-5 win in early September before the Storm won 4-1 St home the following day. Jacob Doty and Mike Embach both grabbed a double in Braehead, while Bjorklund, Burt, and Brace scored one each, Beca, Bissonnette, and Byers with the Storm goals. It was a different story in Altrincham, where Hammond, Beca, Swindlehurst, and Rosehill scored for the Storm, Doty grabbing the solitary Clan marker.

One to watch: Netminder Ryan Nie has been in impressive form this season, saving 90.4% of shots, putting him joint fourth in the league. He’s also made the largest number of saves in the league.

MATCH DETAILS FOR TONIGHT:

  • Game at the Braehead INTU Arena: intu Braehead, King’s Inch Rd, Glasgow G51 4BN
  • Doors open from 6:00pm
  • Face-off at 7:00pm
  • Tickets can be purchased online or on the day HERE – Away fans sit in block “H”
  • Live Twitter updates from the game will be via StormLive
  • There is NO live stream for this game
  • Storm will be in their WHITE away jerseys

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Milton Keynes Lightning on the 20th January 2018, here at Planet Ice Altrincham in Elite League action! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.