Leeds Knights: Why coach Ryan Aldridge feels thinking about about final league position is ‘bad karma’

The Knights wobbled but they did not buckle on home ice on Sunday night as they held off a strong comeback from Swindon Wildcats to run out 8-5 winners. That came on the back of a 5-4 win after a shootout in Wiltshire the previous evening.

It leaves the Knights fourth in the standings - leapfrogging Sheffield Steeldogs who have played a game more - and just a point off third-placed Milton Keynes Lightning.

They are also just four points off second-placed Swindon, who may have seen their hopes of beating defending champions Telford Tigers to the regular season title ended after taking just the one point from their double-header with Leeds.

As for Telford, they are now five points ahead of Swindon - and nine ahead of the Knights - despite suffering a shock 4-2 defeat at home to bottom club Bees IHC. That came 24 hours after edging out hosts Milton Keynes 5-4 in overtime.

With 10 games remaining, it will require a collapse of epic proportions on behalf of Telford and a perfect 100 per cent record on the run-in from Leeds in order for Aldridge’s team to somehow finish top.

But there is now a genuine opportunity for them to finish second, although Aldridge is only concerning himself with ensuring his team are in good form as they enter the playoffs, still their most realistic hope of lifting silverware in their debut season.

“We are not really thinking about league position as such,” said Aldridge on Sunday night. “If you start worrying about where you might finish or trying to place yourself where you want to be, I think that’s just bad karma.

“We’ve just got to keep going and try to go into the playoffs in good form and that’s as much as I try to think about it.”

Understandably delighted with the maximum return from the two games against his former club, Aldridge was particularly pleased with his team’s ability to prevail while not maintaining their best hockey for 60 minutes on either night.

Leading 6-1 at the halfway stage of Sunday’s game in front of another 1,600-plus crowd at Elland Road, many in the building probably felt it was game over. Aldridge felt some of his players shared that feeling as they allowed Swindon to twice come back to within two goals, the points only really made safe with Harry Gulliver’s empty-net marker with 70 seconds remaining.

“On Saturday, I thought we were great in the first period then took our foot off the gas and it was the same tonight - we just happened to pull it off a little bit better here,” added Aldridge.

“The same way that we played well in both first periods, I don’t think they did. I think they waited to get behind a little bit before they started to come at us. And their maturity kicked in while our immaturity kicked in and it was a little nervy for a while.

“We were just making silly little mistakes and I think we got to a point where at 6-1 up everybody thought it was point night, everyone thought it was going to be an easy game and that they were all going to score goals.

“But we still found a way to win. We’ve played games before where we haven’t played well for 60 minutes but found a way to win. Good teams find a way to win.”

Without key personnel including captain Sam Zajac - thought to be back next week from injury - fellow defenceman Jordan Griffin and stand-in captain Matty Davies, who was injured on Saturday, Aldridge was pleased with the way his young team dealt with the intense pressure put on them by an experienced and physical team like Swindon.

“We’re young, we’ve obviously picked up a few injuries and we’re already short on numbers,” added Aldridge. “But being light-bodied and getting a win like that at home with Matty (Davies) out of the line-up is massive.”