Leeds Knights fans panel: Why short-benched Knights can have a long run in playoffs

Jim Piper

Another mixed bag for Knights on the last weekend of the regular season.

A very short-benched Knights made the long trip to Basingstoke and they found themselves two goals down by the end of the first period.

But this team has shown amazing resilience over the season and pulled a goal back after 35 seconds of the restart.

There was no further scoring in the second and, despite a heroic effort in the third, it looked like it would all be in vain.

Until 18 seconds from the end when Adam Barnes scored his second of the night.

The noisy Knights supporters went berserk and, when Cole Shudra hit the winner three minutes into overtime, it looked like what was left of the building would come crashing down.

So, on to the game on Sunday to decide third place in the league.

It was a game too far for the battle-weary, depleted team and a steady performance by the Steeldogs took the points back over the Pennines.

A mention must be made of the efforts of the three young lads who stepped in to boost our bench over the weekend.

So, on to the playoffs and a group with MK, Bees and Telford, one that we certainly can come out of and get to Coventry for the final four.

If somebody had told me we would finish fourth in the league, I would have snapped their hand off.

Overall, a tremendous effort by the whole squad to achieve this. Something is really growing at Elland Road.

A Friday-night game at MK followed by a return game at the castle on Sunday starts off our playoff quest.

Not to be missed.

Nick Jackson

Well that was an exciting weekend; the fight for third and avoiding Telford was always going to be tight.

Saturday saw us away to a Bison side with a full roster, the Knights were short benched with only 13 players including the two netminders.

It was going to be tough but, after going two down in the first period, the Knights came out fighting and won 2-3, Adam Barnes, with two goals, and Cole Shudra with the third.

We were all very excited for Sunday and the Yorkshire derby.

However, even with a sold-out castle, it didn’t go the way we wanted.

We had a couple of new faces to help us out with numbers but it wasn’t enough, as the Steeldogs won 0-2.

The Knights worked their socks off but the two nights of being short benched showed!

We missed a lot of players this weekend, especially Archie Hazeldine who is away in Estonia with GB U18s.

Next weekend is the start of the playoffs, Friday night away to MK Lightning and home on Sunday against Bees.

It’s going to be a fantastic couple of weeks! Hopefully see you there!

Johnathan Greenwood

The Knights may have come up short on players and in their quest for West Yorkshire glory in the final week after defeat to the Sheffield Steeldogs but the true story is of a club invested in the long game.

This starts with a young junior Knights set-up that has been established and is already producing great results, right up to a roster that has taken the ice each week packed with young British talent. With Ryan Aldridge short on numbers, through a combination of injury and illness, he had no hesitation in calling on emerging prospects Jamie Smith, Alex Kent and Darmarni James from Swindon, Hull Jets and Bradford Bulldogs respectively.

Each of the three played important minutes across the weekend and experienced a come-from-behind win, at one point 2-0 down in Basingstoke, to win in overtime through the silky skills of Cole Shudra.

The 23-year-old, on a two-way deal from the Steelers, just one of many to benefit from a huge amount of minutes under his belt with the Knights enabling him to hone his skills over full season. Indeed, he was awarded the supporters’ club player-of-the-month award prior to Sunday’s sold-out clash in Leeds.

This isn’t a one-off either; younger brother Tate claimed the post-match plaudits for his display and as part of wider view Ben Solder, Harry Gulliver and Brandon Whistle have all experienced Elite League action as a result of performances in LS11.

Everything around The Castle feels like it has huge buy-in from all concerned.

Ethan Hehir had covered all three lines in recent weeks before illness ruled him out of the final league games. Lewis Baldwin has developed as a D-man and alternated between this and the forward line while Archie Hazeldine has had a breakout season ending in him being the club’s highest-scoring blue-liner and earning more international honours at the U-18 World Championships.

The indication from the 2,037 present for the final league game, result aside, is of a supporter base fully on board with the process.

Squarely in the hunt for second place right into this month, it’s hard not to be excited to see what develops in the many months yet ahead.

The playoffs are the next port of call but early signs are the league is enhanced uniquely by this club whatever the result of the round robin phases.

The pride coach Aldridge felt in his players this weekend was echoed by the fans and will now work it’s way to Milton Keynes for Friday’s post-season opener.