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It’s time to get tough
says Phantoms coach
Ice hockey action from Phantoms v Sheffield Steeldogs: Maris Ziedins. Photo: Alan Storer/Peterborough ET
IT’S crunch time for Peterborough Phantoms as the city side struggle to salvage something from their stuttering season.
Chris Allen leads his team into English Premier League combat against Swindon Wildcats tonight and Sheffield Steeldogs tomorrow knowing their chances of qualifying for the end of the season play-offs could soon be hanging by a thread.
After six games without a win, the city side risk being cut adrift at the bottom of the table and Allen has vowed to get tough to turn things round.
He said: “The fans were really disappointed after the games against Basinstoke and they made their feelings known. And I can fully understand that.
“We were in control and then we just let it all slip away which was really frustrating.
“We lost a goal at a bad time but instead of going out there and doing something about it, too many players let their heads drop and we let it slip away in the third period.
“And that has to stop, everyone has to be accountable now as the only way we can get out this is if we are all of the same page. We have a full bench now and if guys don’t do it for me and if they cannot cope with the situation the team is in, they will find themselves sitting on the bench.
“I don’t want to see guys just breaking down out there because we let a goal in. If someone makes a mistake they just have to get on with it and maybe go out and hammer someone or make something happen, not start panicking - that is what is killing us.
“We have a lot of young players and sometimes these things can happen but the time for soft talk and encouragement is over. We have 23 games left and everyone has to be doing it out there, if they are not, they will not play.”
In a bid to get the team back to winning ways Allen has decided to switch his lines around this weekend with Maris Ziedins being moved back onto the top line alongside Jeff Glowa and Luke Ferrara.
But Allen is only too aware that many of his side’s problems of late have been mental - so much so he’s even considering employing the services of a sports psychologist to help his timorous team.
“When I was coming up to the NHL draft pick I was finding it tough to cope with the pressure so I used someone and I found it really helped,” he added.
“I still use some of the stuff I learnt then now and it may be that we can use something like that now to help the guys cope with the pressure.
“We have the players and we have the systems but it might be that we need a bit of help with the mental stuff to see us through these pressured games we find ourselves in.
“Whatever it takes we need to find a solution.”
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
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