The TSI World Bees get ready to enter their third doubleheader weekend in a row as they prepare to welcome the Sheffield Steeldogs to the Slough Ice Arena on Saturday evening and then take the long trip up to Ice Sheffield to take on the Steeldogs on their home ice. This will be the first time these teams face each other in 2024. 

Sheffield Steeldogs 

Sheffield are currently placed in 10th place within the league standings after completing 36 games and picking up 24 points (33.33% of the points on offer to them in the games completed), which makes them only 4 points behind the Bees. The outcome of this weekend can determine, come Sunday evening, who is in 10th place as the Steeldogs have a chance to equal the same amount of points as the Bees have if they come out of this weekend with all the points on offer. The Steeldogs have managed to win 12 games while also losing 24 of their games that have been completed and are coming into this weekend’s doubleheader desperate for points after a zero point weekend from facing the Hull Seahawks and Peterborough Phantoms. 

The Steeldogs’ power play this season has been mixed for them but last time these two teams faced off against each other at the Slough Ice Arena there were no power play goals scored by Sheffield. Their power play is at 20% effective as they have successfully been able to use 22 out of 111 of the man advantages that they have received this season. The penalty kill that Sheffield has put out this season has been 73% effective as they have been able to stop 91 out of 124 times where the Steeldogs have been short-handed. While the Steeldogs have been short-handed in their 36 games completed, they have managed to score 4 short-handed goals that were scored by Jonathan Phillips and Vlads Vulkanovs. But while they have been able to score short-handed, the oppositions to Sheffield have also been able to score against the Steeldogs while they have been short-handed themselves 5 times. 

There have been a total of 1432 shots against their netminding duo and are roughly facing 40 shots on goal per game when the Bees are currently averaging 32 shots on goal per game out of the 36 games they have completed. Sheffield have been able to get 1091 shots on goals per game and are averaging just 2 shots per game less than Bees with 30 shots on goal. Sheffield have had 170 goals scored against them this season while also being able to score 96 goals against netminders across the league. 

Going into this weekend’s doubleheader, it will be vital that the Bees watch out for Jonathan Phillips who has managed to get 13 goals and 29 assists that totals to 42 points in 36 games. Last time he was at the Slough Ice Arena, Jonathan Phillips was able to score a hat trick as well as secure 1 assist.  Jonathan Phillips has been able to get 5 power play goals, 1 short-handed and 3 game winning goals so can easily impact the direction in which the game goes. Another player to watch out for will be Jason Hewitt as in 34 games he has collected a total of 35 points from 15 goals and 20 assists but has also alongside the points collected 80 penalty minutes. From the 15 goals he has scored 4 of those were from power play chances and another 3 goals were game winning, which shows like Jonathan Phillips, he could easily give the Steeldogs the edge in the games this weekend.