Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Edinburgh Capitals

Sunday, 1 January 2012

Edinburgh Capitals - Murrayfield Ice Rink

Edinburgh Capitals 4-5 Fife Flyers

31st December 2011

Having attended three football matches in four days over the Xmas period (Manchester, Sheffield plus a non-blogged whipping at East End Park), I thought a change of sport to see out 2011 may be appropriate. So I decided to travel across to Edinburgh to see for myself how the Fife Flyers were progressing. I had attended their opening match of the Elite League season back in September, and followed their fortunes (via the internet) since.

http://ian38018.blogspot.com/2011/09/fife-flyers-fife-ice-arena.html

It has to be said, they had not done terribly well and were sitting at the foot of the league. However, the club had won last time out against the Dundee Stars, and Edinburgh Capitals had previously been another of their victims, so I felt I could travel with a modicum of optimism.

I had not been to Murrayfield Ice Rink for some 30 years – not since Wife, somewhat inexplicably, decided we should both learn to skate. It did not go well for me - eventually after persevering for a few visits I discovered if I stuck my left foot out in front of me, and used my right as a sort of paddle, I could just about make progress. Any attempt at asking either foot to perform anything more complex invariably resulted in a painful ice/face interface incident.

What made things worse was that Brother-in-Law, then naught but a lad, had taken to the ice like a natural. I can still recall him sweeping effortlessly past me on the ice, skating backwards whilst simultaneously eating a packet of crisps, whilst I clung to the side railings white-knuckled and knock-kneed, the arse of my jeans already sopping wet. Oh, the joys.

The main entrance.

The ice rink showing the close proximity of Murrayfield Rugby Stadium.

Murrayfield Ice Rink, Edinburgh

1939 vintage seating - surprisingly comfortable.

And arriving at the place this afternoon, it looked as if it had barely altered – other than a lick of paint, I think the only real difference was the PA system no longer played Ten Pole Tudor and Kim Wilde, but a bunch of more modern tunes I did not recognise. The seating certainly had not changed, indeed it looked as if these items were the originals installed back in 1939. But there were remarkably comfy.

There were about 1500 folks in the place, and I don’t know if it was the drummers’ drumming, or because this was a local derby of sorts or just pre-Hogmanay high spirits, but the atmosphere was really quite special. As was the match itself, I am pleased to say.

After an even-steven first period during which both sides scored once, Fife bossed the second period, swiftly moving into a 3-1 lead. The Capitals came back strongly in the third quarter to level things at 4-4 by time-up. As in the match I had seen in September, it appeared at times as if Garrett Zemlak was holding back the opponents' tide single-handed. I am sure many of his team-mates made equally important contributions, but they all pop on and off the ice so fast, I can never keep up with who is who.

Zemlak carried on his heroics into the shoot-out thingy, saving all three Edinburgh attempts, with Flyer’s Canadian born forward Mike HAMILTON’s success winning the match. Great stuff !