Important information:  Please note, that the underground carpark at Morrisons will now close at 8pm each night.  This means that you will not be able to park in there for Saturday night hockey matches.  There is plenty of above ground parking available around Morrisons so please use this instead.  This decision has been taken by Morrisons due to a number of incidents of antisocial behaviour, and is in no way hockey related!  We apologies for any inconvenience this will cause.

Saturday 15th February 2020, Face off 7pm, Doors Open 6:00pm

Tickets available here

Smith Recycling Milton Keynes Lightning face Leeds Chiefs at Planet Ice on Saturday for the penultimate time during the regular season in the first of two key games for their play-off ambitions.

On Sunday the two sides meet for the first time at Chiefs’ new home rink at Elland Road – Leeds having played all their home games on the road until the end of January. Saturday’s game is the second of three games in three days for the Yorkshire team – they face Hull Pirates at home on Friday.

The last time Lightning and bottom placed Chiefs did battle at Coventry it was Leeds who handed out a shock 4-1 defeat for Lewis Clifford’s men so they will be keen to redress the balance.  The Yorkshire outfit have had a turbulent season – mainly due to not being able to build their fanbase at the new rink. In December they released two of their top scorers, former MK forwards Radek Meidl and James Archer. The fact that they have only been surpassed in the scoring stakes by one player – Adam Barnes – possibly says a lot about how they have struggled to score this term.   Other players to look out for are Lewis Baldwin who has amassed 23 points (eight goals and 15 assists) while Richard Bentham has 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points.

Barnes’ 43 point total – 22 goals and 21 assists – is only good enough for 28th place in the league tallies.  But to take a win for Lightning for granted would be decidedly dangerous as Leeds have twice beaten National Ice Hockey League leaders Telford Tigers in the past month – Lightning also causing an upset in Shropshire last Sunday with a 4-1 victory.

However Leeds form against other teams has not been so good in the past few weeks with losses to Sheffield Steeldogs and Swindon Wildcats being preceded by a 6-3 reverse against Peterborough Phantoms.

Get ready for another night of fast and furious hockey at Planet Ice on Saturday, face off is 7pm. Buy your tickets in advance to beat the queue, phone 01908 540020 or buy them online here.

Photo: Mel Dickens