Turgid start from defending champs

The Chatham Victory have begun the defence of their crown in turgid fashion posting a 4-4-1 record in their first nine games.

With two back to back losses already and three losses in three rival games Buff has rung some early changes in an attempt to stop the rot. Gone are the championship winning lines and tactics which served the team so well against the Shamrocks and back come the old lines and tactics with a few tweaks. Discipline has been an issue and has cost Mark Stuart his roster place to Mark Pysk on the second pairing. Pysk's arrival means that 3 of the 6 blue liners on the pro team this season are rookies, a testament to the Pirates system. Jose Theodore and Josh Harding have both been demoted in favour of Anders Nilsson who has made a strong start in net. This changes led to a win over the Mob in what GMS Buff hopes in a change in the wind. He intends to get Sergei Kostitsyn, Brett Connolly and Eric Staal, three of the other main discipline culprits to piss in to it to check.

Chatham have a crucial set of games playing at home to the romping Rex and the Shamrocks and away at two big rivals the Beefs and the Badgers over the next 6 days. Performance in these games is likely to test if the Victory have the fight in them this season.