Business as usual for Leeds Knights against Peterborough Phantoms

The Knights are currently top of the Group A standings ahead of their final two play-off games, the first of which sees them visit Mallard Road on Saturday before renewing hostilities at Elland Road on Sunday night.

There is plenty at stake for both teams, one of which could still be overtaken by Hull Seahawks if Matty Davies’s team win both of their games against the already-eliminated Telford Tigers and results in Peterborough and Leeds work in their favour.

“Nothing changes this weekend for us,” said Aldridge. “We just approach it in the same way as any other game, the aim being to win.

“It’s dangerous to approach it any other way. Peterborough are a very good hockey team and if we take them lightly then we’ll find ourselves not going anywhere after this weekend, so we have to go into their building intent on finding a way to win. Then we can start thinking about Sunday.”

Peterborough go into the double-header determined to make it to the Final Four Weekend in Coventry and defend the play-off title they won at the expense of Leeds last year, prevailing in a nail-biting shoot-out.

“They are very well-coached, as always, they are a team who plan very well for play-offs and are always a danger in play-offs,” added Aldridge. “They’ve got good goaltending, good offence - there are lots of plusses about that team. They are a solid hockey team.

“They are play-off champions - as we know from last year - and that is a title they won’t want to give up easily.”

Aldridge will be looking for his Knights team to replicate their performance against Hull on Sunday, rather than the previous night when they lost 7-6 in overtime, having led 6-5 until 13 seconds from the end of regulation.

"We stretched ourselves out at our place against Hull and probably didn’t play the way we liked, nor should have,” added Aldridge.

“But I thought we showed good character on the Sunday and to have seven points out of eight, things are obviously going quite well.”