NIHL National: Who needs to do what on pivotal weekend for National Cup semi-final hopes

But such are the vagaries of the NIHL National league. The early months of the fixture schedule have a dual-purpose – points not just counting towards the final regular season league position come mid-March, but also towards a separate Cup table.

Essentially, one of any team’s first two games against each of their 10 rivals makes up the Cup schedule, five of them at home, five of them away.

Four teams qualify for two-legged semi-finals, progressing through to a two-legged final.

This weekend brings crunch games for all three of Yorkshire’s teams.

It is the holders, Sheffield Steeldogs, who face the most important night, knowing defeat at home to Hull Seahawks on Saturday – combined with Leeds Knights and Swindon Wildcats taking at least a point from their remaining games – would leave them unable to seal a top four spot.

Leeds – currently sat fourth above Hull on account of having scored more goals (such is the criteria priority determined by the league) – host Romford Raiders on Saturday, the London side currently sat second two points ahead of Leeds and Hull and knowing that two points (maybe even one) from their final two games of the Cup schedule will secure them a semi-final spot.

Leeds then travel to Hull on Sunday for a game which – depending on how they have both fared Saturday – could determine who goes through.

Both still might, the Steeldogs – very much an outside bet at this point alongside Telford Tigers given they are both three points adrift of the top five teams – could still reach the semi-finals for the third year running, such are the endless permutations.

One thing is sure, come Sunday night, the picture will be a whole lot clearer, if not completely decided, given there are still a handful of games still to be staged before the end of the month.

Steeldogs’ head coach Slava Koulikov is fully aware of what is at stake for his team this weekend, knowing their last four hopes could be ended come Sunday night while they still have two preliminary group games remaining.

The one previous meeting against the Seahawks this season came in Hull on October 25 when the hosts edged to a 4-3 win thanks to two goals in the last six minutes.

“I think every game is a must-win – Cup or League, and obviously, with three games left, you can call it a must-win,” said Koulikov, whose team defeated Leeds in overtime in last year’s final during his first year behind the bench at Ice Sheffield.

“But I think from day one, every coach in the league, when they talk about the Cup, they all know that with just 10 games to qualify for the top four, there are not many nights you can have off.

“It's also a derby against a team that is flying high at the moment and while we obviously had a good game over there (last month) but we didn't manage to get it over the line.

“It's the second meeting between the two of us and we’re at home, so we definitely want to respond and we're all looking forward to what is a big game.”

One thing the Steeldogs have struggled for this season is consistency, a quality that has not eluded Hull – currently second in the league table – or, more recently, Leeds, who go into their game against Romford on the back of an eight-game winning streak.

Six of those eight wins doubled up as Cup games, making up for a poor start by the Knights which had brought defeats to Peterborough Phantoms and Milton Keynes Lightning.

It is form which has carried them to third in the league, as well as fourth in the Cup group. Forward Bálint Pákozdi – a key component of last season’s play-off triumph – is relishing the challenge that awaits over two nights this weekend.

“Both of these games are must-wins, so it's a massive weekend for us - but I love it like that,” said Pakozdi. “Romford are flying high in the Cup standings and will be bringing everything to ours on Saturday.

“Hull, it is always tough going there, a bit of a hostile environment. I don't think they like us very much over there - but we just need to find a way to win.”

It’s a similar equation for the Seahawks, with head coach Matty Davies expecting an intense contest with each night bringing a Yorkshire derby.

"We'll do all our work for Saturday,” he said. “We won't even talk about Sunday, won't even think about it.

“And then after Saturday, everything will turn to Sunday – we'll do a video Sunday before the game and all them things. So for us, it won't change. It's just the same build-up as any other game.

“We need to win Saturday, then we'll get on to Sunday. I just think the intensity will be more on both nights – because of the situation and because of the teams, particularly on Sunday at ours against Leeds.”