It’s amazing how quickly things can change in hockey.

Defence to offence. Winning to losing. Highs to lows.

We’d made a good start to the season, with three from four in September. Some good performances and plenty of goals from this refreshed Haringey side. But we now find ourselves with two losses on the bounce, and Guildford rolling into town this Saturday.

When we played Slough last, we were in a real game. They went toe-to-toe with us up until we clinched the winner at 6-5, so this was always a potential outcome. What undid us on Sunday was a superlative performance from young Spitfires’ netminder Ruari McGibbon, and fast counter-attacking hockey that we struggled to nullify.

We seem to be missing some players at the moment. Pete Tóth is suspended, but we travel without Courtney Grant, Johan Persson, Josh Ealey-Newman, or Jaden Boolkah. Stephen Woodford steps into the breach again.

Matt France comes back in, and our lines are changing on a week-by-week basis it seems, fitting around who’s available. We saw Leo De Souza Saoncella filling-in at D alongside Casey Wilson.

It’s an open start to the game. Oli Cooper, Carl Etuazim, and Casey all have shots early on. Carl shows great hands toe dragging past one, then two Slough players. Stephen Woodford hits a one-timer from the left wide. It’s even without much happening.

Out of nothing Slough are awarded a penalty shot. I’m told it’s because a Haringey player other than the netminder was covering the puck in the crease, but I couldn’t see from where I was. It’s despatched with little fuss, the Spitfires’ player moving across the slot to the left hashmarks and firing across goal bottom right. 1-0 Slough with 13 left in the period.

We have the better of what remains. Every time Oli’s on the puck now, all you get is ‘Moooooose’ from the Haringey fans. He sends one wide from the hashmarks.

Ruskin Springer Hughes and Woody link up a couple of times on the power play. Will Nowik takes it off the stick of a Slough player in the defensive zone. Rob Rejna picks out Nikita Bzozovskis whose shot is saved nearside. There’s some good play and we feel on top, despite having gone behind.

Marton Szasz barrels his way through two Slough players and into the o-zone, forcing a save to the left. Dylan Philips is called into action late on, making a blocker save from the blue line, and a quick reaction save at the back door. Cameron Pow gets in the way of a shot which ricochets off the back post. End of the first. 17 shots on the Slough net, six on Haringey’s.

For all that, Slough take the second, comfortably.

Haringey make a very fast start to the period. Conner and Stu both have chances. Marton finds Ruskin whose one-timer is blocked and sent over the bar. There’s numerous shots on the Slough net, and Moose goes close, gloved from the left.

I couldn’t see Slough’s second goal but it comes three minutes into the second period. Really deflating.

Ryan Payne shows great strength along the boards to keep the puck. He find Conner who shoots high and over from the slot.

Three minutes later and it’s 3-0. It’s a breakaway, put across the slot from the right and finished high at the backdoor for a shorthanded goal. Haringey firefighting.

Ruskin has a glorious chance to get one back, going through 1-on-1 but his low shot is kicked out. One of our better chances in the game. Carl goes alone down the right, but his shot’s held. Matt hits a slapper out of bounds from the point. We’re pushing and knocking but can’t find a way through.

Slough played on the counter, a lot. Their third and fourth goals are almost a carbon copy of one they scored against us at the Palace. When Haringey establish possession in the offensive zone, turnover the puck and counter punch on the breakaway, turning defence into attack. They get in again a couple of times at the end of the period, but Dylan stands tall. End of the second, 15 on Slough, 14 on Haringey.

We made a go of it in the third. Will gains the zone and puts it on tape for Conner at the backdoor. A big, big goal to make it 3-1.

I love his reaction to the goal. If you’re looking to someone to light a fire under the rest of the team, to inspire a bit of impetus, Conner’s your guy. He did something similar away at Bristol a couple of years ago when we were trailing 4-1, and it also reminded me of a moment during the 4-5 loss to Guildford last season. He plays with his heart on his sleeve, which I like.

Rob goes coast to coast a couple of times with some impressive skating and puck control but doesn’t get a decent shot off on either attempt. Conner probably should double his tally with another chance in the slot which he sends wide.

Ruskin then makes it a one-goal game. Conner finds him across centre ice and Ruskin fires a wrister from the right far side into the side netting. A very well taken goal for 3-2 with 10 left in the game.

After we get our second, we do look like we’ll go on to tie it up. Much more pressure, much more time in the offensive zone. Ruskin feeds Woody in the slot who has his shot held. Conner’s denied at the doorstep. Slough call timeout with five left in the game.

They ultimately get the last say. With three minutes left, they do what they’ve been doing all game. Pinch the puck, transition through the zones, it’s two-on-one and they wait and wait and then send it across the slot and apply the finish.

Dylan gets pulled with 1:50 remaining in the game. Slough don’t get the empty netter, but we don’t make the extra skater count either and it ends 4-2. I think we out-shoot the Spitfires in every period, and Slough netminder Ruari McGibbon makes 49 saves from 51 shots faced. The definition of standing on your head.

It’s a blow, of course, and it’s a tough one to take. On another day and with the chances we created, we would have taken the three points. But credit to the Spitfires who made sure they won their first game on home ice.

I’m really hoping things can change quickly again.

It’s a huge game on Saturday, regardless of the context. Always has been, always will be. The picture will look a whole lot brighter if we can beat Guildford Phoenix. We came agonisingly close last year under very different circumstances.

It’s time to change it up. Let’s go Huskies.