Devils v Giants - Sun 4 Mar 2018 - Challege Cup Final - FO 6pm - Chat/Udates

Pretty confident of winning the league as I really think we have the team to do it. Talking to people after the game, I have to say, for once everyone I spoke to was in agreement. Makes a change,lol. Lord needs to use his 4 lines. Myers and Batch were exceptional in the first. We drop them bit by bit and then top players are used way too much,getting more tired as time goes on. Then they start looking average. Just wish someone could persuade Lord. When it was mentioned to him on a previous game, he just said he couldn't use them. They were cold. Poor excuse! He made them cold by sitting them on the bench. Absolutely love Lord as a coach. The best in my opinion. But just can't understand why.
 

august04

Well-Known Member
I think where we fell short is that we aren't an intensity club this year, and even last to a degree. What we are is slick and efficient. We are the best team in the league by a mile IMO but we seem to play the same in almost every game. Whereas Belfast are much more up and down, they couldn't play like that every week but knew how to play to the intensity of a cup final.
This is a great summary from Ocko - and in his interview Lord alluded to the fact that we played a "normal" game in the final, rather than having the intensity needed to win a championship, when Belfast certainly upped their game and did. We haven't needed to do that virtually all season (apart from the SF second leg vs Sheffield) as most teams come into IAW and let the Devils play their normal game and dictate the play (and we're so much better than the other teams over the long haul in the "run of the mill" league games). We had no answer to Giants increasing the intensity and making it a desperate game 7 type affair - and that concerns me given the nature of our play off structure. It also explains to a degree why, when we're miles clear at the top of the league, there has been so much debate on here as to the entertainment we've had this year. Again as Ocko said, "slick and efficient" but in my opinion, not the most dynamic and entertaining quite frankly - simply because we haven't had to play desperate and elevate our "normal" game very often this year. I do take issue when Lord concedes a little on the physicality front in his interview but during the game, virtually benched Batch after only a few shifts. If as he says, this team isn't on a leash - then I very much hope we address that in the summer and sign one or two players who are prepared to get dirty and change a game when plan B is needed, when the normal, "slick and efficient" isn't getting the job done.
 
Yes, the best team won on the night. The intro would have had little impact on either side, however the crowd should have.....saying that the crowd have been loud multiple times and the players haven't quite reacted. As a fan of physical hockey, it does annoy me that we appear not to use out most aggressive players.....we looked a bit bullied at times and nobody reacted. The refs probably could have made more calls for both sides in my opinion.
But onwards and upwards. We can only hope that we get over this and get everything else!

Or maybe we are all just expecting too much now?
 
Well what a weekend, just about recovered from it today. Best two teams in the league going head to head.

I talked with a few Devils fans who stayed behind to watch us celebrate (Fair play to them and the rest of your fan base, always a pleasure playing in cardiff) anyway honesty we both felt after Devils scored early on that they would run away with it.

But my goodness what a performance we put on. 2nd and 3rd period I felt we out worked the Devils, and we needed too. Devils are the best team in the league and will deservedly pick up the league title soon enough. We needed to put in that level of performance to win and we did. Couldn't be happier with the result, been soo long since we last won a trophy and I've almost forgotten what it felt like. But no better feeling winning a trophy away from home in a one off game like that, took a few years off my life though haha.

As for the Intro, found it in bad taste at the end, "we slay Giants" sorry but no. You make that kind of video after you win not before the puck has dropped. I know for a fact some of our players did watch it, might not have effected the result but I'm sure they had that little extra incentive. But anyway looks a bit foolish now after losing.

But anyway Cardiff is a great city, has great and passionate fans, Cardiff are still the best team in the league. Hoping Keefer can match some of that success with the Giants, just like Lord he has so much passion for their clubs.
 
I am after a CUP final priogramme (I have collected these for many years) from the Challenge game played at Cardiff v Belfast.
Been in touch with the Arena and spoke with staff but did not get the promised reply in order to help me.So am wishing to buy one not wanted anymore from a fan.Can anyone who can help email me on spikc2004@yahoo.co.uk please, I will pay postage of course also.Mick
 

terry hunt

Well-Known Member
I am after a CUP final priogramme (I have collected these for many years) from the Challenge game played at Cardiff v Belfast.
Been in touch with the Arena and spoke with staff but did not get the promised reply in order to help me.So am wishing to buy one not wanted anymore from a fan.Can anyone who can help email me on spikc2004@yahoo.co.uk please, I will pay postage of course also.Mick
Mick surplus programmes are usually available from the shop but there is no listing.Might be worth phoning or emailing them.
tel 029 2038 4108 email: info@baysidesports.co.uk
 

E.D.S.

Well-Known Member
Nothing coming from Faryna’s hit then? Didn’t look great live. Not seen any replays. Was it ok?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
Lord bottling it, get a life. He never bottled anything on the ice. And most certainly wouldn’t bottle anything off it. Is he infallible no,is he a bottler no. Keefe lost a home game against Caps the other week, does that make him a bottler. ?????
 
Have to say I'm a bit shocked by Lord's interview, I've been disappointed when Thommo has called out players on occasions when it's a team game after all and it's not usually Lord's style. Bowns said in his interview there were a couple of goals he would like back but to single him out when there were many players not on form seems quite unfair especially as he's played a major part in Cardiff winning in the past. Personally I'm not convinced Cardiff had the better chances either but as I said in a previous post I'm no coach.
 
I would assume that's just fan speculation as always happens. Bowns certainly hasn't said anything about it and has always been very loyal to Devils in all the interviews I've heard. Netminders are often an easy target when a team loses, just don't expect it from your own coach
 

Gazza272

Well-Known Member
He did say in a recent interview he had ambitions of playing in Europe one day.
Oh I have no idea if Ben will stay next year or not. IT was the 'something going on behind the scenes' comment i was referring to. It implied there were issues behind the scenes, which I don't believe is the case.


If Ben were to move on, no one would be happier for him than Lord and the club I think.
 
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