Devils v Storm - Wed 21 Mar 2018 - League - FO 7:30 - Chat/Updates

ASHIPP

Well-Known Member
#41
No-one is questioning the level of effort put in or even the result. However, expectations of putting on a performance will always be high at home games. Fans are right to expect that....they have paid for and travelled to see it.

The execution of systems was poor last night. No cohesion or chemistry despite the effort. Storm are locks for 2nd in the league so for them it was also a game that did not alter their position. However, they brought their unrested roster, took it seriously and executed well. They have won 3 out of 4 games against the Devils, Steelers have won 4 of 8 this season. These two teams have not let up in their run in to the playoffs.

It's all about momentum....can we really say that was demonstrated last night? Can understand a dip in performance in the Steelers' game, 2 days after winning the league so dramatically in Belfast. But it's now a new week.

Last night's game was hyped up in the press releases as a huge clash between the #1 and #2 ranked teams. Looks a bit silly when the performance didn't live up to it.

If Lordo is happy with how things went, then his body language was telling a different story.
 
#43
We all know the devils are gunna rest a few players and so they should.
They worked there butts off all year to win the title and are allowed a few games to recover and get ready for the playoffs.

Yes we don’t like losing but in any sport players are rested for bigger games ahead.
The problem is when we have done that in the past we have flopped at the Play Offs. We still need to keep up the momentum towards the play-offs. The season then finishes and the players can then rest. It's not fair on people who pay to watch them during the last few league games and the play-offs putting in poor performances.
 

RTfarty

Active Member
#44
I expect last night, the 3rd out of 5 games in 10 days, along with the one that followed the league winning game were always going to be an opportunity to cool the jets a little and allow players with any niggling injuries to take it a little easier before the playoffs. Granted this isn't great for the fans, but this is professional sport and ultimately, it's all about winning trophies.

Personally, I would rather have a healthy team primed and ready for the playoffs at the expense of a few drab games with nothing to play for.
 

The_Puck

Active Member
#45
I remember when I went to a Q&A earlier in the season and Todd was talking about how Coventry won the playoffs a few seasons ago. He said that once they qualified, they didn’t care about the rest of the regular season games as there was nothing to play for. He then said that they rested a lot of players to keep everyone fresh for the playoffs. He then said that the Blaze team were fresh in the playoffs whilst everyone else were tired due to playing at full pace for rest of season. They then won playoffs rather easily. Todd said at the end of the Q&A it was a coaches dream for this to happen. I presume Lordo knows what he’s doing, he was constantly giving the Brit’s lots of shifts, he wouldn’t be doing that earlier in the season. I couldn’t care less about last nights result, or this weekends result. I expect much better games next weekend
 

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
#46
I think it is right we rest players and don't want injuries as the other teams are still going flat out as have positions for play off draw to play for, so really we have a rare luxury to be able to rest where as 7 other teams that we may end up playing haven't got and must still play all players and fight for wins.
 
#47
Last night had no WOW factor ...no hwyl as we say in Welsh.
Perhaps Lordo should have got some ice time, not just for keeping up to speed but for the fans to see him back on the ice.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#48
I too want to see us win every game, but with NOTHING to play for and another title to win with freshly rested players? I Couldn't give a monkeys about the remaining result.

It may be irritating going to these games at the minute but this would be quickly forgotten going into the playoffs if we can take a trophy.

I'm surprised Manchester brought such an intense game last night, they have already guaranteed themselves 2nd place & second seeding.
 

Diafol

Well-Known Member
#49
Don't get me wrong, I have every faith in Lordo to make the right calls (who wouldn't ?)

I just have a feeling this weekend is going to make for painful viewing !
 

Ocko

Well-Known Member
#50
People are saying players have been rested and that it wasn't taken seriously. I'd say with good authority, injured rather than rested.

If players are being rested Andrew Hotham would be first on that list, the fact he isn't tells it's own story.
 

osh

Well-Known Member
#51
People are saying players have been rested and that it wasn't taken seriously. I'd say with good authority, injured rather than rested.

If players are being rested Andrew Hotham would be first on that list, the fact he isn't tells it's own story.
If players are out through injury, fair enough. However, injuries can occur at any time and last night was a perfect opportunity in my opinion for Lord to ice and gain ‘match fitness’ just in case he has to dress at any time in the last part of the season. Obviously he didn’t and we must bow to his decisions and trust his judgement, but it’s more than frustrating to watch performances such as last night and last weekend on home ice. Can’t see the weekend’s games being sell outs this time around. I still believe we will qualify for the play offs but will certainly need to be more up for it in the play offs as the environment is completely different in one off games as we have found out to our cost in the past. Other teams tend to target the play offs as the b all and end all of the season. I’m all for winning the league as the main trophy and then the play off final comes next.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#52
People are saying players have been rested and that it wasn't taken seriously. I'd say with good authority, injured rather than rested.

If players are being rested Andrew Hotham would be first on that list, the fact he isn't tells it's own story.
No doubt these are players carrying small knocks or something that could benefit from a maintenance day.

I don't think we are carrying any significant injuries at the minute.
 

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
#54
Even if a player had a slight niggle as a precaution you wouldn't play a player and risk aggravating it with a play off coming up
 

Kipper

Active Member
#55
A friend who was coming back from the cafe said that he thought that the FIRST time the puck hit the bar that THAT was a goal, the review was on the second ping, hence why only 30secs were added back to the clock, and our 3rd goal stood. Had the first play been reviewed before the next face off, then no one would be upset.
The incident requested for review was clearly a goal and correctly given
 
#56
Completely get the need to rest players and not play at 100% but last night the worrying thing in the game at such a slow pace (especially in respect to playoff hockey) was the lack of precision, poor mental hockey choices and simple hockey execution all which instil good practices, last two games bad habits have occurred which are not necessarily easy to get rid of
 

ASHIPP

Well-Known Member
#57
Completely get the need to rest players and not play at 100% but last night the worrying thing in the game at such a slow pace (especially in respect to playoff hockey) was the lack of precision, poor mental hockey choices and simple hockey execution all which instil good practices, last two games bad habits have occurred which are not necessarily easy to get rid of
It's disappointing how average the team performed in the absence of those key players who were rested. Entertainment (or lack of) value aside, there appeared to be no cohension, no chemistry, no leadership at times.
 
Last edited:
#59
It's disappointing how average the team performed in the absence of those key players who were rested. Entertainment (or lack of) value aside, there appeared to be no cohension, no chemistry, no leadership at times.
Your right a couple of.key individuals and we looked average.
Also agree that these last 4 games since winning the title were held the threat of being 'friendly matches ' played with possibly a slight edge to them.
Disagree with lack of leadership....the yeam has an abundance of leaders
But again to me if you are going to play a.toned down version your basic systems, plays and execution need to be top notch and I believe this team is more than capable of playing in such a way but mentally they need to be switched on, and I noticed quite a few weren' which then leads to no cohesion.

Interesting how the weekend pans out. I can see the same tactic against Belfast with a more oomph to play off pace on Sunday.
 
#60
I'm not sure where the whole "fluffing championship games" angle comes from. Yes, we lost the challenge cup this year - against one of the toughest teams in the league, who played a blinder, and we led for half the game. Yes, we lost the play-offs last year - in the final, against a much better Steelers side than this year, after 30 minutes of overtime and an intense final. I don't think you can call either of those a poor effort.

I think we're definitely seeing the team relax a bit before the playoff push. It's disappointing to see, and a little boring, but personally I think it's the right thing to do. Yes, there's the worry of losing momentum, but Lordo and the team have form. If we're still in this malaise when the first QF rocks around, then I'll start to worry. Until then, this team has earned enough of my trust to give them a pass.
 
Top