Devils Vs Flames - League - 31st Dec 23 - FO 16:00

[Kristoff]

Keep hearing 200ft game when we sign players. Maybe that's the issue? Possibly look at D who defend, stay in position and finish hits?
Enough is enough. This performance has to be the last straw and changes need to be made. Don't think I have ever seen a devils team with this little fight and personality.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Keep hearing 200ft game when we sign players. Maybe that's the issue? Possibly look at D who defend, stay in position and finish hits?
Enough is enough. This performance has to be the last straw and changes need to be made. Don't think I have ever seen a devils team with this little fight and personality.

Nah, thats means they skate away 200ft when the going gets tough!

 

[Kristoff]

Have the days of retribution or standing up for yourself gone? First period,batch got flattened,got up sheepishly and watched Cox get nailed for a penalty,nothing. Bowns got run through, nothing.

 

[Swarley]

Have the days of retribution or standing up for yourself gone? First period,batch got flattened,got up sheepishly and watched Cox get nailed for a penalty,nothing. Bowns got run through, nothing.

Its gb hockey in an eihl league it ain't working but it feels like stubborn heads won't admit it.

 

[Dappy50]

Play well and win or play bad and lose the buck always stops with the coach unfortunately, pretty sure Todd said at the start of the season this was a Pete Russell team and he had final say on player recruitment. Let’s be honest if we were top of the league we would all be calling him a hockey genius . He has put his own stamp on the team and you can see that with the non contact type hockey we are playing , will this style work in the EIHL??? Remains to be seen

 

[august04 2.0]

PR got a 2 yr contract, perhaps his hands won't be tied on selecting players next season and owners intent on bringing same old same old back .

One year too many for me! Yes, he's done well in DEL2 but he was fortunate enough to have Keefe and Nielson supporting him for GB. I’m not convinced by him at all and I have no idea what style he’s trying to play. What’s blatantly clear though is that this coach/ownership have completely disregarded the style of hockey that Devils fans want to see. Let’s be honest, the last year of real ‘Devils’ hockey was 2014-15 during the first year of the new ownership, one of my favourite seasons of watching hockey since 1986, and we only won the CC that year. It’s not just about winning trophies, it’s about entertainment and playing the Cardiff way. Despite the game changing, that's still possible but it seems our organisation doesn’t agree. Give the fans what they want not this turgid bullshit that’s been served up for the past 4 years.

 

[jimmy snels]

Play well and win or play bad and lose the buck always stops with the coach unfortunately, pretty sure Todd said at the start of the season this was a Pete Russell team and he had final say on player recruitment. Let’s be honest if we were top of the league we would all be calling him a hockey genius . He has put his own stamp on the team and you can see that with the non contact type hockey we are playing , will this style work in the EIHL??? Remains to be seen

It's boring as shit to watch regardless of results.

 

[august04 2.0]

Another thing, some of the goal music, come on ....
"Baby I don't care..." when the opposition score !!!!! You may not care Todd but I bloody care.
At the point of 2-5 down "Destination unknown" !!!!! I know we're not going to win so it is known !!!!

Not enjoying the Hockey or match night experience at all.

As long as bar takings and merchandise sales are up, he doesn’t care! Never has there been a more appropriate piece of music for that shambles!

 

[Dappy50]

It's boring as shit to watch regardless of results.

Yes agree, been a complete snooze fest at times

 

[august04 2.0]

I wouldn't be so sure, only thing that seems to matter now days is parting fans with money. I'm becoming quite disenfranchised with the leadership team to be honest with you. Needs a shake up off the ice as well, a few lost focus on what matters and how important customers feeling valued matters to a business. I honestly miss the days where, although a perennial 3rd place team, we left it all on the ice, paid 3 quid a pint and could go to an away game knowing we were going to bash them about in their barn. Since lordo went it's a watered down product at exponential costs.

Absolutely spot on Jimmy, I’m afraid what the fans want is being completely disregarded by this management team. They showed utter contempt when they drove through the logo change against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the fanbase. The on ice product is garbage and this style of hockey is totally alien to the way Devils fans expect their team to play, but who cares when fans are being fleeced left, right and centre? That seems to be the only thing that matters.

 

[Paul Sullivan]

I haven't been to a game for some time, cost v entertainment is just not worth it. I did have a season ticket for 30 years but just too expensive now. Did buy the Steelers last game in shuff, god that was a dreadful waste of money.
Maybe a protest night to show how unhappy everyone is. Such as, everyone wear black or even choose one game which is fan less, no attendance. Course this requires the fans sticking together and we all know how that might go. Just a thought.

I have more than a little experience with the protest thing, one might say....

If you are honestly comparing those reasons to a team that is paid, professionally treated and not flogged live livestock, I'd genuinely suggest having a word wth yourself. Or maybe a couple of those who played in those eras.

I missed all the boring as shit comments when the Blaze were demolished so apologies if they're there and I didn't see them.

 

[august04 2.0]

I have more than a little experience with the protest thing, one might say....

If you are honestly comparing those reasons to a team that is paid, professionally treated and not flogged live livestock, I'd genuinely suggest having a word wth yourself. Or maybe a couple of those who played in those eras.

I missed all the boring as shit comments when the Blaze were demolished so apologies if they're there and I didn't see them.

Hardly a big deal beating the Blaze twice, I wouldn’t go crowing about that!

 

[Ejercito Rojas]

I have more than a little experience with the protest thing, one might say....

If you are honestly comparing those reasons to a team that is paid, professionally treated and not flogged live livestock, I'd genuinely suggest having a word wth yourself. Or maybe a couple of those who played in those eras.

I missed all the boring as shit comments when the Blaze were demolished so apologies if they're there and I didn't see them.

Actually, there was an interview after the Blaze game given by Coventry coach Danny Stewart who said that the Coventry performance was SHIT!
Just to put a bit of perspective to our demolition of that great Coventry team!

 

[Phinktastique]

This team has an abundance of talent throughout the roster (it’s clear to see), but the overall blend is off whack to compete/be successful in this N.America stylised league. You cannot blame the players themselves though, they are doing their absolute best.

 

[doron]

i found myself enjoying watching Guilford play more than us. and this weekend is not the only time this has happened. watching us play is hard to keep your interest, thats not good. also to pay £15 for a stream and find yourself wandering the internet because im bored is a waste of money, and i agree the goal and game sounds are the worst in the league. there's no atmosphere.

 

[Hedd Wyn John]

i found myself enjoying watching Guilford play more than us. and this weekend is not the only time this has happened. watching us play is hard to keep your interest, thats not good. also to pay £15 for a stream and find yourself wandering the internet because im bored is a waste of money, and i agree the goal and game sounds are the worst in the league. there's no atmosphere.

Guildford are a good team and played very well both nights. They fully deserved both wins.
When we went 2 goals down you could see heads drop and then the game was difficult to watch.

 

[kingmo19.1]

I have more than a little experience with the protest thing, one might say....

If you are honestly comparing those reasons to a team that is paid, professionally treated and not flogged live livestock, I'd genuinely suggest having a word wth yourself. Or maybe a couple of those who played in those eras.

I missed all the boring as shit comments when the Blaze were demolished so apologies if they're there and I didn't see them.

Demolishing a mediocre mid-table Blaze team (with likely a much smaller budget than ours) is hardly worth crowing about - unless that’s the level we’ve plummeted to these days!

To put things in perspective, we’re almost half way through the season and we’re 6 points ahead of Dundee !!!! How inspiring is that !

 

[hip check]

Off the ice the club are clearly doing something right, we have sell out games most weeks, the bar is selling plenty of plonk, merchandise seems to be selling well, big queue tonight to get players autographs etc etc.
The on ice product is less than thrilling to a lot of fans most particularly amongst long term supporters who have seen Devil's teams through the ages, indeed some since Devil's inception in 86 (like myself).
I have to be honest tonight's game was not particularly inspiring and the complete lack of any physicality from our players seems to be 'the norm' atm indeed going back a season or two, even a Brandt hit is now a rare occurrence.
We understand the needless battles between enforcers are now pretty much unnecessary but having a team that seems to be adverse to any kind of hitting or watching their teammates backs is disappointing. I hate seeing one of our players recieving a bad or dangerous hit/crosscheck etc and the culprit skating off and not being challenged by one of our players.
I remember Layne Ulmer stepping up to the mark against Rissling at Nottingham, Ulmer is not a fighter but stood up for his teammate who received a bad hit, Ulmer had a bit of a beating but showed the balls to make a point that a bad hit will not be tolerated by our team.
This team whether playing to instructions from coaches or making there own choice to play a passive game detracts from the on ice spectacle.
Guildford were in a different league tonight and bossed all aspects of the game.

 

[RedDevil17]

I’m going to games purely because I have a season ticket. When I’m at the games, I find myself highly bored at the on ice product. Do I think we can win anything? No. I see no identity or style of play. What I’ve seen recently is nothing short of pathetic.

Certain players need to look themselves in the mirror but Russell also has to take some of the blame, he’s the coach. He needs to fire a rocket up their arses and get them playing ASAP otherwise we’re in for another trophy less season.

Moving onto the style of play, we play like absolute pussies. No physicality, not much speed, certain players are simply not putting in the effort and are going missing during the big games. I don’t need to name them as that should be fairly obvious. Changes needed, but do Kelman and the owners have the balls to do so? I don’t think so - we have brought back too many from last year. Guess none of this matters though as merch sales are up…

Rather than changing our logo as part of a ‘rebrand’, the focus should’ve been putting together a team that is actually capable of winning the league and recruiting players who grab games by the scruff of the neck when needed. Give Steelers the league now, they have recruited very well and have the correct mentality that every game is a game 7 in this league. No nights off.

 

[E.D.S.]

Just seen the hit on Bowns. Not the worst thing I’ve ever seen but do you remember the good old days when touching your goalie was a no no and you got held to account for it? They were fun days.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, this team is dull. When you take out the five minutes of fun against the Clan the other week, you’re left with heartless, gutless and pointless individuals. Very happy to poke and slash and do the shithousery but bottom line have very little passion and fight. This is PRs team and PRs chosen style. This was DuPonts team, this was Sklade’s Team. This is not Devils hockey. This team is void of passion, voids of ideas and void of an identity. Dull, Dull and Dull. 3 seasons of this dross but goes to show full houses are more important than success. They also seem to be mutually exclusive. You can serve up a dire on ice product and still sell out. Quids in!! You don’t need success. What a business model.