If Belfast play the way we did tonight you's guys will walk it.. Worst Belfast performance ive seen in a long time.. Even Murphy who's be out standing since signing here was poor tonight, I wish Hoffman was in the line up as the Giants look so lightweight when he's not playing, and against a physical team like the Devils we are going to be in for a rough time..
Blaze v Devils - 26/12 - 6:00pm - League - Chat/Updates
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
I don't like it when everyone talks about not looking forward to playing us - I much preferred it when we were quietly going about our business with no one noticing.
Don't get me wrong I am overjoyed about our results, even when we don't play well. But being the in form team brings it's own pressures. Even though I supported the Devils through the 'glory years' I dont recall feeling this pressured and I'm just a fan. Plus there is still such a long way to go.
Just hope we remain injury/penalty free and that Craig decides to stay for the rest of the season.
Don't get me wrong I am overjoyed about our results, even when we don't play well. But being the in form team brings it's own pressures. Even though I supported the Devils through the 'glory years' I dont recall feeling this pressured and I'm just a fan. Plus there is still such a long way to go.
Just hope we remain injury/penalty free and that Craig decides to stay for the rest of the season.
Woo hoo 14 in a row...
Didn't actually play brilliantly. Had a very impressive spell in the third mind.
Hicks was horrific yet again. First period he calls next to nothing, second period he called everything (even the things he saw in his mind), from then on even he didn't know what was going on. Voth gets 10 minutes for suggesting diving through a motion (which IMO wasn't a dive, he kinda fell wierdly), yet against the Squeelers he gets crowded after every incident and hands out nothing... gotta love consistancy. Also Birbraer was denied a blatant penalty shot in overtime (stick basically around his face).
Our penalty shots were bloody good too. Lyle played decently, although I think he'd want their second goal back.
We probably just about deserved a win, lets hope we can get another 2 points tomorrow and pile the pressure on Belfast. I thought we could have up'ed the physical play a bit... they are short on D... but I guess with Hicks ref'ing, you don't wanna give him an excuse to call anything.
Didn't actually play brilliantly. Had a very impressive spell in the third mind.
Hicks was horrific yet again. First period he calls next to nothing, second period he called everything (even the things he saw in his mind), from then on even he didn't know what was going on. Voth gets 10 minutes for suggesting diving through a motion (which IMO wasn't a dive, he kinda fell wierdly), yet against the Squeelers he gets crowded after every incident and hands out nothing... gotta love consistancy. Also Birbraer was denied a blatant penalty shot in overtime (stick basically around his face).
Our penalty shots were bloody good too. Lyle played decently, although I think he'd want their second goal back.
We probably just about deserved a win, lets hope we can get another 2 points tomorrow and pile the pressure on Belfast. I thought we could have up'ed the physical play a bit... they are short on D... but I guess with Hicks ref'ing, you don't wanna give him an excuse to call anything.
Got to say both teams were poor tonight, The skydome ice makes ours look good, can t shout at linos about offside calls because no one can see any lines, therefore you have to have fath in the officials. Blaze players skating throrgh Lyles crease whenever they felt like, but no one allowed within 10ft of Jaeger the crease was difficult to see because of the poor markings but Hicks and co just made it all up as they went along.
The announcer said put your hands together for both teams for another great game of Elite league hockey NO IT WASN'T I wonder what their bad games have been like this season
The announcer said put your hands together for both teams for another great game of Elite league hockey NO IT WASN'T I wonder what their bad games have been like this season
Yeah those lines are awful! Talking to a few Blaze fans and they said they had re done them but not great!
Not the best win but will take it. If we can play like we did tonight and still win then something good will happen
I'm glad we kept Voth off the ice after his mis conduct as he did nothing before and had plenty of shots but no where near the net. Glad we brought Ben Davies on to spark the 2nd line and he changed it completely. First line was shaky and a bit too much turkey I think.
I just can't see their 2nd rate D being massive tomorrow - Robbo can't play another 50minutes surely? That import enl kid took a big hit off max on the boards and didn't ice much after it really, Pease or however you spell it was struggling in warm up. Cowley and Zanon were good but tough for them two again tomorrow.
Not sure what has happened to Fulgham this year but he is not the player he was last year- the hip check on him didn't help either but was a sweet hit!
Not the best win but will take it. If we can play like we did tonight and still win then something good will happen
I'm glad we kept Voth off the ice after his mis conduct as he did nothing before and had plenty of shots but no where near the net. Glad we brought Ben Davies on to spark the 2nd line and he changed it completely. First line was shaky and a bit too much turkey I think.
I just can't see their 2nd rate D being massive tomorrow - Robbo can't play another 50minutes surely? That import enl kid took a big hit off max on the boards and didn't ice much after it really, Pease or however you spell it was struggling in warm up. Cowley and Zanon were good but tough for them two again tomorrow.
Not sure what has happened to Fulgham this year but he is not the player he was last year- the hip check on him didn't help either but was a sweet hit!
Finny - very good and fair write up of the game.
We at home discussed the apparent empty seats. Think they don't sell standing tix there, so people buy seats then stand by the plexi. They should sell standing, esp when games are close to selling out. Nothing creates an atmosphere like every seat being filled and 4 men deep at the plexi as well!
We at home discussed the apparent empty seats. Think they don't sell standing tix there, so people buy seats then stand by the plexi. They should sell standing, esp when games are close to selling out. Nothing creates an atmosphere like every seat being filled and 4 men deep at the plexi as well!
We bought standing tickets no problem.
Devils fans rang up on their way needing 7 tickets, only 3 left in away block at the time and they refused to sell them seats anywhere else in the rink. Bear in mind we always take good numbers up there, you would think they would want to sell every seat possible but nope. Luckily the 7 managed to get standing tickets. I think we filled the boards from Blaze entrance to the other corner with Devils fans next to plexi.
If you order online, they just authorize them and no problem as quite a few Devils fans were in block 7 too
Devils fans rang up on their way needing 7 tickets, only 3 left in away block at the time and they refused to sell them seats anywhere else in the rink. Bear in mind we always take good numbers up there, you would think they would want to sell every seat possible but nope. Luckily the 7 managed to get standing tickets. I think we filled the boards from Blaze entrance to the other corner with Devils fans next to plexi.
If you order online, they just authorize them and no problem as quite a few Devils fans were in block 7 too
But almost in the same way you cant understate the achievements of this team as the standard is so much higher and the physical tolls games take are on a whole new level now. The top teams used to stroll to 10-0, 15-0, etc etc in those days although there is a genuine gap between the top 4/5 and the rest its nothing ike it used to be. The top 4/5 were unbeatable to others in 94, that isnt the case anymore.
Fair point, but it has worked against in the past. A couple of times in recent years we have been on good runs and lost in overtime - whereas if draws were possible we would have continued our unbeaten run.
I do though agree with Ocko. In the early 90's if you lost 4 or 5 games a season you'd be struggling to win the league. I think it was 1995-96 we won every game at home and only lost 7 league games all season - and yet still finished a couple of points behind Sheffield.
With so many more competitive teams these days, I never thought we would have as good a run as we are on now again.
I do though agree with Ocko. In the early 90's if you lost 4 or 5 games a season you'd be struggling to win the league. I think it was 1995-96 we won every game at home and only lost 7 league games all season - and yet still finished a couple of points behind Sheffield.
With so many more competitive teams these days, I never thought we would have as good a run as we are on now again.