Last weekend summed up the season for me with this Devils team. Absolutely sensational and simply unbeatable on Saturday against the Storm then bloody awful against Dundee the next day. That inconsistency killed us in the league and Challenge Cup this year. As for the playoffs, well anything is possible, depends which Devils team turns up.
Blaze Vs Devils - 31 Mar 19 - League .. decider?
- Thread starter James
- Start date
People having a go a Bownsy need their heads checked.
Is he the best keeper in the league? - probably not.
Is he in the top 2/3? - 100% in my view
Building a team and squad is not as simple as cherry picking the best players from around the league as there are numerous factors to balance. Wages, ice time demands, families, age, fitness, injuries, accommodation etc. you can't have 22 Joey Martins and expect to win the league.
We've gone down the route of a GB net minder with Bowns which gives us another import slot. Makes sense to me. The problem has come from filling those import slots wisely.
I believe we would have won the league at a canter with Tyson Strachan still here. We didn't have a big, stay at home D man that calmed everything down. Tyson gave you an 8/10 performance every single game. that's what years in the NHL gets you; proven quality and very few (if any) mistakes.
By all accounts there seems to have been a lot of shennanigans going on behind the scenes this year. For one, lots of comments on the Lord / Faryna bust up in the CHL from so many different sources. If this and others are true, it's a brilliant performance to get as close as we did.
Not confident about the play offs but that could just be my bitter disappointment and deflation.
However, very much looking forward to where we go from here. Think we could see a fair few changes this summer; retirements and replacements combined. I'm really excited at what road the club takes from here.
Is he the best keeper in the league? - probably not.
Is he in the top 2/3? - 100% in my view
Building a team and squad is not as simple as cherry picking the best players from around the league as there are numerous factors to balance. Wages, ice time demands, families, age, fitness, injuries, accommodation etc. you can't have 22 Joey Martins and expect to win the league.
We've gone down the route of a GB net minder with Bowns which gives us another import slot. Makes sense to me. The problem has come from filling those import slots wisely.
I believe we would have won the league at a canter with Tyson Strachan still here. We didn't have a big, stay at home D man that calmed everything down. Tyson gave you an 8/10 performance every single game. that's what years in the NHL gets you; proven quality and very few (if any) mistakes.
By all accounts there seems to have been a lot of shennanigans going on behind the scenes this year. For one, lots of comments on the Lord / Faryna bust up in the CHL from so many different sources. If this and others are true, it's a brilliant performance to get as close as we did.
Not confident about the play offs but that could just be my bitter disappointment and deflation.
However, very much looking forward to where we go from here. Think we could see a fair few changes this summer; retirements and replacements combined. I'm really excited at what road the club takes from here.
One thing for sure, if i ever doubted how much the Devils mean to me I certainly know it today, utterly deflated. But that is nothing compared to how the players & management must be feeling. Funny old season, rumours abound & maybe as has been said, we got this far inspite of issues off ice. This organisation has shown that it is always evolving, if such issues are deemed to have been root cause or instrumental in losing our league title, they will want to right that & I have every faith that they will. Yet it was also faced with circumstances that couldn't be predicted such as Parisi & the opportuniy offered to Blood, these would obviously have a huge impact. So a summer to regroup, changes will be made but there always are. Come August (surely I would have snapped out of my mood by then?), raring to go again!
I have purposely avoided posting anything on here without sleeping on it first. I travelled up on the bus with red army travel and wanted to firstly say a huge thank you to everyone that put that together. We are incredibly lucky to have such a great team of fans that put that together.
Of course last night was incredibly disappointing but it wasn’t one that surprised me unfortunately. Last night just wasn’t meant to be - the bounces didn’t go our way and their goalie had a blinder! I won’t delve any further as others have already done so.
Whilst I won’t put any blame on them - I thought the officiating was rather poor. I’m all for letting games flow but when the game is so tight and there are penalties happening right in front of the referee then those calls should be made. For both sides.
I’m by all means far from being a happy clapper but last night reminded me just how lucky we have been over recent years to have such a level of success that we have had. Unfortunately this year just wasn’t meant to be but I’d take second place over a time when we didn’t even make the top 8 any day of the week!
Finally - Congratulations to Belfast - they have such a great team and thoroughly deserve the win.
Roll on play off hockey!
Of course last night was incredibly disappointing but it wasn’t one that surprised me unfortunately. Last night just wasn’t meant to be - the bounces didn’t go our way and their goalie had a blinder! I won’t delve any further as others have already done so.
Whilst I won’t put any blame on them - I thought the officiating was rather poor. I’m all for letting games flow but when the game is so tight and there are penalties happening right in front of the referee then those calls should be made. For both sides.
I’m by all means far from being a happy clapper but last night reminded me just how lucky we have been over recent years to have such a level of success that we have had. Unfortunately this year just wasn’t meant to be but I’d take second place over a time when we didn’t even make the top 8 any day of the week!
Finally - Congratulations to Belfast - they have such a great team and thoroughly deserve the win.
Roll on play off hockey!
A few people are harking back to the loss of Parisi and Blood and implying that was our downfall. I don't quite buy that.
Parisi left almost on day 1. The club had an eternity to find a replacement, but I think we tried to go with what we had to save a few quid. I don't buy the excuse there were no decent replacements out there, Zagreb were shelling out players when they hit trouble and there were also pick ups to be had elsewhere.
Blood leaving was a bit of a sucker punch, but I think Schiestel has been an able replacement. I wouldn't mind seeing him back next season.
Parisi left almost on day 1. The club had an eternity to find a replacement, but I think we tried to go with what we had to save a few quid. I don't buy the excuse there were no decent replacements out there, Zagreb were shelling out players when they hit trouble and there were also pick ups to be had elsewhere.
Blood leaving was a bit of a sucker punch, but I think Schiestel has been an able replacement. I wouldn't mind seeing him back next season.
Think back to about 2013, the same game was Blaze and Devils fighting for the final playoff QF spot, we won on that day too, Shae Guthrie was stretchered off the ice.
Just consider for a moment, we are still fighting for the last playoff space, you are fighting to be league champions.
How things have changed, so why am I the happy one and you are all down, think I’d swap fortunes with you, would you swap with me?
Just consider for a moment, we are still fighting for the last playoff space, you are fighting to be league champions.
How things have changed, so why am I the happy one and you are all down, think I’d swap fortunes with you, would you swap with me?
Ben is fine even though he may be overworked
By Ben's own words Murdy is vital to his (and thus Devil's) performance
Trust the experts - players/coaches - or start stirring the pot. You obviously like the stirring but.
Listen to/read Lordo and Todd's comments last night. This comment just undermines all they are trying (and 99% achieving) to do
By Ben's own words Murdy is vital to his (and thus Devil's) performance
Trust the experts - players/coaches - or start stirring the pot. You obviously like the stirring but.
Listen to/read Lordo and Todd's comments last night. This comment just undermines all they are trying (and 99% achieving) to do
Seen many on here saying that they need to rest Bowns as playing to much but Murdy hasn't had a look in even in games where we have been in the driving seat and could have used him in final period.
Knowing we had such a important game on the Sunday why didn't they use Murdy for third period as game was over after the end of second. Any rest time is better than none going in to such a vital game.
Knowing we had such a important game on the Sunday why didn't they use Murdy for third period as game was over after the end of second. Any rest time is better than none going in to such a vital game.