Devils v Giants - Wed 1 Feb 2017 - CC SFinal 1st Leg - FO 7:30pm - Chat/Updates

[osh]

A point I forgot to mention in my post last night was just how significant the contribution of Belfast's Brit players helped them, not only last night, but throughout the season. Shields, Boxhill and Towe were on the ice for regular shifts and are vital to their team. Compare that to our two Brits, Piggott and Jones. Let's be fair, the kids who collect the chuck a pucks get more ice time than those two. All the talk of going with 4 regular lines is just that, talk. I would take any of those players - and many other Btits - over Piggott and Jones. Yes they both skate hard and have bags of energy, what else ? No scoring ability ( defined by their lack of ice time maybe, but they never ever look confident enough to score ) and can't contribute much when they are sat on the bench for 56 minutes of each game.
Sorry to sound like a stuck record, but maybe it's time for both of them to consider a switch to a lower level in order to gain decent ice time. And finally, Devils management, please bring in another import before our season implodes.

 

[Finny]

A point I forgot to mention in my post last night was just how significant the contribution of Belfast's Brit players helped them, not only last night, but throughout the season. Shields, Boxhill and Towe were on the ice for regular shifts and are vital to their team. Compare that to our two Brits, Piggott and Jones..

That's a rather strange comparison to make osh?
Surely you should be comparing Shields Boxhill and Towe to Myers, Richardson and Batch?

 

[ASHIPP]

Absolutely brutal watching our Guys work so hard to get a two goal lead.....only to see it evaporate within minutes. Giants go home with a 1 goal lead and Devils with some work to do.

Sadly, everything that Lordo had said the Devils needed to avoid in this game, happened:

1. So many penalties - some deserved, others baffling - you can't keep providing a team like the Giants with those chances. They will kill you.
2. Three pp goals from the Giants. Brutal. When it's required, they are a team that are clinical in crunch situations.
3. 60 minute hockey - Giants still had energy levels and mental strength in the last minute of the game. Devils looked tired in period 3 - all those pks just sucked their energy. When Giants scored their 4th (equalising goal), I saw the Devils' heads go down - a time-out required right there.

The momentum is completely with the Giants in both league and cup progression right now. They are on a fantastic winning streak and it is going to take an exceptional team to break that. They are the proverbial 'Comeback Kids' - they can salvage games in p3 when they look like they are losing. A carbon copy of their Sunday game against the Steelers.

Arch villans or not, the Giants came here to get a result - mission accomplished for them on so many levels.

 

[Finny]

Still really annoyed after this result.

We played really well against a top team. We deserved to be two goals ahead after that second period, arguably more.
Still trying to work out what happened in the 3rd. Did we ease up, did we get done over by some shocking penalty calls/no calls? It feels like one of those games where every Belfast goal came after a controversial incident that went against us. Even though we lost the third period 3-0 we still seemed to be creating the better chances 5-on-5 but Belfast were clinical with every chance they got.

Sticking my optimistic hat on, we played very well for 95% of that game and if we play that well again next Wed then as long as we cut out the mistakes and getter a better referee we can still turn around the tie.

 

[Kal]

get a better referee we can still turn around the tie.

I wouldn't hold your breath, we'll probably have Hogarth in Belfast.

 

[pjj365]

It not so much who the comparison is made with but also ignoring the 3 mentioned by Finny but also Bowns and although he did not play last night Murdy. The comparisons do not make sense

We have a Brit roster of 6 (unless Piggott realy is a Brit - not sure on that one) - 4 of whom are regular GB internationals and if I remember correctly Murdy played in the exhibitions last year

 

[bdevil]

That's a rather strange comparison to make osh?
Surely you should be comparing Shields Boxhill and Towe to Myers, Richardson and Batch?

Fair enough compare Shields to Myers but Boxhill and Towe are Brits who play on their 4th line, which Piggot and Jones do for us.

 

[osh]

That's a rather strange comparison to make osh?
Surely you should be comparing Shields Boxhill and Towe to Myers, Richardson and Batch?

Not really Finny. My comparison is based on the fact that Belfast don't have Brits sat on their behinds for 56 minutes of games, we do ! And I would also add that I forgot to include Garside for Belfast, another Brit who seems to get decent ice time. You obviously disagree with my comment - no surprise there - but what are your thoughts on Piggott and Jones ice time ? Wouldn't you rather see two other Brits who can contribute more to the team ? I am not disrespecting Jones or Piggott for their work ethic, just their productivity. You can't contribute or produce much when you are sat on your arse on the bench can you.

 

[bdevil]

Does Jackson Whistle count as a Brit or an import with an EU (British) passport?

 

[Ocko]

Brit. Trained in Bracknell I believe.

 

[ASHIPP]

The point is, the Giants played a regular fixed 4th line and all their players (except Murphy) from the bench. Steelers and Panthers also have a permenant 4th line with the same players on it. The Devils alledgedly have a fourth line ....more often than not it ends up being a combination of the import players double-shifting from another line with LP/CJ getting occasional shifts. That is not really 4 line regular hockey.

 

[osh]

It not so much who the comparison is made with but also ignoring the 3 mentioned by Finny but also Bowns and although he did not play last night Murdy. The comparisons do not make sense

We have a Brit roster of 6 (unless Piggott realy is a Brit - not sure on that one) - 4 of whom are regular GB internationals and if I remember correctly Murdy played in the exhibitions last year

Didn't mention either Bowns as Murphy cancels him out. My point is that we can only play 5 Brits out of 6 at any one time. Belfast can also play 5 Brits if they choose to. Last night they chose to play 4, the point being is they all normally get decent ice time, Jones and Piggott don't do they ?

 

[osh]

Fair enough compare Shields to Myers but Boxhill and Towe are Brits who play on their 4th line, which Piggot and Jones do for us.

That's just it, Boxill and Towe get far more ice time than Jones and Piggott, why ? Because it's fair to say they are better than Jones and Piggott.

 

[bdevil]

As much as I agree, having Piggott and Jones on our 4th line as opposed to GB internationals probably frees up funds to keep player like Martin, Hotham and potentially even Bowns.

If we replaced Piggott and Jones with say Boxhill and Lacho but that meant we lost Martin and Hotham and replaced them with slight downgrades I think we'd be worse off.

 

[osh]

As much as I agree, having Piggott and Jones on our 4th line as opposed to GB internationals probably frees up funds to keep player like Martin, Hotham and potentially even Bowns.

If we replaced Piggott and Jones with say Boxhill and Lacho but that meant we lost Martin and Hotham and replaced them with slight downgrades I think we'd be worse off.

I don't have any idea of the finacial resources of the Devils, however, we had Martin and Hotham at the BBT with lower crowds and having to pay for ice time. Now we don't pay for ice time, the crowds are way up on numbers, meaning more revenue, your argument doesn't stack up for me I'm afraid. An extra 1000 people attending brings in at least £10K to £15K per game, how on earth would than mean we lose the likes of Martin and/or Hotham ? I think we can afford a couple of more expensive Brits based on the additional income this season don't you ?

 

[terry hunt]

Another cracking game last night pity about the result.Belfast are not afraid of us and it seems they dont have much respect for us.They roughed us up the end of last season and this year will be the same i suspect.This season seems like we are in playoff mode already and i dont know if the team are up to it.
Still we are still top and still in the Cup and who knows 16 games to go for the title.

 

[bdevil]

I don't have any idea of the finacial resources of the Devils, however, we had Martin and Hotham at the BBT with lower crowds and having to pay for ice time. Now we don't pay for ice time, the crowds are way up on numbers, meaning more revenue, your argument doesn't stack up for me I'm afraid. An extra 1000 people attending brings in at least £10K to £15K per game, how on earth would than mean we lose the likes of Martin and/or Hotham ? I think we can afford a couple of more expensive Brits based on the additional income this season don't you ?

If those finances hadn't been taken into account when signing this years roster then I'd say you're bang on, however, increased attendances (admittedly probably not consistent sell outs) would have been projected in to the budget when signing this year's roster. Whether the budget is maxed out, I have no idea, whether there's money available to sign more expensive Brits and keep the same quality of imports, again, not a clue, but, if we could have, why wouldn't we have?

 

[pjj365]

Didn't mention either Bowns as Murphy cancels him out. My point is that we can only play 5 Brits out of 6 at any one time. Belfast can also play 5 Brits if they choose to. Last night they chose to play 4, the point being is they all normally get decent ice time, Jones and Piggott don't do they ?

I sort of understand the comparisons now but how come Murphy cancels Bowns when Murphy did not play

As to how many Brits we can ice I thought the only limit (other than financial) was on imports

 

[Finny]

What were the four lines that Belfast ran last night then?

 

[backrow]

With all the talk of the 4th line ice time, I actually thought that the Myers, Culli, Doucette line who had a strong game could have had more ice time in the 3rd period.
However, sometimes the alternating Jones and Piggott are replaced by Lordo himself or another player on a 4th line shift when the team goes into mixmaster mode, which cuts down on their shared ice time even more. This happens often after penalty kills.