Devils Vs Flyers - League - 2nd Nov 22 - 19:30 FO
- Thread starter James
- Start date
I thought it was a cracker of game. I loved the drama for a wet and windy midweek game. Albeit the first period was a bit touch and go. We largely looked in control. I saw so much more puck retention and cycling going on. Then we self destructed in the second. Soft penalties. Great to see Louis with the fire in his belly again. His ability to man handle people, mid ice or against the boards is frightening.
I never saw us losing this game. What I did see were players defending Bownsy's net like they had been impacted by his abuse/criticism as well. They collapsed low down when they needed to and shots just didn't get through. Huge difference from previous nights. The first Flyers goal Bownsy was screened by two Devils so had no chance and the one I guess he'd want back is every goalies weak spot - above the pad, below the glove and close to the body - a nightmare to save. There was a noticeably change in how we defended as a team last night.
Coughler needs to be drug tested. Work rate is off the charts, he tries to do everything. Hit, pass, score, agitate the lot.
Great to see Penny finally arrive with a statement performance and Sanford just showed composure and quality when needed with another impressive work rate. Crandall still feels off the pace for me but this was a good character win. Brandt, again, delivered.
Yes it was Fife but still a morale boosting win.
I never saw us losing this game. What I did see were players defending Bownsy's net like they had been impacted by his abuse/criticism as well. They collapsed low down when they needed to and shots just didn't get through. Huge difference from previous nights. The first Flyers goal Bownsy was screened by two Devils so had no chance and the one I guess he'd want back is every goalies weak spot - above the pad, below the glove and close to the body - a nightmare to save. There was a noticeably change in how we defended as a team last night.
Coughler needs to be drug tested. Work rate is off the charts, he tries to do everything. Hit, pass, score, agitate the lot.
Great to see Penny finally arrive with a statement performance and Sanford just showed composure and quality when needed with another impressive work rate. Crandall still feels off the pace for me but this was a good character win. Brandt, again, delivered.
Yes it was Fife but still a morale boosting win.
Although rocky was getting on a bit by then, he was still fit and a ex NHL player. MC just gave him a skating lesson. My favourite moment though was up at Durham. He went coast to coast to score, beating half the wasp team on the ice whilst skating backwards. I remember someone having a t-shirt which said "the trouble with good is that he thinks he's Doug McEwen". He is simply the best to ever lace on skates for this club.
I respect that opinion, but bear in mind by the time isl came around he was well past his peak. When he was at his peak he compared well to players will excellent pedigrees.
Although a great scorer his best attributes were his skating and defensive ability. Those would, I think, stand up well even if he was playing today.
Although a great scorer his best attributes were his skating and defensive ability. Those would, I think, stand up well even if he was playing today.
Completely agree…we all look back on a time in any sport with particular fondness. It’s the elitism towards these ‘newbies’ that does it for me. What do we do? Acquire no new fans, the rest of us die and then so does the devils as no one is alive to come watch. It’s talked about as an inclusive sport so how about it, eh?
I think the fact we are able to bring in so many “newbies” isn’t to be frowned up, it should be something that every fan should want to embrace. Everyone here has a passion for our team, young or old, and the fact that the team we care about and have such passion for is growing to a new audience is a brilliant sight that I do not wish to slow down at any stage.
Agree with you here Moggy plus what Rempel stated about defences and goalies not being as good is harsh, for me. They aren’t as good as when you look at now, but at that time they were the best that was around. Goalies hadn’t heard of the butterfly to fill the net. The closest we had was Nottinghams David Graham who was massive and just used to lie down. You can’t really compare the product then to now but I firmly believe (even with my rose tinted spectacles) that Dougie is one of only a handful of players that could make it in this league now from the old era. For those newbies who didnt see him play think of Fourniers skating ability, with Hotham’s hands and Trevor Coxs vision and you’d be almost there.
I don’t think you can point to the defensive capabilities and goalie standards of old as a reason for Dougie’s success. It’s like saying the footy players of old were slow and cumbersome that’s why Pele scored as many as he did or looking back at Ronaldo/Messi in 20 years time and remarking on the poor defending. The game evolves and MC would have evolved with it.
I don’t think you can point to the defensive capabilities and goalie standards of old as a reason for Dougie’s success. It’s like saying the footy players of old were slow and cumbersome that’s why Pele scored as many as he did or looking back at Ronaldo/Messi in 20 years time and remarking on the poor defending. The game evolves and MC would have evolved with it.
The goalies were some of the best around? I respect your opinions but they were nowhere near it.
He wasn’t the only player to have put up north of 150 points in a 30 game season.
You mentioned Hotham, Fournier and Cox as comparators. I think each of these would break 200 points with ease in those days.
It was entertaining for sure, but the standard was very bad compared to the ISL and the product we had pre covid.
I so want to believe that prime Dougie could transition and I’m sure he’d be a good player in this league today.
But i don’t think he’d have a hope of going coast to coast like he could in that era.
I’m just disputing his place as top Devil of all time, not that I don’t rate what he did in that era
He wasn’t the only player to have put up north of 150 points in a 30 game season.
You mentioned Hotham, Fournier and Cox as comparators. I think each of these would break 200 points with ease in those days.
It was entertaining for sure, but the standard was very bad compared to the ISL and the product we had pre covid.
I so want to believe that prime Dougie could transition and I’m sure he’d be a good player in this league today.
But i don’t think he’d have a hope of going coast to coast like he could in that era.
I’m just disputing his place as top Devil of all time, not that I don’t rate what he did in that era
