Devils Vs Giants - 23/24 Nov 19 - League
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Unfortunately, the same happy clappers who go for the 'game night experience' are being joined or replaced by new happy clappers or people out for a boozy experience before hitting town. They are not remotely interested in or even understand what many of us are really there for.......an actual HOCKEY game. If the arena keeps selling out to people who aren't really watching, you have to ask, why should the team care?
Of course the club needs to make it financially viable and secure and continuous capacity attendance is a key factor to longevity - but the on-ice product is so painful to watch at the moment. Never mind winning games, where is the compete level for 60 minutes? For season ticket holders and/or regular ticket purchasers, there is very little return on our 'investment' right now.
It's a sad indictment when the opposition fans are sarcastically chanting your most beloved and revered player's name as he heads for the penalty box for another Giants' power play and then Giants' fans start chucking a mini inflatable GOAT in the air! Funny yes, but Joey used to be untouchable.
Of course the club needs to make it financially viable and secure and continuous capacity attendance is a key factor to longevity - but the on-ice product is so painful to watch at the moment. Never mind winning games, where is the compete level for 60 minutes? For season ticket holders and/or regular ticket purchasers, there is very little return on our 'investment' right now.
It's a sad indictment when the opposition fans are sarcastically chanting your most beloved and revered player's name as he heads for the penalty box for another Giants' power play and then Giants' fans start chucking a mini inflatable GOAT in the air! Funny yes, but Joey used to be untouchable.
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I get what Lordo is trying to do in so much as take any positives he can from it so it’s not all negative news. As is said don’t get to high. Don’t get to low. However I just don’t like the fact the locker room will have been the angriest place in the building tonight. Stop talking and start doing. No one is feeling sorry for you. They have to really hate losing to the point you are terrible losers and will beat up on the team that are beating you.
The offence are just not getting there noses dirty enough and are playing soft out on the perimeter at present thinking that’s enough. There was one net front scrum tonight. One in a game like that. Owen should have had a Devils logo in his face all third period and challenge the Giants to try and stop you. The puck pursuit was tactically terrible and lacked the speed to get to the D man in possession. Rebound pursuit was shocking due to lack of net front presence and hence they keep trying to over engineer shocks from distance.
The D have come under a lot of fire but the reality is further forward. Those forwards need to find some sandpaper in their game and stop being fairies out on the wings. Challenge the opposition physically to stop you getting to their cage as right now what they are offering is selfish self preservation stuff not I’m prepared to do what it takes to win.
The offence are just not getting there noses dirty enough and are playing soft out on the perimeter at present thinking that’s enough. There was one net front scrum tonight. One in a game like that. Owen should have had a Devils logo in his face all third period and challenge the Giants to try and stop you. The puck pursuit was tactically terrible and lacked the speed to get to the D man in possession. Rebound pursuit was shocking due to lack of net front presence and hence they keep trying to over engineer shocks from distance.
The D have come under a lot of fire but the reality is further forward. Those forwards need to find some sandpaper in their game and stop being fairies out on the wings. Challenge the opposition physically to stop you getting to their cage as right now what they are offering is selfish self preservation stuff not I’m prepared to do what it takes to win.
That Farnham looks like a great signing for Belfast. For his CV & PIM count he plays a disciplined game when on the ice (at least he did against us) and did not stop chipping away or chirping all weekend.
I heard someone in our block yesterday shout "where were you yesterday Farnham?! All talk!"
The answer to that question is he was busy scoring the overtime winner!
Still no concerns yet on the season for me, we are in the mix with all the other top teams whilst not firing at all.
Matty Myers has more goals than Linglet, Martin & Bentivoglio COMBINED.
These guys will find the back of the net eventually and things will start to click.
I've still never known a team lose a league title in November so absolutely no reason to panic or start gassing guys just yet.
Fans of all sports love a scapegoat, but the mediocre form runs through the team at the minute.
I'm never the 'positive' person when it comes to my own team but I for one still have faith that this group can get it done, no changes necessary.
I heard someone in our block yesterday shout "where were you yesterday Farnham?! All talk!"
The answer to that question is he was busy scoring the overtime winner!
Still no concerns yet on the season for me, we are in the mix with all the other top teams whilst not firing at all.
Matty Myers has more goals than Linglet, Martin & Bentivoglio COMBINED.
These guys will find the back of the net eventually and things will start to click.
I've still never known a team lose a league title in November so absolutely no reason to panic or start gassing guys just yet.
Fans of all sports love a scapegoat, but the mediocre form runs through the team at the minute.
I'm never the 'positive' person when it comes to my own team but I for one still have faith that this group can get it done, no changes necessary.
Well we are in the Qtr Finals of the Cup v Belfast that will be a pushover so roll on the semis.
In the league we are 4th.We are 3 pts behind Sheffield with 3 games in hand,also close behind Clan etc so not the end of the world.
Sheffield play Belfast wednesday,we play Sheffield Saturday and Clan Sunday.
Win these and we will be on our way.
Hang on though do all our players want success or just the usual group?
Our players are being ridiculed by our opponents they are being laughed at by their players and fans.
They leave the ice smiling and joking to accept the adulation of the fans dont they understand.
Watch the interviews they are more or less the same "Devils are a great team tough to play and this is a tough arena to come too "more of the same.
Then they walk off with the points.
In the league we are 4th.We are 3 pts behind Sheffield with 3 games in hand,also close behind Clan etc so not the end of the world.
Sheffield play Belfast wednesday,we play Sheffield Saturday and Clan Sunday.
Win these and we will be on our way.
Hang on though do all our players want success or just the usual group?
Our players are being ridiculed by our opponents they are being laughed at by their players and fans.
They leave the ice smiling and joking to accept the adulation of the fans dont they understand.
Watch the interviews they are more or less the same "Devils are a great team tough to play and this is a tough arena to come too "more of the same.
Then they walk off with the points.
Wasn’t at the game as I will not pay for sub standard effort and reading all the posts it seems to echo what I have been saying for many many weeks. We are a shadow of the teams of the past few seasons, and I won’t waste good money on sub standard performances. Lord has some huge decisions to make and turn the team around. The players he has chosen are just not ‘clicking’ and whilst we can’t win the league at this stage, we are certainly going the right way about not being able to compete at our usual level.
As you’ve alluded to and also Wagstaff and a few others mentioned yesterday a few of our forwards are in terrible nick. It’s crazy that after 17 games Linglet, Martin and Bentivoglio all have 1 goal. I appreciate Martin and Bentivoglio haven’t played in all 17 games but it’s still an incredible stat. I don’t think any of us have any doubts that Martin will come good, that injury has clearly effected him. I’m slightly more concerned about the other two tho. Don’t get me wrong their stats will improve but will they improve to the numbers required for us to mount a challenge? I wouldn’t say I’m 100% confident. You would also assume that Riley and Mcnamee would expect to be on more than 4 goals at the moment. Like Martin they’ve both had their injuries so I’d expect their numbers to improve, especially Mcnamee. He was arguably our best player before his injury
I honestly do not see any improvement without change. I hate to see players let go but Keefe has just proved it works and gets a rocket up the backside of the underperformers.
We needed an Andrew Lord on the ice this weekend or a Justin Faryna...why because they show how much they cared when they were on the ice. They were game changers.
Why Lordo hasn't signed a couple of players that resembled himself is quite frankly beyond me. I honestly can't make sense of it.
We can't cheer and support our way out of this I'm afraid. It has gone on too long now showing no light at the end of the tunnel.
We needed an Andrew Lord on the ice this weekend or a Justin Faryna...why because they show how much they cared when they were on the ice. They were game changers.
Why Lordo hasn't signed a couple of players that resembled himself is quite frankly beyond me. I honestly can't make sense of it.
We can't cheer and support our way out of this I'm afraid. It has gone on too long now showing no light at the end of the tunnel.
Our off season recruitment wasn’t good enough. We’re still too old and I’m afraid to say many of our players are lacking the work rate, passion, hunger and desire that is expected of a Devils team. Our misfiring forwards were bailed out by the additional signing of Sointu in the CHL campaign and early season and defensively we’ve been a shambles and had to sign Morrisonn to try to shore things up at the back end. Unlike Temme, I think changes are absolutely needed as I have no belief that this team has the bottle to turn things around. Regardless of what happens from now until season end, I think we have to reset in the summer, and sign a much younger, faster and hungrier team, who are prepared to battle in the trenches for eachother. This team is too comfortable.
We have 1 player in the top 20 points table, Joey Haddad, and 2 in the top 40 points table and they are both DMen. In 17 league games we are basically per game 3 goals for, and 3 goals against, those are certainly not stats that thrill you. We show plenty of effort, but very little direction, and lots of sloppy play, we are most certainly in a rut at the moment, this team certainly confuses the hell out of me.
The thing is that I imagine they'll probably come out all guns blazing in the next match to try to prove themselves. But then it'll just return to the same pattern. We don't know what's going on behind closed doors, but the buck does stop with lordo. He either has to fix the problems or deal with the consequences. I once remember John lawless commenting on releasing Perry Olivier as one of the hardest things he had to do, but that tough choice was arguable the making of the club. Changing players may or may not be the answer here, but making the hard decisions is what defines a leader.