Devils Vs Manchester Storm - Sun 24 Sep 2017 - League - Chat/Updates

kettdevil1

kettdevil1

Well-Known Member
#41
#41
Josh Williamson said:
I don’t get why people are comparing last yrs achievements, as if those insure some indemnity against losses this year. It took so long to achieve, it does not guarantee future success, in fact in many sports, players and teams peak and slump almost immediately.


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To quote Yogi Berra it feels like deja vu all over again..... the same conversations were taking place last September and I guess the point is that it is how we react that matters.... last year we reacted very well and my hope is the same things happen this year. As you say, last year does not create indemnity but it does create expectations....
 
K

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
#42
#42
This team has now played 14 (fourteen) games. Still zero chemistry on the lines.

Another 6 games (MAXIMUM) for a number of them then they need to be shipped out.
 
Wannabe2

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#43
#43
august04 said:
I don’t think fans are overreacting. That was an inept, clueless and gutless display from the Devils against a Storm team that are no great shakes, last night wasn’t much better either. Forget being a faster team this year, that’s just not evident at all. Forget team toughness, we don’t have that, despite some claiming that in abundance. More worryingly, there is no spirit in this team which pains me, and one or two players need to be shipped out immediately and several more need to have a long, hard look at themselves because the fans are being shortchanged and taken for fools here. The first time I saw Reddick play, it was clear to me that he was not up to the standard of playing for a title challenging team in this league. I have seen nothing since then to make me change my mind. He should not be in this league, never mind playing for the Devils. Defensively appalling, constantly out of position, brushed off by opponents far too easily, weak in the corners, poor distribution etc etc. Lord said his signing might surprise a few people. Well, it’s no surprise and not funny anymore frankly. I’m actually starting to feel sorry for the guy because he is so far out of his depth, it’s untrue. He needs to go immediately. So many others had poor weekends. Paris isn’t living up to the hype, Crowder isn’t doing it for me, Morrissette looks like it’s one season too many sadly, Ulmer slow starting again (don’t worry though, we just have to wait until after Christmas for him to start playing). Even Faryna, who I used to love watching play for Dundee, looks a shadow of his former self. What’s going on?
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So so difficult to argue with this, don't want to agree, but it really says it all. We are so poor at the moment.
 
august04

august04

Well-Known Member
#45
#45
kettdevil1 said:
Without wanting to be too smart arsey about this (I am genuinely interested in the answer...).... how do you explain beating Nottingham, Sheffield and Davos? surely we can't be that bad?
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Well, I remember getting thrashed 10-1 by Davos too and we played a much simpler, more defensive game in the return when we beat them and played very well. That defensive style of hockey when we beat them at home is understandable against a team like that but I suspect wouldn’t be acceptable week in week out against inferior teams in the EIHL. Nottingham outplayed us for large periods in that game last week and I felt Bowns kept us in it during the first period. I didn’t see the Sheffield game and not seen them at all this season, so difficult to comment on them so far. And don’t forget the recent Guildford debacle either. Mind you, you don’t rate Scott Hotham apparently, so I might struggle to explain my thoughts clearly enough.
 
O

Outsider

Active Member
#46
#46
Take a deep breathe people. Certainly a tough stretch and i'm sure no one involved is happy. You don't make changes yet when you're at your worst, and it's still too early but certain things need changing before you change personal . The work ethic is non existent, no compete levels, no players winning one on one battles, no player paying the price, no player taking a hit to make a play . Each player needs to look at themselves in the mirror . And the coaching staff need to start making some better in game decisions as well. Case in point, with 18 seconds left in the first period and the face off in the offensive zone, you don't take off the league MVP and leagues best defenceman off. As well, why wasn't Joey Martin on the ice the last 18 seconds of the first period ? Would it have made a difference, don't know but the point is the coaching staff need to start making better decisions on who plays when and where. Find your top 4 dmen that can kill penalties and your top 4 dmen that can be on the pp and play them as such. Same on the forwards. They been giving guys the opportunity to play in certain situations and it's clear that some can't handle them right now. That might change but it's time to start to tighten up the minutes. But when it's all said and done, it's up to the players to start playing with passion, commitment and a work ethic that's needed to compete and win in this league
 
kettdevil1

kettdevil1

Well-Known Member
#47
#47
august04 said:
Well, I remember getting thrashed 10-1 by Davos too and we played a much simpler, more defensive game in the return when we beat them and played very well. That defensive style of hockey when we beat them at home is understandable against a team like that but I suspect wouldn’t be acceptable week in week out against inferior teams in the EIHL. Nottingham outplayed us for large periods in that game last week and I felt Bowns kept us in it during the first period. I didn’t see the Sheffield game and not seen them at all this season, so difficult to comment on them so far. And don’t forget the recent Guildford debacle either. Mind you, you don’t rate Scott Hotham apparently, so I might struggle to explain my thoughts clearly enough.
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Thank you, interesting thoughts. I disagree with the Nottingham analysis (I thought we played a good 'rope a dope' game and used their strength against them) but I agree with the Davos assessment. I suspect a key to a more offensive approach is to create space by adopting an overtly physical approach for a few games.... which is what we did last year when we were in a slump.

And Scott Hoth.... seriously? Not a bad D Man at all but he seems to be talked about retrospectively as the second coming when I really didn't see it....
 
august04

august04

Well-Known Member
#48
#48
kettdevil1 said:
And Scott Hoth.... seriously? Not a bad D Man at all but he seems to be talked about retrospectively as the second coming when I really didn't see it....
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Ah, the good old rope a dope theory. Always a belter to use when you’ve won a game despite being under the cosh for large periods!
And Scott Hotham is/was head and shoulders above bloody Bryce Reddick!
 
S

smartie89

New Member
#49
#49
Wasn't there tonight (thank God), but we haven't been a defensively good team for a while. We've always relied on offense and we've always produced.....until now. I don't think Batch up front is a good idea. I don't think we are a very quick team atm (but things can improve). Defensively the whole team seems to get caught on the break far too often and appears to have a *shrug* goalies job approach. We seem to lack a lot of physicality which Bordy definately had (and I enjoyed); but one man can only add so much.....
Just a few thoughts there, apologies if I don't make much sense. I've got awful Spanish sunburn. Terrible.

Edit - I agree with 3/4 players not being up to the task atm. I won't mention names, you can read other people's posts for that.....but Crowder has been far too slow (both in skating and ability). No names? My bad.
 
T

terry hunt

Well-Known Member
#50
#50
After watching that embarassing performance imagine what our owners must think and feel.I am sure they are experienced enough to work out what the problems are.
I am no happy clapper but surprising as it may seem the Devils are 8th in the EIHL table but only 4 pts behind top place.Based on current tables on the EIHL website.
We are joint top of our conference and joint 2nd of our cup group but fewer games left to qualify.
Its all still to play for assuming we know how to solve the problems.
 
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BostonBart22

Well-Known Member
#51
#51
Not sure who to blame tonight because their are to many to blame, after watching the shite at mk last night i thought the coaching staff may have got the players up for tonights game but NO, lord played but looked well below par imo, what the hell does this jamie do on the bench, just stand there doing f.all about the performance, I watched the game at mk last night , they were 4..2 up and pete russell was fuming at his players over something and what does he do give them a bollocking from the bench, what do ours do, just stand there with there arms folded, thats what happened tonight , tbh i think the coaching staff have lost the changing room for some reason, something has happened behind the scenes imo.
 
B

bb1

Well-Known Member
#52
#52
'You don't realise what you had until it's gone' seems to be the message here.

I was always a huge Bordy fan and as much as I love our ownership I was disappointed to hear him being talked about like he brought nothing. He didn't fight because there was no need to, but he brought way more than than in his intimidation, PK, creation of space for players and got the crowd going with his physicality....oh and played a big part in what was nearly a GRAND SLAM. Man we missed that type of presence this weekend.

With this current team there are no excuses for our losses after a full preseason of great competition.

Our losses we conceded 19 and scored 5!!!!! That's with Bowns and Murdy doing very little wrong. I don't like calling players out but we can't carry Ulmer until he decides to show up after Xmas like he did last season. Mo has gone a season too long despite him being a superb Devil on the ice for us. Crowder I thought was proving me wrong after Panthers game but this weekend he's shocking. Plenty of others not showing up either but I find it hard to see how we can induce a spark when we don't have the type of players capable to do it.

I hope Lord and the guys can prove us wrong but this is the most concerned I've been about a Devils team in a long time. I no longer have a buzz about going to games ATM and I hope our lack of spark and current form doesn't effect our crowd attendances.
 
solelace84

solelace84

Active Member
#54
#54
The guys look sluggish and uninterested. They barely look like they're trying. I noticed that the arena hasn't been as busy as usual the last few games.... if they want it to be half full every weekend, they should continue putting that s**tshow on the ice every weekend...


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bb1

Well-Known Member
#56
#56
kettdevil1 said:
Hallelujah!
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You need characters to help change a game and we've had 3 where we couldn't....plus we were physically dominated by Panthers.

Sheffield fans will give anything to get Desbiens back now because he was their spark plug plus wouldn't have sat around watching Fretter getting his head pummelled.
 
kettdevil1

kettdevil1

Well-Known Member
#57
#57
bb1 said:
You need characters to help change a game and we've had 3 where we couldn't....plus we were physically dominated by Panthers.

Sheffield fans will give anything to get Desbiens back now because he was their spark plug plus wouldn't have sat around watching Fretter getting his head pummelled.
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True, but there seems to be a lot of Stalinesque revision regarding Bordy.... bar Ulmer was there a player more piloried last year than him?

And stating the obvious, we beat Nottingham so it doesn't always work.

Agree about Dessie though
 
Kal

Kal

Active Member
#58
#58
Lack of Bordy isn't the issue here we have the players to make big hits or have fights they're just not doing it. There isn't any passion or compete for whatever reason.
 
B

bb1

Well-Known Member
#59
#59
kettdevil1 said:
True, but there seems to be a lot of Stalinesque revision regarding Bordy.... bar Ulmer was there a player more piloried last year than him?

And stating the obvious, we beat Nottingham so it doesn't always work.

Agree about Dessie though
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People hated Bordy because he only had 2 fights.

So tell me this....why was it we led league and had 43 fights in 2015-16 won absolutely nothing.

2016-2017 League has 2 top NHL enforcers in Bordeleau and Mcgrattan and fight totals drop.

Devils fights for season drop to total of 17, nobody took liberties against us, guys played without fear ohhhh and we nearly win Grand Slam! You say Bordy and Hotham had nothing to do with wins and the way we came back in games such as Coventry amongst others. Bordy wasn't hear to pick fights and take dumb penalties he was an 'insurance policy' that gave guys freedom to play without fear. You say he did nothing is way off the mark I'm afraid. He did exactly what Janssen did which helped Panthers win CC and POFW. Tormented D men hit hard. You don't play in the show like those guys if you bring nothing!
 
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