Devils Vs Panthers - League - 5th Feb 23 - 18:00 FO
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Panthers did nothing last night to prove they were worthy of the win other than score two short handed goals. They are a poor team who have recently been pushing other teams to the end or into o/t.
To give up two short handed goals guaranteed that the Devils deserved to lose that game. We are a rollercoaster team that can pull out great performances....and then nullify that hard work with a poor performance the following night.
The failure to be successfully proactive before the transfer deadline about the injury situation (Coughler and Jardine were already known to be LTR) will hurt them. Other teams serious about achieving something have taken early affirmative action (Giants, Steelers)
They will struggle with a currently weak d corps, and a forward pack where only one line is firing.
It's last season all over again.
To give up two short handed goals guaranteed that the Devils deserved to lose that game. We are a rollercoaster team that can pull out great performances....and then nullify that hard work with a poor performance the following night.
The failure to be successfully proactive before the transfer deadline about the injury situation (Coughler and Jardine were already known to be LTR) will hurt them. Other teams serious about achieving something have taken early affirmative action (Giants, Steelers)
They will struggle with a currently weak d corps, and a forward pack where only one line is firing.
It's last season all over again.
Defensively our confidence is completely shot at the moment. To be fair for the majority of January our defence was quite solid (we conceded 2 goals or fewer in most games) but it's been a bit of a mess in the last few games. Looking back it's probably the loss up in Glasgow that started this current slide. Thompson and Crawford both made huge individual errors that evening and they've looked very nervy since then. I agree with other people when they say they don't see us winning any silverware if we're relying on these 5 Dmen for the remainder of the season but i don't think Thompson/Crawford are as bad defensively as we are seeing at the moment. Let's hope this mini break does something for them.
Tough night for Bownsy as well. I've had his back all season but i think he will be disappointed with last night. I thought re-signing Ben was the wrong call but i think he's been harshly treated by some fans at times. For example i thought Kozun was weak on the first two Coventry goals Saturday evening and hardly anything was said, If that was Ben we would have seen a lot of criticism on here.
Going back to last night though i think he would want 3 of those goals back. Clearly it must be difficult playing behind our current D corps but i still think you need your goalie to be stronger on most of those goals last night.
Tough night for Bownsy as well. I've had his back all season but i think he will be disappointed with last night. I thought re-signing Ben was the wrong call but i think he's been harshly treated by some fans at times. For example i thought Kozun was weak on the first two Coventry goals Saturday evening and hardly anything was said, If that was Ben we would have seen a lot of criticism on here.
Going back to last night though i think he would want 3 of those goals back. Clearly it must be difficult playing behind our current D corps but i still think you need your goalie to be stronger on most of those goals last night.
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At the end of the day the most consistent team will win the league, and we are most certainly not consistent, far from it. Still plenty of hockey to play, still plenty of rollercoaster rides to take, still plenty of ups and downs to come. Can’t see any newbies coming in it seems a bit too late for that in my humble opinion, also I can’t see Coughler and Jardine returning but I haven’t been told that, it’s just a lousy feeling I have.
Tough one to watch last night with some obvious limitations of our team on display.
For me it’s the weekend that the league got away from us…I think Sanford snapping his stick over his knee at the end of the game summed up all of our frustrations.
I never thought bringing Bowns back was the correct thing to do and he showed that last night. Clearly lacking in confidence and him not wanting to leave the comfort of his crease to play the puck with purpose put the D under the pump and led to the first short handed goal. Out of position a few times and clearly doesn’t track the puck as well as top net minders. His reaction to the OT goal was very poor, completely looses the puck but freezes and does even go looking for it.
D - I’m not sure what the organisation see that we don’t. Putting far to much trust in Thompson & Crawford who is previous years would be getting far less ice time.
Richie is solid. Batch had been very disappointing for months. Louis is hardly getting any ice time and doesn’t get the opportunity to do much when he is on.
I’ll give Todd etc the benefit of the doubt that there isn’t anyone to bring in to replace Jardine, if there was I’m sure they’d be playing by now.
F - Not sure any of the 4th line can be called out for not putting the effort in or the ‘limits’ of their skills especially when Penny, Reid, Cranford, Brittain etc aren’t offering much and no doubt coming at s much larger cost.
I can’t see Cox or Sanford being here next season, their agents phone must be ringing off the hook!
For me it’s the weekend that the league got away from us…I think Sanford snapping his stick over his knee at the end of the game summed up all of our frustrations.
I never thought bringing Bowns back was the correct thing to do and he showed that last night. Clearly lacking in confidence and him not wanting to leave the comfort of his crease to play the puck with purpose put the D under the pump and led to the first short handed goal. Out of position a few times and clearly doesn’t track the puck as well as top net minders. His reaction to the OT goal was very poor, completely looses the puck but freezes and does even go looking for it.
D - I’m not sure what the organisation see that we don’t. Putting far to much trust in Thompson & Crawford who is previous years would be getting far less ice time.
Richie is solid. Batch had been very disappointing for months. Louis is hardly getting any ice time and doesn’t get the opportunity to do much when he is on.
I’ll give Todd etc the benefit of the doubt that there isn’t anyone to bring in to replace Jardine, if there was I’m sure they’d be playing by now.
F - Not sure any of the 4th line can be called out for not putting the effort in or the ‘limits’ of their skills especially when Penny, Reid, Cranford, Brittain etc aren’t offering much and no doubt coming at s much larger cost.
I can’t see Cox or Sanford being here next season, their agents phone must be ringing off the hook!
Last night performance was a huge upgrade on Saturdays fiasco, we actually showed up last night, against 19 cardboard cut outs would have performed better against the Blaze. Also I don’t think I have ever watched a game in all my years that we have rattled the metalwork so many times, thought 2 of the goals against us were weird horrible goals, one of the blocker that could have gone anywhere, and the one that Bownsy hadn’t a clue where the puck was. The game itself had some entertaining parts, especially after Saturday, but we are certainly a 3rd placed team, and we are where we should be, we will still have good nights and most certainly have dire ones. I just hope next seasons team will be one to jump up and down about, too many passengers unfortunately in this one, being carried by the few that deserve to wear the shirt.
