Only one line can score ;)
- Thread starter Hynod
- Start date
This is a testament to good off-season recruitment and, luckily for the team, all 3 forward lines gelling well. It's fantastic to have strong forward lines - the Michel/McCrae/Smith formula working overtime last night!
As the irreplaceable :twisted: Corey Neilson said in an interview earlier this season ' we (the Panthers) looked at signing Pelle, but went elsewhere in the end". DOH! :roll: Hopefully because Jon had already chosen to sign for the Devils.
As the irreplaceable :twisted: Corey Neilson said in an interview earlier this season ' we (the Panthers) looked at signing Pelle, but went elsewhere in the end". DOH! :roll: Hopefully because Jon had already chosen to sign for the Devils.
ASHIPP said:
This is a testament to good off-season recruitment and, luckily for the team, all 3 forward lines gelling well. It's fantastic to have strong forward lines - the Michel/McCrae/Smith formula working overtime last night!
As the irreplaceable :twisted: Corey Neilson said in an interview earlier this season ' we (the Panthers) looked at signing Pelle, but went elsewhere in the end". DOH! :roll: Hopefully because Jon had already chosen to sign for the Devils.
As the irreplaceable :twisted: Corey Neilson said in an interview earlier this season ' we (the Panthers) looked at signing Pelle, but went elsewhere in the end". DOH! :roll: Hopefully because Jon had already chosen to sign for the Devils.
ASHIPP. Won't argue with the good off season recruitment from a forward perspective ( despite the fact that Matzka was like the invisible man last night ) but sorry, we bably need to bring in a better D than anyone I saw last night. I'm still unhappy with the Voth fiasco, it looks like we will have been without him for way too long without bringing in someone, and that someone should have been a new D man. If Symonds is going to get little or no ice time against the big teams we can't rely on our present set up.
Thanks for that Wannabe2, I really feel a good additional D man will be the spark for us to compete at the highest level in the league having seen most of the opposition. I'm hoping that means you know something I don't and it sounds interesting. Also, I think that may also mean you agree with me on the D set up situation?
I dont know anything you dont mate, but its what i would do under the circumstances. We dont have a problem scoring, its looking very good there we all agree, but we need to sort the D everyone knows that, and i for one think that the coach will address this soon, as he is the professional and has signed some very good players, we are so so close to being the real deal we can actually smell it, its gotta be around the corner. There are a few big spending clubs in this league, clubs with big attendances, and we aint one of them, so we have to be cleverer and shrewder to compete with them, and we are so close, its almost there to taking the lot of them.
Quote '' but we need to sort out the D everyone knows that, etc '' yes the coach is a professional (stating the obvious) but we could all see we needed to strengthen the D weeks ago and what have we done, zilch.( no he's not a new East European!) If we sign a new D soon (maybe not even) I will wonder why we couldn't have done it when Voths injury was known. Anyway, I agree we can score goals, but our D overall is below par and that's just not good enough for consistency in the long term. Personally I won't be happy to see another season drift by where we 'nearly' got it right, and then have to listen to the rhetoric about the 3 year plan and lets give them another chance etc. Sign someone decent on the D now I say, and I still think we can give the league a good go, if not, mid table once again.
Osh - agreed. The forwards are doing a fantastic job (the lines have really gelled well)......but they are working themselves to death at times trying to ensure the Devils are ahead in the game, only for all that hard work to be undone at the other end, often by conceding 'soft goals'. A vicious circle - puts even more pressure on the forwards.
Some of the players looked exhausted after an amazing game at Belfast - the game against Dundee was played at a slower pace. But what is frustrating is that, whilst The Devils were probably destined to win that game anyway, Stevie/defence weren't really tested by the Stars.....but still managed to concede two goals including a SHORT-HANDED GOAL! I'm afraid it is obvious that more work needs to be done on the pk and the road game formula. Whilst the Club never said the Devils were going to win the title this year, maybe even a top 4 place is looking like a distant dream. :?
The chances lie with the Challenge Cup and Playoffs. But without proper cover and a stronger defence it may be difficult. Who once said ' a good offence win games, a good defence wins trophies'? We're only playing Coventry Blaze home and away in the Challenge Cup this weekend........... :shock:
Some of the players looked exhausted after an amazing game at Belfast - the game against Dundee was played at a slower pace. But what is frustrating is that, whilst The Devils were probably destined to win that game anyway, Stevie/defence weren't really tested by the Stars.....but still managed to concede two goals including a SHORT-HANDED GOAL! I'm afraid it is obvious that more work needs to be done on the pk and the road game formula. Whilst the Club never said the Devils were going to win the title this year, maybe even a top 4 place is looking like a distant dream. :?
The chances lie with the Challenge Cup and Playoffs. But without proper cover and a stronger defence it may be difficult. Who once said ' a good offence win games, a good defence wins trophies'? We're only playing Coventry Blaze home and away in the Challenge Cup this weekend........... :shock:
If you watch the Belfast highlights DC mentions they singled out that we only had 3 proper D (I assume G got discounted as a forward playing D and they knew Symmo would be limited on the ice) and pushed and pushed and worked the D. It's why we collapsed to 3 goals in the last 8 mins. Although we will have Sawyer back this weekend, teams are clearly targeting the D knowing we don't have the depth there.
ASHIPP and James. Very good posts imo. Interesting to see what DC said about our D. Ok we've got Sawyer back this weekend, Symonds won't get any ice time of worth, our other D men do not have the physicality needed to intimidate the opposition ( can't remember a hit from any of them this season that made me think ' Wow, that forward will be worried about our D man hitting him again') The point being, we will score goals for sure, we will leak goals for sure, percentage wise our offense is more impressive than our D, we need to strengthen the D simple as that. If we don't have the finances to do it then fair enough, we just have to accept our lot with what we've got OR maybe gas Symo ( very little contribution at the moment ) and another D and then bring in the type of D we need to achieve something. Is G brave enough or does he have the savvy to do so, I think not unfortunately (hope I'm wrong)
Osh's point about the 'intimidation' factor is a key one. The intimidation factor is definitely considerably less than last year. It may be just my observation, but the defence certainly seem to play with more confidence when Sawyer is available and on the ice - he is the most solid and consistent dman so far. G usually plays a superb neat game, particularly regarding interception, blocking, holding and recycling the puck quickly. But I always hold my breath when either are off the ice, not confident that the defence can stem the flow of opposition forwards.
Last year, those towering pillars of Jarvis and Hartwick, ensured that more often than not, opposition players were kept to the outside lines or found it difficult in our zone to hold on to the puck. J and H didn't need to body check frequently - their size,strength and skill alone was enough! Only need to look at Belfast's defence this year to see how that works.
Last year, those towering pillars of Jarvis and Hartwick, ensured that more often than not, opposition players were kept to the outside lines or found it difficult in our zone to hold on to the puck. J and H didn't need to body check frequently - their size,strength and skill alone was enough! Only need to look at Belfast's defence this year to see how that works.
Be a very brave decision to do that, however it could also be a masterstroke.
We definitely need to do something to shore up the D and a big guy in the Hartwick type mode seems the obvious answer.
My gut feeling would be that we'll get another big D man but we'll have to wait a few months until the finances can stand it. Unfortunately by then any thoughts of challenging in the league will more than likely be gone.
We definitely need to do something to shore up the D and a big guy in the Hartwick type mode seems the obvious answer.
My gut feeling would be that we'll get another big D man but we'll have to wait a few months until the finances can stand it. Unfortunately by then any thoughts of challenging in the league will more than likely be gone.
Our real chances are with the CC and playoffs - this weekend double is crucial against a miraculously on-form Blaze to secure a good qualifying position . :shock:
The gruelling schedule of 6 matches in 9 days at the end of the month will possibly give an indication where the team might finish in the league. :? If it's bad news, it may be too late by then to do anything. At the rate that Giants are breaking away and the other top 2 position teams are performing now, it would be very lateral thinking to imagine a top 4 finish for the Devils!
The gruelling schedule of 6 matches in 9 days at the end of the month will possibly give an indication where the team might finish in the league. :? If it's bad news, it may be too late by then to do anything. At the rate that Giants are breaking away and the other top 2 position teams are performing now, it would be very lateral thinking to imagine a top 4 finish for the Devils!