Panthers Vs Devils - League - 19th Mar 25 - FO 19:30
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Who knows which Devils' team will turn up. Their record in that place is historically abysmal. Panthers are right in the chase with Steelers trying to close that gap on the Giants. Good to see a resurgent Panthers this year under Danny Stewart's coaching. Good luck to them.
For us down here, it's another another game, sadly, where expectations will be set low again for a good result. The fact it's midweek just ramps up the likelihood of disappointment.
For us down here, it's another another game, sadly, where expectations will be set low again for a good result. The fact it's midweek just ramps up the likelihood of disappointment.
The Devils arrive in Nottingham (hopefully on time) for the last time this season (unless they make it the POFW) having lost their last 3 games there (2-3, 1-3, 1-3). Devils last win against the Panthers in Nottingham was on 2nd March 2024, so a win tomorrow would be their first there in 382 days. That win was also the last win Devils had in an away against an ‘arena team’.
Cardiff’s ‘curse’ in Nottingham is well reported, but more recently in the last 12 matches Cardiff have played against Nottingham in Nottingham (since the COVID shutdown) Devils are 2-10-0 having scored 29 goals but conceded 44 (averaging 2.42 goals scored per game to Panthers 3.67).
Nottingham also have the edge in the season’s overall head-to-head record at the moment with 4 wins to Devils 3.
But focussing now on only the games in Nottingham this seaosn, Brett Perlini leads the goal scoring this season with 2 goals. In a slightly strange stat, Mark Richardson leads the Devils shots on goal totals (tied on 10 SoG with Reid Duke). Neither have scored there this season though.
Devils average 6.67 PiMS per game. Despite the Devils overall being -11 in the +/- scoring, Jarrod Gourley leads the team with +3. Only he and Andrew MacWilliam (+2) are in positive figures at the Motorpoint.
On face-offs Devils are 101-90 ahead. Andrew MacWilliam leads on blocked shots with 6. Gleason Fournier has played most minutes there with an average 22 mins 8 second on ice each game. We’ve actually out-shot Panthers in Nottingham so far with 93 – 82 but Panthers have had stronger 1st periods (having one two and drawn one of them) and seemingly taken control of the games form there. Once behind, Devils have never got back into the lead in these 3 games, and Devils only lead of the series lasted just 7 minutes 31 seconds before Nottingham equalised.
Only Ben Bowns has been in goal for Cardiff in Nottingham this season. In his three losses, he has faced 81 shots and saved 73 of them (90.12%). We’ve played with an empty net there for 5 mins 27 secs in total and Panthers have scored 1 goal into our empty net.
With the special teams in the series in Nottingham, each of our 10 minor penalties has produced a powerplay for Nottingham. They have scored on three of them so our PK there so far this year has been 70%. We’ve only had 6 PP opportunities and haven’t yet converted one. But recent special teams’ performances for the teams differs a fair bit. Over their last 5 games, Devils PP success is at 33.33% whereas Nottingham’s is only 15%. But Devils PK rate has been 73.68% compared with Nottingham’s 81.82%.
Nottingham are 3 points behind Belfast in the league standings, having played a game more than the Giants so realistically Panthers probably need to win every game from here on in to win the league and hope for some favours from other teams, but they’ll no doubt be going hard at is for the victory to keep their league title hopes alive. On the other hand, if Cardiff do get a rare win in Nottingham, and with the Panthers still having to face the in-form Glasgow and two more games against Belfast, Devils can keep alive their seemingly slim chances of finishing third in the league (and maybe avoiding the charging Glasgow Clan in the play-off quarter finals).
Finally, currently 5 more points for the Devils guarantees them at least a 4th place finish in the league and gaining home advantage for the PO quarter finals. If Nottingham win tomorrow they then only need 4 more points after that to stop Cardiff finishing 3rd.
Cardiff’s ‘curse’ in Nottingham is well reported, but more recently in the last 12 matches Cardiff have played against Nottingham in Nottingham (since the COVID shutdown) Devils are 2-10-0 having scored 29 goals but conceded 44 (averaging 2.42 goals scored per game to Panthers 3.67).
Nottingham also have the edge in the season’s overall head-to-head record at the moment with 4 wins to Devils 3.
But focussing now on only the games in Nottingham this seaosn, Brett Perlini leads the goal scoring this season with 2 goals. In a slightly strange stat, Mark Richardson leads the Devils shots on goal totals (tied on 10 SoG with Reid Duke). Neither have scored there this season though.
Devils average 6.67 PiMS per game. Despite the Devils overall being -11 in the +/- scoring, Jarrod Gourley leads the team with +3. Only he and Andrew MacWilliam (+2) are in positive figures at the Motorpoint.
On face-offs Devils are 101-90 ahead. Andrew MacWilliam leads on blocked shots with 6. Gleason Fournier has played most minutes there with an average 22 mins 8 second on ice each game. We’ve actually out-shot Panthers in Nottingham so far with 93 – 82 but Panthers have had stronger 1st periods (having one two and drawn one of them) and seemingly taken control of the games form there. Once behind, Devils have never got back into the lead in these 3 games, and Devils only lead of the series lasted just 7 minutes 31 seconds before Nottingham equalised.
Only Ben Bowns has been in goal for Cardiff in Nottingham this season. In his three losses, he has faced 81 shots and saved 73 of them (90.12%). We’ve played with an empty net there for 5 mins 27 secs in total and Panthers have scored 1 goal into our empty net.
With the special teams in the series in Nottingham, each of our 10 minor penalties has produced a powerplay for Nottingham. They have scored on three of them so our PK there so far this year has been 70%. We’ve only had 6 PP opportunities and haven’t yet converted one. But recent special teams’ performances for the teams differs a fair bit. Over their last 5 games, Devils PP success is at 33.33% whereas Nottingham’s is only 15%. But Devils PK rate has been 73.68% compared with Nottingham’s 81.82%.
Nottingham are 3 points behind Belfast in the league standings, having played a game more than the Giants so realistically Panthers probably need to win every game from here on in to win the league and hope for some favours from other teams, but they’ll no doubt be going hard at is for the victory to keep their league title hopes alive. On the other hand, if Cardiff do get a rare win in Nottingham, and with the Panthers still having to face the in-form Glasgow and two more games against Belfast, Devils can keep alive their seemingly slim chances of finishing third in the league (and maybe avoiding the charging Glasgow Clan in the play-off quarter finals).
Finally, currently 5 more points for the Devils guarantees them at least a 4th place finish in the league and gaining home advantage for the PO quarter finals. If Nottingham win tomorrow they then only need 4 more points after that to stop Cardiff finishing 3rd.
got to give Nottingham credit they are having a good second half of a season. somebody was saying about age of the devils team on a different post , looking at the rosters , Nottingham have only 3 players over 30 and 11 players under 26 Cardiff have 12 players over 30 and 7 under 26 ,makes you think?
I take your point Doron and when you factor in the chronic injury problems, (usually missing 6or 7 players)
and the resulting increase in the 'time on ice' (TOI) of the remaining players it’s little wonder that our 'aging' roster fell away badly late in games and in the season in general.
Unfortunately I don’t have the relevant information to call upon but it would be very interesting to see the TOI for our remaining fit players over the matches when we were struggling for bodies (most of the season) and clearly 'overplaying' certain key individuals.
However like you intimate, could the effect of the injury crisis been mitigated somewhat with a more favourable balance of younger players??
and the resulting increase in the 'time on ice' (TOI) of the remaining players it’s little wonder that our 'aging' roster fell away badly late in games and in the season in general.
Unfortunately I don’t have the relevant information to call upon but it would be very interesting to see the TOI for our remaining fit players over the matches when we were struggling for bodies (most of the season) and clearly 'overplaying' certain key individuals.
However like you intimate, could the effect of the injury crisis been mitigated somewhat with a more favourable balance of younger players??
