Weakest link

[Huskie442]

Totally agree that the discipline is an issue, I dont think Lyle is the best goalie in the league, but he has spent a lot of time on the PK. Where I disagree is about the refereeing...not that it isnt really horrible, it is, but everyone is suffering it not just us, so it should balance out.

I think it is too easy to blame Lyle too though, I dont think he is the best goalie in the league, but I still like our decision to have him in net, he may link the odd cheap goal, but he is a winner, almost everywhere he has gone he has got trophies, 2 of the last year in this league.
I believe we have used the flexibility and the extra Import that Stevie allows us well, by creating a 3rd line that can include Adams and Michel. Remember, replace Stevie and you most likely lose one of these.

last year we had a top import goalie, a very tight defence, but no goals up front, now we are scoring goals from all over the ice but we are leaking goals too.

But..... So far this year we have also had hardly any training time and hardly any games at full strength. When we have the full team out there, the goal production should be even higher, the goals against should go down and we should have a very exciting brand of Hockey.

So, weak links on the ice. I dont think we have any.

 

[samidevils]

hope the fan doesn't mind but a fan on steeltalk said this:

"If it wasn't for the goaltender the first period could have seen 4 or 5 goals from the Steelers."

 

[DevilDan]

Let the team gel together a bit more, then we'll see.

So far no immediate worries. Its not like we've got cugnet back between the pipes...

It's not that bad, we havent been beaten by a d man icing the puck yet!

I still cringe about that! The atmosphere in the block was one of "oh great thanks, and in front of everyones fans to.. nice one jason"


As for Lyle, if he's getting left on all of these 2-1 and 3-1 breakaways and thats where the majority of goals light the lamp, then maybe what we are missing is a stay at home d man, when Stone returns we'll see if Lyles stats improve. Any news on when hes planning to be back? I've probably read somewhere, but its early.

 

[Gaz G]

I say, give it time. Simple as that. If we can score 3 goals in most games, we will win them when the players get acclimatised to playing with each other and acclimatised to the levels of officiating things will click and we will be flying.
It was only a couple of seasons ago when everyone wanted to gas deschatelets, was he not the teams highest point scorer (or very close to it) that season. Was that also the season we won the first home game 7-1 against the Giants then didn't win for weeks, then went on an unbeaten 15-20 game run and were top of the league at one stage?
Time guys, just give it time.

 

[maccab5]

I see the eternal pessimists are out.

Yesterday we have a great win, and no comment from victor or august04. Yet tonight we lose as expected and they can't wait to post........ :ugeek:

Well Finny, I couldn't really add anything different to what had already had been said about last night's victory. But I will if you want me to! It was one of the gutsiest team performances I've seen for a long time from a Devils side and a game that I won't forget in a hurry. However, you cannot deny that in every home game so far, our netminding hasn't been great and I include last night in that. I really hope it improves but the point I was trying to make was that things are going to be much different this year. We aren't going to be able to rely on our goaltending to win us games, unlike last year. If that means more offensive hockey then great. I'd much rather watch games like Hull, Sheffield so far, rather than some of the dross served up last season. Happy now?!

every homegame so far you mean all two of them that we have won????

 

[Finny]

We only conceeded 2 goals against Hull anyway didn't we? I don't remember Lyle having a bad game that night.

Plus, against Sheffield he made some fantastic saves in that final period. And when you look back at the other goals - most of them were defensive mistakes that led to 2-on-1's and unmarked players infront of the night.

We do seem to have a disease amongst Devils fans that as soon as we lose a game, we lay the blame at the netminder.

It happened at the start of last season with Aubry - the season before with Osaer, and the season before that, and the season before that......

 

[Gazza272]

We only conceeded 2 goals against Hull anyway didn't we? I don't remember Lyle having a bad game that night.

Plus, against Sheffield he made some fantastic saves in that final period. And when you look back at the other goals - most of them were defensive mistakes that led to 2-on-1's and unmarked players infront of the night.

We do seem to have a disease amongst Devils fans that as soon as we lose a game, we lay the blame at the netminder.

It happened at the start of last season with Aubry - the season before with Osaer, and the season before that, and the season before that......

To be fair we were right with Cugnet :lol:

 

[Finny]

Definately right with Cugnet. Leitza wasn't as bad as some people made out - but he was terribly slow going from post to post.

 

[the devil himself]

To be fair i think lyle has started really well and showing a lot of passion to the devils i.e he was one of the first players to start on ice training and gives it his all every game, ok granted he does give a few re-bounds but a lot of goalies who get pucks flying at them at 90mph+ would? He does however have an amazing awareness of what's going on and has made a few fantastic saves so far, up in newcastle he was superb and always show's class when between the pipes. Also he is very good at penalty shot saves, thought we were done for in newcastle but he came up big and won us that game.

 

[TheStub]

My take on Lyle (having only seen him play 3 times this season) - he is better than I was expecting, and a very different style to lots of the imports. Not a butterfly netminder - but then neither is the NHL goaltender with the most wins in NHL history (who also wears number 30 - I think Lyle may be a new jeersy fan :lol.

He seems to stay up a lot later, and be a bit more aggressive challenging for the puck. He hasn't given up any really soft goals that I have seen - although he has been caught out of position. Also, I wouldn't say he has dodgy rebounds, but his rebound control is something our defence needs to get used to...I can see him giving up a few second chances if the puck isn't cleared.

Overall, I am happy to have him back. If our D can play like Jarvis and Richardson played on Saturday, I think we have no worries at the back.

 

[august04]

We do seem to have a disease amongst Devils fans that as soon as we lose a game, we lay the blame at the netminder. It happened at the start of last season with Aubry - the season before with Osaer, and the season before that, and the season before that......

I don't think anyone has laid the blame at the netminder. A few posters have labelled Lyle as being "shaky", including me and I stand by that comment. I don't think he's been at his best so far. That said, he hasn't been the reason we've lost the games that we've lost. The point I was initially trying to make was that I don't think our goaltending is going to win us games that we have no right to win, unlike last season when Aubry stood on his head at times. I recall some comments last year about Aubry (not from me incidentally as in my opinion, he's been one of the best netminders I've ever seen in a Devils shirt, including ISL days) but can't remember too many dissenting voices when it came to Osaer.

 

[Finny]

I think theStub makes a good point regardind the D understand his rebounds. When Lyle first started with us, he was very good at catch the puck and holding onto rebounds.

He then went to N America, and when he came back his style had changed a lot. Now he was catching the puck less and instead deflecting it into the corners.

I can only assume this was intentional, in the hope that the Dmen would collect the pucks first and clear them - instead of constantly giving the opposition face-offs in our zone.

 

[TheStub]

There is a very interesting bit in the Martin Brodeur documentary that is mentioned on another thread, where the winningest netminder in the history of the NHL (Brodeur ) talks about the development of the butterfly.

He is not a butterfly keeper - and talks about how butterfly is all about blocking a shot, and then hopefully placing the rebound (he is more about actually saving the shot, and then hopefully playing it to safety - we would kill to have a D that could pass like him). But, the butterfly style is what is now held up as the standard, and where most keepers go. It has some limitations, and the rebounds are a big one (not to mention overcommitting early).

The whole style thing with keepers is really interesting, and how it effects the way they play. Not that I have spent too much time watching Lyle, but he seems to be more reticent about going down, and makes some interesting saves/plays with his stick. Hopefully that will get recognised, and the fact that he isn't the butterfly style we are so used to not seen as bad netminding. As long as he stops the puck hitting the net

 

[jimmy snels]

but we still conceded 11 this wkend! :lol: so something is amiss.... id have though G will have laid in to them about sunday so hopefully the boys get a good wk training together, work on the defending and PUCK RETENTION!! a key point in stopping the opposition scoring is not consistantly giving the puck back to them. especially when 5-5, i dont think dumping the puck in their zone and swapping players and not chasing is a good move :roll:

 

[TheStub]

On Sunday, I just wished our 1st line would have shot the puck more.

Instead of looking for that ideal pass, hit Reiter in the chest and hope for the rebound! It would have ended up the same, at worst.

The number of passes that were being broken up was unreal - although it does hint at what Maxi, Smith and Miller will manage once they get the line sorted.

 

[jimmy snels]

agreed id sooner see them drill the puck and crash the net for the rebound, iv seen NHL teams employ this tactic to great effect. shoot the puck at avilable opportunity and if u know its guna happen park yourself infront of the nettie and expect him to drop it!! expectation is another key issue here. although a completely different sport and i dont like to make the referance i remember gary lineker saying every time some one took a penalty he used to run at the goal fast as he could just incase the keeper saved it and dropped it...and he scored 3 goals doing that one season! if u expect the nettie to drop it u'll be better positioned than if u didnt bother to move in the first place!

like u say the M line was dire on sun. is smith still a bit off the pace because of the pec injury and max the knee op?? maybe we are expecting to much, it has been known! :lol: :lol: :lol: