Season so far ....

[kingmo19.1]

So, another loss tonight and I can't say I'm too surprised to be honest. No doubt the customary words will be dished out tonight and (hopefully) we'll pick up 2 points tomorrow for another .50% weekend! Is that good enough for this organization ?

So having watched this team for nigh on 10 games, gotta say I'm not too impressed. Lots of hype and publicity but it's certainly not being backed up by results. Fed up of reading 'we played great, had 99% of possession but couldn't bury the puck'. Don't like to call players out - but Ulmer and Bentivoglio - pretty so so I'm afraid - neither is a patch on Wally. Is Scott Hotham an upgrade on Hudson - probably not! I could go on ...

Some crazy defending is certainly not helping and some real help is needed in that area.

Where has the intensity gone from the past few seasons ? Looks pretty easy to me for any visiting team to roll into the IAW and not be too worried.

Time for some stern words by Lordo! ..... Talking of Lordo, I really don't think his recent comment helped on Icetime.tv mentioning that no player has been released in the past 2 years and we look after our players etc etc . The aforementioned is a fact, but I can't help think that any player rolling into Cardiff might be coming with the mindset that hey, I'm setup here for the full season, not too much pressure, great if we win, but not too much to worry about if we lose as they never gas anyone!

Somebody needs to start to instill a ruthless winning mentality into this team otherwise I can't see us finishing in the Top 4 with the current squad and performance levels!

 

[cofio]

So, another loss tonight and I can't say I'm too surprised to be honest. No doubt the customary words will be dished out tonight and (hopefully) we'll pick up 2 points tomorrow for another .50% weekend! Is that good enough for this organization ?

So having watched this team for nigh on 10 games, gotta say I'm not too impressed. Lots of hype and publicity but it's certainly not being backed up by results. Fed up of reading 'we played great, had 99% of possession but couldn't bury the puck'. Don't like to call players out - but Ulmer and Bentivoglio - pretty so so I'm afraid - neither is a patch on Wally. Is Scott Hotham an upgrade on Hudson - probably not! I could go on ...

Some crazy defending is certainly not helping and some real help is needed in that area.

Where has the intensity gone from the past few seasons ? Looks pretty easy to me for any visiting team to roll into the IAW and not be too worried.

Time for some stern words by Lordo! ..... Talking of Lordo, I really don't think his recent comment helped on Icetime.tv mentioning that no player has been released in the past 2 years and we look after our players etc etc . The aforementioned is a fact, but I can't help think that any player rolling into Cardiff might be coming with the mindset that hey, I'm setup here for the full season, not too much pressure, great if we win, but not too much to worry about if we lose as they never gas anyone!

Somebody needs to start to instill a ruthless winning mentality into this team otherwise I can't see us finishing in the Top 4 with the current squad and performance levels!

Ummm I think you've got your points wrong. We got a point tonight so a win tomorrow would be better than a 0.500 weekend. Indeed getting 3 out of 4 points everyweekend is a league winning points rate. Still want to see wins though.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Ummm I think you've got your points wrong. We got a point tonight so a win tomorrow would be better than a 0.500 weekend. Indeed getting 3 out of 4 points everyweekend is a league winning points rate. Still want to see wins though.

Yep, you are correct - grrrr ... my maths! ...... I was angling that we seem to be in a pattern of WLWL ...

 

[solelace84]

We've played 5 out of our 52 league games for this season....

And out of the 5 league games we've played, we've taken 7 out of 10 available points....... (I think)

Why is everyone so upset?!?!?!

 

[ASHIPP]

I know we detest Team Orange but there are things to be admired ( and even learn from)about the way they operate. They are a winning culture. Losing is not an option...to be the best is their mantra. Thompson believes it and instills it into his players.
He is also ruthless and in the past has never shied away from making difficult and timely decisions for the betterment of the team...am sure his team know it and feel it after losses but they come back stronger.
We sneered when Steelers crashed out of CC last year. They went on to win the League.
Winning mentality, ruthlessness, clinical finishing got them there despite injuries.

 

[Celticdruid]

The frightening thing for me is we have played well early on and now the boys have settled its like they have become relaxed and complacent. The team on paper should have steamed that game but lazy defence and sluggish attack cost us. The passion of a real devils player was only on a few of their backs tonight. Think back to some of the passionate players we had and you would have seen commitment throughout all the games we played even if we lost. We really need to shake some players hard at the moment otherwise it will be a decline of home form. 1 point in two home games from a team that has been so highly praised in the media is not good enough. And the cc games we have thrown away. Lets get it together now. I just hope we are going through out season blip early and we can put this style of play behind us.

 

[Electro]

Same old same old.

I'm not surprised we have a list of players who want to come to Cardiff.


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[Finny]

I don't agree with the suggestion that the players aren't showing passion. The effort is there we're just not getting the lucky breaks. And it appears that people are still mistakenly thinking we can play the crash-bang-whallop hockey from the BBT even though we're now on bigger ice in IAW. Perhaps they're thinking the games are less passionate but that's because the crowd still isn't creating an atmosphere all game. It was great at the start, then just disappeared.

Bit confused too at the idea that the results overall haven't been good. Last night was disappointing but we dominated periods 2 and 3, had a perfectly good goal disallowed and when Martin broke away in OT I was convinced that would be that.
We won in Belfast a week ago and the week before that beat Sheffield away comfortably. This may be a shock to some, but we aren't going to win every game this season.

 

[solelace84]

I feel like Devils fans take every loss as a personal insult. When our team is down, we should get behind them and make more noise - not go quiet and start shouting abuse at our own players.

If anything is going to destroy team spirit and morale, it's that.

 

[Electro]

Welcome to Wales, the place where everyone has a glass that is half full, the place where success is literally, a once in a lifetime experience.

The national sport, who's loyal fans only turn up in the hope we beat England.

I'm sure next week we will turn up for the owners, Sheffield after all is all we love about England.


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[kettdevil1]

I feel like Devils fans take every loss as a personal insult. When our team is down, we should get behind them and make more noise - not go quiet and start shouting abuse at our own players.

If anything is going to destroy team spirit and morale, it's that.

Spot on. So far the season has been slightly frustrating. At times we look like the best team seen on these shores for years, at other times we are playing a hockey brand of tikka takka that makes me agree (for once) with those people shouting 'shoot'. The good news is that we are still picking up points but the bad news is that as a fan base we do appear to be less forgiving when we fail to hit the heights.....

 

[august04]

I don't agree with the suggestion that the players aren't showing passion. The effort is there we're just not getting the lucky breaks. And it appears that people are still mistakenly thinking we can play the crash-bang-whallop hockey from the BBT even though we're now on bigger ice in IAW. Perhaps they're thinking the games are less passionate but that's because the crowd still isn't creating an atmosphere all game. It was great at the start, then just disappeared.

Bit confused too at the idea that the results overall haven't been good. Last night was disappointing but we dominated periods 2 and 3, had a perfectly good goal disallowed and when Martin broke away in OT I was convinced that would be that.
We won in Belfast a week ago and the week before that beat Sheffield away comfortably. This may be a shock to some, but we aren't going to win every game this season.

Stop peddling the myth that you can't play a physical brand of hockey on bigger ice. I've seen plenty of physical Nottingham, Belfast and Sheffield teams over the years. It's perfectly possible if you constantly roll 4 lines and stick to your guns on that. The problem occurs when you shorten your bench, which we have done in the last 2 home defeats. And it's not just about crash bang wallop hockey. As I said in a previous thread, players are not getting in the dirty areas, we're not getting traffic in front of the net and picking up rebound chances and we're making it too easy for these netminders when searching for the perfect goal. That has absolutely nothing to do with the size ice you play on.

 

[DevilDom]

I don't agree with the suggestion that the players aren't showing passion. The effort is there we're just not getting the lucky breaks. And it appears that people are still mistakenly thinking we can play the crash-bang-whallop hockey from the BBT even though we're now on bigger ice in IAW. Perhaps they're thinking the games are less passionate but that's because the crowd still isn't creating an atmosphere all game. It was great at the start, then just disappeared.

Bit confused too at the idea that the results overall haven't been good. Last night was disappointing but we dominated periods 2 and 3, had a perfectly good goal disallowed and when Martin broke away in OT I was convinced that would be that.
We won in Belfast a week ago and the week before that beat Sheffield away comfortably. This may be a shock to some, but we aren't going to win every game this season.

I don't think you can blame the crowd for quietening down during the game as at times the style of play has been pretty dull and the team has an equal responsibility to lift things. I accept we can't play in the same way as in the BBT however we can be more physical than we are. Opposition teams are finding it too easy to shut us down in the IAW at the moment. The number of shots we are actually getting on goal is far lower than in the past 2 seasons and there is a pattern of play which IMO often see's us trying to overpass the puck in order to create the perfect goal with a tap in at back post. A goal deflected in off someone's ass counts the same as a worldie!

There are guys who arrived with big reputations playing on the top 2 lines who are not delivering enough for me. Again we seem to be relying way to heavily on the likes of Joey Martin and Andrew Hotham who is playing an insane amount of minutes. I'd like to see Brine moved up the lines as I think he is wasted on the 4th line.

 

[voth26]

Welcome to Wales, the place where everyone has a glass that is half full, the place where success is literally, a once in a lifetime experience.

The national sport, who's loyal fans only turn up in the hope we beat England.

I'm sure next week we will turn up for the owners, Sheffield after all is all we love about England.


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What's wrong with having a glass is half full mentality, surely that's an individual having a positive outlook on things even when situations aren't 100% which for me is 100% better than a glass half empty mentality that certain individuals who post on here clearly have!!

 

[solelace84]

We have gained 7 points out of a possible 10. Even if we carry on at this exact rate (which by some standards is so terrible), by the end of the season we will have 70+ points which still puts us in a great position to win the league...

However, I believe things will get better. We've had two disappointing home losses .......... There are still MANY games to go.

 

[ASHIPP]

Dealing with the facts only:

Owners and GM have stated several times already their expectations that,based on the skill level and investment in this team, the Devils will achieve some silverware this year.

There are players getting top icetime at the mo who are not performing to expectation.

There are players performing way beyond expectation who are not getting the ice time they deserve.

Apparent inability to offer alternative gameplan or tactics to win the gamewhen opposition have changed theirs.

Training sessions on special teams are not translating into actual play...pp success zero last night.

Other teams with a worse injury situation are managing that crisis and finding ways to win.

 

[Chris]

Something @Wannabe2 put in the Blaze game thread:

Losing points at home is never good, but my biggest worry with it is when we get a huge crowd we inevitably shoot ourself in the foot, we have done that on numerous occasions in the past and it hurts the club. To see the arena full to the rafters is a sight to behold, and quite rightly so, but not all these punters are hard core Devils fans, entertain and win they come back, don't do that and the fair weather guys will dwindle away unfortunately. We have a squad oozing with talent, hopefully tonight we can address our failings, but the Stars have a good team, so come on lads we know you want to win as much as us lot, win tonight and 3 points from 4 looks a lot better.

He's right in that it's something that has happened several times before, we get these massive buildups for certain games, the fans are all over the shop in excitement and then the game comes around and it's a disappointment.

The game last night probably won't be the last time it happens, but it would be nice to think we could change things around so when these huge matches come up we go out and play like we know we can.

We don't look too bad in the title race points wise, but our CC challenge looks a bit suspect at the moment. @ASHIPP has mentioned it in the post above that the club PR does/has mentioned an expectation to win silverware this season...

 

[Wannabe2]

Would be a disaster to play the cc final in Cardiff, and not be there, not that I am saying we won't be, I still have thoughts of winning the lot.

 

[Electro]

What's wrong with having a glass is half full mentality, surely that's an individual having a positive outlook on things even when situations aren't 100% which for me is 100% better than a glass half empty mentality that certain individuals who post on here clearly have!!

First it's an Americanism. Possibly, can't say for sure, can't be bothered googling it, but it is.

Second it's used by/for individuals who cannot accept reality.

Thirdly any drinkable liquid in any size glass is always a positive, it's a crap analogy, too simple for such a complicated world, one has to accept not every situation can be positive or negative. Just get a bigger glass.

Fourthly everybody is entitled to an opinion, it's all subjective, there is no right or wrong point of view in a discussion forum. The world has to many labels as it is.

As for the season so far, l simply see a repeat of the last few seasons, a coach doing too much, whilst trying to gain experience. Too much expectation on results. There are many examples within team sports of talented clubs being out performed by lesser players. The magic happens when all aspect of the team perform consistently. It begins at the top.

Not managing talent is a major problem l see in our organisation.




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[ASHIPP]

And actually on that subject, is it any co-incidence that our three main rivals in this league (Panthers, Steelers, Giants - all performing consistently so far) have successful coaching partnerships i.e. a head coach and an experienced bench coach to give support. Infact all 3 of them have player/assistant coaches who can offer additional support, take on special roles, alleviate some of the pressures.

Coaching is a massive job for one person to undertake