Devils Vs Flames - League - 31st Dec 23 - FO 16:00

[Hedd Wyn John]

If we win the Continental Cup then all is forgiven for this season!
(however last night’s performance does not make that look likely. Aggression and passion needs to be added to the mix)

Aggression and passion are critical

Arranging deckchairs again I’m afraid Finny.

Every team has to deal with injuries, every team has to deal with fatigue and our management team agreed to and scheduled the congested fixture list so that isn’t an excuse to be rolled out when results don’t go our way!

This years team is the basis of last years team which is the basis of the previous years team.
It wasn’t good enough to win the league then and surprise surprise it isn’t good enough to win the league now.
Yes we have some talented players and yes we have some hard working players but to win the league neither talent nor hard work alone will win the league.
It’s also about mental toughness a resilience and never say die attitude, winning games late in the 3rd not losing them!

To win the league you need talented players who work hard EVERY NIGHT.
Sheffield have it this year and Belfast had it last year, a few years ago the Devils had it too!
Even our top scorer who is capable of scoring 4 or 5 goals in a single weekend is just as likely to then go 2 or 3 weekends without scoring.

We have made some good additions to the roster this season but so have many of our rivals with their rosters, but we have built a team around a core of players who aren’t good enough to mount a sustained challenge

Sheffield are a class apart this year and so are Fife in their own way but the rest of the bunch are pretty mediocre and much of a muchness

Before a puck was dropped this season there was a poll on this forum predicting the top 3 teams at the end of the season, I had the Devils outside the top 3 again as I thought we had brought back too many under performers and rewarded mediocrity in some cases.

This season is rinse and repeat, not because of fixture congestion or fatigue it’s down to too many who have got comfortable with losing.

I’d take a 37 yr old Stephen Dixon over pretty much all of these guys EVERY day of the week!

The 3 on 3 Podcast discussing Cardiff these last few games is an interesting listen from 27:30 for anyone who's not caught the latest episode.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3I8n958X5iLBwFAbOeSVTW?si=hCq3MftuQaWdXxETeeuxbw&t=1643

 

[Finny]

The season has been badly affected by unforeseen and tragic circumstances. Our having to move fixtures and so far play an extra 3 games for a minor, second rate European competition, pales into insignificance compared with what Nottingham and Sheffield have had to endure. You’re just looking for excuses, as always when the Devils are struggling. There aren’t any - except we're just not good enough or mentally strong enough.

You do realise it’s ok to admit you’re wrong? It’s my job to keep on top of stats. And the fact is we’ve played more games than anyone else bar Belfast so far.

Belfast: 39 games
Cardiff: 37 games
Guildford: 34 games
Fife: 34 games
Coventry: 33 games
Glasgow: 32 games
Manchester: 32 games
Dundee: 30 games
Sheffield: 30 games
Nottingham: 24 games

We knew we’d have to play midweek games to make-up for the Conti-Cup weekend, and IMO that’s why we opted to start with spare players. But I don’t think anyone expected us to have as many injuries as we have. And that is bound to have an effective on our performances.

Before the first Conti Cup weekend we had only one midweek game. Our win % for those first 16 games was 75%.
Since then we’ve had 6 midweek games and our win percentage over those 18 games has been just 63%.

Yes the extra fixtures we’ve had to play are nothing compared to what Nottingham and Sheffield have gone through. But the fact is Sheffield have played nearly 25% less games than us.

 

[Finny]

Are you on the Devils Payroll, employed to monitor the forum and add as much positive spin as humanely possible ?

No. Am I not allowed to give my opinion?

If you disagree with it, that’s fine. But it would be nice if you could back up your opinion without resorting to baseless acusations. .

 

[Finny]

Arranging deckchairs again I’m afraid Finny.

Every team has to deal with injuries, every team has to deal with fatigue and our management team agreed to and scheduled the congested fixture list so that isn’t an excuse to be rolled out when results don’t go our way!

This years team is the basis of last years team which is the basis of the previous years team.
It wasn’t good enough to win the league then and surprise surprise it isn’t good enough to win the league now.
Yes we have some talented players and yes we have some hard working players but to win the league neither talent nor hard work alone will win the league.
It’s also about mental toughness a resilience and never say die attitude, winning games late in the 3rd not losing them!

To win the league you need talented players who work hard EVERY NIGHT.
Sheffield have it this year and Belfast had it last year, a few years ago the Devils had it too!
Even our top scorer who is capable of scoring 4 or 5 goals in a single weekend is just as likely to then go 2 or 3 weekends without scoring.

We have made some good additions to the roster this season but so have many of our rivals with their rosters, but we have built a team around a core of players who aren’t good enough to mount a sustained challenge

Sheffield are a class apart this year and so are Fife in their own way but the rest of the bunch are pretty mediocre and much of a muchness

Before a puck was dropped this season there was a poll on this forum predicting the top 3 teams at the end of the season, I had the Devils outside the top 3 again as I thought we had brought back too many under performers and rewarded mediocrity in some cases.

This season is rinse and repeat, not because of fixture congestion or fatigue it’s down to too many who have got comfortable with losing.

I’d take a 37 yr old Stephen Dixon over pretty much all of these guys EVERY day of the week!

I’m not sure what your comment about rearranging the deckchairs means?
Are you saying we need to start again from scratch or for once stick with a coach and start to build?

 

[august04 2.0]

You do realise it’s ok to admit you’re wrong? It’s my job to keep on top of stats. And the fact is we’ve played more games than anyone else bar Belfast so far.

Belfast: 39 games
Cardiff: 37 games
Guildford: 34 games
Fife: 34 games
Coventry: 33 games
Glasgow: 32 games
Manchester: 32 games
Dundee: 30 games
Sheffield: 30 games
Nottingham: 24 games

We knew we’d have to play midweek games to make-up for the Conti-Cup weekend, and IMO that’s why we opted to start with spare players. But I don’t think anyone expected us to have as many injuries as we have. And that is bound to have an effective on our performances.

Before the first Conti Cup weekend we had only one midweek game. Our win % for those first 16 games was 75%.
Since then we’ve had 6 midweek games and our win percentage over those 18 games has been just 63%.

Yes the extra fixtures we’ve had to play are nothing compared to what Nottingham and Sheffield have gone through. But the fact is Sheffield have played nearly 25% less games than us.

So for some of our closest rivals in the league, the difference between us and them is 3 or 4 games, except Belfast who have played more. Big deal! I could accept your argument a little more if it was Sheffield (who as you rightly say have played less games) that just wiped the floor with us in the third period in the second game of a two game loss, but it was Guildford, who have played a similar number of games to us! Fatigue is not an excuse for these players. They’re just not good enough, not mentally strong enough and not coached well enough. End of.

 

[august04 2.0]

I’m not sure what your comment about rearranging the deckchairs means?
Are you saying we need to start again from scratch or for once stick with a coach and start to build?

I think most would agree that you stick with a coach and build, if you think it's the right coach. So given your defence of all things Devils, I have no doubt that’s what you think.
Personally, I’m not at all convinced that he's the right coach, not helped by his off ice communication in interviews - which I think is very naive.

 

[RedDevil17]

At the end of the day you can’t polish a turd. Throw glitter on it, but a turd remains a turd.

As long as some of the players from previous 2 years are here, we won’t win much due to two key things - ability and mindset.

Some players can’t accept that every game in this league is a game 7, and that’s the mentality that’s needed. We lack that mentality whereas Sheffield don’t. Unfortunately it seems the club are more focused on money and merchandise sales nowadays than winning major trophies.

 

[Bigphilbaby]

I agree, some of the songs really

Thanks for posting the video which proves my point.

At no point does Russell say he doesn’t like the physical part of the game. He’s clearly talking about the nonsense at the end of the game between the benches. It was deleted and then re-posted with a clever edit because he points out that we should have had several players suspended for the next game. God knows how we dodged that.

If a player wants to slap someone or fight someone then fine. You’ve got 58 minutes to do it.
But do it in the final two minutes or after the whistle and 99 times out of 100 you’ll get a ban.

So what should the players do at the end? Mr ref they are picking on me can you tell them off? Just roll over? what they did then would follow the rest of the season showing that you will not do that again. However other teams now know that we will not stick up for ourselves in case we get a ban or if Russell has ago at them, there is another interview him saying he not a fan of the physical side

You cant say since Russell has come on board that we have not gone soft, we are very euro style hockey

You just have to look at what Guildford did to Bowns alone last weekend and we did nothing!

 

[Bigphilbaby]

Aggression and passion are critical

The 3 on 3 Podcast discussing Cardiff these last few games is an interesting listen from 27:30 for anyone who's not caught the latest episode.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3I8n958X5iLBwFAbOeSVTW?si=hCq3MftuQaWdXxETeeuxbw&t=1643

really good podcast!

 

[kingmo19.1]

No. Am I not allowed to give my opinion?

If you disagree with it, that’s fine. But it would be nice if you could back up your opinion without resorting to baseless acusations. .

You can give your opinion all you like - and you are by the looks of it, to any and every poster that isn't happy!

PS - A question isn't an accusation!

 

[Hedd Wyn John]

really good podcast!

Yes, some interesting assessments all round but in particular for the Devils.

 

[kristian]

Where do you get the players Ice time from please.

 

[Finny]

I think most would agree that you stick with a coach and build, if you think it's the right coach. So given your defence of all things Devils, I have no doubt that’s what you think.
Personally, I’m not at all convinced that he's the right coach, not helped by his off ice communication in interviews - which I think is very naive.

What would Russell have to do to convince you?

I don’t take interviews that seriously. I remember seeing Lordo go mad in the locker room and then be very calm minutes later for the interview. I even remember Lord getting lots of criticism for his interview style with some fans wanting him to be more passionate in them like other coaches.

 

[Bigphilbaby]

Yes, some interesting assessments all round but in particular for the Devils.

Really enjoying it, going to use it for my work trips away

 

[Finny]

I agree, some of the songs really


So what should the players do at the end? Mr ref they are picking on me can you tell them off? Just roll over? what they did then would follow the rest of the season showing that you will not do that again. However other teams now know that we will not stick up for ourselves in case we get a ban or if Russell has ago at them, there is another interview him saying he not a fan of the physical side

You cant say since Russell has come on board that we have not gone soft, we are very euro style hockey

You just have to look at what Guildford did to Bowns alone last weekend and we did nothing!

They have to ignore it. By reacting we’d be giving the opposition exactly what they want. It’s part of the job of being a professional hockey player. I don’t agree we are being bullied by any team. It’s not like when we were in the BBT and Belfast would bully us every game.

And I certainly don’t think we are any softer than we have in previous years. It’s just a cliche fans like to throw out each year.

 

[Finny]

At the end of the day you can’t polish a turd. Throw glitter on it, but a turd remains a turd.

As long as some of the players from previous 2 years are here, we won’t win much due to two key things - ability and mindset.

Some players can’t accept that every game in this league is a game 7, and that’s the mentality that’s needed. We lack that mentality whereas Sheffield don’t. Unfortunately it seems the club are more focused on money and merchandise sales nowadays than winning major trophies.

If you don’t think the players are good enough then we need better players. Better players will require better money.

And money doesn’t grow on trees. We’re already hitting capacity each game so we need money from elsewhere.
The good news is that we have a separate marketing team who don’t ice. Just because they are pushing merchandise and sponsorship doesn’t mean the on-ice is being neglected.

 

[Bigphilbaby]

They have to ignore it. By reacting we’d be giving the opposition exactly what they want. It’s part of the job of being a professional hockey player. I don’t agree we are being bullied by any team. It’s not like when we were in the BBT and Belfast would bully us every game.

And I certainly don’t think we are any softer than we have in previous years. It’s just a cliche fans like to throw out each year.

You only have to look at both Guildford games to see we are, what happened to Bowns is a huge no no and they got away with it. We are a soft team and the other teams know it too

 

[Finny]

You only have to look at both Guildford games to see we are, what happened to Bowns is a huge no no and they got away with it. We are a soft team and the other teams know it too

Which incident with Bowns are you referring to?
The one where he got the puck fired at? If so we clearly retaliated
Or where he got clipped in the home game? I missed what actually happened so it’s possible none of the players saw it either?

 

[Bigphilbaby]

They have to ignore it. By reacting we’d be giving the opposition exactly what they want. It’s part of the job of being a professional hockey player. I don’t agree we are being bullied by any team. It’s not like when we were in the BBT and Belfast would bully us every game.

And I certainly don’t think we are any softer than we have in previous years. It’s just a cliche fans like to throw out each year.

I have played rugby for 16 years and ignoring it is easier said than done. Also if you ignore it, they know they can get away with it.

I remember years ago some prop was being little naughty in the scrum, i warned him and he did it again, after what happened it never happened again and when we returned the fixture it never happened. However he still did it against every other team except mine. It not so much different in Hockey and i feel we let other teams get away with a lot.

 

[Bigphilbaby]

Which incident with Bowns are you referring to?
The one where he got the puck fired at? If so we clearly retaliated
Or where he got clipped in the home game? I missed what actually happened so it’s possible none of the players saw it either?

Clearly not enough because of what happened the night after. Crawford when over and pushed him a little. I very much doubt it because the fans all saw it.