Are our expectations too high? I watch most games on webcast these days so a lot of the emotion is taken away but at this point of the season, a win’s a win right?
We have more fights than any team in the league by a mile so there’s clearly a togetherness.
We are also right in the mix. I don’t think we will win the league but I think we will take it to the wire, surely that’s all you can ask at the beginning of the season. No shame in narrowly missing out to one of two very established teams in Belfast and Guildford. Belfast who have spent ridiculous amounts of money and signed 167 imports to only actually be one win better.
I think the hockey that people expect to see is a thing of the past and long gone. 4 line hockey, Olympic sized ice and expanded O-zones has made it a game of chess with neutral zone traps rather than the fun run and gun of era of the BBT and WNIR.
100% agree. I think the frustration this year is that, at times, we look a class apart from any other team but that will be followed by a lukewarm performance and the lack of bite on our PP is a major flaw.
With just over a month to go in the season we are right in the mix and at this stage, with a rookie coach, recruitment which hasn't quite worked and a team that is not yet the finished article, will do for me.
I tend to go to away rather than home games (and try to avoid commenting on games I haven't seen....) so can't say much about the entertainment provided at the IAW but bar a couple of insipid performances at the NIC, I have generally felt entertained by games this year and whilst there are things about this team I would definitely change for next year, the fact that we are so close to Belfast (who might have started slowly but have been superb for the last few months) is pretty impressive.
As you say, hockey nowadays is more akin to chess, which is a shame as I love old time hockey but.... it's not going to change.