Flyers Vs Devils - League - 17th Dec 23 - FO 17:30
- Thread starter James
- Start date
If it had of been his first go around as a head coach like dupont sure I'd give him some slack, but his interview yesterday shows he doesn't like hockey if it gets physical, pre season we looked and really up for keeping teams in check, Christmas rolls around and we barely touch players and it ends up boiling over after the final whistle.
Soft hockey only works if all 10 teams agree to it and the refs become way more honest with their calls.
Neither will ever happen.
I don't need to see our lot throw hands every chance they get, but they have to be allowed to stick up for themselves and throw the gloves when it's needed.
Soft hockey only works if all 10 teams agree to it and the refs become way more honest with their calls.
Neither will ever happen.
I don't need to see our lot throw hands every chance they get, but they have to be allowed to stick up for themselves and throw the gloves when it's needed.
So we've gone for the “Euro” style of hockey with players who really aren’t showing that they’re fast enough or skilful enough (more like Euro “Lite” as someone else mentioned here). Fantastic recruitment for a league that has reverted to a little more physical style of play this year. That interview last night showed the real colours of this coach. Screw what the fans want, we're doing it his way. No wonder it was pulled down sharpish. Forget physicality, he doesn’t want it. Devils fans have been brought up on blue collar, hard nosed hockey. And it served us well too over the years. Yes, the game has changed but there’s still the need for a degree of toughness and room for the big, nasty player, especially when you recruit two small, similar players as your toughest guys and one of them hardly gets any ice time. Why do that? Recruit one of those two at best, and recruit a deterrent in place of one of them. They’re both game but no one is going to think twice about doing something with the threat of Brandt or Pietroniro coming after them. It was disastrous recruitment. Look at the effect that Fournier had last year for that brief spell. The team played tougher knowing they had someone looking out for them. Unfortunately, he screwed that up but this team desperately needs a tough guy to make sure there’s a deterrent against against these cheap shots that the likes of Allen, Tansey etc are dishing out. We're toothless. Message to PR - the fans showed what they want last night, give us that style of hockey not your interpretation of Euro style (which to me is a myth anyway because whenever I’ve watched leagues like the SHL, the hockey is fast AND physical). We've became a soft touch. It’s not the Cardiff way.
I must be wrong because I thought PR was referring to the mass brawl at the end which could have led to more suspensions which we could do without right now rather than individual fights. He wants us to be aggressive on the forecheck (which didn't really happen today) but keep our players on the ice not the changing rooms. I agree with most of you, it would be great to have a "Louis" available to sort out issues, especially when the rest of the clubs have bought in that type of player.
If Coventry, yes Coventry win their game in hand on us, then they will be 2 points behind us, yes the same Coventry that everyone said how poor they are. It’s one thing not having a physical presence, if you have a team of mega classy speedsters, that no one can catch to hit, and a team that know exactly where the net is and play as a team. Still I can always look forward to listening to that Orange lot up the road singing we are number 1, we are number 1. Can’t wait. A very famous hockey player once said you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, ain’t rocket science is it.
I don’t think Pete is the problem at all. He is an experienced coach and a winning coach. I’d say it’s more the tools he’s working with. I am all for giving PR some time and multiple seasons to see what he can do. Just going over the same season dynamic time again serves no purpose. At some point you have to get behind a guy and let him see the project through.
There are players on this team that have been around a lot longer than PR and the same formula keeps playing out across multiple seasons. They simply are not championship mentality players and unfortunately will have to leave for Devils to be successful again. When multiple coaches can’t get a tune out of what should be a talented power play you have to start looking at if it’s a problem with lack of execution and maybe not tactics.
There are players on this team that have been around a lot longer than PR and the same formula keeps playing out across multiple seasons. They simply are not championship mentality players and unfortunately will have to leave for Devils to be successful again. When multiple coaches can’t get a tune out of what should be a talented power play you have to start looking at if it’s a problem with lack of execution and maybe not tactics.