Panthers Vs Devils - League - 25th Feb 23 - 19:00 FO
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Yet again I find myself scratching my head at the direction of peoples frustration. The defence gets a lot of stick but I actually think they are a good unit.
The problems this season have consistently been the forwards. They have under achieved significantly more than the defence. The ones who do score do so in bunches and streaks and lack consistency. The ones that haven’t scored have done little else of benefit apart from the fourth line. They have all played terrible 200ft hockey apart from Joey M and their defensive zone coverage and zone exits have been crap all year heaping excessive pressure on the defencemen. If I’m a devils D man I’m furious at some of those forwards lack of attitude to play in traffic areas and retain pressure at the opposition goal line. They work to get the puck out and it just keeps coming back in seconds. Don’t like saying it but netminding is also an issue that needs addressing. Carruth was good but wasn’t the long term answer but you need a Nettie on par with Besko or prime time Bownsy.
So the question for me is if Dupes changes up four forwards for new blood that actually give a consistent four lines is he the coach to make Devils successful. I know I know most on here’s answer. That’s the question I’m posing myself.
The problems this season have consistently been the forwards. They have under achieved significantly more than the defence. The ones who do score do so in bunches and streaks and lack consistency. The ones that haven’t scored have done little else of benefit apart from the fourth line. They have all played terrible 200ft hockey apart from Joey M and their defensive zone coverage and zone exits have been crap all year heaping excessive pressure on the defencemen. If I’m a devils D man I’m furious at some of those forwards lack of attitude to play in traffic areas and retain pressure at the opposition goal line. They work to get the puck out and it just keeps coming back in seconds. Don’t like saying it but netminding is also an issue that needs addressing. Carruth was good but wasn’t the long term answer but you need a Nettie on par with Besko or prime time Bownsy.
So the question for me is if Dupes changes up four forwards for new blood that actually give a consistent four lines is he the coach to make Devils successful. I know I know most on here’s answer. That’s the question I’m posing myself.
*written with the caveat that I haven't read the previous 7 pages as have a work deadline*
Well that was frustrating. In front of a large contingent of Devils fans we put up a much better show than normal at the NIC but still came up short. Why do we always seem to lose when we play Nottingham there yet almost always beat Sheffield at their place. It makes no sense at all.
As a game of hockey I thought it was a good one between two flawed teams. We had:
- for my mind, the best fight of the season (I thought Gagnon was edging it until Lou popped his helmet with a great punch.
- possible the goal of the season (sadly not for us)
- one of the netminding performances of the season (again sadly not for us)
- a decent debut from the new boy (he looked a bit rusty and gave up a penalty on his first shift but finished his hits and his passing was pretty slick)
Away from the positives, our powerplay continues to decline, we have gone from having the 2nd best to the 7th best PP in two months and you can see why. The build-up is so slow and predictable and we couldn't get Jones moving from side-to-side.
Then the season-long problem of balancing the lines. For me @Mooney#16 is absolutely right (just seen your post!), blaming the D is nonsensical. I felt very sorry for Jardine, he had been bailing out his wingmen again and again and then one mistake led to a goal. Lines 1 and 4 are fine but the six in the middle are all decent players but there is no combination that works and defensively all bar Penny and Coughler are not the strongest.
We are still poor on key face-offs. Myers used every trick in the book when we threatened and generally won from the dot when he needed to. We lack that skill.
Finally, not sure who chose the MOMs - I like Josh Waller but he was quiet last night, whilst how Jones was not MOM for the Panthers is a travesty.
Not sure we learnt anything new last night, we remain a decent side but not a championship winning side and I am not convinced the flaws are fixable this season.
Well that was frustrating. In front of a large contingent of Devils fans we put up a much better show than normal at the NIC but still came up short. Why do we always seem to lose when we play Nottingham there yet almost always beat Sheffield at their place. It makes no sense at all.
As a game of hockey I thought it was a good one between two flawed teams. We had:
- for my mind, the best fight of the season (I thought Gagnon was edging it until Lou popped his helmet with a great punch.
- possible the goal of the season (sadly not for us)
- one of the netminding performances of the season (again sadly not for us)
- a decent debut from the new boy (he looked a bit rusty and gave up a penalty on his first shift but finished his hits and his passing was pretty slick)
Away from the positives, our powerplay continues to decline, we have gone from having the 2nd best to the 7th best PP in two months and you can see why. The build-up is so slow and predictable and we couldn't get Jones moving from side-to-side.
Then the season-long problem of balancing the lines. For me @Mooney#16 is absolutely right (just seen your post!), blaming the D is nonsensical. I felt very sorry for Jardine, he had been bailing out his wingmen again and again and then one mistake led to a goal. Lines 1 and 4 are fine but the six in the middle are all decent players but there is no combination that works and defensively all bar Penny and Coughler are not the strongest.
We are still poor on key face-offs. Myers used every trick in the book when we threatened and generally won from the dot when he needed to. We lack that skill.
Finally, not sure who chose the MOMs - I like Josh Waller but he was quiet last night, whilst how Jones was not MOM for the Panthers is a travesty.
Not sure we learnt anything new last night, we remain a decent side but not a championship winning side and I am not convinced the flaws are fixable this season.
Spot on!
I defended Dupont early on but if Brandt is a healthy scratch is shows he clearly hasn't a clue. I'd be scratching Reid or even Crandall before Brandt because hes playing as he should where the other two have been missing all season and only popping up in the odd game.
Sad to say i'm looking forward to the off season now
I defended Dupont early on but if Brandt is a healthy scratch is shows he clearly hasn't a clue. I'd be scratching Reid or even Crandall before Brandt because hes playing as he should where the other two have been missing all season and only popping up in the odd game.
Sad to say i'm looking forward to the off season now
My frustration lies with the fact there isn't a plan B when plan A isn't working.
I've backed Dupont all season and really wanted him to succeed and build himself up but he just isn't doing that, he has plan A and then that doesn't work he trys plan A again in hopes that it'll work, people that try and compare him to Lordo are either short sighted or just blind because the difference between them is day and night, one was meticulous and spent every waking minute watching videos adapting game plans and coming up with plan B, C and D, the other has one plan and one tactic that just isn't working.
Defense wise some players have been covering for their partner all season long and it's taking its toll on them which is why it looks like Swiss cheese at the back.
The forwards haven't been performing as well as fans hoped because Reid got found out last season and neutralised and hasn't been the same since,Coughler hasn't been on fire and has been out with injury, the only time we actually looked like the team found a working formula was when we had Fournier, yes he had flaws and lost his job with the club but he did exactly what every fan with hockey knowledge knows was needed and that was screen the goalie and making him move so we had more opportunity to score, since he was sent packing its back to let's shoot at the chest every single time and hope one shot goes in.
And our pp is so predictable now short hand goals are almost guaranteed against us.
I've backed Dupont all season and really wanted him to succeed and build himself up but he just isn't doing that, he has plan A and then that doesn't work he trys plan A again in hopes that it'll work, people that try and compare him to Lordo are either short sighted or just blind because the difference between them is day and night, one was meticulous and spent every waking minute watching videos adapting game plans and coming up with plan B, C and D, the other has one plan and one tactic that just isn't working.
Defense wise some players have been covering for their partner all season long and it's taking its toll on them which is why it looks like Swiss cheese at the back.
The forwards haven't been performing as well as fans hoped because Reid got found out last season and neutralised and hasn't been the same since,Coughler hasn't been on fire and has been out with injury, the only time we actually looked like the team found a working formula was when we had Fournier, yes he had flaws and lost his job with the club but he did exactly what every fan with hockey knowledge knows was needed and that was screen the goalie and making him move so we had more opportunity to score, since he was sent packing its back to let's shoot at the chest every single time and hope one shot goes in.
And our pp is so predictable now short hand goals are almost guaranteed against us.
I wonder if most folks on here are thinking clearly.
They seem to assume that all our players want to return next season.My question is why would these plyers want to stay at Cardiff unless they have relationships with locals or they are injured and are not wanted by anyone.
I will be surprised if our best players will want to return.
I believe this also applies to our coaching staff and even some of the owners and their families.
They seem to assume that all our players want to return next season.My question is why would these plyers want to stay at Cardiff unless they have relationships with locals or they are injured and are not wanted by anyone.
I will be surprised if our best players will want to return.
I believe this also applies to our coaching staff and even some of the owners and their families.
There is an endemic bug in the U.K. at the moment, l see it everywhere. A very simple & basic analogy of pre and post endemic :
When you are driving down the road and see a pothole you avoid it.
Now though
When you are driving down the road you don’t avoid it for fear of causing an accident, you then blame the cause of the pothole on…………and then repeat it
When you are driving down the road and see a pothole you avoid it.
Now though
When you are driving down the road you don’t avoid it for fear of causing an accident, you then blame the cause of the pothole on…………and then repeat it
There's a lot to agree with here. The forwards don't often get called out for neglecting their defensive roles. Also I agree that the defence aren't as bad as they look at times. I maintain that the pairings could be improved. Also I wonder to what degree the root cause of problems is poor tactics and players being forced to out of position to cover for line mates.
As I've said many times below, I don't think Dupont is ever going to be the answer for us. The awful special teams, and a tendency to keep repeating the same mistakes are for me evidence aplenty.
As I've said many times below, I don't think Dupont is ever going to be the answer for us. The awful special teams, and a tendency to keep repeating the same mistakes are for me evidence aplenty.