I’m not saying the powerplay is the only problem but we’re second in the league and we don’t have a powerplay. Sort the powerplay out and confidence will grow. It’s become increasingly difficult to score goals 5 on 5 so if you don’t have a powerplay it’s demoralising. It’s such a momentum shifter in games.
steelers Vs Devils - League - 23rd Dec 23 - FO 19:00
- Thread starter James
- Start date
While that's true, they've faced adversity, and they've a club that is desperate for silverware. As a result they come to play every night.
As I've said before, I think that there are certain players at the devils who don't understand what it takes to wind in this league. There are others that do, yet still aren't producing.
Meanwhile I think that the club needs a reality check as far as the type of player and style of game that is needed to dominate in the elite league. We have the team to do well with the differing demands of the continental cup, as long as the players remember that the holidays are over and Mac carruth doesn't prove impossible to beat.
As I've said before, I think that there are certain players at the devils who don't understand what it takes to wind in this league. There are others that do, yet still aren't producing.
Meanwhile I think that the club needs a reality check as far as the type of player and style of game that is needed to dominate in the elite league. We have the team to do well with the differing demands of the continental cup, as long as the players remember that the holidays are over and Mac carruth doesn't prove impossible to beat.
Agree that the powerplay is not the only a problem but it is a problem, Jenks. Bang on there mate. It's embarrassing. It's predictable and void of ideas, to the point where I'd opt to not have it (obviously I'm joking). We look more like conceding than scroring. Mislaid passes, trouble entering the zone and then when we are in the zone the quality of passing doesn't allow for a one timer. At times we are just static in the zone not making the Shuff nettie move at all and without any screen. What concerns me is that PR has had a week to address this without any midweek game but week in and week out it is the same one dimensional powerplay. It that the players or is that the coach?
Last season I was questioning our identity because we didn't seem to have one. This season, I see what we are and I see how PR wants to play and I am concerned. Yes, we're second in the league but we have more chance of moving down the league than up it if we continue to play the way we are. You can see the thinking behind Wilde and how he fits what PR wants but I just can't help but think that we don't need him. Yes, by all means replace someone like River with Wilde but the concern and focus has to be offensively.
We're just back from making the journey up there having stayed overnight. Much of what has been said you could have said without watching the game. That's not being critical of posters, the depressing thing is that they are right. We've become predictably dull. Yes the Clan was exciting due to the scrapping but when you strip that away, as I said after the game, you are left with what Sheffield had to contend with. A team that's lacking in some key areas. I love Wilde but he isn't what we need in my opinion. We need a first line that will scare the wotsits out of any team. The reality is, we don't even know what our 1st line is. We just don't have out and out first line players or we have first line players that are woefully underperforming. In the League, Sanford is 8th in Goals, the next person after him is Alderson in 20th. Our top points scorer is Crawford in 16th. You could argue that our goals are spread out across the lines but where is our firing first line.
I love Joey but he isn't the answer. Cox isn't playing like a first line player. Arniel comes in and can't find the target from clear cut opportunities. Our most exciting and noticeable lines are the 3rd and 4th. That won't win you a trophy.
On the flip side.... we lost 4-0 to the top of the league team. A superb team in great form. 4-0 on the face of it is a good result. It could have and should have been worse. Defensively we are dire, Crawfords high risk plays just cost us time and time again, whether it's an actual goal or more often than not placing us under pressure. It was men against boys as pointed out and all focus seems to be on Batch but where's Alderson? He should be tearing around like Borderleau/Voth dominating games. He pulls out of checks like Brittain used to. Brandt has reined in the physicality. Both him and Chad look like they are playing within themselves. It's almost like they are being asked to play a different game. A game that would match the Devils identity of old. Physical, chip on your shoulder type games. We look light weight.
We seem to favour flair and speed over grit and pressure. I don't think we have the players to play the former. I don't like this teams identity and if I'm being really inflammatory, I don't see huge steps forward from last season. I believe in PR. I back PR but surely he must be thinking changes need to be made.
Sort out our lines and fix our powerplay.
Last season I was questioning our identity because we didn't seem to have one. This season, I see what we are and I see how PR wants to play and I am concerned. Yes, we're second in the league but we have more chance of moving down the league than up it if we continue to play the way we are. You can see the thinking behind Wilde and how he fits what PR wants but I just can't help but think that we don't need him. Yes, by all means replace someone like River with Wilde but the concern and focus has to be offensively.
We're just back from making the journey up there having stayed overnight. Much of what has been said you could have said without watching the game. That's not being critical of posters, the depressing thing is that they are right. We've become predictably dull. Yes the Clan was exciting due to the scrapping but when you strip that away, as I said after the game, you are left with what Sheffield had to contend with. A team that's lacking in some key areas. I love Wilde but he isn't what we need in my opinion. We need a first line that will scare the wotsits out of any team. The reality is, we don't even know what our 1st line is. We just don't have out and out first line players or we have first line players that are woefully underperforming. In the League, Sanford is 8th in Goals, the next person after him is Alderson in 20th. Our top points scorer is Crawford in 16th. You could argue that our goals are spread out across the lines but where is our firing first line.
I love Joey but he isn't the answer. Cox isn't playing like a first line player. Arniel comes in and can't find the target from clear cut opportunities. Our most exciting and noticeable lines are the 3rd and 4th. That won't win you a trophy.
On the flip side.... we lost 4-0 to the top of the league team. A superb team in great form. 4-0 on the face of it is a good result. It could have and should have been worse. Defensively we are dire, Crawfords high risk plays just cost us time and time again, whether it's an actual goal or more often than not placing us under pressure. It was men against boys as pointed out and all focus seems to be on Batch but where's Alderson? He should be tearing around like Borderleau/Voth dominating games. He pulls out of checks like Brittain used to. Brandt has reined in the physicality. Both him and Chad look like they are playing within themselves. It's almost like they are being asked to play a different game. A game that would match the Devils identity of old. Physical, chip on your shoulder type games. We look light weight.
We seem to favour flair and speed over grit and pressure. I don't think we have the players to play the former. I don't like this teams identity and if I'm being really inflammatory, I don't see huge steps forward from last season. I believe in PR. I back PR but surely he must be thinking changes need to be made.
Sort out our lines and fix our powerplay.
I’m not sure if it’s a recruitment issue and/or a coaching issue, but since Lordo left we’ve had 3 different coaches and none of them have in my opinion have made us look like real league contenders.
For the past 3 seasons we’ve been nothing other than a streaky team with little or no backbone and team toughness.
I like PR, but what worked in the DEL2 might not necessarily work so well here. A quality coach will identify where we are coming short and hopefully address it going forward. Fixing a PP should be pretty basic for a decent coach to figure out!
TBH, I think 3/4 changes are needed ASAP to turn things around and try to mount a challenge. Leave it any longer and Shefffield will likely be out of sight.
if I was a betting man, with this roster and current tactics, I can’t see us finishing higher than 3rd this season.
Does the club and the coach have the ambition to make any further changes or are we quite happy with finishing 3rd these days ???
For the past 3 seasons we’ve been nothing other than a streaky team with little or no backbone and team toughness.
I like PR, but what worked in the DEL2 might not necessarily work so well here. A quality coach will identify where we are coming short and hopefully address it going forward. Fixing a PP should be pretty basic for a decent coach to figure out!
TBH, I think 3/4 changes are needed ASAP to turn things around and try to mount a challenge. Leave it any longer and Shefffield will likely be out of sight.
if I was a betting man, with this roster and current tactics, I can’t see us finishing higher than 3rd this season.
Does the club and the coach have the ambition to make any further changes or are we quite happy with finishing 3rd these days ???
Last edited:
Whilst the powerplay is only one area of concern, it's a big one. In tight games, an effective pp is a diamond tool, particularly when it's difficult to launch an attack 5 on 5.
Steelers lead only 1-0 for two periods. Devils had 3 pp opportunities and failed to capitalise.
Just 2 pp goals from us would have squared the game at 3 all before final Steelers goal...it might have given our Guys the impetus to pull off a win.
Poor discipline is an agent of fatigue. Very difficult to continuously defend against such strong opposition. It wears the defending team down and reduces the time/opportunity for them to launch a counter attack.
Sort some of those issues out and our Guys might be energised and motivated enough to challenge the strongest teams in the league.
Steelers lead only 1-0 for two periods. Devils had 3 pp opportunities and failed to capitalise.
Just 2 pp goals from us would have squared the game at 3 all before final Steelers goal...it might have given our Guys the impetus to pull off a win.
Poor discipline is an agent of fatigue. Very difficult to continuously defend against such strong opposition. It wears the defending team down and reduces the time/opportunity for them to launch a counter attack.
Sort some of those issues out and our Guys might be energised and motivated enough to challenge the strongest teams in the league.
Last I checked we're on. 675 and they are on .861
So not only do they need to fall away substantially we need to improve a heck of a lot.
Will they have a blip? Probably but at the same time will we improve as a team to such an extent that we go from a .675 team to a .750 or .800 or whatever it will need to be to overtake Sheffield?
I simply don't see it.
So not only do they need to fall away substantially we need to improve a heck of a lot.
Will they have a blip? Probably but at the same time will we improve as a team to such an extent that we go from a .675 team to a .750 or .800 or whatever it will need to be to overtake Sheffield?
I simply don't see it.
Of those 3 coaches, I don't think that the first was really ready for British hockey and it's demands. Of course, the obvious personality clash with Todd didn't help.
The second should never have got the coaching job. He blundered in mr bean style by winning the playoffs with exactly the same players and systems his predecessor used.
PR is by far the best prepared of the 3, with probably the best team. Some problems are imo is the balance of the team and a weak leadership group. When players are slacking they should get called out. PR can only sound like a broken record so many times. If he's not getting what he expects he should do something, be that changing players, captain/assistants or changing tactics.
The second should never have got the coaching job. He blundered in mr bean style by winning the playoffs with exactly the same players and systems his predecessor used.
PR is by far the best prepared of the 3, with probably the best team. Some problems are imo is the balance of the team and a weak leadership group. When players are slacking they should get called out. PR can only sound like a broken record so many times. If he's not getting what he expects he should do something, be that changing players, captain/assistants or changing tactics.
Totally agree I see us finishing 3/4th at the best, on our day we can be very good, off our day and we can be lousy and capable of losing to anyone. I just go to watch a game now and see friends, as having ambitions is too disappointing, and not good. It’s only December and my expectations are pretty low, as they have been for many a year, I understand we are a medium club with high expectations and have for many years punched above our weight.
Sorry Martyn that ain’t going to work in a million years, we pay £10 per game, we get a £10 team, we are trying to keep up with the Jones,es , cutting the budget ain’t going to cut it, many years ago is just that many years ago. We need a team with a team full of bollocks, a team that would go thru a brick wall for each other, a team that plays for the club that pays them, a team that plays for the fans who spend their money watching them, a team that you want to play for, and if you can’t fulfill that itinerary then bugger off. Mentally we have a very mediocre team, lots of talent but a total lack of fire, desire and grit, wether that is left in the dressing room under orders is another thing, but it ain’t the best look as Sheffield showed us, to our detriment we were put to the sword by a far better drilled team.
So, if PR needs a better roster your saying he should work on a lesser budget because reducing season ticket prices would decrease the main initial revenue and if that roster didn't work does the season ticket the next season drop again? If the roster continued to fail and kept on reducing season ticket price we'd end up recruiting from the NIHL.