I don’t see a void to fill. The complaint is Devils we’re bullied but that wasn’t via fighting that was that some games they lost the physical battle against harder working more physical team and played to much perimeter hockey and were soft in the slots. As long as you have players prepared to play in the tough traffic areas and set the physical agenda with body contact they’ll be just fine. Physical hockey is now about winning puck and area battles not fighting. Fighting will happen when two players take a dislike to each other but as a spectacle and tactic it’s had its day.
It’s my main criticism of the Cox-Martin-Sanford line. They can play to perimeter and don’t get to the net front. This means they become inconsistent against teams that compress the slot coverage. They really need to get the memo if you want to win the league they are going to have to get to the slot and take some bangs with it and not just hang outside the hash marks taking clappers. This goes for Waller also. Attack any gaps with speed and aggression. You need an entire forward unit committed to challenging the D. It can’t just be the job of Barrow and Busch.
When you compare Devils successful teams to the last couple seasons the massive difference is in special teams and especially screening the goalie, deflections, tip ins and putting rebounds away. That all means you win the slots. You take yours away and you dominate the oppositions. Layne Ulmer was perhaps one of the best for this. Give me these calibre of guys any day of the week and he even fought when Mosey got hit. That’s a team toughness guy.
It’s my main criticism of the Cox-Martin-Sanford line. They can play to perimeter and don’t get to the net front. This means they become inconsistent against teams that compress the slot coverage. They really need to get the memo if you want to win the league they are going to have to get to the slot and take some bangs with it and not just hang outside the hash marks taking clappers. This goes for Waller also. Attack any gaps with speed and aggression. You need an entire forward unit committed to challenging the D. It can’t just be the job of Barrow and Busch.
When you compare Devils successful teams to the last couple seasons the massive difference is in special teams and especially screening the goalie, deflections, tip ins and putting rebounds away. That all means you win the slots. You take yours away and you dominate the oppositions. Layne Ulmer was perhaps one of the best for this. Give me these calibre of guys any day of the week and he even fought when Mosey got hit. That’s a team toughness guy.