The View From On High - @Panthers (18/2/14)

Liam McCausland looks back on the second leg of the Challenge Cup Semi.

This could so easily have been called "What Went Wrong Last Night" but I went for a bit of continuity.

I'm ashamed to say that last night was my first in the flesh game since Boxing Day, and I had high hopes of, if not winning the tie, certainly winning the game last night. Erm....yeah...


It's probably best if I handle this in periods.

1st
I thought we were damn unlucky to be 2-0 down at the end of the first. We had the majority of possession, created some very good chances, and Kowalski and his net were living a charmed life. But two lapses in concentration, the first at the end of a powerplay allowing Matt Ryan the freedom of Nottinghamshire, and the second just some slack defending, left the whole team deflated. You could see it from the stands, heads had dropped.

2nd
I presume the team were under the impression we were having a 50 minute interval between the 1st and the 3rd, because we never turned up. Simple basic puck skills were left in the changing room, and the defence parted like the red sea. Doyle was left out to dry, and his confidence was shot. We celebrated our goals like we had won the Stanley Cup because, well, we needed a reason to cheer. But it was fairly obvious the Panthers had slipped into neutral and were just freewheeling their way to the Odyssey.

3rd
Holy cow we won a period. Again though, minimal effort from the Panthers. If the chances had gone in in the first, it would have been a different game. Ifs, buts and maybes though. The fight happened 45 minutes too late, the Big O isn't in Henley's physical league though.

It was painfully obvious that we were missing our Captain. Or a coach. Or a bench coach with balls. Someone to get them motivated and back into the game. Someone to give them a kick up the arse at the end of the first - we still had a chance at 2, but the third goes in and its lights out. They needed some inspiration, and while having Doug there may or may not have done it, there was nobody on that bench (that includes Abel, Simms, Baldwin (A?)) who was willing to do it.

It would also have been nice for the players to look like they cared. Once the third went in, it was like watching a rec team, wayward passes, skating into trouble, players thinking they can do it all themselves...it was amateurish. Passion went, commitment went, desire went...scratch that, the desire went after the second. If the players don't care, why should the fans?

AND FINALLY:
Last night myself and Tom got some abuse from fans - not at the game - who dared to question what we were seeing. I wasn't being particularly negative at the end of the first - just said that some of the basics were lacking. I was more critical in the second, naturally, because we were awful. Some people thought that it was okay to call us out, call out our hockey knowledge, question our support of the team. To you, I say the following:

I can't speak for Tom, but there's only one person I do this for: myself. I love writing, and I love hockey. I love the Steelers, but I'm not an idiot. I know what is good hockey and what is bad hockey. I'm not going to say something's good when its bad, and vice versa. I'm not going to sugar coat things for you so they make good reading for your orange coloured spectacles. I say it how it is. If you don't like what I put on here, or on Twitter, stop following us. Its that simple. I'm not in it for the popularity.

And for anyone to call Tom out, when he provides updates at every game he goes to, for no payment, is ludicrous. The lad has been going to games since he has been able to walk. He knows what hockey is all about. Sheer madness.

Lets hope the boys turn it around tonight. I can't wait for a coach to be announced though. We need some direction - in all quarters.

Cheers

Liam
@IAmMcCausland
@FrozenSteelBlog
@TomWalkeden
@AwkwardGinge