Welcome to this week's Hockey Soapbox.
On the panel this week are your Editor Mark, plus contributions from Eric, Fay, Nathan and George. What's on their respective minds this week? Read on and find out..
1. Five Words On Saturday
2. Five Words On Sunday
3. Does Brad Day need to leave the Steelers to improve as a netminder?
Eric: I don’t think Brad does need to leave, No!
Mark: I don't want to sound cruel to the guy, but yes. Brad has obviously learnt more in his time here and has developed into a good solid back-up. However, if he wants to progress further then he needs regular ice time elsewhere. But with the absence of the EPL these days; where will he get it? He's too good for the NIHL but not for a starters role in the EIHL so he is at a bit of a crossroads. If I was him, I'd have a good hard think over the summer.
George: Brad could certainly do with a move to an EPL side, as there is no way he will start over moose. Moose is too high in terms of his ability. Brad needs confidence. Without confidence you underperform. He would fit in with someone like the Steeldogs. We need a more consistent back up.
Nathan: Yes he does. Brad obviously has talent and is an able back up but throwing him on for 10 minutes when the team is 7 or 8 up is one thing, he needs ice time and he ain’t gonna get it here. Why did he not play all the game vs Caps? I personally don’t believe he’s good enough to be a starter, not in the EIHL anyway. Drop down a level to the NIHL and he’ll be more than capable. He’s going to ask himself the question, “Do I want to play or am I happy being the door opener for the rest of my career?”
4. Was pre-season too long this season?
Fay: No, I like a good stretch of friendlies to trial lines etc.
Mark: For me, it was. Granted it helped the team gel more and used to each other's style of play when you overhaul a lot of the imports. But I just felt it was 2 or 3 games too much. Six games would be the maximum pre-season games I'd play.
George: Not really. They are athletes at the end of the day. Playing through fatigue is part and parcel of sport.
Nathan: Far too long. 2-4 games is more than enough. Use the early games in the pointless Challenge Cup to tinker with lines and get up to speed.
Eric: I said it earlier in the season. Playing 8 pre season games, I think it was, was 2 to many. In fact Smith said at the fan forum that with hindsight the management also believed it was too many, and that the plan for next season is to reduce the number of games.
Mark: They're good if you make progress but if you do then you possibly run into a fixture pile up and end up playing 3 games a week towards the end of the season. That's not good if you're chasing domestic silverware.
George: We don’t do well in Europe, so yes.
Nathan: For me they are yes. We have no realistic chance of winning the CHL and while it’s nice to see these superior European teams at the arena it pales into insignificance whilst counting the cost of injuries etc and the Continental Cup is just a dinner plate.
Eric: Advocated it for years, these forays were misguided, some would say that playing a better stamp of team is good. I disagree...
6. Who is the most improved player this season?
Eric: That’s a tough question. I don’t think I can name one of the current rosta that has improved consistently! Bad, I know, but this team has consistently be inconsistent. My opinion, the inconstancy of this team is born from the inconsistency of all the players..
Fay: I think when we brought Jรคmtin in, he made a great partnership with Wallace especially on the PK. But most improved I’d say are Kirk/Shudra/Brown now they’re getting the ice time they deserve. Think back to when Shudra was getting put on D and how we felt about it, compared to his performance now.
Mark: I would say Liam Kirk, given the increased ice time he's showing how good he really is. Definitely on course in my eyes to be the first Brit to be drafted into the NHL since Shieldsy was by the Flyers in 2000.
George: Liam Kirk. Started with no confidence and is ending it with nearly 20 points. Get him drafted.
Nathan: Probably Scott Aarssen for me. I don’t think he’s all that to be honest but I’m struggling to think of anyone else. Shudra perhaps? Once the greatest coach in the universe actually started playing him in his correct position.
Lost against a good side
GWG
Should Not Have Stood
Saturday night controversy in Belfast
Was Tom Darnell to blame?
Everyone talking about refs again
2. Five Words On Sunday
Win
Against Severely Depleted Flyers
A rout versus injured opponents
Good
win, weakened Fife team.
Dominant against short benched Fife
Beat a short handed side
3. Does Brad Day need to leave the Steelers to improve as a netminder?
Eric: I don’t think Brad does need to leave, No!
Brad is a cracking back up net minder and he has never let
us down. If he moves I feel he would get more ice time, yes! But saying that he would still be a back up netminder if he
stayed in the EIHL.
The only way he will get the ice time is if he moves down.
Now I don’t think he wants that. No he needs to stay and hope coach Thompson
does give him more ice against cross conference teams. So I suppose it’s a rock
or a hard place for him. Hope coach does realise he is capable against cross
conference and plays him or play lower league hockey. Either way not good for
the guy.
Fay: Whilst Moose is here, yes. I don’t know the
system and whatever but there’s times where I’ve felt it would be a great
opportunity to get a full game in and he isn’t used. Mark: I don't want to sound cruel to the guy, but yes. Brad has obviously learnt more in his time here and has developed into a good solid back-up. However, if he wants to progress further then he needs regular ice time elsewhere. But with the absence of the EPL these days; where will he get it? He's too good for the NIHL but not for a starters role in the EIHL so he is at a bit of a crossroads. If I was him, I'd have a good hard think over the summer.
George: Brad could certainly do with a move to an EPL side, as there is no way he will start over moose. Moose is too high in terms of his ability. Brad needs confidence. Without confidence you underperform. He would fit in with someone like the Steeldogs. We need a more consistent back up.
Nathan: Yes he does. Brad obviously has talent and is an able back up but throwing him on for 10 minutes when the team is 7 or 8 up is one thing, he needs ice time and he ain’t gonna get it here. Why did he not play all the game vs Caps? I personally don’t believe he’s good enough to be a starter, not in the EIHL anyway. Drop down a level to the NIHL and he’ll be more than capable. He’s going to ask himself the question, “Do I want to play or am I happy being the door opener for the rest of my career?”
4. Was pre-season too long this season?
Fay: No, I like a good stretch of friendlies to trial lines etc.
Mark: For me, it was. Granted it helped the team gel more and used to each other's style of play when you overhaul a lot of the imports. But I just felt it was 2 or 3 games too much. Six games would be the maximum pre-season games I'd play.
George: Not really. They are athletes at the end of the day. Playing through fatigue is part and parcel of sport.
Nathan: Far too long. 2-4 games is more than enough. Use the early games in the pointless Challenge Cup to tinker with lines and get up to speed.
Eric: I said it earlier in the season. Playing 8 pre season games, I think it was, was 2 to many. In fact Smith said at the fan forum that with hindsight the management also believed it was too many, and that the plan for next season is to reduce the number of games.
Mark: They're good if you make progress but if you do then you possibly run into a fixture pile up and end up playing 3 games a week towards the end of the season. That's not good if you're chasing domestic silverware.
George: We don’t do well in Europe, so yes.
Nathan: For me they are yes. We have no realistic chance of winning the CHL and while it’s nice to see these superior European teams at the arena it pales into insignificance whilst counting the cost of injuries etc and the Continental Cup is just a dinner plate.
Eric: Advocated it for years, these forays were misguided, some would say that playing a better stamp of team is good. I disagree...
I said the same last season and the season before. The cons (injuries, expenditure, longer season, more games, whipping boys at this level
etc.) far outweigh the pros. Nottingham and us have found that out, these forays
have not been followed up with success in the league.
Fay: Love the European away trips, I think with the
additional games it’s tough on teams. Distraction probably the wrong word for
it but it’s definitely a challenge to try and be successful in these cups
whilst competing domestically too. 6. Who is the most improved player this season?
Eric: That’s a tough question. I don’t think I can name one of the current rosta that has improved consistently! Bad, I know, but this team has consistently be inconsistent. My opinion, the inconstancy of this team is born from the inconsistency of all the players..
Fay: I think when we brought Jรคmtin in, he made a great partnership with Wallace especially on the PK. But most improved I’d say are Kirk/Shudra/Brown now they’re getting the ice time they deserve. Think back to when Shudra was getting put on D and how we felt about it, compared to his performance now.
Mark: I would say Liam Kirk, given the increased ice time he's showing how good he really is. Definitely on course in my eyes to be the first Brit to be drafted into the NHL since Shieldsy was by the Flyers in 2000.
George: Liam Kirk. Started with no confidence and is ending it with nearly 20 points. Get him drafted.
Nathan: Probably Scott Aarssen for me. I don’t think he’s all that to be honest but I’m struggling to think of anyone else. Shudra perhaps? Once the greatest coach in the universe actually started playing him in his correct position.
And that's the Soapbox for this week. Join us for more next time.
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