Look this is not a rant, well actually it is. So sit down with a cup of your choice, whether it be tea or coffee or something else. You might need something a bit more stronger after you've finished reading this piece. If you think I'm flying off the proverbial handle too much then sorry, but as a punter who is there for every home game unless (like this Wednesday) I'm working: I'm allow to say what is off my chest.
Well one thing is becoming more and more apparent, we are in danger in being left behind in the title race and it's only mid-November. Both Nottingham and Cardiff have played around the same number of games as us and at the moment, lie seven points in front of us. That's a fair old gap, and we are even behind the surprise packet known as the Edinburgh Capitals in the league standings. Even the small matter of just eight points separates us from bottom of the table Coventry; and the Blaze have two matches in hand as well. This is alarming reading for us.
Whilst we have the offence to score goals aplenty, it's the defence that is causing the concern and is why our netminding stats are horrible. We cannot simply defend, we have conceded 59 times already and that folks is the 3rd worst in the league behind the Caps and the Storm. Does that have you worried? As a seasoned Steelers fan, it certainly does me. We will be lucky if we finish 5th at this rate unless we start to take our defensive frailties on board and stop the bleeding. It's unravelling everything. Defences win titles, and that's something that the Panthers have sorted. We need to match and exceed that.
I'm not one for pointing the finger, but is Ben (O'Connor) that bit more offensive than this league can handle. I've seen him get caught in possession too many times and out of position when we turn the damn puck over and we are facing an odd man rush and have to rely on either the opposition fluffing it up or the netminder (whoever it is) bailing us out of the crap. I know you like to get forward Ben but for my sanity, and everybody else's too, please remember to not fully neglect your defensive duties.
So has anyone impressed me this season? Well yes and he's one of the new boys. Skate forward with a deserved round of applause, Levi Nelson. The more I see him, the more I like him. He had an injury wrecked season in the ECHL last season but he's already proving a more than useful addition to the roster. He can do everything from score to assist to finishing his checks off with intensity and fairness. Fitzy's doing what Fitzy does best, the stay at home defenceman who looks after his team-mates. The kids love him, and he's such a character on and off ice.
Say what you want but I am still placing my trust in Thommo. Yes the wheels have come off a few times recently, arguably more times than we all would like, but he's been around this game and the EIHL as a whole for a long time. He's seeing a bump in the road and is trying to repair it as best as he can but we can just hope that this does not become a chasm. Like any team sport, this is a results based business and you have to be constantly be on the top of your game to compete. I've seen this all too many times before in hockey and also in football.
I don't think Tony Smith is going to dispense with the services of Thommo, after all Paul is also part of the "new vision" for us with him being General Manager - something I don't think we have ever really had. However he will want us to be higher in the table and challenging for it. That's something we all want. I am sure constructive dialogue is ongoing on a daily basis between these two gentlemen. They will be looking at solutions.
It's time to buck the trend and start going on a win streak; and that means playing for 60 minutes. Play half a game, you will not win a carrot. We have had four regulation wins in just 17 games so far, and that is the main thing that I feel needs to change. Regulation wins (or the lack of them) can be that thin line between winning a title and losing it. Remember 2011, just ask anyone in Cardiff. The squad have it in them, they just need to execute the game plan straight off the bat and stop playing catch up hockey - especially against the Caps. But who said it was going to be easy anyway.
I also fear that despite scoring 14 points in the 15 games he has iced for us so far, Chris Lawrence is going to be the odd man out when Colton Fretter is back completely. Some might say that Mike Duco should be the one that should be sacrificed; but I disagree. Like Nelson, I like Duco's energy when he ices. Plus he's a great one to get under the skin of opponents in the rink rat type of role. Lawrence is a very much a different style of player completely. But who's to know what is going through Thommo's mind as he is the one who has to make the final decision. Someone will be left disappointed that's a given.
And so endeth my mini rant. You might agree, you might disagree but hey that's the wonder of having a personal opinion. If you disagree to some extent, then why not put your opinions in writing. I'll publish it on the blog for you.
So has anyone impressed me this season? Well yes and he's one of the new boys. Skate forward with a deserved round of applause, Levi Nelson. The more I see him, the more I like him. He had an injury wrecked season in the ECHL last season but he's already proving a more than useful addition to the roster. He can do everything from score to assist to finishing his checks off with intensity and fairness. Fitzy's doing what Fitzy does best, the stay at home defenceman who looks after his team-mates. The kids love him, and he's such a character on and off ice.
Say what you want but I am still placing my trust in Thommo. Yes the wheels have come off a few times recently, arguably more times than we all would like, but he's been around this game and the EIHL as a whole for a long time. He's seeing a bump in the road and is trying to repair it as best as he can but we can just hope that this does not become a chasm. Like any team sport, this is a results based business and you have to be constantly be on the top of your game to compete. I've seen this all too many times before in hockey and also in football.
I don't think Tony Smith is going to dispense with the services of Thommo, after all Paul is also part of the "new vision" for us with him being General Manager - something I don't think we have ever really had. However he will want us to be higher in the table and challenging for it. That's something we all want. I am sure constructive dialogue is ongoing on a daily basis between these two gentlemen. They will be looking at solutions.
It's time to buck the trend and start going on a win streak; and that means playing for 60 minutes. Play half a game, you will not win a carrot. We have had four regulation wins in just 17 games so far, and that is the main thing that I feel needs to change. Regulation wins (or the lack of them) can be that thin line between winning a title and losing it. Remember 2011, just ask anyone in Cardiff. The squad have it in them, they just need to execute the game plan straight off the bat and stop playing catch up hockey - especially against the Caps. But who said it was going to be easy anyway.
I also fear that despite scoring 14 points in the 15 games he has iced for us so far, Chris Lawrence is going to be the odd man out when Colton Fretter is back completely. Some might say that Mike Duco should be the one that should be sacrificed; but I disagree. Like Nelson, I like Duco's energy when he ices. Plus he's a great one to get under the skin of opponents in the rink rat type of role. Lawrence is a very much a different style of player completely. But who's to know what is going through Thommo's mind as he is the one who has to make the final decision. Someone will be left disappointed that's a given.
And so endeth my mini rant. You might agree, you might disagree but hey that's the wonder of having a personal opinion. If you disagree to some extent, then why not put your opinions in writing. I'll publish it on the blog for you.
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