Corey Neilson On The Elite League Show

[Shaggy]

Mar 19, 2012 22:44:32 GMT kezypanther said:

Very much agree with that Shaggy. Although I think the fact still remains no one will be confident no matter what the game if Green is in nets which is unfortunate.

Agreed - right or wrong, his reputation has taken a real battering. Whether he will be on the squad next season, I don't know... wouldn't care to judge, to be honest. For a start - if Green gets the boot - who out there is a) better, and b) available? Bearing in mind that most young British netminders of sufficient quality would probably prefer to be starting netminder for an EPL team than door-opener for an EIHL team.

[Shorty]

Mar 19, 2012 11:14:50 GMT yeti said:

I think Coventry were lucky when they played us in two of the league games. One was the 7-6 lost with Dan Green in the nets. There is no way Kwall would of let 7 in. The other was when our league challenge was over and we had the emotional game against Fife the night before and one eye on a cup final.

The Dundee game was also a nothing game that if it meant anything we would of won, Green in nets again.

Of the other regulation losses eight were by one goal. Although the dropped points add up we are not far away from finally getting the league title.

It was a damn sight better than last season where we pants for a good 6 weeks.

How many posts have there been to gas certain players this year. Not many, so I guess most people have been happy with the players that we have.

Not many games I haven't enjoyed this year, even when we have lost they have at least been in the game playing right to the end. Although having young kids means I don't get to away games anymore. From friends that do, the impression I get is that the team plays good hockey most of the time and are in contention to get a win.

The only change I would make is to drop an import forward and get in a top end D-man. Corey has signed plenty of top forwards (exNHL ECT) but not D-men. I'm not having a go at this years D-men either. Keep what we have but add a bit more quality to them. This would also allow Corey to play less minutes. Which I feel would benefit him as well.

Then also have spare imports as well. This should stop the Newcastle syndrone. Don't play well on a Tuesday against a lower team then sit out the bigger game at the weekend.

We would then need to sign one more good Brit to replace the import forward. Try to get someone like Peacock from Giants. Probabily unlikely to be honest. However Farmer from Coventry would be a good fit. Ok he can't fight but he knows where the net is, he's a big lad who gets in where it hurts and has lots of bottle.

Sorry for this post turning into a seminar. Hope it provokes some more thoughts/opinions.

I think you are bang on the money with this. Similar to some of my posts throughout the season.

It is frustrating that we don't win the league, but there are signs that it might happen.

People should remember that Lee and Lacho, who are two important players for us, are still very young. Lacho is actually older than Lee at 22, with Lee to hit that age at the start of the new season. They are improving season upon season, and as long as we can keep hold of them, will be masive players for us.

[lee]

people seem to forget how young Lee is. i really rate him, a couple more years and he will be way better than Weaver and Meyers. I think. his mid ice hits (when they connect) are a thing of beauty, he'll stand up for himself and once he lessens the mistakes he'll be a real asset.

Lee and Lacho have to be kept hold of.

i'd start looking at shipping out Myers, Levers, Clarke personally, over the next few years and bring in their potential replacements.

Trade myers for Dowd any day of the week.

[slapshot]

Yeti, how's this for thought provoking then?

Every year we seem to play more games than everybody else at the start of the season, so that we are always top of the league for a good while. Of course we lose a couple of games we shouldn't in this period, but it doesn't seem to matter because we are still top. Other teams then catch and overhaul us when they play their games in hand, probably because they know what they have to do to do so. This seems to have happened for a good many years now ..... but perhaps I am just clutching at another excuse for not winning the league!

I don't think it is the main reason for us not winning the league but perhaps we should try playing fewer games at the start of the season and see what happens (I know, I know ... ice availability will be thrown in here but others seem to manage OK!).

[BlogFromBlock15!]

We don't win the league because there is too much playing in 2nd gear against the Dundee's etc so that when we come across the Coventry's etc we are not 100% in the right frame of mind.

We are not ruthless enough on ice and that will not change whilst Corey remains in charge despite the success he has helped achieve over the last few seasons.

[jester]

Mar 20, 2012 10:54:50 GMT slapshot said:

Yeti, how's this for thought provoking then?

Every year we seem to play more games than everybody else at the start of the season, so that we are always top of the league for a good while. Of course we lose a couple of games we shouldn't in this period, but it doesn't seem to matter because we are still top. Other teams then catch and overhaul us when they play their games in hand, probably because they know what they have to do to do so. This seems to have happened for a good many years now ..... but perhaps I am just clutching at another excuse for not winning the league!

I don't think it is the main reason for us not winning the league but perhaps we should try playing fewer games at the start of the season and see what happens (I know, I know ... ice availability will be thrown in here but others seem to manage OK!).

Thats not the case this season as the Giants led the league for 92 of the 95 days

[Yotes]

95 days?

[jester]

Mar 20, 2012 11:54:14 GMT Yotes said:

95 days?

Sounds odd i know but it means that when the table is updated etc oout of 95 days the giants were at the top for 92 days of that.
Does that make sense

[Yotes]

Yeah I guess, so there've been 95 separate game days presumably.

I'm a bit surprised, like the earlier poster I seem to remember us playing a lot before some teams started, and we always start well, but I guess that didn't apply to Belfast.

On the topic of the thread, it's not really a time for the discussion, with games still to play, but it's quotes like this that make me hope this is Neilson's last stand. Firstly, as others have pointed out, it's not the reason we've lost the league this year because we have won the vast majority of those games against the "lesser" teams. A big game team probably wouldn't ship 3 in 7 minutes to lose that game against the Giants. Further though he's had 4 years, and a prop-up from Strachs, and he still doesn't know why we don't win. We just get a throw away fluff line, might as well just have shrugged his shoulders and "Dunno, Simmsy".

I fully expect him to return though, and for the vast majority on here to be as delighted about that as they were last year. What was it Einstein said about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

[yeti]

Slapshot. I agree with you to a certain extent with this. Also we always have a crazy schedule around Christmas. We did well this year over Christmas apart from the last game of the run of 7 games in 14 days when we lost away in Braehead.
Is this Christmas schedule down to ice availability or how much cash we can get from fans who are on holiday when the weathers crap and it's dark and there's not much to do.
One for you Tex to ponder over.

[texpef]

think we all know the answer to that one Andrew...

[ted logan]

Mar 20, 2012 12:25:11 GMT yeti said:

Slapshot. I agree with you to a certain extent with this. Also we always have a crazy schedule around Christmas. We did well this year over Christmas apart from the last game of the run of 7 games in 14 days when we lost away in Braehead.
Is this Christmas schedule down to ice availability or how much cash we can get from fans who are on holiday when the weathers crap and it's dark and there's not much to do.
One for you Tex to ponder over.

kerching ££££££££££££££££££££££££

[BlogFromBlock15!]

Mar 20, 2012 12:13:26 GMT Yotes said:

Yeah I guess, so there've been 95 separate game days presumably.

I'm a bit surprised, like the earlier poster I seem to remember us playing a lot before some teams started, and we always start well, but I guess that didn't apply to Belfast.

On the topic of the thread, it's not really a time for the discussion, with games still to play, but it's quotes like this that make me hope this is Neilson's last stand. Firstly, as others have pointed out, it's not the reason we've lost the league this year because we have won the vast majority of those games against the "lesser" teams. A big game team probably wouldn't ship 3 in 7 minutes to lose that game against the Giants. Further though he's had 4 years, and a prop-up from Strachs, and he still doesn't know why we don't win. We just get a throw away fluff line, might as well just have shrugged his shoulders and "Dunno, Simmsy".

I fully expect him to return though, and for the vast majority on here to be as delighted about that as they were last year. What was it Einstein said about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

+1 and this was easily the best post I have read in quite some time.

[Shorty]

Mar 20, 2012 12:13:26 GMT Yotes said:

What was it Einstein said about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

;D - the same can be said about so many posters on here!

[slapshot]

Is it too much to hope that eventually if we keep doing what we are doing, the coach (and the ass (aptly named) coach) will eventually do what they are paid to do - some coaching!!!!! With Neilson's comment about 'Newcastle' has the penny dropped. Doubt it!!!

Awh well, lets hope for another challenge cup again next year!!!!

[iginla]

The main reason Panthers don't win it is because they put all their emphasis on attacking hockey before good defence.
Look which team had the best defence last season, it was Sheffield and they won the league.

Now look which team had the best defence this season, it was Belfast and they won the league.

Enough said !!!!!!!!!

[cooperphil156]

yeti
"Also we always have a crazy schedule around Christmas. We did well this year over Christmas apart from the last game of the run of 7 games in 14 days when we lost away in Braehead."

What about the Steelers run- where they had an incredible number of games in a short space of time after Christmas. You have to admire Finnerty for continually getting results during this time- which we dont seem to do.
I agree with iginla - defence is too vulnerable.

[yeti]

I agree with you Cooperphil and if I was a Sheffield fan then I wouldn't have been happy with their schedule and number of times they played 3 times in a row. They did get some good results but in the end I think they burned out. Which I predicted they would do to Panthermick and others.

You can have good attacting hockey as long as you combine it with good defence. We are too focused on one and not the other, which is why I said we need an extra top end import D-man and one less import forward.

Anyone remember the Aye team that won the Superlegue grand slam. They played 4 lines of attack with 3 good lines of defence and just steamrollered teams. I know we don't have the quality of players or the budget of that team but with 3 good lines of forwards and 3 good lines of defence you could achieve the same in the Elite league.

[BigLad]

Belfast have proven this season that having a good defence doesn't mean you can't attack...

[sambo79]

Maybe Neilson is leaving to be coach of a new Newcastle team next season who have managed to negotiate some mid-week ice time at the arena and therefore he really does need to work out how to win in Newcastle on a Tuesday night.