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Post by Lord of the Rinks on Mar 26, 2014 20:39:15 GMT
Lee's shot hit the post, I sit in B9 row B and had a clear view. You have to think that Kalus thought he scored the winning penalty shot the way he was celebrating, maybe he forgot the Belfast had one left. Salters hit on the gnomes bottom (Elfring) was a peach. Ryans hit on Keefe was also very good, but to call it for elbows was harsh, but could it have been called a check to the head with our referees. Credit to Keefe and Elfring, they did not moan about them, everything else, but not the hits. Good to hear most of the fans getting behind the team and making some noise. There was some off the play stuff going on, Sandrock had a slash at Boxy as he skated past him. A great night that's up there with the best ones I have seen.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2014 20:45:41 GMT
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Post by cooperphil156 on Mar 26, 2014 20:50:34 GMT
Good stuff. However I would give a lot of credit to Eric Werner for the goal- how often does the puck go loose and nobody follows it in?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2014 20:53:47 GMT
You have to think that Kalus thought he scored the winning penalty shot the way he was celebrating, maybe he forgot the Belfast had one left. Yeah I got exactly the same impression. He turned round celebrating and must have wondered why everyone wasn't skating towards him going bonkers. Not sure they teach the rules back in his hiomeland......
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Dan
Forum Admin
Boss
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Post by Dan on Mar 26, 2014 21:29:43 GMT
Any highlights?
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Post by pantherdman on Mar 26, 2014 21:43:12 GMT
Epic game, panthers greatest achievement yet. I thought we still had a chance going in, albeit a very slim one. Corey's tactics were spot on, taking a slightly more methodical, covered attack rather than the usual gung-ho all out attack which often leaves us exposed.
Everything was great about the game, for the first time since early season every player turned up and we attacked and defended as a unit with a clear plan. The home fans were loud. The refs let big legal checks go and the game flow.
Not sure where performances like this have been all season? If we'd have played like that all season we would be there or there abouts.
Bravo Corey and bravo the team. Maybe we should re paint the ice for the play offs at Christmas time.
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Pies
Forum Moderator
Reluctant Chief of ITK
Posts: 4,879
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Post by Pies on Mar 26, 2014 21:54:31 GMT
It's amazing to see some fans are really trying to be little the challenge cup. Steel talk has a thread about if the challenge cup is worth winning and ways to revamp it. Clearly when you have time on your hands not celebrating winning trophies, it becomes easy to think of ways to put other teams achievements. The Challenge cup is always worth winning. Winning is a habit, one we're very lucky to have. If we hadn't have won the last 4 challenge cups or 3 playoffs, our coach may not have got a plan together to win last night. 100% no Steelers fan would see their team win that cup and say "it's a mickey mouse cup, I'm not celebrating it"
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gump
Pat Casey
Posts: 348
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Post by gump on Mar 26, 2014 21:59:07 GMT
Well executed game plan where the team played to their strengths. Hopefully we have something left in the tank for thursday as the team has played a lot of games in the past 7 days.
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 26, 2014 22:06:28 GMT
You have to think that Kalus thought he scored the winning penalty shot the way he was celebrating, maybe he forgot the Belfast had one left. Yeah I got exactly the same impression. He turned round celebrating and must have wondered why everyone wasn't skating towards him going bonkers. Not sure they teach the rules back in his hiomeland...... It was done on purpose right in front of the Belfast bench to add pressure on their last penalty taker I think. He isn't daft and it certainly helped.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2014 22:34:49 GMT
Yeah I got exactly the same impression. He turned round celebrating and must have wondered why everyone wasn't skating towards him going bonkers. Not sure they teach the rules back in his hiomeland...... It was done on purpose right in front of the Belfast bench to add pressure on their last penalty taker I think. He isn't daft and it certainly helped. I dunno, it's his first ever trophy & he seemed well pumped at every goal. I'm sure he thought that was that with his pen.
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 26, 2014 22:54:43 GMT
It was done on purpose right in front of the Belfast bench to add pressure on their last penalty taker I think. He isn't daft and it certainly helped. I dunno, it's his first ever trophy & he seemed well pumped at every goal. I'm sure he thought that was that with his pen. The entire Belfast bench looked dumbstruck lol
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2014 23:42:17 GMT
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Shaggy
Forum Moderator
Am I a cynical idealist or an idealistic cynic?
Posts: 10,995
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Post by Shaggy on Mar 26, 2014 23:47:02 GMT
Am I the only one who is still struck by a sense of unreality about this whole thing? To be honest, I'm not sure that it's going to sink in until the game starts tomorrow night... when we're fully back in hockey mode... That was one hell of a game, and played by two teams who went at it hammer and tongs... I've not bothered looking on KOTG ( ) but no doubt there are some on there claiming that the Giants played badly, didn't want it, or whatever. If so, they couldn't be more wrong... that was a dangerous Belfast team we saw last night, and they took it to us with a passion. Let us make no mistake here... that was not a victory over a poor team or one that wasn't playing at 100%... that was a victory over a fast, skilled and well-drilled team who were rightly confident in their own abilities. In other words, it was hard-fought and well won. Like almost everyone on here, I'm no hockey coach - wouldn't know where to start, to be honest. But it strikes me that there were two factors in last night's victory that can be put down to superior coaching (and, obviously, the players carrying it out!). Firstly, the physicality. I absolutely love a good, hard-hitting game - no cheap shots, no dangerous hits (they're just not needed) - a game where massive clean hits are thrown time and again. And we had some beauties last night. But Belfast didn't deliver much on that front... the Panthers did, and that helped to throw the Giants off their stride just that little bit. Salters' launching of Elfring almost into orbit was possibly the highlight of such, but far from the only one. It's a well-known tactic, but not one that is used anywhere near as often as I'd like... but we got it last night. Secondly, the pacing. How many times did we see the Panthers players consciously slowing the game down? Keeping it in our zone, passing back and forth between D-men... pass, pass, pass, pass... hang on, that's not how the Panthers normally play is it? Where was the all-out howling assault, the frantic dump & charge, the endless attack attack attack? Oh, there was some of that... but a hell of a lot less than I was expecting - and, I think, than Adey and the Giants were expecting. That had to have thrown them. Far fewer gaps for them to exploit (and is there any team in the league this year better at exploiting gaps than the Giants? - well, apart from the Panthers of course!). Adey's a good coach, no doubt... but he got out-coached by the Neilson/Strachan tag-team last night. Still got to worry about Brandon Benedict... how much must his right hand have been hurting by the end of the game, that he had to do the handshakes at the end very awkwardly with his left hand? I have a horrible suspicion that we might not be seeing him on the ice tomorrow... 5 years running. Nope... still hasn't sunk in!
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Post by panthertom93 on Mar 26, 2014 23:56:03 GMT
Am I the only one who is still struck by a sense of unreality about this whole thing? To be honest, I'm not sure that it's going to sink in until the game starts tomorrow night... when we're fully back in hockey mode... That was one hell of a game, and played by two teams who went at it hammer and tongs... I've not bothered looking on KOTG ( ) but no doubt there are some on there claiming that the Giants played badly, didn't want it, or whatever. If so, they couldn't be more wrong... that was a dangerous Belfast team we saw last night, and they took it to us with a passion. Let us make no mistake here... that was not a victory over a poor team or one that wasn't playing at 100%... that was a victory over a fast, skilled and well-drilled team who were rightly confident in their own abilities. In other words, it was hard-fought and well won. Like almost everyone on here, I'm no hockey coach - wouldn't know where to start, to be honest. But it strikes me that there were two factors in last night's victory that can be put down to superior coaching (and, obviously, the players carrying it out!). Firstly, the physicality. I absolutely love a good, hard-hitting game - no cheap shots, no dangerous hits (they're just not needed) - a game where massive clean hits are thrown time and again. And we had some beauties last night. But Belfast didn't deliver much on that front... the Panthers did, and that helped to throw the Giants off their stride just that little bit. Salters' launching of Elfring almost into orbit was possibly the highlight of such, but far from the only one. It's a well-known tactic, but not one that is used anywhere near as often as I'd like... but we got it last night. Secondly, the pacing. How many times did we see the Panthers players consciously slowing the game down? Keeping it in our zone, passing back and forth between D-men... pass, pass, pass, pass... hang on, that's not how the Panthers normally play is it? Where was the all-out howling assault, the frantic dump & charge, the endless attack attack attack? Oh, there was some of that... but a hell of a lot less than I was expecting - and, I think, than Adey and the Giants were expecting. That had to have thrown them. Far fewer gaps for them to exploit (and is there any team in the league this year better at exploiting gaps than the Giants? - well, apart from the Panthers of course!). Adey's a good coach, no doubt... but he got out-coached by the Neilson/Strachan tag-team last night. Still got to worry about Brandon Benedict... how much must his right hand have been hurting by the end of the game, that he had to do the handshakes at the end very awkwardly with his left hand? I have a horrible suspicion that we might not be seeing him on the ice tomorrow... 5 years running. Nope... still hasn't sunk in! Spot on. The reason we've won the cup and they've won the league is simple. They are the most solid team this year, hats off to them. But we've shown we can beat them by playing by that tactic. But it's just not possible to play 60+ games at that intensity all year. We used it in the right game at the right time and won a trophy.
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5+game
Terry Kurtenbach
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Post by 5+game on Mar 27, 2014 8:59:44 GMT
Of course the conference trophy is more important to them, they had to buy it remember. wise up at least we don't charge £5 per head to get a photo with a trophy no need to wise up what I said is true the giants did buy the trophy and so did the clan. Oh and the £5 charge is for a professional printed mounted photo, but lets not let facts get in the way of a good old Panther bashing hay. Even your own players have discounted the conference trophy as they refere to the fact they were after their second cup now they just have the playoffs to win.
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Post by panthersdave on Mar 27, 2014 9:20:34 GMT
Listen to one of the interviews on KOTG, Im sure Lloyd or Elfring say something like "there was 3 trophies to play for now we just got to make sure we get 2"
Sounds to me like wven the players dont acknowledge the 'mickey mouse' conference trophies.
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Post by claretgiant on Mar 27, 2014 10:04:09 GMT
wise up at least we don't charge £5 per head to get a photo with a trophy no need to wise up what I said is true the giants did buy the trophy and so did the clan. Oh and the £5 charge is for a professional printed mounted photo, but lets not let facts get in the way of a good old Panther bashing hay. Even your own players have discounted the conference trophy as they refere to the fact they were after their second cup now they just have the playoffs to win. Posted by panthersdave 41 minutes ago . Listen to one of the interviews on KOTG, Im sure Lloyd or Elfring say something like "there was 3 trophies to play for now we just got to make sure we get 2" Sounds to me like wven the players dont acknowledge the 'mickey mouse' conference trophies the winners of the first conference were asked to buy a trophy, and that trophy would then be the excepted trophy to whoever the winners were thereafter, or is the real reason that because the Panthers didn't buy it makes it mickey mouse does it?....like you said don't let facts get in the way of a good old Giants bashing opportunity eh
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Post by panthersdave on Mar 27, 2014 10:09:49 GMT
no need to wise up what I said is true the giants did buy the trophy and so did the clan. Oh and the £5 charge is for a professional printed mounted photo, but lets not let facts get in the way of a good old Panther bashing hay. Even your own players have discounted the conference trophy as they refere to the fact they were after their second cup now they just have the playoffs to win. Posted by panthersdave 41 minutes ago . Listen to one of the interviews on KOTG, Im sure Lloyd or Elfring say something like "there was 3 trophies to play for now we just got to make sure we get 2" Sounds to me like wven the players dont acknowledge the 'mickey mouse' conference trophies the winners of the first conference were asked to buy a trophy, and that trophy would then be the excepted trophy to whoever the winners were thereafter, or is the real reason that because the Panthers didn't buy it makes it mickey mouse does it?....like you said don't let facts get in the way of a good old Giants bashing opportunity eh No Im just quoting what one of YOUR players said. To clarify, certain fan bases refer to the challenge cup as 'mickey mouse' usually because they havent won it. Your players didnt even acknowledge the conference as a competition so surely that makes it more 'mickey mouse' than the cup.
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Post by ted logan on Mar 27, 2014 10:28:06 GMT
Don't forget that the Giants fans favourite Panthers bashing song at POFW was always "Have You Ever Seen The Panthers Win The League". Obviously at the last POFW this was (not very) subtlely changed to "Have You Ever Seen The Panthers Win The Conference". So despite the fact their own players (Jeff Mason on the BBC footage said they still hope to win 2 out of the 3 trophies) clearly disregard/ignore the Conference title, for the fans it still counts because the Panthers haven't won it. So there
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BigLad
David Clarke
TWITTER: @AntMJ11
Posts: 3,585
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Post by BigLad on Mar 27, 2014 10:42:07 GMT
If DC had scored that empty netter against Sheffield last season there'd be no arguments full stop.
It's all DC's fault! lol
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5+game
Terry Kurtenbach
Posts: 2,974
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Post by 5+game on Mar 27, 2014 11:28:08 GMT
no need to wise up what I said is true the giants did buy the trophy and so did the clan. Oh and the £5 charge is for a professional printed mounted photo, but lets not let facts get in the way of a good old Panther bashing hay. Even your own players have discounted the conference trophy as they refere to the fact they were after their second cup now they just have the playoffs to win. Posted by panthersdave 41 minutes ago . Listen to one of the interviews on KOTG, Im sure Lloyd or Elfring say something like "there was 3 trophies to play for now we just got to make sure we get 2" Sounds to me like wven the players dont acknowledge the 'mickey mouse' conference trophies the winners of the first conference were asked to buy a trophy, and that trophy would then be the excepted trophy to whoever the winners were thereafter, or is the real reason that because the Panthers didn't buy it makes it mickey mouse does it?....like you said don't let facts get in the way of a good old Giants bashing opportunity eh Just point me towards the bit where I am bashing the Giants. yet again I will spell it out for you giants fans. What I have said is true the Giants did buy the conference trophy you have now admitted this and your own players do not mention the conference win when being interviewed so please tell me how this is Giant Bashing.
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Post by kaner88 on Mar 27, 2014 12:31:15 GMT
Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things if giants fans want to claim it as a major trophy who cares. Same as some questioning the prestige of the CC it doesnt really matter what they think about it as you can tell by the reactions of both teams to the win/loss it means alot.
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Lawman
Pat Casey
Stretford End King
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Post by Lawman on Mar 27, 2014 14:00:03 GMT
If the challenge cup is not worth bothering about why did Belfast get a very big attendance for the final at home which I think was over 6000 and yet there average home gates are only about 4000.I will tell you why,because 6000 fans did really want to win it only you cannot admit it
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Post by ted logan on Mar 27, 2014 14:34:31 GMT
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Post by loveday on Mar 27, 2014 14:44:28 GMT
At the end of the day there are only 3 trophies (Cups) that ALL 10 Elite League teams can win each season.
There are then 2 Conference titles that teams can win. 5 Teams can win one and the other 5 Teams can win the other. All 10 Teams cannot win them both.
Therefore the Grand Slam is therefore the 3 trophies/cups that ALL 10 Teams can win.
To win a Conference title as well as the 3 Cups is just an added bonus..
Maybe next year one team May do it..time will tell..
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