titch
Jade Galbraith
Posts: 157 
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Post by titch on Jun 5, 2017 4:36:06 GMT
After seeing the pickups that MKL, Guildford, Storm & Steelers have made and with all the signings that are yet to be made by the teams in the league, it seems that the EIHL is setting up to be the most competitive league season we've ever had.
How do people rate the Panthers chances of ever winning the league again? Players with incredible ability such as Janssen, Mosey, Wiikman, Williams and McGrattan have passed through our team in the last two years without even getting close to the top of the table, we've had players that have been steps above our 'league', we've continued to spend big on a budget without success. How do we realistically win a league that is more competitive than ever?
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Post by NickThePanther44 on Jun 5, 2017 7:00:13 GMT
By being the best. It may be more competitive than ever but a team has to win it and there's no reason that it can't be us.
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nate24
Greg Hadden
Posts: 1,415
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Post by nate24 on Jun 5, 2017 7:13:55 GMT
By being the best. It may be more competitive than ever but a team has to win it and there's no reason that it can't be us. GM, CN, NB and a desire to fill coffers rather than trophy cabinets. |
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Post by Kovalchuk17 on Jun 5, 2017 7:14:20 GMT
You look at any team that wins the league and it's built by chemistry and consistency throughout the lines. The last time we put out consistent lines, we won the lot.
Also a balanced squad, not too heavy on similar types of players. You need a handful of skilled guys, gritty guys, tougher guys, defensively minded guys & offensively minded guys.
Last season we had too many 'gritty' guys who specialised in grinding out games... we never had a handful of guys who could add another dimension to the game, make a play out of nothing or grab an opportunist goal - the kind Mathieu Roy or Joey Martin could pop up and do.
Finally the same old tactics. The Neilson power play has done the same move for the past decade with consistently poor results... set it up, get the two guys on the blue line to pass back and forth until one shoots (looking for the net rather than getting a stick tip).
Tactics like that are bread and butter for experienced EIHL coaches to soak up.
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Post by NickThePanther44 on Jun 5, 2017 8:11:59 GMT
By being the best. It may be more competitive than ever but a team has to win it and there's no reason that it can't be us. GM, CN, NB and a desire to fill coffers rather than trophy cabinets. That's business for you. We all sit here in shock when team after team go under yet whinge like little girls when our owner ensures that we're financially stable. |
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Post by ted logan on Jun 5, 2017 9:56:24 GMT
GM, CN, NB and a desire to fill coffers rather than trophy cabinets. That's business for you. We all sit here in shock when team after team go under yet whinge like little girls when our owner ensures that we're financially stable. I get what your saying but surely there is a balance to be had? Yes, make a profit, NB is a businessman first and a fan second. Yes, be financially stable, NB has certainly achieved that since he took over and we moved into the NIC. Having said that, one league title and one (distant) runners up spot is a woeful return. We should be competing for top spot way more than that. Mid table finishes have become the norm and the fans deserve more. |
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Pies
Forum Moderator 
Reluctant Chief of ITK
Posts: 4,879
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Post by Pies on Jun 5, 2017 10:32:26 GMT
It's not like the trophy cabinet has been Barron very often l is it though?
Yes no where near enough league titles but plenty of success to shout about and hopefully a good run at a league title this year
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Post by spik on Jun 5, 2017 11:31:32 GMT
Another way of looking at it. Would Edinburgh be happy knowing they are stable with last written on their CV every year? Also to be hard line the other way round.Sheffield, Cardiff recently and others have had league success as they apply themselves differently.
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nate24
Greg Hadden
Posts: 1,415
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Post by nate24 on Jun 5, 2017 12:13:44 GMT
GM, CN, NB and a desire to fill coffers rather than trophy cabinets. That's business for you. We all sit here in shock when team after team go under yet whinge like little girls when our owner ensures that we're financially stable. I didn't say it wasn't but that is what stops us competing with any regularity. |
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Post by ted logan on Jun 5, 2017 12:52:24 GMT
It's not like the trophy cabinet has been Barron very often l is it though? Yes no where near enough league titles but plenty of success to shout about and hopefully a good run at a league title this year No, we've won cups and play offs of course but the question posed by the OP was about league success (or lack of). Taking the league in isolation, our record sucks. |
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Jun 5, 2017 13:28:18 GMT
Winning the CC and Playoffs amounts to three games for each (1/4 final is two legs) so if you are happy with that then alls well I guess.
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Jun 5, 2017 13:43:31 GMT
It's not like the trophy cabinet has been Barron very often l is it though? Yes no where near enough league titles but plenty of success to shout about and hopefully a good run at a league title this year No, we've won cups and play offs of course but the question posed by the OP was about league success (or lack of). Taking the league in isolation, our record sucks. It only sucks if they were intending to win it in the first place. If they wanted to win the league they could but last year it was patently obvious that it wasn't important at all with injury problems and a disasterous run of losses and nothing was done even though we had bigger crowds than ever before. |
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Post by PantherB on Jun 5, 2017 14:11:51 GMT
Impossible to rate our chances whilst we have 13 players (5 imports,EZ being one).
Storm have a bigger budget, they're bringing in players to reflect that but they will have to offset the former NHL'ers with young, 1, 2 year pro guys. They'll be better this season, but not quite league contenders just yet.
MK have a decent roster, Doucet makes any team that bit stronger. Besides him, there's no real standouts. Nickerson isn't special.
Guildford's best player is Ratchuk, the rest are essentially EPL quality.
Steelers spend big every year, just like Cardiff. It should never come as a surprise to see those two signing big names, long CV's.
We've got until around 24th July to sign the North American's if we want them in for training camp (12th August). So long as they're not idiots and are pressured to get their crap sorted quickly, unlike in previous years, then there should be no issues in getting them in for the start of camp. European Passport holders have a bit longer obviously. We have 7 weeks. 48 days. I'm not worrying just yet.
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iginla
Chick Zamick
Posts: 13,464
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Post by iginla on Jun 5, 2017 20:09:19 GMT
Until Panthers put winning before anything else,recruit properly,sign committed players,build the team properly and become proactive rather than being very slow at being reactive,then we won't win the league again.
There are still only five teams that can win it,Steelers,Giants,Devils,Clan and Panthers......the rest are merely making up the numbers.
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Post by Kovalchuk17 on Jun 5, 2017 20:43:23 GMT
Impossible to rate our chances whilst we have 13 players (5 imports,EZ being one). Storm have a bigger budget, they're bringing in players to reflect that but they will have to offset the former NHL'ers with young, 1, 2 year pro guys. They'll be better this season, but not quite league contenders just yet. MK have a decent roster, Doucet makes any team that bit stronger. Besides him, there's no real standouts. Nickerson isn't special. Guildford's best player is Ratchuk, the rest are essentially EPL quality. Steelers spend big every year, just like Cardiff. It should never come as a surprise to see those two signing big names, long CV's. We've got until around 24th July to sign the North American's if we want them in for training camp (12th August). So long as they're not idiots and are pressured to get their crap sorted quickly, unlike in previous years, then there should be no issues in getting them in for the start of camp. European Passport holders have a bit longer obviously. We have 7 weeks. 48 days. I'm not worrying just yet. The Storm have a bigger budget than Panthers? Looks to me more like Finner is putting together a solid team, some top signings but lack of depth (basically the same as Braehead with a great 1st line and then it dwindles). |
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Post by PantherB on Jun 6, 2017 15:03:02 GMT
Impossible to rate our chances whilst we have 13 players (5 imports,EZ being one). Storm have a bigger budget, they're bringing in players to reflect that but they will have to offset the former NHL'ers with young, 1, 2 year pro guys. They'll be better this season, but not quite league contenders just yet. MK have a decent roster, Doucet makes any team that bit stronger. Besides him, there's no real standouts. Nickerson isn't special. Guildford's best player is Ratchuk, the rest are essentially EPL quality. Steelers spend big every year, just like Cardiff. It should never come as a surprise to see those two signing big names, long CV's. We've got until around 24th July to sign the North American's if we want them in for training camp (12th August). So long as they're not idiots and are pressured to get their crap sorted quickly, unlike in previous years, then there should be no issues in getting them in for the start of camp. European Passport holders have a bit longer obviously. We have 7 weeks. 48 days. I'm not worrying just yet. The Storm have a bigger budget than Panthers? Looks to me more like Finner is putting together a solid team, some top signings but lack of depth (basically the same as Braehead with a great 1st line and then it dwindles). course not, but they have a bigger budget than they had last season. Decent coach, playing near an awesome city which has awesome fans. Can't be too hard a sell when they can offer bigger wages now too  |
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Post by Kovalchuk17 on Jun 6, 2017 15:12:40 GMT
The Storm have a bigger budget than Panthers? Looks to me more like Finner is putting together a solid team, some top signings but lack of depth (basically the same as Braehead with a great 1st line and then it dwindles). course not, but they have a bigger budget than they had last season. Decent coach, playing near an awesome city which has awesome fans. Can't be too hard a sell when they can offer bigger wages now too I see what you mean, thought you were saying Storm have a bigger budget than us. Storm should do well next season. By the fact Swindlehurst is training in a Storm jersey with Bieber, I guess he's staying put too (nothing official yet). |
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Post by PantherB on Jun 6, 2017 15:41:38 GMT
course not, but they have a bigger budget than they had last season. Decent coach, playing near an awesome city which has awesome fans. Can't be too hard a sell when they can offer bigger wages now too I see what you mean, thought you were saying Storm have a bigger budget than us. Storm should do well next season. By the fact Swindlehurst is training in a Storm jersey with Bieber, I guess he's staying put too (nothing official yet). Youd think so, but going off what Simms said in the last Periscope, doesn't sound like Swindlehurst is held in very high regard, even at his home town team! It'll be interesting seeing how Finnerty handles him. |
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Post by tootootrain on Jun 6, 2017 21:39:09 GMT
It only sucks if they were intending to win it in the first place. If they wanted to win the league they could but last year it was patently obvious that it wasn't important at all with injury problems and a disasterous run of losses and nothing was done even though we had bigger crowds than ever before. So that 'excuses' last season, what about all but one since Neil Black took over the Panthers? The only trophy that really matters in a country that can't/won't run a proper post-season is the league. |
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Jun 7, 2017 7:20:26 GMT
It only sucks if they were intending to win it in the first place. If they wanted to win the league they could but last year it was patently obvious that it wasn't important at all with injury problems and a disasterous run of losses and nothing was done even though we had bigger crowds than ever before. So that 'excuses' last season, what about all but one since Neil Black took over the Panthers? The only trophy that really matters in a country that can't/won't run a proper post-season is the league. Winning to Neil Black means something very different to winning for a Panthers fan. The thought that any team owner in any sport would just sit back 'hands off' if winning is important to him is utterly laughable if they had the same record we do. If it's all about they money with a few three game tournaments thrown in while making as money as possible then he's winning. If it really mattered then either the players or the coach are at fault and any 'sports team' owner would be shouting and banging heads together until it was put right. Winnng? Silverware from the CC? A bogus money making non season ticket distraction after Christmas? The so called playoffs? A one weekend knockout tournament which to be fair any team could win on its day with the current 'EIHL coffers' format? Yearbook signings? Quiz nights? Constantly bending over for rink teams that would struggle to fill two buses for a home game in the hope that the whole circus carries on for as long as possible? It depends what winning is. Half the arena is filled with very easy going people who are happy to think 'maybe next year' every year around about Christmas time and the other half of the arena who think it's Dancing On Ice with 'fights and bats'. Neil Black wins every home game and don't kid yourself that anything else at all matters and his winning is all about £££ not league table positions or heads would have rolled years ago. |
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