Hasn't it been said we have the likes of Myers, Farmer, Lacho, Clarke, Lee, Swindlehurst, Oakford & Betteridge to cover for any potential injuries. When Ling, MacMillan & Schultz are healthy and good to go that's a whole lne back into the line up, Mosey moves back to D and Betteridge/Oakford go back to being spares. There's an arguement that can be made for us having too many players. Add the 13th import to that and we're definitly stacked, but squad wise it would be a luxury that we don't really need.
I understand the arguement of 'giving ourselves the best chance to win' but we did that when we signed all these British players who are all more than capable of contibuting in a big way.
On the note of a Panthers team not relying on a goalie to steal us games... Kowalski did that umpteen number of times over his 5ish seasons here. We are scoring lots of goals and have a very good goaltender, a lethal combination. Even with our 3 injuries we are still running 3 lines in offence and defence which is more than enough to compete (especially with the quality we have) in this league.
As I said it would be nice to have someone in for the next month or so depending on how severe injuries are, but if we don't bring somebody in it's not the end of the world really is it?
As I said it would be nice to have someone in for the next month or so depending on how severe injuries are, but if we don't bring somebody in it's not the end of the world really is it?
I think you'll see a huge swing in opinions on the forum if we have a blip & lose a couple of games on the bounce. Just look at Steeltalk its in absolute meltdown. Fans can & are fickle, a few losses (& it will happen at some point) & they will be calling for Corey's head again.
That 13th import should have been here weeks ago! I appreciate what people are saying about our squad depth is showing the fact that we can still ice 3 strong lines but and here is the kicker for me we are down on our points output to expectation. Every team would have been recruited with a rough number of goals and points per player in mind. Where other clubs have gone out and replaced that points output we will travel to Edinburgh as it stands missing at a guess between 4 and 5 points (say 2 to 4 goals) this weekend from 3 missing imports compared to the squad we built. Alternatively you take the Steelers approach of losing Colton Fretter's estimated points output and you've replaced it with Lawrence (14 points in 12 games). On average you won't have lost any goals. Now as things stand in recent weeks those missing points would have turned 4-0's into 5-0's but it's only a matter of time that those points turn 1-1 into 1-0 against and it costs us points.
While they are only statistics they are statistics that point to one thing. Compared to expectation we are scoring less goals per game than the coach had in mind at the start of the year and eventually that will hurt us.
As I said it would be nice to have someone in for the next month or so depending on how severe injuries are, but if we don't bring somebody in it's not the end of the world really is it?
I think you'll see a huge swing in opinions on the forum if we have a blip & lose a couple of games on the bounce. Just look at Steeltalk its in absolute meltdown. Fans can & are fickle, a few losses (& it will happen at some point) & they will be calling for Corey's head again.
I won't be calling for his head personally, but I will be in here saying told you so. It's a false economy not replacing injured imports. Really can't believe we are going to head in to the next few weeks playing only 9-10 imports. So frustrating.
Post by The Flying Shirt on Nov 18, 2015 13:09:03 GMT
At the end of last season CN said in an interview that injuries and playing short handed killed the season for us and we are already on the way to that now again and it's only November. This season is ours to lose I believe with the players and the team spirit we have.
That was probably more down to the likelihood of getting 9 Brits, rather than the import bit though TFS?
No, 100% down to the inevitable injuries we were (and every other team) were likely to have. I personally believe you need a VERY big squad to go a whole season with 4 lines. Also, if you look around the league there is a HUGE lack of quality Brits coming through and a lot of the ones now are already well past thier sell by date so you either have to make up a 4th line of very poor or old Brits or you spend a fortune on some of the few top Brits out there which very few teams can do plus they are in very limited supply anyway. The gulf in quailty now between the EPL and the EIHL is getting much bigger now and it will become a lot harder for Brits to come up through than even over the last few years.
I think a whole season at 4 lines was never likely, but I doubt Black would've thought that likely either. Wasn't he saying that the roster would be 22 players, 9+13, and go from there? For us and Braehead of course, where it also didn't happen, I don't think?
Agree with you about the Brits though, and that's where I don't think Black envisaged them getting so many of the higher grade (higher cost) ones when he said that, so it went out the window.
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I think a whole season at 4 lines was never likely, but I doubt Black would've thought that likely either. Wasn't he saying that the roster would be 22 players, 9+13, and go from there? For us and Braehead of course, where it also didn't happen, I don't think?
Agree with you about the Brits though, and that's where I don't think Black envisaged them getting so many of the higher grade (higher cost) ones when he said that, so it went out the window.
The league has been littered with Brits coming up from the EPL over the years and either warming benches or going straight back down. CN has a good eye for Brits and gives them a lot of time but the hit rate is still very low when you look back.
And that FS is exactly why the import limit got upped.and will then go up again soon. Quite why our own quota of imports has gone down in favour of Brits only Panthers know.
I was tempted to say it was a bloody stupid decision because you can't replace injured Brits,but then again.........we can't even replace bloody imports either !!!
I was tempted to say it was a bloody stupid decision because you can't replace injured Brits,but then again.........we can't even replace bloody imports either !!!
Pay no attention to the missing imports and injured players because farmer is back!!!! Lol
Getting an utter joke now, get some players in yesterday, the next couple of months is where the league is won and lost but yet again we are going in short.
I was promised 4 line hockey but we're barely icing 3, utter joke, we can win this league if we go for it.
Well I never...who'd have guessed. I wonder if he would have made a miraculous recovery if Fitzy had been banned. Good news about Logan also, practically crocked & way off skating one day & behold an overnight miracle & he's skating again. Must be something in the water.... on a serious note good to have them both back for what looks like two very tough matches.
Miraculous recovery for Ling the day after DOPS finish with the review on Fitzgerald...
It is part of the EIHL rule book - Rule 751B "A player may feign injury until such time as referee awards a Game/ Match penalty, and is then free to proceed with playing - If no penalty is called at the time then the club is free to report possible player injury whilst asking for DOPs incident review, the extent of injury can be implied rather than proven" - "If the incident is proven by the DOPs to not warrant any penalty then the perpetrator is free to do the same to another teams player at any time in the future" - For further clarification contact Sheffield Steelers/ Elite League management for a copy of their rule book, which is being amended as we speak.
2017 IIHF CONTINENTAL CUP WINNERS 2015- 2016 Challenge Cup Winners 2016 Play-Off winners - 2017 CHL GROUP WINNER -2018 Bermuda Cup Winners[br]
Well I never...who'd have guessed. I wonder if he would have made a miraculous recovery if Fitzy had been banned. Good news about Logan also, practically crocked & way off skating one day & behold an overnight miracle & he's skating again. Must be something in the water.... on a serious note good to have them both back for what looks like two very tough matches.
Could be the thought of the Whiskey to go with the water up there - after all MacMillan is a Scottish name isn't it ??
2017 IIHF CONTINENTAL CUP WINNERS 2015- 2016 Challenge Cup Winners 2016 Play-Off winners - 2017 CHL GROUP WINNER -2018 Bermuda Cup Winners[br]