New Squad/Centre

[rangers]

shaggy said:

pidge said:

Let them all have a go, like whats been said, there won t be many nights we re leaving the NIC saying we ve been bullied out of it again ;D

Well, I'd rather opposing teams actually came here to play ice hockey and not silly beggars (not much chance of that with Newcastle, granted) - but you're right... I think there's a lot less chance of us getting muscled out of the game.

Doubt any team will be able to cope physically with us. Shmyrr will be no where near the top enforcer-Cornish, Andre, Robbo, Paul and Jim and our rumoured new ex NHL tough guy should be the toughest team around. But how they will work with the new zero tolerance rules remains to be seen. But suffice to say I aint happy with it. Somohow doubt that robs comment of jan likely to be one of th emost peonolised(sp) player in the league.

[spuzz]

I don't know i think we could give you a run for your money

We may not goon it up like you but I don't think you will be pushing us around, a team with all bar 2 over 6 foot will be hard to push around. Nielson is apparently quite tough, McAslan last year apparently had the tough guy role in his team, Simoes apparently is like a train!, Shmyr is an enforcer, Moran last year took no crap, Krajicek and Petricko are also pritty tough. Some how I think this year we will keep you in line or maybe even take some revenge ;D

We will have to wait and see but I think your far to confidant about your team

[DoUrden]

mjspurry said:

We will have to wait and see but I think your far to confidant about your team

I'm sure he could say the same about you!

[ted]

If anything Rangers doesnt sound to confident.

Must say that Rob knows how to spin nearly as well as Simmsey. Im sure if Gomeniuk and Petriko were still at Vipers itd be a different story.

Its gonna be difficult to judge someone in a fight till you see him though so I wont say hes tougher than Cornish... but then I dont think Cornigh will run roughshod over him like he can practically everyone else.

[Shaggy]

What amuses me is the fact that we are getting written off left, right and centre! According to fans from the other teams, we have a rubbish goalie, a defence that will leak like a sieve, mediocre Brits, no forwards with much scoring potential, an untested coach..... it's quite hilarious, really. ;D

I mean - you've got the Blaze fans damn near dislocating their shoulders by patting themselves on the back at how 'obviously' superior their team is, the Belfast fans are running a close second on that one, half the Sheffield lot have the usual inability to even conceive of us having a team that could match theirs, some of the Newcastle bunch appear to believe that their 'noble fighters' (snigger) will play it fair and not suffer at all from the ZT.... and so many of them take one look at us and dismiss us.

It'd be SO sweet to change their attitudes.....

[matt44]

Exactly!! Look at the Point Scoring potential throughout our squad. Not just our first line.

I dont know how the Squeelers fans can even claim anything about our team. They have an Average At Best Defense, escpecially so when Darby will spend most of the season picking splinters out his backside! Their Brits suck and they only have Tessier who is an enviable signing.

And we all know that if anyone checks him too hard he'll be looking for the much softer Euro teams........ For all we know they may sound some amazing players in their final 4 import slots but untill that day they are average.

Newcastle will have their noses put out of joint this season as other teams are now signing bigger, tougher guys who wont stand up for their crap.

[Shaggy]

matt44 said:

I dont know how the Steelers fans can even claim anything about our team. They have an Average At Best Defense, escpecially so when Darby will spend most of the season picking splinters out his backside! Their Brits suck and they only have Tessier who is an enviable signing.

I mostly agree with you on their defence - Darby was a mistake IMHO, and I never rated Sarich... Ricci was a good signing though, and the new bod looks decent (hard to tell).

But "Their Brits suck"?? - no, they don't.
Jono Philips was a damned good signing for them, he's a very influential player given half the chance - a definite upgrade from Paul Sample. Phil Hill can be useful (if he works at it - which he doesn't always) and Warren Tait might not be as good as his brother, but he is improving. Mark Thomas is OK - nothing special IMHO - and Hewitt never really impressed me.
A mixed bag, but certainly not 'suck'-worthy....

And we all know that if anyone checks him too hard he'll be looking for the much softer Euro teams........

Now now - sounds like you're letting emotion cloud your judgement. I too regard Tessier with disfavour for screwing us like that... but he wasn't exactly that much of a lightweight that simple bodychecks put him off. As I recall, it was the combination of clutchy-grabby and unpenalised goonery that was what he was objecting to... and most of us agreed with him at the time, didn't we?

For all we know they may sound some amazing players in their final 4 import slots but untill that day they are average.

On that we agree. Their D looks average, I've never rated Lehman... and one Tessier doth not an offence make. Maybe they'll sign some damned good forwards for their last 4 imports... but even if they do, I still think they'll lack scoring depth.

[matt44]

shaggy said:

Now now - sounds like you're letting emotion cloud your judgement. I too regard Tessier with disfavour for screwing us like that... but he wasn't exactly that much of a lightweight that simple bodychecks put him off. As I recall, it was the combination of clutchy-grabby and unpenalised goonery that was what he was objecting to... and most of us agreed with him at the time, didn't we?quote]

I was being sarcastic!

[PeteW]

shaggy said:

snip - He said that the sheer number of permutations open to him was immense.... all because he picked players who were flexible, -- snip

It's great being flexible, but I like to see right handed players on right wing and left on left. That's where I see some limitations. For me Stevens and Moran are in two of the three right wing berths. Is Petricko a right hander? If yes, he's my 2nd line right winger.
As far as I can make out we have possibly five right handed forwards, McAslan, Stevens, Myers, Moran & Petricko?. With Simoes, Shmyr, Clarke, Cooke & Emersic lefties.
Possibly Stevens and Myers will be line 1 & line 3 centres, with Simoes line 2, as both Stevens and Simoes are touted as centres/wingers.
That would put Stevens at centre on line 1 with McAslan at RW & one off Shmyr/Emersic/Clarke on LW.
Line 2 would have Petricko? on Simoes RW and again one of Shmyr/Emersic/Clarke/Cooke LW.
Line 3 would have Moran as Myers RW and Clarkie/Emersic/Shmyr/Cooke on LW.
Plenty of flexibility at left wing but not so much at centre or right wing. Only Simoes, Stevens and Myers are naturally/reportedly centres. That only leaves McAslan, Petricko? and Moran as natural right wingers IMO (that's if Petricko is a right hander, I confess I can't remember).

[PeteW]

shaggy said:

snip - Their Brits suck?? - no, they don't - snip

Just a shame that there's no local lads amongst them after 13 or 14 years, but that's just a personal gripe.

[Shaggy]

petew said:

shaggy said:

snip - Their Brits suck?? - no, they don't - snip

Just a shame that there's no local lads amongst them after 13 or 14 years, but that's just a personal gripe.

Davey Lawrence is a Barnsley lad, I believe.....

[John88]

petew said:

shaggy said:

snip - Their Brits suck?? - no, they don't - snip

Just a shame that there's no local lads amongst them after 13 or 14 years, but that's just a personal gripe.

Compared to the Panthers' massive number ...... of 1 who is going to play a bit, 1 spend all season opening the door and another who is going to get about 2 shifts a game probably ?

The Steelers should be ashamed compared to us !

[PeteW]

shaggy said:

petew said:

Just a shame that there's no local lads amongst them after 13 or 14 years, but that's just a personal gripe.

Davey Lawrence is a Barnsley lad, I believe.....

And Geoff Woolhouse is from Sheffield - and will probably see as much ice time.

[PeteW]

john88 said:

petew said:

Just a shame that there's no local lads amongst them after 13 or 14 years, but that's just a personal gripe.

Compared to the Panthers' massive number ...... of 1 who is going to play a bit, 1 spend all season opening the door and another who is going to get about 2 shifts a game probably ?

The Steelers should be ashamed compared to us !

There's also one or two more Nottingham Juniors who will appear for other teams, which for one reason or another Panthers either couldn't or wouldn't hang on to. Ash & Warren Tait, Adam Radmall & Marc Levers will all be turning out in the Elite league this forthcoming season I believe.
I blame the ISL myself, it put the cause of the Brits back years. Ask Tony Hand At its' inception Panthers had eight Brit skaters, six of whom were home produced - Ash, Randall, Hunty, Marc Twaite, Robert Worthington and Matt Trickett. When it finished we had one - Mopes.