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Post by wgray on Jan 22, 2022 14:58:05 GMT
The first game against an arena team since the Wallace move. Sure to be an interesting night. Continue current form, or be put firmly in place? Steelers are beatable at home. Panthers are beatable at any stage anywhere, but have been playing well lately. Like you say their home form hasn’t been the greatest this season but form goes out the window in these games. It’s a big game, it always is against them, but it’s a chance for Matheson, Lee and the team to give the fans a performance to be proud of. I’m still not happy that we’re playing with 5 dmen but on the flip side is like to see us run 4 full forwards lines. Play Clarke on the 4th line and run 12 forwards with 5 dmen.
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Post by wgray on Jan 21, 2022 15:49:06 GMT
Does anybody think we’ll get a result out of Sheffield tomorrow then? Under Wallace our form in Sheffield has been good, that was one reason why I liked him as coach!
Will Matheson and Lee continue to lead the team in this manner?
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Post by wgray on Jan 19, 2022 22:24:52 GMT
Currently 2-1 to us on the night, 6-4 on aggregate. More misery to be inflicted by Belfast then😂 I’m sure Blacky was banking on there being a home semi-final to give as one of the owed games from the 19/20 season. That’s not going to happen now. They’ll be sharing the one legged gate receipts between the two teams. Come on.....There is no way teams agreed to give up a home leg and replace it with just away travel cost. Especially a trip to Belfast ! I was thinking more for the fact that he’s now going to have to refund the season ticket holders from the 19/20 season for one game, I believe we were owed 5 from 19/20. This years season ticket covers 25 league games, the other 2 home league games are part of the 5 owed, the cup quarter final was another owed and they are giving the play-off quarter final (if we get there) as another owed. 1 game left but no more to replace it with.
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Post by wgray on Jan 19, 2022 21:59:02 GMT
So the semi finals are Sheffield v Cardiff and Giants v Panthers if they get through. Oooh lovely. Currently 2-2 on the night, 6-4 on aggregate. More misery to be inflicted by Belfast then😂 I’m sure Blacky was banking on there being a home semi-final to give as one of the owed games from the 19/20 season. That’s not going to happen now.
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Post by wgray on Jan 19, 2022 19:19:59 GMT
I’m sure I saw a Twitter video a couple of weeks back showing Carozza on the ice, but the club noted it was without contact. I thought he might have been ready by now. Looks like we’re going to be remaining short and not replacing Doherty as well. Panthers do have 14 imports. But the fact that Carozza has only played FIVE out of thirty three games all season seems to have been ignored in the replacement stakes ! 🙄 Pretty poor show really. We started the season with 13 imports and 6 senior brits, so technically when Lee and Carozza return we are going to have to sit somebody out, and it can be either a brit or an import. Right now we’re only 1 player short from our lineup, however, the fact that it is a dman is critical. Running with 5 dmen will catch up with us.
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Post by wgray on Jan 19, 2022 16:10:33 GMT
no new injuries, still without Lee & Carozza who inches closer to a return. Inches is the right word for it. I’m sure I saw a Twitter video a couple of weeks back showing Carozza on the ice, but the club noted it was without contact. I thought he might have been ready by now. Looks like we’re going to be remaining short and not replacing Doherty as well.
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Post by wgray on Jan 16, 2022 19:24:40 GMT
Unfortunate not to get both points but after a long weekend 5 points from 6 is great.
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Post by wgray on Jan 16, 2022 13:12:41 GMT
Doucet really needs to bring in a solid right hand defenceman to cover Lee, playing with 5 dmen will catch up with us. I'm sure they would.. if they had the money and contacts mate They should have the money though, Doherty’s wage hasn’t vanished and the club also said we received a compensation package for letting him go. I think you might be right on the latter point though.
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 22:39:28 GMT
Note the D make up. 👍 Import Import Import Import TETLOW Doucet really needs to bring in a solid right hand defenceman to cover Lee, playing with 5 dmen will catch up with us.
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 22:10:27 GMT
Nice win that.. didn't hear Hedberg mentioned at all?? Played limited time on the 4th line with Kelsall, as you’d expect in his 1st game without having any practice. From the glimpses I saw I thought he looked ok, solid skater, fairly quick, as you’d expect considering where he’s played.
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 21:20:04 GMT
4-2 final, ENG for Tousignant. Very good win that, 5 wins a row, great stuff. Hopefully we can cap off a brilliant weekend in Dundee tomorrow.
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 19:45:46 GMT
We’re 3-0 up end of the 1st, lovely goal from Tetlow and another from Lane!!!!!
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 19:23:17 GMT
Laser from Lane! 1-0
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Post by wgray on Jan 15, 2022 12:49:49 GMT
Not quite the same without fans but what an introduction the EIHL for Hedberg, Fife away! Hopefully we see another good performance from the team like last night.
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 22:04:38 GMT
Carr was absolutely solid tonight, he played really well. Nice to see us score a mixture of goals, a couple scruffy and a couple well worked by the team. Great start to a tough weekend!
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 15:28:11 GMT
I had an inkling you both knew something I didn’t😂 Haha You’ll have to wait until later. We wouldn’t want to spoil Panthers last minute surprise. Another one? Spill the beans Iggy!
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 12:42:11 GMT
Glad Doucet’s managed to get somebody in finally.
Has some great experience, but we’ve seen this season that this doesn’t mean a player will definitely produce. His production this season and last season isn’t the most impressive but, to give benefit of the doubt, both have been played in strange circumstances.
Hopefully he still has his speed that is talked about on EP, I don’t expect him to come in and score a goal every other game but hopefully the quality of the team has gone up. It would be good to see him get involved in the rough stuff though😂
Welcome Edwin!
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 12:30:52 GMT
The vast majority of staff employed at the NIC are casual, for events. I suspect you're in the ball park with the "not really a business" mindset in the early years. Anything that's run by a Council almost automatically has that whiff. I share your concerns about the "attitude" of some staff, especially the casual staff. I suspect that the food and drink sales could be massively improved by a bit of urgency. You only get two lots of 18 minutes during the game to sell food and drink, you need to be rushed off your feet for all of that time. That doesn't seem to happen, in my experience. Good bar staff serve 3 people at a time. The person you're giving their drink to, the person you're pouring a drink for and the person whose order you're taking. I once counted it took 8 presses on the till to give me back my £1 for my pint glass. That scared me too. If the arena employed less staff and set some people on permanently then I think it would improve service drastically. Instead of employing a load of people on 0 hour contracts (I assume) who aren’t experienced, train people, speed it up and make more money.
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 12:16:49 GMT
Do you think we’re going to sign someone? I think Doucet is foolishly holding on until Carozza and Lee return Don’t tell him Pike ! 🤣 (Spence) I had an inkling you both knew something I didn’t😂
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 11:42:17 GMT
I’m getting pretty peeved off with the situation. No replacement for Doherty, still no replacement for Suoranta, none of the issues with the team that Wallace had have been addressed… … hopefully not too much longer to wait Do you think we’re going to sign someone? I think Doucet is foolishly holding on until Carozza and Lee return
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Post by wgray on Jan 14, 2022 1:11:32 GMT
This 'dry' excuse is utter nonsense.. it's because they won't pay the going rate for half decent players! I’m getting pretty peeved off with the situation. No replacement for Doherty, still no replacement for Suoranta, none of the issues with the team that Wallace had have been addressed…
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Post by wgray on Jan 13, 2022 18:36:17 GMT
I’d stick with Matheson for the time being, state he is coach for the remainder of the season and that might help to attract some players at this moment in time.
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Post by wgray on Jan 12, 2022 20:46:32 GMT
A view from someone there. On the whole they played well, Richards and Baillargeon particually, Boivin has the skills but his size is against him unless he can use his speed. Well taken goals, but still the lapse in concentration that allows the opposition to score, it's as if the D and Carr takwe a time out for a shift or two and then concede a couple of goals and they are back in the room. Can they keep it up? If they play like they did last night then I think they will progress. Baillargeon continues (to me) to be a pleasing enigma. I'm not sure he's the hardest worker out there, and not the best skillset all told, but he's racking up points whilst being (statistically at least) defensively responsible. (29GP, 12 goals (team leading) + 14 assists (joint second), team leading +8, in all games.) Just shows what I know. Long may it continue. He certainly is a strange player. Doesn’t play with the energy that we’d all like but, as you say, he’s picking up the points. Lovely finish for his 1st yesterday though. I’m glad you’re on the ball with the stats Bob, he’s gained a goal that should be credited to Matheson, but, from viewing highlights this season he’s owed 5 assists in the league! He should be recorded as 20GP - 7G + 12A in the league! Not sure what’s going off with the EIHL statisticians this season.
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Post by wgray on Jan 12, 2022 19:42:54 GMT
There should be a draw to see who gets the home advantage I feel.
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Post by wgray on Jan 11, 2022 23:43:03 GMT
I’d say there was probably about 2,500 in attendance tonight, which is understandable, Tuesday after playing Sunday plus I don’t think the club did a good job of advertising that it was an owed game from 19/20.
In regards to the game, good to get another win, you can only beat what’s in front of you and I thought we deserved it. It would have been nice to get a 5th goal on the powerplay at the end but we just couldn’t clinch it. Richards seems to be improving with each game that goes by, pleased he picked up 2 goals tonight, really like what he brings. I think him, Lane and Baillargeon look to have found a bit of chemistry which is good.
We’ve been fortunate to have had these 3 games since sacking Wallace. We are still missing some quality though, if Lee is going to be out for the remainder of the season then I think it’s vital we get a solid dman in and we still need something extra up front as well I believe.
Pleased to get the victory tonight, hopefully we can see it through in Guildford. The three wins in a row should give the team some confidence into the Scottish triple header this weekend.
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