Post-Game Review; 10 Observations vs Flyers

League Record; 8 – 0 – 3, 16pts, 2nd Place

CARDIFF, WALES – A first time encounter this season for Devils and Flyers, including a first look for new Flyers coach, Tom Coolen, who unfortunately had to bus it on the road for a few hours following a home game prior to the clash on Sunday night.

Here are my 10 key observations of the game;

1. No extra gears were needed as the road team wilted each shift throughout the game, into what appeared to be an apparition of Ikea staff on skates. The majority of the game was hemmed in their zone, with no structure or organisation on how to deal with an incredibly fatigued and travel burdened home team. Bless.

2. Perfect response from a hard travelled team that has faced 6 games in 10 days including foreign travel. In three days time, they are off to Dundee on the road, then face another two games on the weekend, both home and away. The fun doesn’t stop.

3. One to watch, Jamie Arniel, provided the threat, pace, aggression and helpers, 2 apples this weekend to notch 10 points in 11GP for the regular season.

4. Goal Sanford extends scoring run whilst the folks visit. He has now scored 8 goals in the last 6GP, including 5 in the last 3 league games, since officially opening his scoring ticket the weekend before Conti Cup.

5. Sunday night officially became stat night as a bus load of points and derivatives overwhelmed the road-weary Flyers, much to the bewilderment of their coach. There was a hat-trick, 3 other multi-point nights, 6 goals scored, 10 helpers added, a shut out, a powerplay goal, 7 penalties and Devils extended their stellar PK% record to 88.46.

6. Bowns put on a display that was more return to seasonal form, shutting out his opponents with 20 saves, his first this season and the teams second in 4 games and both against Scottish teams. Could they get a third against the last team from Scotland on Wednesday?

7. Cole Ully earned his first hat-trick as a Devil, joining Tyler Busch who started the month with a hot pace (bagging an apple on the final goal). Ully was rivalled only by Joey Martin for SOG (6) so having a success rate of 50% worked out well. Ully (11) also sits 2nd overall in Devils league points, one behind Busch (12).

8. Flyers struggled to contain the puck and the home team, allowing 49 SOG from 84 attempts, leaving Shane Owen out to dry.

As seen on this heat map, the concentration of shots was heavily around the net and slot area, where a few goals were almost walked right in.

9. Devils dominated their visitors, without breaking a sweat. Although the shorelines were close in the opening frames, they never let more than 7 SOG against, whilst hitting the target 17/14/18 respectively. 49 SOG in total vs 20, with 84 attempts vs 32.

Shot efficiency improved, logging 12.24% on the night, whereas the visitors hit the same as their efforts on net, zilch. On the dots, there was clear domination again, 33:22.

Devils also hit 10 high danger chances, to the Flyers one, which Devils capitalised on. There were 3 goals scored from 46 mid danger looks.

10. Beyond the excitement of the last few weeks, concerns are building for players Chad Pietroniro and Sam Duggan, who have not played as much this past month.

Regularly scratched, Pietroniro last iced in the league on 08.10.23 vs Belfast Giants in a 4-2 home loss and Challenge Cup on 14.10.23 on the road to Flames. He did get some ice time in Continental Cup duties, but very scant.

You would think with a lot and I mean, a LOT of hockey being played this month, more squad rotation would be factored in, however, without speculation, it is concerning a player has been effectively excluded from game day rosters for nearly 6 weeks of hockey.

11 domestic games in total, 660 minutes (plus extras) – fans have every right to be concerned with no real update on plans for the player just yet.

Also, Sam Duggan, an apparent future captain of the organisation, an alternate captain, has likewise been dropped continuously as a healthy scratch for the same time overall. However, last Wednesday vs Blaze on the road, he did ice and net a goal. Duggan has iced 6 times in both domestic competitions, 12 out of 19 overall.