League Record So Far; 18 – 6 – 2, 38pts, 1st Place
Festive Record; 4 – 0 – 2 all EIHL competitions
As ever it is a busy festive period for hockey in all corners of the world, especially here in the UK, but the U20 World Junior Championships are in full swing and the coveted Spengler Cup has been gearing up as well.
Even here, the challenge cup was wrapped up, a needless calendar extension to the season but that is what this league does.
On the cards was a pre-Christmas battle at home against Steelers in the league then Panthers to wrap up the cup. A tall order when the team was down a fair few bodies and had just snapped a 3 game losing skid.
Following this was a traditional festive double header against minnow upstarts, Blaze, this time around they have something to be buoyant and bullish about, a cracker of a schedule, even before new years.
Then a double clash vs the fiesta Flames, who have been hot and cold all season long.
Each game brought something different, however, some of the results, were very unexpected given the stakes.
Steelers – 5:1 W
Once again Devils destroyed last seasons dominant force in style and fashion. Another game going 5 goals unanswered and with a careful final frame to save the legs, they spent most of the match in control and never looked like losing.
Brandt, Duke and Davies each had a multi-point night with shot stopper, Ben Bowns having a fantastic night with 97.62 SV% and 42 saves.
Neither power play found success, with both kills going 100% but it was the level of efficiency and relentless compete that won the game. Something both fans and coaches alike were grinning about afterwards.
This was the third defeat in a run of 4 for the visitors over the xmas period. Fortune favours the bold.
For many, the cherry on top of the cake was seeing Greenfield swapped for Huhtamaa, a sign of poor night and one to forget for the current champions.
Out of 4 games played so far this season in all comps, they lost one early in the season during the challenge cup campaign, with the team yet to lose in the league to Steelers, collecting 3 overall. They have put 20 goals past the reigning champions, conceding 9, 5 in the cup.
Panthers – 6:4 W (Cup)
Speaking of the cup, the very last game went as classically as you could think it would. Goals galore, nail biting action, relief at the final buzzer and some interesting implications going forward.
It wasn’t the best of starts, however, after going 4 goals down, you could be forgiven that most thought the run was done and it was a foregone conclusion.
Then, Tyler Busch found the net first in one of the greatest comebacks on recent memory, to which he finished things off to seal the win. It was a monster game from him, as the squad was depleted and every player was putting all they had in the tank to make it work.
This was the start of the real story over the tumultuous festive and new years slate of games. They churned out thick and fast with little space for relief and the recovery table started to over fill.
This victory helped to put the good guys into the semi final proper, without heading for there play-in game or even worse, an exit at the final hurdle to gift their rivals, Coventry Blaze a berth for a cup run.
Instead, the play-in game goes to the losers of this one, Panthers vs Clan. A fate well dodged for the Devils, for now.
Further goals came from Olischefski and Sanford (x2 each) with the blue liners massively helping out. But after about 50 minutes, Ben Bowns went down injured, which prompted an earlier than expected return of Mac Carruth between the pipes, who has been wrestling with injuries all season long.
Yet another sign of things to come, as the injury curse wouldn’t let up for the title and silverware contenders of the season.
The game as settled by Busch with an ENG, assisted by MacDonald, whom added to a scintillating run, one that will stretch for a long run of games
Blaze – 5:2 L
After the pre-christmas heroics, the team travelled to the Skydome to face down a high flying and bullish Blaze team on Boxing Day.
Things went off very well for the visitors, who opened the scoring just before the 10 minute mark with a goal by the Goat, who also developed a great scoring run over this period.
Soon after, Clements levelled the scores, with the team going 3:1 down until a fantastic effort by the enigmatic tandem MacDonald (Farmer) and the goat (Martin) linked up to bring the team within one.
From an erroneous call that lead to a PPG against them, the team eventually succumbed to a 5:2 defeat against a spirited home team.
Toward the end however, there was some afters, as a late hit on Brandt without a call lead to the game eventually boiling over, some would say in typical fashion, where a scrum ensued. This wasn’t over.
On top of all the missing players, Duke wasn’t available due to illness and it really showed with the lack of bodies. MacDonald however, put the team on his back and lead the charge as soon as Zach O’Brien was absent, which the team benefitted from.
Blaze – 3:2 W
The following game proved to be a corker and a Christmas classic between two rivals who shown no signs of letting up against each other.
Throughout both games, physicality was a foundational marker from both systems, as players wanted to get the physical and even psychological edge over their opponents.
To count, the team were down 6 players and had called up Harewood for these games, but early in the game MacWilliam took an injury which saw him leave the game to no return.
It didn’t take long for the dynamic duo of the Goat and the Farmer to double tap their opponents early doors to make the game harder to claw back into. Within 8 minutes the Devils were up, forechecking hard and shutting down their visitors much to the crowds buoyant fervour.
Mosey added a third early in the second period short handed, much to the delight of the home crowd, which seemed to stymie the Blaze offense for some time. Mosey has been quietly building his numbers and game noticeably, arguably having one of his best seasons.
His efforts home and away didn’t go unnoticed, out of the players who stood up and took the team by the scruff of its neck to keep the W’s flowing in, he was one of them. An absolute general and valuable player along this stretch.
Blaze did get one back after their earlier PPG, albeit very late in the game, with mere seconds left, where the clash eventually broke down between the teams.
A melee after a cynical and unprofessional whack at Carruth drew in the ire of the team, which lead to players Brandt and Jurgens getting game ejections from a scrappy fight, as well as Seitz, Busch and Fournier, who incredibly took a 2 game suspension for an upper cut against an aggressor, that went off in a hurry clutching his face, with some shaken looking tears streaming down his cheeks.
Fournier is a Quebecois after all. Jump in on a player who was already on the ice, that is a price to pay, but the review post game was typically redundant, as has been the standard all season long.
This lead to yet another player missing out for the next couple of games, the new years clashes vs Flames.
Flames – 5:1 W
This clash started with a lot of nervousness, anxiety, dread, lingering, fleeting hope and feeling of being consigned to defeat before the game sheet was even released.
The Devils faithful could only foresee who wasn’t available for the new years double header against a typically chippy team, who like to rough it up and cause pockets of mayhem as they go about their business.
The usually feisty affair was waylaid to a night of lamp lighting and relief, but how did the teams shape up?
Both teams were short benched, especially on D as it was 5 (Devils) vs 4 (Flames) of which the visitors were utilising forward Brett Ferguson as D cover. Devils brought Josh Batch a week early, who chipped in with a secondary assist to the game opener.
The dynamic duo were once again on form, both netting a goal each and combining to set up Goal Sanford for his efforts too.
This has become a line that one would fear to be broken up. With a full squad, this would be a migraine to deal with, let alone be a head ache, but what a ‘problem’ to have.
The game was level, against the flow of play from a Flames PPG at 14 minutes, but after an early go ahead goal again, the home team secured two of their own PPG’s to put them game away and finished it off with that duo again.
There was only 5 penalties in this one, with a little choppiness thrown in for good measure, but very tame for this typical fixture.
Flames – 5:3 L
The return clash saw Flames shore things up at the back and gradually grow into the game. Goals were exchanged in bunches in a you go, I go fashion, that saw both teams after 41 minutes level at 3 goals each.
MacDonald scored again, with a brace of goals to keep his team in the fight for the vital points, his 8th and 9th in 7 games, on a huge run of points, but eventually the short benched Devils, now without Brandt due to a lower body (potentially knee) injury, adding to their woes.
The game slipped away from a costly penalty, with 6 minutes left, signed off in the end with around 90s to go until the final buzzer.
It was a valiant, superior and respected effort by the travelling team being so many players down, amongst an illness in the locker room.
Reflections
This was a tough schedule that undoubtedly left little to the minds of any Devils fan or even neutral/rival fan around the league that this team is one that has a bond that cannot be broken.
Unyielding, defiant and industrious against all odds, be it injuries, playing two teams on the ice or authors of their own ill-disciplined moments, they stick together and come back stronger.
In recent memory there hasn’t been an injury spell quite this heavy, with many still yet to return, as the IIHF Continental Cup is fast approaching.
Just 4 league games to be exact.
Over this stretch of games, Josh MacDonald extended his goal scoring streak to 7 straight games and 15 overall in all competitions with 22 points.
Joey Martin was also very active during the festive period and December as a whole, putting up 7 each in goals and assists for most points during the past month (14), MacDonald just one shy (13).
Olischefski and Sanford both earned 12 points during December and were effective throughout the festive period, with the likes of Mosey and Fournier bringing in the artillery form the point and against the boards to help chip in both offensively and defensively.
Dropping two games with so many recruits sidelined was inevitable but the gallant and valiant efforts of the squad would only make this group stronger, so with Zach O’Brien returning for the Stars game, this is welcome news for the team, who have another offensive option to drive toward.
As mentioned, it is just weeks until the big cup begins at home, which has left many wondering if recruits will be announced and drawn in.
As always, one candidate has been touted already, in the vain of former O’Brien team mate, Isaac Johnson.
This would make sense, after he got released from just 7 games in Finland after injury. He was a point machine just like O’Brien, so adding to this group would be a sure fit.
I would also speculate another D-man and potentially a depth forward to help with the legs and providing options to rotate, as there are a few import slots left to fill. Why not fill them and be prepared, due to the same players attaining multiple injuries?
In a rare press release, GM Todd Kelman wrote to fans explaining about O’Briens return and the search for players, with some announcements to be expected in the coming days, in preparation for the Continental Cup, perhaps the pressure of injuries and calls for additional recruits laid the way for a formal release?
Stars Preview
It has been a while since a solid preview was written, mainly due to the chaotic nature of the festive period, work and illness. Apologies for services interrupted.
One word of note, is that there will be regular contributions to Match Day Programmes for the club, so please keep a look out for those!
Devils host Stars on Friday night for a game that will see the return of a great player Zach O’Brien, who would surely be hungry and determined to chip in to relieve the pressure from his embattled team mates.
The mantle has been firmly taken with both hands by MacDonald of late, who leads the team in regular season with 33 points, the Goat following up with 27, joint with Sanford. All three players have continued to build foundations for success in O’Briens absence, who would no doubt like to return to the fold on the game sheet.
In previous meetings, the home team have won all three, putting up 17 goals in the process, conceding 7.
Both Devils goalies have been keeping the tandem (with the help of Burman of course) as the top pairing, MacDonald leading the league across the stats selects.
Devils are 5 goals shy from 100 and if previous games go to course, they could do that on Friday, especially as Stars have a GAA of 4.15.
The top 3 in the league of course hold the best GA records, Devils third best with 59 GA, it goes 57, 58, 59 amongst them but not in ascending or descending order.
With extra bodies back, there should be some defensive relief for Carruth, who is expected to start in net.
Both teams have a similar win/loss record in their L5GP, with Stars taking an extra point across that stretch in an OTL from their last game.
They let a 3 goal lead slip late in the third vs Belfast then lost during the extra hockey and now they have to visit South Wales and a team eager to keep themselves at the summit of the table. The 7 points in the those games for the visitors have helped to lift them out of the bottom two and into playoff places with 20 points on the season so far.
They do boast one of the best power plays, 2nd overall at 24.72% with Devils stuck in 7th at 20% flat. The good guys still have the best PK in the league at 85%, with Stars in 8th at 76.06%. So, this will be a tale of which special team finds success on the night, as it is not always a guarantee for the best PK to be successful against struggling PP’s.
As far as discipline goes, one of the best disciplined teams until the recent slate of games has now become the leagues worst, mainly thanks to over zealous calls and game misconducts, this isn’t entirely on the team, but those are the numbers, 14.12 PIM/Game vs Stars, now in 1st with 6.63 PIM/Game.
Staying out of the box, especially whilst short benched and indecisive officiating, is the best method for success here. As for the last game, a goal was given despite being firmly written in the rules to not be awarded as such.
Ones to Watch
It goes without saying who to look out for, as the script is already written. See the thread here; https://x.com/hockeysteve8719/status/1874844637359489376
Joey Martin is on a great pace for points right now, with 4 goals and 8 apples in his last 5GP, 19 from the last 15GP. He is currently projected at his best points return since the 2018/19 season, at 59 points currently.
Josh MacDonald is currently on a heater with 22 points over the same 15 game period, of which is his current streak and longest in recent memory for the club. He is the league leader in goals and points and currently on a 7 game goal streak (9 in total over that period). Check out the poll for the past months MVP here; https://x.com/hockeysteve8719/status/1874856054229774529
Spencer Naas is 9 points from 8GP since returning from his European stint as well, being a focal feature for their offense, but Jake Elmer is the danger man and comes up clutch often, with 25 points from 22GP on the regular season so far, another forward gem for the Taysiders.
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