Challenge Cup So Far; 3 – 1 – 0, 6pts, 2nd Place
It was a game that felt very familiar in a lot of ways, but ultimately one that wasn’t to be, as you cannot win them all.
While Devils certainly had their chances, Blaze’s Matt Robson stayed solid between the pipes, as they let a lot of shots through and earned his team a very big win.
Here are my key takeaways from the road game vs Blaze and some thoughts for the week ahead;
1. Early birds catch their treats
The game was settled with just 3 goals scored, that is an indication of how the night went offensively across both benches.
However, the start of each frame saw a goal scored almost immediately, with Barrows in just 52 seconds, then a Pelech PP marker early in the second stanza at about the same time, then the eventual GWG, the go ahead at even strength by Saucerman after 2 minutes.
Regardless of other factors, this was a pretty cool feat in a game that should have been a highlight of the week, but ultimately failed to really ignite.
2. Goalies solid, making for frustrating night for goal scorers
To carry on from the lack of goal scoring, the goalies spoke the loudest, especially Matt Robson, as he went into this game 15th overall for goals against and 4th in SV%.
This would have been a massive win for him, as Blaze in each of their games so far this season and in the cup have had to battle through each opponent to claim anything.
Thanks to Robson, who went 97.83% for the saves and faced down 46SOG, he carried his team to a well earned 2 points that now tie Devils for 2nd overall in their group as they approach the halfway mark of their group stage.
Stoever also had a good night, despite facing less traffic overall, was beaten on the PK and then even strength, due to some defensive collapses.
At 92 SV% with 2 goals against, it wasn’t a terrible performance at all. He faced 25 shots on net, from 49 attempts. Robson was lucky to face just 46 after 63 by the good guys.
3. Golden chances costly in game of fine margins
It wasn’t a pretty contest, but there were good battles and solid work to keep the pace at bay down the wings. The first battle saw a face off masterclass for the home team, but Devils eventually won that small battle as they edged their hosts 31:30 on the dots in an embattled arm wrestle.
This fed into Devils facing off against two teams, as some fans would have others believe, going on the PK five times, against just 2 for the home team.
Despite this, they still managed to tilt back the control of the game, by competing in the face offs and controlling their blue line.
Both teams were also light to some degree, with Blaze icing just 4 blue liners to the Devils’ 5, which is food for thought.
Devils enjoyed the majority of possession while at even strength, including 4 high danger breakaways which failed to produce rewards.
There was also two golden chances for Lacroix to bury the puck, with the second being fumbled under no pressure, as the majority of the skaters had a pile on in the crease of the Coventry net.
He also went -2 being on the ice for both goals against.
Out of the 46 SOG, just 5 were high danger, but at least they were on target, with the majority of the mid-danger chances roughly in front of net in the mid-slot zone. Just two wide.
Around the periphery, saw 8 shots blocked with as many wide, but Robson was able to see enough to absorb the puck from the rest of the chances, as Devils were effectively boxed out from the crease and slot, with very little pressure from screens or net crashes.
Devils defensively, also contributed hugely from blocked shots, 10 in total, including Davies and Sanford, with Fournier adding 3 of his own to the assist that set up their only goal of the night. He was tied with Tallberg in blocked shots.
4. Lack of physicality, creates lack of opportunity
This should be the new motto to live by as an ice hockey fan and player, especially whilst connected to the Cardiff Devils.
The last time they played a game similar to this was against Concordia, which also resulted in a loss by a single goal.
The pattern is there and the facts don’t lie, as they out-hit Flames 2:1 at home on Friday and never skated out of second gear.
Each game up until this one featured every iteration of a goal you could think of, from many angles, save for the coveted Michigan.
Much like in previous seasons, but equally to those, not daring to tussle on net or screen the goalie, limits the very opportunity you seek as a reward.
It was evident in the shot graph, especially for the point and periphery chances.
Taken via EIHL website
It was very evident pattern, which might draw out dormant frustrations, as it heaped onto the feelings of familiarity. The effort was there, the execution was found wanting.
It is, after all, their 4th competitive game in a very long season and their first loss, which was on the road in a 3 goal game, settled by a single marker.
It is nothing outrageous. The benefit this season is that they have a coaching team that will immediately go to work on those finer details to get the team ready again for the next one.
With just 2.17% for shot efficiency, it created its own hurdle to get by, which allowed Blaze to sit back, soak up the pressure and try to hit on the counter. It paid off in the end, with a regulation win.
5. What happened to the goal scorers?
As easy to predict someone would open presents and gifts at Christmas, the tweets sang out after the 7:1 drubbing of the Flames.
There was no need to worry about goal scoring. The ‘experts’ were wrong all along.
One could argue, this question is still largely unanswered, because if that was the case, across the many chances and abilities of the group on the night, there would have been at least one more goal after the 52s marker?
Right?
This is where the familiarity really hit home, because this group has been here before. But there is certainly no need to panic, nor to write them off. Robson came off the back of difficult games where he was made to look average at best and played an incredible game in front of his home fans.
He was certainly the biggest factor for the game as a whole.
Going into this match up, after 3 cup games Devils were at the exact same scoring pace, 16 goals and needed just 2 to improve after their 4th game.
Had the Goat been playing, perhaps one or even two of those breakaways could have been converted.
Maybe. Very likely indeed.
Against Storm there is a chance to go ahead of that, as they are currently averaging slightly higher than last season, which was near identical to the one before and more than at any time since Lord departed the club in 2019.
Currently, the team are trending no different than under Pete Russell at this stage, which supports the question or view that should an elite goal scorer be on the ice, there would be potential for more goals.
However, there should be consideration for who isn’t there currently, Joey Martin. He would have been a big difference in the game vs Blaze and with Olischefski being a bonafide engine for this team, there might have been more opportunity created physically.
Saying that, having a skilled goal scorer would improve the roster immensely instead of a tank trying to chug up and down the ice, missing opportunities and getting caught flat footed against nifty skaters game in and game out.
Chart highlighting the past 5 seasons of CC action after Game Day 6 (GD6) with blue as the current season and grey as the current trend by HockeySteve8719
As it stands, there is no real difference if the current average of goals scored is maintained next weekend vs Storm, which sits currently at 4.25 with Storms GAA at 4.00.
Of course, they are missing their captain who is yet to start and might do next weekend, as they play back to back in a series vs Manchester.
What does this mean for their goal scoring with Fridays win vs Flames in mind? Was that a sign of things to come, as many thought or was that a one off?
In the grand scheme of things, it was a one off, with the last time they put up 7 in the cup group stages going back to 2022 at Flames, with the game ending 7:4 to the Devils. That season saw them finish the group with 23 goals, their lowest across this period and with the current trend set to 25, would cement this.
If they fail to match the trend or better, even with a full roster to select from, then that would be the indication that ‘goals are missing’.
There is only one way to truly answer this, which is to score goals.
Easier said than done, as Devils currently sit 3rd overall behind Giants and ahem, Dundee Stars. To back up the 7 goal win vs Flames as a one off, Giants thumped Flyers 8 zip then lost to Stars, again. Stars midweek got blanked by Flyers 4 nothing.
Much like Giants, their results are showing it was a one off, so with the Champions struggling and Devils only succumbing to a loss by one goal, the state of things right now, if we want to call it that after only 4 games, is that there is nothing to worry about.
Final Thoughts and Insights
It might have been a disappointing result, but it wasn’t a final and they weren’t shutout. They ran into a hot goalie against a very stubborn team defensively that has bags of pace and never relents.
Devils are just 4 games in and half way to securing their position to advance to the next round, as they need a minimum of 6 wins to qualify, although Steelers topped the group last season with 5 regulation wins, whilst picking up two OTW’s.
Panthers also advanced into the single quarter final tie with 4 regulation wins and two more in OT.
There are 4 more cup games before they face off against Blaze in regular season proper, with a further match up against their old foes and Panthers at home, meaning there are 3 home games and chances to secure the automatic spot to the next stage of the cup, before the puck even drops for regular season games.
There are 7 players on a point per game pace or more, including Davies and Lacroix (4), with Estes (8) who sits at joint top with 3 other players from Group B.
Across the early stage of the cup, the best and most intact tandem to a degree are the Devils’ own of Stoever and Bowns at 3rd and 4th respectively for SV% and first as a tandem at 92.84% and a GAA of 2.01.
Steelers are closest, but individually, Greenfield leads the way as one of the best import goalies in the EIHL in recent years.
Devils won’t face Steelers again in the cup until the penultimate group game in mid October but will face them in the league before then. With their pre-season and last season’s trend, that should be a close encounter of a different kind.
For now, the pieces are doing good, with more to add when their leadership group becomes whole and looking to get amongst the action.
Devils have the best record defensively so far, with Steelers not far behind them, as it trends, these two would be the automatic teams advancing to the knock out stages of the cup.
As for discipline, even in spite of the fracas on Friday night, they sit 3rd bottom overall, the ‘dirtiest’ team being Flames at nearly an entire period per game in PIMS (18).
Amazingly, Devils’ worst player for PIMS is Nolan Yaremko with 7, whilst former Devil Tyler Busch accrued 27 PIMS in a very short time, with the main players expected to be sitting the most, Lacroix (4) and Helgeson (6) have only been picked up for infractions at a limited pace.
Neither went into the box vs Blaze, demonstrating that there is more to their game, so the expectations of them getting thrown or being ‘goons’ has so far fallen way off a cliff.
Ultimately it is a start that for the results has been as expected, especially the type of game that panned out vs Blaze, but against the opposition so far and to be in this position, very good indeed.
Nothing but positives and very coachable details to work on, so with the coach being Paul Thompson, the team is in very good hands.
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