Devils Fall in Belfast as Key Players Go MIA

League Record So Far; 4 – 1 – 1, 9pts, 3rd Place

The SSE in Belfast has never been kind to the Cardiff Devils, especially in the last few years. Even with a gift of a goal to help them get started, they failed to step up to their league rivals and were left, again, pointless, winless and rudderless.

Here are some key takeaways from the defeat vs Giants

1. Physical game, but Devils failed to stand up to it

They had been lauded before the season started as being built for physicality. At the very start of the campaign, it was strongly evident.

There were games where they out hit their opponents 2:1 or even 3:1.

On the night however, it was the Giants who truly set the tone. Even legendary bedrock, Mark Richardson got drilled 3 times in the space of 5 minutes.

There was some push back, from the likes of Oligny, Brandt and Barrow. However, more in spite than being effective.

The focus seemed to go back to targeting players for hits on the boards, rather than retaining puck possession and using their forecheck when needed.

The result, was a lot of broken up play along the boards, a turnover, a scramble to back check and if recovered, they could only make the NZ and tap it up the half boards for a change.

This became the theme, which fed the belly of poor decisions for 60 gruelling minutes that became all too familiar for the Devils, their faithful and in particular, the ones who makes those trips regularly each season.

2. Passive defence allowed for errant, disjointed game

Another season, another week, another glaring habit that has yet to change. Each time the opposing team attempted to carry into the Devils DZ, the defenders will retreat to the dots of the face off circles, attempting a poke check to pinch or put off the play.

At that point, the collapse was inevitable. When the opposition get smart to it, which is far too easy to scout at this point, they can either carry deep into the mid slot and chance a shot on net.

Or, turn on the jets and stick handle past the sitting blue liner and draw forwards behind them, which in turn disrupts the defensive set up or quickly move the puck and again, find looks through no traffic, without much hassle.

By luck, they can clog up the mid danger slot and corral the puck, but then, it is the same decision when in possession, a dump and change, with no forecheck afterwards to try and turn it back over.

Cycle repeats.

This lead to the net front battle being lost, allowing Gaudet to tip past Bowns, the wrap around attempt for Kawaguchi, although there was a strong shout for interference against Oligny, but at that point, the damage was done.

The shot from Mike Lee was far too easy, a defender just off the blue line, being able to retain the puck away from the body, no real pressure to box out by the defender, a quick turn with the hips and a great look at net, the result was the game tying goal.

In other aspects, the team set up far too tight, almost as if it was on a special team, so when that is at 5 v 5, it is a real concern.

Too many times Giants could comfortably make a change, recycle and carry, then when they gained the zone, it took a fair few moments for any Devil to react and attempt to shut them down. It made for a busy night for Bowns.

3. Poor passing, allowing easy giveaways and turn overs for the home team

Throughout the game, Giants flexed their muscles, played heads up hockey, moved well with the puck and looked dangerous, even when protecting the puck behind their own net, allowing for a line change.

When Devils were able to battle back the puck, find some luck with good bounces, it was an easy decision. Pass to the two line mates moving with you, often only tracked by one opponent.

Or, pass to the tape of two or three opponents the other side, nearest to the carrier.

The latter was the default choice.

Time and time again.

Giveaway after giveaway. It lead to a choke hold from their own making. It also created the situation that by the time they could find a pass without fluffing it, they had to face a line of opponents guarding their DZ. The choice, dump and chase or to avoid a crunching hit along the boards, dump and change.

It wasn’t just offensively. It was also defensively. Too many times the top line defenders made a risky pass in front of net, into high danger areas, where opponents weren’t marked up or when a line mate was free with a genuine lane to pass through.

It created high danger turnovers, errant giveaways or losses of possession unclaimed, until recycled and once again, repeat.

Was the puck lava?

This isn’t the first time a review has highlighted this pattern, it was nearly every road game last season. Once again, habits inherited, habits retained.

4. Sanford, MacDonald quiet, quality playmakers and goal scorers still missing

He is 10 points from 300 in the EIHL, 5 each off 150 for goals and assists after 282 games played, but Sanford is already back to scoreless game, just after snapping a 10 game skid.

Once again however, he was easily guided to the boards, snuffed out when on the puck and didn’t skate hard enough to win battles or retain the puck.

With just under 15 minutes played, he managed just 2 shots, one on net right at the logo. The Sanford Special.

MacDonald had the same outcome, with nearly 2 more minutes iced during the game.

These are players that occupy the top 6. MacDonald is now on a 3 game scoreless streak, with only 2 points so far in the EIHL regular season. 4 points from 9GP in the cup, with more game to go.

5. Barren trends, made worse by a timid performance in a key game

Kontos got accredited for the go ahead goal of the game, but it was from a woeful own goal, however the work rate to make the entire play happen by him was the only highlight of the night. It was the last time they looked to carry at speed into the zone.

The exact same happened twice last season vs Giants on the road.

However, look what happened when they played with the puck. A goal.

It is his only goal so far in the league as a Devil this season, after 6GP and he never actually scored it.

He last scored a month ago, vs Storm in the cup. The next game, was the last time Olischefski scored.

Since that game, 9 games have been played in a month and Olischefski still hasn’t added anything in net.

The team have been battling to scrape together wins, with some results truly flattering them, but even at this early stage of the campaign and two mport forwards out for a few more weeks, something has to give.

The same can be said for Yaremko, who is on an 8 game scoreless skid, but that game was his first back in a few weeks due to an injury and he stepped up in a different way, having a donny with Ciaran Long, who had the better of the brief bout.

Then you have Sam Duggan, who made a good effort to be counted last season, has yet to make any impact so far this campaign.

He is a 4th liner, but with Harewood in the mix, he could be a scratch, as his mere 7.5 minutes of TOI on average, has only seen him bag one goal in 15GP so far.

Davies started hot and has been a threat each shift, Brandt has been promoted to the third line and is on a heater, Caponi, up until his freak injury the last game, has seen him look more dangerous both on the body and with the puck.

Finally, there is Fournier. A cult hero to many, which includes a huge respect and support of his game, his flawless skating and keen instincts offensively, especially as puck moving blue liner.

He has had a dismal season, that to this early stage, encompassed each attribute of the game vs Giants. Uneasy on the puck, frequently loses possession, easy to turnover, prone to a giveaway, fails to track his man off the puck, retreats back instead of engaging in the DZ, then, his production.

He is yet to score a goal in the EIHL this season, with just 5 helpers in 15GP. You would surely expect more from the experienced and notable defender, even at the early stage in the campaign.

All of these players mentioned are seasoned professionals, many with multi-years at this club, It might be very early, but these are very telling warning signs, that even with an experienced coach behind the bench, the direction with recruitment up until this stage of the campaign, has so far been underwhelming.

Nothing more so than one of the worst starts to a season for their power play.

14 attempts this regular season after 6GP and still at 0%.

Even at 20% from 40 power plays in the cup, they were still off the mark compared to those above them, including Giants and Blaze.

In the league, they have scored twice as many goals as Flyers, but even from their 7 goals scored, they have a 21.43% on the PP.

Despite who has been out, there should be enough players that can form effective power play units, but even that follows the same trend.

Inability to control the puck, playing with the puck behind or across the carrier, passes getting easily broken up, players getting snuffed out easily along the boards and far too slow, still, to make an attempt to enter the zone.

Even Brodie Dupont had more nuance with this.

So, what next for the game week?

Devils host Storm at home in the league, in a much needed bounce back game to stay within the top of the league, following the loss vs Giants on the road.

They have beaten them twice in the cup already, in a tight affair that saw some huge PIMS recorded between them both, but Storm have been quietly going about their business, with 8 points from 5GP, one less than Devils.

They have also managed to find the net on 20 occasions vs Devils’ 16. With one game less.

Then, Devils travel to Guildford for a dead rubber game to conclude their dismal performance in the cup, against a team that is hurting and severely depleted.

Their last meeting was during a spell that Flames took some beatings and was Devils’ biggest win since a 7-2 victory over them a few seasons ago, which was also on the road.

Since that barn stormer, Devils have struggled to score freely, with many games being played tighter and with more tension to get the job done. So, despite the meaningless nature of the fixture, it should be one where both teams could look at it and put some new plans in place, if they have the benches to support it.

Devils seem okay for now, with two imports out, Flames however, might be nervous for even their goal tending situation, again.

Could Devils see a PP1 unit of Barrow – Martin – Brandt with Fournier and Oligny? One could hope.