League Record So Far; 9 – 3 – 2, 20pts, 3rd Place
L10GP; 6 – 3 – 1
CARDIFF, WALES – The Cardiff Devils took 3 points from 4 on a weekend that continued a trend of late, which has become all too familiar across the last few seasons.
Scoring 9, conceding 5 and shutout home dub, sounds good when you add in the extra point from an OTL.
However, their record of late has slipped into the negative with just 2 wins from their last 5GP and 50% of the maximum points returned in that stretch.
In total, over their 20 points so far after 14GP, 13 have been picked up from the last 10, so having 5 more would see them atop of the rest, with a really positive vibe about the team.
As seen with the top three, Devils have a very similar record, the win% being a key indicator, due to a failure to see out games or finish off teams, or even to get extras in OT or from a shootout.
As close as they are with the top two, Devils also need to keep their focus during games. All three have 2 OTL’s each so far, with just 2 points between them at this early stage. No one had this being a scenario, especially this close.
It is those finer details intra-game for the players that will make the largest difference come April.
However, the inconsistency has exposed some habits that have long been mentioned, of which the only game for a response, against a very weak ‘elite’ league team in the Fife Flyers, isn’t a marker to look back at and declare, ‘there, that is the response’.
It isn’t dire straights, far from it. There a very easy fixes, most of which requires confidence and grit from the leadership of the group and for their best players to play like it.
The underlying concern has been they are roughly a quarter of the way through their league campaign and have yet to really set things alight. The issue with this has been that it hasn’t felt like materialising yet.
The additions of Brett Ferguson and Steve Maclean, coupled with the return of Cedric Lacroix and Riley Brandt expected to return next weekend, should create a locker room that has to step up and make their coach select them each week.
This could be the catalyst to really ‘wake up’ the roster.
If the pattern continues, as previously stated including on podcasts, it will be a very long and frustrating season for all involved. However, these are the very best of the worst issues a team can face, which can easily be turned around.
The reason it will be talked and written about is because this club has higher expectations than most, it is part of the territory.
Here are some key takeaways from the weekend;
1. Kohen Olischefski as hot as a vindaloo and doesn’t look like stopping
On the night vs Flyers on Sunday (23rd Nov), Kohen Olischefski lit the lamp and brewed some sweet apple cider for his line mates, putting up 2 goals and a helper in the 5 zip win over their struggling Scottish opponents.
He now has points in his last 4GP, with 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 in 4. They make up precisely 80% of his points in the league so far, after just 2 apples in 10 games.
This appears to be the quality and impetus of the player the club expected when he signed last season, so hopefully he can continue and go on a long streak.
2. Brett Ferguson wins over faithful that once saw him as an enemy
When Brett Ferguson was announced as joining the team following the news that Yaremko was sidelined long term (lower body), it came as a surprise to many.
It quickly dawned on a lot of the fanbase that a player they saw as a disruptive element against their team, would now dress for them, however, similar to the announcement of the coach in the summer, his experience brings more upside, even if short term.
The 35 year old Canadian and former Flames fan favourite and stalwart brought in EIHL experience stretching back to 2018.
He is at 0.87 points per game in total with 383 from 436GP across the EIHL. He also stacks the PIMs, as he was known for, but slotted straight into the line up and started hot.
After 5GP, he has a goal and 6 assists, putting up points in 3 straight games.
To note, just 2PIMs, from an innocuous decision vs Storm, which added to comeback that was on point for the player concerned, gifting a 5 on 3 advantage to their hosts.
That aside, it has been a scintillating start for the veteran forward, who looks poised, has pace, dangerous on the forecheck and has played as if he has been at the club as long as others such as Sanford, Mosey and Duggan.
3. Lacroix return highlighted the risk vs reward off-season strategy
After spending a long time sidelined due to injury, Cedric Lacroix returned to the line up on the road vs Storm for his first EIHL regular season game, being dressed on the 2nd line.
He earned the primary assist for Fourniers’ 2nd goal of the night and season, early in the 2nd frame to put their team up by two goals and they were cruising.
It looked good for him, contributing positively as well as immediately, especially for those that rate him so highly.
Then, the risk to the reward truly came crashing down. Just moments later, he was called for consecutive infractions, assigned as interference then a high sticking call by the match night officials.
The results were gleefully accepted by their hosts, as they capitalised on both power plays and once again providing a way to level up against another Devils lead.
This happened within a space of 5 minutes, two moments that turned the game on its head and contributed to a dismal loss on the road.
The follow up game at home saw Lacroix this time combine with Fournier to set up Olischeski for his 2nd of the night, going a point per game.
Luckily, he stayed out of the box, was prone to a turn over, however his game was sharper, going 75% on the dots and 100% for shot accuracy. Granted, this was against a very glorified SNL outfit, which he struggled to skate with for long stretches of his shifts.
He averaged just over 14 minutes for TOI, largely thanks to being put on the 2nd line, however, I would argue that the driving force for how well that line worked across the weekend was due to Brett Ferguson.
4. Multi-point nights, showing activation from the blue line
Last season showcased one pertinent issue from the arsenal of the Cardiff Devils and how losing a top end point scoring defence man was key to a team’s success.
Yes, they had Fournier, but regardless of the coach, a returning player seldom steps back in and picks up where they left off.
The evidence as a whole was there for all to see. The defensive unit in its entirety never made the mark and were often found wanting.
Gleason Fournier
Even this season, which Fournier even alluded too, would be a ‘break out, comeback year’ for him. However, it was yet to materialise.
In 22GP, he was yet to score a goal. In one sense, it looked like a regression on the previous season, however the preference from the new coach was to keep Fournier with Mosey (two offensive outlets) on the 2nd pairing, opting for Estes-Oligny instead.
Luckily for the team, Estes has been a gem of a signing, with even more upside than most expected, save for his ability to move the puck, at all, on the power play.
Fournier, prior to the embattled response against Fife last Sunday, went on a 9 game pointless skid.
Since that game, he has now put up points in 3 straight games, albeit two of which, were against vastly inferior opposition.
This weekend saw an eruption that was waiting (for far too long) to happen, with 2 goals on the road vs Storm, which he never made in the league last season.
The last time he put up a brace of goals in regular season action, was in 2020 vs Stars in a 5-2 loss. Over 5 years later, an unwanted pattern, but that is luck more than anything else.
He is now on 5 points from his last 3GP, it is irresistible, which looks like a page has turned.
Tyson Helgesen
On top of this, is a continued impressive game from Tyson Helgesen, who also picked up a goal and an assist, going 4 points in his L5GP.
When he activates, they are very likely to convert those chances, highlighting there is more to his game than being a shut down defender that can drop them and police the ice when needed. His upside is very noticeable and being paired with Richardson would have a season long benefit to his career.
He is at 0.50 points per game in the league from 14GP and just shy of 16 minutes average for TOI. Not bad for a 3rd pair blue liner.
Evan Mosey
Another who is known to activate and play as a forward is Evan Mosey, who collected 3 helpers on the road vs Storm.
Those combined for 250 EIHL points for the multi-year veteran, also for the regular season he has now gone to 0.57 points per game, creating a much needed trend for the blue line and squad depth, which at 36 years old, it is a wonder how he still does it with his speed and skillset.
Brandon Estes
After 24 games across all EIHL competitions, Estes is currently at 0.96 points per game. Yes, just one shy from being a point per game player.
He hit a skid, at a time when the team properly went off a cliff, but continues to impress and delight with his mobility, excellent off the puck defensive stick work, keen decisions, great vision and gritty work in the slot.
From the point, he is equally as dangerous and as mentioned before, being a very easy to watch puck moving defence man.
His only flaw is carrying that edge within his game into the power play. It is like he switches off, because of the man advantage and after nearly 25 games for the season, it is a wonder how across any of the coaching available to him, there hasn’t been a change to approach this yet.
A very coachable blip aside, he also had a multi point night vs Flyers, collecting 2 apples, snapping a 3 game skid with no points, that followed a 9 game point streak, his teams’ best for the season so far.
Amazingly, he is similar to Helgeson, 4 points from his L5GP. To be very pedantic.
What this demonstrates is the improvement on the defensive unit as a whole, including offense, however, the team has been caught napping defensively across the month of November.
His hot start at the top of the league for points leaders has seen him sharply drop off the charts, however he continues to sit at 4th for helpers with 11, one off the leader overall, surprisingly, Steelers’ Robert Dowd. We could call that joint second to be really pedantic.
5. Records broken, made and extended, with milestones achieved
Evan Mosey on the weekend wasn’t the only player to hit some milestones. Only last season he earned 100 points as a Devil, on Saturday, he notched up to 250 for his EIHL career, spent at Devils, Panthers and Steelers.
Devils celebrated Mark Richardson equalling then breaking the most EIHL games played record for all time, once held by former Devil and Welsh legend, Former GB captain, Jonathon Phillips for 1,178 games.
It is an almost unfathomable achievement, especially for hockey in this country and equally, for most of this being played with the Cardiff Devils.
Within the top 5 for all time British players in the EIHL for most games played, Cardiff Devils feature 4 players, including 3 Welshmen (Phillips, Myers & Davies).
A number for the rafters for sure.
Another to join him in the future, is Ben Bowns. Who added yet another shutout on Sunday vs Flyers, his 5th for the league and 6th on the season.
That is now tallied to 51 for his career. He has tied his second career best in regular action, last being the 23/24 season and just 2 more shutouts to tie his career best, notched in the 2019 season.
He is certainly on course for this, despite some doubtful outcomes of yet, which was down to game management by the skaters in front of him more than anything else.
For his testimonial year, he isn’t slowing down and seems to be having one of his finest yet. Long may it continue.
Three Stars of the Weekend
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