League Record So Far; 6-1-1, 13pts, 1st Place
CARDIFF, WALES – It will be a testing weekend for most clubs, losing predominantly some of their bottom six players to international duty, then, for those with injuries to contend with, it was an added obstacle for roster selection and game management.
The effects were felt in Cardiff, with their nuance for creativity, speed and physicality brushed aside for grinding out a snore fest in the process.
It wasn’t pretty. At times, it wasn’t even hockey.
Here is a breakdown of what the Devils managed over the weekend, with my 5 key takeaways;
1. Lacklustre Home Win Reopened Criticisms
For a fixture against one of the leagues’ struggling teams, that has the worst EVS goal record, one of the worst PK units and a timid PP to boot, even being short benched shouldn’t have felt like a daunting task.
The lack of pace with the puck was a self imposed achilles heel to the team, despite the open season of chances on net.
A lack of physicality, even just to shut down plays along the wing, after draws from face-offs, around their own net, keeping the puck.
Then the attitude with the puck. Were they instructed to play hot potato and the net was lava?
With 55 SOG, being taken to the last minute of OT was never on the cards, which brought back some recurring criticism of the squad and its lack of finesse on net.
Bear in mind however, the iron was rung four times during the game, yet, for the OZ possession they had, surely better opportunities should have been made.
Whilst the Devils did capitalise on their high danger chances by 50%, it is worth noting that of those 55 attempts on goal, only two were in the slot (the GWG being one), just 3.6%, in terms of shots overall,
2.4% put Stars goalie, Pestov, under somewhat pressure.
2. ‘Blue Line Collapses‘
It was what lead to the goal to gift Stars their lead, it was also what helped to create it in full. Piling on the pressure is good, but the pay off needs to be there.
The trade off is that an errant puck, bad bounce or intercepted mid-point/slot pass can get pinched and the back check has to be good.
With about 6.5 minutes to spare and Devils firmly camped in the OZ, Stars looked all too happy to sit back, absorb pressure and simply wait. A good road game for all accounts, especially those with an informed knowledge of ice hockey.
A breakaway is one thing, it is often the high risk, high reward trade off, drawing a penalty shot is in one respect, a good outcome, given the goalie makes a clean save and play stops dead.
That is the crucial factor, awareness – play the whistle.
The other is that if the defenders are already engaged in back checking or man marking, DZ awareness is also key. Allowing a lone skater to pop the puck in the net off a rebound unattested, is woeful.
Taken via Cardiff Devils Youtube Highlights
Even from the opening sequence that lead to the goal, the 2-1-2 set up stretched too much, as it some times does when cycling the play and looking for shooting lanes.
The benefit when moving the puck, is that F and D can link up along the boards to keep the puck active and options open.
The first break down was the lack of grit and determination to keep the puck. Barrow might have been turned over mid-point, however, the pressure along boards just before, set up the entire play thereafter.
Taken via Cardiff Devils Youtube Highlights
It was a bewildering pass, yes under pressure and surrounded by four opponents, yet there were two safer options to keep the puck in the OZ and within possession.
The first, is always the safest; pass to the point where there is more time and space.
Use the boards to bank a pass. It would no doubt be recycled to the other point man, allowing Mosey (far to the left behind the goal line) or to Barrow as a mid slot bumper. Options.
The second is to retain the puck and snap it along the boards north to the other player (Mosey), who could carry the biscuit back to net and pull the defending unit back across.
A quick snap pass back to the opposite point (Oligny) and it is a great chance on net. Options.
As can be seen in that frame, the eventual goal scorer was in line with the DZ dot, so not just a failed pass by Caron, who knew he would lose another board battle, he failed to back check and tie up DeBoer which lead to a goal.
3. Three Good Positives
There were some good elements from the game that is worth celebrating. First and foremost the GWG by Kontos was his first of the regular season.
He is 13 points from 14GP in both EIHL competitions already, that goal now creating a back to back league streak. It also snapped a habit of 2-0-2-0-2 in his L5GP in terms of points, now he needs just 3 more apples for a century of EIHL assists.
Speaking of that feat, Ryan Barrow last night finally hit that landmark, for his 4th point of regular season and 12th overall. He is now 0.69 points per game in the EIHL and currently projected with just 28 points in regular season.
That was in part due to being lined up with the two newest import forwards, who continue to provide very little either end of the ice.
The third positive was the EIHL Face-Off Podcast highlighted ‘One to Watch’, Brandon Estes. With a goal and an assist, he had a great night, even clipping iron at one point, he wasn’t alone.
He reigned in 19 shots during the game, 12 on the net, the only other player to rack up double figures in attempts, as Devils tried to get on the scoreboard. Fournier was the other player to do so.
Only one forward, the Goat logged more than 5 shot attempts, despite the prolonged OZ time, only one forward never logged a single attempt, Thomas Caron.
Estes also has 12 points from 18GP this season, who is currently on a 4 game point streak across all EIHL competitions.
4. Puck Control
Such as most games when the product is below even the standard paid for (far too much retained on increases, considering a singular feat repeated from 2022), the game management and decisions, let alone skill with the puck has been the most infuriating.
Yes, a win was managed, points matter and that is what counts.
The enjoyment of watching those wins has created a muted atmosphere, constant waves of criticism and concerns for the slightest issues.
It seems as if it is almost careless but at the same time, decisive.
On the ice, one of the biggest issues from recent seasons was maintaining average puck possession. A trait that has permeated across 4 different coaches.
As it has always been said, inherit habits, you keep them.
Even when the coach has openly admitted his style of hockey is ‘boring’ and designed to win games by a single goal, the more a fan pays for the privilege of having a seat each week, the more entitled they are to question the product.
That is the pay off, pure and simple.
Holding onto the puck, waiting too long after receiving a pass, especially in a high danger zone, only allows goalies to get set, defending teams to establish a box to block shots and slows down the pace of any attack.
Then it is the NZ link ups, often with over-reached puck touches that get easily turned over or hurriedly given away, leading to icings, direct passes back to opponents and immediately switching from attack to defense.
It disrupts game flow, line harmony and gifts opposition unforced chances.
Then there is the quality of passing, with no looks, back hand glances, heads down hockey. Especially defensively. Which adds to the aforementioned. We call this anti-hockey across every level.
Adding to that, is the puck lost because of passing to skates or failed tape passes, with some, like Mieho, opting for a full send approach to a line mate just 3 feet away from him.
A hard pass is good, just not in the midst of an open ice battle mere feet from your line mate.
Also, retaining the puck when in possession. Turnovers aren’t uncommon, there are a few turnover machines within this team, both retained and new.
Against stronger opponents, that can be a recipe for disaster.
If anyone can come away from that game thinking it was enjoyable, even thinking the team used the puck well, look at the stats at least.
55 SOG and just TWO in the high danger zone.
Compared to Stars’ NINE against the Devils. All of the above, is the reason why and it was not good. It was a terrible game of hockey, despite another win.
5. ‘Forward Functionality’ or Flippant Misdirection?
A common criticism of the team over the years has been a lack of bonafide goal scorers. The counter is that multiple players could chip in, with a lot of hope being put on the shoulders of players who, habitually, never hit volumes enough to make that a feasible or provable reality.
The former always held more weight.
The newest narrative to deflect from the short comings across multiple seasons, is that the focus and thinking is to have a multi-faceted forward group, providing a functional nuance to put all their eggs in the basket and come up trumps.
With the results, just 6 losses from 18GP, top of the league before Sunday and qualified for the semi final in the cup, there is some weight to this.
Or, is there?
One could directly argue that their goalies have back stopped their team to victories and avoided embarrassing defeats.
Three shutouts already this season is no mean feat. Averaging above 92.5 SV% for both goalies is a foundation to be proud of.
Being third overall for goals against suggests a decent back line, where they had often rode their luck, that SV% tells the story. Then, adding the coaches own comments, it paints the picture. Yet, the goalies have been influential.
Devils even sit third in league so far for goals (as of Saturday 7th November, 2026), yet 10 behind the leaders in that category and for EVS goals, they are actually leading the league. Stars are dead last.
As far as secondary points are concerned, Devils rank 4th overall (including Brandt in the mix), however Devils rank 6th overall in terms of goals.
Beyond that, their bottom 6 ranks 5th, so hardly setting the world alight, on a level with Stars, Flyers and Clan.
The only team they need to compare against, the most successful club in the last 5 years, Belfast Giants, who lead the bottom six contributions, often with just 5 skaters, with a combined 43 points.
A point differential of +18 compared to Devils.
They [Devils] rank 7th overall for points distribution from their supporting cast of skaters, light by 25.2% of points, compared to their rivals, Giants.
That is a massive factor for being competitive and functional within the forwards group.
So the question then becomes, has the pursuit of having a ‘functional’ forward group come at the expense of true offensive quality?
I would argue yes and to deny that reality, refusing to accept or admit that approach wasn’t what the club needed, (intent is fine, execution of that intent matters), comes at a cost of trust when those who have already been asked to pay more, expect more as a result.
The intent was to add speed and size to a group they thought was already successful. A team that lost out to the title race, was dumped out of the cup in the group stages and was trending to finish 4th at best.
A fortunate run of results at the tail end of the season was a relief, not a marker to build from. Regardless of the excitement of finishing the season in the same manner as four years previously.
The team is slower, backs itself, but even last night on home ice, they were out hit heavily, 15:9 by a team languishing bottom table.
Short benched couldn’t even be used, as both teams iced 16 skaters.
Ultimately, there is distribution, for now. If MacDonald’s contribution was even halved, then the picture would be considerably worse. His individual contribution accounts for over half of the top line production. That isn’t balance.
What it suggests, is that there is a substantial upside for Giants, backed by a stronger depth contribution. Something the Devils do not have, relying upon one very good player.
Their 2nd line fares a little better, especially over Giants, but Devils ultimately fall short overall of 49 combined points across their lines.
This means, either existing players need to considerably step up their production, most to career all time highs or keep hoping for more spread throughout the lines.
As for performance meeting expectations, from the heavily-billed additions lauded as providing offensive production and distribution, that has so far failed to meet the point of sale that was given from the Summit onwards.
To challenge for the title, they might currently occupy the front seat, however, as recent seasons have shown, it is never a given.
So far, the depth scoring is trending for the Giants, so time will tell. Their supporting cast provides a very tangible foundation to support this.
So far, the attempt at having a tactical set up of ‘functional forwards’ is just about holding firm, however, the sustainability of this structure and approach is questionable, particularly if one or two players fail to maintain their own pace.
Surely, with current injuries, now is the time to find another forward with a proven goal scoring record (of consistency), that can genuinely to help bolster the group.
That can then provide the true factor to be a dangerous team to face, rather than a stubborn opponent that is prone to an off night, of which for a league leading group, has lost roughly 33% of their EIHL games so far this season.
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