Playoff Semi-Final. Steelers v Devils. Sat 15th April

[steeler pete]

what I cannot fathom is why drop Ackered in favour of Lavigne (import quota)

Answere, aaron fox

In such a crucial one off game, if Greenfield had got injured in the game would you all have been happy with Warburton? I would because I accept that a backup is that and I'd like to see these young Brits given chance but from what I've read on here many times, most people think they're not good enough.

Has Ackered been such a star D that we couldn't do without him?

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[icemagic]

At this moment Fox is the problem. If Tony Smith does nothing and next year is another bad year, he (Smith), will become the problem.
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.
Got a problem and don't solve it, then you become the problem.

[paul johnston]

At this moment Fox is the problem. If Tony Smith does nothing and next year is another bad year, he (Smith), will become the problem.
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.
Got a problem and don't solve it, then you become the problem.

Agree completely.
Prior to last season starting and when recruiting was beginning (after the previous disappointing year) Fox said he had learned his lessons and knew what was required to win the league.

Well to me he ignored all that he had supposedly learned as the type of player signed and the systems used hasn't changed over his three year tenure.

I just don't understand it at all.

[lovedenisvial]

Predictable result but the performance was the season in 65 minutes!
I didn't see anything different from the last 30 games! The call in OT was shocking but we all new something was going to happen.
I just want a team that fights for every point and gives NOTHING AWAY!

The team needs another major overall with the majority of players leaving, and that's how it should be! they have won nothing, blown opportunities and opportunities. so deserve to be looking for work elsewhere.
You can pick and choose who you like for a contract but sweeping changes are required again! I like Fox! but he' s had his chance and should move on.

[paul johnston]

We've had three years (first curtailed but we wouldn't have won anyway) without league or playoff success. We've changed players and its not made a difference. We've not changed tactics/systems either and it's not made a difference. We've kept the same off ice team and it's not made a difference.
Are we going to somehow strike lucky next year with a change in players but with the same off ice team and systems in place? I dont think so.

If we change players, which is a given, we may be successful with the same off ice team (coaching etc) only if the systems/tactics and style of hockey is changed up. Is the current coach, because it looks likely he is staying, willing to alter his hockey style/systems?

I hope so because (1) the hockey would be less dull and (2) it would give us more chance of success.

[greeny]

We've had three years (first curtailed but we wouldn't have won anyway) without league or playoff success. We've changed players and its not made a difference. We've not changed tactics/systems either and it's not made a difference. We've kept the same off ice team and it's not made a difference.
Are we going to somehow strike lucky next year with a change in players but with the same off ice team and systems in place? I dont think so.

If we change players, which is a given, we may be successful with the same off ice team (coaching etc) only if the systems/tactics and style of hockey is changed up. Is the current coach, because it looks likely he is staying, willing to alter his hockey style/systems?

I hope so because (1) the hockey would be less dull and (2) it would give us more chance of success.

Agree totally, 3 years his style /systems etc havnt changed, so surely now he must change, even if its out of his comfort zone, that has got to be a coaches job to adapt and change things accordingly, but i thought that might of happened this season, so we shall wait and see

[Jayboy]

My fear is that he is so convinced he is so close to winning things, that he doesn't feel he needs to change and sees the team only needing a few tweeks to his previous 3 years game plan...

[paul johnston]

My fear is that he is so convinced he is so close to winning things, that he doesn't feel he needs to change and sees the team only needing a few tweeks to his previous 3 years game plan...

We are miles and miles away!

[Jayboy]

My fear is that he is so convinced he is so close to winning things, that he doesn't feel he needs to change and sees the team only needing a few tweeks to his previous 3 years game plan...

We are miles and miles away!

Like I said, my fear is that Fox doesn't see that as reality

[mark]

My fear is that he is so convinced he is so close to winning things, that he doesn't feel he needs to change and sees the team only needing a few tweeks to his previous 3 years game plan...

Let's assume that in the season just finished the playing level that Belfast reached became the standard level in the league, where would we have finished then ?, if we had to play teams at the level of Cardiff and Belfast continually without having games against those who's target for the season is not to finish bottom of the league then where would we have been. Almost every time against these teams there was the realisation that if they clicked against us they could play at a level we could not reach, if we were lucky we might hold them for a period but not for 60 minutes. The same mistakes were visible all season, poor passes out of defence leading to turnovers, over commitment leading to odd man rushes against us and the lack of an out and out goal scorer. Some of that gets fixed with a change in personnel, but not all of it.