GAME THREAD: Steelers v Devils Pre-Season
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Good first workout that. Cardiff definitely ahead in terms of conditioning and sharpness. They've also started work on their special teams which we will not yet have touched on in camp. But after a bit of a rusty first, we settled in reasonably well.
Obviously only really got flashes of what we can expect, but first thoughts overall are definitely hopeful/pleasing.
Balmas/Gentile showed good chemistry. Timing not fully there yet but will come. Harper added nice size to the line and has got some nice hands too. Like him on first look.
Seitz/Pu/Juusola also worked pretty well - Seitz isn't going to be a one season wonder, made one gorgeous pass to Juusola to create a grade A chance. Saw the grit too with a few little digs after whistles. Might have found a Brendan Connolly replacement. Pu skates so well. Going to create a lot and was very good on the forecheck.
Jasper/Dowd/Tait seemed to get going more in the 3rd. Tait is going to love being on big ice a lot more. Jasper looks to be good foil also having good speed and good physicality for a smaller skilled guy.
Fourth did a good job, Shudra looks like he has taken a step forward in the off season. Neilson did great and good job on the fight - actually a good job he missed both uppercuts as he had Caponi prone.
Cormier/Dougherty. Thank you Aaron Fox. Dougherty is the absolute business (first period aside but that's just literally first few shifts of a new system). 2nd period onwards he was essentially flawless. Every play just made perfectly. Great first pass, a lot to like.
Tansey/Southorn. A bit of rustiness but again, both settled much more as the game went on. A few mins handles but again, ecpected on a first game. Southorn looks like he's shed a couple of pounds on last year and moved well. That shot is going to be a great weapon on the powerplay.
Huttula/Kelly. Really liked Kelly's game - some good reads, listening to the senior guys and a couple of good lead passes.
Diffley/Steele. Can see Steele's lack of game time last couple of years but there's a player there. Needs minutes which he'll get at the Dogs.
Greener got going after a dodgy first period. Again, probably more readjusting to angles/tracking. After that, can't complain. No chance on their 3rd (mis read/puck watch from Harper I think but nothing that isn't an easily fixable error).
Estes/Oligny/Fournier all looked good for Cardiff.
Good first outing. Plenty to like, plenty to work on. Probably the ideal outcome from a coaching perspective
Obviously only really got flashes of what we can expect, but first thoughts overall are definitely hopeful/pleasing.
Balmas/Gentile showed good chemistry. Timing not fully there yet but will come. Harper added nice size to the line and has got some nice hands too. Like him on first look.
Seitz/Pu/Juusola also worked pretty well - Seitz isn't going to be a one season wonder, made one gorgeous pass to Juusola to create a grade A chance. Saw the grit too with a few little digs after whistles. Might have found a Brendan Connolly replacement. Pu skates so well. Going to create a lot and was very good on the forecheck.
Jasper/Dowd/Tait seemed to get going more in the 3rd. Tait is going to love being on big ice a lot more. Jasper looks to be good foil also having good speed and good physicality for a smaller skilled guy.
Fourth did a good job, Shudra looks like he has taken a step forward in the off season. Neilson did great and good job on the fight - actually a good job he missed both uppercuts as he had Caponi prone.
Cormier/Dougherty. Thank you Aaron Fox. Dougherty is the absolute business (first period aside but that's just literally first few shifts of a new system). 2nd period onwards he was essentially flawless. Every play just made perfectly. Great first pass, a lot to like.
Tansey/Southorn. A bit of rustiness but again, both settled much more as the game went on. A few mins handles but again, ecpected on a first game. Southorn looks like he's shed a couple of pounds on last year and moved well. That shot is going to be a great weapon on the powerplay.
Huttula/Kelly. Really liked Kelly's game - some good reads, listening to the senior guys and a couple of good lead passes.
Diffley/Steele. Can see Steele's lack of game time last couple of years but there's a player there. Needs minutes which he'll get at the Dogs.
Greener got going after a dodgy first period. Again, probably more readjusting to angles/tracking. After that, can't complain. No chance on their 3rd (mis read/puck watch from Harper I think but nothing that isn't an easily fixable error).
Estes/Oligny/Fournier all looked good for Cardiff.
Good first outing. Plenty to like, plenty to work on. Probably the ideal outcome from a coaching perspective
Overall Cardiff were much the better team, but we hung in there and improved as the game wore on.
I'm not quite sure how Cardiff weren't out of sight at the end of the 1st, but the pleasing thing is by the 3rd we were matching them all over the ice.
I was really surprised when my mate said the faceoff stats at the end of the 2nd were quite close, because it felt like Cardiff had won over 60%. I think Pu lost nearly all of his.
Hopefully as we get more practice and our timing improves, it's an area we'll start to improve.
Tait was my man of the match, basically because of how quickly he took the pressure off and turned defence into attack.
An entertaining game and a good work out, although I fear Cardiff will blow us away tomorrow. They'll be fired up in front of their own supporters and fatigue will probably take us.
Regards
Doom
I'm not quite sure how Cardiff weren't out of sight at the end of the 1st, but the pleasing thing is by the 3rd we were matching them all over the ice.
I was really surprised when my mate said the faceoff stats at the end of the 2nd were quite close, because it felt like Cardiff had won over 60%. I think Pu lost nearly all of his.
Hopefully as we get more practice and our timing improves, it's an area we'll start to improve.
Tait was my man of the match, basically because of how quickly he took the pressure off and turned defence into attack.
An entertaining game and a good work out, although I fear Cardiff will blow us away tomorrow. They'll be fired up in front of their own supporters and fatigue will probably take us.
Regards
Doom
Looking at the gamesheet the shots on goal were:
P1 8:11
P2 8:7
P3 14:9
OT 1:0
Total 31:27
That sort of ties in with my view of the game that we grew into it more each period.
A bit odd really that we generated very little in the first yet scored 2 goals, but in our best period of play when we asked more questions of Bowns we couldn't find the back of the net.
I suspect adrenaline will have carried us through last night, but I doubt there will be much left in the tank for the game tonight. I just hope we can avoid any injuries.
A very healthy crowd of 8,137 last night.
Regards
Doom
P1 8:11
P2 8:7
P3 14:9
OT 1:0
Total 31:27
That sort of ties in with my view of the game that we grew into it more each period.
A bit odd really that we generated very little in the first yet scored 2 goals, but in our best period of play when we asked more questions of Bowns we couldn't find the back of the net.
I suspect adrenaline will have carried us through last night, but I doubt there will be much left in the tank for the game tonight. I just hope we can avoid any injuries.
A very healthy crowd of 8,137 last night.
Regards
Doom