How's Bryan & Blair

[daviejojo]

Anyone any idea how the guys are?

Sounds like Bryan was expecting to be back for this coming weekend, but from what I see on Twitter, Blair has a slipped disc, which I suspect will keep him out for the season.

Worth nothing too, that our 3rd choice tendy only let in 1 goal in almost 30 minutes of hockey at Nottingham, and I saw that Fife's goalie unit was being praised highly by both Sheffield & Nottingham's club and fans threads.

[sparkymark75]

Bryan travelled to the games which I doubt he would do if he wasn't nearly ready. Blair was playing great and I don't recall any of the goals being any he'd want back.

Craig also did well, he'd maybe want the first goal he let in back as it squeeked through him but he would have been nervous and made a couple of cracking saves once he had settled down.

[coloradoflyer]

yeah i have always said our tendies are up there, bryan is pure quality, blair has the speed and reflexes likea cat and craig is solid also, and if fit john nicol is also a very good goalie

[daviejojo]

It was nice to see the teams, and fans make comment about the lads too, always good to see for the future :-)

[harlan]

Craig actually let two goals in his half game and yes he probably would have wanted the first one back but with how he played for the rest of the game that was obviously nerves playing a part.

Does seem like Blair has a slipped disc and speaking with Bryan over the weekend if it was up to him he would have played but he can see the bigger picture with bigger games to come.
Besides nothing wrong with giving Blair and Craig games that don't have as much bearing on the outcome of our season

[daviejojo]

With the benefit on hindsight, we should probably have given Blair more ice time anyway this year, especially in Challenge Cup games when we had pretty much qualified after only 4 games.

Less games for Bryan, and more experience for the back up guys.

[coloradoflyer]

hows about this then why don't the league change the challenge cup then and make it that the back ups have to play all those games thus they will defo get ice time and at least 8 or 10 starts also will help the number one's give them rest keep them healthier

[daviejojo]

Feb 18, 2013 11:03:31 GMT coloradoflyer said:

hows about this then why don't the league change the challenge cup then and make it that the back ups have to play all those games thus they will defo get ice time and at least 8 or 10 starts also will help the number one's give them rest keep them healthier

A good idea in principle, but can't see the big boys agreeing to it :-)

I would rather they actually changed the way the Challenge Cup is played too, and move it to a more traditional, Autumn Cup style trophy as we used to have, so Challenge Cup games all played first, then you move to League. Gives a trophy early in the season, and you don't have any of those annoying double point games where 1 bad game costs you in 2 competitions.

[Goalie]

They used to do that Andy. Don't know why they stopped it or if it was just a gentlemans agreement or a ruling, but with the cup now thought of as a major trophy I can't see them making clubs play their back ups

[daviejojo]

It forms part of the treble so I'd be surprised if any changes were forthcoming.

You could I guess, implement some kind of ratio where back up's have to play a certain % of games throughout the season, but it would be difficult to police. What happens when you get injuries to your back up etc, do you have to play a 3rd choice goalie and the like. It's certainly an intreaguing question though.

I guess the big challenge is the EIHL isn't a Development league, so you'd expect to see the best team on the ice every game.

Biggest plus for us, is despite having to call on the Back Up's, Back Up, he still didn't let us down, and in fact as received plaudits for his performance.

[coloradoflyer]

no wonder then goalie we can't develop players in britain the like of latto anymore , it's all about the imports only way the brit goalies are gonna get better is playing against these guys in game situations more than 2 or 3 times a season

[nobabody]

just a question rather than statement and not wishing to cause offence to anyone but is Craig not our 4th choice since Bryan Pitton, Blair Daly and John Nicol are all injured(i think).
anyway, wasn't at the games at the weekend but certainly noticed Craig looked pretty good in the warm-up last weekend, the future of Fifes netminding looks good

[coloradoflyer]

craig got on the bench before john i think even when john was fit, but our 3 brit lads are good and in the juniors we have some beltingly good goalies coming through

[daviejojo]

Feb 18, 2013 12:57:33 GMT coloradoflyer said:

craig got on the bench before john i think even when john was fit, but our 3 brit lads are good and in the juniors we have some beltingly good goalies coming through

There's a phrase you don't see every day.....Beltingly Good.

I like it, and have made it my mission statement of the day, to get it into a conversation somewhere lol ;D

[spudeeelad]

I never understand why teams don't use the Challenge Cup in the same way some teams use the Capital One Cup in English Football. By that I mean call up around 6 players from your junior side as follows;
Their top goalie
Their top 2 D men
Their entire top line F

Then as to tactics, start with the normal backup goalie and have the junior goalie as backup. Start with D pair 2, then play the called up D pair, then D pair 1 as the 3rd D pair.
Same with Forwards, usual 2nd line becomes 1st line, 3rd line becomes 2nd line, the called up guys play 3rd line and the normal 1st line play a few minutes here and there as 4th line.

Everybody wins here I reckon because the best players get a bit of a rest, but with fewer shifts, when they do come on, they will be much more energetic and possibly skillful. You also get a good full look at the juniors.

Even if this wasn't done as the norm, why not when you have either qualified already, or the game is meaningless because you mathematically can no longer qualify?

EDIT:- I just realised my post has absolutely nothing to do with the original point of this thread :\ oops lol!