Sarnia Sting 2024 - 25 Season Thread, Part I

[stingwagoner]

Our pk is aweful, we play any team with good coach they pick us apart because we don't pressure on pk. We have so much speed on team we could be so dangerous with pressure. Sad that coaches don't pressure and we give up seditary goals

 

[NBBFan]

No Karimov or Kostuch in OT. Di Iorio and Edwards 1 shift in OT. Johnston out there for 3 of 5 minutes. Just nuts.

 

[JAMER]

We didn't deserve to win this game. It's one of those wins where u feel like u lost in a way. That 3rd period was horrific. If we play like this Sunday it will be a blow out.

 

[stingwagoner]

You know I'm super shocked Johnston didn't take the shootout as much as he played tonight OMG.

Good for Di iorio for finally scoring on shootout 1/4 and wainwright another slick shootout goals give him 3/3 on year now in shootouts.
Well after 1st period I would say Letang dialed some lines up had some jump or maybe Ottawa was asleep? now I say that blender isn't working use the magic bullet.and work the lines out.

Kostuch played his best game as a sting tonight legs were jumping and he was into the play alot great pass ans stay with play on Di iorio goal. Not to get on ice in OT though, is a head scratcher.

Brown, I don't know what to say looks like different player from last year. He is starting to get me worried little bit with him. Little surprised johnston played over him just effort alone brown kills Johnston.

Edward's too, looks different on wing than in the middle like him better as 3rd line center, that's just me.

Well buzz back in W column, felt like loss the way we continually tried to shoot ourselves in foot with soft penalties. time to prep for sunday need to have better defensive effort sunday and ofcourse change lines again lol

 

[StingUpdates]

Di Iorio was awesome. 1G/2A, shootout winner. 1 shift in OT is f*cking criminal. Loved his chemistry with Kostuch & Doucette. 18s best game of the yr. That looked like 2nd half Kostuch from last yr. Utter insanity he didn't get an OT shift. Let's hope this can become a go to trio the rest of the way.

Filak 8PT last 8GP. 17/30 on draws tonight. Wainwright no points but won 16/22. I'm hating Edwards on the wing. He isn't getting the puck at all now. He doesn't mesh all that well with Wainwright who's all gas no brakes & Beckham is more methodical, slow.

Karimov was good, but barely played in the 3rd & also didn't see an OT shift. Stupidity. Brown looks lost. He's trying his hardest, but he is somehow making every wrong read & play. He needs a flukey goal. badly. Also no OT shift but frankly cant complain with his current play.

Hibbert-Bridgewater was our best pair lol. Didn't expect to say that, but they were. Both +2. Had some bad shifts, but for the most part just played smart, efficient & hard. Bridgwater was our best D all night I thought. Hurt is strugggggggling. Hope Young's absence is short.

That's all the positives. Surzycia stole that game. He was outrageous. 42 fricken saves. SO many of high quality especially in the 3rd & OT then 2/2 in shootout. Cant speak highly enough of that kid. He just keeps improving. Sole reason this team has a couple wins this yr & has kept them in a lot of games.

Won't lie had they lost I was only gonna comment "Fire the coaches into the sun" lol. PK is god awful. Stood back & let Ottawa do whatever they wanted. ZERO aggression which is what made their PK elite a month ago. Johnston was truly horrific tonight & had to of played more than maybe any game he has all yr. No 18/19 in OT. 17 gets one shift, but 37 is out there turning it over constantly.

If they play Sunday like they did the 2nd & especially the 3rd tonight they will be RAN out of their own building.

 

[SarniaStingFan]

Glad they finally got a win! Kostuch is a different player when he gets his feet moving. Was more active defensively, picking off a few passes at the line in his own zone. Hopefully we see that version of him going forward. Glad to see 5v5 offence from Di Iorio. He's been great on the PP but has struggled at 5v5 at times. Surzycia was outstanding especially in the third and OT. We'd have a record similar to Peterborough if it weren't for him. Undoubtedly Sarnia's MVP.

Honestly, they didn't deserve to win tonight. We've seen good first periods against Kitchener and Ottawa, but then teams figure out that the Sting's d-core gets sloppy when you pressure them. Fischer and Young can make a good first pass or skate them out of trouble but nobody else on the d-core can do that consistently. I think Letang knows that and that's why Bridgewater is getting ice time because he can do that a bit. The reason Hurt and Bodin are struggling is because they don't have a puck mover playing with them. Neither has a good first pass to get you out of the d-zone. They'll turn it over or flip to the neutral zone if they feel the pressure. They both need to improve on that.

The team has to be more disciplined. How do you stop giving up as many PP goals? Well, you can help yourself by not taking bad penalties. O-zone penalties by Johnston and Wainwright and a undisciplined roughing penalty by Andersen cost them. When people get healthy I wouldn't be against sitting Andersen the majority of the time. He has to learn to be smarter if he wants to be a full-time OHL d-man.

Glad they got the W but this game didn't make me anymore confident about this team. Same mistakes but Surzycia bailed them out. Hope we see a better effort in all facets against Barrie on Sunday

 

[StingUpdates]

Glad they finally got a win! Kostuch is a different player when he gets his feet moving. Was more active defensively, picking off a few passes at the line in his own zone. Hopefully we see that version of him going forward. Glad to see 5v5 offence from Di Iorio. He's been great on the PP but has struggled at 5v5 at times. Surzycia was outstanding especially in the third and OT. We'd have a record similar to Peterborough if it weren't for him. Undoubtedly Sarnia's MVP.

Honestly, they didn't deserve to win tonight. We've seen good first periods against Kitchener and Ottawa, but then teams figure out that the Sting's d-core gets sloppy when you pressure them. Fischer and Young can make a good first pass or skate them out of trouble but nobody else on the d-core can do that consistently. I think Letang knows that and that's why Bridgewater is getting ice time because he can do that a bit. The reason Hurt and Bodin are struggling is because they don't have a puck mover playing with them. Neither has a good first pass to get you out of the d-zone. They'll turn it over or flip to the neutral zone if they feel the pressure. They both need to improve on that.

The team has to be more disciplined. How do you stop giving up as many PP goals? Well, you can help yourself by not taking bad penalties. O-zone penalties by Johnston and Wainwright and a undisciplined roughing penalty by Andersen cost them. When people get healthy I wouldn't be against sitting Andersen the majority of the time. He has to learn to be smarter if he wants to be a full-time OHL d-man.

Glad they got the W but this game didn't make me anymore confident about this team. Same mistakes but Surzycia bailed them out. Hope we see a better effort in all facets against Barrie on Sunday

Great points. They desperately need Fischer back. Young as well. They push everyone down a spot. Take so much pressure off the others. That is easily Hurt's biggest weakness right now.

I like Andersen's snarl & grit, but yah he's way to reckless. Can't be taking 1 bad penalty a game let alone in tight games.

Gotta get back to
13-9
5-72
16-43

Got a good skater on each pair, good passer on each pair to help them get out quicker & get going offensively. I do think Bridgewater has steadily gotten better. Been nice to see.

No clue what to do with the lines. Gotta keep 18/17/25 together. I don't mind 23/11/19 together. 12 has to stick at C but 81 looks significantly worse at wing. Beamish is also a C but no room there for him so he'll be on wing but with who?

 

[StingUpdates]

Seca interviewed with the observer. Definitely seems a bit annoyed that they have the most games played & had such a brutal road trip that ended with playing a rested KIT team while Sarnia had a 3in3.

He like us pretty much said from the get go he knew that stretch would be terrible.

Also interesting he says he believes in the group, he believes in where they are going in future seasons then said I still believe in our coaches.

Might be looking to far into it but saying I still believe in them when he didn't use still for the team & it's future tells me maybe some doubts have crept in. Also said "you can just see a good number of players aren’t playing to their ability or their capacity."

Mentioned the 2nd half being a huge opportunity with it being a lot more favorable. I'd have to think if our 17 yr olds don't get it going a bit & they underperform with that easier schedule we maybe see a coaching change

 

[SarniaStingFan]

Great points. They desperately need Fischer back. Young as well. They push everyone down a spot. Take so much pressure off the others. That is easily Hurt's biggest weakness right now.

I like Andersen's snarl & grit, but yah he's way to reckless. Can't be taking 1 bad penalty a game let alone in tight games.

Gotta get back to
13-9
5-72
16-43

Got a good skater on each pair, good passer on each pair to help them get out quicker & get going offensively. I do think Bridgewater has steadily gotten better. Been nice to see.

No clue what to do with the lines. Gotta keep 18/17/25 together. I don't mind 23/11/19 together. 12 has to stick at C but 81 looks significantly worse at wing. Beamish is also a C but no room there for him so he'll be on wing but with who?

It will be interesting to see what they do at centre. Filak and Wainwright have the capability to shift to the wing but I wouldn't want to do that. You could shift both the rookies there but that wouldn't be ideal for their development. I wouldn't hate trying Di Iorio on the wing with Edwards shifting back to centre. Stick him in the middle of the Di Iorio & Kostuch pairing that worked well together. Move Doucette up to play with Wainwright. No clue who would drop out of the top 9. I would like it to be Johnston. Feels more likely it will be Brown or Karimov