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Both have re-signed & will be in Orange for the 2023/24 season.

Petgrave I have my doubts about but when you look at the stats +41 then he's doing something right.

Nevalainen is a superb one for me, smart player, great hockey IQ & fantastic numbers like Petgrave last season +40.

Welcome home guys.

I think they were an outstanding pair together last season and I'm delighted to see them back.

I've just watched the Fox interview and I think he makes a good point. Petgrave has the puck on the end of his stick a lot and therefore mistakes are likely to be highlighted.

In footballing terms, I'd rather see a player showing for the ball when things aren't going well for the team rather than hide. I see Petgrave as the sort of player who doesn't go into hiding when things are going badly, the problem is if he then makes a mistake the supporters jump on it.

I'm looking forward to watching them both in action again next season.

Regards

Doom

Great to have Nevalainen back.


Here ends my post.

In the words of Jose Mourinho “If I speak I’m in big trouble”

Let’s just leave it at that.

Top work to get both back, and with the last D expected to be Saucerman then I think that on paper we look to have upgraded on D compared to last year.

Petgrave for me has become an easy scapegoat for some. Doom makes a great point regarding having the puck on his stick a lot. It's exactly the same criticism that Sarich got, and then Ben O'Connor got. Yet both won league titles with us.

Nevalainen is just a straight no brainer. Reads the game superbly and never seems to get caught out of position. Perfect foil for Petgrave.

I've got to say, these two are probably the most important signings to date for me...
And regarding Matt,rarely do the stats lie to the extent some fans would have us believe. Some fans dont like him and I get that and even understand but ask any coach in our league if they would sign him!
After greenfield I would have had him as the first guy to re-sign, and you all know my views on defenders.
A top player and the kind of franchise player that fans love also, and we've had a few of them over the years that some fans can't understand but others saw the value.. for me these 2 were a absolute no brainer....

Just to add, especially for those who feel Petgrave was a main culprit behind lack of success, go back, watch the tape on Schulze (who took very little criticism).

I reckon he probably had twice as many turnovers as Petgrave, with less ice time. And offered far less going forward.

I’m very happy with the Nevalainen re-signing and I’ll accept that as a pair their defensive record was overall very good.

I recognised Petgrave’s skill but he did make some very obvious howlers in what seemed key matches. That doesn’t mean he was solely responsible for our poor end of season though.

A bit more grit and a few more goals and it might’ve looked very different. I always thought that, so I didn’t go so far as to make Petgrave a scapegoat. I was a big Sarich fan so if Petgrave can cut some of the more obvious howlers I don’t see why I can’t be a fan of his too.

ginger wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 19, 2023 8:19 am

Just to add, especially for those who feel Petgrave was a main culprit behind lack of success, go back, watch the tape on Schulze (who took very little criticism).

I reckon he probably had twice as many turnovers as Petgrave, with less ice time. And offered far less going forward.

I guarantee some of our so called top player favorites, especially defenders +/- stats would make you gasp!!
it's all a matter of perceived value to the team, and dont even get me started of some of the forwards we have had.. Ed Courteney for example needed a map to find our own zone!!

If we are judging the +/- of defender (rightly so) we should also look at some of the quite frankly louse forwards we have had recently who have struggle to score or get back and defend!! Carl Ackered, Adam Raska anyone!!

More matches were lost by the inability of the top two line forwards to put the puck in the back of the net than the few howlers made by the D Corp particularly Petgrave.