Devils Insider - Episode 28 - March 25th - Kind of Happy

On this episode of Devils Insider

Weekend review: After a four point double header against Dundee this weekend, the guys give their final thoughts on a successful few games (00:00) 

Interview: Cole Sanford joins the show after his five point night on Sunday (11:35) 

Look ahead: With Manchester and Coventry on the horizon, the guys chat about another tough weekend in the Devils schedule (40:00) 

Playoff Picture: With playoff matchups still to be decided, the guys take a look at the four potential quarter-final opponents for the Devils (45:40) 

Josh Batch: Former Devil Josh Batch has announced his retirement so the guys reminisce about a stellar career (52:40)

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Today's podcast is brought to you by Minerva Hearing. Hear the cheers, protect your ears. Shimai Powerback Royceo. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Devil's Insider for another edition of your Card of Devils official podcast. Dan Ruther, alongside Gareth Ewish and Neil Francis. Guys, it's great to be back. It's been a busy weekend and we're here again recording. And there's very little I'd want to be doing uh in apart from spending time with you two, having done it all weekend as well.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Absolutely, yeah. It uh it feels like I haven't left over the past uh few days. It's just uh it's I I feel like I wake up and I sort of wonder why I'm not at the rink anymore when I'm in my own bed. But uh yeah, it was well worth it in the end, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 0:38

Worth every second for getting on coach cam with you guys, to be honest with you. Very much the highlight of my weekend. I like my week or maybe even month, but yeah, I did feel left out. We'll have to get all back onto them and and and do it, do a three-man hug next time. Let's chat a little bit about the weekend. We're not gonna go into too much depth. We obviously have had the debrief a couple of nights in a row as well. So we'll we'll touch on a few different bits and pieces and then we'll we'll move on. But um, yeah, the Devils beat the stars in both games across the weekend, four points. It was uh good performances across both games, Franny. Not necessarily perfect in the first one, better in the second. I think Tomo was happy with what he saw.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Yeah, I think the performance fell off in the first game. Yeah, the you know, the um foot got taken off the gas a little bit and it got sloppy towards the end, and that annoyed Tomo because we aren't in a position where we can get into bad habits. So that was addressed between games, and then I felt that it was a good response to get a full 60 right the way through, just as the game looked like it maybe it was heading the same way. Dundee get their their only goal of the weekend, and it just kind of poked the bear, didn't it? And uh yeah, it four goals after the straight after that.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Gaza it was weird because it felt like the kind of game on the Sunday that was very similar to the Saturday for the first two periods, and then yeah, like Franny says then in the third exploded into a bit of life as opposed to on the Saturday where it petered out.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Yeah, it did, and it was pleasing to see that we kind of learnt the lesson from Saturday that you know we don't want to just have games peter out, you know, there it has to be this continuous kind of standard that that's set uh now and that consistency, that's that's the the word now, isn't it? Consistency, because you know, as I keep saying, that playoff, you know, run is only four games. If you're consistent over four games, then you win that trophy, and that summer is a delightful, full of sunshine couple of months, isn't it? Where you know the beer tastes a little bit better, and you know, you just uh have a barbecue every day. So um, yeah, like I can say, the the fact that we learnt the lesson from the Saturday and got down to business on the Sunday, and we were angry that Dundee had scored and ruined Christian Stover's perfect weekend. We but we were angry that they thought they might have a comeback, and I got no issues with that kind of attitude at all.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

Yeah, Martin LaFay called it a disgraceful last eight minutes from his team. And Franny, I think to a degree that you could tell that the stars ran out of steam a little bit, but actually it felt as if the devils flexed their muscles a little bit and said, you know, we've we've kind of gone through the motions for the first five periods pretty much of this weekend. Let's just step it up a little bit now.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Yeah, I think it was the Devils stepping up um after that point. I think it showed the gulf between the two teams. Um Stars haven't been good this season, let's be honest. They they you know they've been poor throughout. We've we've heard a lot of interviews, Mark LaFay, where he's called them out and questioned them. And yeah, I guess he didn't he didn't like that after getting themselves semi-back in the game at 4-1, then they seemed to fold again. But uh, you know, and it did look like it's sometimes I was counting the numbers on there because it looked like the devils were on the power play, but I thought that was maybe a product of the renewed confidence that the weekend had given the Devils with the puck. They were very quick at moving it around. Um, there was a lot of trust in each other, and there was guys that had been painfully short of confidence that had got their their goals, their points, um, that then looked totally refreshed, and um and I think that contributed then into that domination in the last eight minutes. So was it was it Dundee sort of handing it to us? I don't think so. I think it was the devils just taking it out of Dundee's hands.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

I also think as well, the devils got a lot of money in the bank in terms of sort of physicality and wearing Dundee down in that second period. Um it was that sort of four-minute spell where you know Fisk seemed to make about 20 saves uh within a uh a few short shifts. And I do feel like as soon as we put that tempo up in the third, we had really sort of worn down Dundee a little bit in that second period as well. Because I thought that second period was really, really good.

SPEAKER_03 4:56

Yeah, we we speak about guys getting into the groove of things, feeling like the confidence is back. Pellini was probably the biggest one this weekend. Uh a big moment for him getting that goal, first one in a long time for him. And and you could just see he he came into the game confident already, and then once that goal went, you've just felt he was in his groove, he was driving play, which we've maybe when he's been struggling for the confidence, you haven't seen as much.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, I thought he was really good last um Sunday against Nottingham as well. I thought you know he looked um I don't know, there's something more about he was he was creating things, he was it was back to the polini that we were used to seeing. And then when he did get that goal, you saw him look up, it was clearly a massive relief to him. And then he just you know he just took over the game, then didn't he?

SPEAKER_03 5:42

Another good point from the weekend. Uh the devils across both games kill all seven power plays that the stars have. And and you know, we've what spoken at length uh this year about the struggles of the power play, but actually the penalty kill has pretty consistently been very good and again proven this weekend, you know, set seven for seven on the PK.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah, and you know, for all Dundee's woes, uh their power play is probably a brightest spot. Uh, you know, it's not down at the bottom there, is it? It's uh I think the fourth so you know it wasn't a power play that was coming in low on confidence and uh was you know probably the biggest offensive weapon. So uh yeah, very positive in that regard to you know snuff out the big sort of weapon that Dundee had.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Yeah, and and Ryan Barrow played the first game, obviously got hurt in that, so didn't make the second, and and he's a big penalty killer for the Devils. And then you saw Helgerson at one point who kills penalties was also in the box. So everyone's stepping up and chipping in, even when not your usual guys are on those lines.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Yeah, and that um penalty kill included a five on three as well, and that was really well dealt with. I the difference it just seemed to snuff out any um chance that Dundee had early, and there just never seemed to be that sort of um siege mentality where they were under pressure for spells. It was very controlled penalty killing, it was taking away the options that they clearly had scouted that Dundee were looking for. I thought Dougie was fantastic on the on the kill. You know, he was he was taking away his you know the the DC D pass, he was pushing them back down the wall, he was then getting sticks in the right lanes to stop cross-ice passes, and you know, and other guys followed suit as well. Um, but yeah, it was just the kill, it it looked like, and you know, we'll give credit to the to the coaches again on this, it looked like they had taken away everything Dundee were looking for, and there wasn't really much on those power plays from Dundee that were threatening.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

And a big shout out to Conor Capone and Ben Davis for trying on both nights to recreate that goal from Nottingham the weekend before. I really thought on Saturday they'd done it, and on Sunday it was definitely a flicker of one there as well.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

Yeah, when it nearly happened, it was it was carbon copy. I couldn't believe how similar it was. Capone in and over the goal line backhanded pass to Davis, and in the end the save was made. But my word, would that have been quite something? Proper deja vu moment, hadn't it?

SPEAKER_02 8:01

When you see saw Capone go skating down hard, you're like, no way, and it was the same backhand pass, and he got them on the tape of Ben, but you know, good saves to to stop from uh that would have been a ridiculous highlight reel.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

I literally did shout deja vu as as Ben Davis made the shot in the hope that it'd go in and it'd be uh very cool. But uh yeah, I as I said on comms as well that I'm happy for them to try every week to recreate that and see how many we can get from it.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Yeah, make it a set play. Uh yeah, the the devils in the second game, second period of the second game, Franny, got into a little bit of penalty trouble, took a couple of different things consecutively. And I think one of the things that stood out was you could tell that the heads didn't go, that they didn't lose necessarily too much of a call on it. They they generally kept a lid on it, despite the fact that I I don't know, I mean I may I'd maybe call them softer, a couple of the calls softer than maybe what you'd expect.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Yeah, there was some questionable calls, no doubt about that. And I think instead of it kind of playing with the devil's minds, it almost fired them up to get those kills and then get back five on five and get some goals. And um, that's good to see because you need to be strong mentally in the playoffs. You said it's a very short series, so you need to be strong mentally, you can't have any meltdowns, and you know, to have that practice, I guess, this weekend of being in situations where things aren't going your way, but you deal with the adversity and then you uh you rise above it. Um, I thought it was a good lesson learned.

SPEAKER_03 9:26

Yeah, uh one of the final takes that I have from the weekend was uh the Devils definitely looked because of maybe the difference in standard, like they were playing with a lot of freedom. We knew that they'd get a lot of time on the puck. And so a couple of moments that I think that was expressed best was when twice at a blue line, we saw Richardson and Estes put a little body feint past a guy. We saw Alini three or four times over the weekend behind his own net, just turn a guy, sort of head fake him out, round he went. And there was a confidence and a bit of swagger to the devils, I thought, this weekend, especially with those three guys and how they were moving on the ice.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Yeah, well, Richie totally flammoxed me because I thought it was Estes uh going in on goal, and uh I felt really bad because as soon as you pointed it out, I thought, oh no, yeah, Richie has has has always had that in him, that little drop of the shoulder and uh shimmy around, and it would have been a highlight real goal had he finished. But um, yeah, or or like you know, I think when we were going through that bad patch a couple of weeks ago, it was only really phones that I felt was the one you would look to to be confident in going forward and and having that freedom. But now phones isn't standing out as much because everyone else seems to have that little jump about them as well, and uh, you know, when we are playing that well and moving the pack as quickly as that, and everyone is kind of interchanging around and having that bit of freedom, it's really, really, really fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Yeah, and there looks to be a balance about the the team at the moment, doesn't there? On all the lines have got a little bit of everything. Um, you know, we spoke about Pellini, how good he was this weekend. You know, we've got to give uh a tip of the hat to Contos for his hat trick, um, Samford for his five assists, which you know that's uh that's a great achievement as well. So, yeah, lots of good performances, but I'm sure Tomo's not getting too excited. I mean, like you said, he's been grumpy, and uh, you know, it's a Dundee team that is out of the playoff contention, so you won't get too excited. Big test this weekend coming up. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

I think uh you mentioned Tom, though. I said to him after the game, I said, you know, two wins, four points, eleven goals, scored one conceded. Are you happy? And he went, happy, kind of happy, I guess. And and that kind of summed up the weekend for me. I thought, you know, fair enough, you've got to hold yourself to the high standards. But uh, I'm glad for any that you brought up Contos and Sanford. You know, three goals for Contos, five assists for Sanford. And well, if we were gonna pick a guy this week to have on after such an eventful weekend, maybe it's the guy who put five assists up on Sunday. Ladies and gents, a huge welcome on Devil's Insider this week. So one of the stars from the weekend just gone called Sanford. Stanny, thank you so much for coming down. How are you doing? You okay?

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 12:00

I uh I mentioned this weekend just gone. It was uh quite a busy one for you. Goal on the Saturday, five points on the Sunday. Great weekend.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, overall it was a good weekend. Um yeah, I think last night I, you know, you look at the stat line, I I had five assists, but um, if you watch the highlights, I think I got lucky on a couple of those. So um obviously nice for for our line to you know have a good weekend. We uh we just got put together before the weekend. So um that helps confidence and and us to build some chemistry chemistry moving forward here.

SPEAKER_03 12:31

Yeah, you I think you're a little bit modest on that one, you know. Claim claim your five points, enjoy them. But um, yeah, like you say, you you got put on a line this weekend. LaCroix joined your line, it was Bauer, obviously, at the start as well. And and what what clicked so well?

SPEAKER_01 12:43

That's a good question, to be honest. Um, I think um, you know, Wheels and Conti and I, we played together briefly there. Um I think up in Dundee when I uh just raped before I got hurt. And um I think there is something there when we play together. Obviously, um Conti's uh you know a great passer. Um I like to shoot, and Wheels kind of does everything for us. So uh for whatever reason that that seemed to work. And then obviously with SETI coming in, um kind of a tough spot for him. But um, yeah, I honestly I can't put a finger on it. Maybe, maybe just uh, you know, one of those nights where things just tend to go in. But um Seti, you know, SETI plays the same style, similar style, I should say, to uh to wheels and kind of open open up some space for Conte to make plays and um yeah, a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Yeah, and you and Conti swapping roles a little bit, him being hat trick goal scoring, you getting five assists on the board. So it's it's good to switch it up a little bit as well.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yeah, you gotta, yeah, you gotta get some assists, even if you're you know, your score. Um we're giving uh been giving uh Bubba a bit of a hard time here saying that he's gotta put on some assists here.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

I I I want to start as well tonight and talk a little bit about, you know, you're one of it feels strange to say, one of the longer serving devils at this point. You know, you've been around since the first season post-COVID. That's five years now. Quick, obviously, brief time in Germany as well, in the middle of that. But um, you know, five years in, how how how does it feel to still be a devil? Uh time flies, doesn't it? Kind of when you're having fun.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yeah, it's been uh it's been a great time here, obviously. Um, you know, the last couple years, I would say that uh, you know, feel a little different than the first three. Obviously, you know, we had we had a bit of a different core uh my first three years, and um I had you know a good friend Trevor Cox here. So um yeah, no, it's been it's been good. Uh I mean it's hard to believe I've been here five years now, but um obviously still enjoying it and uh feeling good.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

You mentioned Trevor Cox. Fran, I do want to ask you, but when you looking way back when, because I remember when the Devils announced that that Cole was joining, the the announcement went out as a kind of duo. It was Trevor Cox, Cole Sanford coming together and they came as a package deal. When you were looking to recruit Sanny and Cox, was that something you obviously looked at in the build-up to it?

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Yeah, I mean, uh you look at their records individually as players and yeah, stand out anyway, you know, the numbers that were put up in junior and then in in college too, and then you look at two guys that played, I think it was eight years together before you even got to Cardiff, is that right? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

I think uh four years junior. Yeah, 11 or 12, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Yeah, so when you got here, it was eight years, yeah. So, you know, why wouldn't you want to take two guys that have already got that chemistry between them? You know, you you could see that Sani is uh primarily a goal scorer, although as you know the weekend proves, uh you could also provide them, and Coxie, you know, primarily a playmaker, and it was just it just made total sense to to get the two of them. So when we could land that, then that was uh exciting, and you know, we had a feeling we knew what was to come.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

It was a bit of an achievement landing those two guys as well, because they were well coveted out of U Sports, and so getting them both here in Cardiff was a big achievement.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

Yeah, definitely, and you know, especially coming off the you know the COVID year um where the league hadn't run, so it was a it was a bit of a tough ask for our league in general, but um you know one thing led to another, and uh I I think when one knew that the other was talking to us, you know, they're obviously really good friends too. So uh just everything fitted in well, and uh, you know, we were delighted when when they both signed the paper.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Yeah, Sani, you you got hit to Cardiff with Trevor Cox, and he was here for your first three years. And uh and I I think back to those those early years you were in Cardiff. And and for me, the the big impression you left initially was was that CHL campaign, and that one was a really successful one for the Devils. I look back to that that game against Lausanne here. And and when you arrived, did that kind of that CHL campaign maybe help settle the nerves a little bit coming over to hit play here in Cardiff and and that one kind of settled you in?

SPEAKER_01 16:42

I think so. I think um coming over with Trev, like immediately I was, you know, I was I was comfortable, and I think that's a big part of kind of my game is you know, I play my best when I'm comfortable. And um yeah, I think um, you know, CHL was a lot of fun. I didn't know a whole lot about it, but obviously to to come out and you know play those top teams around Europe and have some success against them, it you know, it gave me confidence early. And I felt like, you know, that was kind of like a stepping stone of you know, me just getting going here and and you know, believing that I can, you know, be an impact uh offensive player.

SPEAKER_02 17:21

Well, we we were sweating after those uh Champions League games because I think you were four or five goals in the the six games that we had, and we're like, oh my god, we may not be able to keep hold of him.

SPEAKER_04 17:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

He's definitely opening some eyes around Europe. Yeah, that first season went really well. You know, you you look across the whole year and it ended, of course, with the Devils winning the playoff trophy. Jake Cougar came in late season as well, and you, Coxie, and him on a line together just clicked fantastically. And and what works so well about you three playing together and and what memories do you have of of that playoff run?

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Yeah, I I got fond m memories of that playoff run. Um, you know, I remember when Cooks came in, um, didn't know who he was or kind of what what style player he was, but um, you know, right when we got put together, you could just see it it clicked. And I think Cooks is obviously uh, you know, he's a bigger body than Trev and I. And um, but at the same time, he can he can play fast and make plays, and you know, that just worked really well with Trev and I's game and um yeah, just to the playoffs, I think. Um what I remember is us losing that first one against Glasgow at home, um having to go up there and I think it was 0-0 till maybe 10 minutes left in the third, and then we we got a couple there, and and then obviously in Nottingham Um Nottingham, I think we played Guilford was it in the semis, uh tight game, and then um yeah, in the final there, I just you know I remember some clutch goals uh late in the game. Um I think maybe it was Reeder or Crandall on the power play there, but um yeah, no, it was you know it's funny Cooks is always sending Trev and I, you know, pick old pictures of us celebrating and and and highlight packages like that. So uh a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

It was of course it it it capped off a really good first year, but actually by the metrics, your second year in card, if you put 38 goals in the league up that year and and Coxy got 50 plus assists, do you think that was the point in which U2's game kind of hit a point where it was it peaked, maybe?

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Maybe I think um you know, obviously a lot how score, right? For for you know, you to score score that many goals. And um yeah, like I mean obviously playing with Trev, um I've played with him so many years and I just there's just uh certain chemistry there that you know you can't really put your finger on and you can't really explain. It's just when I'm playing with when I was playing with him, I just knew, you know, I just knew certain moments of the game, certain situations I was getting the puck. And you know, when you when you play with someone like that that can get you the puck and you know you can start to you know score early in the season and build some confidence that you know sometimes they just I don't know, sometimes they just tend to go in and you know other seasons maybe maybe you don't get the bounces, but um yeah to I guess to answer your question is is that the peak? I like to think not, but you know, maybe it is.

SPEAKER_03 20:17

Do you miss playing with him?

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Yeah, for sure. I think um I do uh but I will say that you know playing with Conti Um you know these last few weeks. I think he's uh I I will say the probably the closest thing I've I've I've seen since playing with Trev is as far as just like all the little tendencies and um you know Conti so that it holds in the pocket and you know I just know that you know if I find some open ice and he has the buck, he's gonna find a way to get it to me. So um it's been a kind of a cool comparison and kind of a cool feeling because it's kind of taken me back to you know the days I played with Trev.

SPEAKER_03 20:53

How do you build a relationship like that? I we we we spoke to Josh McDonald a couple of weeks ago and he talked about how sometimes it is literally on the ice, just spot in eyes with someone and you know you're gonna get a pass. Is it is the development of that relationship similar or how how have you built that with Conti?

SPEAKER_01 21:08

I think it's um a little bit to do with just like reps and and chemistry, like the longer you you know play with someone or the longer you practice with someone, you you learn, you know, where they're gonna be and you know what they like to do on the ice. And um yeah, like I said, I just you know, with Conti being a centerman too, I think he you know he carries the puck uh up through the near zone and and kind of draws guys in and and that lead usually leaves you know wingers like me open. And um yeah, I think just all all the things really help like getting together off the ice and kinda hanging out and getting to know one one another. And obviously he's kinda going through similar thing I went through earlier earlier in the season with having a baby and stuff. So all all those things help. How have you found being a dad? Yeah, it's been awesome, but uh you know, I'm not gonna lie, it's it's it's changed.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

uh my life quite a bit and um obviously ran on a little less sleep this year but um no it's been great uh talking about having a child and that sort of the life side of things while you've been in cardi if you've done a few different things you like you've done your MBA while while you were here uh as well a couple of seasons ago how did you find that experience and how important is that to you in terms of your sort of progression off the ice and and thinking about things later on yeah um yeah I I I actually really enjoyed doing my MBA here.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

Um I did it with um Tyler Bush and um um uh Jamie Arneal and um yeah I think um you know obviously it's you know it puts a little more on your plate away from the away from the rank but at the same time it uh the part I enjoyed was you know once I was away from the rink I kind of had a different focus and you know you kind of get that mental reset and um obviously anytime you can aid your your uh your life after hockey I think uh that that can't hurt.

SPEAKER_03 23:05

Because of course there will there will come a day where you're no longer a devil we don't know when it may be but that obviously it's about the preparation for that you did take a brief stint over in Germany started last season and then came back to Cardiff and why did you choose first of all to go and then what was the decision process in coming back as well?

SPEAKER_01 23:21

Yeah um well I think I like for a few years there I had ambitions to kind of go go to Europe and see what it's all about. You know I think even years ago I I kind of always figured that I would I would end up over here somewhere. And I just thought like the time was right um to do it and I thought that you know maybe if I didn't do it that I would have some regrets. So um yeah with I think honestly with like a little bit had to do with like Trev was thinking about uh retiring and um you know I I felt like I was ready to maybe go have an o give it an opportunity and um why it didn't work out um yeah there's a lot of things but um just wasn't the right fit and in all aspects and miss being a devil I guess.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Yeah I'm sure everyone will will love to hear that. You you we've talked about the length of time you've been here now you've played for all four coaches as well since COVID for the devils and it's very different philosophies for each one very different approaches to hockey and yet even so you've maintained your goal scoring touch of been 20 plus goals every season since then how have you tailored your game to each coach and each kind of different build of a team of a devils team since you've been here yeah um that's a loaded question.

SPEAKER_01 24:39

I think um yeah obviously you had I've had four four different coaches here and um you know I think with that comes you you know you have to adapt to to how they they see you as a player and how they utilize you and um luckily I've been able to um kind of continue on with with some of my success offensively but I think at the same time like I look at maybe I think it was two years ago when I think the first year Pete came in um I did struggle I think with that transition and I think it was I can't remember what it was maybe 10 league games I think that had zeros across the board. So um yeah it's just like you gotta adapt and um yeah it's obviously a transition transition anytime you you have a new coach or or whatnot and um sometimes it just takes a bit of time to to get adjusted and figure out kind of where you stand.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Yeah one of the things I wanted to ask you is as primarily as a goal scorer you see yourself as a goal scorer all goal scorers um go through kind of peaks and troughs and you mentioned confidence earlier on and how important that is when you get those spells like you did in that first year when Pete was here and you don't get the goals and you probably start feeling the pressure as a goal scorer what do you do then to get yourself back on the train to scoring because every when you when you're scoring and you're feeling it they just seem to to go in all the time but when you're not in that groove what what do you do then to to get back in it?

SPEAKER_01 26:10

Yeah I think um yeah it's sometimes it's harder than than you think um you know you can go through spells where you're overthinking and um where you're rushing your shots or you know you're just you're not obviously confident but you're just not in that like that flow state. And so I think like one of the big things I do is just you know you try to practice you know practice well and score and practice and um you know do really do anything you can to to kind of get that little feeling back and you know at the same time I think you know as a hockey player you're you're gonna go through ups and downs and spurts where you're scoring where where they're going in and where they're not and I think it's just a matter of trying to contribute uh elsewhere when you're when you're not scoring and um usually when you do that you you gain a little traction and you know maybe get a bounce and then it's funny when when two or three start to go in it's just crazy you know what it's not like I'm like you know in my head all the time about it but it's just it there's just a switch and you know you just get a feeling and it's a it's a weird thing to be honest. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:23

Yeah I I I don't think people realize how mental goal scoring is uh you know as way more than physical probably we saw it this weekend didn't we where Brett Pellini had gone through quite a lot of games without scoring a goal he gets the one and you know you could see him look to the skies you know thankfully I got that one and then next night he gets another one which you know we initially thought it was SD driving the net but didn't it came off uh the the Dundee back check and he's got your two in two games and it's amazing how you know you would give so much money to get that lucky bounce on the you know the second goal and you just you just don't get them do you when when you're on the dry spell.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah I think uh that's exactly and I think the maybe the worst thing you can do is kind of overthink and um I saw a good interview this year actually uh in the NHL about uh Steam Stanko said it obviously uh you know a great goal scorer in the NHL and he just said you know like you just have to you gotta keep playing for those chances and I think if you get chances then eventually they're gonna fall and um you just got to believe that the you know the next game's gonna be the one where you break out and you score the goals or you get on the board. So um I think my approach to you know those spells have changed over the years. Obviously I've I've learned a lot and um I would say that you know a few years ago when I when I did start the season pretty cold I think uh you know I don't think I had the greatest the greatest mindset then and um obviously now I think I I do a great job of you know kind of managing the ups and downs and just try to you know just try to contribute and and just believe that uh you know ventures are in going.

SPEAKER_03 29:03

With that in mind let's talk a little bit about this season now and and you you tomo came in over the summer and it's we're nearly the end of the first year of his coaching tenure and and what do you make of this season?

SPEAKER_01 29:12

How do you look at as as we is not wind down that's probably the wrong phrase but as we get towards the end of the season how do you assess the yeah to be honest it's been a little a little disappointing obviously I think um you know we we we all want to compete for trophies and um you know we've we've failed to do that and obviously we're in the we were in the league hunt there for a while but um yeah I I think you just look at it as um you know obviously with Tomo coming in it's uh you know it's uh it's a new voice and a new way of doing things so sometimes that you know that takes a little longer to kind of put it all together and um yeah I think we you know we have a good team I think you know the the first disappointment was the the cop stuff and um obviously you know a few weeks ago or a month ago we were we were in the league race there and then um unfortunately fell out of it but um yeah I think the the beauty of it is that we still have an opportunity to win a trophy and um yeah I think you just you know you try not to dwell on kind of what's happened so far and just look ahead and um yeah just get ready for the uh for the playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

How are the guys feeling in the room ahead of that?

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Yeah honestly we uh we haven't looked too far ahead I think we're just you know focused on playing good hockey you know and I think that's just weekend to weekend and um obviously the other week we had you know we had a couple poor nights and um and so we're I think we're doing a good job of just you know seeing the moment and uh I think we have five games left here and um yeah just try to try to get better and kind of build ourselves up to playoffs. Yeah the only thing I I was going to ask you about was um you spent four years in the University of Alberta um the head coach GM there Stan Marple was you're from the UK and so many players have come from that program across here yourself and Coxie uh Brett Ferguson and a whole host of Guilford Flames what is it in that program that kind of shapes players well to transition into to UK hockey yeah that's uh Stan Marple that's uh he's uh he's a legend um yeah I I think like the the U of A there um it was somewhere that you know if I had to go to school at you know after junior I was thinking like where where am I gonna go and I think you know that's a program that just stands out among them all and um they have a just like a winning culture there and um anytime you you know you go play for a team you you want the chance to win and um yeah you look at you know Fergie Fergie played there I think he won two national championships um I was able to get one and um I think they've they've you know just built a good culture there and um we've had you know as an alumni now we've we've had a you know we got a great group of guys that kind of keep in touch with the with the team and kind of keep things in check and um yeah I think just good people in the organization and you know they they do a great job of recruiting players and yeah good stuff so I think the last thing we're gonna do with you tonight before we let you go is the quick fire questions which we do with everybody so we're gonna run through those I say to everybody you can give you explanations for your answers you don't have to you can just give them straight up so we'll we'll shoot within now so Cole Stanford your 20 questions are these who is your favorite singer or music artist um oh that's hard. Morgan Wallin probably right now uh your signature dish when you're cooking at home steak how do you have your steak done well when I'm living in an apartment it's a little different than when I'm at home so um you usually just sear seared on seared on the stove top for a bit and then in the oven for a few minutes and usually paired with baked potato sweet potato some veggies. Uh your favorite place to eat out in Cardiff Pasture is pasture what is one thing that's on your bucket list I want to do uh I want to do like a big Euro trip uh with my family like not just my wife and and Nash but uh my parents and hopefully my my brother and my yeah just extended family. Anywhere kind of on your mind any particular places um I wanna go to Portugal I want to go to Greece I want to go to Spain um Italy like yeah a lot of places long way drive which like I I yeah I should have been going while I've been here but I haven't really I haven't really done that so I think I know the answer to this one already but we'll go with it who is your best friend in hockey Trevor Cox Trevor Cox your favorite TV show uh Yellowstone What's your game day routine um usually I come into the rink um in the morning and we'll kind of do a formal stretch ride a bike for maybe ten to twenty minutes maybe tape some sticks and that's basically it your favorite rink away from Cardiff to play at around the elite league um Sheffield interesting we've not had that yeah okay cool uh which NHL player do you most enjoy watching that's hard um I like watching a bunch of guys to be honest um Nylander uh on Toronto I I watch quite a few leaf leafs games to be honest um Jack Hughes Kucharov Patrick Kane um Stamkos like McDavid Dry said all those guys honestly like whatever whichever one of those guys is playing when I can watch I'll watch uh do you would you prefer a beach holiday or a city break?

SPEAKER_03 35:14

Beach holiday nice uh the best moment of your career so far um probably winning a national championship at uh University of Alberta what is your go-to karaoke song I'm not worse for that I I'm not a karaoke guy um do you prefer the devil's red white green or black jerseys this year um I like the green but um I think the whites are my favorite your favorite sports to watch or play outside of hockey um maybe golf you've been golfing with a few of the guys with the with the nice weather you're gonna hopefully get around in I yeah I haven't yet but we golf quite a bit at the start of the year so hopefully get out here soon. Uh what's your coffee order?

SPEAKER_01 36:00

Um just Americano Black. Uh who's the best player you've played with and then against throughout your career I've played probably the best is McDavid played with uh just briefly and then um played against Dry Saddle it's two two pretty big names it's probably as big as we've had yeah yeah um where was that with McDavid um so I I got invited to the Oilers camp uh the year he was drafted so uh went to like rookie tournament stuff and played with him in in those games could you tell then how good he was yeah it was ridiculous. I think I I think I had two and one went playing with him I think I remember they came to me and said hey you're playing McDonald I said alright it's a golden ticket you know uh do you have any fearsophobias maybe heights fear heights yep nice your favorite film um I'm also the worst for that I don't watch movies really but um I've seen uh anyone but you like the rom com I've seen that a few times the last year so I'll say that you're rom com guys or uh yeah honestly I I just struggle to watch I don't watch TV shows very often I don't watch movies when fair enough yeah uh big night out or quiet night in uh depends on uh time of year and the final one if you could change one rule in hockey or one thing about hockey anything you like what would it be and why um let me think on this what do they do in the they do something in the Champions League with power plays only yes so if you score shorthanded it's like a jailbreak your guy comes out the box okay um so that's the that's what the CHL do and then power play is full two minutes regardless if you okay yeah that's what I do for full two minutes power play yeah yeah full two minutes power play get yourself in the spot immediately yeah yeah yeah good stuff well uh cole thank you so much for coming down that's all the questions we have for you tonight we really appreciate you taking the time and uh good luck with the rest of the season mate yeah thank you huge thank you to Cole Sanford for joining the show and and guys it feels strange to call Sanny one of the longest serving devils at this point because two minutes ago we were coming back from COVID and and he was the new kid on the block.

SPEAKER_00 38:18

Yes uh time flies doesn't he a blink of an eye and all of a sudden Sanford's a car of devil's veteran and you think back to like how long ago those behind closed doors games felt he was there you know bringing up goals in in that uh time and uh yeah you know one of the most naturally gifted goalscorers I think I've I've seen in a Devils jersey um it's like an octopus getting to a jam jar sometimes when he finds those little bits of space sort of between a pad of a goalie much like he did against uh against the stars uh on Saturday where Cruz had just left that little gap for a split second and he's already found it behind the goal line and and banked it off him and uh just that scorer's instinct which I don't think you can coach I don't think you you know you develop I think you just have it in in you and uh you know he's very special in that regard.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

Yeah Franny when we talk about eras of the Cardiff Devils and we we look maybe you know 14 to 20 the Lord era with with Haddad and Martin and Hotham and all those guys the the post-COVID era Sani's one of the big guys who's been part of that yeah I mean he he's put up a lot of goals in that time I mean the the the high of 38 in that one season but he's on target for another 20 plus goal season this year and uh yeah you know he's he's very meticulous in how he prepares he holds himself to high standards you know he's very demanding on himself um we heard him talk about you know what it's like that the pressure of being a goal scorer and you know finding ways to to keep banging goals in and it yeah it's a tough tough job but he does it year in year out he does indeed he does a fantastic job of it we're gonna move on we're gonna chat a little bit about the weekend coming normally we'd have a little discussion point at here and then we'd move on to the weekend coming we're gonna start with this weekend and then open it up maybe to a little bit of a bigger topic of of the playoff picture but this weekend the Devils host the Manchester storm on Saturday night on NHL night which is going to be fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 40:18

I hope you've all got your your jerseys ready to go and then uh Coventry it is away on Sunday but we'll start with the Saturday night game guys and uh you know if we're if we're talking I said said on DB, if we're talking about building blocks and looking at Dundee non-playoff team then we look to two teams this weekend who are kind of in that five to eight picture Manchester and Coventry are the perfect test I think for the Devils.

SPEAKER_00 40:37

Yeah they are it's uh a preview of uh a potential quarter final um which is exciting and you know we were very complimentary about the storm earlier in the season on uh Insider where it felt like we were playing them every week for a time um but I think I I'm gonna lavish some more praise on Cam Critslow and and the storm in the sense that sometimes you wonder whether Manchester can maintain a good run. They've always had decent teams and there's been seasons where they have maintained it but you always wonder whether they can and this year they have they that they've been very consistent in their performance performances and they remain a team that everyone in that top three below Belfast who will likely be crowned uh champions this weekend all the other three teams are looking and going I don't want Manchester to be fair they're probably looking at the other three teams saying I don't want them either but I think particularly Manchester not just for the rink as well because I think we sometimes over egg that and so they're more than just a different type of arena this year.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

It's not just that it is you know the the the offensive talent they've got the cohesion they've got the togetherness they've got they've got a very a lot of very good things a lot of positives in that roster and I'm excited for Saturday because I think they'll be bringing the same mentality we are in that they want to bring those standards that momentum that consistency with them yeah when I look at Manchester they look like a team don't they they look like there's a togetherness about them it doesn't surprise me with a guy like Cam Critchlow at the helm because he was that wasn't he's a captain uh yeah team leader um he that was his big strength so the fact that he's his first team looks like they're very very engaged with each other doesn't surprise me at all um yeah they've got uh I think underrated talent on their team you know if their goalies having a fantastic year uh Derrida um on D they got some you know guys like Welsh with experience in the DL and in the forwards they got some really excited players um good goal scorers so they yeah that they have a balance to them as well as well as having that edge and you know we've seen that in the games against us I mean I'm hoping that you know there's been we we said it all this season the Devils play best when we play with an edge and there has been that edge over the last you know few weekends um you know the Belfast weekend starting with that and then you know the Nottingham game and uh this weekend against the stars wasn't mild was it um you know even though it didn't have to be it was still it was still there and the the games against Manchester have been belters there's been all kinds of uh side stories going on there so yeah I'm hoping again to to keep the the devils the the best of the devil style going with an encounter against Manchester.

SPEAKER_03 43:36

Yeah I think you make a really good point and and yeah like you say we're not short on storylines 34 goals in seven games between the two teams this season so we're not we're not going to be short on that either but um sunday then the devils come to Coventry and it's it's rinse and repeat it's a team who are fighting for the playoff positions they're looking to to build up some momentum build some ground but in a little bit of a different way because they're coming off the heartbreak of losing the cup final and and and that's obviously an incredibly tough thing. But then they follow it With two wins this weekend, so or sorry, one win this weekend. So it it it adds a different dimension, I think, guys.

SPEAKER_00 44:06

Yeah, it's Coventry uh uh a strange one because I I feel like if the fictionist, and I talked about this a little bit when I was talking about the title race, is the times in which you play people, the times in which we've played Coventry is when they've been on a bit of a dip, and then all of a sudden we don't play them for six weeks, and you look at their results and they haven't lost, and you think, well, that they didn't look like a team that could go on that run when we played them last, so I really don't know what to expect on on Sunday because I think the blaze out of everyone in the league can be a little bit Jekyll and Hyde. Um again, I think you know, we we just preach in this thing about physicality with us, aren't we? And picking battles and and trying to get in that mindset. I think we have to do that as well because I think the games where we did in the cup play that sort of fire versus fire, sort of back and forth open, free-flowing game. Let's just you know, see who can score the most goals. Coventry done a number on us where uh as I think other games after that in the league where you know we haven't dropped a point thus far against them in league play. We have been a bit much more aggressive, much more harder on our four check, much more trying to shut down the guys that make them tick. Uh, so a thoroughly entertaining game on Sunday. I think it'll be great to watch, and I'll I'll certainly be uh tuning in. But I don't know, I'm a rubbish podcast and analyst for it because I literally don't know which way is gonna go and I don't really want to commit to it.

SPEAKER_03 45:39

Yeah, I think that that's that's very fair. And uh we'll we'll look a little bit wider at the playoffs as well, you know. And it's it's very early, it's very weird this season. We're in a position where so early on we have the eight teams locked in. We we know that Dundee and Fife aren't gonna be taking part. And if you look across the the four options, I guess you could call them, for the Devils to end up playing in the playoff quarter final. You've got you've got Manchester and Coventry, we've spoken about already. You've got Guildford, who have a good record against the Devils this year, have beaten us a couple of times, and then you've got Glasgow, who, since the change the coaching change have been playing at about 65% win rate, which it would have been probably good enough for fifth or maybe even fourth in the league, depending on when you start playing that kind of hockey. So, Franny, there's no good option here.

SPEAKER_02 46:21

Yeah, definitely no good option. I think you know some of those leagues have got it when wherever you finish, you get first pick against who you go. Who would you pick out of those four? I it would be an absolute nightmare to get that that first pick and and to pick one of those sides. Um I mean, I I want to play the side that finishes as low as possible because that means the Devils have finished as high as they can. So, you know, I want the Devils to finish in second place because we're not going to get first, and um it would be nice to beat out uh Nottingham and Sheffield for that second place. So then at the moment that would be Coventry. Uh, and you think, how are Coventry in seventh place after they went on like an 11-game streak or whatever it was, and you know, they get to a cup final, they've had some fantastic spells, they've just mixed it in with some um some bad patches, and and like you say, guys, it's it's what you don't know which Coventry you're gonna get. You what you do know is that they got another there's another team with a great net minder, there's another team with um elite league experience throughout it, but what I think Coventry's main asset is they've got young legs, and I think that suits this league, and it suits the league the longer it goes on. Um, so they got plenty of pace on there. So, you know, we will look to to play a fire with fire game because I think that's when we play our best, but we are up against a team that has got a lot of energy on it, and uh it would be a another great um you know playoff battle if we had Coventry.

SPEAKER_03 47:51

And we're in a position as well where all four teams are very dangerous because they are scrapping for their lives for that for for for fifth down to eighth. And what it means is that they're not playing these what what probably Tomo looked at as that third period in Dundee, where it peted out. Those games aren't really existing for them at the minute because they can't afford for that to happen. And it means I think that it sets us up nicely for the playoffs, where one of those four teams, I think, is gonna catch out one of the top four teams and probably beat them to playoff weekend because they've been playing this stuff for weeks now and they've been, yeah, like I say, scrapping for it.

SPEAKER_00 48:22

Well, you look at this past weekend, um, Belfast could play Glasgow in the quarterfinals. They've just had a double head on the weekend, and Glasgow won that first game on the Saturday. If they had go be going back to Glasgow for that Sunday game, totally different scenario, and you could see you I can't sit here and say that anyone in that top four is safe, despite the fact that it's felt very split in the league in sense of there's been that top four, then it's been the four below battling for supremacy amongst themselves. But I I I would be surprised if four, five, six, uh sorry, eight, seven, six, and five went to the finals weekend. I I wouldn't be totally shocked if that happened. I I don't think it will, but certainly there's talent in there, and everyone's got a few different weapons as well, which I think and that's difficult for the teams in the top four because it's gonna come late as to how you sort of think about how it's gonna pan out, or your strategy and your preparation is gonna come quite late, and you're gonna have to have a different look depending on who you get. They they're four different teams with four different profiles, and they add a lot of different threats.

SPEAKER_03 49:37

Yeah, and a lot of that comes from the fact that you've got a bit of a spread of coaching as well. You look at Kevin Moore, second season coach, Cam Critshaw, first season, so two younger guys who who rely on energy guys, guys with legs. Then you've got Mike Sarant, who's on an interim job basis, so he's essentially on a job audition, and he wants that Glasgow full-time job. So he he's fighting for that. And then you've got Paul Dixon, who is a very known entity, but also has very good record in the playoffs running.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

I honestly, I think it's it's credit to the league that we can be talking like this to say, you know, in whichever matchup it is, we st we still don't know what the matchups are, which again is good because it means that things haven't been decided way too early. Um, we don't know what matchups are, and whichever the matchups are, you would not bet your house on the top seed going through. So I think that is credit to the league that one through eight um is so competitive. Um, Dundee have had a poor year. We know that they've got new ownership next year, so they're gonna bounce back. And Fife had their sort of perils of new ownership that made some mistakes along the way, and you know, you'd like to think that they'll have learnt from it. So, you know, credit to the elite league for for strength in numbers.

SPEAKER_00 50:48

And there's a lot of pressure on the top four seeds, isn't there? For different reasons. You know, if you're the Giants, you want to continue your and assert your dominance, you've run the league, you want to win the playoffs, you want to complete that sort of, you know, that perfect end of the season, really. If you're the Panthers, we've already got a couple of trophies. Uh, but you know, uh do you want your last in memory of that season then to peter out in the quarterfinals and not make your home weekend? For the Devils, we crashed out of the challenge cap, but we didn't quite make the last few furlongs of the league race, but we totally believe that we got uh a locker room there that is uh capable of winning a trophy. So this is our one final chance to prove it, and then you know you uh you go from there and you've got Sheffield who have been up and down really this year. They there's you know, times where they've looked like they were gonna make a a chargeback at the league, a bad start, they they started to get some chemistry again. Last roll of the dice, if they go out in the quarterfinals, that is a really bad year for the Sheffield seeders, they'll be really, really disappointed. So I think the you know the the both say bottom seeds, but you know, the lower seeds, licking their lips because they know that there's a lot of pressure on there. And if you can utilize that, if you can turn it and channel it against the your opposition, you got a chance.

SPEAKER_03 52:20

Yeah, strap yourselves in. A month from today, we'll be pretty much done and and dusted, and it'll all be settled. We'll know who's won the playoffs. And my word, have we got a lot of hockey to play in? Is it gonna be fantastic? So lots to look forward to. We'll come back to the playoff discussion a couple of times, I think, between now and the end of the season, because I'm sure as things develop and as as the teams move around, which they will, we'll have plenty to chat about. But we're gonna end tonight's show on one last topic. And uh, it's not often that we we come on Devil's Insider and we talk about former players, but I think that tonight it's it's pertinent to talk about a former devil tonight, which is Josh Batch, who has announced his retirement from hockey. And and we'd be doing a disservice if we didn't chat a little bit about who a man who is a modern devil's legend, was here for years and years and years, had a testimonial, and then in the end last year decided to move on from the club. And and Franny, sad news in a way, but also uh a career well spent and and a real uh a warrior of of British hockey.

SPEAKER_02 53:14

Yeah, very good call bringing this up for discussion. So, yeah, I mean it's uh it's amazing. He almost feels like one of our own, doesn't he? It feels like a Cardiff product. He's not, of course, so he was challenge, sort of thing, but uh yeah, came to us when he was 17, was it? Um, you know, uh a child in a man's body at that stage, and he played a huge, huge part in a lot of trophies during that spell that he was that he was with us. Uh I think that was, you know, you look about what was what were the the um things that tilted trophies in the favour of the devils, you know. Yes, you got the likes of Joey Martin, Andrew Hotham, and you know, your MVPs that way, but uh you know, the British depth, Ben Bounds in goal, obviously, but uh having Mark Richardson and Josh Batch as two of your top 6D then enables you to have you know real good depth in the forwards end, doesn't it? And I think that was a huge, huge part of the reason why the Devils were so successful in that era.

SPEAKER_00 54:19

Yeah, it's uh it's a real privilege and pleasure to have seen uh you know pretty much you know all of his professional career here in Cardiff. And uh when we were going through our troubles, he was always one of the players that I would worry that we'd lose and he he could go elsewhere because he would have had his peck of offers from around the league, um, but he stuck with us, and then as we got better, he got better. And I think one of the things that maybe people uh don't remember as much is he would do anything for the team in the sense of make himself useful and effective, more importantly, in a number of different roles. So if we needed him to take a fight, he could hold his own with anyone. He spent a season as a fourth-line forward in one of those Lord O teams, and he was supremely effective in that role. Excellent defenseman, tough as boots, you know, penalty killer, like would do everything, and uh such a you know almost carefree style when he was only on the ice, he did look quite relaxed because he he, you know, he knew that he had the tools to do everything, and uh yeah, it like I say, real pleasure to have watched him play his his pro career in Cardiff and his family as well, absolutely fantastic uh family. Really, I felt got involved with the club as well. I always like to see that. Like someone they really liked what the club did, and we obviously loved them as well. And when you look back on stuff like that, it's just a full package, isn't it? You you often don't get a nice some people don't go out the right way, but I think Josh Bashik could back over his career, GP Cardiff, everything he's achieved, all the trophies he's won. It's it's it's a fantastic way to end.

SPEAKER_02 56:08

Yeah, no, I I echo that. Uh I saw a post from his dad, Kev, um, saying how much they miss coming down to Cardiff, and they still watch some of our games on the webcast, and uh maybe we should give them a shout out. Um, but yeah, what the whole family, you know, his wife Tash, you know, she had made Cardiff her home, and um, you know, they had their first child here. Uh and going back to the the playing side, yeah, good reminder that he he was an auxiliary forward as well and a very effective one. You know, when you go in on the four check, there's not many D-men that are gonna look forward to that. And you know, when you look at his fight card as well, it is quite remarkable to the fights against seasoned AHL fighters like sort of Keith, Fitzgerald, um Debian was a good one. Debian, fantastic one, Sescon, uh Boris Valabic, six foot seven, uh, that played in the NHL. You know, he he did literally take on all comers and uh and stepped up, and it just shows what a fantastic teammate Josh Batch is.

SPEAKER_00 57:12

Who was the team in preseason where he stood in front of their goalie in the last minute of the game and he must have taken about 20 cross checks from them? I can't remember who it was. It was the year Mar Maryamaki played. It was it was that it was that last the beginning of the the cancelled season, but he just put himself in front of Ned in this. I think we're on the power play with the last couple of minutes, and he absolutely took about a smile on his face because he knew this guy was so annoyed with him, and in the end, it just ended up in a big scrum, and obviously Badge came out on top. But it was yeah, that that came to mind the other day when I saw the announcement.

SPEAKER_02 57:49

And the other memory that I've got is in it might be our first CHL campaign, him and Richie were paired together for the first time, and they were sent out as a shutdown line, and they were unbelievable against some of the best talent in Europe. You know, they they were our go-to sort of shutdown pairing and did an amazing job against Europe's best.

SPEAKER_03 58:09

Yeah, not only hard as nails as well, that we would, like you say, would go with anybody, but also scored some pretty good goals over the years as well. I think of some highlight reel stuff and coast to coast a couple of times, some big shots from the point.

SPEAKER_00 58:20

Well, a five-on-three short hander that went viral as well. That was a preseason one and uh set it all around the world as again so carefree and just it looked like it was no effort at all for him, and uh everyone's sort of watching him as he backhand sticks to the legs of this guy and then just rifles it in the top corner.

SPEAKER_02 58:38

And I I know exactly who the D-man was, it was Matthew Mione, who went on to play in the Finnish um elite league. So, you know, no mug at all. And Bache turned him inside out and then finished it with a you know great top shelf, I think. Uh, and there was I I remember one when Biz was here as well in the uh BBT and Baci picked it up one end and just kept going and going and going. And you kind of he was looking to dish it off a few times and then nah, he just went all the way and then threw a top shelf.

SPEAKER_00 59:06

So it was Belfast BLF. That's a Belfast I think. We were 3-0 down, 1-4-3.

SPEAKER_02 59:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:12

It's great good call. But yeah, huge congratulations on a career to Josh Batch. We doff our cap and we razor glass to him. Uh well done, mate, and and I think a well-earned retirement considering the the scraps he went through, considering the the minutes and hours and days and months and years that he poured into to hockey and and into Cardiff. And yeah, thank you for a career that spanned that long, and and thank you for sticking by the Devils. And we're glad that despite the first half and and maybe the lack of trophies, in the end, he reaped the benefits and the rewards of of being loyal to the devils. And uh yeah, huge congrats, huge thanks, and uh yeah, big big props to Josh Batch tonight. That's all for Insider this week. We really appreciate you listening in. It's been a great show. Thank you to Cole Sanford for coming down. Thank you, Gents, for both doing it as well. I know after a long weekend of being in this building, it's uh you'll be good to see the back of it. But uh yeah, that's all for tonight. We'll be back on the weekend for the Devil's game against the Manchester Storm with the Devil's TV stream and of course debrief. And then, of course, we'll be uh on Insider next week as well, where we'll uh have the last few guys to come down and have a chat with us. But yeah, we will catch you all very soon. Thank you so much for listening in. Good night, everyone. Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast. And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.