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Everything posted by UticaHockey
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Two years ago Ashton Sautner played a very timid game. Avoided contact and often turned the puck over when he knew that he was about to get hit. Last year his development took off as he became the most reliable Comets defender at gap control and standing people up at the blue line and no longer avoided contact. This year he has amped it up to a new level where he plays with a mean streak and dishes out the hits instead of always being on the receiving end.
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2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
The pairing of McEneny and Chatfield was abysmal yesterday until Cull finally split them up later in the second period. Neither of them defend very well. Of the healthy prospects on defense in Utica Brisebois and Sautner are the most reliable defenders. If Sautner wasn't still wearing a full face shield he may have joined Briesbois in Vancouver instead of Schenn. McEneny puts up points on the power play but his skating is suspect which results poor gap control because he tends to get walked on if he tries to play his man tight. Chatfield just doesn't defend well and doesn't contribute offensively. Chatfield is a team worse -14 despite only playing in 22 games this season. -
Not only are these first year pros trying to adjust to playing against bigger, older, faster players it is the first time for most of them that they have lived totally on their own. This first year is an adjustment period and they are all different when it comes to how quickly they adapt on and off the ice. http://www.uticacomets.com/news/detail/lind-making-adjustments-to-life-as-a-pro
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The Comets had 7 rookies on ELC NHL contracts this year which is a very unusual high number for the AHL. Plus another 3 that are second year ELCs. If you think that Tampa Bay would put that many rookies in Syracuse and have them play 100% of the games you are completely wrong. Tampa Bay does a great job of developing NHL players but they also use the ECHL for NHL contracted players rather than having them sit in Syracuse. Tampa also emphasizes winning in Syracuse as part of their development model by making sure that the Crunch are well stocked with high end vets like Cory Conacher, Cameron Gaunce, Andy Andreoff, Gabriel Dumont, Carter Verhaeghe, etc. Only one of the Crunch's top five scorers is under 24 years old and can be considered a prospect. I know exactly how the Crunch are managed because the Comets play them 12 times a year and they are only 50 miles from Utica. Of the 7 rookies that were assigned to the Comets only two were scratched on a regular basis and it was because they simply were not ready to play every day. Palmu who looked lost and Gadjovich who in February is just starting to look confident out there. These guys will need probably three seasons in the AHL developing before being considered for any regular time in the NHL. The other rookies... Juolevi - Played in every game that he was healthy enough to play in. Gaudette - played every game that he was here for except two because he was sick. Dahlen - Missed games with a concussion and another day-to-day injury but has played consistently when healthy. Lind - Scratched I believe 2 or 3 games out of 52 so far and missed a bunch with injuries. Jasek - Scratched 4 or 5 games and missed a bunch with injuries. There is narrative that is supported on Canucks message boards and by certain members of the Vancouver digital media that Cull doesn't play the prospects and it is not accurate. Last year's crop of ELC rookies included MacEwen, Brisebois and Chatfield and even they were occasionally scratched in their rookie season (although not often). As they improved their game the more responsibility they were given and their ice time increased. And now we sit here today and two of them are in Vancouver and all you have to do is look for the quotes by Zack MacEwen where he credits the coaching staff in Utica for improving his game from where it was when he first stepped onto the ice as a Comet last season.
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2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
Cloutier and Jarvis were in Utica last weekend when Leighton played played in back-to-back games. I thought for sure that it meant they wanted to see if he is worth signing to a NHL contract for the remainder of the season as the third healthy goalie on the depth chart. I was surprised when they traded for Mazanec instead but happy that they did. Kubakov will make some spectacular highlight reel saves and then follow it up by letting in a couple of softies. Leighton is technically solid. He stays square and always presents himself big to the shooter. His reaction time is not fantastic which at 37 years old is to be expected but his calmness has to be easier for his defensemen to play in front of. Kulbakov on the other hand has to be tough to play in front of. He is flopping around all over the place and literally loses his stick 2 - 3 times every game. Kulby is fun to watch but he is one of least technical goalies that I've seen in a long time. When Demko comes off IR and Mazanec is sent down I would like to see the Comets run with a Mazanec - Leighton tandem and send Kulby back to KZoo where he can play in a starters role. -
It wasn't just that he got into a fight last night it's he has finally started to play a physical game. He scored his second goal of the season on a deflection in front because he parked himself in front of the goalie battling for position. He is more physical on the forecheck and getting dirty in the corners trying to get possession of the puck. For the first three months of the season he looked very passive out there and doesn't have the skating ability to make plays based on his skill set alone. He needs to be hard to play against which he is starting to do and that will lead to more playing time. I think the fight was a statement to Cull and his teammates that he is ready to step it up. It was with less than a minute left in the game and started with a shoving match between Adams-Moisan from Leval and Arseneau from the Comets. Even though Arseneau is the closest thing that the Comets have for a tough guy Gajovich jumped in and challenged Adams-Moisan to fight. It was like he said "Vinny I got this". It really did look like he was trying to make a statement.
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At the end of the day it's up to the player to earn his spot in the line-up.
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JB should not have waited 5 weeks after the Nilsson trade to do something about the goalie depth. Hope is hot a good managerial strategy yet that is the path he chose to take. Hope that McKenna will pass through waivers after trading Nisson for him. Hope that neither Markstrom or Demko will get injured while we wait for the Flyers to put McKenna back on waivers. Hope that Demko's injury is only day to day. Hope that Markstrom doesn't get injured before Demko is back. Hope that DiPietro can handle a game or two in the NHL Hope that this whole mess will fix itself before I have to actually do something. I'm sure that DiPietro loved getting the opportunity to play an NHL game but it is up to Benning to guard against putting this kid into that situation.
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Brodeur spent his first pro season in Utica. He came in highly touted as a can't miss prospect but to be honest his season in Utica was nothing special. The next season in New Jersey as you said he was awesome and won the Calder.
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And 6 ft is probably being generous. With his skates on maybe. He is a small goalie.
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The kid should not have been in the game last night and needs to be back in Ottawa helping his team prepare to a long Memorial Cup run. He needs 2 - 3 years in the AHL before he should be looking to play in Vancouver. Benning had five weeks to get another depth goalie on contract and did nothing. Exposing a 19 year old kid to this was inexcusable. DiPietro is not NHL ready and probably isn't even AHL ready yet. Like most AHL rookies he will go through a tough learning curve next season in Utica and will need solid veteran goaltending partner to mentor him. Demko struggled in the first couple months of his rookie season and DiPietro will do the same. Plus Demko is the prototypical big goalie that played a pro style right from the start. DiPietro is tiny and has to adjust to the smaller equipment mandated in the NHL/AHL while continuing to work on his technique to be less dependent on athleticism and become more positionally sound. Benning needs to get another goalie under contract ASAP and let DiPiotro continue to develop back in juniors where he belongs.
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Bingo. Benning had 5 weeks to get a third healthy goalie under contract and did nothing. Inexcusable.
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He has been in a few fights as a Comet but it really isn't a part of his game. He certainly isn't the type of player that is out there looking for a fight. If that is what you are expecting to see from him you will be disappointed.
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2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
If Baertschi is out for a while there won't be a need to send anyone down soon. -
Played a little beer league goalie in my day but that day has passed.
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The Canucks only had 22 on the active roster last night. Big Mac gets them back to 23. Baertschi, Edler and Demko all on IR and only Brisebois and DiPietro were up to replace them.
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The word in Utica is that the Big Fella got the call last night after the game. Expect to see an official call up announcement if what I heard is correct.
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Only if he plays 10 games or is in the NHL for 30 days. Brisebois is the better option regardless of waiver status. The knee injuries that McEneny has suffered has limited his skating ability.
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Brisebois was recalled which I think is the right choice. McEneny picks up more points because he gets more time on the power play but Breezer is a much better skater and all around defender.
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It is a balancing act that Benning and Johnson need to perform. The rules on the AHL playoff roster freeze I believe changed before the Comets came into existence in 2013. This is how things work and the limitations that it creates. All NHL contracted players that are either playing in the AHL or NHL have to be on the AHL roster at 3:00 pm on the trade deadline day which is Feb 25th this year. So if there is a player in Vancouver that they would like to make available for Utica they can send him down with a paper transaction before 3:00 pm and then call him back up after 3:00 pm. This is referred to as being "papered down". But another issue has to be taking into consideration is that NHL teams are only allowed four regular call ups after the trade deadline and every player that is papered down and called back up count against the four allowed. So if Demko is papered down then there are only three call ups left. If Gaudette is back in Vancouver before the TDL and papered down then there is one less call up available. It really limits how many players can be called up for an end of season look. There are exceptions of course mainly emergency call ups if there are injuries which enables more than four total players being called up. Another thing is that this is just not an AHL playoff roster freeze. Any player currently in the NHL on TDL day that isn't papered down can't be sent to the AHL at any time for the rest of the season....not just the playoffs. The only exception would be a two week conditioning assignment.
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2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
Gaunce has been the Comets best player and adding a skilled center in Gaudette makes a big difference. I agree with you on Kulbakov and hope that a season long goalie will be found soon. Kulby makes some incredible athletic saves but still gives up soft goals that he should stop. The defense has held up surprisingly well considering it is patched together with ECHL guys on PTOs. Yes Schenn should be a big addition and Chatfield and Sautner should be back within a month. Still a lot of games left in the season. Just need to stay healthy and have the kids continue to improve. -
2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
And the night that the Comets clinched first place in the conference on the road. -
2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
I am 100% Utica first and not ashamed to admit it. The Comets are the pride of the city and we feel very blessed to have this level of hockey to enjoy in such a small town when compared to other cities in the AHL. Most Comets fans eat and breathe hockey and the success on the ice is extremely important to us. There is nothing more important to Comets fans than returning to the success of the 2015 Calder Cup run. Knowledgeable Comets fans understand the role of being a farm team and the importance of developing players for the Canucks and we love to see our former players playing in the NHL. But the success of the Comets is what really gets us going. -
2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
Kero is on a one way so no pay increase. Probably isn't expected to play so they rather keep Gaudette here for the time being getting a lot of minutes. Kero will get to practice a few times for Green to get a look at him. -
2018-19 Utica Comets Thread
UticaHockey replied to stonecoldstevebernier's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
Kero has played well and deserved the call up if true. Just not sure what the reason for it is with Pettersson about to return.