UticaHockey

So putting the rants on HF aside do you think starting the season with only one natural center on a NHL contract in the AHL is adequate depth?

Juolevi blocked a couple shots on Monday that looked like they stung him.

This has nothing to do with the Comets record. It's about not having organizational depth at center right from the start of the season. It's the same situation Benning found himself in last year with goaltenders when he traded Nilsson away and lost McKenna to waivers. Suddenly a couple of goalies get hurt and he has to play a teenager in juniors. So if another center gets injured who do you call up now? The Comets have no NHL centers on NHL contracts....just converted wings who are certainly not going to play center in Vancouver and AHL/PTO centers that are not going to be signed to NHL contracts. You are a Canucks fan so you certainly know how often this team gets injured. Is a total of one player the available depth at the center position a good strategy to start a season with?

The Comets started the season with exactly one center under NHL contract in Graovac...who then gets injured in the first game of the season. That is on JB for not adding enough depth down the middle over the summer to get though an entire season let alone the first month. Now with Sutter and Beagle injured and Graovac called up who is the next option in Vancouver if another center goes down? Are you disagreeing with what Bad Goalie said regarding the lack of center depth in the organization or do you just don't like this poster?

Hard to tell from that replay but the Pens put the puck in their own net so if it were not for an "own goal" the Comets would have been shut out at home for the third straight game. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Thanks

His wife and son were in Utica. I saw her carrying a little munchkin in a 47 Baertschi jersey and wearing noise blocking ear muffs (the music at the Aud is way too loud). My guess the reason why it took a week for him to report to Utica was out of courtesy to help bring his family with him.

They can dress 6 vets as long as either (or both) Bailey or Goldobin are playing because you can dress one extra vet exempt player (between 260 and 320 games at the start of the season). Pretty much going with Boucher, Baertschi, Goldobin, Bailey, Camper and Bancks. Wacey Hamilton has primarily been the healthy vet scratch except a couple of games when Bancks was banged up. When Graovac is ready to return a second vet will need to be scratched. The Comets are carrying three goalies but Bachamn is the third goalie and is primarily there to mentor DiPietro and to dress if there is an injury or call up. McIntyre has played 5 games and DiPietro has played 3 games. I see both goalies splitting starts moving forward as both have been outstanding. McIntyre has a 1.78 GAA and 0.944 SV% while DiPietro has a 1.62 GAA and 0.940 SV%.

Gadjo can't seem to catch a break.

Yep they showered and jumped right on the bus after the game and rolled into Hershey at 3:00 am. The AHL is primarily a weekend league but Hershey had Friday off so they were rested.

Mikey D stole 2 points tonight. The Comets looked like a tired team tonight playing back-to-backs and Hershey was fresh having last night off.

Boucher is an AHL player that clears waivers every year. His trade value is another AHL player. Great guy to have on your AHL team but he isn't going to get you an actual prospect or significant draft pick in return.

Boosh has scored a goal in all six Comets games and now he gets the hit of the game honor.

Last Comet off the ice during warm-ups. #47 Sven Baertschi. Couldn't ask for a better role model on the farm.

@OD_Birnell usually posts them on Twitter during warm-ups. The Comets don't release this before the games.

I didn't know that. So they get a pay increase to play in Utica

Goldy has a one way contract so he gets paid the same in Utica.

In Utica Goldy and Bae have shown a pass first mentality where last season in Utica Gauds showed a shoot first mentality so that combination could do some damage feeding Gaudette the puck. I guess it depends on what they want Gauds to work on down in Utica and then put him on a line that best fits that need. I could also see him replacing Perron on the Bailey and MacEwen line with Perron going back to his natural spot on the wing which is something Ben Birnell tweeted earlier.

Gaudette should help with the Comets struggling offense.

Way too much blame was being placed last season for the slow development of prospects last season in Utica and Trent Cull was unfairly made the scapegoat by Canucks Twitter. Some players just are not ready for the jump from juniors to professional hockey. I like Kole Lind and am happy that he used last season as a wake up call and motivation to take ownership of his career and put in the work needed to succeed.

Free hockey.

My take on Goldobin is that he has NHL talent but doesn't play a NHL game. His playmaking skills are outstanding but he likes to slow the game down and play a deliberate possession game. The NHL now is all about pace and Goldy doesn't play with a lot of pace. He is dominating the AHL right now because his skill level is so high but I would like to see him play faster. On a positive note he has been hustling back hard on defense and has been used on the PK.

The rest of the league would cry foul.

Goldy has and he also did two years ago in his last stint with the Comets in an effort to improve his defensive awareness. Sven has not.