2015-16 AHL Ontario Reign - going back to Cali, Cali, Cali...

[Holden Caulfield]

He was F3 a few times, but others he was back when threats were minimal. Like one play a single gull was coming down the off wing and he dropped waaay back.

It looked strange because he was sometimes so deep that when the defensemen retrieved the puck they had to pause as he got into a spot for an outlet pass. A couple times he was behind the defense without a player to cover.

I'm sure he's erring on the side of caution out there, especially with the requirement of forward responsibility in the Kings' system, but it completely negated any offensive threat from him. He's young still, and I'm sure he'll find a happy medium.


Perhaps I was just expecting more aggression and carrying the play from him, usually young players make the mistake of pushing too far forward. To be honest, I found it hard to get a read on him.

It's hard to picture these things without a board haha. F3 is generally the weak side winger way I teach, I'm thinking you mean the "center" role (which I usually label F1). Sounds like you are talking about rushes though so I'm pretty decently confused as I am talking defensive zone coverage. However if he is too deep for breakouts when playing a "winger" spot that can be a bad problem as it opens up the opponents D.

Thanks for the update though. As you say he's young and it's pre-season it's not too much worry. Not too mention positional things are by far and away the easiest thing to fix with proper coaching so yeah not too discouraged.

Excited to the see the Reign here in Manitoba real soon. Can't wait to see Kempe. I had him as a top 10 rated player for the 2014 draft, I really like his game.

 

[driller1]

It's hard to picture these things without a board haha. F3 is generally the weak side winger way I teach, I'm thinking you mean the "center" role (which I usually label F1). Sounds like you are talking about rushes though so I'm pretty decently confused as I am talking defensive zone coverage. However if he is too deep for breakouts when playing a "winger" spot that can be a bad problem as it opens up the opponents D.

Thanks for the update though. As you say he's young and it's pre-season it's not too much worry. Not too mention positional things are by far and away the easiest thing to fix with proper coaching so yeah not too discouraged.

Excited to the see the Reign here in Manitoba real soon. Can't wait to see Kempe. I had him as a top 10 rated player for the 2014 draft, I really like his game.

I thought F1 just meant the forward closest to the puck when forechecking in the offensive zone, the F2 is second closest and F3 is furthest away. In the Kings system, the F3 is purposely stationed high as F1 and F2 establish a hard forecheck. If the puck comes up the boards, the D man can pinch and the F3 is supposed to cover. If the opposition breaks out of the zone, the Kings D plays aggressively and will try to stand up the opposition at the blue line, forcing a dump. He can stand up because the F3 should theoretically be back checking hard and will get the puck if its a same side dump.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong…)

 

[Holden Caulfield]

I thought F1 just meant the forward closest to the puck when forechecking in the offensive zone, the F2 is second closest and F3 is furthest away. In the Kings system, the F3 is purposely stationed high as F1 and F2 establish a hard forecheck. If the puck comes up the boards, the D man can pinch and the F3 is supposed to cover. If the opposition breaks out of the zone, the Kings D plays aggressively and will try to stand up the opposition at the blue line, forcing a dump. He can stand up because the F3 should theoretically be back checking hard and will get the puck if its a same side dump.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong…)

That would be a fairly standard 2-1-2 forecheck. It's not really Kings system, most teams play that type of style or variations off it.

I was talking about the defensive zone coverage though.

 

[driller1]

That would be a fairly standard 2-1-2 forecheck. It's not really Kings system, most teams play that type of style or variations off it.

I was talking about the defensive zone coverage though.

Oops. My bad... Out of curiosity, what tweaks to the forecheck system I described do the Kings use? I thought one of the complaints / conservativeness of the Kings system was the high F3 in the offensive zone?

 

[Fishhead]

It's hard to picture these things without a board haha. F3 is generally the weak side winger way I teach, I'm thinking you mean the "center" role (which I usually label F1). Sounds like you are talking about rushes though so I'm pretty decently confused as I am talking defensive zone coverage. However if he is too deep for breakouts when playing a "winger" spot that can be a bad problem as it opens up the opponents D.

Thanks for the update though. As you say he's young and it's pre-season it's not too much worry. Not too mention positional things are by far and away the easiest thing to fix with proper coaching so yeah not too discouraged.

Excited to the see the Reign here in Manitoba real soon. Can't wait to see Kempe. I had him as a top 10 rated player for the 2014 draft, I really like his game.

He was definitely weak side then. I probably confused you when I mentioned the play with the Gulls player, I was definitely talking about defensive zone as the Gulls were bringing the puck up. It was basically a 1 on 2 and Zykov still was dropping back instead of just coming across the blue line a little where he could assist if needed yet still be ready for an outlet.

Of course, I have no idea what the coaches were actually telling him to do

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Trollposo just told me that the Islanders claimed Berube'

 

[The Exiled One]

Need Brodzinski to score to complete the St. Cloud State hat trick

Good call!

 

[regulate]

Reign have lost Berube and O'Neill this morning. Also looks like Forbort might make the big squad, at least initially due to team injuries. Plus Bartosak just had surgery. This is not going to be the Calder Cup champs from last season, that is for sure. Others will have to be better.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Reign have lost Berube and O'Neill this morning. Also looks like Forbort might make the big squad, at least initially due to team injuries. Plus Bartosak just had surgery. This is not going to be the Calder Cup champs from last season, that is for sure. Others will have to be better.

GONE, off the top of my head:

Zach O'Brien
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Brian O'Neill
J.F. Berube
Colin Miller

(With the Kings at the moment: )

Jeff Schultz
Derek Forbort

 

[driller1]

GONE, off the top of my head:

Zach O'Brien
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Brian O'Neill
J.F. Berube
Colin Miller

(With the Kings at the moment: )

Jeff Schultz
Derek Forbort

And Weal is up with the big club!

Every minor league team will have huge turnover every year- such is the nature of the beast. I just hope Kempe and Zykov pan out like Toffoli and Pearson, cause we're pretty thin behind them...

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

And Weal is up with the big club!

Slaps head.

 

[ExistentialIcing]

So obviously 10/23 is a Kings home game but since there are a bunch of you here I was wondering if perhaps anyone would want to put together an HFBoards group outing to a Reign game on 10/24? I can get you all a really cool player experience where you get to go down in the player tunnel and high five the players as they come out onto the ice before the game. It's a really cool perk, and I can get a group ticket price at around 12$. Let me know if there is interest!

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

So obviously 10/23 is a Kings home game but since there are a bunch of you here I was wondering if perhaps anyone would want to put together an HFBoards group outing to a Reign game on 10/24? I can get you all a really cool player experience where you get to go down in the player tunnel and high five the players as they come out onto the ice before the game. It's a really cool perk, and I can get a group ticket price at around 12$. Let me know if there is interest!

Well hey, that sounds like fun. Count me as a possible.

 

[regulate]

I went to the meet and great with the players last night at Citizen's Bank. I shook hands and spoke for a moment with Adrian Kempe, Jonny Brodzinski, Vince LoVerde, Paul Bissonnette, Michael Mersch, Patrick Bartosak and Peter Budaj. Everyone was really cordial, and of course a few were trying to hide there disappointment of not making the big club.

Budaj said he was working on a contract, Mersch says he plans on staying in front of the net and I told him we'll see him at Staples sooner rather than later, and Bizznasty said he will continue to protect the pups. Bartosak said 4-6 weeks healing time from his surgery. Brodzinski and Mersch both have very strong hands (as measured by my handshakes with them) for youngsters, which translates into an NHL release in my book.

Anyway, a good experience to meet with the kids. When you get older like me, you don't realize just how young these kids are until you meet them face to face.

 

[regulate]

Roster seems to shake out like this:

G
Bartosak*
Budaj
Houser

D
Leslie
LoVerde
MacDermid
McBain
Ebert
Gravel
Raine

F
Zykov
Dowd
Brodzinski
Kempe
Mersch
Auger
Horvat
Lowry*
Crescenzi
Backman
Bissonnette
Sabourin
Newberry

*Injured

Who am I forgetting?

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

I went to the meet and great with the players last night at Citizen's Bank. I shook hands and spoke for a moment with Adrian Kempe, Jonny Brodzinski, Vince LoVerde, Paul Bissonnette, Michael Mersch, Patrick Bartosak and Peter Budaj. Everyone was really cordial, and of course a few were trying to hide there disappointment of not making the big club.

Budaj said he was working on a contract, Mersch says he plans on staying in front of the net and I told him we'll see him at Staples sooner rather than later, and Bizznasty said he will continue to protect the pups. Bartosak said 4-6 weeks healing time from his surgery. Brodzinski and Mersch both have very strong hands (as measured by my handshakes with them) for youngsters, which translates into an NHL release in my book.

Anyway, a good experience to meet with the kids. When you get older like me, you don't realize just how young these kids are until you meet them face to face.

Nice! Thanks for sharing the details. The thing with Budaj is that rumor has it that Berube was claims as a backup insurance policy until Halak comes back, then J.F. Would be waived and the Kings would have first dibs on claiming Berube back. That would seem to put Budaj contract talks on hold for now. The Ontario Reign put a few videos up on YouTube, including an interview with Biz.

Roster seems to shake out like this:

G
Bartosak*
Budaj
Houser

D
Leslie
LoVerde
MacDermid
McBain
Ebert
Gravel
Raine

F
Zykov
Dowd
Brodzinski
Kempe
Mersch
Auger
Horvat
Lowry*
Crescenzi
Backman
Bissonnette
Sabourin
Newberry

*Injured

Who am I forgetting?

What about that Samuels guy? They should have the roster on the official site but I haven't checked.

 

[regulate]

What about that Samuels guy? They should have the roster on the official site but I haven't checked.

Not sure who you are referring too. I was in Europe on vacation for a couple weeks so I did not see any exhibition games. I don't recall anyone named Samuels being introduced last night. I also don't recall seeing Lintuniemi, so not sure where he is playing this year. Anyone know?

 

[CTKingsFan]

Jordan Samuels-Thomas is the missing foward. He signed an AHL deal a couple weeks ago. John Hoven just tweeted that Alex Lintuniemi was sent down to Manchester (which is suprising). With Matt Greene healthy, we might see Forbort or Schultz sent down soon.

 

[regulate]

Jordan Samuels-Thomas is the missing foward. He signed an AHL deal a couple weeks ago. John Hoven just tweeted that Alex Lintuniemi was sent down to Manchester (which is suprising). With Matt Greene healthy, we might see Forbort or Schultz sent down soon.

Just looked up Samuels-Thomas. He was not at the player meet and greet and he was not introduced on stage, so not sure what's up.

 

[regulate]

Jordan Samuels-Thomas is the missing foward. He signed an AHL deal a couple weeks ago. John Hoven just tweeted that Alex Lintuniemi was sent down to Manchester (which is suprising). With Matt Greene healthy, we might see Forbort or Schultz sent down soon.

Schultz played so poorly last night, let's hope he does not set foot again in the NHL anytime soon. Let's see what Forbort can do on the big stage.

 

[regulate]

Nice! Thanks for sharing the details. The thing with Budaj is that rumor has it that Berube was claims as a backup insurance policy until Halak comes back, then J.F. Would be waived and the Kings would have first dibs on claiming Berube back. That would seem to put Budaj contract talks on hold for now. The Ontario Reign put a few videos up on YouTube, including an interview with Biz.

The Mayor just put out that Budaj just signed a one year deal.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

The Mayor just put out that Budaj just signed a one year deal.

Interesting. Congratulations to Budaj. So Barto's #1, Budaj's #2 in Ontario, Houser is in the ECHL when Barto is healed up. Guess the Kings don't plan on claiming Berube back when he goes through waivers again? They'll see how he does with another team, I guess.

 

[The Slap Shop]

Just looked up Samuels-Thomas. He was not at the player meet and greet and he was not introduced on stage, so not sure what's up.

On way to Manchester.

 

[flemo]

Budaj is that rumor has it that Berube was claims as a backup insurance policy until Halak comes back, then J.F. Would be waived and the Kings would have first dibs on claiming Berube back.

Wouldn't it be simplier to simply trade him there and back?

 

[Johnny Utah]

Looks like soon the Reign will have 8 D. I'm sure one of Schultz or Forbort are going down.