2021-22 Utica Comets and ECHL thread - part V
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Greer has 17 days and seven games remaining before requiring waivers so he should be good to go for the last seven NJD games now.
Bahl won't return until the Devils season ends. I'm assuming the same for Zetterlund.
Daws depends on Blackwood returning I guess. We'll see how today's practice goes.
Bahl won't return until the Devils season ends. I'm assuming the same for Zetterlund.
Daws depends on Blackwood returning I guess. We'll see how today's practice goes.
What kind of technicality is this? He was already recalled to NJ on 4/6. Thus, he was not in Utica to be recalled.
2022-04-17
A.J. Greer (LW)
UticaDEL Recalled from loan by New Jersey (NHL)
Disregard! I thought it had something to do with emergency vs regular callups.
Tao Jersey Jones
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Adirondack's season has ended. I'm not sure who is eligible for recall to Utica. I think they had to be on the Utica roster on March 28th.
I think D Theocharidis is eligible. I'll guess Luke Stevens, maybe Grasso. Not sure about Kaplan and Rivera, or a G.
I think D Theocharidis is eligible. I'll guess Luke Stevens, maybe Grasso. Not sure about Kaplan and Rivera, or a G.
UticaHockey
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Anyone on an AHL contract and loaned to Adirondack can come back to the Comets. Everyone else can be signed to a PTO if the Comets wanted extra depth available. There is no deadline date for bringing up ECHL players.
I think it's so cool how you maintain a cool persona and then pop out of the fog with just the right answers. A man who can always be counted upon to know the right answers to questions or situations being described that are not exactly correct but seem to be seeking the definitive solution.
I know you are the guy I always seek out with things I'm not clear on and you never seem to disappoint.
UticaHockey
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I can't remember what I had for breakfast most days but somehow these details manage to stay in permanent memory.
Tao Jersey Jones
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19 of 21 skaters, 2 G
6 black, 6 red, 6 white, 1 grey
Gauthier and McGrath were not available over the weekend.
Looks like a single digit on the grey helmet. Can't tell if it's Holtz when I zoom in.
Tao Jersey Jones
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Utica's division title clinching magic number is now three with Laval's regulation loss @ Belleville.
Looks like they can rely on the rest of the Division to win it for them. They have been closing in on this honor the same way they clinched a playoff spot. Everyone kept mentioning the numbers the Comets needed to clinch a playoff spot and each night as the Comets lost more than they won the #s to clinch kept shrinking. It has even been more obvious in the Division quest of late. The Comets have been losing period and yet get closer and closer as other teams won games for them every night.
I'll say this right now. Any team in the North better be prepared to go to war if they draw the Belleville Senators. They may play a game that the excitement fan loathes, but they are playing it to perfection. The Comets couldn't get a shot on goal in the 3rd period while trailing by only a single goal until 3 minutes were left on Saturday.
Laval entered the 3rd tonight trailing by the same score. Obviously the Rocket have a coach who knows somewhat how to crack the Sen's D-shell because they unloaded 23 SOG in the 3rd and came up empty. They lost 4-1 with the Sens scoring a 3rd time and finished the scoring with an ENG just like they did against Utica. Total SOG ended up 46-24 Laval.
Right now it would be 4th place Belleville vs 5th place Toronto in a best of 3 death match. The winner takes on the North Division champ.
I hate the format this season. First round playins are 3 game series. The Division semis and finals are both 5 game series. The only 7 game series are the Conference Championships and the Finals. There's little space for error. Screw up and there's very little time to correct the wounded ship before you are sunk and playing golf.
Tao Jersey Jones
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Tao Jersey Jones
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The conference title clinching magic number is seven. The last game of the season @ Providence could end up deciding it.
Of course the Comets could try something unique ------------ win out over the next 5 games and no one could touch them. The 2 in Cleveland would be the first steps. Every other team in the North hasn't seemed to have a problem with them. That has been the Comets Achilles heel. They lose way too often to the teams they should beat:
North Division
- Cleveland, last place (7)
They are currently 2-2 with the Monsters and have lost the last 2.
Play Cleveland away tonight and tomorrow,
- Rochester, #6
They are 5-4 vs Rochester and have lost the last 2. Won the first 2 during the opening season 13 straight wins when they beat anyone. They are 3-4 since then.
Play Rochester away on Friday.
- Belleville, #4
Belleville was not a good team until recently. The Comets are 4-3 against them with the first 2 wins curing the streak. 2-3 since then and have lost the last 3 in the past 2 weeks.
- Toronto, #5
Toronto was challenging for the #2 spot all season and recently fell off the cliff while Laval and Syracuse soared.
Comets finished 2-2. 1W during the streak and 1W since the Marlies started their fall.
Cross over to the Atlantic:
#8 Lehigh Valley -#8
2-1 Comets won the 1st in game #4, 2nd in a SO in mid February, and lost to them on 4/2. The start of their April tailspin.
#7 Hartford WolfPack
1-1
#6 Bridgeport Islanders
0-2
That's 15 of their 27 losses.
Have to be happy they played the Syracuse Crunch so many times. 14 times and the Comets came out way ahead at 11-3. Which accounts for 18 of the 27 losses.
The other 9 came against the better teams from both Conferences. That part is not bad.
They began the season 13-0. That couldn't go on, but 12-11 was a deep dive. Okay so they burned out and had to regroup and move forward.
They never did that. They just kept on playing at a .500 record, 15-16 with 5 games remaining. If they had not had the awesome beginning leading them, and most who follow them, to believe they were much better than they are, they would currently be in the fight of their lives for a playoff spot. 1-4-1 is the kind of hockey they are playing at the moment. Call that OTL what it is and they have lost 5 of their last 6. There are no points in the playoffs. A loss in OT could be the one that sends you to the golf course.
These last 5 games are not going to cost them a playoff berth. However, it will determine the state of their game going into them. The 4 teams behind the Comets are all .500 or above in their last 10 with only the Comets below .500.
Over in the Atlantic the 5 teams currently in playoff spot only Hershey is below .500 in the last 10 GP. Leader of the pack, Providence is 6-3-1 and 4-0 in their last 4.
In the Central none of 5 currently inare below .500 (nor are the other 2 still battling for that 5th spot) and the leader of the pack, Chicago is 7-3.
Lastly in the Pacific only San Diego, the last to qualify (all 7 of their combatants have been determined) is below .500 and their leader, Stockton is 6-3-0-1.
The Comets who led the league in winning % and was the first team to 35 wins now has 40 wins and 4 other teams have tied or surpassed their 40 wins and 3 have surpassed their winning %.
Looking at the numbers as an outsider the Comets look like a definite contender for the Calder Cup. They are statistically the best team in the Eastern Conference. However, if you follow their play game to game, you would say this team is spiraling downward out of control. Trying to halt the fall and somehow put together a short streak to create an air of confidence and a belief that they are back on track and still a force to be reckoned with is not an easy task. A 1-5 team trying to turn the next 5 games in the exact opposite direction to 5-0 is the stuff winners are made of. 12 days from now we will have the answer and it starts tonight. If they lose tonight, tomorrow is even bigger. After that, 2 losses has a team coming into the playoffs with a huge target on their chests and the #4 vs #5 winner will be supercharged to bring the regular season North Division leader down. It's only a 5 game series and the 4/5 series will only be a best of 3. If that winner swept their short series, they will be on a roll and the Comets have been known to sputter out of the gate after time off. Even a little sputter can spell the end in a 5-game series.
I am hoping Dineen gives them an answer to the D-schemes that have eaten them alive over the past month. That's HIS JOB and I can't believe they look worse at it now than ever before. Run and gun, outscore your opponent hockey won't work if you can't even get through the neutral zone let alone across the O-blueline!
I am holding out all hope for these kids. They will have their full early season roster back in town minus only Boqvist. There are no new additions to make them stronger. They will have to rely upon the dogs that got them there. None of the college guys they recently signed nor the ECHL additions just added, because their season ended without playoffs, are not as good as any of their top 12 up front or the top 6 on the back end. They win or lose with what they have had all year. Dig down and work your asses off boys. Nobody can help you except each other.
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Is this guy just an AHL ace, or does he have the potential of a Coleman-like career?
Tao Jersey Jones
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Tao Jersey Jones
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- Feb 5, 2010
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This post was a response to post #986
Whoppee S**T!
None of these guys strengthens the roster nor steps in to replace any of them due to an injury.
- Stevens can remotely play, but wouldn't be an AHL level player.
- Grasso stinks.
- Kasel's only chance is if all 3 goalies ahead of him die.
- Theo has been here and was scary to watch in his own zone. (lost planet airman) 10 GP at Adirondack 1 Pt.
- Gourley a recent 22 yr-old exit from NCAA powerhouse U.of Connecticut after 3 years at Arizona State U. another NCAA hockey powerhouse. He played 10 games for Adirondack. Put up 2 points and was -4.
The Comets will win or lose with:
Goal
- Daws
- Schmid
Most teams will ride their best guy. At the moment I have to say that should be Daws, but the guy may be played out to the overwork in NJ. Have to hope he is the guy we have seen here before.
Schmid has been very good and not so good. Have to hope we only see the first and not the latter when/if he plays.
Rotation starts are very rare for teams that go deep.
Forwards:
Deleo
Holtz
Zetterlund
Greer
Foote
Thompson
Gambardella
Clarke
Laberge
Centers:
Gauthier
Flynn
Schmelzer
Talvitie
- Talvitie can also play the wing if Dineen wanted to play Deleo as one of the 4 centers which he has done for more scoring punch on the top 2 lines.
- Flynn can also be used on the wing with Talvitie as one of the 4 centers. Dineen has also done this.
- An injury in the middle would bring Deleo to Center and Laberge to LW.
Defense:
Bahl
Russo
Walsh
Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Okhotyuk
Groleau can play in any situation so the tam has 7 good D-men.
After these 20 guys the Comets have nobody that can be an adequate AHL level replacement, let alone fill the role of the guy he replaces. Normally teams strengthen their rosters. They may also add newly signed franchise contract players they want to get their feet wet. They don't just add bodies that have no useful purpose.
At this point Halonen and Van Whye were NCAA signees. May see both of them in camp next season. Halonen is not ready at this time and Van Whye has only played once and was invisible.
They did have 2 other guys that would have been of immense help and they were Marian Studenic, lost to waivers and Nate Schnarr, traded for crap by Fitz, for Andrew Hammond. Played 4 games and stinks up the ice. Schnarr is playing for rival Laval and Studenic has split time with the Texas Stars (4 GP) and the NHL Dalas Stars (14 GPThis would have made a roster of 22 guys who could have all played. Chances are Schnarr could have been used ar center at any time and and Studenic would have replaced Clarke to begin with. Any number of combinations would have been available to Dineen had these 2 guys still been here.
Whoppee S**T!
None of these guys strengthens the roster nor steps in to replace any of them due to an injury.
- Stevens can remotely play, but wouldn't be an AHL level player.
- Grasso stinks.
- Kasel's only chance is if all 3 goalies ahead of him die.
- Theo has been here and was scary to watch in his own zone. (lost planet airman) 10 GP at Adirondack 1 Pt.
- Gourley a recent 22 yr-old exit from NCAA powerhouse U.of Connecticut after 3 years at Arizona State U. another NCAA hockey powerhouse. He played 10 games for Adirondack. Put up 2 points and was -4.
The Comets will win or lose with:
Goal
- Daws
- Schmid
Most teams will ride their best guy. At the moment I have to say that should be Daws, but the guy may be played out to the overwork in NJ. Have to hope he is the guy we have seen here before.
Schmid has been very good and not so good. Have to hope we only see the first and not the latter when/if he plays.
Rotation starts are very rare for teams that go deep.
Forwards:
Deleo
Holtz
Zetterlund
Greer
Foote
Thompson
Gambardella
Clarke
Laberge
Centers:
Gauthier
Flynn
Schmelzer
Talvitie
- Talvitie can also play the wing if Dineen wanted to play Deleo as one of the 4 centers which he has done for more scoring punch on the top 2 lines.
- Flynn can also be used on the wing with Talvitie as one of the 4 centers. Dineen has also done this.
- An injury in the middle would bring Deleo to Center and Laberge to LW.
Defense:
Bahl
Russo
Walsh
Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Okhotyuk
Groleau can play in any situation so the tam has 7 good D-men.
After these 20 guys the Comets have nobody that can be an adequate AHL level replacement, let alone fill the role of the guy he replaces. Normally teams strengthen their rosters. They may also add newly signed franchise contract players they want to get their feet wet. They don't just add bodies that have no useful purpose.
At this point Halonen and Van Whye were NCAA signees. May see both of them in camp next season. Halonen is not ready at this time and Van Whye has only played once and was invisible.
They did have 2 other guys that would have been of immense help and they were Marian Studenic, lost to waivers and Nate Schnarr, traded for crap by Fitz, for Andrew Hammond. Played 4 games and stinks up the ice. Schnarr is playing for rival Laval and Studenic has split time with the Texas Stars (4 GP) and the NHL Dalas Stars (14 GPThis would have made a roster of 22 guys who could have all played. Chances are Schnarr could have been used ar center at any time and and Studenic would have replaced Clarke to begin with. Any number of combinations would have been available to Dineen had these 2 guys still been here.
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Tao Jersey Jones
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Mgd31
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