2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Bad Goalie]

Just came back from Dinner and it's 5-1. I am so frustrated with Dineen and the way he deploys his team. Nothing ever gets any better with what is going wrong.

#31 PP in the league says a lot about the team's ability to handle the puck. They can't even get into the attacking zone and create trouble for their opponent to defend them.
First, they can't skate the puck in and set up.
second, they can't dump the puck, chase, and recover it.
So, they either turn it over at the blueline or just inside it, usually along the boards. OR They dump it in and the opponent just shoots it right back down the ice. They lose all the faceoffs that take place in the attacking zone and down the ice it goes again.

By some chance if they do get to set it up, they stand still and pass it around the perimeter, get frustrated, and shoot the puck from outside and the keeper has no problem with it.

They are very good at missing the net and clearing it out on their own it out on their own. They want to take 1-timers,but the cross ice pass is not there for a stationary team. The D are always in the way. They force it anyways and down the ice again.

This is just some of it.

Last weekend they were O/the 3 game series. Last night they were 0/2 and never got set up.

So, what happens now? They score a PPG to make it 3-1.

Don't get excited. the Crunch come back and answer it with 2 more of their own.
Tonight the Crunch have 2 PPGs and 1 SHG and now lead 5-1 after 2 periods.

Last weekend they played a similar 3 in 3. They lost to Belleville, defeated Laval, and then lost to Laval. 2 point weekend

This weekend they defeated Syracuse, lost to Rochester in a shootout, and will lose tonight to Syracuse. 3 point weekend. last six games win 2 and lose 4, 1 in a shootout. 5 of 12 possible points.

People are calling me paranoid. After tonight the Comets will be up by Syracuse by 1 and Rochester will trail by 2 after winning again today. As I reported earlier of the Comets last remaining 8 games 4 are vs Syracuse and 3 vs Rochester. The teams they need to beat have defeated them 2 straight and 2 points separate them. In addition both the Crunch and Amerks will have a game in hand vs the Comets.

The Comets will get no help from NJ and the team they have right now is the weakest they have been all season. Maybe the Devils could sign a GOOD NCAA forward or even 2. They are not set up well for next season when this one ends. Hughes will get 1 of their contracts immediately upon the end of Michigan's season.

Thinking about it, it would be highly unlikely that a player who could be of serious help to the Comets would likely sign elsewhere as the chance of cracking NJ's lineup any time in the next few years would be unlikely for a guy who hasn't even been drafted. That makes the good NCAA forward unlikely as well.

Utica will need Daws to be exactly as good as he was last night the rest of the way out. Not sure Dineen can overplay him at this point either as he is recovering from injury.

Comets have another 3 in 3 next weekend vs Roch, Roch, Syracuse. Daws at best gets 2 of them if all goes well for him.

We will also find out if Halonen is healthy again by then and if Holtz and Stevens were really scratched to rest them up. Preposterous at this stage of the season.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Utica Comets @ Syracuse Crunch
Recap

Final score -
Syracuse 6 Utica 1

SOG:
Comets - 7 12 13 = 32
Crunch - 18 10 10 = 38

The Comets get shots, but their accuracy and where the shots come from keeps the number that go in down. They have been a scoring challenged team all season. Shut out last night and 1 goal today speaks for itself.

PP:
Comets 1/2
Crunch 2/4

Walsh (6) from Gambardella (23) and Clarke (29)

Poulter 21/26
Robinson 11/12

Bye Bye

 

[Guttersniped]

Just came back from Dinner and it's 5-1. I am so frustrated with Dineen and the way he deploys his team. Nothing ever gets any better with what is going wrong.

#31 PP in the league says a lot about the team's ability to handle the puck. They can't even get into the attacking zone and create trouble for their opponent to defend them.
First, they can't skate the puck in and set up.
second, they can't dump the puck, chase, and recover it.
So, they either turn it over at the blueline or just inside it, usually along the boards. OR They dump it in and the opponent just shoots it right back down the ice. They lose all the faceoffs that take place in the attacking zone and down the ice it goes again.

By some chance if they do get to set it up, they stand still and pass it around the perimeter, get frustrated, and shoot the puck from outside and the keeper has no problem with it.

They are very good at missing the net and clearing it out on their own it out on their own. They want to take 1-timers,but the cross ice pass is not there for a stationary team. The D are always in the way. They force it anyways and down the ice again.

This is just some of it.

Last weekend they were O/the 3 game series. Last night they were 0/2 and never got set up.

So, what happens now? They score a PPG to make it 3-1.

Don't get excited. the Crunch come back and answer it with 2 more of their own.
Tonight the Crunch have 2 PPGs and 1 SHG and now lead 5-1 after 2 periods.

Last weekend they played a similar 3 in 3. They lost to Belleville, defeated Laval, and then lost to Laval. 2 point weekend

This weekend they defeated Syracuse, lost to Rochester in a shootout, and will lose tonight to Syracuse. 3 point weekend. last six games win 2 and lose 4, 1 in a shootout. 5 of 12 possible points.

People are calling me paranoid. After tonight the Comets will be up by Syracuse by 1 and Rochester will trail by 2 after winning again today. As I reported earlier of the Comets last remaining 8 games 4 are vs Syracuse and 3 vs Rochester. The teams they need to beat have defeated them 2 straight and 2 points separate them. In addition both the Crunch and Amerks will have a game in hand vs the Comets.

The Comets will get no help from NJ and the team they have right now is the weakest they have been all season. Maybe the Devils could sign a GOOD NCAA forward or even 2. They are not set up well for next season when this one ends. Hughes will get 1 of their contracts immediately upon the end of Michigan's season.

Thinking about it, it would be highly unlikely that a player who could be of serious help to the Comets would likely sign elsewhere as the chance of cracking NJ's lineup any time in the next few years would be unlikely for a guy who hasn't even been drafted. That makes the good NCAA forward unlikely as well.

Utica will need Daws to be exactly as good as he was last night the rest of the way out. Not sure Dineen can overplay him at this point either as he is recovering from injury.

Comets have another 3 in 3 next weekend vs Roch, Roch, Syracuse. Daws at best gets 2 of them if all goes well for him.

We will also find out if Halonen is healthy again by then and if Holtz and Stevens were really scratched to rest them up. Preposterous at this stage of the season.

“Thinking about it, it would be highly unlikely that a player who could be of serious help to the Comets would likely sign elsewhere as the chance of cracking NJ's lineup any time in the next few years would be unlikely for a guy who hasn't even been drafted. That makes the good NCAA forward unlikely as well.”

Not sure I understand this. We have void at center, centers don’t sign to compete with Jack Hughes.

There’s opportunity and having a successful parent club will help. There’s a number of things that goes into being a club that does well in these FA signing and there’s things teams can do to improve their fates with that.

If we don’t sign anyone, I’ll be annoyed.

I want to the team to work to become better with with this too, but making a conclusion when a ton of guys are still unsigned is something I won’t do.

 

[Bad Goalie]

“Thinking about it, it would be highly unlikely that a player who could be of serious help to the Comets would likely sign elsewhere as the chance of cracking NJ's lineup any time in the next few years would be unlikely for a guy who hasn't even been drafted. That makes the good NCAA forward unlikely as well.”

Not sure I understand this. We have void at center, centers don’t sign to compete with Jack Hughes.

There’s opportunity and having a successful parent club will help. There’s a number of things that goes into being a club that does well in these FA signing and there’s things teams can do to improve their fates with that.

If we don’t sign anyone, I’ll be annoyed.

I want to the team to work to become better with with this too, but making a conclusion when a ton of guys are still unsigned is something I won’t do.

I'm not worried about you. Upper NJ management knew last year they had no center depth. They went ahead this season and put together a team with no centers period beyond AHL 3/4 line center Schmelzer and he has actually become #1 most nights. Talvitie is the other they had signed and, bless his heart, he just doesn't cut it any longer. They made several TDL moves and didn't acquire a single AHL level scoring forward or center. Hell they barely acquired an AHL level anything and they are both LDs in Hatakka, injured for likely the rest of this season, and Hayes to become an RFA at the end of the season.

Hell the best acquisition they got was Scott Harrington and when he was waived to be sent to Utica he was claimed and is currently playing for the Ducks. Oh, and by the way, he is also a LD.

The lone AHL experienced forward they acquired was Jayce Hawryluk and it's been 16 days since he was acquired and he is yet to be seen anywhere. As of now they got a ghost for the Comets.

I have talked to people who were familiar with the Binghamton team and they said don't get your hopes up. The NJ Devils never did much of anything to give Binghamton a competitive team. No reason to believe it will be anything different in Utica.

I have been posting for two seasons and have repeatedly stated I know full well that the NHL team does what is best for themselves. However, if you put prospects somewhere you are trying to develop, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that will rarely happen if those guys are not placed on a team that can best help them accomplish that task. Players don't become NHL players by playing on a team that can't allow them the opportunity to do what they were drafted to become propped up by team mates who can help them every step of the way.

Forwards need centers or you get performances like that of Tyce Thompson. Terrible season for the kid.
Nolan Foote has played okay, but has not been the kind of player you look at and say there's a real future NHL player. His points are a bit better than last season (18/12 vs 14/18 last season), but he hasn't appeared to be a guy other teams were keying on to keep off the score sheet. He hasn't played with a center that can help him by doing what a scoring forward's center is supposed to do. Nope. Instead Dineen has continually tried to force the square pegs into the round holes and played them both at center as if they can be their own center and be top scoring forwards! Ludicrous.

Instead of signing some quality centers Dineen has been forced to try and create some. Pinho was another brilliant example. He scored 8 goals in the 1st 12 games he played. He's scored 2 since then. Further inspection shows that he was scoring like the wing he should have been. he wasn't setting up his linemates. They were setting him up or he was out with another center who fed him the puck or he was picking up rebounds in the net front and throwing them into open sides.
#1 - Set up by center Stevens on the PP.
#2 - Set up by NHL playmaker Johnsson.
#3 - Set up by Johnsson.
#4 - Set up by his center Schmelzer while playing RW.
#5 - Picked off a turnover and went in alone for an unassisted tally.
#6 - Set up by center Stevens again.
#7 - Set up by Johnsson.
#8 - Set up by Foote and Johnsson, who set Foote up and Pinho picked up the rebound.
#9 - The 8th was on 11/14 and was his last goal until 3/12, nearly 4 months and 45 games later.
#10 - A Walsh shot hit him in front and deflected in on 3/24.
He had 3 assists in that time frame. Over the course of the next 51 games he had 13 assists.

This was definitely not the way to allow forward prospects to succeed at a rate in the AHL indicative of a decent scoring NHL forward. Clarke has more points than Thompson and Pinho combined and he has more than doubled his output of last season. He is the only Comet whose numbers are promising for the next level. That's looking at numbers recorded with this impotent roster.

I'm not sure there will be many prospects back here next season with a lot of promise to become NJ regulars. I look for Fitz to acquire a couple veteran forwards that will make all 4 lines in NJ stronger and make players like Clarke expendable. Foote maybe charts in on the 4th line. If he puts pucks in the net, maybe 3rd/4th line.

Foote, Clarke, and Holtz are still on ELCs for next season. There are no other prospect forwards slated for Utica who could challenge for a spot or fill in for NJ if needed next season.
Thompson has put himself in a real bind. He held out for a 1- way contract next season and he got it. If he can't cut the grade in NJ and he would have to turn himself into a superior player next camp to the one he has been this season in order to be a Devil. $762,500 is a mighty big salary to pay a player in the AHL who has never been an NHL regular.

NJ has to do a lot of team constructing to put a competitive team in Utica next season.

 

[Triumph]

Foote, Clarke, and Holtz are still on ELCs for next season. There are no other prospect forwards slated for Utica who could challenge for a spot or fill in for NJ if needed next season.

...which was Guttersniped's entire point and why signing a UDFA/August 15 UFA center could be desirable for both that player and Utica. The Devils presently have a deep team at the NHL level but not much beyond that, so while I doubt they get the top UDFAs coming out of college who are looking to play in the NHL right away, a second-tier guy could see a great opportunity to possibly see NHL time next season.

 

[Bad Goalie]

...which was Guttersniped's entire point and why signing a UDFA/August 15 UFA center could be desirable for both that player and Utica. The Devils presently have a deep team at the NHL level but not much beyond that, so while I doubt they get the top UDFAs coming out of college who are looking to play in the NHL right away, a second-tier guy could see a great opportunity to possibly see NHL time next season.

I wasn't questioning the summer work.. That goes without saying. I was talking about the guys they might be able to sign to ATOs now as the NCAA season has ended for many and for others soon. They brought in Halonen and Van Whye last season at this time. The Comets need some help up front with somebody who can put the puck in the net or knows how to get the puck to the few who can.

 

[Triumph]

I wasn't questioning the summer work.. That goes without saying. I was talking about the guys they might be able to sign to ATOs now as the NCAA season has ended for many and for others soon. They brought in Halonen and Van Whye last season at this time. The Comets need some help up front with somebody who can put the puck in the net or knows how to get the puck to the few who can.

These are, by and large, the same group of players. The August 15th UFAs aren't, but that's usually a much smaller pool of players.

 

[Guttersniped]

I wasn't questioning the summer work.. That goes without saying. I was talking about the guys they might be able to sign to ATOs now as the NCAA season has ended for many and for others soon. They brought in Halonen and Van Whye last season at this time. The Comets need some help up front with somebody who can put the puck in the net or knows how to get the puck to the few who can.

The FA class isn’t particularly deep this year but not that many signed yet.

With centers, Hunter McKown signed with Columbus, Carl Berglund with Edmonton, Max Sasson with Vancouver and Parker Ford with Winnipeg.

Charlotte Checkers signed Mark Senden. Seattle was able to sign AJ Vanderbeck to a two-way minor league deal because he’s in the ECHL but I doubt he’ll be there long.

That’s about it with centers (and pretty sure Vanderbeck played wing).

 

[Bad Goalie]

The FA class isn’t particularly deep this year but not that many signed yet.

With centers, Hunter McKown signed with Columbus, Carl Berglund with Edmonton, Max Sasson with Vancouver and Parker Ford with Winnipeg.

Charlotte Checkers signed Mark Senden. Seattle was able to sign AJ Vanderbeck to a two-way minor league deal because he’s in the ECHL but I doubt he’ll be there long.

That’s about it with centers (and pretty sure Vanderbeck played wing).

Like I said, I'm not expecting much of anything to happen.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Okay people an actual explanation as to what's what with Comets MIA.

Holtz and Stevens were reported by PBP guy to be scratched for rests to keep them fresh.
That was nonsense IMO and that's been made clear.
- Holtz is sick and his status for the weekend is unknown. He did not practice today.
- Stevens was coming off a 19-game absence due to an upper-body in jury. (I saw it as a head injury when he went out, but that is not confirmed. So, we'll say upper body which is where the head is, LOL). He warmed up Friday. He played Saturday. He was scratched Sunday. He participated in full practice today. Dinnen said he's hopeful that Stevens can "get to the other side of this injury".
Both of these guys playing the way they were when healthy are extremely key for the Comets moving down the final stretch.

Halonen has missed the last 2 games due to a non-hockey-related health issue and he will be out for an undisclosed time.

Vukojevic has a broken finger and Hutchison has an upper body injury (I saw him leave the game after what I would have called a hit to the head, but we'll go with upper body injury) and both will remain out. He had been playing his best hockey of the season and scoring goals. Like Holtz and Stevens, the 3 in good health and in the lineup would give the Comets a much better chance.

HAWRYLUK! YES! JAYCE HAWRYLUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He was acquired from Ottawa on March10 and HE IS is a Uitca Comet. He will play if he ever gets here.
He has yet to appear in Utica. It's been 3 weeks. Dineen confirmed it's a an immigration issue and he can't explain why it's taking so long. He skated with the team in Belleville and Laval in mid-March.
"He's impatiently waiting on the other side of the border. As soon as that clears, he'll be on his way" Dineen said.
Doesn't appear as anyone is doing anything to push the process along.

Akira Schmid is in town. Mackenzie Blackwood returning to action has seen the Devils see fit to send Akira down so he can keep playing. His return to NJ could happen at any moment so no one should get any false hope about him carrying the Comets further. If Daws can play every night like he did vs. Rochester on Friday and the Comets can get a start or 2 from Schmid before paperman Blackwood is hurt again, that would be huge for the upcoming 3 in 3 this weekend. If these 2 things could happen, the net shouldn't be their problem.

Playing strong in their own end, backchecking hard every shift, and forechecking with a purpose is the way they win games. When these elements of the game are lax, the Comets suck.

Playing a weak scoring lineup doesn't help either:
- Thompson no goals since January 13 (30 games).
- Pinho 2 goals since November 14
- Talvitie 3 goals in 51 GP
- Geertsen 4 goals in 54 GP
- Engaras 2 goals in 22 GP
- Schmelzer 5 goals in 60 GP (he does have 24 Assist)
- Laberge 7 goals in 36 GP
- Parent has 1 goal in 9 GP
- Ibragimov has 3 goals in 12 GP

- Hutchison 4 goals in 31 GP injured
- Senyshyn (NO LONGER WITH THE TEAM) had 6 goals in 37 GP

Stevens had climbed up the charts and was near the top of the lineup in goals and points before leaving for the past 19 games.
He had/has 27 pts with 12G/15A
Clarke had 35 pts with 16G/19A Now 50pts (21G/29A)
Foote only had 19 pts 13G and 6A Now 30pts (18G/12A)
Gambardella had 19/pts 4 G/ 15A Now 32pts (9G/23A)
Halonen had 18 pts 8G/10A Now 30pts (17G/13)
The current 3 top scorers below Clarke have finally surpassed him after he missed 19 games!
Imagine the points the Comets might have captured with another 13-15 points from Stevens.

The above listed 9 forwards have mostly been game day players in recent times and the Comets record for the lst 10 is a respectable 5-4-0-1 but it's 2-4-0-1 in the last 7 of those 10. They were .500 in the prvious 10 before tthe last 10. They remain in the lineup until replaced. Gambardella and Clarke are also game day players. However, those were the 11 forwards the Comets played with on Sunday.

Halonen and Hutchison will not play until further notice. Hutch is a better all around player than some of those fill-ins and does play center.

Holtz is now out of the lineup until his health recovers. That could be Friday or one of the other 2 days this weekend or he could miss all 3.

Stevens has played 1 game and was scratched for the next in his comeback after the 19-game hiatus.

Calling Jayce Hawryluk. Canada/US get your asses in gear. It's not like we are dealing with a guy from a known terrorist nation. He's from CANADA for F**k's sake!
He has played hockey:
- in Canada for 4 seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings.,
- in the next 3 seasons he played in the US moving between AHL Springfield, ECHL Manchester, NHL Florida, and NHL Ottawa.
- in the next season he was back in Canada with Vancouver.
- in the next season he gave Europe a try and played in Sweden
- in the current season he was back in Canda playing for AHL Belleville and has been traded to AHL Utica. Give the guy a break and let him earn his livelihood.

 

[youryeah]

tyce not having a goal in 30! games is hard to imagine. wow.

 

[Bad Goalie]

AHL North just became even tighter.

The Rochester Americans just lost to the Cleveland Monsters in OT. The single point moved them into a 3rd place tie with the Syracuse Crunch. Both now trail 2nd place Uica by a single point. Rochester has burned up all of their games in hand and have now played 64 like Utica. Syracuse still has 1 in hand on Uttca and Rochester.

With the 2 points the Monsters have moved into the final playoff spot and have games in hand on the 2 teams behind them still very much in the fight.

64 GP Toronto 85 Pts they will not be caught.

64 GP Comets 71 Pts
63 GP Syracuse 70 Pts
64 GP Rochester 70 Pts
63 GP Cleveland 65 Pts
65 GPLavalRocket64 Pts
64 GP Belleville 62 Pts

The regular season wraps up at 72 games.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Josh Filmon signed to an ATO for the remainder of this season. NJ signed him to a 3-yr ELC starting in 23-24 as well. Year 1 will slide since he will be a Jr. next season.

Probably won't see him him tonight. Dineen will have to see him practice.
At 6'3"/165 lbs he certainly does need to fill out as several NJ posters have pointed out. He will need that year year in Jrs. to fill out before being exposed to the physicality of the AHL. Hope he gets some muscle growth and wt over the next 2 summers.

Ready or not welcome to the Utica Comets, Josh. The city and hockey family here will do their best to welcome you to the community and help you feel at home as quickly as possible. You are a long way from home in western Canada. Hope you can find our community a cozy substitute while you prepare and work towards fulfilling your dream of playing in the NHL. Only one more step from here, even if it is the steepest one of all.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Didn't check his date of birth. I believe the March birth date makes him ineligible for the AHL next season. A 19-yr-old coming out of Canadian Jrs. has to turn 20 by December something to be eligible at 19 when the season begins.

Have to hold off the big welcome for another year, LOL. This short run will be an introduction to the big one. The ATO allows him to play here now and still go back to Jrs. next year.

Will be interesting to see how much ice time Dineen feeds him based upon the Comets situation in their playoff race. Things are really getting tight for them over the course of the next 8 games, all vs North teams competing with them for the last 4 of the 5 spots available. They could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th. It is even possible with a complete collapse to finish out of the playoffs period. Ideally they should want to finish no lower than 3rd to avoid having to play in the first round play-in best of 3.

 

[Lou is God]

I guess I can add Tyce to Santini in my worst take on prospects. 30 games, wow.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I guess I can add Tyce to Santini in my worst take on prospects. 30 games, wow.

Make that 31 after tonight.

 

[Bad Goalie]

3/31/23
Rochester Americans 4 Utica 3 (OT)

The Comets blew a 3-0 lead after 2 periods surrendering 2 in the 1st 5 minutes and the 3rd with 1:34 to go with an empty net.

Comets shootout woes continued. Lost to Rochester last friday 1-0 in 4 rounds and tonight 4-3 in 3 rounds. Comets 0-7. Houser 7-7.

I will never figure out why Dineen hasn't figured out this team cannot back off and play a defensive game to hold onto a lead. I predicted it before they came out for the 3rd and, yep, they tried it again and Rochester ate them up. With their momentum crushed they were trying to hang on while pushing into the Amerks end for chances, but couldn't hold off the Amerks on the 6 on 5 empty net situation.

The Comets lack of speed and ability to handle the puck and defeat anyone 1on1 even in a 3 on 3 situation kills them in OT. They had odd man chances, but couldn't complete the pass. What looked like sure breakaways were nullified from behind as the Amerks speed was able to catch up.

The shootout is always the same. Take it to the net and fail to execute any move and shoot it into the keeper. Breakaways in the games foretell what will happen in a shootout. They don't score. Tonight they blew a 2 on 0 from the blueline in and Clarke never attempted a pass so the keeper just lined up on him and that was that, shot- save.

Rocheter won.
Syracuse won.
Both are now tied with the Comets at 72 points each. Syracuse has a game in hand on the other 2. Laval won and moved ahead of Cleveland by a point in the battle for the 5th slot, 66 to 65. Cleveland was idle, but has 3 games in hand over Laval who has played the most games in the North at 66.

Rochester is in Rochester tomorrow.
Syracuse in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Hershey is at Cleveland.
Laval at Milwaukee.
Toronto at Belleville.

Rochester @ Utica recap

SOG:
Amerks - 5 9 16 0 = 31
Comets - 11 13 8 1 = 33

PP:
Amerks 0/1
Comets 0/0

Scoring
Clarke (22) from Gambardella (24) and Stevens (16)
Engaras (3) from Wotherspoon (15) and Nemec (17)
Laberge (8) from Ibragimov (2)

Akira Schmid 27/30
2 of the goals were on big rebounds off his pad immediately fired right back past him.

3 ***
#1 Mason Jobst (Rochester Americans) 1 G/1 A
#2 Isak Rosen (Rochester Americans) 1 G
#3 Samuel Laberge (Utica Comets) 1 G

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Any thoughts on Josh Filmon's first game?

On the good news/bad news front, Pelicans Lahti is now in the Liiga semifinals, which means Topias Vilen's arrival will be delayed a bit more.

On the plus side, it's good to see Devils prospects (L. Hughes, Casey, Stillman, Edwards, Vilen, etc) playing playoff hockey in April.

Even if it's not with the Devils or Comets.

 

[Mgd31]

3/31/23
Rochester Americans 4 Utica 3 (OT)

The Comets blew a 3-0 lead after 2 periods surrendering 2 in the 1st 5 minutes and the 3rd with 1:34 to go with an empty net.

Comets shootout woes continued. Lost to Rochester last friday 1-0 in 4 rounds and tonight 4-3 in 3 rounds. Comets 0-7. Houser 7-7.

I will never figure out why Dineen hasn't figured out this team cannot back off and play a defensive game to hold onto a lead. I predicted it before they came out for the 3rd and, yep, they tried it again and Rochester ate them up. With their momentum crushed they were trying to hang on while pushing into the Amerks end for chances, but couldn't hold off the Amerks on the 6 on 5 empty net situation.

The Comets lack of speed and ability to handle the puck and defeat anyone 1on1 even in a 3 on 3 situation kills them in OT. They had odd man chances, but couldn't complete the pass. What looked like sure breakaways were nullified from behind as the Amerks speed was able to catch up.

The shootout is always the same. Take it to the net and fail to execute any move and shoot it into the keeper. Breakaways in the games foretell what will happen in a shootout. They don't score. Tonight they blew a 2 on 0 from the blueline in and Clarke never attempted a pass so the keeper just lined up on him and that was that, shot- save.

Rocheter won.
Syracuse won.
Both are now tied with the Comets at 72 points each. Syracuse has a game in hand on the other 2. Laval won and moved ahead of Cleveland by a point in the battle for the 5th slot, 66 to 65. Cleveland was idle, but has 3 games in hand over Laval who has played the most games in the North at 66.

Rochester is in Rochester tomorrow.
Syracuse in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Hershey is at Cleveland.
Laval at Milwaukee.
Toronto at Belleville.

Rochester @ Utica recap

SOG:
Amerks - 5 9 16 0 = 31
Comets - 11 13 8 1 = 33

PP:
Amerks 0/1
Comets 0/0

Scoring
Clarke (22) from Gambardella (24) and Stevens (16)
Engaras (3) from Wotherspoon (15) and Nemec (17)
Laberge (8) from Ibragimov (2)

Akira Schmid 27/30
2 of the goals were on big rebounds off his pad immediately fired right back past him.

3 ***
#1 Mason Jobst (Rochester Americans) 1 G/1 A
#2 Isak Rosen (Rochester Americans) 1 G
#3 Samuel Laberge (Utica Comets) 1 G

What a freaking choke job by the boys. Where is Holtz?

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

What a freaking choke job by the boys. Where is Holtz?

injured i think

 

[Bad Goalie]

When he left the ice last Saturday after a slash to his wrist he was holding onto it and he said "O-w-w-w! F**k!"
That was in the 2nd period. He didn't look good the rest of the night and his Shootout attempt was not vintage Holtz.
The following afternoon in Syracuse, Shaya said Dineen was resting Alex and Nolan (Stevens).

Tuesday he said Alex was ill and wouldn't play Friday, but didn't know about the rest of the weekend.

Tuesday Stevens was practicing without restrictions. Dineen said he's hopeful that Stevens can "get to the other side of this injury". He missed 19 games with an "upper body injury". Played Saturday for the 1st time after missing 19 games and was "rested" Sunday. He played last night. Let's see if he gets "rested" again on the weekend.

Dineen is as evasive in explaining Comets missing from the lineup as any hockey coach I've encountered.

I heard through the arena grapevine that Halonen's "health issue unrelated to hockey" is appendicitis. If that's true, we can kiss him off for an extended length of time if not the rest of the season.

When it rains it pours.

Comets fans keep getting duped by the AHL transaction lisitings every day. They don't realize the Foote returned to Utica will soon after list Foote recalled to NJ both listings on the same day. Yesterday it was actually reported in a local newspaper that he was back after a brief stint with NJ. The recall was soon listed.
Cap restrictions have to be met. Bastian's soon to be return should make Foote available, but that's totally up to the Devils.

 

[Bad Goalie]

4/1/23
Utica Comets @ Rochester Americans

Today is the day the Utica Comets can drop out of 2nd place and fall as far as 4th with a loss to Rochester while the Syracuse Crunch also win. A Utica win leaves them at least tied for 2nd no matter what. That win will be a tall task after blowing a 3-0 lead entering the 3rd period to the same Rochester Americans less than 24 hours ago.

Rochester will be on a high after having defeated the Comets in OT on consecutive Fridays. Utica must be asking themselves what do we have to do to put these guys away. Even 3 periods and an OT of shutout goal tending by Daws couldn't defeat them last Friday and a 3-0 lead over 2 periods didn't hold up last night either.
If Holtz does come back today someone who played last nite has to sit. If I had to select a Comet not contributing a thing to their effort it would be a coin flip between Thompson and Pinho. Dineen sends Pinho out in every critical situation. He dosen't win the draws. He has no idea of how to kill penalties. he shuffles and coasts around and never interferes with a shot or a pass, obviously wouldn't be caught dead BLOCKING a shot, loses every puck battle, fails to clear the zone, and if he by some stroke of fate finds the puck on his stick he can't seem to find a way to get it across the blue line. He does nothing offensively either. it's the same lack of physicality, losing draws, losing board battles, poor passing, and can't put the puck in the ocean.
Thompson ios right in the same boat. Pinho isn't a prospect and Dineen has no obligation to play him for possible development. Thompson is already signed to a 1-way NHL contract for next season paying him $762,500!!!!!!!!!! Man does he have to find a fairy godmother to be worth that kind of money. I sure hope she is around somewhere because I don't see him anywhere but back here again next season. He has to be held accountable with that kind of paycheck.

Nolan Foote was returned today 4/1/23 according to AHL.com and was nor returned on the same date. LOL

Forwards:
15 Gambardella/ 21 Stevens/ 92 Clarke
38 Filmon/ 26 Schmelzer/ 25 Foote
90 Ibragimov/ 28 Pinho/ 12 Thompson
79 Laberge /16 Engaras/ 8 Hawryluk

D-pairs:
23 Wotherspoon/ 7 Nemec
65 Hayes/ 5 Russo
79 Laberge/ 22 Walsh

Goal - 50 Daws

Scratches:
Schmid (BU)
Halonen (health issue)
Hutchison (Inj)
Vukojevic (Inj
Hatakka (Inj)
Holtz (Ill)
Geertsen (H/?)
Gourley (H)
Talvitie (H)

 

[Bad Goalie]

21 seconds in and it's 1-0 Rochester. Here we go again.

Comets to the PP as the puck goes over the glass. Delay of Game.


Comrts PP is #31 in the league.

Amerks get it out.

Turned over at the blueline and out. Back in and back out.

Filmon a shot and a big stop by Subban..

Filmon 1-timer off the outside of the post.

Lose the draw and back out. PP over no goal again.

Huge defensive block by Russo laying out or that was a slam dunk.

Rochester manages to get loose for shots and they crowd up the net front. Comets don't find much open ice in scoring spots and rarely crowd up the net front. Rochester can do this because all of the Comets are in front of the net and out to the middle of the hashes. The points and a forward can drive the net, make passes and shoot with little challenge. Rochester challenges thwe puck all over their zone.

Comets to the PP again.

Lose the draw and the Amnerks v=clear and the LM blow the whistle for icing. DUH!

Facxe off at center ice. Pinho gets shot and easyb stop and then cleared down.

Comets move it around the perimeter. That's their PP plan. Shot by Foote and Pinho can't collect the rebound and get a shot on net.

PP empty again.

Rochester gets more dangerous chances 5 on 5 than the Comets are getting on the PP.

Pinho turn over on the boards. Panic city!

daws save off the rush.

Malone comes in 1 on 3 and all 3 Comets back up allowing him to seek out as pass. It's the worst defensive system I have ever seen in all of my life playing and watching hockey.

TV TO
7:31 to go

SOG 7-4 Rochester.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Point shot hits the post after the Comets lose another draw.

Gambardella all alone in front after a Rochester turnover. Subban has the answer.

Comets breakout is so inept they have a huge problem finding a man to pass the puck to!!!!

Schmelzer a drop from the slot pass to Walsh driving the net and he..................................................

S________________C__________________O__________________R______________ E__________S!!!!!!!!!!

1-1
14:01

 

[Bad Goalie]

Ibragimov misse the net on another turnover.

Nemec nonchalantly moving up the boards, gets challenged, a second Amerk arrives and he turns it over.

DINNER TIME with 2 minutes to go/.

I'm back.

Breakawy on Daws and he stops it!

1:09 to go TV TO.