2023-24 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Guttersniped]

The Thunder lost 1-2 in OT, giving them points in 17 straight games.

The only goal was a penalty shot, they’re definitely undermanned now so it’s good their goaltending is still getting them some points. (It must be nice lol.)

Returning
Gillespie (injured 1/27) “six to eight weeks”
Grasso (injured 1/23) “day-to-day”
Friedmann (injured 12/23) “late February”
Hirano (Team Japan until 2/11)
Walker (Suspended 8! games) Was a very bad boy, Abuse of Officials, can return on 2/16

Maybe Gone Forever?
Middendorf is now in Utica with Ibragimov and Vilén, if he sticks that’s a tough loss for the Thunder but hopefully he produces in the AHL.

f***ed Off Forever
LHD Thompson (abandoned team 2/1) left to play in Slovakia which is unfortunate because he was their best offensive defenseman.


In the ECHL that means…

Spoiler: Oprah ain’t kidding.

Jeffers Still on Team, was previously traded to Cincinnati (12/28/23), who dumped his ass on waivers

Cook Still on Team after 3 GP

Marcinkevics Still on Team after 3 GP, Latvian Heart of a Lion

Rook Dumped After 1 GP

Adams Dumped after 2 GP

Crowder Still on Team After 6 GP

 

[Louskoolaid89]

The Thunder lost 1-2 in OT, giving them points in 17 straight games.

The only goal was a penalty shot, they’re definitely undermanned now so it’s good their goaltending is still getting them some points. (It must be nice lol.)

View attachment 814731

Returning
Gillespie (injured 1/27) “six to eight weeks”
Grasso (injured 1/23) “day-to-day”
Friedmann (injured 12/23) “late February”
Hirano (Team Japan until Feb 11)
Walker (Suspended 8! games) Was a very bad boy, Abuse of Officials, can return on 2/16

Maybe Gone Forever?
Middendorf is now in Utica with Ibragimov and Vilén, if he sticks that’s a tough loss for the Thunder but hopefully he produces in the AHL.

f***ed Off Forever
LHD Thompson (abandoned team 2/1) left to play in Slovakia which is unfortunate because he was their best offensive defenseman.


In the ECHL that means…
View attachment 814737

Spoiler: Oprah ain’t kidding.

Jeffers Still on Team, was previously traded to Cincinnati (12/28/23), who dumped his ass on waivers

Cook Still on Team after 3 GP

Marcinkevics Still on Team after 3 GP, Latvian Heart of a Lion

Rook Dumped After 1 GP

Adams Dumped after 2 GP

Crowder Still on Team After 6 GP

After going to the game in Reading yesterday. I watched the 2nd and 3rd period today on Flo Hockey. Talk about filling the void of this NHL break.

 

[Bad Goalie]

2/9/2024
Utica Comets @ Bellevile Senators

Final Score
Utica Comets 2 Belleville Senators 0

***
The following is a game summary based upon AHL.com stats for the game.

AHLTV could not produce the game and after it ended in Belleville they listed the TV Broadcast as "Cancelled".

What follows is the best I can do.
The lineup is based upon the last game in which the same players were in the lineup. The staring lineup was listed on AHL.com. The first goal was scored by the 3 forwards that comprised a line last game.
Thus, I listed the other 2 lines as also the same.

The D-pairs are duos put together in past games when these were 5 of the 6 D-men available. I inserted Vukojevic in Hatakka's stead.

Forwards:
15 Gambardella/ 51 Criscuolo/ 92 Clarke
21 Durandeau/ 61 Stillman/ 79 Laberge
48 Middendorf/ 26 Schmelzer/ 24 Halonen
90 Ibragimov/ 10 Dowling/ 67 Parent

D-pairs:
83 Vilen/ 5 Russo
3 MacKinnon/ 23 Wotherspoon
2 Vukojevic/ 22 Felix

Goal - 1 Poulter

Scratches:
Schmid (Backup)
Kallgren (H)
Fitzgerald (H)
Engaras (Inj)
Bowers (Inj)
Misyul (Inj)

SOG
UTC - 7 10 14 = 31
BEL - 12 9 9 = 30

PP
UTC - 0/1
BEL - 0/3

Scoring
Stillman (7) from Laberge (7) and Durandeau (12) 5:20 of Period 2
Halonen (10) Unassisted ENG at 19:32 of Period 3

3 *s
#1 Isaac Poulter (Utica Comets) SA 30/ SV 30
#2 Rourke Chartier (Belleville Senators) 0 G/ 0A
#3 Mads Sogaard (Belleville Senators) SA 30/ SV 29

I hate it when a team wins and the losers get 2 of the 3 stars. In this one the keepers should have been 1-2. They gave up 1 goal between the 2 of them on 60 shots. Then probably Stillman since he scored the only goal with 2 keepers in the net.
At best Chartier could have only been #3 since he recorded 0 Pts.

Poulter's shutout was his 3rd. After giving up 5 in the Comets 6-5 OT win over Toronto last Saturday, tonight brought his season numbers back to 2.54 GAA / .913 SV %/ 14-5-1. His GAA and SV% were just about the same as this before the 5 goals surrendered against Toronto. Great recovery game.

The roller coaster of the bottom 5 teams in his Division continues:

Toronto (48 Pts) thumped Laval (44 Pts) 6-1 and the Rocket fell into the cellar vacated by the the Comets who are now tied at 43 each with Belleville.
Rochester lost in OT to Syracuse and now hold onto 4th place (47 Pts) by 2 points.

3 Toronto 48 Pts
4 Rochester 47 Pts
5 Utica 45 Pts
6 Belleville 45 Pts
7 Laval 44 Pts

What a mess. No team can afford to take a breath and when they do, they can move 2 or 3 spots in the standings just like that. Unless someone goes on a crazy run spots 3, 4, 5 could be decided on the last days of the season and any 3 of the current 5 have just as much chance as the others of earning a post season spot. Only #s 6 and 7 will be left out.

Sorry I couldn't have given you a better feel for this one.

They are back on the ice again tomorrow same time, same location. Laval/Toronto and Rochester/Syracuse meet again as well.

Hopefully, Belleville and AHLTV can get their acts together the game I watchable!

 

[Guttersniped]

2/9/2024
Utica Comets @ Bellevile Senators

Final Score
Utica Comets 2 Belleville Senators 0

***
The following is a game summary based upon AHL.com stats for the game.

AHLTV could not produce the game and after it ended in Belleville they listed the TV Broadcast as "Cancelled".

What follows is the best I can do.
The lineup is based upon the last game in which the same players were in the lineup. The staring lineup was listed on AHL.com. The first goal was scored by the 3 forwards that comprised a line last game.
Thus, I listed the other 2 lines as also the same.

The D-pairs are duos put together in past games when these were 5 of the 6 D-men available. I inserted Vukojevic in Hatakka's stead.

Forwards:
15 Gambardella/ 51 Criscuolo/ 92 Clarke
21 Durandeau/ 61 Stillman/ 79 Laberge
48 Middendorf/ 26 Schmelzer/ 24 Halonen
90 Ibragimov/ 10 Dowling/ 67 Parent

D-pairs:
83 Vilen/ 5 Russo
2 Vukojevic/ 23 Wotherspoon
3 MacKinnon/ 22 Felix

Goal - 1 Poulter

Scratches:
Schmid (Backup)
Kallgren (H)
Fitzgerald (H)
Engaras (Inj)
Bowers (Inj)
Misyul (Inj)

SOG
UTC - 7 10 14 = 31
BEL - 12 9 9 = 30

PP
UTC - 0/1
BEL - 0/3

Scoring
Stillman (7) from Laberge (7) and Durandeau (12) 5:20 of Period 2
Halonen (10) Unassisted ENG at 19:32 of Period 3

3 *s
#1 Isaac Poulter (Utica Comets) SA 30/ SV 30
#2 Rourke Chartier (Belleville Senators) 0 G/ 0A
#3 Mads Sogaard (Belleville Senators) SA 30/ SV 29

I hate it when a team wins and the losers get 2 of the 3 stars. In this one the keepers should have been 1-2. They gave up 1 goal between the 2 of them on 60 shots. Then probably Stillman since he scored the only goal with 2 keepers in the net.
At best Chartier could have only been #3 since he recorded 0 Pts.

Poulter's shutout was his 3rd. After giving up 5 in the Comets 6-5 OT win over Toronto last Saturday, tonight brought his season numbers back to 2.54 GAA / .913 SV %/ 14-5-1. His GAA and SV% were just about the same as this before the 5 goals surrendered against Toronto. Great recovery game.

The roller coaster of the bottom 5 teams in his Division continues:

Toronto (48 Pts) thumped Laval (44 Pts) 6-1 and the Rocket fell into the cellar vacated by the the Comets who are now tied at 43 each with Belleville.
Rochester lost in OT to Syracuse and now hold onto 4th place (47 Pts) by 2 points.

3 Toronto 48 Pts
4 Rochester 47 Pts
5 Utica 45 Pts
6 Belleville 45 Pts
7 Laval 44 Pts

What a mess. No team can afford to take a breath and when they do, they can move 2 or 3 spots in the standings just like that. Unless someone goes on a crazy run spots 3, 4, 5 could be decided on the last days of the season and any 3 of the current 5 have just as much chance as the others of earning a post season spot. Only #s 6 and 7 will be left out.

Sorry I couldn't have given you a better feel for this one.

They are back on the ice again tomorrow same time, same location. Laval/Toronto and Rochester/Syracuse meet again as well.

Hopefully, Belleville and AHLTV can get their acts together the game I watchable!

Line-up

Spoiler: Radio highlight clips for the hardcore!

Stillman Goal

Save!

Empty Netter

 

[Bad Goalie]

2/10/2024
Utica Comets @ Belleville Senators

Forwards:
90 Ibragimov/ 10 Dowling/ 67 Parent
15 Gambardella / 51 Criscuolo/ 92 Clarke
48 Middendorf / 26 Schmelzer/ 24 Halonen
21 Durandeau / 61 Stillman/ 79 Laberge

D-pairs:
83 Vilen/ 5 Russo
3 MacKinnon/ 23 Wotherspoon
2 Vukojevic/ 22 Felix

Goal - 40 Schmid

Scratches:
Poulter (Backup)
Kallgren (H)
Fitzgerald (H)
Misyul (Inj)
Engaras (Inj)
Bowers (Inj)

Comets began the day in 5th place while Laval sat in the cellar.
Laval made short work of that. They put down the Marlies 7-1 this afternoon and went right back to 5th and Utica and Belleville once again are tied for 6th/7th.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Period 1

Pettersson scores for the Sens at 3:16 after the Comets had controlled things early on with 3 SOG. Sens goal on their 3rd shot.

Laberge in shoots from the bottom of the left circle and Stillman was tied up so no SOG.

Schmid holds on for a whistle.

TV TO
13:35 to go.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Criscuolo stopped in front.

Schmid comes out to slap the puck to the side boards to disrupt a possible break in alone.

Comets 3 on 1 stopped and the Sens come right back out.

Comets back in and a wrister is held onto by Merilainen (he'll be Meri from here on out).

TV TO
8:34 to go.

 

[My3Sons]

I woukd not walk 500 miles

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets keep turning it over in the Sens end stopping any scoring chances.

Schmid 2 big stops.

Sens right back in and the Comets cannot get the puck, but they are denying chances.

Comets on one of those nights when they cannot hold onto the puck.

Schmid holds onto it as it skids to him.

TV TO
5:18 to go

 

[Bad Goalie]

Halonen across the blueline and he feeds Schmelzer who cuts on the net and slides it into Meri.

It slides through his legs and IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This one is tied at 1!

Schmelzer at 15:06.

Comets are back in again, but get nowhere quick.

Sens offsides with 1:45 to go.

Schmid 2 stops . The first a real good one off a wide open Sen in front. Second came on the rebound.

Period comes to an end.

1-1

SOG in the 1st 13/10 Sens.

No PPs

 

[Bad Goalie]

Period 2

Schmid continues to surrender huge rebounds.

Comets to the PP at 19:33. Didn't get a single one last night.

Lose the draw all the way down. Comets set up Parent shot stopped. Parent 1-timer blocked and shoots his own rebound shoots and it's out. Back in and back out. Comets back in and lots of passing set it up finally fro a 1-timer by Halonen and it's stopped. PP over.

Sens into the Comets end and Schmid makes a stop and holds on.

Now the Comets to the PK/ 16:26. MacKinnon tripping.

Win the draw and send it all the way down.

Sens back in. Shot wide and all the way down. Worked around down low and Schmid stops the shot from right in front and holds on.

Comets get it out.

Dowling intercepts and back down.
2 on 1 Gambardella and Stillman. Gamby a great pass across the crease and Stillman can't make it happen.

Now the Sens called for another one.,

TV TO
13:46 to go.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets win the draw and the shot is held on.

Shot from the point held on.

Sens send it down. Clarke recieves the pass and turns it over.

Comets back in. Shot wide. Schmelzer shoots at an open net from a bad angle and it misses.

Dowling a shot after working it around. Meri makes the stop and holds on.

Puck sent out of play.
Win the draw - shot wide.
PP is over.

Vilen fires wide - out of play.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Clarke is a disaster unless he has the puck in a shooting spot. He passes to the wrong guy, hands it over, stick handles himself out of the puck, can't control passes etc.

Meri another save and holds on.

TV TO
9:43 to go

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets allow the Sens to take the puck into the crease twice and on the 3rd time score. Russo and Vilen lost in space and get no help from any forward.

2-1 Sens. No chance for Akira.

Comets carry the play for the better part of the period. Then get lazy in their own zone and they are down 1.

AS I call it. Clarke gets a beautiful pass from Clarke alone in the high slot and he fires it off the crossbar
and -----
IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clarke at 12:12.

He can shoot the puck, but don't expect him to carry it or get by anyone with it.

2-2

Now Halonen goes to the box for tripping.

These guys are not happy unless they can make things harder for themselves.

Save on a Sen all alone in the slot.
Now a wrister from the high slot.
In high on the blocker side. His nemesis - high wristers while he is sitting on his knees.

3-2 Sens

Sens shot off the post.

Block by a Sen on a great chance.

Schmid a good stop.

Mackinnon crap pass right to the Sen point.

Every time the Comets err, the Sens get scoring chances.

Now it's the Sens doing the same thing and
Halonen brings it down to the right dot and-----------?

SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3-3

Neither team playing any sense of defense. As I say it the Sens come right back and score. Another wrister over Schmid's shoulder while he sits on his knees.

4-3 Sens

Comets are lost in their own end. Sens shots are uncontested. Schmid now looks lost.

Schmelzer just misses or it would be 4-4.

Period ends with the Sens on top 4-3

This is the Vitek syndrome. I have been talking about these wrist shots over his shoulders while he just sits there on his knees for several games now. He did it the first season in the playoffs the same way. He makes little movement on them. He acts as if he's 7 feet tall and any high shot over his shoulders can't score. News flash - he's wrong on that thought.

NJ is in trouble beyond Vitek.
Schmid gives back goals as soon as his mates get them back in it. When they really need him to make a save he doesn't. Just like Vitek on various nights.

All his good saves go for naught as the opponent is allowed to score on shots that should have been stopped.

Comets score at 12:12 and Schmid gives it back at 14:28.

Comets score at 17:08 and Schmid gives up the answer :24 seconds later.

4-3 after 2 periods

SOG 15-13 Belleville

2-period total 28-23 Belleville.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Period 3

Comets go hard the 1st :36 seconds and the puck stays out.

Comets major puck control problem all season is the result of how weak they are on their sticks.

Meri reaches back by rolling over and just keeps the wrister from Vuk from going over the line.

TV TO
13:18 to go

Belleville gets 2 for tripping. Their PP ahs been silent tonight, 0/3.
Slow sloppy puck movement allows the Sens to line up and swat it out.

Gambardella gets the 1st good chance and his shot from the slot is gobbled up.

PP is over. 1 SOG. Not the way to get back in this one.

MacKinnon using his smarts with 7 minutes left. What an ass. Drops his gloves and the Sen skates away. Mac in the box. What a moron!!!

Goal here and the Comets can hang em up.Shot from the circle over Schmid's shoulder while he's dropping to his knees. Maybe stand up and grab that shot.

5-3. Say good night, boys. All of his goals given up tonight have been high. I get the feeling that the word is out on Schmid.------------------Shoot high!!!!!!

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets to the PP. Big deal! (Maybe if I embarrass them they will put something dangerous together.)

Same as always. Puck passing around the outside with nobody inside moving. And then shoot it and the keeper grabs it. Clarke follows the recipe.

Now they are offsides and have to bring it back up with :35 to go. Can't even make a pass to an open guy and it's out again and the PP is over. Not even a threat.

Schmid can't get out because the Comets can't get into the Sens zone with possession. The Sens just keep dumping it out. Icing Sens. Comets get possession.

Shot hurts Gamby. Parent can't figure out carrying it all around the zone gets him nothing.

Comets Score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:51 seconds to go and Criscuolo shoots it through a screen.
5-4.

Sens shoot it in. Comets fire it in and an Belleviile holds it on the board. Flip it out. Parent brings it in an shoots it wide and that will do it as the Sens edge the wide shot down the ice.

Final score 5-4 Belleville and the Comets are right back into the cellar all by themselves.

They have no one to blame tonight but themselves. Very weak own zone play. Some questionable goals by Schmid.
Weak offensive zone play. Barely a threat on their 4 PPs.

A handful of good plays ended up in the Bellville net. A majority of their chances were stopped, no rebounds, and the Comets were kept out of the net front after a mate shot the puck. Individuality is not enough against teams that play as teams.

Laval and Belleville have picked up 2 points on the Comets and Rochester is headed to OT with Syracuse so they have at least 1. All of their close foes pick up points and the Comets climb becomes more difficult.

Comets next action on Wednesday at home vs the Rochester Americans.
Belleville is in town on Saturday.
Losses in both of those games can bury them in the basement.

 

[Bad Goalie]

10 minutes ago.

Willman returned to the Comets.

Schmid recalled to NJ as Vitek is "ill/lower body injury". You figure that out.

I don't believe Willman will be here for long. With Vitek out and Schmid up, the Devils have 3 goalies, 7 D, and 14 F for 24. Someone had to come down and Max is the guy.

For now anyways, this legitimately makes Isaac #1, which anyone watching has known all along. Dineen is forced by NJ to play their considered best hope down here. The "HOPE" is he will get his S**T together, but it hasn't seemed to be working. Hope he magically finds it up there.

The negative is that Kallgren becomes #2 and Dinnen's history says that means he will be playing. His performances before an injury were not good. The injury is gone, but he's still the same guy. I'm not looking foward to that. In spite of his gaffes, Schmid is better than Kallgren.

Right now the Devils are going with Daws and Schmid. Would guess Daws gets tonight's game. Vitek determines what happens from there. If Vitek recovers, I'd expect Schmid comes right back. I don't make the moves, but that would open a roster spot in NJ. Smith would fix that and Willman would stay here. Who knows?

Comets could certainly use Willman. Their biggest missing links right now are Engaras and Bowers, both centers. Stillman is playing that spot right now. Engaras would be #4. Bowers moves to left wing.

With Engaras and Bowers both healthy, the better fit would be for Bowers to be #4 and R-shot Engaras playing RW. They have been using L-shot guys, Parent and Laberge, on the right side.

The 2 healthy centers would allow Parent to go back to LW with Durandeau, Willman, and Gambardella. Stillman goes back to his natural spot on RW. That would leave Laberge as the only guy on the wrong side. If Parent is the better ambidextrous forward switch him with Laberge.

Unfortunately, neither is healthy, so the 4th center has to come from the remaining healthy forwards and Dineen has been using Stillman there. I'd rather see him back at RW and let Gambardella center that 4th line.

Ideally the 4 LWs would be:
Gambardella
Willman
Durandeau
Parent

and the RWs would be:
Clarke
Halonen
Stillman
The 4th would come from Dineen's dice roll from the rest. Probably Laberge and the better setup would be for him and Parent to switch sides. Zavier is the most effective leftie on the RW even though he is much more dangerous on his natural left side as I already implied.

Nice how I can put together a much more dangerous lineup with one of those centers and an even better one with both of them available.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

To anyone who watches Utica's games closely I have a question:
I am curious how Akira Schmid has looked compared to Poulter. His numbers are much worse. That being said, the time Schmid has been in Utica has also been while they lost Nemec and Cal Foote....who I would think are probably their 2 best defensemen?

 

[Bad Goalie]

To anyone who watches Utica's games closely I have a question:
I am curious how Akira Schmid has looked compared to Poulter. His numbers are much worse. That being said, the time Schmid has been in Utica has also been while they lost Nemec and Cal Foote....who I would think are probably their 2 best defensemen?

Schmid and Poulter have both played without Nemec, but Poulter did play 6 games with him and was 4-2. .
Without Nemec Poulter is 10-3-1.

Schmid arrived on 12/23 and got his first start on 12/29, a 5-2 loss.
Dineen gave him 4 straight starts including a back to back. After the 5-2 loss he lost the next 3 in shootouts:
- The first was 3-2 and was very good in this game giving up only 2. He was scored upon on the first shot.
Dowling scored on the Comets 3rd shot to extend it. Schmid had already stopped 2 of the 3 shhoters and would stop 4 more while 4 Comets failed in their chance to win it. The 8th shooter scored on Akira and the 8th Comet failed.

- He lost the next gme 4-3 and gave up goals on 2 of the 3 shots to lose it.

- He lost the next one by the same score 4-3 but in this one the 1st 2 shooters scored and both Comets failed.

He won his 1st game in his 5th start 5-4. (1-1-3)
Then he lost another in OT before his 2nd win made him 2-1 4.

He then lost 2 more before winning his 3rd after which he lost 2 more.

Overall 3-5-4. GAA 3.58 / SV% .885

Meanwhile, since Akira has arrived Poulter is 7-0 with 2 shutouts. That brings his record to 14-5-1 with a GAA of 2.54 and a SV% of .913.

Nemec played the 1st game and then missed the next 3 with an injury. He played the next 12 when he came back. He was then recalled and hasn't been seen since.

Foote was called up from 10/13-11/10 and then again on 1/9 and will not be back.

Foote was not 1 of the 2 best D-men along with Nemec. He was on a par with Russo. Hatakka has proven to be better. Misyul was probably better as well. He wasn't a lot better than Wotherspoon.

In fact when Nemec was here he was mostly paired with Hatakka and Wotherspoon and Foote were together. Foote has the worst +/- on the team at -14 in 24 GP. In those 24 games he was on the ice for 29 goals against. Wotherspoon leads the team being on the ice for 56 goals against in 43 games played just ahead of Russo's 54. Those 2 are on the ice for PPs and every circumstance Dineen deems it neceassry to have what he feels is his best defenders on the ice and lots of PP time. There have been a ton of gaffes committed by Wotherspoon. Foote was right behind him before he left.

The Comets are ranked #25 for GA with 144 and #17 in GF with 137. Goalies here are under pressuure to keep opponents off the board as much as possible. So, they average scoring 3 goals/game while giving up 3.3/game. So they are losing a lot of close games. With a 3.58 GAA you will be hard pressed to end up in the winning column very often and that's been the case with Schmid. On the other hand, a 2.58 gives you a better tthan even chance of winning and Poulter is showing that to be so.

 

[UticaHockey]

Nolan Stevens who was just released from his contract with Detroit is back with the Comets.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Looks like he fell off the apple cart in Grand Rapids.

Well, he is a center and God knows he has to be better in the middle than Stillman.

He has been a pro for 6 seasons and his AHL PPG is .49.
He had better numbers here last season at .69. PPG.

He is a VE (Vet Exempt), but takes the Vet spot vacated by Foote so no vet will have to sit out.

He has been signed to an AHL contract so NJ doesn't use up any of their precious extra contract slots.

Utica's centers are now:
Dowling
Schmelzer
Criscuolo
Stevens

Right now things look something like:
Gambardella/Schmelzer/Clarke
Willman/Dowling/Halonen
Durandeau/Criscuolo/Parent
Laberge/Stevens/Stillman

Engaras and Bowers are out with no indication of when they might return.
If they do come back in the near future, Criscuolo and Bowers have both played on the wings which could make the Comets a much larger threat to score goals. Dineen would have the ability to use all 6 of his centers in the game with any 2 of them out on the wings. That would make Middendorf and Ibragimov unnecssary. Mid goes back to Adirondack and Laberge and Ibragimov become #13/14 upfront. At that point Dineen sends Ibragimov back to Adirondack and Laberge is the extra forward.

I could see:
Gambardella Schmelzer Clarke
Willman/Dowling/Halonen
Durandeau/Stevens/Criscuolo
Parent/Bowers/Stillman

Engaras can move into 4C, Parent to 4RW, and Bowers to 4LW

There's all kinds of possibilities, but Laberge, Ibragimov, Stillman, and Fitzgerald are looking for ice time. That's why Ibragimovw would get shipped out.

I don't think we will be seeing one of Bowers or Engaras anytime soon so Stillman and Laberge will be in most lineups and Ibragimov will be #13.

Dineen can roll the dice come nightly lineups any way he wants. He has better talent to employ in spots where they belong, which gives the Comets more hope.

Willman and Stevens gives them a better chance.

No one cares about a healthy Fitzgerald because he's simply not better than any of the rest. Dineen putting him in the lineup only jeopardizes their playoff chances because he contributes nothing.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Add Hatakka to Willman and Stevens as available for the Comets tomorrow.

NJ just sent him back after returning Smith to the active roster. NJ posters not so happy.

Now we won't have to cringe with both MacKinnon and Felix on the ice.

Heard Misyul is skating, but not with the team. Was said to be skating very smoothly. Anyone got the skinny on what his problem is and how far out he is? How about Engaras?
Got any info on this @UticaHockey?


Would be great to also add Misyul back into the D-corps. No more need to trot MacKinnon out there every night.

Vilen/Russo
Vukojevic/Wotherspoon
Misyul/Hatakka

or

Swap Hatakka and Vukojevic. Both pairings have been played before, but I like the first pairings better.

 

[UticaHockey]

Add Hatakka to Willman and Stevens as available for the Comets tomorrow.

NJ just sent him back after returning Smith to the active roster. NJ posters not so happy.

Now we won't have to cringe with both MacKinnon and Felix on the ice.

Heard Misyul is skating, but not with the team. Was said to be skating very smoothly. Anyone got the skinny on what his problem is and how far out he is? How about Engaras?
Got any info on this @UticaHockey?


Would be great to also add Misyul back into the D-corps. No more need to trot MacKinnon out there every night.

Vilen/Russo
Vukojevic/Wotherspoon
Misyul/Hatakka

or

Swap Hatakka and Vukojevic. Both pairings have been played before, but I like the first pairings better.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Thanks
No more than I already knew. The Adirondack team lists their injured and the general problem and the estimated time before returning. Would that be so hard for the Comets? I definitely don't think so.
I know Bowers has a lower arm/wrist injury. I saw it happen. Saw him holding it. Saw the trainer examine it at the bench. Saw him leave the ice holding it and hasn't been seen since.

 

[Forge]

Utica going to have a new mascot tomorrow? Lol