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2023-24 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

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Rochester called for tripping in the Utica end.

Amerks win the draw and send it down.

Halonen receives a pass in the left circle from Gambardella just outside the right post area andHouser gets lost. Halonen has an open net.
1 -Timer and it's a G___________O____________A____________L!!!!!!!!

2-1
Halonen 16:51 PPG

Doomsdayhas arrived and Daws makes a save.

Clarke forces as hot on the short side with nothing there. Houser an easy save just sitting there on the post,

Rochester uses the shot as a breakout pass.

Comets get it up ice but a hand pass brings it back.

A broken stick shot waffles in and Daws makes a save. That's the 2nd period.

2-1 Rochester
SOG:
11-5 Rochester

2-period total:
14-12 Rochester
 
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Period 3

Wraparound and Daws smothers it.

Felix whiffs on a 1-timer pefectly set up.

Comets dump it in from trhe left point and then the Amerks turn it over on the right side end boards. It goes vback to the left point and van de Leest wrists it. It got deflected and Houser slid out too far and the puck goes through the crease behind him and
Dowling is ridden past the post as he tries to poke the puck into the open net.

Daws a stop.

Stillman gets in on the right side and he is mugged to the ice as he gets his shot off. No call. If that's the way they are going to call the 3rd they better call it that way for both sides. That was a hold, hook, or trip take your pick.

Engaras obviously hooked. His body was twisted away from the direction he was going.

I've been away from the screen.
It's still 2-1 with 5:46 to go.

Shot from the corner goes off houser's pads and goes into the the high slot. An Amerks backhands a pass to a mate skating hard at the top of the right circle and he takes it in stride. WEotherspoon is the Comet iat the hash marks trying to stop the pass. His being so far out of position allows the Amerks to break out 2 on 1.

They get wide apart as they cross the blueline. Kulich goes towards Vilen. As soon as Vilen made a move towards him, Kulich passed it back to Rosen who fired it home past a diving Daws.

3-1 Amerks.

Daws a huge save.

Comets prees and tFelix is stripped at the blueline by Jobst who sprints towards Daws. MacKinnon ncoming back and acroos the ice tackles him befoer he can get the chance hw ants. he shoots as he is going down and Daws makes the stop.

MacKinnon is goin g for Holding with 4:30 to go. This is for all intents and purposes the end of this one.

PP is over
2:28 to go

Daws is gone.

High sticking on Criscuolo with 1:26 to go.

Comets break out and daws is gone again. 5 on 5 with an open net.

Amerks put one in the empty net and it's 4-1 with :39 to go.
PP/ENG.


This one is final
4-1 Rochester

Shaya continues to homer his life away.

Said before the game the Comets will definitely make the playoffs. Not likely, but still mathematically in it.

Today's game would be an example of the reason why. This is Michael Hoser's 6th game for the Amerks all year and if this comes down to a contest between the keepers Daws will win it hands down.



Comets lost 4-1
SOG were 24-20 Rochester.
1st star of the game? Michael Houser. H-m-m-m.

Utica's only goal from Halonen. A PPG at 16:51 of the 2nd period.

Daws made 20 saves. Houser made 20 saves.

Good night.
 
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Guttersniped said:
I don’t see a problem here. Minor league goalies get moved around. They want to play Daws & Schmid so they gave Poulter a game in the ECHL & a NHL call-up.

He doesn’t need any apologies, he just got a ELC.
Click to expand...
Don't act like I was putting up a major bitch fit. I never said NJ WAS making an apology nor did I say he deserved one. I did say I understood the whole issue completely, but he did get a great season wiped out by this situation.

If the goaltending issue had been dealt with last summer, this never happens. Poulter at best is backing up in Utica and most likely playing in Adirondack while Kallgren was backing up in Utica.

This season was actually a blessing for him because he got a chance to prove just how good he might actually be and that wouldn't have happened otherwise. There is still little chance he ever plays in NJ., but he has shown he could be valuable to another franchise.
 
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Bad Goalie said:
Don't act like I was putting up a major bitch fit. I never said NJ WAS making an apology nor did I say he deserved one. I did say I understood the whole issue completely, but he did get a great season wiped out by this situation.

If the goaltending issue had been dealt with last summer, this never happens. Daws at best is backing up in Utica and most likely playing in Adirondack while Kallgren was backing up in Utica.

This season was actually a blessing for him because he got a chance to prove just how good he might actually be and that wouldn't have happened otherwise. There is still little chance he ever plays in NJ., but he has shown he could be valuable to another franchise.
Click to expand...

Huh? I responded to what you said because I disagreed.

And Daws didn’t play a game until Dec 8th because he was on the LTIR after hip surgery so I don’t even understand what you think the Devils did wrong there.

Kallgren didn’t do so hot but had to sign someone for Utica because of Daws injury.
 
Bad Goalie said:
Don't act like I was putting up a major bitch fit. I never said NJ WAS making an apology nor did I say he deserved one. I did say I understood the whole issue completely, but he did get a great season wiped out by this situation.

If the goaltending issue had been dealt with last summer, this never happens. Daws at best is backing up in Utica and most likely playing in Adirondack while Kallgren was backing up in Utica.

This season was actually a blessing for him because he got a chance to prove just how good he might actually be and that wouldn't have happened otherwise. There is still little chance he ever plays in NJ., but he has shown he could be valuable to another franchise.
Click to expand...

In your scenario, Daws is playing in Adirondack? The only way Daws sees Adirondack is on vacation. He got into 25 NHL games 2 years ago, they're not sending him to Adirondack without him completly imploding in Utica, which he didn't do - he played excellent in his short stint there and earned a callup to New Jersey.

It's unclear what they will do next year - my feeling is that one of Schmid or Daws is gone and that the crease in Utica is split between whoever is left and Poulter, with Brennan as a 5th.
 
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Bad Goalie said:
Don't act like I was putting up a major bitch fit. I never said NJ WAS making an apology nor did I say he deserved one. I did say I understood the whole issue completely, but he did get a great season wiped out by this situation.

If the goaltending issue had been dealt with last summer, this never happens. Daws at best is backing up in Utica and most likely playing in Adirondack while Kallgren was backing up in Utica.

This season was actually a blessing for him because he got a chance to prove just how good he might actually be and that wouldn't have happened otherwise. There is still little chance he ever plays in NJ., but he has shown he could be valuable to another franchise.
Click to expand...
I think this is the correct take.

If the Devils had a second veteran in NJ, Daws and Schmid are in Utica. Or it's Schmid and Kallgren to start the year while Poulter, Brennan, Brodeur, and Purpura are in Adirondack and Daws is recovering. Poulter probably gets some starts in Adirondack, but when Daws comes back, things get crunchy.

Almost no way that the Devils sign Poulter to an ELC in this scenario.

Instead, Poulter gets to be an NHL back-up today. Pretty good outcome for the kid.
 
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Triumph said:
In your scenario, Daws is playing in Adirondack? The only way Daws sees Adirondack is on vacation. He got into 25 NHL games 2 years ago, they're not sending him to Adirondack without him completly imploding in Utica, which he didn't do - he played excellent in his short stint there and earned a callup to New Jersey.

It's unclear what they will do next year - my feeling is that one of Schmid or Daws is gone and that the crease in Utica is split between whoever is left and Poulter, with Brennan as a 5th.
Click to expand...
I think the point is that many organizations will give the lion's share of starts in the minors to one goalie. If that was Schmid in Utica, there's no reason for Daws to sit around. Better for him to get most of the starts in Adirondack. But, whatever - this is all hypothetical. Maybe you've got a different hypothetical universe that's just as real.
 
tailfins said:
I think the point is that many organizations will give the lion's share of starts in the minors to one goalie. If that was Schmid in Utica, there's no reason for Daws to sit around. Better for him to get most of the starts in Adirondack. But, whatever - this is all hypothetical. Maybe you've got a different hypothetical universe that's just as real.
Click to expand...

That's nuts, and we know that is nuts, because that's not what the Devils did in the brief time that Daws and Schmid were in Utica in 2021-22, when Daws was coming off being in the German league in a non-season and Schmid was in the USHL. Now that both guys have significant NHL experience, they're not going back to the E.
 
So S
Triumph said:
In your scenario, Daws is playing in Adirondack? The only way Daws sees Adirondack is on vacation. He got into 25 NHL games 2 years ago, they're not sending him to Adirondack without him completly imploding in Utica, which he didn't do - he played excellent in his short stint there and earned a callup to New Jersey.

It's unclear what they will do next year - my feeling is that one of Schmid or Daws is gone and that the crease in Utica is split between whoever is left and Poulter, with Brennan as a 5th.
Click to expand...
SO Sorry!!! A brain fart. I fixed it already. The Name was Poulter backing up in Utica, NOT DAWS!
 
Guttersniped said:
Huh? I responded to what you said because I disagreed.

And Daws didn’t play a game until Dec 8th because he was on the LTIR after hip surgery so I don’t even understand what you think the Devils did wrong there.

Kallgren didn’t do so hot but had to sign someone for Utica because of Daws injury.
Click to expand...

I know. I know. It was the word apology that got me going. I didn't say NJ owed him one. It was just that this call-up had that kind of feel to me. They had Daws, Schmid, and Kallgren that could have taken the short journey to the Pru.

In serious thinking I am guessing they are not about to cut into the waiver issue for Daws and Schmid, at least until next year, if they can avoid it. Kallgren is just sitting here, but Isaac is more deserving. Like I said, he was statistically the 11th best Goalie in the entire AHL and he got sent to the ECHL. That is NOT the kind of thing you see with "minor league goalies get moved around every season. One of the AHL's best does not normally get demoted to the ECHL. A guy who has had a short spurt on a call-up like Isaac did last season gets sent back. A guy who has played himself into the team's #1, played the most games, is in the upper echelon of the league's goalies, and is only getting better does not.
 
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Bad Goalie said:
I know. I know. It was the word apology that got me going. I didn't say NJ owed him one. It was just that this call-up had that kind of feel to me. They had Daws, Schmid, and Kallgren that could have taken the short journey to the Pru.

In serious thinking I am guessing they are not about to cut into the waiver issue for Daws and Schmid, at least until next year, if they can avoid it. Kallgren is just sitting here, but Isaac is more deserving. Like I said, he was statistically the 11th best Goalie in the entire AHL and he got sent to the ECHL. That is NOT the kind of thing you see with "minor league goalies get moved around every season. One of the AHL's best does not normally get demoted to the ECHL. A guy who has had a short spurt on a call-up like Isaac did last season gets sent back. A guy who has played himself into the team's #1, played the most games, is in the upper echelon of the league's goalies, and is only getting better does not.
Click to expand...
This whole season has been a mess for the organization when it comes to goalies. Hopefully they sort it out next season. I don't doubt Daws and Schmid will have the inside track on the AHL spots if both are back but I still expect one to be moved in a veteran goalie trade which opens a spot for either Poulter or Brennan to win in camp next season. Poulter has been a bright spot this season and with a full offseason to work on his game should be even better next fall. As always thanks for sharing your insights from Utica.
 
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Poulter gets an NHL paycheck for the week with the call up. The Devils in a sense did him somewhat of a favor because it's a bigger chunk of money than what they get in the AHL/ECHL.

Poulter will grt plenty of starts next season.
 
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Bad Goalie said:
Couldn't agree with you more. They gave the kid a contract because he was playing so well. He did nothing more than prove he was more than worthy.

Currently Isaac has the 14th best GAA in the AHL, 2.55. Of those 14, 3 are no longer in the AHL. Levi, 2.52 is in the NHL with Buffalo. Dustin Wolf, 2.43 is in the NHL with Calgary. Poulter has been demoted to the ECHL. Seems preposterous.

Only 2 goalies have more than Poulter's 4 shutouts, Yaraslov Askarov of Milwaukee (Round 1, #11 OA Nashville) with 5 and Clay Stevenson of AHL #1 Hershey (Washington) with 7.

Poulter is with some elite company and gets treated like the stepchild. Too bad really. Interesting that they will carry 3 goalies and the 3rd is Kallgren. Kallgren likely won't see game ice again. Poulter goes down so he can play, but will he displace a guy who has been key in their run this season which has been real good? Marty's son?

Because NJ didn't get what they needed last summer, they now have a logjam at Goalie. If Fitz gets his "big fish" this summer, Daws and Schmid are destined to be the 1A/1B in Utica. That leaves Poulter on a 2-way NHL deal going to the level 3 in Adirondack. That's a pretty depressing place to be for a guy who has already been 1 of the AHL's best keepers.

IF NJ has a "big fish" and Allen lives up to his end of the bargain, one of Daws or Schmid ends up the 1st callup, but tneither can stay long or they will have to clear waivers to go back down. That leaves ECHL Poulter as a callup with no waiver worries., but with only ECHL experience for the season. I would say NJ looks at this as good situation to be in.

Poulter will have just turned 23 in September. 2nd yr of his 2-yr ELC.
Akira Schmid will be 24 all season. Is a RFA, needs a contract.
Nico Daws will turn 24 in December. Is a RFA, needs a contract.
That's 3 keepers basically the same age.

Sitting in the weeds:
Tyler Brennan will have just turned 21 in September. Has 2 Yrs remaining on his ELC.
Jakub Malek will be 22 most of the season. Has yet to sign, but must do so by 6/1/2025.

New Jersey will go from no goalies to 7 in a flash. I have a feeling that Schmid has moved himself down the ladder with his play in NJ having been surpassed by Daws, who NJ had originally pinned their hopes on.

Wth the rise of Poulter, Schmid could be a piece going back in the deal for the "big fish". Allen's contract runs out in 2025. That would leave Daws and Poulter in Utica, Brennan in ECHL Adirondack, and Malek an end of the season signing in 2025.

2025 would be "Big Fish/Daws in NJ.
Poulter/Malek in Utica.
Brennan #1 in Adirondack.

The perfect line of succession.

I'm not the GM, but with the logjam he's got, after the "big fish" acquisition 1 move makes the whole thing very clear. The right "1 move" is what TF gets paid for.
Click to expand...
I think one of Daws/Schmid gets traded for the "big fish" goaltender that Fitz wants to acquire.

Apparently Trotz asked for Schmid (along with Mercer and a 1st) for Saros.
 
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Andre Ghantous and Jackson van de Leest were signed to PTOs on 3/22/24. Ghantous played that night. After the game Ghantous was released from his PTO. Given a great chance, NOT!

Jackson van de Leest was not released and he has played 2 games since and that was not in the game played on the 22nd that Ghantous did play.

Sure hope @Guttersniped was correct in that he will be signed later. Not sure what the Comets management would have seen in the very limited action he saw.

Would also like to see them get Shlaine in here. They can't wait until next season to see what he has to offer as he has to be signed by August of this year or he becomes a UFA and anyone can sign him. It's not like the organization is rich in centers. It wouldn't take a whole lot of talent to be better than Stevens. Shlaine has time to improve. Stevens has only become less than he was in his previous 2 stops here.

Halonen has been recalled, but no further transactions have been announced for tonight as of this post.
 
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Bad Goalie said:
Andre Ghantous and Jackson van de Leest were signed to PTOs on 3/22/24. Ghantous played that night. After the game Ghantous was released from his PTO. Given a great chance, NOT!

Jackson van de Leest was not released and he has played 2 games since and that was not in the game played on the 22nd that Ghantous did play.

Sure hope @Guttersniped was correct in that he will be signed later. Not sure what the Comets management would have seen in the very limited action he saw.

Would also like to see them get Shlain in here. They can't wait until next season to see what he has to offer as he has to be signed by August of this year or he becomes a UFA and anyone can sign him. It's not like the organization is rich in centers. It wouldn't take a whole lot of talent to be better than Stevens. Shlaine has time to improve. Stevens has only become less than he was in his previous 2 stops here.

Halonen has been recalled, but no further transactions have been announced for tonight as of this post.
Click to expand...
It looks like he had family business to attend to in California. Hopefully he gets another call up soon.

 
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UticaHockey said:
It looks like he had family business to attend to in California. Hopefully he gets another call up soon.

Click to expand...

Nice to hear. Hoping that means he gets signed.

Birnell thinking he afforded himself well (as I did) holds no weight.

I don't see any such quote from MacKinnon nor Dineen.
 
3/27/24
Laval Rocket vs Utica Comets

Forwards:
79 Laberge/ 16 Engaras/ 11 Legare
15 Gambardella/ 51 Criscuolo/ 61 Stillman
67 Parent/ 21 Stevens/ 90 Ibragimov
10 Dowling/ 26 Schmelzer/ 92 Clarke

D-Pairs:
3 MacKinnon/ 22 Felix
52 van de Leest/ 83 Vilen
93 Misyul/ 23 Wotherspoon

Goal - 40 Schmid

Scratches:
Daws (BU)
Kallgren (H)
Vukojevic (H)
Fitzgerald (H)
Middendorf (H)
Osmanski (H)
Russo (Inj)
Bowers (LTIR)

Period 1
No scoring
Comets held a 1-shot advantage, but blew 2 breakaways and a 2 on 1. Had 2 PPs that amounted to basically no chances.
As far as scoring chances creating shots, the Rocket had the better chances. The Rocket controlled their 2nd PP, but Akira had the answers and the Comets were sprawling to clear rebounds. Their 1st PP of the period was much like the Comets.

Period 2
The only goal came from the Rocket's Jacob Perreault on a shot from right in front.
Comets held the shot advantage, but Dobes was up to the challenge on the few that were actually good chances. Comets missed a couple open nets and again went 0/2 on the PP as did the Rocket

Period 3
The Comets tied it up at 1 when Ibragimov brought a rebound of a blocked Stevens shot out to the point and handed it off to Vilen skating past him down the right wing boards. Vilen brought the puck down the right wing boards from the point. Vilen sent in front to Stevens. It was blocked by Jobes and the rebound came to Stillman, who fired it home from the bottom of the right circle just below the hash mark.

The rest of the period went back and forth. Utica failed on 1 more PP at 4:02 of the period and Laval 2 more times at 8:04 and again 4 minutes later at 12:42.

With just over 4 minutes to go the rocket passes the puck around behind their net and up the right wing to the half boards, With his back to the ice surface Jarred Davidson backhanded a pass to to Liamj andereson. Thge pas s was behind him as he was skating towards the blueline. The errant pass went right to Ryan Schmelzer on the inside of the right circle and he fired it in one motion past the stick side of Jobes who dropped to his knees as the puck was going by him.
Comets take a 2-1 lead wit 4:03 to go.

All they had to do then was keep the puck out of their own end. Laval won the faceoff and came right into the Comets zone. A perfect paas was delivered tp a Rocket at the top of the circle and as he was taking the 1-timer Parent sped in from behind anrd lifted his tick as he was dlivering the blow. The guy fell down with the puck still near his grasop and Gambrdella appeared and togehter he and Parent gatherd up the puck and sped to the other end with it. They then killed a bunch of time in the Laval end. It was brought it back out to center ice and Schmelzer sped right back in with it and a shot ended up out of play with 3:13 to go.

A TV TO gave everybody a braether so all would be fresh to the end.

They lost the draw, but wouldn't let the Rocket move the puck much beyond the Comets bluline. Then they dumped it back into Laval territory.

The Rocket brought it back up and the Comets broke it up at the blueline again and this time sent
Schmelzer back alone on Jobes who made a brilliant sprwaling save and the puck was under him. 2:33 to go.

Comets won the draw, got it to the coner, Gambardella then took a lap all the way around the net back up top and then across the bluelne, gave it to Misyul who took it to the corner and passed it to Parent in the other corner, and he ragged it until it finally came free.

The Rocket brought it out, but were stopped at the Comets blueline by Wothespoon and the backchecking Gambardella picked it up and dumped it back down the right wing boards and the line changed with 2 minutes left and the puck beind the Laval net.

They turned it over again at their own blueline and Schmelzer ended up with a 1-timer between the top of the circles. It deflected and went over the net and out of play 1:42 to go.

Comets won the draw and put a shot right back to Jobes who had to hold on with 1:38 to go.

Rocket win the draw and ice it on a strrecth pass.

Rocket won the draw but Schmelzer shot it right back in. Puck behind the net and Jobes heads for the bench. Laval brings it into the Comets zone. A shot was taken and missed everything and came all the way from the left side to the right wing boards and is lofted out to the far end and hits outside the goalline at the corner and the Icing is waved off, 1 minute to go.

Laval brings it in. Dowling gets it and gives it to Schmelzer who sends it down again and no icing.

Laval comes back again and attempts to dump it down the middle, but Wotherspoombn intercepts it and sends it up to Gambardella on the LW boards in the neutral zone. From the red line he send it acroos the rink to Engaras who takes the pass at the Laval blueline gathers it in and shoots from the right side about 10 feet inside the line and buries it in the empty net.

It's 3-1 and this one is over with :30 seconds to go.

C-O-M-E-T-S WIN A MUST WIN GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Game Recap:

Poulter played his las game for the CometsUtica Comets 3 Laval Rocket 1

SOG:
LAV 8 10 6 = 24
UTC 9 14 9 = 32

PP:
LAV 0/6
UTC 0/5

Scoring:
Stillman (14) from Vilen (19) and Ibragimov (8)
Schmelzer (17) Unassisted
Engaras (5) From Gambardella (19) and Wotherspoon (16) EN

3 *s
3 - Jakub Dobes (Laval Rocket) 31 SA / 29 SVS
2 - Akira Schmid (Utica Comets) 24 SA / 23 SVS
1 - Ryan Schmelzer (Utica Comets) 1 G / GWG
 
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Poulter played his last game for the Comets on 3/15 defeating AHL League leading Hershey for he second time in 2 weeks. He was then sent to Adirondack.

Since that point:
- Schmid lost to Hartford 4-2 on 3/16. 0-1

- Daws lost a heartbreaker to the worst team in the AHL (#32 of 32 AHL teams), the Bridgeport Islanders 2-1 in a shootout on 3/22. (0-0-1)

- Schmid pitched a 3-0 shutout vs the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins on 3/23. (1-1)

- Daws lost to the Rochester Americans 4-1 on 3/24. (0-1-1)

- Schmid beat the Laval Rocket 3-1 tonight -3/27. (2-1)

Daws will go tomorrow vs the Providence Bruins.
Schmid will be back up on 1 night's rest to take on Springfield on Sunday.
Daws back up Tuesday on the road at 2 p.m. in his rematch with league cellar dweller Bridgeport.

Not that the Comets are setting the AHL on fire. They are sitting at #22 overall.

However, with tonight's win the Comets are 3 points behind Laval, who currently hoild the 5th and final playoff spot and have played 2 more games than the Comets. Belleville has fallen from 4th to 6th 1 point ahead of the Comets with both teams having played 62 games.

Of the Comets remaining 10 games they will face:

Division matchups
- 1st plce Syracuse 2X
- 3rd place Rochester 1X
- 4th place Toronto 2X

Atlantic Division matchups
- 2nd place Providence 3X. The Bruins have 81 points, 3 more than North Divison leading Syracuse.
- 7th place Atlantic Division Springfield 1X
- 8th place Atlantic Division and AHL League worst Bridgeport 1X.

They have to overtake both Belleville and Laval to make the playoffs. 8 of their games are against teams with better records and 5 of those games are against 2 teams who are decidedly better.

If they come out of this even .500, I don't like their chances. With the beating their roster as taken the chances become even slimmer. Strength of schedule could be the decisive factor.

Laval and Belleville go on a back to back Saturday and Sunday in Laval. If the Rocket sweep the weekend, the challenge for the Comets is huge.

Face it the challenge for the Comets is huge no matter how you look at it especially with their roster. The biggest ace in the hole they can be holding is if their 2 keepers that NJ is counting on for their future start to live up to their expectations right now.

At the moment with Russo injured, Hatakka in NJ, only 1 natural RHD, and currently playing 3 ECHL D-men nightly, the D-corps is not strong.

Unless you want to give Clarke a plug, the Comets roster does not have a threatening offense. He is the ONLY natural scorer they have.

This team will have to play out of its mind over the course of this and the next 3 weekends to have any kind of a chance. They will have to skate their balls off, play in your face team-D (which is not in Dineen's book), forecheck the puck off every stick, the boards, and the corners in the
o-zone. Backcheck like they never have in their lives. Take away every passing lane and get the puck out of their own end as quickly as possible. PASS THE PUCK OUT and QUIT THINKING YOU CAN SKATE IT OUT THROUGH OPPONENTS. If neither is radily available shoot it out of the zone using any open space, the boards, or the glass and live to fight anohter possession. They have to do all of this while playing penalty free hockey.

Then after every game it will only be natural to play scoreboard to see where they stand. They'll only be able to track the results of their rivals since they don't play them again. Their 2 games in hand on the Rocket are big if they can keep winning. They cannot depend upon anyone else. This is their season to keep afloat and no one can be counted on to help them out them. They made the situation they are in and only they can dig themselves out.

Gee, I wonder If Dineen has covered this life and death of a season as this black and white. Don't know who the leaders in that lockerroom are, but Iwould guess from his work ethic and the F**KING death march he has been on over the 2nd half of this season that he is #1. I'd put money on Gambardella as well. After that I'm not really sure.

I see glints and glimmers of guys really busting their humps, but it's not consistent. It's hard to push every shift, but if they want to be playing in the post season, I don't think 10 games of going all out every shift is too much to ask.

The last 4 minutes tonight was perfect evidence of how it's done. I haven't seen that kind of effort at any time this season. I've seen it used against them, but this was the 1st time I have seen it exerted by themselves. Laval was beat and they knew it. There was absolutely nothing they could do after Schmelzer scored the go ahead goal. They couldn't even DUMP the puck into the Comets end!

Let's see how they come out tomorrow against a very good Providence team. Can they pick up where they left off tonight. If they don't, it will be another L in the record book and 1 game closer to early golf.
 
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UticaHockey said:
BG, not Comets related but I was wondering if you plan on going to any of the IIHF Woman's World Championship games at the Aud. I look forward to it and plan on going to all of the USA games.
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Nope. I won't be there. I spend too much time away from home even when I am at home to abandon my wife for even more hockey. LOl

I hope the USA keeps it going.

USA! USA! USA!

Do you have your USA tickets? I know the Canada game is already sold out and I have talked to others that say it's close on some others.
 
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