Yeah I missed that in real time which makes sense. I never saw that happen before.
Just a bad mistake.
Erie Otters 2022-23 Season Thread
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Just a bad mistake.
The Guelph guy never had control...
So Terrance went to throw it back for the slingshot and no one was there.
Fimis, Molnar, and Spence if they can get going will be spectacular.
Not sure why Terrance was moved to the 3rd line.
Saganiuk knows how important this season is for his OA year and it was great to see him back.
Daviault's dangles on the PP assist is what we hope he will turn into.
Summary of tonight: The own goal on a delayed penalty by Terrance sums up how our season has gone to this point.
Not sure why Terrance was moved to the 3rd line.
Saganiuk knows how important this season is for his OA year and it was great to see him back.
Daviault's dangles on the PP assist is what we hope he will turn into.
Summary of tonight: The own goal on a delayed penalty by Terrance sums up how our season has gone to this point.
There are many, many issues with this team. At the moment, I think it is worthwhile to go back and look at the goaltending situation, which a number of posters had raised at the beginning of the season.
Right now, after 34 games, the collective GAA for the four goalies who have played for the Otters this year is 4.13. The collective save percentage is .857. Of the two goalies who have played the bulk of the games, Downey has played in all or parts of 13 games and has a GAA of 3.40, and a save percentage of .880. Lalonde has played in all or parts of 19 games and has a GAA of 4.34 and a save percentage of .856.
Collectively, our goalies have not seen an inordinate number of shots, 995 shots over 34 games, or an average of 29.26 shots per game.
These numbers do not factor in quality of shots seen, However, the fact that the average number of shots seen per game is under 30 suggests to me that these numbers can hardly be blamed on the defense. A team with an .857 save percentage has no hope of going anywhere. We do not have the offense to make up for this magnitude of a deficiency in goal, and it undoubtedly has a demoralizing effect on the rest of the team. Goaltending is 75% of the game - when you have it. It is 100% of the game when you do not.
This situation falls directly on Dave Brown. He chose to start the season with Lalonde and Nicholls, neither of whom had put up numbers in the prior season that justified sitting pat at this position. Downey, a player who Windsor let go, has been a very marginal upgrade, which in itself is a damning statement on the decision to start the season with Lalonde and Nicholls.
Again, this simply underlines the need to replace the entire management/coaching team.
Right now, after 34 games, the collective GAA for the four goalies who have played for the Otters this year is 4.13. The collective save percentage is .857. Of the two goalies who have played the bulk of the games, Downey has played in all or parts of 13 games and has a GAA of 3.40, and a save percentage of .880. Lalonde has played in all or parts of 19 games and has a GAA of 4.34 and a save percentage of .856.
Collectively, our goalies have not seen an inordinate number of shots, 995 shots over 34 games, or an average of 29.26 shots per game.
These numbers do not factor in quality of shots seen, However, the fact that the average number of shots seen per game is under 30 suggests to me that these numbers can hardly be blamed on the defense. A team with an .857 save percentage has no hope of going anywhere. We do not have the offense to make up for this magnitude of a deficiency in goal, and it undoubtedly has a demoralizing effect on the rest of the team. Goaltending is 75% of the game - when you have it. It is 100% of the game when you do not.
This situation falls directly on Dave Brown. He chose to start the season with Lalonde and Nicholls, neither of whom had put up numbers in the prior season that justified sitting pat at this position. Downey, a player who Windsor let go, has been a very marginal upgrade, which in itself is a damning statement on the decision to start the season with Lalonde and Nicholls.
Again, this simply underlines the need to replace the entire management/coaching team.
Kyrou was signing things for Otters fans before warmups.
Couldn't agree more with all of this...
We have 3 pretty solid lines on offense. As fans we can only hope Molnar, Fimis, and Spence put it together. The fact that Terrance is now on the 3rd line tells you all you need to know about the competition in the top 9.
My biggest takeaway from the weekend is the frustration is now showing on the ice. It is 100% visible throughout the games and not keeping that in check makes it that much worse IMO.
I don't know what the turnaround is at this point...we have a couple days left to move someone, but whom? It isn't like Cohen is going to demand top dollar. All eyes will be on Shane Wright.
This team is so desperate and DB traded quite literally everything away of value in picks and then doubled down by trading everything away for a team that needs to essentially start over with chemistry and such.
I knew goaltending would be a little bit of a question mark, but I didn't think the question mark was going to be whether or not to get rid of Lalonde, especially when he signed with Columbus.
It is like our team had a jump early, climbed the standings and hasn't improved since.
Dhockey16
Registered User
Anyone have a clue what this team is doing? The Kyrou trade for assets made sense, but to trade them away for Fimis? I'm not sure what the plan is. They looked pathetic against Sarnia.
I haven’t compared the picks acquired for Kyrou vs. the ones sent for Fimis, but if they’re roughly equal then the deals make sense IMO.
Kyrou is likely not going to play in the OHL next year. He’ll be playing professionally somewhere. Whereas Fimis will be, and very possibly will be in the league as an OA in 24-25.
Dhockey16
Registered User
Trading Kyrou made sense. He's a stud and they had to extract max value out of him. It seems they did that. Bunch of picks and Daviault. The Fimis move is confusing, though. He's undersized, and likely a good OA candidate, true, but I remain skeptical. The draft cupboard was stocked for a month and promptly raided again. Hopefully his game takes a big step this off-season. 3 2nd rounders is the sort of haul teams get for top guys at the deadline.
The plan is to try and save jobs. Jim Waters is growing impatient and so are the fans. They needed impact players for the next year or two in order to build around Spence and now have Terrance as an 05, Molnar, and Fimis. The team is crazy desperate for playoffs from a management side and are rumored to be in the hot seat, GM down to Assistants.
That's about all I got as to why they stocked up and immediately emptied the cupboard again this seasons as "buyers" in 10th place.
Seems about right. Gilmartin, Alfano, Fimis, Daviault should fit in well with the Otters’ 2004-05 born and be better than 2nd & 3rd picks over the next couple years while Spence & Molnar are around.
If it does not work out so well, Erie will have some of the top ‘04 available for trade and can completely re-tool at the next deadline when two OHL teams will be vying for a memorial cup appearance.
I haven't even been remotely impressed by Gilmartin, Alfano, or Daviault to this point.
Gilmartin might be a 6 - 9 player as well as Alfano. Alfano for some reason looks out of place when he plays. He's great in front of the net but his up and down game is way behind the average for our team. Gilmartin could have a place, but needs to start producing consistently and not lose his temper. Daviault, while young, has been pretty overwhelmed and performing lower than I would expect. He did have an amazing PP assist the other day where he carried the puck through the heart of the defense and slid it across the face for a goal. If he can duplicate that type of play and shore up his defense this year it will make the Kyrou trade look halfway decent.
Not sure what to make of Fimis yet...he has a lot of skill, no doubt, but a few games in and the line of Spence, Fimis, and Molnar just hasn't quite clicked, yet. I have high expectations for that line and if they don't reach them the team likely won't be successful.
Also, I'm not sure at this point if Gilmartin will even be around next year. Bressette, Saganiuk, Gilmartin, Johnston, and Kulakov will head up the OA's going into camp. With Bressette being our top producing forward this year and Saganiuk not too far behind I could see them keeping either Johnston or Kulakov to anchor the back. Long way to go though before we speculate who returns for next year. Yes, they can get rid of Kulakov for another import and perhaps they look at a goalie or defenseman, but you'd almost have to think one of the two blue liners will be back.
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If I am coaching my lines the rest of the season would look like:
Spence - Fimis - Molnar = Future
***Gilmartin - Terrance - Saganiuk = top 6 next year?
Cohen - Sedore - Alfano = 2 outgoing OA
Edwards - McDonald - Smith
Messier/Artichuk
***I didn't include Bressette due to his injury but he is immediately a top 6 for either Gilmartin or Saganiuk which would slide them down into the 3rd line if he were healthy.
Morton/Daviault
Sova/Kulakov OR Johnston
Johnston or Kulakov and Sauder/Alboim
Goalie:
Lalonde
Downey
Although, if there was trade value in Lalonde (right now I don't think so) I'd move him if possible in favor of bringing back Gibbons to split time with Downey the rest of the year.
Spence - Fimis - Molnar = Future
***Gilmartin - Terrance - Saganiuk = top 6 next year?
Cohen - Sedore - Alfano = 2 outgoing OA
Edwards - McDonald - Smith
Messier/Artichuk
***I didn't include Bressette due to his injury but he is immediately a top 6 for either Gilmartin or Saganiuk which would slide them down into the 3rd line if he were healthy.
Morton/Daviault
Sova/Kulakov OR Johnston
Johnston or Kulakov and Sauder/Alboim
Goalie:
Lalonde
Downey
Although, if there was trade value in Lalonde (right now I don't think so) I'd move him if possible in favor of bringing back Gibbons to split time with Downey the rest of the year.
THIS RIGHT HERE.
Goaltending is the overarching issue with this team. It's far and away the worst in the league at this point. Sure, we can improve in other areas, but they all pale in comparison to goaltending.
It's sad to see where Lalonde is right now. When he came back from Columbus at the beginning of the year, he was locked in. Confident. Stopping all of the pucks he was supposed to stop. Looked like a true no. 1 in this league. Within the last couple of months, he lost his confidence and fell apart.
Hopefully the team has Lalonde talking to a sports psychologist. Until he figures out, he doesn't need to see the ice. Calling up Gibbons is the most realistic option to stop the bleeding, but it's far from ideal, as a year playing U18 AAA and getting into some OJHL games is probably best for his development.
Regardless, I feel fairly confident he'd be an upgrade over both Lalonde and Downey at this point, so if I'm Dave Brown, I'm making that move now.
BJ has been let go...
They are looking for a new coach and it won't apparently be Vince or Wes.
They are looking for a new coach and it won't apparently be Vince or Wes.
What is the assessment of Bruce MacDoanld? He's in his first year as an 18 year old. Has Erie's drafting been that bad that a U18 third round draft pick makes the team. Perhaps a late bloomer and will he be elevated in the lineup next year?
True but he's only a few points from being 2/3 on that list. But as you mentioned, some organization know how to develop young talent while other seem to fail in that regard. Top organization for development of young talent: SSM, London, Windsor, Saginaw, Ottawa and Hamilton.
Canadian Game
Registered User
It's a terrible trade. He had all kinds of opportunity in Niagara and just couldn't live up to the expectation. Could a change of scenery propel him into the player everyone seems to think he can be??? I know I am not spending that draft capital on a hope and a prayer and to find out. #GMoftheyearNOT
4 Bobby ORR
Registered User
Should post this on the Rangers board. They are looking to replace their coach.
He's still probably bottom 6, maybe even bottom 3 but he has been consistent as one of your younger players.
Likely not gonna crack the top 6 given our roster, but definitely has the skill to keep a spot and maybe an OA.
Nice - I like the kid and he's shown glimpses of skill and has been pretty reliable as noted by his -1 which is likely best on the team. Granted he's not playing against top lines and top pairings but still a positive stat. That said, it's strikes me as odd that players with inferior hockey backgrounds keep making this roster. That likely speaks to poor drafting or is there more going on? Perhaps, top players don't want to come to Erie?
When Erie went all in witn McDavid, Stromme, DeBrincat, etc...they essentially sold their souls for 4 years of 50+ wins unlikely to be repeated. In doing so they left themselves in pretty bad shape as far as picks, got burned on some trades, and just didn't develop kids they way they were scouted.
It is likely a top down issue, but there is no doubt this this has the most talent we've seen since 2017 so the next 2 years will be interesting in the sense of actually finding someone to develop the players or if we remain in a perpetual rebuild.
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