Yeah it was mostly for next season but he played with them on Friday so I assumed he'd be with them all weekend on the road.
He didn't play with SAC yesterday, but you're right he's back in their lineup today.
Kingston Frontenacs 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I
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He didn't play with SAC yesterday, but you're right he's back in their lineup today.
Yep I don't know what I was looking at... I swear he wasn't game sheet when I first looked but he's there now. Must be some kind of conspiracy to make look stupid... That's definitely it
I'd have to take a look back through their OT losses but off the top of my head it's defensive lapses and questionable shot selection leading to plays the other way.
What if it's related to the coaching staff putting the same players out who don't get the job done?
Kitchener hit a post and fired a puck into an open cage in the last OT game.
The Fronts coach only trusts a select few, this is why next year is going to be very interesting to watch with him at the helm when he's actually forced to play rookies and 2nd year players.
Hopefully ownership isn't cheaping out on the scouting side of things this hockey season or next year could be dicey
100% agree, but what surprised me is that they gave Dervin got icetime over several other guys - I don't remember seeing Heyes or McNamara out there at all.
Looking back through the OT losses and who's on the ice:
Ottawa - Uens, Battaglia, Soto
Erie - McGowan, Uens, Guindon (PP goal with Burns in the box)
Brantford - Pieniniemi, Battaglia, Hopkins
Niagara - Pieniniemi, Battaglia, McNamara
Kitchener - Uronen, McGowan, Hopkins
Their one OT win it was Guindon, Miedema and Williamson.
Battaglia being on for 3/4 ES OT goals isn't a great look - I get he's their best player offensively but if he doesn't have the puck he's a liability.
That is an absolutely awful major call. Absolutely a minor, but in no world was there any kind of excessive force to warrant a major...
Now Kingston likely loses Burns for a game or two, while Pieniniemi will be gone at the juniors. Wonderful.
Now Kingston likely loses Burns for a game or two, while Pieniniemi will be gone at the juniors. Wonderful.
Absolutely awful effort. There's not a single Frontenac playing a good game. I don't care if it's the end of a 3-in-3 there's no excuse for such a putrid effort
frontsfan67
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I agree. From bad to worse for this defence.
If they have to overpay on picks for Gibson get it done. Just don’t trade Hopkins. They really need a guy like Gibson or Andonovski or cam allen.
They play pieniniemi and burns probably 30 mins a night. McGowan and Williamson are alright, would probably be 5th and 6th d on an OHL champion calibre team and they’re our 3rd and 4th best d men.
Gotta pick up a top pairing rhd and a top 4 rhd imo.
Would like that and a guy like Trent swick or Connor clattenburg on flint- someone who has some size and can play top 9, and can be a physical presence if need be.
If they make 3 moves like that im not sure they need to get a better goalie because these better d men won’t be giving the other team that some of the chances that some of our d do.
But if they really are serious about contending a better goalie needs to be a move too. I don’t care if they empty out all the picks. Make a run this year. next year start the tear down process. I don’t like this middling crap. You’re either in or you’re out. Don’t trade Hopkins either cause then you need to replace his value too.
Hounds might do Schenkel for like Weir and a 2nd Seems like a change of scenery is needed for the latter.
frontsfan67
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OMG67
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190 is almost 206
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beastintheeast
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Defence is a weakness, but consider this: You lost Burns for a couple of games. However, if, as you thought he might, he had gotten a WJC spot, you would be down your top[ 2] for six weeks.
OA defenceman will be a problem for you. If you get an OA D Do you give up Heyes and them have to move up Weir to more ice time?
The player you need is Mews, but I wonder if Boyd would trade or if you could afford the price. You seriously need to be looking at 19-year-old players and forget about OA.
It's the same thing. You can not look at OA and say that it is the player we need; it is like going into the store with just enough money to buy a Coke or bag of chips. If you get one then you have to get rid of something else. If you get rid of 3 OAs in trades, then you have to release 3 OAs. Is losing your tiop center going to help you?
It's the same with a goalie; forget about OA. The only one that might be worthwhile is Flores, but then we Schenkel. But consider also the defence that is in front of these guys. If you have a good defence, then they can make any average goalie look good
Going all in if you have the parts is good, but right now, the Fronts do not have all the parts. Consider that you got hammered by one of the teams you will be competing with for players.
Middling, as you put it, is never a good thing, but in some cases, it is the only thing you can do. Kingston ended up in this position by bad trades and bad drafting. Yes, you drafted players that had good scoring touches. However, they did not look at the character and had to trade 2 important pieces for this year and drafted a player who told everyone he would not report. That is what hurt this team.
That is why this year you are not the powerhouse that you should be.
beastintheeast
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Maybe sitting on the bench during OT with the coach explaining why would be a wake up call. In OT, you need players who can score but also players who can get back and help.
I am just trying to get a perspective of Battabglia, so please don't shoot me, but he sounds a little like Moon. Is that a fair comparison?
frontsfan67
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More than 1 move though. Very good offensively but very poor defensively. Also not very fast so 3 on 3 OT is not for him
RIP to Jim Waters.
if you're able to, listen starting at the 4:25 mark where Jim describes his approach to team ownership and love for watching his team play live.
Taking a step back after the nightmare end to the weekend - this is one the only time Kingston has given up more than 5 goals to a team other than Oshawa. Obviously there's no positives to giving up double digits - for the most part every team will have stinkers (maybe not quite this bad) over the course of the season.
Kitchener gave up 12 in their second game, Windsor has given up 9, Niagara has given up 8+ 3 times. Even London gave up 7 in a game - although they won that one.
Kingston definitely needs a top 4D, ideally RD - Velliaris and Moore aren't top 6 D on a playoff team hoping for any kind of a run.
As much as I think they need a goalie upgrade - I have my doubts they will. They traded for Lalonde at the beginning of the year, acknowledged it'll be a tandem - but we're not getting results. Using a pick or two to upgrade Lalonde to a Parsons, Schenkel or Flores (if Niag sells) would be ideal.
Offensively it they have depth but some of the scoring has definitely petered off - Hopkins only has 5 points in his last 11, McNamara doesn't have a goal in NINETEEN games (I knew he had kind of faded but I had no idea how badly) and only 4 assists over that stretch.
I have major concerns about the game this Friday - Peterborough has been much improved, Kingston will be without Uronen, Pieniniemi and likely Burns assuming he gets suspended based on the major - although it was at the beginning of the game so who knows?. If McGowan isn't back their D will consist of Uens, Williamson, Moore and Velliaris. Even if McGowan (IMO it's not worth rushing him back for one game before the Xmas break) is back they're still one short with 2 D it doesn't seem like they fully trust yet.
Edited to add - I forgot to mention the one true positive of the weekend - the PK was outstanding, with the only goal being on the Burns 5 minute major, which also meant they didn't have their best D available.
Kitchener gave up 12 in their second game, Windsor has given up 9, Niagara has given up 8+ 3 times. Even London gave up 7 in a game - although they won that one.
Kingston definitely needs a top 4D, ideally RD - Velliaris and Moore aren't top 6 D on a playoff team hoping for any kind of a run.
As much as I think they need a goalie upgrade - I have my doubts they will. They traded for Lalonde at the beginning of the year, acknowledged it'll be a tandem - but we're not getting results. Using a pick or two to upgrade Lalonde to a Parsons, Schenkel or Flores (if Niag sells) would be ideal.
Offensively it they have depth but some of the scoring has definitely petered off - Hopkins only has 5 points in his last 11, McNamara doesn't have a goal in NINETEEN games (I knew he had kind of faded but I had no idea how badly) and only 4 assists over that stretch.
I have major concerns about the game this Friday - Peterborough has been much improved, Kingston will be without Uronen, Pieniniemi and likely Burns assuming he gets suspended based on the major - although it was at the beginning of the game so who knows?. If McGowan isn't back their D will consist of Uens, Williamson, Moore and Velliaris. Even if McGowan (IMO it's not worth rushing him back for one game before the Xmas break) is back they're still one short with 2 D it doesn't seem like they fully trust yet.
Edited to add - I forgot to mention the one true positive of the weekend - the PK was outstanding, with the only goal being on the Burns 5 minute major, which also meant they didn't have their best D available.
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Logosarejusttargets
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I don't fully agree. I was at the game (actually went to all 3), and I can say that Pickell, Uens, and the 4th liners were giving it every shift. Not that it mattered. That being said, it's worth noting that despite a regular shift AND pk time Pickell didn't have a goal scored when he was on. McNamarra was also a 0 but he didn't see the ice for any pk time and was benched a few shifts.
Someone on this very board was arguing with me when I mentioned that McNamarra doesn't move the needle much when he plays. I think because he's big and fast he appears to be doing more than he is. He's also not liked and hasn't been liked by any of his teammates
Very fair on Pickell and Uens, although when two guys who respectfully aren't really needle movers are the only ones to show up you get results like that.
The 4th line may have been trying but it definitely didn't give the results with Clark and Kelly both being -5 - but I'm not gonna blame them too much since most of that came after the game was a long lost cause.
With McNamara you can tell there is talent there and I'd argue early in the season he was playing much better.
Even though it led to some penalties the other thing with him I've noticed much less is the shit disturbing side of his game. At the beginning of the year he was in scrums multiple times a game but I've noticed he hasn't been doing that nearly as much. He took two coincidental minors this weekend but other than that no PIMs since October - which for some players is a good thing but if a pest isn't taking PIMs it shows he's probably not anywhere near as engaged as he should be.
OMG67
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You need to look at the totality of the entire season. You can’t just be hyper focused on one weekend. Overall, the Fronts have played well. They are in the mix. That is all you can ask for.
The team has a few deficiencies and these were identified early in the season. Nothing has changed. There was obviously hope that they’d have some internal candidates overachieve but that hasn’t happened. No rookies have stepped up to help out but that isn’t expected, it is hoped for.
So, the Fronts have some work to do at the deadline to fill some gaps. That is no different than Brampton or Brantford. Even Oshawa is stumbling without Ritchie. It is a bit of a wonky point in the season when players are missing for tournaments. It happens.
Be patient and allow the process to work its way to the end.
The team has a few deficiencies and these were identified early in the season. Nothing has changed. There was obviously hope that they’d have some internal candidates overachieve but that hasn’t happened. No rookies have stepped up to help out but that isn’t expected, it is hoped for.
So, the Fronts have some work to do at the deadline to fill some gaps. That is no different than Brampton or Brantford. Even Oshawa is stumbling without Ritchie. It is a bit of a wonky point in the season when players are missing for tournaments. It happens.
Be patient and allow the process to work its way to the end.
Of course - unless games like the Brantford game start happening regularly it's not worth panicking - but for me when I look at the overall season, the biggest thing that sticks out to me is the missed opportunities. They're 2-7 after regulation. 1-5 in OT and 1-3 in SO. Even going 5-4 those 3 extra points put them up on Oshawa, and getting that 1 or 2 seed will likely end up being crucial because it means you play a North Bay/Ottawa in the first round instead of a team like Brantford.
I bring it up a lot because it bugs me, but even outside of the OT games, (and it could just be selective memory) they always seem to come up short in close games - those close games are the ones that you need to win if you want to have success in the playoffs.
And maybe whatever they do at the deadline will flip some of those close losses into close wins. Maybe that one piece of the puzzle they add will be the breakthrough piece - we'll see.
What you're speaking to is an extension from last season.
Fronts coach will always speak to special teams and how strong they are and give kudos (Rightfully so)
PP is 3rd in the League
PK is 7th in the League
PIMs/Gm is 2nd lowest in the League (10.6 mins per game)
5 on 5 Hockey is where this team needs to focus/improve on & if you want to extend that into OT, 3 on 3 Hockey as well.
I wouldn't reach too much into the shootouts if we are 1 & 3.
frontsfan67
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