Peterborough Petes 2024 - 25 Season Thread, Part I

[Oggie Ogoltorp]

It's just where you are in the cycle. 16 and 17 year old kids arent supposed to win in an 18-20 year old league. You have a lot of kids that are good and you are playing them. That is going to reap huge benefits next year and beyond. You have a coach with job security so he can do this. He tasted a championship and likely wants another one. Anyone can coach a bunch of vets to the playoffs but to win you have to go all in - that takes a proper build then buying the rest at the right time.
You will get another high end pick this year and I bet in 2-3 years you will be happy with your team. Like Sarnia there are going to be growing pains. Every team not named London Knights goes through this in some form especially ones that went all in like Pete's did. Some never go all in and stay consistent. It worked out for the Pete's.
Show me a coach that has a lot of vets and Ill show you a coach that consistently makes the playoffs. Most of them never win a thing but it is job security. Trust this process as they say. Just throw popcorn at Oke I'm sure he will catch it, give you a thumbs up and eat it.

 

[beastintheeast]

I just listened to an interview with Iron Mike, and it reminded me that I think the Pats have the most NHL coaches that have gone through the system.

I realize that that was then, and this is now, but can some of you younger members remind us of why that was?

 

[WillardJFredricks]

I'm probably crazy, but Oshawa has been terrible so far. Maybe the Petes get their first win either Thursday or Friday? Or...Barlow finally breaks out and scores 4 or 5 over the two games and it's another pair of losses.

You haven’t heard him screaming yet? Guy is screaming every game

I sit down in the end...I used to hear Kilrea scream all through the rink, but now I'll have to listen for Oke.

 

[NorthernVoice]

Just saw the standings. Little surprised you haven’t won. Not trying to stir up the pot or troll

What happened though? Taylor, Cameron and the rest of them didn’t take too much of a leap? Goaltending the problem?

It's been a weird start to the season and I think that as much as the losses are why people are a little more disappointed than you'd expect when we all knew it was going to be a rebuilding season.

Right from training camp there were some interesting roster decisions made (or not made) which led to the mess early on with too many goalies and overagers.

The teams best chance to win was always going to be Sztuska in net and stealing games but they made him a healthy scratch the first three games and I've heard that relationship between team, teammates and management was/is really strained as a result.

Then all of a sudden out of nowhere he starts game four and has managed to get in some more games as overagers (Melee, Lefebvre ) keep getting suspended.

Which is another issue - complete lack of discipline early on leading to so many PPs. Now, they tend to balance out and the Petes have had lots of PP opps as well but their PP has never been great under Wilson, even less so this year, where the team embarrassingly has allowed more short handed goals against (5) than have power play goals for (4). Combine this with a league leading 10 power play goals against and it's just been a special teams disaster.

Oh, also, Caden Taylor has been an abject disaster defensively and Carson Cameron including preseason is -20 in 10 games.

Aside from special teams, the strained relationship/strange treatment of last year's MVP, the total lack of discipline, the questionable roster/lineup decisions, the not great starts by two lynchpins of the rebuild and the two best veteran forwards being suspended it's been going pretty well.

It was always going to take time and I don't think the long term outlook has changed but it's been hard to see the bright side early on.

 

[frontsfan67]

Regarding the Sztuska situation. They have to address it immediately. Can’t hold him out 3 games in a row at the start of the season like northern said after being the mvp last year.

Either they’re keeping Sztuska for the 1 year or keeping Bowen for 2. Can’t let this play out until November or December. It is not fair to either goalie and may put an even larger strain between coaching staff and players if it continues on.

 

[WillardJFredricks]

Regarding the Sztuska situation. They have to address it immediately. Can’t hold him out 3 games in a row at the start of the season like northern said after being the mvp last year.

Either they’re keeping Sztuska for the 1 year or keeping Bowen for 2. Can’t let this play out until November or December. It is not fair to either goalie and may put an even larger strain between coaching staff and players if it continues on.

They're really making a mess of the situation, that's for sure.

 

[User13452]

Regarding the Sztuska situation. They have to address it immediately. Can’t hold him out 3 games in a row at the start of the season like northern said after being the mvp last year.

Either they’re keeping Sztuska for the 1 year or keeping Bowen for 2. Can’t let this play out until November or December. It is not fair to either goalie and may put an even larger strain between coaching staff and players if it continues on.

I don’t think Bowen is the guy. If anything I’d drop McIntyre and give that playing time to another forward and keep Sztuska so maybe they can win a few games