Semi-frequent Jake Bean update:
The Hitmen head coach seems to be trying to break the kid. As a season ticket holder, I'm incredibly disappointed in our coaching this year and expect this to be Mark French's last year behind the Calgary bench.
For the last ~5 games I've seen (I don't typically watch away games, and miss a few home games), Bean is easily playing upwards of 25 minutes a night, and likely over 30. Unlike last year and earlier in the season, he's playing all situations - 1st pairing at ES, 1st PP, and 2nd PK. He doesn't see a lot of PK time because the Hitmen PK is so terrible they get scored on within the first minute quite frequently, but Bean is at least seeing all situations.
For a bit of context on how bad of a team Bean is stuck on this year, here is the team sorted by plus/minus. You'll note that the only 3 players still with the team that are at even are the goaltenders. Also note that the team's "shutdown defensemen" are Michael Zipp, Brady Reagan, and Jayden Gordon. You may need to scroll a bit to find them.
For Bean to be only -12 on a team that has a goal differential of -71 is impressive. Considering he's only played (approximately) half the games, and that he plays (approximately) half of each game, I figure that he's doing a hell of a job. Take into account that 17 of his 30 points are on the powerplay and his +/- becomes even more impressive.
Now, here's where the poor coaching comes in. The Hitmen played 3 games this weekend: Friday and Saturday evening in Calgary then Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. On Friday, when the team was down 7-2, Bean was being double shifted. The first game, of 3 games in 3 nights, with the team down by a boatload, against the best of the 3 teams they played on the weekend (Medicine Hat is first in the division, the other 2 teams are battling with Calgary for the last playoff spot). Why push the best player on your team in a lost game, when you play 2 more times in the next 2 nights? Further - Calgary plays a grueling 19 games in the last 37 days of the season.
The game before that, Bean nearly ate a minus on an empty net goal that would have been ridiculous. With 4 minutes left in a 4-0 game against the top team in the CHL, on the powerplay, our coach pulled the goalie. Hitmen centre lost the faceoff, Regina defender threw the puck down the ice and just missed the empty net. While Bean didn't get the bonus minus, it showed me that his +/- stat is even more irrelevant because our coach has undoubtedly done this at games I haven't seen (also shows why +/- is a silly stat).
TL;DR - Bean is carrying (or, attempting to carry) this team into the playoffs. He has garbage goaltending, terrible defensive partners, and no offensive support. I can't tell if Bean looks worse than he is because he has no support, or if he looks better because the team around him is garbage. Either way, he should be with the Checkers by mid-March.
The Hitmen head coach seems to be trying to break the kid. As a season ticket holder, I'm incredibly disappointed in our coaching this year and expect this to be Mark French's last year behind the Calgary bench.
For the last ~5 games I've seen (I don't typically watch away games, and miss a few home games), Bean is easily playing upwards of 25 minutes a night, and likely over 30. Unlike last year and earlier in the season, he's playing all situations - 1st pairing at ES, 1st PP, and 2nd PK. He doesn't see a lot of PK time because the Hitmen PK is so terrible they get scored on within the first minute quite frequently, but Bean is at least seeing all situations.
For a bit of context on how bad of a team Bean is stuck on this year, here is the team sorted by plus/minus. You'll note that the only 3 players still with the team that are at even are the goaltenders. Also note that the team's "shutdown defensemen" are Michael Zipp, Brady Reagan, and Jayden Gordon. You may need to scroll a bit to find them.
For Bean to be only -12 on a team that has a goal differential of -71 is impressive. Considering he's only played (approximately) half the games, and that he plays (approximately) half of each game, I figure that he's doing a hell of a job. Take into account that 17 of his 30 points are on the powerplay and his +/- becomes even more impressive.
Now, here's where the poor coaching comes in. The Hitmen played 3 games this weekend: Friday and Saturday evening in Calgary then Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. On Friday, when the team was down 7-2, Bean was being double shifted. The first game, of 3 games in 3 nights, with the team down by a boatload, against the best of the 3 teams they played on the weekend (Medicine Hat is first in the division, the other 2 teams are battling with Calgary for the last playoff spot). Why push the best player on your team in a lost game, when you play 2 more times in the next 2 nights? Further - Calgary plays a grueling 19 games in the last 37 days of the season.
The game before that, Bean nearly ate a minus on an empty net goal that would have been ridiculous. With 4 minutes left in a 4-0 game against the top team in the CHL, on the powerplay, our coach pulled the goalie. Hitmen centre lost the faceoff, Regina defender threw the puck down the ice and just missed the empty net. While Bean didn't get the bonus minus, it showed me that his +/- stat is even more irrelevant because our coach has undoubtedly done this at games I haven't seen (also shows why +/- is a silly stat).
TL;DR - Bean is carrying (or, attempting to carry) this team into the playoffs. He has garbage goaltending, terrible defensive partners, and no offensive support. I can't tell if Bean looks worse than he is because he has no support, or if he looks better because the team around him is garbage. Either way, he should be with the Checkers by mid-March.