The Utica Comets Thread

[VanJack]

Wow!....just viewed the highlight package on Canucks Army....that was filthy snipe by Boucher for the OT winner.....I know some posters in VanCity are down on him, but you can't teach scoring and he seems to have added some elements to his game this year.....before the end of the season, maybe we see Boucher on a line with Boeser.....now if they could just find a creative center to get them the puck and let them bomb away.

 

[tyhee]

...
So far Gaunce is the only player in the Vancouver lineup that has been a Utica Comet regular before his promotion. You can't count Biega because he was never a prospect in the Vancouver system. ...

I'll give you Virtanen ...

I agree with your main points about taking time to develop prospects properly and that the Canucks haven't done that with prospects in Utica. About the quoted wording, though, what about Baertschi? He wasn't a prospect in the Canucks system for all that long, but was a regular on the Comets for several weeks near the end of 2014-15 (except the final weekend) and then the playoffs all the way through to the Calder Cup final, following which he made the Canucks in the 2015-16 preseason.

 

[tyhee]

It'd be nice for the few times I come in here and not have to read a bunch of whining and complaining about a team that's sole existence is to develop players for the Canucks

If you don't want to read comments about the Canucks mismanaging their farm team, then you're better off not to read a forum where people realize they're doing exactly that.

By the way, as a Canucks fan, I think it is short-sighted nonsense to suggest that the Comets don't have any reason to exist beyond developing Canucks players. Do you not remember that there have been through the years unaffiliated minor teams, including entire leagues which were independent?

Teams exist in part for the fans of those teams, who happen to be paying part of the expense of operating that team. They exist in part for the players on those teams to play a game they enjoy and make a living doing it. (Sifers, Archibald, Hamilton and Bancks are examples of Comets players who are not being developed to play for the Canucks.) And minor league affiliates exist in part for the development of players for the major league team.

The Canucks haven't done well developing their prospects the last few years, nor have they provided the best situation for that development, nor since the summer of 2015 made much attempt to provide a competitive team for the Comets fans. It isn't out of place in a blog thread specifically about the Comets to point that out and discuss it.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Couldn't have said it better, but it carries more umphhh coming from a Vancouver poster. Thank You.

 

[WTG]

Utica is so badly mismanaged it's actually a little bit funny.

The fact they could have just resigned Valk and they let him walk is just hilarious.

 

[go comets]

Bench was shortened in the third with Molino, Carcone and Moynihan getting few shifts.
Demko was solid

improved play from D'Aoust, Brisbois, Darcy and Macewen are helping.

Cassels and Labate are just a mess........

Having both Holm and Weircoch just calms down the defense .......

 

[Bad Goalie]

Bench was shortened in the third with Molino, Carcone and Moynihan getting few shifts.
Demko was solid

improved play from D'Aoust, Brisbois, Darcy and Macewen are helping.

Cassels and Labate are just a mess........

Having both Holm and Weircoch just calms down the defense .......

"improved play from D'Aoust, Brisbois, Darcy and Macewen are helping."

Agree on the first 3, but I don't share your love for MacEwen. He is big, physical, and disrupts some things defensively. offensively he's a train wreck. Tries to stick handle by defenders and loses the puck 9 out of 10 times. He reminds me of Grenier without the puck skills but more physical. He has miles to go before I see high prospect potential from him. D'Aoust not even drafted has far outdistanced Mac in promise.

I'm afraid Cassels, unfortunately for him, has reached the end of the line. He will be extremely lucky to get a contract offer this summer. Although the way Benning runs things re-signing him and LaBate saves him the trouble of looking for better replacements and they will come cheap.

It appears that LaBate has become this year's edition of last year's Wacey as a penalty machine. Took 3 of the Comets' 4 last night (Amerks went 0 for the night and committed more fouls than the Comets, but that's immaterial) and none were questionable and none were of the necessary variety they are the result of quiet feet and frustration. He can't take a pass and get a shot off. He is a mess right now.

The Molino, Cassels, Carcone line was useless. It was an ECHL line at best and probably a #3 at that. If those 2 wings have any promise they better get going. Carcone isn't even as good as last season and i wasn't pushing his attributes then. Molino is supposed to be some kind of speed merchant and we have barely seen a whiff of that.
improved play from D'Aoust, Brisbois, Darcy and Macewen are helping.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Better late than never!

11/29/17
Rochester Americans @ Utica Comets

Utica 2 Rochester 1 (OT)

Forwards:
LaBate/Darcy/Megna
Bancks/Moynihan/D'Aoust
Boucher/Chaput/MacEwen
Molino/Cassels/Carcone

D-Pairs:
Holm/Subban
Sautner/Brisebois
Wiercioch/Chatfield

Goal - Demko

Scratches:
Archibald (INJ)
Hamilton (INJ)
Woods (INJ)
McEneny (INJ)
Sifers (INJ)
Laplante (INJ)

Cederholm (ECHL - Zoo callup)
Stewart (ECHL - Zoo callup)
Ward (ECHL - Adirondack Thunder PTO)

Megna (3) from Wiercioch (2) and Darcy (5) SH
Boucher (9) from Darcy (6) and Sautner (2) OT GWG

Demko 7-5-0-1
GP 13, GA 30, GAA/2.30, SV%/.926

SOG:
Amerks 10 6 13 1 = 30
Comets 10 9 12 2 = 33

PP:
Amerks 0/4
Comets 0/0

#3 Stars:
1 - Boucher (1G/ GWG)
2 - Demko (29/30)
3 - Megna (1G)

 

[UticaHockey]

Garteig apparently called up to the Comets. Waiting to see what precipitated it.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Garteig apparently called up to the Comets. Waiting to see what precipitated it.

Lots of guessing:
-One of bachman or Demko hurt in practice or one is sick.
-Nilsson has played 2 in a row, maybe Marky is ill or imjured.
-Maybe Benning wants to show off another toy and Dmeko is up once again.
-Maybe Bacmman got a backup call.

That was fun, now I'll wait until the real reason is released. Whatever it is I've got a feeling we won't like it. Canucks play the Leafs next on Saturday.

Whoever it is I'm guessing wouldn't get in a practice by Saturday game time. Canucks don't get in until late and guess after the long road trip won't practice before the AM skate on Saturday and it's likely voluntary. Most of the guys will rest up instead. That's of course if the reason is someone to Vancouver.

I'm done. Bedtime.

 

[UticaHockey]

Lots of guessing:
-One of bachman or Demko hurt in practice or one is sick.
-Nilsson has played 2 in a row, maybe Marky is ill or imjured.
-Maybe Benning wants to show off another toy and Dmeko is up once again.
-Maybe Bacmman got a backup call.

That was fun, now I'll wait until the real reason is released. Whatever it is I've got a feeling we won't like it. Canucks play the Leafs next on Saturday.

Whoever it is I'm guessing wouldn't get in a practice by Saturday game time. Canucks don't get in until late and guess after the long road trip won't practice before the AM skate on Saturday and it's likely voluntary. Most of the guys will rest up instead. That's of course if the reason is someone to Vancouver.

I'm done. Bedtime.

What I would like to see is the Comets call up Garteig and then loan him to a different ECHL team. He just rides the bench in the Zoo and watches 35 year old Joel Martin pay in 75% of the games. Garteig's numbers are not very good but he has only played in 4 games all year.

The Canucks did this a few years ago when they sent Cannata to a different ECHL team instead of having him stuck behind Martin in the Zoo.

 

[Bad Goalie]

What I would like to see is the Comets call up Garteig and then loan him to a different ECHL team. He just rides the bench in the Zoo and watches 35 year old Joel Martin pay in 75% of the games. Garteig's numbers are not very good but he has only played in 4 games all year.

The Canucks did this a few years ago when they sent Cannata to a different ECHL team instead of having him stuck behind Martin in the Zoo.

You are talking smart deployment of one of your players who may have to be utilized at a later date. Henning orchestrated that move and he is no longer employed. Very few moves by the Canucks management team regarding the Comets has taken place since.

Am I to assume from this ridiculous snubbing of Garteig that even though the Canucks have a working agreement with the ZOO, they don't have to play the Vancouver property? Bennng has no say on this. Why have an agreement with a minor franchise if your players aren't getting adequate ice time. Guy might as well be the 3rd goalie in Utica and only get practice time. Seems no worse than only 4 games in the Zoo for the season to date.

Still have to wait and see what this is all about. Big article on Demko in the morning OD. Interview done yesterday. Talks about how confident the team is playing in front of him. Would be perfect irony if he wasn't here for tonight's game.

 

[UticaHockey]

You are talking smart deployment of one of your players who may have to be utilized at a later date. Henning orchestrated that move and he is no longer employed. Very few moves by the Canucks management team regarding the Comets has taken place since.

Still have to wait and see what this is all about. Big article on Demko in the morning OD. Interview done yesterday. Talks about how confident the team is playing in front of him. Would be perfect irony if he wasn't here for tonight's game.

The Garteig recall has been officially announced now but still no explanation of why. One interesting observation is that with Garteig, Stewart and Moynihan all in Utica right now there is no longer a single player on either a Canucks or Comets contract on the K-Wings roster.

 

[UticaHockey]

One possible explanation is Demko did appear to take a stinger last game near the shoulder. He stayed in the game but was obviously in some pain right after. Maybe things got worse yesterday the day after the game.

 

[UticaHockey]

One possible explanation is Demko did appear to take a stinger last game near the shoulder. He stayed in the game but was obviously in some pain right after. Maybe things got worse yesterday the day after the game.

Finally an explanation and it's Bachman that is hurt not Demko.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Finally an explanation and it's Bachman that is hurt not Demko.

Interesting how we have to get that info from Vancouver. Couldn't just put that in their release stating that he has been recalled.

Everything is treated with such secrecy around here. McEneny, Hamilton, Woods, Archi. Shouldn't Archi be skating at least? Is he? I broke my jaw in three places and was wired for 6 weeks, but it didn't prevent me from skating.

Still won't let people into the building for practices. Got told, "Sorry, but the building is closed." If they let you into the ticket booth you are past any outside work. I'm sorry but there is no construction going on in the rink area when the team is on the ice. Maybe some fan will leak some big secret? This is ridiculous. Every team in the NHL and AHL allows fans into the practice sessions.

 

[go comets]

Interesting how we have to get that info from Vancouver. Couldn't just put that in their release stating that he has been recalled.

Everything is treated with such secrecy around here. McEneny, Hamilton, Woods, Archi. Shouldn't Archi be skating at least? Is he? I broke my jaw in three places and was wired for 6 weeks, but it didn't prevent me from skating.

Still won't let people into the building for practices. Got told, "Sorry, but the building is closed." If they let you into the ticket booth you are past any outside work. I'm sorry but there is no construction going on in the rink area when the team is on the ice. Maybe some fan will leak some big secret? This is ridiculous. Every team in the NHL and AHL allows fans into the practice sessions.

They took some extra steps to keep people from just wandering in and out of the building.. apparently some money was stolen at some point last year, do not remember the particulars..

 

[VanJack]

What's the story on Archie?......Comets really miss his energy and physicality

 

[WTG]

The Subban fight

 

[WTG]

Boucher goal, assists to Subban and Darcy

 

[WTG]

Boucher's 2nd, from Megna

 

[WTG]

LaBate goal 3-2 Comets

 

[WTG]

Chaput from Boucher and Weircoch

 

[go comets]

4-4 after 2..... Comets down to 4 defensman. Subban and Holm both not on the bench......

 

[Domecile]

What's the story on Archie?......Comets really miss his energy and physicality

Suffered a broken cheek bone from a hit into the boards I believe.