Another blown game. Game was very loosely played with numerous chances at both ends.
Carcone - Cassels - Molino line had a good game. Carcone especially was excellent and scored a beautiful goal. Cassels finally scored and played an all round good game including being effective on the PK. Molino has improved and used speed to forcheck well and made a good pass on the Cassels goal. Good effort a little marred by line getting a late penalty leading to a goal and then not adequately covering the front of the net on the tying goal.
Both Chatfield and Brisebois are improving. Chatfield is playing with a lot energy and is reading the play well Stepping in to create offensive chances and jumping in to break up plays. Brisebois is playing with a lot more composure. You can project Brisebois moving to a higher level. Skating is fine and he shows good range in his play. If he can gain some strength and weight and a step or two he could be an NHL player. Big issue is being able to separate people from the puck in his own. Only 20 and maybe has the best long term potential of any of the younger players presently in Utica.
One good thing about the injury situation is that these young guys are getting experience.
Holm continues to have trouble taking people off the rush. Sometimes just turns the wrong way. Maybe can do that back in Sweden but not here. Was totally beaten on the rush leading to the OT goal.
Weircoich play has slipped a bit. Other new defensemen OK. Watson stay at home type and Blujus bit more aggressive.
MacEwen remains inconsistent. Makes the occasional good play but in the run of play not very effective. Looks too off balance at times and skating needs to improve.
New guy Cameranesi played little. Showed some speed but not much in the play.
"Weircoich play has slipped a bit."
He's been on the ice for 6 of the last 7 Comets goals in the past 3 games. The goals came with a mixed cast of characters up front, but his common denominator was Chatfield along for the ride on every one of them.
ES forwards were:
Bancks/Cassels/Carcone
Bancks/Brassart/MacEwen
Megna/Darcy/Boucher
Megna/Darcy/Boucher
PK GA:
Bancks/Boucher
Bancks/Megna
If we go back a little further you'll find the names Molino, Cassels, Carcone, D'Aoust joining Darcy, Boucher, Megna, Bancks, and LaBate in various combinations.
In short it's not a normally strong package no matter who is on the ice. It's difficult to point a finger at any certain individual or group. They are all in on this. (Except Stewart who did it all by himself) The Comets' defensive game is a combination of defense by the seat of your pants, great goaltending, mistakes by the opponent , sheer luck, and the grace of God. You would have to bring in hockey's most astute experts to specifically identify the defensive and offensive scheme the Comets' coaching staff has them playing. I can see some vague familiar concepts through the murky haze, but they all blend together and just become helter skelter/hodge podge lodge.The wierdest part of this is that many of these guys were strong defensive players under Green and Baumgatrner. You wouldn't know it to watch them now. Have to wonder if there isn't another common thread in this.
This team does not have a strong, shut the door, lights out defensive line.Which means what the other lines have to offer is sharply on the decline.This fact makes it even more difficult to understand why they would go into a shutdown style in the last 10 minutes of a game when they have all kinds of trouble in their own end in the first place. Losing 3 of the last 4 weekend games in OT after surrendering leads in the last few minutes, twice 2-goal leads, makes me scratch my head at that.
They have played 3 games against 2 of the better teams in the league and had them both on the ropes and lost all 3 games. How did they get them on the ropes? By playing the most energetic and aggressive style they could to get the puck out of their own zone any way they could and then keep it in the other end of the ice. When they dump it in and then regroup at the attacking blue line in a 5-man neutral zone cluster, setting up to defend, it's a well scripted recipe for disaster. You just watch and wait until the roof caves in.
Then the deployment of trios sent out to begin the OT is mind boggling. I would think you would consider speed, shot, puck skills, and offensive D-men with a hint of the ability to play a little man to man coverage.
I won't even drive myself crazy with the Comets OT deployments. Losing within seconds, 26 and 17 in the last 2, rather than even minutes says it all about that.
