3/16/18
Laval Rocket @ Utica Comets
Laval 4 Utica 2
Forwards:
Comrie/Chaput/Carcone
Arseneau/Hamilton/Bancks
Molino/Darcy/MacEwen
Camreanesi/Cassels/Cherniwchan
D-Pairs:
Sautner/Blujus
Wiercioch/Chatfield
Brisebois/Sifers
Goal - Demko
Darcy (5) from Wiercioch (21) and Chaput (19)
Cameranesi (3) from Darcy (17)
Demko 19/23
38GP, 97GA, 20-11-2-4, GAA/2.55, SV%/.918
SOG:
Laval 6 12 5 - 23
Utica 11 14 7 - 32
PP:
Laval 3/6
Utica 0/4
3 Stars:
1 - Chris Terry (Laval Rocket) 1G/2A
2 - Zachary Fucale (Laval Rocket) 30/32
3 - Cameron Darcy (Utica Comets (1G/1A)
Consecutive Sellout - #125
Man games lost to injury now at 398.
The Comets have now lost 8 of their last 9 GP.
They have been shutout in 3 of the 9.
The first game of this downfall was to Atlantic Division leader Lehigh Valley essentially 5-4 as they scored an ENG at the end of the game. That loss ended the Comets 16 game streak in which they achieved at least 1 point and stood alone in second place in the North Division. Sinse that pointy they have lost Archibald, Boucher, and Goldobin to the Cancucks and Holm was traded.
Over the next 8 games they lost 7 while playing against an assortment of the AHL's bottom 5 teams and they will play the league's worst team tonight in Belleville, who they have lost once to already on this streak.
In these last 8 games they have scored 11 Goals for a 1.38 GPG Avg. More noticeable is the fact that 7 of those goals came from players who have worn the letters PTO after their name and 2 were from the team's top goal scorer, Reid Boucher.
This is key to the currrent situation in that only 2 goals in the last 8 games have come off the sticks of the Vancouver prospects. These are the guys who by this time in the season should be stepping up and putting up significant numbers as the team pushes towards the playoffs. You would think over that 16 game streak these guys must have been lighting the lamp and have now gone cold. Well cold woildn't be the word for these guys. A deep freeze would be more like it and they were barely warm during the streak.
The Comets have played 29 games since January 1.
MacEwen - He is the best of the bunch. 9m goals in 57 GP, but has 31 points.
6 goals in the 29 GP and he also had 2 in 1 game on 1/24.
Carcone - 12 goals in 55 GP. 4 goals in his last 29 GP and 2 were in the same game on 2/21.
D'Aoust - 8 goals in 49 GP. His last goal was on 12/20.
He has gone 0/29GP since then.
Molino - 3 goals in 36 GP. He's only played 11 games in 2018 due to injury and has 1 goal. He is 2/25 for the rest.
Brisebois - "...is having a great year in Utica" according to Benning.
3 goals in 59GP and 2/29 since Jan 1.
Chatfield - Not a shred of offensive talent in this hard working kid.
0 goals in 47 GP.
I keep seeing questions as to why Benning drafted Kristoffer Gunnarsson since he has 0Pts in 46 GP in the SHL. Chatty has 5 assists.
Cassels - He's on the 3rd year of his ELC. Much better numbers than either of his other 3 seasons and he has 23 Pts this year which is more than double his best total of 11 last year.
6 goals in 56 GP. 4 goals in the last 29 GP. 2 goals in the other 27 GP.
LaBate - 6 goals in 39 GP. This guy has already been extended and will be up for another extension this summer. Not a good risk. Too injury prone.
Goldobin and Boucher are still considered prospects by many. Goldy still has a year on his contract and Boucher will be an RFA as will also be true of Chaput.
Boucher has played 45 games and has 25G/46 points.
Goldobin has only played 28 games, but he has 9g/21A/30Pts.
Chaput has played 43 games and has 12G/19A/31 Pts.
They have more than held up their end of the bargain, but they can't really be called prospects any longer. If not NHL players, then they have become the proverbial tweeners.
Last night the Comets played 5 vets with the return of Carter Bancks to the active status and Hamilton also came back from a short injury. Since Boucher is the only VE in the system 5 is the max # of vets the Comets can play. So, Dziurzynski sat that one out. If Megna is back soon (he's practicing with the team in the no contact red jersey, and Boucher is sent back after April 7th, the Comets will look at having to sit 2 vets every night just like at the beginning of the season when the 3 sitting was even higher with Archibald still on board.
Have to agree with "go comets" on Demko's play. I have posted before that he has never regained the same level of play he had before the All-Star game. The Comets success this season has been heavily on the shoulders of their keepers. I will say it again, the rest is of this season will completely depend on the strength of their goaltending.
The current team is hard working. You can't fault their effort, but it's comparable to sending your foot soldiers into battle with flintlock muskets to take on any enemy equipped with automatic weapons. This team has o players who can be called snipers. The majority have problems even controlling the puck let alone getting off a high percentage scoring chance. I wish shots taken were recorded in this league vs SOG, because the Comets miss many, many more shots than they put on the net.
Those who actually believe Jimbo is a real top level judge of talent should take a long, close look at the crop of signed players he has placed in Utica the past 3 seasons. All have had similar problems. They are poor puck handlers, they are not adept at giving or taking passes, their one on one board work is horrendous, they are inaccurate shooters, and they have to be some of the slowest skaters in pro hockey. Give them 2 or 3 steps leads at center ice and they will be caught form behind before they can muster any kind of threat. Molino was sent here with glowing plaudits as to his speed. He may be very fast straight ahead in a race, but if he has to carry the puck at the same time the speed is gone. He also cannot take a pass. He is also not strong on those fast skates and easily knocked off stride, off the puck, and often off his feet. I would not extend this guy another contract.
I have laid off what I really feel about Carcone until now. simply put this guy is another wasted contract. He can do nothing in traffic. He gives you one or 2 plays in a game that look like he can play hockey and the rest of the game is how did this guy get a contract. He will have to be reborn in order to become a NHL player.
If Benning sends the same guys back here next year, Molino, Carcone, D'Aoust, Cassels, LaBate, Laplante, and builds around them with the likes of Darcy, Megna, Bancks and Hamilton. MacEwen won't grow and Lind and Gadjovich will struggle all year long just like Mac has this year.. Developing players need good players to play with. Without them, the player's individual talents won't mean a damn. When Jim figures that out, his kids might get better. Exact same issue exists with his young D-men.
