GDT: 1/4 - Stars @ Aeros - 7:05 PM CT - AHL Live/KNTH/CSN Houston (Jan. 5 at noon)

[melinko]

Phillips looks like a lion with his hair.

 

[Fel 96]

Phillips actually had 2 great chances only in the 3rd so far.

Maybe he's gonna find the net soon?

 

[OpRedDawn*]

way too fancy

 

[Scoutguy77]

Never seen somebody as snakebitten as philips, could/should have about 10 so far, between posts and hi-lite reel saves unbelievable really.

 

[JamesRanger]

Its hard to believe somebody that was so successful at the Junior level can be this unsuccessful at the AHL level. I'm certainly not giving up on him but it is hard to watch at times.

 

[OpRedDawn*]

horrible play

 

[Fel 96]

Aeros time out.

 

[Fel 96]

Empty net.

 

[Fel 96]

Icing.

33.3 seconds remaining.

 

[Fel 96]

Sigh, game over.

 

[OpRedDawn*]

didn't deserve the win

lackluster effort and lots of horrible play

 

[JamesRanger]

Ugly game. Always tomorrow.

 

[Fel 96]

Aeros lose this one 2-1. One of their worst games in a while.

http://twitter.com/HockeyGalindo/status/287400481024774144

Will be fun watching the game for those who can tomorrow.

 

[Fel 96]

Hackett gets the 3rd star of the game.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

I've never been a fan of Phillips, and he's certainly proving me right so far this season. Obviously not ready to give up on the kid yet, but. . . . . .

 

[State of Hockey]

Its hard to believe somebody that was so successful at the Junior level can be this unsuccessful at the AHL level. I'm certainly not giving up on him but it is hard to watch at times.

Phillips has been taken out by a faster, quicker league. His skillset was good enough and his body big enough to stay ahead of the junior hockey pace. Now he's too slow in all areas of the game to be a factor, and his size isn't special anymore. Good hands mean nothing when you never have the time or space to use them.

I wouldn't be surprised if he never becomes an NHL regular. I think we have a big bust on our hands.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Phillips has been taken out by a faster, quicker league. His skillset was good enough and his body big enough to stay ahead of the junior hockey pace. Now he's too slow in all areas of the game to be a factor, and his size isn't special anymore. Good hands mean nothing when you never have the time or space to use them.

I wouldn't be surprised if he never becomes an NHL regular. I think we have a big bust on our hands.

Maybe. Switch out Phillips for Haula and its no harm, no foul.

 

[Jaykay]

I'm not too worried about Phillips...yet. Some of our other prospects are making it look fairly easy at this level which is making him look worse; he'll just need a little time to adjust and he'll have plenty. He's always been a hit or miss prospect but it's too early to say that we missed with him.

 

[Generic User]

Since a lot of HFWild is freaking out about Dumba, just thought I would mention that in 2011's game of Marry/Draft/Kill, I went Landeskog/Baertschy/Phillips. Looks like I'm shooting 100%.

#impatient

 

[melinko]

You have to keep in mind nearly all our prospects who are doing well (Granlund, Larsson, Coyle, Zucker) have all played with men in college or in Europe.

Phillips and Bulmer (although to a lesser) are coming straight from a league where they are playing 16-19 year olds.

I wouldn't be very surprised to see Haula come in and look better right away at the end of the year.

 

[IcedEndeavor]

I suppose it's as good a time as any for a first post. TL;DR version at the bottom.

I've been following the Aeros and these forums pretty closely all season and I must say I think it's a little early to write off Phillips. Like others have said, when compared the some of the other rookies on the team he's not playing that well, but look at who those rookies are. As it is, when you don't compare his game to the other rookies, 10pts through his first 30 professional games is not a bad start. That total could have also been quite a bit higher if it weren't for posts and great saves keeping the puck out of the net. Has he played poorly at times? For sure, but he has also shown the traits that helped him to get to where he is now, and put up the numbers he has in the past.

Another thing people don't seem to be taking into account is that what we're seeing this season is not the normal AHL. Every team in the league has players who would have full time spots on NHL rosters if this lockout wasn't going on, including the Aeros with the very people Phillips is being compared to. Phillips has always been and always will be a playmaker and a scorer and to do either of those things he needs skilled players on the ice around him. with the roster the way it is now it's been hard for him to find a consistent spot on one of the top lines where he would have both more skilled players around him, and more time on the ice.

It wouldn't have hurt Phillips to play another season in Junior but it also wouldn't have benefited him with pretty much the entire core of the Sea Dogs and Gerard Gallant(their coach) moving on with the exception of Huberdeau. I followed that team very closely since Zack was a rookie there and what he did there wasn't a fluke or simply a result of being surrounded by good players. Sure it was against 16-19 year olds, but it is also arguably the strongest part of the best junior hockey league in the world. Many of the defencemen and goalies he did all of that against are top NHL draft picks who have either found spots on NHL rosters, or are performing very well at the AHL level this season. The Sea Dogs over the last three seasons lost in the final of the QMJHL, won the QMJHL and then the Memorial Cup, and then last season won the QMJHL(in amazing fashion) and lost in the semis of the Memorial Cup. All of those results were hugely influenced by Zacks play both during the season and in the playoffs, and the way he performed when it really mattered at the Memorial Cup was very impressive.

I don't think the Wild expected Zack to jump right in this season and play like he has the past few years. I think they expected him to come in as a 19 year old fresh out of junior and take some time to find his game while learning to play with men. In the long run it will benefit his game far more to struggle in the AHL now rather than to spend another season tearing up the QMJHL/CHL where he has already done as much as a player can do. I expect he will soon find his game, the net, and we'll start seeing the great play I was used to in the past, and hopefully we can all be familiar with in the future.


edit: TL;DR version. Phillips, when you don't compare him to other guys who are highly skilled players who already have experience playing with men, isn't doing that bad. I followed his career closely throughout his CHL career and what he did there was no joke. He'll find his game, and he'll find a spot on a line with more talented players and people will be happy they were wrong about him.

 

[Scoutguy77]

Well done !
30 games does not a career make or break.
Easy thing to do is when from a statistical point of view a kid isnt doing what is expected is to throw him under the bus, herd mentality others will follow..see Dumba, Kreider(NY), Rattie(TC junior), Huberdeau(TC junior), Bulmer, Mika Z.(Ottawa)all kids that are taking a beating on these boards.
I love what Minny is doing with him, slow, make him earn his icetime, play 4th line minutes, when all is said and done will make you a more complete player for years to come as oppossed to getting sheltered minutes early in your career.
Ive been big supporter of Larrson, Zucker, Phillips, Coyle, Bulmer and nothing has changed for me.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

I suppose it's as good a time as any for a first post. TL;DR version at the bottom.

I've been following the Aeros and these forums pretty closely all season and I must say I think it's a little early to write off Phillips. Like others have said, when compared the some of the other rookies on the team he's not playing that well, but look at who those rookies are. As it is, when you don't compare his game to the other rookies, 10pts through his first 30 professional games is not a bad start. That total could have also been quite a bit higher if it weren't for posts and great saves keeping the puck out of the net. Has he played poorly at times? For sure, but he has also shown the traits that helped him to get to where he is now, and put up the numbers he has in the past.

Another thing people don't seem to be taking into account is that what we're seeing this season is not the normal AHL. Every team in the league has players who would have full time spots on NHL rosters if this lockout wasn't going on, including the Aeros with the very people Phillips is being compared to. Phillips has always been and always will be a playmaker and a scorer and to do either of those things he needs skilled players on the ice around him. with the roster the way it is now it's been hard for him to find a consistent spot on one of the top lines where he would have both more skilled players around him, and more time on the ice.

It wouldn't have hurt Phillips to play another season in Junior but it also wouldn't have benefited him with pretty much the entire core of the Sea Dogs and Gerard Gallant(their coach) moving on with the exception of Huberdeau. I followed that team very closely since Zack was a rookie there and what he did there wasn't a fluke or simply a result of being surrounded by good players. Sure it was against 16-19 year olds, but it is also arguably the strongest part of the best junior hockey league in the world. Many of the defencemen and goalies he did all of that against are top NHL draft picks who have either found spots on NHL rosters, or are performing very well at the AHL level this season. The Sea Dogs over the last three seasons lost in the final of the QMJHL, won the QMJHL and then the Memorial Cup, and then last season won the QMJHL(in amazing fashion) and lost in the semis of the Memorial Cup. All of those results were hugely influenced by Zacks play both during the season and in the playoffs, and the way he performed when it really mattered at the Memorial Cup was very impressive.

I don't think the Wild expected Zack to jump right in this season and play like he has the past few years. I think they expected him to come in as a 19 year old fresh out of junior and take some time to find his game while learning to play with men. In the long run it will benefit his game far more to struggle in the AHL now rather than to spend another season tearing up the QMJHL/CHL where he has already done as much as a player can do. I expect he will soon find his game, the net, and we'll start seeing the great play I was used to in the past, and hopefully we can all be familiar with in the future.


edit: TL;DR version. Phillips, when you don't compare him to other guys who are highly skilled players who already have experience playing with men, isn't doing that bad. I followed his career closely throughout his CHL career and what he did there was no joke. He'll find his game, and he'll find a spot on a line with more talented players and people will be happy they were wrong about him.

Thank you for your post.

I know that some of us here would like to see him play wing (for instance, I would like to see him with Coyle and Granlund or with Larsson and Zucker). It appears the wing position, at least for now, would benefit him due to his lack of speed and playmaking abilities on the wall, behind the net, and he would not have to worry about being first guy back and playing deep in his own zone. Since you are familiar with him, do you see him remaining at the center position for his professional career?

 

[IcedEndeavor]

I think he'll work at either center or on the wing. He spent some time at both positions during his tenure with the Sea Dogs and played very well in both spots. At this early stage in his career he may struggle less on the wing, for the reasons you mentioned above. The kid may not be the fastest skater out there, but he never has been. His game has always been about seeing the ice in a way most other players don't and making the great players around him even greater than they are on their own. When you combine that skill with his incredible work ethic and his team first mentality you're left with someone who may not be a speed demon, but is someone that other teams have a hard time playing against, and who is someone that has the ability to put the puck in the net on every shift. Not to mention I have watched him go from someone who was a purely offensive player his first season in St. John to a player who grew into a force from one end of the ice to the other. He has the ability to read the ice both in the offensive zone as well as in his own end and end up right where he needs to be to make a key interception or send a teammate out on a breakaway. I've got a lot of faith in Phillips regardless of whether he finds a role as a center or winger, and I think everyone will end up being pretty happy with that pick for years to come. I'd almost like to see him find a spot on the wing with Granlund and Coyle, as what he and Coyle did together last season was ridiculous. Those two were scoring highlight reel goals night in and night out and it seemed every time one scored it was the other setting it up with an absolutely beautiful feed.

 

[rynryn]

not worried about Phillips or Bulmer. Jesus, especially Bulmer. WTF is wrong with you people who are disappointed? He hardly had a chance to get into the swing of things and was looking better IN HIS ROLE (which isn't a bloody goal scorer--get it through your heads) before he got hurt.