Charlotte Checkers 3 Utica Comets 1
Man, was it a lot worse than the score indicates. It was a total thrashing with a goalie making it look respectable. Kulbakov is giving them a chance to win every time he plays. Hope Cull rides this kid as long as keeps on top of his game. He is actually getting better by the game.
I posted my best guess at the lineup (Post #243) based on the players still available and I got the D correct and all of the wings with their opposite wing linemates. Cull threw a wrench into it with his center selections.
- Dahlen/Kero/MacEwen - My choice was Darcy. These are the supposed best wings on the team. Darcy or Kero should make little difference.
MacEwen continues to play his energy game in which he goes after the puck carrier, stalks his check on the boards, and then misses him along the boards. He looks to be trying harder than any other guy on the ice, but the efforts don't produce much. I fear saying it, but he is just clumsy. Leans too far forward and loses his balance when trying to make a turn in either direction. He needs way too much ice to make a turn. We don't see any short, quick, hard crossover steps enabling him to work around congestion or a guy just trying to deny him space. Sometimes it's as much as half the width of the rink for him to get going the other direction. Stopping and starting doesn't seem to be part of his skating skill set either. He continues to struggle in his own end on the breakout with the biggest problem still getting the puck up ice at the half boards. When in position to threaten to score he seems to lose control of the puck at just the moment he is shooting. It's looks like slip, slide, stumble, push the puck just out of reach, lunge to get it, and then try to shoot off balance and loses the power and accuracy of his shot. He is in dangerous spots all night long and has 3 goals to show for it. Not bad, but his game would not hold up at the NHL level where more speed, agility, and puck skills are necessary. So many posters knock Archibald for his play in Vancouver. Well he is much more effective than MacEwen.
Dahlen is the last guy you would ever imagine was the MVP of any hockey league. A prolific scorer would be expected to score some goals in 8 contests. I expected to see a guy who could make things happen with the puck on his stick. I was expecting him to be a serious offensive threat and make some great set up passes. In contrast, he has rarely carried the puck more than a few feet and treats it like he must pass immediately. WHY? Someone is coming at him. I would have expected to see some moves, some skating, stick, and puck skills. He appears allergic to physicality and therefore never employs any of those skills I was sure he must have. He never goes to the dirty areas unless there is no defender there. That's where he was for his only goal, off to the right of the net and snapped one into the open side when the puck slid over to him. It was a PP goal and he was unchecked on the back side. Yes, he has 3 assists and thus is .5 PPG. 2 0f his 3 assists are also on the PP where he gets more time to think things through, dish off readily when contested, and make the pass to the open man or shoot when he's the open man. He is usually looking for a pass rather than working to get himself into an open spot where that pass makes him dangerous. At even strength Jonathan Dahlen is the last guy on the ice you would believe is a dynamic skater, play maker, and threat to score goals.
When you see him actually do something he does it very well, but he is invisible a whole lot more often that he is a guy doing something that catches your eye.
Defensively, I won't outright call him lazy, but when coming back on the back check he is most often the last Comet to cross back into his own end. He isn't exactly what I would call a defender who ever challenges an opponent. Lots of stick checking. He is good at taking a pass in his own zone and very quickly making a touch pass or a clean pass to a mate breaking by him. When the pass isn't there he most often loses the puck as grinding along the boards fighting for possession doesn't seem to be something he has done a whole lot of. I think the smaller rink is creating most of these difficulties for him at the moment. We should see him start making adjustments accordingly and if he has the skill sets the hype that preceded him said he had, those adjustments should be very noticeable step after step and should start happening soon.
Kero is playing his game and doesn't actually look like a bad player. He is defensively responsible. He is an average center. Play making is not his major asset at the moment and that's the disappointment in his acquisition. It appears he was supposed to be this season's Chaput. It's not in his DNA and that's not his fault. It is the fault of whoever was responsible for this trade. It can't have been about money. Chaput was paid $687,500 to play in Utica last season and Kero was signed to a 1-way and makes $800,000. The Canucks raped themselves with this contract when you see that Chaput signed a 2-way with Montreal and makes $275,000 to play in Laval. He could have been had cheaper and is a much better all around player than Kero and far more physical.
-MacMaster/Bancks/Jasek - My choice was Kero. These two were dynamite with Chaput at the end of last season. I wanted to see them reunited, and they would benefit the most from the team's best center. Note, I didn't say top center because he would not be the top center on any team in the AHL, 2 or 3 at best the way he is currently playing.
MacMaster has been a center for much of his past. Thus, he uses those center skills out on the wing where he is more of a play maker than he is a threat of scoring. That's why he worked so much better last season with Chaput in the middle. Chaput could score and Mac would get him the puck and vice versa while Jasek seems to more of a scorer who was able to get open while the other 2 worked the puck and he would get in a position to score. Put the 3 together and you had a dangerous trio. Bancks was a bit of anchor in the middle of two guys with much better skill sets. He makes no room for MacMaster to work since he doesn't have an equal skill set and is not a threat to score. Jasek and Mac worked well and had some chances, but going into the offensive zone as a twosome is a major drawback. Kero would have been more of an asset for them.
-Carcone/Darcy/Palmu - I would have used Bancks here as Carcone is a take the puck and go it on his own pure and simple. He maybe sees it work once or twice a game. It was 2 times last night and he failed to finish on both times he got to the net all alone. That's the norm.He is not about to pass unless it's forced and he doesn't believe he can't escape most problems. He's wrong, but that's the way he plays.
Bancks is the most defensively responsible of last night's 4 centers. Someone could/would cover for Carcone's turnovers at both ends of the ice. Bancks can and would do that far better than Darcy.
Palmu is a wind up doll. Runs all over the place, usually just chasing the puck. Makes bad passes and almost never has a chance to put a puck on the net. Of all the prospects , he probably has the farthest to go. He is my biggest letdown I was hoping to see a whirling dervish bowling ball type player flying around in the offensive zone and making things happen. Rookie of the Year in the Liiga, Either there wern't many rookies or a lot give that league lot more credit than it deserves. (and by the way, Dahlen is giving me a similar doubt about the Allsvenskan).
Darcy is not the defender Bancks is and has no where near the skill of Kero and thus, is out of place on either line.
-Gadjovich/Woods/Arseneau was exactly the line I drew up. None of them is a positive replacement for anyone on the other 3 lines. Arseneau is prototypical AHL 4th liner. He has limited puck skills. Harasses in the offensive zone. Looks for the big hit at every chance he gets in all 3 zones. His shot is meh, but he always gets some. He is always sticking up for any envisioned misdeed he feels was done to one of his guys.
Gadjovich, at this point, has not shown any sort of offensive skill set. He hasn't played a lot. Cull is trying to work him into the PK when he does play and sometimes uses him in front of the net on the 2nd unit PP. This kid is here for 2 years at least and something more than a 4th line checker will be necessary if he is going to see any shot at the NHL. These 2 line mates won't help him any.
Woods is not going to help any of the kids on any line he centers. He is also a 4th liner at best and may be better suited as a wing.
At the moment the Comets are playing 3 centers who should not be there.
Bancks belongs out on the wing. He has had scoring chances and has been somewhat snake bitten. He has had a couple breakaways. He hit the crossbar last night. He goes to the dirty areas and fore checks, back checks, and kills penalties. He does all 3 in a way the kids can learn a lot about what intensity every shift is.
Woods and Darcy frankly are not every day roster players. They are adequate fillins, but as everyday guys handling roles in the middle will mean this team is not going to enjoy frequent success. That is especially true if Boucher, Archibald, and Gaunce are not in the lineup. Combine that with Gaudette sticking in Vancouver, which you should all recall I said was probably going to happen and it wouldn't be all that long, this team is in some big trouble.
Boucher will not be back for some time and we have not been informed as to exactly what his problem is.
If Elias and Boeser get back into the Vancouver lineup, someone will be back and I see that somebody as Archibald. The only chance the Comets see Gaudette come back is the return of Beagle to a healthy original Canucks roster. What are the chances of that the way Canucks have dropped regularly for quite some time (years running).
At the risk of incurring some major wrath, the highly touted kids have not shown any reason for their hype at this moment. I'll reserve taking that as an actual stance until let's say Christmas, but they better get their asses in gear because Christmas will be here before you know it.
Defensively we had:
-Juolevi/Biega - In a brief statement, when Olli can move the puck as well as Biega and carry it the length of the ice shift after shift, play the onrushing puck carrier by stepping up into him and taking his body, knock opponents off the puck, clear traffic out of the crease, block shots, win puck battles on the wall, leave the forward on the ice and come away with the puck skating he is not an NHL top 4 D-man. Remember the average Vancouver fan doesn't think Alex should have ever lasted in the NHL for more than a couple games call-up if the Canucks were desperate. Olli is not going to accomplish that move with a couple good sharp passes a period, a successful poke check or two and skating 2o feet and then making a good pass just as often. In other words he makes a good play here and there and for every one of them there is an opposite play. He misses the poke check and the puck carrier gets in. He sagged deep vs Rochester in a one on one situation and made the poke which was ignored as the guy wired a 20 footer top shelf. That play dictated taking the body and preventing that shot period. He doesn't play the body and offense results. He will force a pass when he feels overwhelmed instead of holding it along the boards until he gets some forward help. He doesn't clear the crease. He has been caught standing still in the far neutral zone when the puck was passed behind him for a breakaway and it's happened more than once. He actually hit a guy near the crease in the 2nd period and came to the bench exercising his neck side to side and back and forth. It was like "Wow, is this what happens when you hit someone?" Incidentally he took more of a brunt from the hit, than the man he ran into.
I also hear how how he will be a PP QB like he is doing here. He isn't making things happen on the PP. He simply passes right or left to the uncovered forward in the umbrella. His stuff is almost always done while standing still. He doesn't move anywhere with the puck to attract attention making the guys he passes to all that much more dangerous creating an odd man chance down low. That's where the scoring chances become much more dangerous. He is yet to walk the blue line to find an opening to shoot the puck into creating tip and rebound chances. If he just works to the wings while standing there, the D will cheat off him to better guard against the Boucher-type bomb off the top of the circle or lower. Rochester did it like it had been drawn on a blackboard. Sending a puck to a wide open Boucher, who shoots like a machine from anywhere, is not QBing a PP. The Comets lead the league in short handed goals and he has had a direct hand in a couple of them.
-McEneny/Blujus -
Evan is struggling to reclaim the game he had before losing an entire season. His stamina is not there yet. 3 games in 3 nights seems to require him to sit out the middle game, but with Sautner and Chatfield down that's not a viable option for the Comets. He has lost a step I am sure he is working to re-acquire. He is a work in progress and playing on the 3rd pairing is where he should be doing that work. It's a lot better with Sautner than Blujus. Dylan is a great player for your #7 and that was how Cull was using him until the recent injuries/illnesses.
Brisebois/Sifers - Guillaume is functioning much better under veteran accompaniment that actually can play D. Wiercioch was not a veteran defender that played good D and left Breezy with something lacking as mentor in his rookie season. He is still lacking the puck handling skill set he needs to move with the puck and help to jump start the offense. He arrived here being touted as able to do just that. He is not a puck toting D-man and he is not a solid own end D-man. He is stuck somewhere in between both roles. He has become more aggressive, hits more, and battles more physically on the boards. He is still not effective dealing with players in front of his net and the back door is still there more often than you'd want to see. Not much of an offensive threat yet either.
The offense out of this group before Biega arrived was basically not there at all. 3 goals from the back end.
Juolevi's came on the the only time he made a move, then skated it forward into the high slot and scored on a wrister. Have yet to see him wire as much as a half slapper (snapshot).
Briesbois's was a shot the goalie had but it deflected off of a defender and he had no chance.
Sifer's was a highlight reel in close shot to the roof off a beautiful pass on a give and go with Jasek. It was his first goal in nearly 2 years. I think the number was 590 days. I know that's close. LOL
The point here is that the defense is rarely in position to even attempt a shot and when they do it usually is not on the net, blocked and turned back up the other way, or easily grabbed by the goalie for a whistle. Their shots are not impressive. No o-o-os or wows like you hear when opponents rip drives from the point or lower. The Canucks don't have good puck movers and their shots are not all that impressive and nobody down here is threatening to displace anyone up there at the moment. Could one or 2 step in and play in a learning role, make a ****load of mistakes, and not be whole lot worse than those who do that up there as well? Probably, but that's not really how you want to develop NHL defenders.
Demko, Boucher, Archibald, Gaunce, Gaudette and Biega for the season are the only hope for this team.
Demko is nowhere near ready. Then actually getting back to his top level will take weeks.
Boucher is out for at least a few weeks and rumors are floating that it could be a lot longer. I don't put much weight on rumors so I'll stick with the several weeks for now.
Archibald should be returned as long as no further injuries occur and Elias comes back.
Gaunce is a mystery. He has been listed as day to day since an injury that saw him last play October 6th. It will be October 26th tomorrow when the Comets play in Rochester. So, he's been day to day for 20 days or 3 weeks. I'd call that week to week. We either see him real soon or something else is going on here.
Gaudette is merely a wish list at the moment. Beagle is weeks away and Gaudette is proving to be the best fill-in center they have. He's been nothing outstanding, but better than the rest they have to draw from.
Biega remaining here may be against his wishes, but the smoke being blown up the asses of the fan base by Benning and Johnson about Brisebois and now Cull chiming in along with Johnson about Juolevi, may just see them both getting the first 2 calls when a defender needs replacing before Bulldog gets another call. Sautner may get one before as well.
We also have to consider the time element in how long a waived player can be up there before he has to be waived again. That rule has no effect on Gaudette, Briesbois, or Juolevi. They can go up and down like elevators.
Right now my biggest beef is that the Comets' centers are not good. Kero is the best and he's a middler between a 2 or a 3 at the moment. The money he's been making in the past and what he's getting now says there is more here than he has shown or he came in as damaged goods. He certainly has shown no semblance of an $800k player. Maybe we'll get better from him. Otherwise this guy is stealing his pay check.
Bancks is just fine as an energy forward and PK specialist. He stays until the kids all get so good that he needs to sit. As the team captain that moment hasn't come close to arriving. However that play should be at wing not center.
Woods and Darcy are borderline last gasp fill-ins and/or ECHL players. They are killing this team and stagnating any progress any of these kids hope to make. Blue chip, can't miss prospects can rise above any situation and shine brightly. They are so good it doesn't matter who they play with. They will make whoever is on the ice with them look better. It is blatantly obvious that there is not one of those players on the entire Utica roster. Demko last year was maybe the closest, but he still had work to do and Utica was chosen as the best place for him to make that progress.
Right now there is a guy playing playing with the Toledo Walleye that could be acquired on a loan. He would cost the Comets dirt on a PTO. He was here in 2015-16 for the final 19 games and put up 15 points, #1 in points for that time frame. He was once a top center in the NHL and as been very good in the middle for a ****load of AHL seasons as well. TJ Hensick.
Does he still have that ability? I believe he is better than Darcy or Woods getting off the bus. He is a play making center. Any 2 forwards on this team would be helped with him on their line. I am thinking Jasek/MacMaster. He is probably not the fastest, but neither is Tanner. I would bet Jasek would become quite the goal scorer with these 2 stetting things up. Hensick has never been a slouch in the scoring department himself and MacMaster could only benefit from a player who could feed him in open space. He is still a .90 PPG AHL player. Guess the Comets couldn't use that for what would end up being a mere AHL contract.
HEL-L-O-O-O-o-o-0 Cull and Conacher. ANYBODY OUT THERE??????
I know you 2 are not blind!!!! You can see the suffering going on among your kids. Most rookies come into a system with huge opinions of themselves. A lot of that bravado is covering up a lot of questioning as to "How good am I, really? The guys at this level are good. They are bigger, faster,and more experienced than what I have played with before. I am going to go out there and prove I belong." After the start they have all had where do you think their current confidence levels are?
JC give them something to work with. TJ is a proven commodity. He did it here before. He wanted to come back in '16-17, but wasn't offered a contract because the powers that be sent them Chaput and Megna. Megna played 4 games with the Comets and Chaput played 10. Another season of brilliant planning and foresight.
You are in the same plight now and this guy is just sitting there like a plump peach on the tree. All you have to do is pick him up. If I am wrong and he is washed up, so what????
What did it cost? A few bucks and a few games that Woods wouldn't have played any better. Smarten up men!!!!
I wish somebody who has an ear with one of those guys would read this and drop them a hint.
LOL! Who am I kidding? Someone will grab this guy up in a moment of need and hope they have found a guy who still has another season left. Why let that someone be a team other than the Comets. Wasn't Gagner (8 points in 8 games, 4G/4A) enough to have stuck in your craw? Kero also has 8 points in 9 GP. Gaudette had 4 points in 4 GP (2G/2A).
Compare that with Woods (2pts/9GP), Darcy (4pts/7GP) , Bancks (2pts/9GP). It's a no brainer that you need to get some centers in here yesterday.
