2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. II

[Megaterio Llamas]

The Gagner thing is mystifying really. What kind of culture breeds the sense of entitlement necessary for an employee to demand he be fully paid a three million dollar annual salary to work for a competing company for non emergency family considerations with a straight face. And then for his boss to go along with it. It's stunning really.

 

[Spectrefire]

The Gagner thing is mystifying really. What kind of culture breeds the sense of entitlement necessary for an employee to demand he be fully paid a three million dollar annual salary to work for a competing company for non emergency family considerations with a straight face. And then for his boss to go along with it. It's stunning really.

The Gagner thing is mystifying really. What kind of culture breeds the sense of entitlement necessary for an employee to demand he be fully paid a three million dollar annual salary to work for a competing company for non emergency family considerations with a straight face. And then for his boss to go along with it. It's stunning really.

Is there any sources that indicated Gagner demanded to be sent to the Marlies instead of Utica?

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Is there any sources that indicated Gagner demanded to be sent to the Marlies instead of Utica?

Well, he might have asked pretty please for all I know. I wasn't in the room. Or maybe his agent did the asking for him. Maybe his dad put in a call. In any case, it's the end result that is the problem. It's one more instance of Jim Benning being far too agreeable to be in the position he is in. If Mr Aquilini won't demote or replace him, let's hope he at least sends him to a counselor for some badly needed assertiveness training.

 

[Spectrefire]

But the end result is nothing. There's nothing there to negatively define or set any sort of team culture. Players know that these things are just business and there's thing lost from a GM who tries to do good with a recently signed free agent. That sort of flexibility means FA are more open to to come to your team if you go knocking on their doors.

Really, what does sending Sam Gagner to Toronto cost? If nothing else else, it probably lets Vancouver a favour down the road with Toronto, it saves the kids in Utica the potential issue of having to deal with the baggage and it keeps the player somewhat happy.

 

[MS]

But the end result is nothing. There's nothing there to negatively define or set any sort of team culture. Players know that these things are just business and there's thing lost from a GM who tries to do good with a recently signed free agent. That sort of flexibility means FA are more open to to come to your team if you go knocking on their doors.

Really, what does sending Sam Gagner to Toronto cost? If nothing else else, it probably lets Vancouver a favour down the road with Toronto, it saves the kids in Utica the potential issue of having to deal with the baggage and it keeps the player somewhat happy.

It costs what you see tonight - our quality prospects put in poorer developmental situations.

Our 2nd line C was an ECHLer on a PTO. Our 3rd line C was a 4th line checker with 0 goals. MacEwan and Dahlen were stuck next to these crap players and not surprisingly looked like crap too. A guy like Gagner would have been huge for their development.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

But the end result is nothing. There's nothing there to negatively define or set any sort of team culture. Players know that these things are just business and there's thing lost from a GM who tries to do good with a recently signed free agent. That sort of flexibility means FA are more open to to come to your team if you go knocking on their doors.

Really, what does sending Sam Gagner to Toronto cost? If nothing else else, it probably lets Vancouver a favour down the road with Toronto, it saves the kids in Utica the potential issue of having to deal with the baggage and it keeps the player somewhat happy.

I take it you're not following the Comets this year. They have three AHL caliber forwards to deploy on a nightly basis and just got embarrassed tonight vs their key geographic rival on home ice. The young forward prospects have nobody of use to play with, young Jasek is being used out of position at center right now, it's a shambles.

 

[orcatown]

Utica wasn't all that bad. Main difference was goal tending with Kolbakov having a so-so game (third goal not good and he was then pulled) while the Syracuse goaltender was excellent. Helped by Utica showing poor finish on chances.

Focused on Juolevi - Noticed that him and Sifers missed shifts with the combos of Chatfield and Sautner and Brisebois and McEneny getting the bulk of the work. Joulevi also does not play on the PK although he is on the first PP unit.

Joulevi cannot be criticized for his puck movement. Seems to make the right decision all the time when he has any sort of room. Made some smart passes in the offensive zone that could have led to goals. However, if he could gain a step or two would make it a lot easier on himself and allow him to create more space to make plays. Skating really is the issue. Defensively he was ok (-1 coming on the EN goal) but still not aggressive enough nor strong enough in clearing the front of his net or taking people off the puck (which he very rarely does)

On the other defenseman: McEneny gradually getting back to form but seems to lack any upper level speed. Smart with the puck. Chatfield works away but looking more and more that lack of skating will limit any upside. Kind of dime a dozen hard working AHL type . Sautner hasn't raised game and seems to have plateaued. One player that may have upside is Brisebois - has spurts where he shows major League speed in all directions and he plays with some intelligence. But he needs to make a significant improvement in play deep in his end and get more involved in the offense.

Dahlen had one good chance but otherwise not much involved

MacEwen again with lot of hustle but really accomplished little

One big difference is that Syracuse has Conacher and, at this level, he is a game changer.

Boucher got better as game went on but still nothing like he was at the beginning of the season.

Unless you looked hard you wouldn't even know Gadjovich was in the game. Thought he would be more of presence but not physical in the least.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Joulevi cannot be criticized for his puck movement. Seems to make the right decision all the time when he has any sort of room. Made some smart passes in the offensive zone that could have led to goals. However, if he could gain a step or two would make it a lot easier on himself and allow him to create more space to make plays. Skating really is the issue. Defensively he was ok (-1 coming on the EN goal) but still not aggressive enough nor strong enough in clearing the front of his net or taking people off the puck (which he very rarely does)

Can you elaborate as to what you mean by the above phrase in bold, given his lack of aggression in battles?

 

[orcatown]

Guess I'm trying to say better than usual. More in position and no real grievous errors. (or at least nothing that led to an immediate goal) Was he good?- NO. Was he adequate? - more or less.

But let me be clear. Right now I don't see Joulevi being good enough defensively. The problems I see include:

1. Not being agile or pivoting well enough to take people off the rush. He has not got the quick feet or that big powerful cross over that lets you match the speed of the advancing forward. Nor has he got that great edgework (see Lidstrom) which allows you not even have to use cross overs. Joulevi has a clunky out side pivot which means he can get beat to the outside causing him to back in and give his check the outside. At best, Joulevi will try to reach across with his arm and stick and force the player wide around the net. I see top end NHL players just cutting back inside on him and getting directly to the net.

2. Joulevi is not physical. I have not seen, in the many games I've watched him, body check anyone. He doesn't take the body. Moreover, he gets manhandled and run without response. Does little to protect himself and avoids any confrontation. Around his net he gets shoved around and often can't or won't hold his position. Joulevi has some size but I've never seen him use it.

3. Stick checks all the time. Can be effective but also does not usually change possession and often pushes the puck into a more dangerous area. Also, Joulevi often reaches and straightens his legs leaving him off balance and easy to deke.

4. Doesn't pin people. Often will just leans on people along the boards. Players can just slide off and go to the net. Sometimes he just jabs away with the stick when his check is along the boards rather than getting his body on people. Again this allows the player to make a quick movement around Joulevi. From what I've seen it rare for Joulevi to take a player out of the play and keep him out of the play.

5. Slow to the puck. One of the main attributes of defenseman is to get to the puck and move it out of danger. You don't want to turn every race to the puck into a fifty- fifty situation especially when you have a step or two on the player trying to get to the puck. But this is commonly what happens with Joulevi. And this becomes a bigger issue when Joulevi is not strong along the boards to begin with.

I could go on but for these reasons and others I don't see Joulevi as being near good enough defensively. And remember Joulevi is a -12 while getting the easiest match-ups. Does he have some positives. Yes. He is very good at spotting the open man and hitting him with a good pass. He has accurate and decent shot. He can pinch intelligently and adequately move forward with the puck. But this will all go for naught if he can't considerably improve his defense.

I agree with the analysis that Joulevi played with very good offensive teams that could carry the play. This allowed him to use his best asset (passing) to get points and run the play from the back. That would allow him to look very good. (looking back the Knights were a virtual all star team - how a hard was it to look good playing with players like Marner) But somehow scouts (and not just ours) weren't looking enough at the defensive part of his game or not using their imaginations to consider Joulevi when he would have to take charge in his end rather than just distribute the puck to high caliber players.
But, at this point, unless there is dramatic improvement in Joulevi's skating and defensive coverage, the Canucks may well have blown a top end draft choice.

 

[clunk]

Literally no Canuck fans in existence wanted Olli Juolevi as our first choice before the draft.

If they say they did, they are lying.

Just a boneheaded pick all around. Our FO should have been fired on the spot.

 

[MS]

Utica wasn't all that bad. Main difference was goal tending with Kolbakov having a so-so game (third goal not good and he was then pulled) while the Syracuse goaltender was excellent. Helped by Utica showing poor finish on chances.

Focused on Juolevi - Noticed that him and Sifers missed shifts with the combos of Chatfield and Sautner and Brisebois and McEneny getting the bulk of the work. Joulevi also does not play on the PK although he is on the first PP unit.

Joulevi cannot be criticized for his puck movement. Seems to make the right decision all the time when he has any sort of room. Made some smart passes in the offensive zone that could have led to goals. However, if he could gain a step or two would make it a lot easier on himself and allow him to create more space to make plays. Skating really is the issue. Defensively he was ok (-1 coming on the EN goal) but still not aggressive enough nor strong enough in clearing the front of his net or taking people off the puck (which he very rarely does)

On the other defenseman: McEneny gradually getting back to form but seems to lack any upper level speed. Smart with the puck. Chatfield works away but looking more and more that lack of skating will limit any upside. Kind of dime a dozen hard working AHL type . Sautner hasn't raised game and seems to have plateaued. One player that may have upside is Brisebois - has spurts where he shows major League speed in all directions and he plays with some intelligence. But he needs to make a significant improvement in play deep in his end and get more involved in the offense.

Dahlen had one good chance but otherwise not much involved

MacEwen again with lot of hustle but really accomplished little

One big difference is that Syracuse has Conacher and, at this level, he is a game changer.

Boucher got better as game went on but still nothing like he was at the beginning of the season.

Unless you looked hard you wouldn't even know Gadjovich was in the game. Thought he would be more of presence but not physical in the least.

Agreed with all of this except for the comment on Chatfield's skating which to me is one of his best traits and is NHL calibre.

Issue with Chatfield is that he has all kinds of trouble generating controlled zone exits. Doesn't seem to see the ice well or have poise with the puck and when he's pressured or in tight situations just ends up trying to jam it through legs or make low-percentage plays to just force it forward any way possible. Result is too many clearances up boards which don't make it out and a lot of poor scramble clearances bouncing into the neutral zone which are quickly turned back and the team is forced to defend again.

To me he's the almost exact opposite player to Juolevi - lots of mobility and compete but no puck and passing skills.

 

[VanJack]

The trouble was that in Juolevi's draft year he had an exceptional WJC on the bigger ice in Europe, and made the tournament all-star team as a 17 year old. Clearly he was the best d-man in that two-week period. And that appeared to be the basis on which the Canucks jumped on him at #5.

But the rest of his body of work wasn't nearly as impressive. He was a point-producer on a stacked London Knights team that won the Memorial Cup, but might have been carried on that team with better players around him. And followed that up with a meh second OHL season and a so-so WJC.

Not the first player to have his draft status elevated by a big performance in the WJC, and probably won't be the last.

 

[UticaHockey]

Agreed with all of this except for the comment on Chatfield's skating which to me is one of his best traits and is NHL calibre.

Issue with Chatfield is that he has all kinds of trouble generating controlled zone exits. Doesn't seem to see the ice well or have poise with the puck and when he's pressured or in tight situations just ends up trying to jam it through legs or make low-percentage plays to just force it forward any way possible. Result is too many clearances up boards which don't make it out and a lot of poor scramble clearances bouncing into the neutral zone which are quickly turned back and the team is forced to defend again.

To me he's the almost exact opposite player to Juolevi - lots of mobility and compete but no puck and passing skills.

I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO.

 

[VanJack]

It certainly appears that Gagner has played his last game in the Canucks organization. With the Canucks decimated by injuries and hurting for offense, if he wasn't recalled during this most recent road-trip than I doubt he's ever back. Of course the Canucks are on the hook for another year of his salary after this one, no matter where he ends up playing.

It was bad contract when it was signed--and looks even worse now. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for him to ever play a game in Utica.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO.

It has been obvious to me why 31 teams failed to draft him. He is just not a solid defenseman. The only thing his ability to skate fast has done for him is allow him to catch players who have gotten behind him in the first place. I have never once seen him in a simple one on one hockey play take the man, totally disrupt his path stopping the rush, take him wide to the boards while preventing a pass to the inside, and come away with the puck himself after taking him to the boards. That's mark #1 in my book of a good D-man. It's why I don't think the current crop of defenders in Utica is very good.

In fact, it's sad to see a burned out 36 yr-old establish himself as the best defender. He does all the right things and is in the right spots. The problem is the number of steps he has lost to the aging process. Some older guys keep their legs, Sifers has not been so fortunate. Yet, I keep seeing him as the D-man who more often ends up on the rush and actually carries the puck into the offensive zone and even ends up still maintaining possession behind the net, but has the intelligence to get it to a mate and then get his ass back to the blueline where he belongs. He doesn't have that first crisp tape to tape passing skill the Olloi has, but he rarely gives it away.

That last piece cannot be said for any other Comets D-man. The number of not just errant, but pure head scratching terrible passes that are made by Sautner, Chatfield, McEneny, and Brisebois are repeated game after game. Olli will sometimes make the same type of passes when he is under big pressure.

None of these guys seems to understand that tying the puck up on the boards and waiting for help is a better idea than just panic stricken winging it in any direction like it's a hand grenade. It may be an appropriate analogy to the goalies who it ends up having to deal with the explosive aftermath on the their doorstep.

 

[UticaHockey]

It has been obvious to me why 31 teams failed to draft him. He is just not a solid defenseman. The only thing his ability to skate fast has done for him is allow him to catch players who have gotten behind him in the first place. I have never once seen him in a simple one on one hockey play take the man, totally disrupt his path stopping the rush, take him wide to the boards while preventing a pass to the inside, and come away with the puck himself after taking him to the boards. That's mark #1 in my book of a good D-man. It's why I don't think the current crop of defenders in Utica is very good.

In fact, it's sad to see a burned out 36 yr-old establish himself as the best defender. He does all the right things and is in the right spots. The problem is the number of steps he has lost to the aging process. Some older guys keep their legs, Sifers has not been so fortunate. Yet, I keep seeing him as the D-man who more often ends up on the rush and actually carries the puck into the offensive zone and even ends up still maintaining possession behind the net, but has the intelligence to get it to a mate and then get his ass back to the blueline where he belongs. He doesn't have that first crisp tape to tape passing skill the Olloi has, but he rarely gives it away.

That last piece cannot be said for any other Comets D-man. The number of not just errant, but pure head scratching terrible passes that are made by Sautner, Chatfield, McEneny, and Brisebois are repeated game after game. Olli will sometimes make the same type of passes when he is under big pressure.

None of these guys seems to understand that tying the puck up on the boards and waiting for help is a better idea than just panic stricken winging it in any direction like it's a hand grenade. It may be an appropriate analogy to the goalies who it ends up having to deal with the explosive aftermath on the their doorstep.

Sifers has surprised me. I didn't think he had anything left in the tank but he has proved me wrong.

 

[tyhee]

I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO.

I think some of it may come from a Canucks Army piece by Darryl Keeping a couple of weeks ago, which can be seen at "What to Expect from Jalen Chatfield"

Among other things, Keeping wrote:

"Chatfield has been playing tremendous hockey for the Utica Comets and has been their best defenceman" ... and

"In my opinion, Chatfield’s the most NHL ready defender on the Comets roster and has zipped by Alex Biega on the organization’s depth chart of right-side blue-liners. Additionally, he may be a better option than the struggling Erik Gudbranson right now. Will he get an opportunity to show it? I hope so!

"If Chatfield can continue to grow and carry over the success he’s having in the AHL this year, he has a shot at becoming a modern, speedy, defensive-minded blue-liner who can move the puck. If he can continue to progress, this right-handed defenceman is found gold!"

I've previously posted being harshly critical of Keeping's writing for CA, but a large portion of the Canucks Army base consists of people who like some on this forum attacked critical writing and CA seems to have largely (though not entirely) changed style with several writers who are extremely positive. Opinions such as Keeping's are what that base wants to read.

 

[MS]

I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO.

Chatfield's skating ability has translated very well to the NHL preseason, where he's turned in impressive performances that fans have seen.

 

[MMB]

That last piece cannot be said for any other Comets D-man. The number of not just errant, but pure head scratching terrible passes that are made by Sautner, Chatfield, McEneny, and Brisebois are repeated game after game. Olli will sometimes make the same type of passes when he is under big pressure.

Perhaps it is the coaching systems they are forced to play under that is restricting the ability of the defense to be more creative and make better passes. Seems to be a theme when all D-men are making the same "errant head scratching passes".

 

[Bad Goalie]

For some reason the Reply button didn't work for me, but in response to the comment from @UticaHockey in post # 519 in which he wrote "I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO" I think some of it may come from a Canucks Army piece by Darryl Keeping a couple of weeks ago, which can be seen at "What to Expect from Jalen Chatfield"

Among other things, Keeping wrote:

"Chatfield has been playing tremendous hockey for the Utica Comets and has been their best defenceman" ... and

"In my opinion, Chatfield’s the most NHL ready defender on the Comets roster and has zipped by Alex Biega on the organization’s depth chart of right-side blue-liners. Additionally, he may be a better option than the struggling Erik Gudbranson right now. Will he get an opportunity to show it? I hope so!

"If Chatfield can continue to grow and carry over the success he’s having in the AHL this year, he has a shot at becoming a modern, speedy, defensive-minded blue-liner who can move the puck. If he can continue to progress, this right-handed defenceman is found gold!"

I've previously posted being harshly critical of Keeping's writing for CA, but a large portion of the Canucks Army base consists of people who like some on this forum attacked critical writing and CA seems to have largely (though not entirely) changed style with several writers who are extremely positive. Opinions such as Keeping's are what that base wants to read.

It's all fine. The chicken's eventually come home to roost. I have said all season Iwish the Canucks would take all these rising superstars up and let them play. Thye will quickly sort themselves out. Dahlen may work with Pettersson. Who knows. Give him a run. Olli too.


Most of all I would like to see Carcone and MacEwen up front and Brisebois and Chatfield. Both of those D-men spent time in the press box already and were there long enough to have been given a game. Wonder if Green saw enough just in practice. It's not like there isn't room for at lease one D-man better than the bottom bunch they have out there every night. Don't you think if one of these guys stood the coaching staff on their ears during practice that they would have used him?

In my most honest appraisal, the only guys AT THIS MOMENT who smell of future NHL talent are Dahlen and Demko (and we have to see how has been effected by his concussion once he gets back into the lineup. There has to be a least a short setback considering the last time he has actually played in a meaningful game). Joulevi is the other one, if he can ever decide that competing at his highest level is worth his time. He has skating issues and defensive zone play that have to be ironed out, hopefully here first. Doing it on the fly in Vancouver won't be good for his ego, Green's patience, nor the fan base's quick to change opinion norms. I say this because the way he plays here would not be accepted as "growing pains". It's way beyond that at that moment.

 

[UticaHockey]

For some reason the Reply button didn't work for me, but in response to the comment from @UticaHockey in post # 519 in which he wrote "I don't understand some of the Canucks Twitter Heads infatuation with Chatfield. He is no where close to being NHL ready IMO" I think some of it may come from a Canucks Army piece by Darryl Keeping a couple of weeks ago, which can be seen at "What to Expect from Jalen Chatfield"

Among other things, Keeping wrote:

"Chatfield has been playing tremendous hockey for the Utica Comets and has been their best defenceman" ... and

"In my opinion, Chatfield’s the most NHL ready defender on the Comets roster and has zipped by Alex Biega on the organization’s depth chart of right-side blue-liners. Additionally, he may be a better option than the struggling Erik Gudbranson right now. Will he get an opportunity to show it? I hope so!

"If Chatfield can continue to grow and carry over the success he’s having in the AHL this year, he has a shot at becoming a modern, speedy, defensive-minded blue-liner who can move the puck. If he can continue to progress, this right-handed defenceman is found gold!"

I've previously posted being harshly critical of Keeping's writing for CA, but a large portion of the Canucks Army base consists of people who like some on this forum attacked critical writing and CA seems to have largely (though not entirely) changed style with several writers who are extremely positive. Opinions such as Keeping's are what that base wants to read.

It was Keeping who I was referring to when I said Canucks Twitter Heads. He is delusional.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Perhaps it is the coaching systems they are forced to play under that is restricting the ability of the defense to be more creative and make better passes. Seems to be a theme when all D-men are making the same "errant head scratching passes".

Yeah, and their wingers are right there on the halfboards 30 feet away. Or the center is to their inside or outside depending upon whether they are in the corner or behind the net.
More inexplicable is when they are unhampered by any foes and can't pass the puck back and forth between themselves without muffing it or headman the puck to an advancing forward without somehow launching it chest high, or behind them, or way too far ahead of them, or flat out to an opponent. That's why I hi-lite the concept of head scratching. I'm not making this **** up and my head is close to bleeding from so much scratching. We won't even go into the guys on the other end who half the time screw up the passes they do make. I made the comment during last night's game, "Is it just me or do these guys have a lack of ability to accept a pass?" It is incredible the number of passes they can screw up in a game.

We were led to believe the members of this highly touted prospect pool was going to be a fun bunch to watch. At the moment they are a real hard bunch to watch and the supporting cast that was provided to assist these highly touted kids in their development is a joke. I don't give a **** about Gagner himself, but these kids out on the wings are simply lost in space. How any man with a sound enough hockey mind to get himself a position in the highest post of management in the world's most elite hockey league can believe he can place a group of raw kids in the second tier league to his own without centers that allow wingers to function and sending a bunch of puppy D-men out against highly talented forwards who have been successful at the next level or are on their way there without providing them with a couple of well tooled vets is incredulous. What you see on the ice in Utica is the result of that amazing oversight.

They are not improving as you would think they should. They are declining. Their goal production is for ****. Their defensive game is as bad.

At this moment I don't see that talent percolating. I see it withering away in utter frustration. The Comets team we are watching now is the worst TEAM we have ever had here. There may be a couple individuals who stand out with the best ever here, but as a unit of 18 they are the worst.

It is early and they can improve, but if things remain the way they are personnel wise, it ain't gonna happen. These kids won't become what they were sent here to do with the plug cast they have to work with. Archi and MAYBE Gaudette come back. Gaudette won't be here any longer than it takes another guy up their to get injured, an inevitability. Archi pushes a PTO out of the lineup. Utica's injured are no better than what's out there. They just get shuffled around. I won't bore those who don't want to here it, but the centers these kids need are not in the Canucks system at this point in history.

 

[go comets]

Yeah, and their wingers are right there on the halfboards 30 feet away. Or the center is to their inside or outside depending upon whether they are in the corner or behind the net.
More inexplicable is when they are unhampered by any foes and can't pass the puck back and forth between themselves without muffing it or headman the puck to an advancing forward without somehow launching it chest high, or behind them, or way too far ahead of them, or flat out to an opponent. That's why I hi-lite the concept of head scratching. I'm not making this **** up and my head is close to bleeding from so much scratching. We won't even go into the guys on the other end who half the time screw up the passes they do make. I made the comment during last night's game, "Is it just me or do these guys have a lack of ability to accept a pass?" It is incredible the number of passes they can screw up in a game.

We were led to believe the members of this highly touted prospect pool was going to be a fun bunch to watch. At the moment they are a real hard bunch to watch and the supporting cast that was provided to assist these highly touted kids in their development is a joke. I don't give a **** about Gagner himself, but these kids out on the wings are simply lost in space. How any man with a sound enough hockey mind to get himself a position in the highest post of management in the world's most elite hockey league can believe he can place a group of raw kids in the second tier league to his own without centers that allow wingers to function and sending a bunch of puppy D-men out against highly talented forwards who have been successful at the next level or are on their way there without providing them with a couple of well tooled vets is incredulous. What you see on the ice in Utica is the result of that amazing oversight.

They are not improving as you would think they should. They are declining. Their goal production is for ****. Their defensive game is as bad.

At this moment I don't see that talent percolating. I see it withering away in utter frustration. The Comets team we are watching now is the worst TEAM we have ever had here. There may be a couple individuals who stand out with the best ever here, but as a unit of 18 they are the worst.

It is early and they can improve, but if things remain the way they are personnel wise, it ain't gonna happen. These kids won't become what they were sent here to do with the plug cast they have to work with. Archi and MAYBE Gaudette come back. Gaudette won't be here any longer than a takes another guy up their to get injured, an inevitability. Archi pushes a PTO out of the lineup. Utica's injured are no better than what's out there. They just get shuffled around. I won't bore those who don't want to here it, but the centers these kids need are not in the Canucks system at this point in history.

Unfortunately the guys drinking the Benning koolaid will not let facts get in the way.

This team is beyond boring to watch. There is absolutely no one to draw you outta your seat.

A bunch of plugs who never should have been signed trying to lead a vastly overrated group of youngsters who as a group have zero interest in any physical play whatsoever.

It's ugly... And I don't see it getting any better. Even if Archie and someone else comes down its still a one line team.

 

[VanJack]

If Archibald, Gaunce, Biega and maybe Leipsic ever arrive back in Utica; and Demko gets back in the lineup, things could change in a hurry. But by then, the Comets could be dead and buried in the Northern Division. This current lineup simply isn't going to win a lot of games.

 

[Svencouver]

Dahlen with another assist today, which is nice. Juolevi not on the board but +/- zero which is an improvement for him. Boucher getting his mojo back with a goal and an assist. Howd the game go off the score sheet?