2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. II

[go comets]

Can't decide if the Comets are that bad or the Amerks are just that good, but think it may be a bit of both. Never saw a Comets team dominated that completely. Any pass to any Comet was always instantly meted by a blue shirt. They were on the Comets like flies on *** and hair on a dog. They had 0 space to maneuver. It reminded me of the Z/Hamilton/Bancks line in '14-15 except they had 4 lines doing it. 1st period 3-0 Amerks, Comets with 3 SOG and the rest was just a formality with 3 more tallies. 5 came on the 1st 15 shots. The Comets vaunted PK was blown out of the water. Cull should have called a time out and yanked Bachman after the first 3 if for no other reason than to wake them up. He didn't and they sleep walked to the end. I am sure they woke up this morning with the belief that last night was just a bad dream.

I think the two wins in Toronto over the weekend resulted in over confident players whom thought this would be an easy game. You will have that with all the young and inexperienced players on this team.

But realistically beating an injury prone team with no goaltenders and still giving up goals against should not have made this group over confident...

I would expect Ivan in net Friday....

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

CANUCKS ASSIGN ALEX BIEGA TO THE COMETS | Utica Comets Official Website

 

[Bad Goalie]

Add Asplund in there too who also had a good game. But Olofsson was at a different level. He is at 12 points in 6 games for the Amerks and looks like he should be in the NHL. I would think that a few more games to show that he is comfortable on the smaller ice surface and he will be in Buffalo.

I would have listed Asplund, but he is a Finn and I was comparing the Swedish effort to our star Dahlen. I keep reading posts believing Jonathan should or at least will be in Vancouver and ligfhting it up with Elias. So far the light is yet to shine even once.

Can't say the lack of scoring from the kids is All on them. A lot of it is, but a lot of it is on the failure to give them centers who can carry the puck and dish it off as well as puck movers on the back end. Last night's array in the middle was Kero who wins draws, but hasn't been of much use otherwise in spite of his six points, all assists which is good, but 3 are on the power play and all but one is a secondary assist and if you see the goals, it's points earned by the work of the two guys who end up making the goal happen. He isn't setting the scorer up.

After him, who I count as a guy who should be in the middle, it was Woods, Darcy, and Bancks. Jasek takes the faceoffs but I would swear by their work and positioning that Bancks is actually playing center and Jasek is playing his normal position on RW.

It will be a long winter for these kids if the center position remains status quo.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think the two wins in Toronto over the weekend resulted in over confident players whom thought this would be an easy game. You will have that with all the young and inexperienced players on this team.

But realistically beating an injury prone team with no goaltenders and still giving up goals against should not have made this group over confident...

I would expect Ivan in net Friday....

I am praying for Ivan to be in net on Friday!

 

[Bad Goalie]

CANUCKS ASSIGN ALEX BIEGA TO THE COMETS | Utica Comets Official Website

This post on their site says Benning announced it today, which is the 18th. TSN listed the move as happening on their site OCT. 15th. Alex must have had issues to deal with first.

Cull said Tuesday that Alex wouldn't join the team until the weekend. So everybody here knew he was assigned. They desperately need a vet to settle this young D down. They are constantly wigged out by pressure. Throwing the puck anywhere to get it away from themselves.

Rochester revealed the Comets' forwards still have immense difficulty getting the puck up ice off the halfboards. Even when they get it out of the zone it usually ends up a dump in, icing, or worst of all a turnover causing the puck to come right back into their own end and it starts all over again. This was a major deficiency in their offense last year and it is becoming apparent once again. Part of the problem is the D's inability to have or take a second to look up ice for the best option. They just wing it up the boards and the opponent is right there with the arrival of the puck. They lose the battle and it's back to defense.

 

[UticaHockey]

I would have listed Asplund, but he is a Finn and I was comparing the Swedish effort to our star Dahlen. I keep reading posts believing Jonathan should or at least will be in Vancouver and ligfhting it up with Elias. So far the light is yet to shine even once.

Can't say the lack of scoring from the kids is All on them. A lot of it is, but a lot of it is on the failure to give them centers who can carry the puck and dish it off as well as puck movers on the back end. Last night's array in the middle was Kero who wins draws, but hasn't been of much use otherwise in spite of his six points, all assists which is good, but 3 are on the power play and all but one is a secondary assist and if you see the goals, it's points earned by the work of the two guys who end up making the goal happen. He isn't setting the scorer up.

After him, who I count as a guy who should be in the middle, it was Woods, Darcy, and Bancks. Jasek takes the faceoffs but I would swear by their work and positioning that Bancks is actually playing center and Jasek is playing his normal position on RW.

It will be a long winter for these kids if the center position remains status quo.

Dahlen may turn into a very good NHL player or he could just as easily turn into a major disappointment. Time will tell. But I can say that I never bought into the hype that many Canucks had for him. I had my suspicions about having too much excitement about a player that had a good season in a Swedish Tier 2 league. Sure Timra went on to win a relegation series to advance to the tier 1 SHL league this season but don't forget that the very nature of a relegation series means they were playing against a bottom feeding team. Dahlen has yet to prove anything against a high level of competition.

 

[UticaHockey]

This post on their site says Benning announced it today, which is the 18th. TSN listed the move as happening on their site OCT. 15th. Alex must have had issues to deal with first.

Cull said Tuesday that Alex wouldn't join the team until the weekend. So everybody here knew he was assigned. They desperately need a vet to settle this young D down. They are constantly wigged out by pressure. Throwing the puck anywhere to get it away from themselves.

Just guessing here but likely they told Biega that this is a permanent reassignment and was given a few extra days to start the process of moving out of his Vancouver apartment with a young family and finding something in Utica. Not untypical when dealing with a veteran with a family.

 

[F A N]

Just guessing here but likely they told Biega that this is a permanent reassignment and was given a few extra days to start the process of moving out of his Vancouver apartment with a young family and finding something in Utica. Not untypical when dealing with a veteran with a family.

I highly doubt they would have told Biega that this is a permanent reassignment. He has a one-way contract and if Gudbranson goes down and they want someone who can play with a bit more toughness on the right side who can they recall?

They probably did give him extra time to make the move though.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Just guessing here but likely they told Biega that this is a permanent reassignment and was given a few extra days to start the process of moving out of his Vancouver apartment with a young family and finding something in Utica. Not untypical when dealing with a veteran with a family.

Absolutely.

Thus, we will see Juolevi as the first call-up with Sautner and Brisebois getting in line. I don't know about you, but my bet is Sautner is probably the best guy for the job at the moment and none of the trio is going to set the world on fire. I just haven't seen the kind of play in which they are just flat out good in the AHL and if that's the case, things at the next level will be a super challenge.

 

[krutovsdonut]

I highly doubt they would have told Biega that this is a permanent reassignment. He has a one-way contract and if Gudbranson goes down and they want someone who can play with a bit more toughness on the right side who can they recall?

They probably did give him extra time to make the move though.

he was on the road when they waived him, so he needed to go back to yvr and get his stuff and sort things out.

 

[M2Beezy]

he was on the road when they waived him, so he needed to go back to yvr and get his stuff and sort things out.

Like Virtanen?

 

[Bad Goalie]

he was on the road when they waived him, so he needed to go back to yvr and get his stuff and sort things out.

That was understandable, but the announcement here came 3 days after the announcement was formally made. I'm not complaining about anything, it's just weird to have the actual announcement made on the 15th and publicized throughout the hockey world, but our nimwits in IT don't announce it until the 18th and state Benning just announced that he was assigned to Utica. Somewhere along the lines someone is a awfully late with the news and my feeling it was our guys who seem to be yesterday or longer with most things.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Like Virtanen?

Nope.

Biega has a family that will accompany him to Utica. They lived here before and I assume will all live here once again. They are part of the Utica community and will be very welcome back here once again. Hopefully, he sees it as returning to their first home away from home. Welcome home, Bulldog.

 

[F A N]

Ya Biega is a trooper. He's also compensated very well. Obviously he would prefer to be in the NHL, but since he wasn't picked up off waivers, I think he's happy going to Utica whose fans he loved playing for and being part of an organization that values him.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

I’m listening through the KROCK app on my iPhone.

Lucky you. All I'm getting are thirty second snippets of classic rock. I'm positive I could listen to games last year.

It's too bad none of the Uticans here can chime in and help a brother out; I have inquired about this multiple times now.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

I have tried to order the Utica game pack on the AHL site too but I can't do that either. It doesn't let me make an account.

I'm almost ready to throw in the towel.

 

[UticaHockey]

Lucky you. All I'm getting are thirty second snippets of classic rock. I'm positive I could listen to games last year.

It's too bad none of the Uticans here can chime in and help a brother out; I have inquired about this multiple times now.

Try this Link for 94.9 KROCK in Utica.
94.9 KROCK

 

[BassMason]

I have tried to order the Utica game pack on the AHL site too but I can't do that either. It doesn't let me make an account.

I'm almost ready to throw in the towel.

There are a couple of different KROCK apps. Make sure you DL the KROCK entertainment one.

 

[RobertKron]

he was on the road when they waived him, so he needed to go back to yvr and get his stuff and sort things out.

I thought they had to recall a player to the Canucks for that?

 

[UticaHockey]

There are a couple of different KROCK apps. Make sure you DL the KROCK entertainment one.

And to add to the confusion there is a KROCK in both Utica and Syracuse owned by the same media company. Part of the day they simulcast the same programming and part of the day it is separate content. If you are hearing music during the Comets game it's because you are listening to the Syracuse KROCK feed.

 

[F A N]

I thought they had to recall a player to the Canucks for that?

?

 

[M2Beezy]

?

Gaudette was recalled

 

[F A N]

Gaudette was recalled

What does that have to do with Biega going back to Van to get his stuff?

 

[VanJack]

Ya Biega is a trooper. He's also compensated very well. Obviously he would prefer to be in the NHL, but since he wasn't picked up off waivers, I think he's happy going to Utica whose fans he loved playing for and being part of an organization that values him.

Canucks are actually doing him a favour by exposing him to waivers and getting him some playing time in Utica. That way when they trade Del Zotto, which surely they'll have to try and do at some point this season, then Biega is ready for a call-up. Real action in Utica is a lot better than endless weeks practicing and sitting in the press-box.

 

[RobertKron]

?

You’ve already forgotten them recalling Virtanen from Utica so he could get his stuff?