2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. IV: Six more years as your Vancouver Canucks affiliate

[Bad Goalie]

I don't know what the Comets did for the X-mas break, but it destroyed what they had going. Last week the Comets went on the road and defeated the Charlotte Checkers twice in their own barn. Why was that significant? Because the Checkers by virtue of points are the best overall team in the AHL.

They then defeated Springfield in their barn on the way home from North Carolina via Massachusetts. They brought their record to 3 games over .500 and were on a great streak of 8 games without a regulation loss.

Then just before the break they lost to Binghamton at home, followed up the vacation with a second loss to the Devils last night, and tonight were outright humiliated by the Syracuse Crunch 10-1. They get to face 1st place Rochester at home tomorrow night.

Those who follow this site know I alerted the masses that the real meat of the Comets season is still ahead of them and Syracuse and Rochester are on the slate a ****load of times.
They play Syracuse 9 more times and Rochester 6 counting tomorrow. Their record vs these 2 North Division powers is 2-5 and they have been shut out 2x and scored 1 goal 2x while being outscored 36-13. Syracuse is 16-3-2 after a 3-5 start and trail the Rochester Americans, who have led the Division all season, by 2 points and have 3 games in hand.

Tonight's game doesn't deserve a recap. It's one for the ages and best just put to rest. Suffice to say they were outclassed in every sense of the word. They only surrendered 1 PP goal. So you might say then the rest of the 10 came at even strength, right? Nope, only 6 did. The other 3 were surrendered while the Comets were on the PP!

This was a historical night that you wish the history books could forget to record, but the Comets set a new milestone as the 10 goals are the most a Comets team ever surrendered with the past infamous number being 8.

Syracuse Crunch 10 - Utica Comets 0

Forwards:
Dahlen/Gaunce/Archibald
Boucher/Kero/Jasek
MacMaster/Darcy/MacEwen
Arseneau/Bancks/Lind

D-Pairs:
Brisebois/Sifers
Graham/McEneny
Blujus/Dirk

Goal -
Kulbakov - 23:17/4GA
Demko - 16:43/2GA
Kulbakov - 20:00/4GA

Hopefully, Ghost Johnson and Benning are looking for some veteran net help.

Hey, they have needed veteran center help for 4 years and still didn't get it. Tonight PTO Cameranesi was scratched and Carter Bancks filled the middle for AHL/ECHL plug Arseneau and highly regarded prospect Kole Lind. Arseneau scored his first goal of the season playing in only 13 games due mostly to injury. Lind played his 18th game tonight and is still looking for his first pro goal.Bancks is NOT a center. He's not even an offensive player.

As long as we are counting:
Palmu - 0 in his 13 GP**
Lind - o in 18 GP
Chatfield - 0 in 13 GP*
Dirk - 0 in 7 GP
Juolevi - 1 in 18 GP*
Gadjovich - 1 in 19 GP
Graham - 1 in 22 GP
Brisebois - 2 in 32 GP
MacMaster - 2 in 26 GP
** no longer a Comet. Returned to Finland.
* missing from the lineup with long term injuries.

MacEwen - 13 in 34 GP
Jasek - 7 in 29 GP
Dahlen - 7 in 31 GP

All 3 of these guys have played at some time with Kero, the only quality center the Comets have had until Gaunce was moved into the middle 10 games ago. Dahlen and MacEwen have been on his wings for the better part of those 10 games.

Dahlen for the first 4 games and then he was hurt and rejoined Gaunce tonight. MacEwen for 8 of 9 games a he was suspended for 1 game in that time span. He was taken off the line for Dahlen tonight. Archi and Gaunce have become very effective. Kero has been centering Jasek and Boucher. Darcy and Cameranesi have been centering the other 2 lines for some time now. Darcy's 6 assists in 29 GP are all you need to know about his ability to be a play maker. Cameranesi is an ECHL center on a PTO who will not put up points at this level (1g/3A in 19 GP). So, nothing resembling a play maker after Kero and Gaunce and Kero's lack of strong play making is evidenced by Boucher's even strength struggles.

The scoring of late (maybe the last 10 games or so) has come from individual plays and slip ups from the opponents resulting in breakaways, odd man rushes, turnovers in their own zones resulting in goals by the Comets, and some bad goals. There has not been any kind of actual offensive system goals. The fact is, I am still trying to figure out if Cull actually has a system at all beyond dump and chase, odd man breaks from opponent turnovers, and PP play goals which carried them early on, but that well has dried up.

I'm going to go to tomorrow's Rochester game with the hope that embarrassment can stimulate at least one good effort out of this 3-game weekend.

 

[MS]

Well, that was horrific.

Outscored, outshot, outhit, outskated, completely outclassed. Some really tragic performances and atrocious compete level.

- first the guys who get a pass. Gaunce and Archibald both skated from start to finish, and were only a -1 with a combined 9 SOG in a 10-1 game. Gaunce was really the only guy going early and easily the team’s best player. Blujus-Dirk pairing were solid and finished even on the night. Arseneau finished every check until the final buzzer. And that’s about it.

- McEneny was tragic. Hard to differentiate where his bad skating ended and his quitting on plays began. Zero compete level. Should be embarrassed.

- Graham just as bad but I think he was trying. Had been better after a rough start but this was a nightmare. Looked like a pee-wee defending against men.

- Brisebois showed some good wheels to recover a few times but was a dogs breakfast in general. Constantly chasing the play but not really helped by playing with McEneny.

- Boucher-Kero-Jasek line were brutal. Generated nothing. Boucher floating around uselessly and Kero not a lot better. No puck support, no puck pressure.

- not sure what MacEwen did to get demoted to the 3rd line. Wasn’t good but had a few moments in the first and wasn’t as bad as others.

- Lind mostly stunk again but did have one moment in the 3rd where he made a nice move in the neutral zone and looked a bit quicker. Really reaching for positives here though.

- Dahlen was playing with Archibald and Gaunce and protected a bit by their effort but I didn’t like his game much. Had one great chance where he missed the net but otherwise did a lot of gliding around.

- goalies weren’t good but this wasn’t a scoreline caused by goaltending.

 

[VanJack]

Every team seems to have one of these melt-downs every year.....and often the first game back after Xmas for whatever reason. But what concerns me is that other than possibly MacEwan and Demko, nobody else on this roster is making much of a case for beating in the door to win a roster spot in VanCity next season.

A lot of the Comets seem to have plateaued in terms of their development. Not good news if you're looking for your AHL team as a pipeline for NHL talent.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Every team seems to have one of these melt-downs every year.....and often the first game back after Xmas for whatever reason. But what concerns me is that other than possibly MacEwan and Demko, nobody else on this roster is making much of a case for beating in the door to win a roster spot in VanCity next season.

A lot of the Comets seem to have plateaued in terms of their development. Not good news if you're looking for your AHL team as a pipeline for NHL talent.

Well it was kinda supposed to be Gaudette this year but he was plucked by the Canucks after two games, as was Troy Stecher before him. Realistically, anyone with a pulse is never left in Utica past the third week of October. That's just not our style. As Bad Goalie likes to point out, the Comets are just a place the Canucks use to stash injury call ups, Thatcher Demko notwithstanding.

 

[Hit the post]

Well it was kinda supposed to be Gaudette this year but he was plucked by the Canucks after two games, as was Troy Stecher before him. Realistically, anyone with a pulse is never left in Utica past the third week of October. That's just not our style. As Bad Goalie likes to point out, the Comets are just a place the Canucks use to stash injury call ups, Thatcher Demko notwithstanding.

Or ECHL candidates with PTOs. I repeat my assertion that Benning doesn’t care too much about (pro) scouting. He just ignores the Comets. The lower tier prospects will just have to fend for themselves. This is a guy you want to lead the organization?

 

[VanJack]

Or ECHL candidates with PTOs. I repeat my assertion that Benning doesn’t care too much about (pro) scouting. He just ignores the Comets. The lower tier prospects will just have to fend for themselves. This is a guy you want to lead the organization?

On paper the Canucks seem to have some decent young talent in Utica.....I mean there are hopes for guys like Lind, Gadjovich, Palmu, Dahlen and even Jasek and Brisebois....otherwise they wouldn't have drafted and signed them. But I'm just not seeing much progression. Maybe there's a reason they decided to keep Gaudette in VanCity, other than injuries.

 

[Bad Goalie]

On paper the Canucks seem to have some decent young talent in Utica.....I mean there are hopes for guys like Lind, Gadjovich, Palmu, Dahlen and even Jasek and Brisebois....otherwise they wouldn't have drafted and signed them. But I'm just not seeing much progression. Maybe there's a reason they decided to keep Gaudette in VanCity, other than injuries.

Palmu had no goals and struggled to even compete in 13 games played. He was often a healthy scratch. Thus, he was sent back to Timra where he will play.

 

[Bad Goalie]

GAUDETTE TO UTICA!

Good news for the beleaguered Comets. Gaudette has been reassigned to the Comets. Not sure how long it will last, but for the moment the Canucks are healthy.

He had 2 goals and 2 assists in his 4 games played here before his call-up. He really needs to establish an offensive side to his game and this is the best place for that. It's up to Cull to place him on a line where he can do that.

I'd like to see him slot in with Boucher and Jasek.
Leave Gaunce with Archi and MacEwen.
Kero can center Dahlen and Lind.
Gives all the Vancouver kids something decent to work with. If they continue to falter it falls on them.

 

[VanJack]

Canucks still have some decisions to make when Sutter is back, and everyone is officially healthy. The 'right thing' would be to put both Schaller and Del Zotto on waivers, and if they cleared, both would really help the Comets immensely. But I sense a trade coming.

 

[iceburg]

Looking forward to seeing Gaudette get some real minutes in Utica. He shows some good signs in Vancouver but his deployment wasn't conducive to putting up any significant scoring stats.

 

[iceburg]

Canucks still have some decisions to make when Sutter is back, and everyone is officially healthy. The 'right thing' would be to put both Schaller and Del Zotto on waivers, and if they cleared, both would really help the Comets immensely. But I sense a trade coming.

Not sure what trade value either of Del Zotto or Schaller have? One of Del Zotto, Schaller, or Biega will likely be sent through waivers when Sutter is healthy - barring any other injuries in the meantime. Del Zotto is the most likely to get claimed and, as such, probably won't get sent down. Biega deserves to be in Vancouver. That leaves Schaller...

 

[UticaHockey]

Canucks still have some decisions to make when Sutter is back, and everyone is officially healthy. The 'right thing' would be to put both Schaller and Del Zotto on waivers, and if they cleared, both would really help the Comets immensely. But I sense a trade coming.

Only one player needs to be moved to make room for Sutter not two so why would you waive both MDZ and Schaller? If there is not another injury before Sutter is activated my guess is Schaller is waived. They can not risk losing any defenseman to waivers because the depth is paper thin. McEneny and Brisebois are the only NHL contracted players not injured and McEneny can't skate well enough to adequately defend against fast AHL forwards.

The lack of depth will limit roster decisions on defense and in goal. With Bachman done for the year how could they possibly trade Nilsson now and only have two healthy pro goalies on NHL contracts?

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Gadjovich and Hamilton back in tonight from injury. Wacey making his season debut.

1-0 Comets, Arseneau from Darcy and....Kole Lind!!!!!!

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Kero from Dahlen and Archibald on the 5 on 3 pp. 2-0 Comets.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

The Canucks have announced a six year extension of the Comets/Canucks affiliation!

SALUTE!!!!

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Comets pbp man Joe Roberts was popping a bottle of champagne on the commercial break when he announced the deal to the fans, it was great...

 

[Laterade]

not bad after a 10-1 loss last night congrats utica!

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

pp goal for Rochester. CJ Smith from Redmond and Olofsson 2-1 Utica.

 

[Hit the post]

The Canucks have announced a six year extension of the Comets/Canucks affiliation!

SALUTE!!!!

I'm not sure guys like Bad Goalie are going to be too happy.

 

[go comets]

I'm not sure guys like Bad Goalie are going to be too happy.

Exactly why the Canucks left this disaster in Utica.... Vancouver fans are not gonna watch this ECHL disaster......

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Exactly why the Canucks left this disaster in Utica.... Vancouver fans are not gonna watch this ECHL disaster......

It wouldn't even be Vancouver fans not watching it. Just for the Utica people here; Abbotsford is about as close to actual Vancouver as Syracuse is to Utica.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Great news, you don’t get a sell out ahl team often, it’s something we should be proud of

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

I know they havent done a great job at developing talents in Utica so far, but moving the farm team to BC means that the players will have to spend a tons of their time on traveling instead of extra training

 

[Jyrki21]

It’s “up to 6” years as reported, so it may not fully be 6, but good news either way. Until there is a top-level minor league with several teams in the Pacific Northwest I really don’t see the appeal of having the farm team close by.

 

[ChilliBilly]

I know they havent done a great job at developing talents in Utica so far, but moving the farm team to BC means that the players will have to spend a tons of their time on traveling instead of extra training

hmmm ... right. The amount of travel up and down from Utica is minor. Where as what league to they play in if in the lower mainland. teams do not want to travel here.