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

[Megaterio Llamas]

The Comets took division leaders Syracuse 4-2 tonight. Brendan Gaunce got the empty netter to finish it, and at the same time on the clock he picked up a misconduct for abuse of officials, so he must have gone off about something after he scored. I look forward to the details on the game and the Gaunce story in particular.

Thanks buddy..I have an errand to run....

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL

GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

The Comets took division leaders Syracuse 4-2 tonight. Brendan Gaunce got the empty netter to finish it, and at the same time on the clock he picked up a misconduct for abuse of officials, so he must have gone off about something after he scored. I look forward to the details on the game and the Gaunce story in particular.

Gotta catch the full game tonight...double header of sorts

 

[mossey3535]

So has Ian Clark been spotted down there in Utica at all? Is there a Cloutier-like goalie consultant around?

 

[VanJack]

A nice bounce-back effort from Comets tonight after being scorched 10-1 by the Crunch a week ago. Demko the first star in likely one his final games in a Utica uni.

And reinforcements on the way in form of Pyett and McKenna. And if Sutter is back on the weekend, then somebody has to be shipped out. Schaller or Del Zotto would undoubtedly clear waivers.

Noticed Gaudette in the lineup, but nothing across in the stat line. How did he play?

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Leivo left the game early tonight. May be that no one goes down after all.

 

[orcatown]

Some good efforts in this one.

Liked

Boucher - played well on the PK and ended up, during the PKs, getting a couple of breakaways and scoring on one.

Gaunce - game has matured and he is pivotal to the teams possible success. Offensive game has improved

Gaudette - skated well and had chances. Still plays a little out of control and needs to be more controlled with the puck. Thinking he will dominate down in Utica is probably wrong. The way the game is played at this level makes it a veterans League. A look thru the scoring stats reveals this. A couple of years ago Guance was no where near as assertive or as central as he is now. Rookies that can dominate generally go right to the NHL. In this game, Gaudette played with mostly Dalhen and MacEwen and the line was decently effective. MacEwen seemed to outplay Gaudette in this game.

McEneny - in my mind the best player on the team. Skating is beginning to pick up and puck movement remains very good. Scored an excellent goal when he made and an individual rush thru the defense and scored from close in.

Demko - got run a bit but stood in and had a good game.

Brisebois - he is improving. Plays in every situation, including the PP. Handling pressure in his end better and winning more one on one battles. Good open ice skater who has the wheels to support the play in every zone. Skating -wise he would not be badly out of place at the next level. However, need to improve anticipation and read the situations better.

Sifers - made a game saving shot block late in the game and played with a good physical edge.

Graham - using his very good wheels to make himself a positive at the minute.

Others

Saucer man - was actually quite effective. Like how he keeps everything simple and never tries to force anything

Dahlen - not very noticeable too much of the time. Comets had a bunch of penalties and this forces Dalhen to ride the pine a lot and not get into the game.

Lind - again more in the play but can't get to the net to create offense.

Jasek - played good in spots but overall did not make himself much of factor. On a checking line with Bancks and Hamilton and this group was able to manufacture some o-zone time but never looked likely to score.

 

[UticaHockey]

So has Ian Clark been spotted down there in Utica at all? Is there a Cloutier-like goalie consultant around?

Curtis Sanford is the Comets goalie consultant. I'm not sure if he is here full time or part time. Those kind of details don't get reported on very much and I'm not even sure if the Comets practices are open to the public since I'm not down there during the day.

 

[go comets]

McKenna put on waivers.. the only risk of him getting claimed is the Leafs who have huge goaltending problems.

I will be surprised if he goes unclaimed.. Benning just loves helping out the Leafs.....

 

[F A N]

McKenna put on waivers.. the only risk of him getting claimed is the Leafs who have huge goaltending problems.

I will be surprised if he goes unclaimed.. Benning just loves helping out the Leafs.....

You're kidding right? I'll be very surprised if McKenna gets claimed.

 

[go comets]

You're kidding right? I'll be very surprised if McKenna gets claimed.

You do realize the leafs have an ECHL goalie as their NHL backup right now do you not?????

 

[F A N]

You do realize the leafs have an ECHL goalie as their NHL backup right now do you not?????

Nope. I see a goalie who has spent the last two seasons in the AHL as their backup right now.

There is still time. Want to make a friendly wager that McKenna won't get claimed?

 

[Hansen]

Nope. I see a goalie who has spent the last two seasons in the AHL as their backup right now.

There is still time. Want to make a friendly wager that McKenna won't get claimed?

Toronto is desperate for a body in net in a bad way. I cant see them not claiming McKenna

 

[mossey3535]

Whoops.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Curtis Sanford is the Comets goalie consultant. I'm not sure if he is here full time or part time. Those kind of details don't get reported on very much and I'm not even sure if the Comets practices are open to the public since I'm not down there during the day.

Comets practices under Trent Cull have been closed to the public since very early on when he asked me what I was doing there. The next practice I was asked to leave and the one thereafter shortly after I arrived and I was informed the Adirondack Bank center is closed to the public. CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!!!!.

Probably concerned someone will release his secret coaching schemes to the opponents. What a joke!

I was a common presence at Comets practices under Travis Green. He was very friendly and welcomed my presence.

 

[Bad Goalie]

So, the Comets have until noon EST tomorrow to find out if both of their goalies will be ECHL keepers. Kulbakov is already the current backup, but if McKenna is claimed they will have to search out another and they will be in Cleveland for matinee games Saturday(1 pm) and Sunday 3pm).

Hope the ghost has things in the works ahead of time. N-a-a-a-h-h-h, probably not.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Leivo out with back trouble and Pettersson left the game tonight early in the 2nd and is yet to return. Gaudette's Utica presence could be very limited or maybe Gaunce, playing the best game of all Comets forwards, is on the way to Toronto to join the Canucks. Looks like the Comets are just not supposed to have any nice things.

I keep reading and hearing Demko likely has played his last game for the Comets. If the Canucks don't make the playoffs and the Comets were to do such and Demko isn't papered for the playoff possibility it would be a travesty. It's not like he is about to carry a full NHL goaltending load between now and season's end and a post season playoff run wouldn't be beneficial to him.

 

[bobbyb2009]

Leivo out with back trouble and Pettersson left the game tonight early in the 2nd and is yet to return. Gaudette's Utica presence could be very limited or maybe Gaunce, playing the best game of all Comets forwards, is on the way to Toronto to join the Canucks. Looks like the Comets are just not supposed to have any nice things.

I keep reading and hearing Demko likely has played his last game for the Comets. If the Canucks don't make the playoffs and the Comets were to do such and Demko isn't papered for the playoff possibility it would be a travesty. It's not like he is about to carry a full NHL goaltending load between now and season's end and a post season playoff run wouldn't be beneficial to him.

Completely agree- somebody needs to make sure they paper him down for a playoff run. I can not imagine the Canucks will be in the playoffs.... Demko better be there for any run the Comets get to go on. It will be good for him and for the Comets!!!!

But I maybe have a tough time, Pettersson being hurt tonight, to be hearing how the Comet's can not have nice things. Our world in Canuck fanland was rocked tonight in a significant way. I know this is a Comets thread on the Canucks site, but yikes, that one seems odd to me.

 

[F A N]

Toronto is desperate for a body in net in a bad way. I cant see them not claiming McKenna

Friendly wager then? Nobody willing to bet on it?

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Friendly wager then? Nobody willing to bet on it?

Doesn't look like it.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Completely agree- somebody needs to make sure they paper him down for a playoff run. I can not imagine the Canucks will be in the playoffs.... Demko better be there for any run the Comets get to go on. It will be good for him and for the Comets!!!!

But I maybe have a tough time, Pettersson being hurt tonight, to be hearing how the Comet's can not have nice things. Our world in Canuck fanland was rocked tonight in a significant way. I know this is a Comets thread on the Canucks site, but yikes, that one seems odd to me.

You took it in a completely different light than was intended. The Comets have continually had their best players traded away and received nothing back. The construction of the team ignores the actual needs of the prospects sent here. When they do get a few guys doing well, the Canucks drop like flies and it's back to a PTO lineup. My "Comets aren't supposed to have nice things" statement was merely a sarcastic term of the frustrations we have felt for the past 4 seasons under the Canucks illustrious management team and the even worse excuse for AHL GM assignments since they fired the "real gud" one they had in Lorne Henning.

It had nothing to do with the severity of a Pettersson injury to the Canucks. Any injury to the Canucks, after all, is an injury to the whole franchise. We love Petey here and I, as well as large group of Comets fans, have watched every single one of his games. I hope you realize that we follow the Canucks as well as the Comets here. WE wish every Comet would become a Canuck, but we know that can't happen and we also see guys here that so many in Vancouver think are NHL bound and we don't have the same optimism after watching them day in and day out.

We are hockey people. Most of us know and love the game. The Vancouver organization is as important to us as it is to you, but we feel that way about the whole organization not just one part of it. The players sent here should be properly furnished with the parts that will give them the greatest chance to become Canucks. That doesn't happen with scrub fill-ins to make a 25-man roster right out of camp that we have seen in the last 4 seasons.

The success of the Canucks' future does partly depend upon the development of their prospects. Leaving them hanging out to dry won't fare well for their development. The minor league philosophy of Tampa Bay and Toronto is one in which they believe that winning is very important to their prospects and having good players to play with as D-partners or line mates is key to high level development. Henning shared in that philosophy and built a very winning team in 2 seasons and was then fired.

Benning does not share that philosophy and it is very evident in the players his prospects have been given to enhance their development. Utica has become a place to stash call-ups, hence the fact that the Canucks have no players who can be sent down without waivers and the ones down here that he will call up will have to clear to get sent back down if their for any length of time. Developing players to actually become Canucks has not happened. 6 years in Utica and the Comets have developed one prospect, drafted by Benning, Demko.

This season produced his first group of promising prospects, 3 who were coming along, but not likely to really ever make an impact in Vancouver: Sautner, McEneny,and Carcone; 3 who were in their second year: MacEwen, Chatfield, and Brisebois; and a crop of promising rookies according to their clippings: Juolevi, Dahlen, Gaudette, Lind, Gadjovich, and Palmu. Then of course, Demko was still here.

This group needed centers since the whole crop of forwards was composed of wingers and only one center who was likely not going to be here long and 4 games proved that point. They didn't get quality centers for them.

The D was kids who needed a couple of very solid veteran D-men to provide them with leadership, on ice mentorship/coaching, and coverage as they adopted to the pro game. That didn't happen either.

Thus, the kids are not scoring and the D is weak. It has hurt the kids badly and thus led to my comment that you have taken exception to. It had zero to do with Pettersson, absolutely ZERO!

 

[UticaHockey]

I would hope that Benning will paper down Demko for the playoffs (if the Comets manage to make the playoffs).

Seems like every year Comets fans are disappointed by how few players are papered and made available to Utica at the TDL. But you have to keep in mind that there are limitations on the number of players built into the CBA. A few points to keep in mind.

1. A player on the NHL roster on trade deadline day has to be sent down to the AHL by 3pm that day to be eligible to play in the AHL again that season including the playoffs. They can either physically sent down to play immediately in the AHL or "papered down" where they are sent to the AHL before 3pm and then called back up later that day.
2. After the trade deadline there is no more 23 man roster limit in the NHL.
3. Teams are only allowed 4 regular call ups after the TDL. This includes players that are called up who were papered down. This is what prevents teams from papering down a big list of players to load up an AHL team for the playoffs. Plus it is a balancing act if the NHL team has 2 or 3 players on their AHL team that they want to give a look at in March and April then they can only paper down 1 or 2.
4. NHL teams can still use emergency call-ups after the TDL to go beyond the 4 regular call ups but that requires players going on the IR and the number of available healthy players dropping below predefined numbers.

I think if he isn't called up before the TDL then MacEwen will certainly get called up for a look in March. That will reduce the number of available regular call ups by one. Then they may want to give a few games to either McEneny or Brisebois to see if they can handle to pace of the NHL. When all is said and down there will probably be just one or two players papered down to the Comets because of the desire to give a couple players late season looks. If the Canucks are in a playoff race then it is less likely that Comets will get called up just for a look. If they are out of the playoff race the chances likely increase.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I would hope that Benning will paper down Demko for the playoffs (if the Comets manage to make the playoffs).

Seems like every year Comets fans are disappointed by how few players are papered and made available to Utica at the TDL. But you have to keep in mind that there are limitations on the number of players built into the CBA. A few points to keep in mind.

1. A player on the NHL roster on trade deadline day has to be sent down to the AHL by 3pm that day to be eligible to play in the AHL again that season including the playoffs. They can either physically sent down to play immediately in the AHL or "papered down" where they are sent to the AHL before 3pm and then called back up later that day.
2. After the trade deadline there is no more 23 man roster limit in the NHL.
3. Teams are only allowed 4 regular call ups after the TDL. This includes players that are called up who were papered down. This is what prevents teams from papering down a big list of players to load up an AHL team for the playoffs. Plus it is a balancing act if the NHL team has 2 or 3 players on their AHL team that they want to give a look at in March and April then they can only paper down 1 or 2.
4. NHL teams can still use emergency call-ups after the TDL to go beyond the 4 regular call ups but that requires players going on the IR and the number of available healthy players dropping below predefined numbers.

I think if he isn't called up before the TDL then MacEwen will certainly get called up for a look in March. That will reduce the number of available regular call ups by one. Then they may want to give a few games to either McEneny or Brisebois to see if they can handle to pace of the NHL. When all is said and down there will probably be just one or two players papered down to the Comets because of the desire to give a couple players late season looks. If the Canucks are in a playoff race then it is less likely that Comets will get called up just for a look. If they are out of the playoff race the chances likely increase.

Thank you for your work here. It's one of the few times I actually understood this before you posted it. (sheepishly grinning)

I don't care about any other Canucks unless they have someone called up like Boucher who they could paper back. Gaudette would seem like the obvious type player NHL teams paper. However, Demko would give the Comets their best chances to win even a single round. He is the prime example of the kind of player the NHL teams send to the farm for the playoffs when they are out of it at the NHL level. Boucher would be the automatic farm player who was called up that they send back for the playoffs. Gaudette is the rookie NHLer who has big parts of his game that haven't come together yet and the playoffs at the AHL level can be of great benefit to their growth.

 

[UticaHockey]

Friendly wager then? Nobody willing to bet on it?

How much were you willing to bet?

 

[micquarters]

Philly claims McKenna