2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. VI

[Bad Goalie]

The Comets are just so inept at carrying the puck, making and taking a pass, and shooting the puck at the net. You know basic hockey. They have so many opportunities but mishandle the puck, make a bad pass, lose the pass, misfire, flub, whiff, or shoot wide on their shot chances. It's incredible that these guys ever got the opportunity to play professional hockey at any level whatsoever.

Worst of all, I can't blame these guys for doing the best they can do. The joke is on whoever decided this bunch could actually be assembled to form the whole of a team. They ALL suffer these hockey inadequacies. put the scratches out there and it's not a whole lot better.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Kulbakov stops a breakaway with 3:20 to go and the Comets are not threatening.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Cull will pull Ivan soon and that is usually an open net goal against because they can't win faceoffs or pass well enough to control the puck. They miss a pass and it ends up in their net.

Yep, there it is 30 seconds after pulling the goalie and it's 3-1.

Bet he pulls him again. Let's see. nope. Can't get the puck in order to do such.

It's over. Final score 3-1 Providence with an empty net goal and a downtown wrister among the 3 goals against.

Problem was the same as they have faced since mid-February. They are an offensive black hole, pit, chasm.

 

[UticaHockey]

How do players waived now work. Can they be claimed and assigned to their AHL affiliate? Avalanche waived Andrew Ag ozzino. He had 57 points with their AHL affiliate.

If not, could Vancouver sign him and then assign him to Utica next season during the waiver rush at or near the NHL roster deadline date? He's a center.

Vancouver wouldn't be able to claim him anyway because they are now maxed out at 50 contracts after Benning's recent shopping spree with NCAA free agents.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

This can't end soon enough. Can't remember the last time they scored 3 or more goals before last night.

 

[go comets]

What a complete ****ing moron.

Here’s what happened, you idiot :

1) you gave them a roster with no center depth.

2) they had fringe junk goaltending all year aside from the 15 games Demko played.

3) you did nothing to help the team at all as the season went along and in fact kept stripping assets, so most of the team was ATO/ECHL junk by the end.

4) a bunch of the prospects you thought were really good actually couldn’t skate.

Also, how the hell is this something just being addressed now? The GM should have watched most Comets games this year and been in constant contact with Utica coaches and management all year.

It reaks of miss-managment and a GM that certainly is in over his head... There is no reason for this team to be in this position if Benning delegated authority as needed.
It's fairly obvious that too many small items are overlooked and forgotten. The lack of players being papered down is one example. The lack of urgency to sign free agents for Utica is another.

 

[Bad Goalie]

It reaks of miss-managment and a GM that certainly is in over his head... There is no reason for this team to be in this position if Benning delegated authority as needed.
It's fairly obvious that too many small items are overlooked and forgotten. The lack of players being papered down is one example. The lack of urgency to sign free agents for Utica is another.

Just reviewing the NHL transactions of the past couple days and the teams that didn't make the playoffs all sent a number of players to their AHL affiliates. Detroit's list looks like a fire sale.

Vancouver sent a large round number of players down to their affiliate:

Z-------E----------R----------O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that a round enough number for you all?
I believe they are the only NHL team not to send their farm anyone.

The Comets NCAA players were signed by Utica with no visible connection to Vancouver. The other NHL teams almost all sent recently signed NCAA players to their farms.

Those with JR players on teams that did not make the playoffs and those on teams that were eliminated also sent those players to their farms. Benning sent an injured Woo who is already released and Mitch Eliot who they don't want to burn a year off of so he is not allowed to play, but remains to pratice!?!?!?!? WTF? Never heard of such nonsense especially at the rate he burns those same years off of his college signees' ELCs.

I don't have any idea what logical excuse he could have for these issues let alone all of the ones previously listed on this page. Coming here to find out what the problems are is wading into blind oblivion. You would have to have dementia to not already understand the reasons for everything that's gone wrong here this year, not to mention the 3 previous ones as well. His treatment of the Comets has been rinse and repeat for the seasons '15-16, '16-17, '17-18, and '18-19. Unless someone takes the responsibility for the Comets away from him and Johnson, it will be the same old same old for '19-20. A GM explicitly hired to run the Comets and advocate for their needs is essential. Unless said individual is hired their is no hope for this city and the team it supports no matter what.
The AHL sellout record increases by one with every game they play at home. Now stands at 153. The AHL doesn't include playoff games in the record, but every playoff game played in Utica has also been sold out bringing the actual number to 169. Most of those playoff games were played in the 2014-2015 finals run. Their record in the playoffs since then has been one series and out 2 times and those 2 teams got in with smoke and mirrors.

I have said it before, but I see this a blatant open and shut case of child neglect by the parent club.

 

[Fatass]

Just reviewing the NHL transactions of the past couple days and the teams that didn't make the playoffs all sent a number of players to their AHL affiliates. Detroit's list looks like a fire sale.

Vancouver sent a large round number of players down to their affiliate:

Z-------E----------R----------O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that a round enough number for you all?
I believe they are the only NHL team not to send their farm anyone.

The Comets NCAA players were signed by Utica with no visible connection to Vancouver. The other NHL teams almost all sent recently signed NCAA players to their farms.

Those with JR players on teams that did not make the playoffs and those on teams that were eliminated also sent those players to their farms. Benning sent an injured Woo who is already released and Mitch Eliot who they don't want to burn a year off of so he is not allowed to play, but remains to pratice!?!?!?!? WTF? Never heard of such nonsense especially at the rate he burns those same years off of his college signees' ELCs.

I don't have any idea what logical excuse he could have for these issues let alone all of the ones previously listed on this page. Coming here to find out what the problems are is wading into blind oblivion. You would have to have dementia to not already understand the reasons for everything that's gone wrong here this year, not to mention the 3 previous ones as well. His treatment of the Comets has been rinse and repeat for the seasons '15-16, '16-17, '17-18, and '18-19. Unless someone takes the responsibility for the Comets away from him and Johnson, it will be the same old same old for '19-20. A GM explicitly hired to run the Comets and advocate for their needs is essential. Unless said individual is hired their is no hope for this city and the team it supports no matter what.
The AHL sellout record increases by one with every game they play at home. Now stands at 153. The AHL doesn't include playoff games in the record, but every playoff game played in Utica has also been sold out bringing the actual number to 169. Most of those playoff games were played in the 2014-2015 finals run. Their record in the playoffs since then has been one series and out 2 times and those 2 teams got in with smoke and mirrors.

I have said it before, but I see this a blatant open and shut case of child neglect by the parent club.

I really wish we had a proper ?GM in place up here, so the Comets could excell down there.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Vancouver wouldn't be able to claim him anyway because they are now maxed out at 50 contracts after Benning's recent shopping spree with NCAA free agents.

Thank you ,but that's not my actual question. I want to know how that would work if there was a spot in the 50. Could they have claimed him and the kept him on board as the number in the 50 is going to go down immediately when Mazanec and Leighton are released. There will be a bunch more if the Utica UFAs are let go and qualifying offers are not made to other RFAs. Who knows what he will do with the hangers on in Vancouver once he ventures into the free agent market. Also with the draft in Vancouver, trading some of those bodies for picks may also occur (smart GMs would, but......).

Aozzino has 57Pts in 53GP with the AHL Colorado Eagles this season. More than a PPG player is rare in the AHL and if I was a GM with a shot a getting one of these guys for depth in my organization, I'd be all over that.

I would also have been all over the ease with which the Comets could have added a very credible center at any point in this season while he wallowed with the Toledo Walleyes. I kept screaming go sign TJ Hensick to a PTO. If he still has what I believe he does then sign him to an AHL contract. Nope, on February 12th, the Comets recalled Reid Gardiner from Kalamazoo. You know? The guy Joe Roberts calls a pure goal scorer. Joe needs to familiarize himself with the success levels of most ECHL goal scorers when they arrive in the AHL.

On the same day the San Jose Barracuda finally heard what I was broadcasting to the heavens and signed him to an AHL contract and all the guy has done is record 19 Pts in 21GP.
Compare that with:

Gardiner - 3 Pts in 21GP!
Woods - 15Pts in 55GP!
Hamilton - 9 Pts in 20GP!
Darcy - 22 points in 65GP. Took him 44 more games to basically put up the same points Hensick did in 21.

You don't have to be a genius to see what's out there proven to be good. A PTO can be voided in a day. It hurts you how to give a guy a look?

I am sure Conacher knew he was out there. Ifht'd bet the farm that his agent had been in touch and probably more than once. He could see the Comets were desperate for centers the same way they were when the Comets acquired him in an AHL trade deadline deal in '15-16 and all he did was lead the Comets in points with 15 over the last 19 games of the season and helped them squeak into the playoffs. I bet Johnson nixed the idea as TJ is a veteran and it might have meant one of his favorite AHL players, Hamilton or Bancks would have to be jockeyed around and maybe even sit out a game here and there. Hamilton has been injured most of the year and went down on the 1oth and Gaudette was recalled.

A center was in desperate need at the time and would remain such right up to this minute. However, the powers overseeing Utica are bona fide, 100% morons. This is the kind of **** they do all season long when problems arise on the farm.Johnson has to be removed from the premises and never allowed to meddle again and Benning needs to hire and assign a hockey mind to the AHL GM position and let him do his job. That's what happens most all of the other AHL cities.

Sorry I went off topic a bit there, but the PPG center thing is still in my craw over Hensick. There have been players around all season for the price of a phone call and an AHL contract. Johnson wouldn't know a good AHL player if he tripped over one or where to find one or how to go about getting him to town. He is the worst excuse for the position he holds in the AHL.

 

[UticaHockey]

Thank you ,but that's not my actual question. I want to know how that would work if there was a spot in the 50. Could they have claimed him and the kept him on board as the number in the 50 is going to go down immediately when Mazanec and Leighton are released. There will be a bunch more if the Utica UFAs are let go and qualifying offers are not made to other RFAs. Who knows what he will do with the hangers on in Vancouver once he ventures into the free agent market. Also with the draft in Vancouver, trading some of those bodies for picks may also occur (smart GMs would, but......).

Aozzino has 57Pts in 53GP with the AHL Colorado Eagles this season. More than a PPG player is rare in the AHL and if I was a GM with a shot a getting one of these guys for depth in my organization, I'd be all over that.

I would also have been all over the ease with which the Comets could have added a very credible center at any point in this season while he wallowed with the Toledo Walleyes. I kept screaming go sign TJ Hensick to a PTO. If he still has what I believe he does then sign him to an AHL contract. Nope, on February 12th, the Comets recalled Reid Gardiner from Kalamazoo. You know? The guy Joe Roberts calls a pure goal scorer. Joe needs to familiarize himself with the success levels of most ECHL goal scorers when they arrive in the AHL.

On the same day the San Jose Barracuda finally heard what I was broadcasting to the heavens and signed him to an AHL contract and all the guy has done is record 19 Pts in 21GP.
Compare that with:

Gardiner - 3 Pts in 21GP!
Woods - 15Pts in 55GP!
Hamilton - 9 Pts in 20GP!
Darcy - 22 points in 65GP. Took him 44 more games to basically put up the same points Hensick did in 21.

You don't have to be a genius to see what's out there proven to be good. A PTO can be voided in a day. It hurts you how to give a guy a look?

I am sure Conacher knew he was out there. Ifht'd bet the farm that his agent had been in touch and probably more than once. He could see the Comets were desperate for centers the same way they were when the Comets acquired him in an AHL trade deadline deal in '15-16 and all he did was lead the Comets in points with 15 over the last 19 games of the season and helped them squeak into the playoffs. I bet Johnson nixed the idea as TJ is a veteran and it might have meant one of his favorite AHL players, Hamilton or Bancks would have to be jockeyed around and maybe even sit out a game here and there. Hamilton has been injured most of the year and went down on the 1oth and Gaudette was recalled.

A center was in desperate need at the time and would remain such right up to this minute. However, the powers overseeing Utica are bona fide, 100% morons. This is the kind of **** they do all season long when problems arise on the farm.Johnson has to be removed from the premises and never allowed to meddle again and Benning needs to hire and assign a hockey mind to the AHL GM position and let him do his job. That's what happens most all of the other AHL cities.

Sorry I went off topic a bit there, but the PPG center thing is still in my craw over Hensick. There have been players around all season for the price of a phone call and an AHL contract. Johnson wouldn't know a good AHL player if he tripped over one or where to find one or how to go about getting him to town. He is the worst excuse for the position he holds in the AHL.

I believe so which is the reason Sautner won't be placed on waivers even though he was the only player that Benning papered down. No reason to risk losing him to a waiver claim if a team thinks that he may help them next season.

I took a look at Agozzino and he isn't a good example to use in this case because he is a 28 year old UFA. Making a waiver claim now to add to your organizational depth for next season requires that the player have at least another year left on his contract.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Check out the massive airlift heading for Grand Rapids

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/transactions

 

[Bad Goalie]

I believe so which is the reason Sautner won't be placed on waivers even though he was the only player that Benning papered down. No reason to risk losing him to a waiver claim if a team thinks that he may help them next season.

I took a look at Agozzino and he isn't a good example to use in this case because he is a 28 year old UFA. Making a waiver claim now to add to your organizational depth for next season requires that the player have at least another year left on his contract.

Correct. I understand. Was just using a PPG on waivers as an example. Vancouver might consider a contract for a guy like that. Colorado used him as a fill-in. Utica really didn't have a fill-in forward that would have satisfied their needs. Boucher already flunked out, MacEwen isn't NHL ready , if he ever will be, and Kero isn't an NHL player so they are going to have to acquire some better talent here.

Who am I kidding. I'm talking like the Comets actually have someone who cares about what players they sign on to help their "prospects" develop. Don't foresee a lot of new ones up front so it will likely be another Kunyk, Rendulic, at forward
that Benning doesn't want anyways and they won't be that great in Utica either.

Then maybe Billins, Robak on the back end where they look to be loading up on long shots like Rafferty, Eliot, Teves added to Chatfield to go along with Sautner and Brisebois.

Yuk once again. Still no real top end talent.

 

[F A N]

It reaks of miss-managment and a GM that certainly is in over his head... There is no reason for this team to be in this position if Benning delegated authority as needed.
It's fairly obvious that too many small items are overlooked and forgotten. The lack of players being papered down is one example. The lack of urgency to sign free agents for Utica is another.

I am actually of the opinion that Canucks' management has put a lot of faith in Ryan Johnson.

 

[UticaHockey]

Check out the massive airlift heading for Grand Rapids

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/transactions

A total of 8 players sent from Detroit to Grand Rapids but the Benning lovers argued with me that the Canucks could only paper one player down at the TDL because it only left them with three regular call ups the rest of the season. As I said then smart teams find ways every year to manage the emergency call up loopholes to take a look at as many players in the AHL as they want. How else does a team like Detroit send 8 players back if you are only allowed 4 recalls which include papered players. Benning never has been able to use the CBA to his advantage and probably never will.

 

[Tables of Stats]

A total of 8 players sent from Detroit to Grand Rapids but the Benning lovers argued with me that the Canucks could only paper one player down at the TDL because it only left them with three regular call ups the rest of the season. As I said then smart teams find ways every year to manage the emergency call up loopholes to take a look at as many players in the AHL as they want. How else does a team like Detroit send 8 players back if you are only allowed 4 recalls which include papered players. Benning never has been able to use the CBA to his advantage and probably never will.

If we sent 8 players down at the end of the season, would it even make a difference now? The Comets would still have needed to run the table and get a string of pure losses from every team above them to make the playoffs.

I get that now the last games have zero meaning to Comets fans versus at least getting to see some skilled/new players and build excitement for next season but I can see why the Canucks wouldn't bother. I think that the people in charge of the Comets knew they were planning to get rid of Dahlen for no replacement and didn't think the Comets would stay in the race without his services and thus only papered down Sautner; a player which ultimately played too many games to be sent down.

 

[UticaHockey]

If we sent 8 players down at the end of the season, would it even make a difference now? The Comets would still have needed to run the table and get a string of pure losses from every team above them to make the playoffs.

I get that now the last games have zero meaning to Comets fans versus at least getting to see some skilled/new players and build excitement for next season but I can see why the Canucks wouldn't bother. I think that the people in charge of the Comets knew they were planning to get rid of Dahlen for no replacement and didn't think the Comets would stay in the race without his services and thus only papered down Sautner; a player which ultimately played too many games to be sent down.

With hindsight you know what the answer to this question is so why even ask it. I'm not going to get into a back and forth discussion with you on this. On February 25th Benning did not utilize the rules in the CBA to potentially return players to Utica that could help them at a later date. And this was four straight years under his management that this has been the case.

 

[go comets]

We are now hearing rumors that some players do not like playing for Cull as he is too hard on players ..... So things will get interesting. Looks like Culls final game will be Sunday. Hopefully that clown Johnson can go with him.....

 

[Tables of Stats]

With hindsight you no what the answer to this question is so why even ask it. I'm not going to get into a back and forth discussion with you on this. On February 25th Benning did not utilize the rules in the CBA to potentially return players to Utica that could help them at a later date. And this was four straight years under his management that this has been the case.

Your team has been good to just slightly below average since the Canucks revived the Comets. While I know you all want a more AHL focused approach to things, this is the first year you've been legitimately bad under the current regime. Given the fact that the Canucks are more focused on European and College committed prospects our draft picks tend to spend less time in the AHL than they could.

We're sending our C+ and below tier prospects to the AHL and hoping they show enough to be worth a look at the next level. This management style means that any talk of improving things in Utica will likely stay lip service for the foreseeable future. I'd also argue that with the league favoring players jumping into the NHL and playing at least two NHL seasons on an ELC that the AHL may become less important to development in the future anyway.

After all, why burn ELC years in the AHL when you can have players play in college or Europe for free?

 

[timw33]

Can someone factcheck the Benning statement on Juolevi saying he was playing 22-25 minutes a night PK and PP time? He makes it seem like it was only an injury that really held him back this year, not uneven play.

 

[UticaHockey]

Can someone factcheck the Benning statement on Juolevi saying he was playing 22-25 minutes a night PK and PP time? He makes it seem like it was only an injury that really held him back this year, not uneven play.

Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration to me. Juolevi did get top 4 pairing minutes plus he was on the power play but I don't remember him being a mainstay on the PK. I could be wrong but I remember him getting some games where he was on the PK but I don't think it was a steady thing.

BG has accurately mentioned in the past that Juolevi was allergic to the physical game but the thing that stood out to me is how slow his skating looked. I hope for Canucks fans sake that his skating issues were a result of playing through a knee injury and not what his skating skills are actually like. I never read anything that stated if his knee injury was tied to a specific event or if it was something that was lingering for a while.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

Your team has been good to just slightly below average since the Canucks revived the Comets. While I know you all want a more AHL focused approach to things, this is the first year you've been legitimately bad under the current regime. Given the fact that the Canucks are more focused on European and College committed prospects our draft picks tend to spend less time in the AHL than they could.

We're sending our C+ and below tier prospects to the AHL and hoping they show enough to be worth a look at the next level. This management style means that any talk of improving things in Utica will likely stay lip service for the foreseeable future. I'd also argue that with the league favoring players jumping into the NHL and playing at least two NHL seasons on an ELC that the AHL may become less important to development in the future anyway.

After all, why burn ELC years in the AHL when you can have players play in college or Europe for free?

Not true.

One great year, no other years above real .500.

The Canucks did not revive the Comets, Esche did.

No playmaking center for 4 straight seasons.

One stooge assigns another stooge to be the Comets GM.

Get your facts straight.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

COMETS MAKE TRIO OF ROSTER MOVES | Utica Comets Official Website

Cull is dead man walking.

 

[MS]

COMETS MAKE TRIO OF ROSTER MOVES | Utica Comets Official Website

Cull is dead man walking.

Gross.

Not that it matters much at this point, Saucerman was actually a very effective depth defender and they’re cutting him to replace him with a guy who had 9 points in 60 ECHL games at age 26?

 

[Zarpan]

The Saucerman move is probably just to give him a chance to play in the ECHL playoffs. Utica's season is nearly over and their next game is the same day Idaho has game one in the playoffs.

 

[Tables of Stats]

Not true.

One great year, no other years above real .500.

The Canucks did not revive the Comets, Esche did.

No playmaking center for 4 straight seasons.

One stooge assigns another stooge to be the Comets GM.

Get your facts straight.

Comets league standing since they've been back:

'13-'14: 20th with 79 points for a 0.520 point percentage - Missed the playoffs by 4 points
'14-'15: 2nd with 103 points for a 0.678 point percentage - Made the Finals
'15-'16: 13th with 88 points for a 0.579 point percentage - 1st Round Exit
'16-'17: 19th with 79 points for a 0.520 point percentage - Missed the playoffs by 3 points
'17-'18: 14th with 88 points for a 0.579 point percentage - 1st Round Exit
'18-'19: 25th with 72 points for a 0.493 point percentage - 9 points out of the playoffs

It looks like you've had a middle of the pack team with 1 good high season and a current low season.

Here's a list of the bottom 10 teams every season the Comets have been back for:

Utica Comets
Worcester Sharks
Charlotte Checkers
Syracuse Crunch
Lake Erie Monsters
Hamilton Bulldogs
San Antonio Rampage
Adirondack Phantoms
Iowa Wild
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Portland Pirates
-----
Hamilton Bulldogs
Milwaukee Admirals
Adirondack Flames
Binghamton Senators
St. John's IceCaps
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Charlotte Checkers
Rochester Americans
Norfolk Admirals
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Iowa Wild
-----
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
San Antonio Rampage
Chicago Wolves
x - San Jose Barracuda
Rochester Americans
Bakersfield Condors
Binghamton Senators
Stockton Heat
Manitoba Moose
Springfield Falcons
Iowa Wild
-----
x - Stockton Heat
Springfield Thunderbirds
Texas Stars
Bakersfield Condors
Manitoba Moose
Rochester Americans
Tucson Roadrunners
Rockford IceHogs
San Antonio Rampage
Binghamton Senators
Hartford Wolf Pack
-----
Hartford Wolf Pack
x - San Jose Barracuda
San Diego Gulls
Stockton Heat
Bakersfield Condors
Springfield Thunderbirds
Hershey Bears
Binghamton Devils
Belleville Senators
Cleveland Monsters
Laval Rocket
-----
Rockford IceHogs
San Diego Gulls
Springfield Thunderbirds
Colorado Eagles
Tucson Roadrunners
Utica Comets
Laval Rocket
Hartford Wolf Pack
Stockton Heat
San Antonio Rampage
Binghamton Devils
Ontario Reign

Tell me you'd rather be a fan of the Iowa Wild who had 3 seasons worse than the Comet's current season before rising to become a bubble team. Or maybe you could be cheering for Stockton with 4 years in the bottom 10 one of which they made the playoffs as the 20th ranked team.

You've had a solid C+ student of a team and you're bitching because they're having a down season where injuries have been the largest factor. You're complaining that Kero isn't a playmaker while ignoring that you've had two players in the top 30 for points all season long. Be glad you've never had a playoff drought of more than a single season since coming back instead of trying to spin so woe-is-me BS that the team has been awful outside of a single good season.

You spoiled rotten Comet's fans don't even know what a truly bad team looks like.