elwin316
Registered User
- Jun 4, 2009
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Player Discussion Brendan Gaunce (Canucks will not extend qualifying offer - Dhaliwal)
- Thread starter Bleach Clean
- Start date
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He is still extremely rusty. He was not very good at all on Friday, picked it up a lot tonight as did Sautner and Chatfield. He should get better each night and if all goes well and he achieves a full comeback, he will be the best D-man on the Comets. Long ways to go for that though. 2 major knee operations in 3 seasons will require a lot of little steps for him to reclaim his former self. I know I am in his corner as well as the rest of the Comets fan base. He sure busted his ass tonight.
On a final note tonight (it's 1:30 a.m. here right now) the game tonight was the most physical hockey game I have watched in Utica. It was playoff level hitting for the number, but the hits included some brutal open ice hits and hits on the boards in which the target seemed to just melt down the boards. Nobody escaped being hit and most guys were hitters at one time or another. It was like all checks were finished to the max and many later than would be called legal on most nights. I know most of the brutal board bangers would have been 2 for boarding any other night.
The fact is these guys just about let everything go. No quarter refereeing. Aside from the Woods 27 minutes fiasco, there were only 2 other 2-minute penalties called in the game, one on each team, McEneny in the first with a diving slash that saved a goal and LaBate with one of his patented stupid high sticking penalties in the second. None were called at all in the 3rd period.
Don Cherry rock 'em sock 'em video material. LOL. Not possible to see that every night. There wouldn't be a man left standing by Christmas. Nobody got hurt that revealed it during the game. Thus, it was a great game to watch.
Megaterio Llamas
el rey del mambo
Nice shot, good for Gaunce. If he can do that fairly regularly and somehow gain a step or two speed wise he might still make it as a 4th line depth option.
DL44
Status quo
See.. THIS is when you are OK having Gaunce in the organization.
No Pettersson.. No Beagle... Call up Gaunce. GAGNER.
Welcome back to the NHL Gagner..
No Pettersson.. No Beagle... Call up
Welcome back to the NHL Gagner..
biturbo19
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2010
- 25,643
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I'm sure some see him that way, but for me, it's really not about "Gaunce is not an NHL caliber player". Every year, a bundle of serviceable NHL depth forwards pass through waivers (some of them multiple times even). I'd comfortably number Gaunce among those serviceable players. I'm happy to have him in the organization, he should be great for Utica and he's exactly what you want when injuries strike and you have to start calling guys up to fill some minutes and not hurt you.
He's the sort of player where, if i were building an organization, i'd target a guy like Gaunce to be that "15th/16th Forward" type guy. Brings value to you AHL affiliate. Doesn't hurt you or force you to shelter excessively if you have to call him up and plug him in for 10 minutes a night. But he's also a total non-impact player. At the end of the day, there are more "NHL caliber players" of Gaunce's ilk, than there are actual NHL jobs. Gaunce with his skillset and style of play is effectively a punt. Nobody is actively seeking that...they've got more interesting things to try.
It's really not about increasing his speed though. At this point, his skating probably is more or less what it's going to be. It's not good, but players have played games with worse mobility. The real problem, what makes him look so painfully slow, and what separates him from being a "Rick Nash clone" even with better speed...is his mentality as a player. He just doesn't have an attacking bone in his body. He's pure passive play. It's been the fundamental issue with him right back to his draft year and beyond.
You wait long enough for the game to come to you...if you don't have the speed and skill to pounce, eventually it's just going to pass you by.
This is an excellent point. He has shown more distain for the media at times than opposing players. Cranking up the passion and intensity would go a long way for him.
And, as I said in a different post, I think my Nash comparison was a little overstated.
Megaterio Llamas
el rey del mambo
DL44
Status quo
The fridge is back!!!
He's the perfect 17th forward you want in your organization..
He's the perfect 17th forward you want in your organization..
Melvin
21/12/05
DL44
Status quo
Fire Benning
diaper filled piss baby
Billy Kvcmu
Registered User
PM
Glass not 1/2 full
- Apr 8, 2014
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Leading the team in points per game now. Offensive power house.
Megaterio Llamas
el rey del mambo
GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xtra
Registered User
Gaunce - 1 game - 1 goal 1 assist
Beagle - 5 games - 0goals 1 assist
Beagle - 5 games - 0goals 1 assist
Megaterio Llamas
el rey del mambo
Melvin
21/12/05
Intangibos
High-End Intangibos
Megaterio Llamas
el rey del mambo
krutovsdonut
eeyore
- Sep 25, 2016
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