Checkers V: Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy Edition

[emptyNedder]

Mattheos with 2:08 left.

 

[MinJaBen]

 

[Unsustainable]

This team is legit

 

[MinJaBen]

Saarela seems like he’s turning into a playa.

 

[HisIceness]

Don't f*** around, go for the sweep.

 

[The Faulker 27]

Necas, Gauthier, Geekie, Saarela, Jurco.

Talk about some depth at forward.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Necas, Gauthier, Geekie, Saarela, Jurco.

Talk about some depth at forward.

Necas, Gauthier, Geekie and Mattheos are all right shots, too, so we may be able to solve that particular issue internally.

I was at the game tonight and I said I'd post. But tonight's game was so bad, I want to take another look tomorrow before saying anything. Nobody was any good. Hershey was awful. The refs were awful. The Checkers had *zero* shots in the third leading up to the flurry that ended with Mattheos's GWG. It was ugly and I'd hate to judge anyone after this one. Hershey had *eight* minutes of power play in the first 10 minutes of the third and generated three shots (Nick Schilkey got a double-minor for high-sticking then played the puck coming out of the box before stepping on the ice and went right back in). No lie, with five minutes to go in the game, shots in the third period were 4-0, Hershey. It was painful.

I will say that Jesper Sellgren played a bunch and didn't look at all out of place. There was a 4-on-4 about eight minutes into the game and he came out with Necas, Roy and Carrick. They controlled the puck for almost the entire two minutes, but he couldn't get his shot through on about three tries and wasn't really noticeable the rest of the way.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Saarela seems like he’s turning into a playa.

Like I said, I should just shut up until after tomorrow's game, but Saarela wasn't great tonight. He wasn't even good, actually. He got pushed around pretty badly. His goal was a laser from the top of the left circle, outside the faceoff dot. I'm sure he's got a rocket, but a Vanecek just missed it. A very bad goal, even by AHL standards. And the empty netter was a 2-on-0 with Poturalski where Andrew deferred to the goal scorer.

Not a great game for anybody. Nedeljkovic was the best player for Charlotte and it wasn't even close.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

The change that I am noticing in this organization is the belief that we can win every game we're in. At every level we are winning games through heart and effort and that's the first time we could say that in a really long time.

 

[mhart1]

The change that I am noticing in this organization is the belief that we can win every game we're in. At every level we are winning games through heart and effort and that's the first time we could say that in a really long time.

Yep, it is really amazing to think the organization has chance of triple this year!

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Like I said, I should just shut up until after tomorrow's game, but Saarela wasn't great tonight. He wasn't even good, actually. He got pushed around pretty badly. His goal was a laser from the top of the left circle, outside the faceoff dot. I'm sure he's got a rocket, but a Vanecek just missed it. A very bad goal, even by AHL standards. And the empty netter was a 2-on-0 with Poturalski where Andrew deferred to the goal scorer.

Not a great game for anybody. Nedeljkovic was the best player for Charlotte and it wasn't even close.

One thing I notice that is different from prior years both in Carolina and in Charlotte, is that the teams are coming out on the winning side of ugly, poorly played games instead of losing them. Some of it is having better goaltending, but the mindset of these teams is different.

In addition to an overall report, I'd like to get your more detailed thoughts on Ned, Kev. Not just how he played in general, but other aspects of his game (puck handling, positioning, lateral movement/recovery, rebound control, etc...)

 

[Svechhammer]

So....

The Canes are in the Eastern Conference Finals
the Checkers are up 3-0 and one win away from the Conference Final
The Everblades are in the Eastern Conference Finals

This is what organizational depth looks like, right?

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

So....

The Canes are in the Eastern Conference Finals
the Checkers are up 3-0 and one win away from the Conference Final
The Everblades are in the Eastern Conference Finals

This is what organizational depth looks like, right?

I mean we have like 4 guys on Florida’s roster, but you’re right that we look stacked.

 

[My Special Purpose]

In addition to an overall report, I'd like to get your more detailed thoughts on Ned, Kev. Not just how he played in general, but other aspects of his game (puck handling, positioning, lateral movement/recovery, rebound control, etc...)

I'm not sure what's left to say. He's the kind of confident that comes with mastering a level. He is free to be himself and play his game and know it will be good enough. I don't know what the grading system is in hockey, but he's a plus at every one of them of the things you mention. We know he's a fighter, super aggressive, high-energy, and confident, but he's also a rock and a leader, and the team is very confident in front of him. I also noticed he's laser focused. His (lack of) size didn't stand out to me in any way. He looked like an NHL goalie.

At least twice, a Hershey player started to sprint for a loose puck in Charlotte's end, only to peel off and go for a line change when he realized Ned was going to play the puck. Ned didn't make any great plays with the puck, which could be because A) Hershey knows him too well and was prepared, or B) nothing really presented itself, so he didn't force anything, but his puck handling was definitely a factor.

Hershey also passed up a lot of shots, looking for the perfect play. This happens a lot when you know an unscreened shot isn't going to beat a goalie. Ned was clearly in their heads. Their goal was a shot/pass deflection at the far post. Nothing anybody could do. You get the sense Hershey knew this was the only way they were scoring.

I saw nothing that concerned me in any way regarding positioning, lateral movement, recovery and/or rebound control. He fought hard through traffic, made the first save every time, and faced very few second chances.

One other thing, Charlotte's defensemen are nothing to write home about. Last night, they dressed Carrick, Didier, Sanguinetti, Renouf, Derek Sheppard (recently signed from the Everblades) and Jesper Sellgren (making his N.A. debut). No Bean, no McKeown. And no Clark Bishop, no Patrick Brown. So the defensive effort relies on Ned pretty significantly, and he handled it easily.

BTW, I sat next to two scruffy skinny dudes in suits with hot girlfriends, and I knew they were on the Bears roster, but I'm way too old to give a damn about autographs from teenagers. Turns out, it was Ilya Samsonov and Alexander Alexeyev. Maybe I'll get their autographs tonight.

 

[tarheelhockey]

So....

The Canes are in the Eastern Conference Finals
the Checkers are up 3-0 and one win away from the Conference Final
The Everblades are in the Eastern Conference Finals

This is what organizational depth looks like, right?

I mean we have like 4 guys on Florida’s roster, but you’re right that we look stacked.

It really is amazing that:

1) The Hurricanes won even when they had a bunch of Checkers in the lineup

2) The Checkers are winning even though the Canes haven’t been eliminated

3) The Blades are winning even though the Checkers haven’t been eliminated

These three all play off each other. Having AHL players in the lineup during the playoffs is supposed to be crippling (hello, Buffalo). From a minor league perspective, sending black aces up to the parent club in the playoffs is supposed to be crippling. In theory, the success of the minor league clubs is supposed to hinge on the failure of the parent. It’s one of the ****ty parts of the affiliation system.

Succeeding at all levels simultaneously is crazy, and almost unheard of. In fact, once the Checkers qualify for the conference final it will mark the first time EVER that an organization has made it to the third round at all three levels of affiliation.

 

[DaveG]

To further that point, there is literally only one instance of an organization winning the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup in the same year in the modern era, 1995 with the Devils. And that was at a point where a very significant number of teams still had their primary affiliate in the IHL. Teams going on deep runs like this at multiple levels of the organization just simply isn't supposed to happen, and that's by design.

 

[tarheelhockey]

To further that point, there is literally only one instance of an organization winning the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup in the same year in the modern era, 1995 with the Devils. And that was at a point where a very significant number of teams still had their primary affiliate in the IHL. Teams going on deep runs like this at multiple levels of the organization just simply isn't supposed to happen, and that's by design.

And guess who won the ECHL championship that year

 

[Svechhammer]

And guess who won the ECHL championship that year

Not the Devils' affiliate *sad trombone cries out from Dorton Arena*

 

[My Special Purpose]

I mean we have like 4 guys on Florida’s roster, but you’re right that we look stacked.

Actually, I think it's fewer than that. But that's because Schilkey, Lorentz, Nastasiuk, Sheppard and Helvig are up with Charlotte because Brown, Maenalanen, Fleury, Bean and McKegg are up with Carolina.

We're also dealing with injuries to: Ferland, van Riemsdyk, Maenalanen, Kuokkanen, Bishop, Jurco, and McKeown.

So yes, that's what organizational depth looks like.

 

[My Special Purpose]

BTWs, a note on Steven Lorentz. I feel for the guy. *Amazing* puck/stick skills. The proverbial "can stickhandle in a phone booth," and did what looked like just that on two or three occasions last night. Lifted sticks, made guys look silly, clean pick-pockets, etc.

Could not be any slower/heavier on his skates if they were made of cement.

 

[Joe McGrath]

BTWs, a note on Steven Lorentz. I feel for the guy. *Amazing* puck/stick skills. The proverbial "can stickhandle in a phone booth," and did what looked like just that on two or three occasions last night. Lifted sticks, made guys look silly, clean pick-pockets, etc.

Could not be any slower/heavier on his skates if they were made of cement.

Hey that’s me! Except he’s probably twice as fast, and you know generally better all around.

 

[RodTheBawd]

In fact, once the Checkers qualify for the conference final it will mark the first time EVER that an organization has made it to the third round at all three levels of affiliation.

In a world drowning in "NEW RECORD/BEST EVER" stats, that is legitimately incredible.

 

[Svechhammer]

In a world drowning in "NEW RECORD/BEST EVER" stats, that is legitimately incredible.

I mean as a fan, we have to be somewhat reassured that this year isn't a fleeting thing with the Canes when you see the same kind of success happening in literally every level of the organization. If anything, it screams that this organization is on the verge of going through a very prosperous stint of contention as the talent keeps bubbling up.

Which, I mean you'd expect with 10 straight years of top half picks in the draft. Reminds me a little of the Tampa organization in baseball, which was rolling around 2007-2008 with the Bulls killing it and the Rays going to the World Series. If there was a salary cap in MLB, they would have been a dominant team for a very long time with the core they developed and the players that have had success elsewhere.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I mean as a fan, we have to be somewhat reassured that this year isn't a fleeting thing with the Canes when you see the same kind of success happening in literally every level of the organization. If anything, it screams that this organization is on the verge of going through a very prosperous stint of contention as the talent keeps bubbling up.

Which, I mean you'd expect with 10 straight years of top half picks in the draft. Reminds me a little of the Tampa organization in baseball, which was rolling around 2007-2008 with the Bulls killing it and the Rays going to the World Series. If there was a salary cap in MLB, they would have been a dominant team for a very long time with the core they developed and the players that have had success elsewhere.

This is the time for us to have the conversation: how much of the Charlotte Checkers' success should be credited to Ron Francis?

 

[Svechhammer]

This is the time for us to have the conversation: how much of the Charlotte Checkers' success should be credited to Ron Francis?

most if not all, and I would find it hard to argue otherwise.

The big criticism of Ron was his inability to get talent that could help the Canes right away. But he loaded up on picks and prospects with his deals, and its all paying off now. And it should start bubbling up to us in the near future with the best ones at the very least making our 3rd and 4th line 'issues' likely a thing of the past. But we needed someone else to push us over the top at the NHL level if we wanted to make noise before probably 2021