!!! CAUTION !!! - This will be a long one. Those with short attention spans or desires for one line posts, simply move on.
1/25/20
Utica Comets @ Belleville Senators
Final score Belleville 4 Utica 2
SOG:
Utica - 5 15 12 = 32
Sens - 7 10 14 = 31
PP:
Utica - 0/4
Sens - 2/6
Pens:
Utica - 6 minors
Sens - 4 minors
Bailey (24) from Rafferty (32) and Camper (20)
Sautner (1) from Stevens (4)
DiPietro 27/31
Forwards:
Baertschi/Stevens/Boucher
Bailey/Camper/MacEwen
Bancks/Jasek/Goldobin
Gadjovich/Perron/Lind
D-Pairs:
Juolevi/Chatfield
Teves/Petgrave
Sautner/Rafferty
Goal - DiPietro
The main issue the last 3 games before last night continued from the start. The Comets cannot complete passes or take possession of loose pucks. The passes are consistently too far, behind, or too high for the intended receiver. The Comets tap at, push, flick, poke, whiff at, flub intended actions, only get little pieces of the puck, or somehow end up having the opponent end up with the puck and they usually don't do many of these things and as a result take possession and get out of their zone or take possession and create trouble in the Comets zone.
There are only 2 Comets who can consistently handle the puck well enough to carry it into the attacking zone and pass it to a mate to establish offensive possession, Baertschi and Rafferty. Sometimes Goldobin, Bailey, Camper, and Perron do and sometimes they turn it over.
#1 on the list, Goldobin, has equally been a turnover machine. He was pushed down to Bancks' line after a horrendous game on Friday.
- He replaced MacEwen, who is still the same old "my Puck" player. He carries it in and eventually turns it over before reaching a shooting spot. It appears to be a doghouse line.
- Bailey can carry it in when he is moving at full speed and people have to turn in order to not be beaten to the net. He sometimes circles the zone 2 complete laps before taking a shot or dishing it off.
- Camper gets in, but sometimes discovers he has no one actually working with him, but are instead making haste past and ahead of him for a shooting position before the team has actually gained zone possession. If he can hit one of these guys it's one and done. If he can't hit one of them he dumps it in order to not be attacked and turn it over.
Cull hasn't actually established a few actual patterns of attacking the zone. All of his opponents certainly do as they enter the Comets zones in a variety of ways leaving our defenders appearing awestruck. Foes can enter the Comets zone completely uncontested every single game. The system appears to be keep them outside, let them shoot, collect the puck and move out.
BBBIIIIGGGG PROBLEM!!!!! They seldom keep them outside. They roam in and out of the worthless defensive scheme, setting each other up for high % shots leaving the keepers to be the only reason the Comets can stay in a game. If the shots are wide, deflected, blocked, or rebound off the goalie, the opponents end up with more than 50% of those pucks because the Comets are doing those things mentioned above in futilely trying to gain possession.
-Boucher has tried to do this all season and has had more rushes end at the blueline than I care to remember. He has had the best success by firing it to the end boards and racing to win possession.
Perron often has the problem of skating with line mates who aren't very helpful in gaining the zone. Last night it was Gadjovich and Lind. Gadjovich cannot handle the puck so it's either dump or turn it over along the boards while trying to carry it. Lind will show you nice puck skills and deke a player on the way in and dish it off getting something set up. The next time his deke is unsuccessful and it's turnover or scramble time.
For the rest it's get across center and dump it in.
There's no take the puck to the line or across and have 2 or 3 established things to do with it and having the other 4 set those things into action based upon the defensive stance at the time. It's all shoot from the hip and create something. It's one thing in letting players use their creativity within the system. It's another when they are forced to be creative because there is no system. It will be one day shy of February when the Comets play again. That's in essence the 5th month of a 7 month season. I said I'd give this team until Christmas to draw any pat conclusions. Well, I've let it go an extra month because the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character of this team leaves you unsure.
The first sound conclusion I have drawn is that Cull is not a good coach. The mistakes we saw early on in large numbers, we were assured would become less in number as the players, particularly the young ones, learned how this game is played at this level and they would adjust and learn how to make their skills work here. It has flat out not happened. The mistakes are more frequent now than back then. That's preposterous. They haven't changed their game much if at all, but their opponents have and the opposing coaching staffs have developed schemes to attack and defend against this team and they are working. The outscore your mistakes philosophy is becoming more and more difficult to achieve. The opponents are now, as the crunch grind to the playoffs has begun, tightening up the reins defensively.
It may be boring, but the trap is very successful against the Comets run and gun, scattergram, shoot form the seat of your pants type of offense.
Defensively they are still ridiculously inept in their own zone and the turnovers under pressure are predictable every time a team starts to grind in the Comets end. You can point out to the guy sitting next to you which player is going to be getting the best scoring chance just by how the Comets deploy themselves defensively as the puck moves around the zone. There is always open space. There is always someone out of position. The back door as almost always open. The Points are always available as the Comets sag, sag ,sag sag until there is almost an entire zone to run around in. The second one of those sagged guys moves that's where the puck goes. Standing still defense never has and never will be effective.
Let's break down some of last night's game.
Early on it was somewhat up and back, but the Sens were making more shot attempts.
I joked to myself with 9:19 to go when Sautner completely flubbed an attempt to flip the puck to the linesman skating by. It was emblematic of his puck work this season. LOL.
Shortly thereafter disaster struck first against the Comets. Lind took a dumb high sticking penalty and less than halfway through it Olli slaps at a bouncing puck and shoots it over the glass at 8:21. Belleville with the 2-man advantage scores 9 SECONDS later!
From that point on I scribbled down on a scrapsheet,
"Comets 1st period is a complete carry over of their most recent 3 games, all losses.Futile hockey. Can't complete passes, very few shots, dumb penalties. In other words penalties that accomplish nothing, They aren't taken saving goals or protecting a mate. Just dumb selfish penalties."
"Weak zone coverage with lots of running around, but very little actual challenging of the puck possessor and seemingly losing every chance to regain any loose puck. Opponents run around the Comets end playing keep away. The Belleville PBP guy says, "At some point you have to take the shot." That's how many of them the Sens passed up! How this team I am now watching has achieved their current spot in the standings is hard to fathom."
"Comets get sticks on pucks all over the ice one after another, but no one ever gets actual control of the puck. When someone finally does get possession, their pass misses connection or they make one pass, but that guy misses on the next. Shots they do get are one and done or so many guys get in on the net front scramble that the if the other team gains possession it's another odd man chance going the other way. They give up so many of them every game that the announcers on both sides say they have to get control of this or it will spell disaster."
5 shots at the end of the first, only one in the first 12 minutes.
Belleville came into the game with the 26th worst PK and the Comets had difficulty even establishing
attacking zone possession. The Comets have sunk from near the top to 17th PK and Belleville rained shot attempts and controlled the zone for lengthy periods of time.
Belleville had the 12th best PP and the Comets #7. Belleville went 2/6 and the Comets 0/4. In the 2-game set Bellville went 3/10 and the Comets 0/9. Belleville also scored short handed goals on both nights. That comes as no surprise since the Comets lead the league in SHGA with 11. They don't keep stats on breakaways against, 2 on 1, or 3 on 1 while short handed, but there are usually at least one of these instances every time the Comets have a PP. They also get hemmed in their own end for periods of time by a single forechecker and longer by 2 and at the end of a PP it's not unusual to realize the penalty killers had more scoring chances than the Comets had on their PP.
Comets got their 1st PP opportunity at 9:34 of the 2nd period.
Petgrave held the puck in at the blueline while skating out of the zone with a short backhand pass to Lind on the boards. Lind tried to turn and go down the boards. His best play was to carry it out or turn across the top and find an open man. His choice was an instant turnover followed by a tape to tape breakout pass to a mate steaming out of the zone. He blew by Petgrave who was turning back to the zone to rejoin the PP. Goldy is the man who was coming across the top that would have been Lind's open man. Goldy tried his damnedest to catch the 2nd guy out from the top of their box, but he was off to the races the second the pass was completed. Petgrave gave the first guy a challenge but the 2nd guy became the trailer, received a pass, and put it past Mikey.
MacEwen then killed the PP with an Interference call at the net front.
It was then a 4 on 4. I have been critical of this situation all season. 4 on 4 with the Comets always looks like the Comets are on the PK. They were scored on Friday night in this situation and Cull criticized their 4 on 4 play after the game.
They would give up a 2 on1 after a great looking rush went bad. Goldy ended up with an open, High % shot, but as he is prone to do, neglected to shoot and tried to pass the puck to a guy even more open than himself, but it was picked. Mikey made a great save on the 2 on 1. This is the reason Goldy will never make it in the NHL. Instead of shooting the puck when it's the play to make, he forces pass after pass that cannot make it where he wants it to resulting in turnover after turnover and some of them end up at the other end in his own net.
Later, Sautner is caught at the offensive blueline and another 2 on 1 ensues, but the Sens blow it.
Very late in the period Camper breaks into the zone with MacEwen on his right. Almost at the goalline, Camper slides a pass into the crease to MacEwen who doesn't get a stick on it. The puck slides off a Sen stick at the far side of the net and Raffferty coming down the far right side of the slot fires it off the post missing the open net. Alas, the post shot comes directly in front to Bailey cruising into the middle from the left side and he buried it.
The goal came with 6 seconds left on the clock and the Comets were back in it 2-1. That's it for the period right? Wrong. The Comets relax ready to go into the dressing room feeling good about themselves.
Belleville had other ideas.
- Jasek loses the draw like always.
- Balcers takes a pass on the left wing at the blueline.
- Rafferty falls down trying to check him.
- He gets to the dot clean with only Jasek trying to run him off.
- Balcers then centers the puck to a 100% wide open (no Comet is even on the screen) Logan Brown for a big shot from directly in front, but an even bigger stop by Mikey.
Incredible! With 6 seconds on the clock the Comets just simply stopped playing.
The very first minute of the 3rd the nightmare starts up again. Mikey gloves a shot for a whistle.
Sautner is nearly walked clean. Mikey another save.
Rafferty attempts one of his typical under pressure weak ass passes. Picked off short of the blueline and left there for a streaking team mate who walks down the slot and shoots and Mikey makes another stop. These shots are not contested by any Comet.
Horrid D coverage prevails and shots come from everywhere.
Baertschi finally corrals the puck, but his cross ice break out pass is picked. Sven sprints across the ice and shoulders LaBate to the ice after Joe had received a drop pass from the guy who had picked Sven's pass. Great work there by Sven after a major blunder. However, another Sen picks up the puck. (WHERE THE HELL ARE THE COMETS?) Sautner fails in an attempt to poke the puck off his stick and Mikey has to make another point blank stop. ALL this and it's only the 17:30 mark of the 3rd.
Comets back to the PK as Boucher is called for faceoff interference. Only thing to be said is Mikey kills the penalty.
Another great save by Mikey! Sens are just going wherever they want with no interference by any Comet. This was the Sens' 11th shot of the period. The Comets have 1. 14:32
This is how you shut down a team with the lead. Keep your foot down on the gas. Something the Comets have still not learned as witnessed Wednesday and Friday.
The Comets who are the most penalized team in the AHL take another one at 14:03. Bailey for cross checking. 13:56 PP goal #2 for the Sens. 3-1
Had to stop watching to keep from crying.
Came back with 7:03 to go. It's now 4-1
The 4th goal was almost the same wide angle shot that burned McIntyre on Friday night, a shot from outside the left circlet almost to the goalline. Mikey has to have that one just as Mac had to have the same one he surrendered.
Sautner scored a meaningless goal for his 1st of the season from the left dot with 2:35 left.
Mikey is pulled at 2:35. Sens miss 3 open net shots. Comets lose 4-2.
The Comets have now lost 4 in a row after having taken over first place in the North a week ago. The Comets are now 4 points back of Belleville and the Sens still have a game in hand on the Comets. Rochester, Binghamton, and Cleveland all won while Syracuse, Toronto, and Laval lost to those 3 teams.
- Belleville has stretched out a 4-point lead. (59 PTs)
- Rochester has caught and passed the Comets for 2nd place with 3 games in hand on Utica (Both 54 PTs).
Laval sits 4th (49 PTs)
Toronto 5th (47 PTs)
Syracuse 6th (46 PTS)
Binghamton and Cleveland sit last with 44 PTs
Binghamton, the "Bottom feeder" as
@VanJack prefers to call the is now 13-4 in their last 17 games. This team is a bona fide contender at this point in time. Currently trailing the playoff spot by 5 points with 2 games in hand on both Laval and Syracuse.
