The Utica Comets | 2020-2021 Thread

First game of the season tonight - a 3-2 victory. Kole Lind with two goals and Jonah Gadjovich with the other.

 

2017 2nd Round Line Goal Scoring Victory tonight

 

that's good. Last year he was riding on Boucher and Goldobin. It will be a step forward if he can now lead the team as one of the go too guys. Awesome if he can play centre too, which will make him versatile.

 

It would really be incredibly welcome news if one or both of them could materialize as a potential NHL player. And I don’t mean as an impact scoring forward - we need two way guys / grit players / penalty killers etc.

 

Lind has the potential to become a solid skilled middle 6 guy, who can play on your 2nd PP, and can be a little bit of a s**t disturber. As for Gadjovich...it all comes down to skating with him. If he can improve his skating enough, he'll get a chance as a bot 6 grinder, but if not he'll bust imo.

Another player I'm very interested in is Lukas Jasek. With his mix of smarts, skill, speed, and special teams ability he could become a great two-way bot 6 guys for us. Even though he's not physical like Motte...I could see Jasek having a Motte type impact on our 3rd/4th line one day.

 

Isnt Jasek like half way thru his career tho? Hes almost 30

 

He's 23

 

The Comets thread is pinned at the top again!!!

 

yeah!!!!

Last night's game posts are on the last thread. It won't be there very long as it will descend down the list into the netherlands of lost threads. LOL

 

@ Hit the post
Reijo Routsalainen vs Arttu Ruotsalainen
The ou vs uo in the spelling. Not the same surname.

 

Once we are clearly out of the playoff picture for this year can we bring up Utica guys to get in some NHL games, or is that restricted to the Taxi squad?

 

How did Lockwood look?

 

As I understand it unless someone is injured, a call-up from Utica would require someone to be sent down either off the Taxi squad or the main roster.

If you go to TSN NHL transactions, you will see the NHL teams except Vancouver shuffling lots of players around between their main rosters, Taxi Squads, and AHL affiliates. It appears any one Benning sent somewhere besides Vancouver is considered unworthy beyond a desperation call. Brisebois was the first of those when Hamonic was injured. I believe Michaelis was the Taxi addition when Hawryluk was placed on IR. Both of these players were designated for the AHL when camp broke, but the NHL allowed a specific amount of time before those not on the roster or Taxi squad had to be moved to another destination. The Comets lost 2 players from Vancouver and 2 from St. Louis who were originally slated for Utica.

The Vancouver Taxi this morning is a bit absurd in that it has 4 D-men, a goalie and 1 forward. Of course their main roster has 15 forwards and only 6 defenders. Perhaps some more juggling before tonight, but who knows.

 

He had his moments. Had a few timely hits. Got 2 rushes to the net off the offensive boards. His skating was okay, nothing special.

He was on the 4th line and that didn't help. He should switch with the 3rd RW Dakota Johnson. that would put him with Gadjovich at LW and Focht at center, all Vancouver prospects and that duo played a much better game than McGing at center and Arseneau (a checking/energy line guy). That line with Lockwood was a mixed up mess of specific skills.

 

This weekend the games are free on AHL TV (but the one team full season package is only $35 so I got it)

Just finished watching the game:

Lind looks very good at C, faceoffs were iffy but that's to be expected. He's a smart positional player and is using that to his advantage from the centre of the ice, good reads and sneaking into good spots to generate scoring opportunities. Love the shit disturber aspect to his game and he seems to be a little sturdier on his feet than he was before, which is necessary to play that role. Someone took a healthy run at him leading with an elbow to the face and he bounced right back up, lucky there. Exhibiting a great shot both at ES and PP, he easily could have had 3 or 4 goals. This is his last year to show that he has any sort of meaningful NHL potential IMO and it's off to a good start.

Lockwood looks fast and physical, glad that he hasn't totally taken that out of his game after the injuries in NCAA, it's what made him way more interesting as a prospect. Had some good chances, I think he was on the third line and he should be up higher.

Jett Woo was impressive, good mobility, effective at breaking out the puck, and did not back down in any way physically. One of his first shifts he absolutely crushed someone in the neutral zone with an open ice hit. Won board battles, even one against a 6'5 guy. One confusing thing is that he's playing with Mitch Eliot who's also a RHD and there seems to be no instruction at all from the coach as to who is LD and who is RD, and Eliot wanders worse than Tyler Myers which caused some bad breakdowns.

Gadjovich scored a good goal in tight but aside from that was fairly average, his skating looked average which is a big improvement on the past. Physical and good net front presence, wish we had someone like that on the Canucks.

Baertschi is a big fish in a small pond at this level but he didn't take his foot off the gas. Almost wish he was in Roussel's spot instead, provides a little bit more in the offensive zone and would help the 2PP. Team is done with him though it seems.

Josh Teves is fast but not particularly good, Steve Santini is a big pylon, Reinke seems like a good dman. Mitch Eliot is in over his head at this level.

Jasek seems to have acclimated to the C position and was good overall, not sure if he has NHL upside though just kind of a jack of all trades type player as is.

Carson Focht was able to keep up but doesn't seem like anything special.

One thing that stands out was that we didn't sign a goalie for the AHL (BG mentioned this too). DiPietro is with Taxi Squad, they knew he would be there with the requirements for return to play, and yet they didn't sign another goalie. Bachman had taken off to Europe. Jake Kielly is there but is he even AHL caliber? His ECHL numbers were ugly. Did they really just plan to come into the season with no goalie for the farm team? Or just another management flub? Fortunately StL is on top of things.

 

2/6/2021
Utica Comets at Syracuse Crunch

Forwards:
Baertschi/Lind/Anas
McKenzie/Jasek/Lockwood
Gadjovich/FochtWalker
Arseneau/Kaspick/N. Stevens

D-Pairs:
Tucker/Santini
Teves/Reinke
Wesley/Woo

Goal:
Kielly

 

Starting line McKenzie/Jasek/Lockwood

 

Comets to the PP and just like old times Syracuse scores a shorthanded Goal.

1-0 Syracuse 1:51 left on the PP

 

Here they come again 2 on 1 shorthanded and Kielly comes up big to prevent a 2-0 deficit in the first 2 minutes.

The Comets led the AHL in shorthanded goals allowed last season and it's not looking good this season already. Gillies came up big a couple times last night short handed as well.

 

Comets way too relaxed and the Crunch are on fire.

Kaspick goes for 2 and the Crunch go on the PP.

 

Focht in alone shorthanded and he's stopped.

 

Lind after the whistle gets his helmet pulled over his face.

 

Kielly big as Priskie is in clean.

 

Jasek a shot and another bomb from the point.

Big shift by Jasek's line.

 

All that work and the 'cuse score after the next faceoff.

2-0

Things looking eerie for the Comets halfway through the 1st.