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News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Tailing the Komets

Here's what I see

I still don't think the defense is as much a problem as the forwards. There's plenty of talent up front, but I don't see anyone paying the price. They all think they are Russian stick-handlers, even the guys who should be heading to the front of the net. How many rebounds did the Komets get to tonight? How many times did the forecheck actually get to the PH defenseman when they had the puck? How many times did they throw a big check two seconds after the puck was gone? There are too many of the same player there.

Man, does this team miss Matt Reynolds and Terry Marchant. They weren't the most graceful, but they would stick their nose in and get to rebounds. The knock on Terry Marchant was always that he wasn't physical enough, but he was always scoring his goals within five feet of the net just as he was getting his block knocked off. Who on this team consistently goes for rebounds? No one. That's why the lines are so interchangeable, because they are all the same player.

I'd really like to see this team go all-out defensively at home and try to limit the opposition to five shots a period. Just keep a man high all night and don't pinch and for goodness sakes don't get caught up ice. It seems like every time they get in trouble it's because one of the defenseman is getting caught up ice, leaving a rookie back facing a two-on-one, and that leads to a goal or a power play or a short-handed chance.

Remember early in the season when the  Komets all seemed to be a stride faster than everyone else in the league? No one could keep up when they cycled down low. They aren't using their speed much at all, and they can't fight through Port Huron's trap at all right now. Give the IceHawks credit because they are a better team than last year. The crazy thing is they can't win at home, either.

Despite all that, I still think this will be a very good team when you bring back Osman, Legault, Chaulk and Bertram. And I wish they had a Rob Guinn, Kevin Schmidt or Kevin Hansen back on the blue line. That's the exact player the Komets are missing back there right now, but every other team is looking for the same thing. They're going to have to develop that player from among the rookies.

Posted in: Komets

Comments

Blake Sebring
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 12:19am

Couple of amazing stats I just found to back up my theory that it's the forwards, not the defensemen. Since the 3-0 start at home, they have gone 6-8-4 at home, scoring 2.6 goals per game. Their power play has been held scoreless in their last 20 chances at home and has two goals in their last 45 chances over their last seven home games. It's the forwards. When they can't score, is it any wonder the young defense is having trouble?

Burgee
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 12:33am

Since simsy is a defensive minded coach has chaulkers absence affected the development of the forwards. Get the injuries out of the way then we will be ready for the playoffs, each team is different every year and I think this is a road team that when healthy will have a great playoff run

Blake Sebring
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 12:48am

Could be. Maybe all the forwards are waiting for somebody else to step up and crash the net when they all have to do it.

Wendy
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 1:22am

I agree that the forwards are at least as much to blame as anyone. If it were just a defensive problem, we'd still be scoring plenty of goals. Just not as many as the opposing teams. The lack of net crashing is significant. Last year we had players who consistently went to the net, and I couldn't begin to count how many goals were scored with two or even three Komets parked on the doorstep. At the games I've attended this year, it has been exactly the opposite. They aren't getting to the rebounds, usually because no one is there. I realize it isn't an easy job, but if you want to win, you have to do it. And so it all comes back around to passion. How badly do you want it?

mightbite
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 7:17am

How do I find out which K's legends are signing auto's on saturday?

Hit Somebody!!!
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 10:52am

Curadeau used to crowd the net...Now he has turned into Shafronov trying to wow everyone with his Curly Neal impression of dribbling the puck between his legs and around his back and so on. Blake is right on...we have way too many guys that take the puck up the ice and want to go 1 on 4 and the other team easily takes the puck away as the rest of the Komets are standing around watching. I like Shafronov as much as the next fan, but pass the puck quickly and enough with all of the hot dog moves. It is just not Shaf and Curadeau, it is all of them right now.

Powerplay in particular, pass the puck fast and go to the net. The forwards must find away to pressure the goalie and crowd the net.

Ryan Potts did this in his 2 games as forward over the weekend and it worked. The Muskegon game, Potts was parked in front of the net and goals were flying in.

Port Huron out-muscled us...they looked like the Rockford team from 2 years ago.

We can turn this around tonight. Come out PO'd and take it to the BorderHawks. We need to be the aggressors.

Someone tell Boucher to keep his head in the game and stop listening to the 3 or 4 arse clowns in the crowd that heckle him. His job is on the ice, his wife can take care of the idiots in the crowd by flying the bird at them....lol.

Blake Sebring
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 11:35am

Fletch will be there tonight, and I believe Chin as well.

t-n-t 2009
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 1:30pm

instead of signing autographas maybe we should suit them both up. sure mac would love the help at the enforcer spot,which i believe fletch could still do it, since nobody else on this team will. we need more than 1 guy who can stick up for this team mac cant be out their every line shift to protect everyone. weather you get your butt whooped or not you need to stand up for yourself.

ToeBlake
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 1:44pm

Our problem with PH is we don't match up well with them phyiscally their defense is more physical and tougher than what we have in forwards. I have said all year we have too much of the same upfront and on our blueline no diversity. We miss Kevin Hansen and Henley because the played tough and physical. How many shots did Kevin block last year? We miss Reynolds, Woods, Marchant they all had a hard nose for the net and mixed it up. Who up front is an agitator for us on our top two lines>? Noboday because they are all the same player. I think we will have more problems with PH in a playoff type series because of their size and toughness we just don't match up against them very well. The K's have to get under the skin of Zehr and Carroll if you let the free will all around the ice then your going to have trouble. Leo Thomas has to agiate more as does MVL those are the two guys that have to do this otherwise we are not very effective as was the problem last night.

Burgee
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 7:46pm

Great start let's keep it going

Burgee
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 9:57pm

No naysayers for a whole week!!!!!!!

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