Komets have three options

I'm kinda stumped. I don't think a mass change in personnel is the answer. I still think they are one or two players away from finding the right combination. I look at the present roster and find a whole lot of "complementary" players. These are players that, when, combined with some "go to guys" really become productive. I see no "go to guys" on this roster presently.

Firing the coach is not the answer.

Maybe what the Frankes should do is call a Priest to sprinkle some Holy Water around the ice. Maybe in each face-off circle and in both nets. Then maybe they should call in a Witch Doctor and shake some chicken bones around the boards, the visitor bench, and hang some beads inside the nets.

Then instead of bowling and activities like that, I would have them watch "Miracle on Ice".

We just may need one now.

Option 4: Don't do anything, keep everyone, and eat losses all year. Then, do the homework over the summer, and bring in people who can/want to play and win.

I think the team is 2-3 impact players short to consistently win. A guy like Chaulk, maybe another passer and a puck moving dman might help. They would have to trade or waive a high dollar guy in order to do this however.....

the komets are in desperate need of a first line center. there are also a few veterans that really need to decide if they are willing to pay the price to win. im not so sure the self motivation needed to do that is there at this time. al sims can only motivate so much. when the komets signed curedeau and tagged him as chaulks replacement, i had concern. he is a good player, but not chaulk like. colin chaulk was one of the best in all AA hockey. that type player is VERY hard to replace. shafranov is another that is hard to replace, although a bit slowed with age, his on ice wisdom would still make some of these kids look silly. at this moment, we have nobody with those type skills. im sure the frankes are working the phone lines. i think there will be some changes and along with the changes will come a play-off team that will make a deep run

Blake,

A well thought out and written article. I like the way you summarized the logic behind each option.

I realize this losing streak is frustrating for everyone involved, but I really do not want to see a wholesale changing of players, in the long run it makes things worse, and is at best, a band-aid. I remember when the old Fort Wayne Fury did that....have a totally different roster each week, and I wondered "how do these guys learn to play together?" The answer is, they didn't.

The team is relatively healthy, let's maybe give some guys a night off occasionally, but otherwise, keep working and practicing...I am seeing signs of improvement.

Anton Kharin waived by Rio Grande. What do you say to that, Hit?

How about going back to what has worked in prior years just passed, one goalie for a while rather than one every other night? Get rid of LeGault, slow, cannot fight, cannot skate and folks are not afraid of him. Talk with Colorado and get Mac back; pick up his contract, suspension is over in 12/18...he can skate, he can fight and he is a force on the ice. Sean needs to show he wants it and did not in Friday's game and only remotely in Saturday's game. Move the A's from either Schrock and/or PC and give it to someone more deserving, say Naurato, Patrosso or Cesson....all of whom have shown spirit during this down period of games. Sims should stay,he is not the problem. Curedeau is not the first line replacement leader. Warner is questionable on any night and you never know which Warner is going to show up. All of the new additions have performed well throughout this time and the temporary additions of Francis and Delisle have been nice to see. Guy and PC should stay but need to show more effort, drive and leadership....and stay out of the penalty box. Schrock is Schrock and comes to play every night. Leo has finally shown life. Time will tell...I will stay behind the Komets as a fan, but do have these comments that I need to post.

I have another option, bring in a couple of "GOONS" & goon it up, make it hard on the other teams :)

I'm with mite..If we can't beat 'em....let's beat 'em :)

I would for sure keep Sims....and the defensemen we currently have. I'd keep most of the offense, but I'd sure reconsider the lines, and I'd do anything I could to get Shafranov back and put him on a line with 2 of the younger guys. I'd also be sure to have Sims tell him NOT to pass it, just get to the net and get it in there. I know they don't need one guy to be a star, but this "caring and sharing" brand of game, passing the puck to each other all the time, has got to go. I'd also have Coach tell them that if no one is in front of the net when we are on offense, it's gonna be awfully hard to get any sort of rebound. In other words....crash that net!! Garbage goals count just as much as one fired in from the blue line do, last I checked, but you'll never get one if no one is up there to tip them in. Just my thoughts....

Where is Danko? Haven't heard a thing about him in a long time. Is he really hurt that bad or in the doghouse? Anyway they need to keep Sims and make a roster move or 2 and then just leave it alone. If it happens then just take your lumps for the year and start fresh next year. No matter what I will support this team. Been a fan for 30 years and have seen good times and bad. We will get through this and I still feel they can right the ship enough to make the playoffs and have a good run. There are enough players on this team who have playoff experience that if they can just get there will do just fine. Go KOMETS!!!

Good article, agree with letting Sims work it out with mostly who we have now. I'm not in a hurry to see any former players come back, at least not any who have a reasonable chance of doing so. Stick it out, let Coach do his thing, and this team will turn around. I hope.

I'm impressed Blake, that photo of you is 300x395 pixels, how much did that cost you? :-) How many blog hits did it take?

That photo has Velveeta written all over it.

Sign him....lol

Bring back Chaulk.

Rick Varone for a try-out? Just don't predict 40 goals from him SF.

Trade Curadeau for Lipsett.

Trade Warner for Lindberg.

$1 Pepsi nights, every home game.

New pregame video, maybe Bertram singing Thunderstruck?

Hire 2nd assistant coach for visual affect and support....GQ Cardboard Cutout.....I am his agent btw. Would look fabulous behind the bench.

Invite the bash brothers bloggers to do the reporter of the game thing with Superfan....HS, JM, JR, GM, and who else wants in? That would be one gnarly line.

Bring back Burgee's boy DS to the blog.

Redhead Hockey Chick's Swimsuit Calendar.....mmmmm.

Score 2 goals and get free Chicken Wings Promotion....Yes!!!

Enema Man.

That should do it. That's the big one. Can't miss.

hey KK, just a rumor...I had heard that Danko had a stress fracture...but then a few friends of mine talked to him the other night, and he said that he isn't injured...but that "it just wasn't his time to play yet."

I thought it was a nice photo. But what's with the gray? You're too young for that.

Danko has only played 3 games this season. Saw him in a suit walking in the hall on November 5th when he was "officially" listed on the IR list. Haven't seen him since. What's up with that?

I heard he was spotted putting on the Icy costume before Saturday night's game.

#1 Trade Curd for a goal crasher. They are out there and should be had for a CHL/AHL tweener.
#2 Pick a goalie, trade the second for a puck moving defenseman. Sign another goalie to play 10 games the rest of the year.
#3 I DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT want Chaulk or any other past retreads here. Too much of the old is here now. What worked in the other league does not work here.

++ Snuff

Wait a minute!
How stupid of me!

Guy, PC and Boucher need to fly to Italy, find where Chaulk is driving his tractor and beg and plead for him to come back. Then Sims can meet him at the Airport and drive him straight to the rink.
Seems to me that worked somewhere else.........

So you're saying you want Sims canned?

Lol...

Waiting it out seems a little problematic. Unlike '92, the Komets only have 55 games left where in '92 they had 71. That's 32 extra points the Komets can't make up. Now, nothing says they can't run off a 25 game home unbeaten streak the rest of the year, but I doubt it. So I think something will happen if they don't get 4 oint over this coming weekend.

Last weekend was "this weekend". Sooner or later a move has to be made.

They have a long way to go to win the conference by 10 points like Blake predicted.

Winning the conference???? That Ship sailed. The good news is they only have to catch one tema to make it into the playoffs. And if they can get hot at the end of the season.....who knows.

T.O. everyone! I have found the answer to the Komet problems. There are too many Americans on the team! Bring on the foreigners!

(For those of you who are not lighthearted enough to figure it out on your own, that was a joke....Laugh!)

But the joke wasn't funny so why would I laugh?

GM put a smile on. Everybody come on. Put a smile on!

I laughed. Well, kind of snickered under my breath at least.

I always have a smile on, won't meet a more upbeat person than myself but that doesn't change the fact that the joke wasn't funny...When you have to tell people to laugh, that should be a big neon sign that the joke wasn't funny

Uh-oh. It's the p.c. police. If you can't joke about how Canadians live and breathe hockey, what can you joke about?