Komets fell behind 3-1 late in the second period when Quad City scored a power-play goal with Guy Dupuis sitting out another hooking penalty. Komets cut it to 3-2 early in the third period, but were unable to take advantage of a 5:00 power play to tie the game.
Comments
Horrible Guy and PC need to skate and stop taking stupid penalties. Curadeau needs to start passing the puck and start trusting his teammates. There need to be some serious changes before the Komets can get on any type of a winning streak. They also have to stay out of that stupid penalty box. The penalty kills and powerplays are pathetic they have to do something different in order to start scoring on them and keep the other teams from scoring on them.
Negative Nellies........
You now have the floor......
Seriously......where are the playmakers?
3rd line skates hard.....but that is it.
We need a couple of centers who can distribute the puck and play both ends of the ice.
Danko might be the wrong D-man sitting out with the undisclosed injury.
When will the 2 players from the BJs be in Fort Wayne?
This team as it is now constructed is flawed.
I don't believe this team as it is now constructed will be together past 10 games if things do not improve. Ownership will not stand by and let this season get away from them without making changes.
I agree.
That is why this team is always a factor and always a force.
Ownership does whatever it takes to win.
That is why we are all lucky to be Komet Fans.
They will right the ship.
I thought the team they had assembled was awesome....on paper anyways.
Maybe they kick it into gear and we look back at this and say...."Just another bad start leads to a Championship...."
But right now......they honestly look mediocre at best.....and I know they are better than that.
Naurato and Patrosso are better than what they are showing.
I just gotta believe they are a couple of centers away from fixing things. Where are those centers??? That is the question.
"To" should actually be spelled "too" in this instance. Oh, and a comma after Dupuis might be in order. I'm just sayin'.
Sorry, I'm a little punchy after working 60+ hours before going on vacation.
I agree with Snuff; but will the K's brass make the tough decision or two that could/should be made?
In this league the K's cant afford to have guys taking games or even shifts off. Players can't go 70% and expect a good outcome like they did in the IHL. No more clutch and grab when tired with no penalty.
There's a good nucleus to this team that if some fat is trimmed could really shine, IMO... Can they afford to wait even 10 games into the season to make changes? Thats 15% of the season gone at that point folks. Can they afford to wait on Columbus/Springfield to send reinforcements?
Should be a very interesting next couple weeks... Komets are 1-2-1, and I'm more excited for hockey than I have been in a long time!
I would like to say this though........
Curadeau is NOT Chaulk!
I dont mean that in a bad way at all... Just pointing out that although he was brought in to help ease the pain of losing such a good AA hockey player in Chaulk and although thier styles are somewhat similar, they are two entirely different players... I think fans are placing way too much pressure on him to produce at a higher level right away than what he may be capable of. I'm a tad surprised at the venom in some of the veiled shots taken at him on these local blogs.
Right now the major problem I see with the K's offense is that they arent getting any traffic in front of the net... Most goalies at this level are going to stop the first shot 99% of the time if the have a clear view of it. Get some traffic in front to obstruct the goalies view, pick up a few penalties and some garbage goals.... People never talk about pretty, picture perfect goals to get teams out of goal scoring funks, its always the garbage goal, a bounce that goes your way or one that deflects off a skate or players backside into the net. Blue collar goals...
I am a tad bit worried. Opening night was a joke. I regained a little confidence from the Arizona win until I found out their running record of wins. I am not ready to throw in the towel yet, but I have a feeling this might be a rebuilding year for the Komets. They were in a different league last year, and let's face it. This league is better. It might take awhile to get guys in that can play at this level vs. ihl level.
On the other hand, the Komets never seem to start out really great. Everyone always says they come to play right after Christmas, but the before Christmas time is a little worrisome every year. (Now, I am going to use my third and final wish from the genie on a good year for the Ks.)
that undisclosed injury from the Mallards radio guy was a thigh injury.
Offense, offense, offense! They're getting the chances, they're taking the shots, and they're missing the net, even the wide open ones. For whatever reason they can't hit squat right now and I think that's hurting more then anything.
Those who watched the game last night, how many chances were blown? There were several, just like in the other games. I agree with JR, unless they're having a bad night most goalies are going to make the initial save, but we're still missing with the rebounds and the shots when the goalie is out of position. That needs to be corrected.
I also saw what I thought to be a weird situation with penalties last night in what wasn't called against both teams. Several late checks, some roughing, some hooking, and some getting in the way and slowing someone down who didn't have the puck. All stuff that would have been called last week in Arizona. It will be interesting, and challenging as a player, to see how consistent the refs are in this league.
Curdy is a great player, don't get me wrong....I think he would be a great winger with the right center dishing him the puck as well.....I am not sure he is the right guy to set-up the other guys though.
He is being mis-used right now. IMO
He would be great with Him on one wing, PC or OC on the other wing, and a Center who knows how to generate the puck in the right spots to these guys.
I think the Komets will improve.
I agree though, will the Mgmt. make the tough decisions that need to be made and look past some of the political stuff???
We'll soon see.
The management didnt do it in the offseason when they should have, why would they now?
Anybody see the box score for the Mississippi-Missouri game? 300 PIM. Looks like two line brawls at the end of the game.
What the heck. I just look at the Standings on the CHL webiste and I see that the Komets have a league low 5 goals for. That's horrible.
Yep
These blog posts sound a lot like early on the past few seasons, what's that french word! Du jour, de ja voue,
I think the word is Positive Patty.
Burgee, when was the last time you actually discussed any aspect of the game of hockey on this blog?
The last few years all the Komets had to do was beatup on a few bankrupt teams to roll back to the league lead. Not going to work this way in the CHL.
It's amazing that I got attacked for pointing out the Dupuis was taking bad penalties earlier in the week. Seems that the situation hasn't changed.
JM I got roasted for saying guys like Guy, Chaulk, PC and others needed to go. There is no way guys that age who haven't been used to the rigors of this kind of travel and a league with this youth can keep up.
Burgee is correct in that this isn't the first time the last few years that fans have panicked after a slow start. JM is correct that digging out of a deep hole will not be easy.
So we are at a crossroads with things. If the Komets had jumped out to a 4-0 record and run through this league, then the fans who are "AHL or bust" would have said this was no different from the IHL.
I am actually GLAD they are struggling. This might be Al Sims best coaching job ever and David Frankes best GM job in awhile if they pull the strings needed to fix this. That doesn't mean a championship but I would be shocked if at the end of the regular season the Komets are not contending for 4th or better overall.
I think after next weekend if there isn't any improvement and 2 wins changes will be made. Its not like they can flick the switch and start going on a 8-10 game win streak like they used to in the IHL. This league is too good. And there are only 66 games not 76. As much as I like Dupuis and Drouin they need to go. I realize they are fan favorites(Drouin is mine) and been here a long time, but this city expects and deserves a good competitive team. They have supported it thru good times and bad but wont stand for a team that just can't compete. Maybe we will be fine with what we have. But like I said they really need to win both games this weekend. And please score some goals. 5 in 4 games won't cut it. No matter how you look at 1-2-1 its 3 losses in 4 game and only 3 points.
Let's not forget that 16 of the 18 teams make the playoffs so quite frankly, the regular season doesn't matter unless you are that bad that you are one of the two that don't make it which I can't imagine that would happen here.
I've read all the comments with great interest. Everyone is frustrated now and it is easy to understand why.
I also think Curadeau would be better as a winger than as a center. I believe he is a better "finisher" than a "set-up" guy. I disagree with the above comment about Chaulk needing to go (Snuffs post). He is exactly what this team needs now.
The way I see it is the K's need at least one, possibly two true centers. They need to attack the net. They need to keep the stick down ( way too many hooking calls), and they need to re-evaluate this "phantom" affiliation with Columbus. Sometimes I think the Franke's may feel paralyzed about making any moves for fear Columbus will send someone down and then they will have to revamp their roster.
Look, Bloomington and Dayton seem to have it figured out. That fact alone gives me confidence in the Franke's doing the right things to turn this around.
What's the point of limping into the playoffs with a team that cant compete for a title?
I'll take RK's comment a little farther, how many fans will be in the stands @ Christmas if the team continues on a one out of four win record? I'm not picking on you J, you are by far not the only one to express the opinion that the regular season doesn't matter. Of course it does.
Especially to me because I'll be sitting in the stands watching those games. I've never been one to not care more about the regular season then the playoffs. Based on my attendance and number of games watched I'd rather see a great season and get taken out first round of the playoffs then have to watch a horrible season and do great in the playoffs.
On the other hand, The Komets have played only four games, two of them against the same team and strung out over a couple of weeks. They've out right lost two games, won one and tied the other to pick up a point. There are five other teams in this league with worse records (win %) then the Komets. I think it's too early to hit the panic button and stop trusting in Al's and the Franke's abilities to put together a winning, competitive team. If things don't change in the next five games or so then it's time to seriously question things, IMO.
Right now I think the best thing for the Komets isn't roster changes (with one exception possibly) but games. They haven't had the opportunity to jell yet, or to not jell for that matter. Four games, even though one was a win and one was a tie, just isn't enough.
When you are 1-2-1, have scored only 5 goals ( only one of those playing 5 on 5 ) everything is wrong, not just one or two things.
So far the schedule stinks, the penalties are tiring out the team, the penalties are retarding any type of rhythm allowing the lines to get to "know" each other, the power play lacks a physical prescence in front, and team speed may be taking a hit as the players are "gassed" from trying to kill off so many penalties.
We seem to lack a true playmaker, I don't see a real leader stepping forward, and I'm afraid that this roster needs to be tinkered with.
I don't think you need a major overhaul of the roster, just a couple additions to glue this offense back together.
Thank goodness for the goaltending.
Is Guy Dupuis the Brett Favre of the Komets?
One of the best we've had, worthy of a lot of respect... but people questioning his ability to contribute?
Its more of a question than a statement, but I think a comparison can be drawn.
If anyone is interested, Tyler Sims has given up 8 goals so far (start of 3rd) in the Tulsa / Wichita game. Tyler's back up goalie is Archie Henderson. I wonder if this is the son of the original Archie Henderson who once coached the Indianapolis Ice and the old Nashville Knights in the late 1980's?
Oh, and BTW, he's also your leading scorer.
Seriously, Alan, they've been on the road for three weeks you don't see a true leader stepping forward? How would you know? And by that I mean, I wouldn't even know yet. This is the time when some of those things have to be built. Some of this stuff you have to let percolate a little so it can happen and it's not going to happen right away.
Let's all take a deep breath here before we say stuff we'll look back later and say, ``Did I really say that?'' It's totally OK to be upset with their record so far. They have underachieved, no doubt. Let's just remember, as John Stewart said Saturday, these are tough times, not the end times. I think we all expect to see solid efforts this weekend. Or else. LOL.
And if you don't know yet, there's no way anyone else could. LOL, just sounded funny. Does everyone need some treats??