Komets blew a 2-0 second-period lead and lost 3-2 to the Dayton Gems on Saturday night. Leo Thomas scored both goals for Fort Wayne and Nick Boucher made 32 saves. Komets were out-shot 38-26. Fort Wayne was 0-6 on the power play, Dayton was 1-4.
Couple of notes from the box score, P.C. Droun and Tab Lardner didn't have any shots on goal, and the Komets have had 12 shots on goal over the last two third periods. Komets play three more road games next weekend which starts a string of 11 games in 22 days.
Comments
P.C. has three shots on goal over his last four games.
One heck of an average!!!!!!
Let Legault play in front of the net.At least he gives 100%.
PC & Warner are premium players on this team.
EMBARRASSING
has anyone noticed that some of the fans that sit around you are getting more and more unruly every game.we moved from our seat fri.there where three or four people that sounded like thet just got off of a pirate ship,usher just stood there holding his little sign,kudos to that guy!or not!
I'll admit that I got pretty excited about the K's 3 wins last weekend but it was short lived. After Friday nights loss, I had a few thoughts....Bloomington, in my opinion, completely and utterly dominated us. Their coach put a system in place for that game that completely bottled us up in our own zone. The thing that bothers me is that we made absolutely no adjustments between periods to counter it. They did the exact same thing all night and we just kept letting them do it. We made the same outlet passes and they knew exactly where we were going to move the puck and they had guys right there. Great job of coaching by Bloomington. No reaction or answer from us.........same plan, same forecheck. Is their system so complex that we can't solve it and are just forced to keep turning the puck over?
As Blake said before the season started, "they should win the new Turner Conference regular-season title by as many as 10 points." REasons why were the talent, returning so many championship players, having a big advantage in continuity, and the easiest schedule. Well....it's not Colorado, Allen, and Rapid that we have to worry about, it's Dayton, Bloomington, and Evansville that are dominating us with supposedly less talent and continuity. I will say it again that outside of Fort Wayne, our coach has had no success. It's kind of weird that all of the sudden that we are in a respectable league now and are struggling so much. I don't think that you can question our talent. As a matter of fact, I applaud the Franke's for trying to consistanly improve talent through moves like musselwhite and lardner. Do we have the right person to lead this talent? I don't think so, but would be interested to hear others opinions.
I am just very frustrated to see other teams like dayton, with a rookie coach none the less, continue to outsmart us and beat us with what I would consider to be a less talented team.
I know that Blake has given examples of why you can't change coaches in the middle of the season but he also predicted that we would pretty much dominate our division too. We've tried changing players already, so I guess the question is are we satisfied with how things are going or not?
Whole-n-one I completely agree. IMO it seems all the momentum we gained from last weekend is gone. And to lose a 2-0 lead with Boucher in goal to Dayton of all teams is not acceptable. And last night was the first of 5 straight road games. We are worse on road than at home. I think its time to quit tinkering with the roster and focus on the coaching. Maybe the players thought after last weekend the ship was righted and everything was hunky dorry. This all falls on the coaches. This team is going to have to bring it every night. No off days, periods or shifts. 100% effort all the time. I love the Komets and will support them no matter what but this is killing me to see what is happening.
Dont worry, someone will smear suntan lotion all over himself and our favorite off-ice official, drink a foo foo, then tell us how great things are as they stand and that itll all be fine. Wait, maybe not. It's hard to say I told you so when the team cant win.
I have no idea what this team needs. So far, it looks like instead of needing something, it needs some everything. Eventhough we have all the best players from last year's league, and two posters on here insist this league is no better than the IHL (hilarious), this team still continues to lose. I dont get it...
Everyone here has great points.
This is seriously frustrating as a diehard Komet Fan.
We don't own this league.
We are getting beat by teams that we all would think we should dominate. Not the case this year.
The CHL obviously is a better league than the IHL.....and some people obviously did not do their homework on this one.
A huge problem as I see it...you had a player last season admit to God and The World that he and many other players do not give honest effort every game and that was ok with alot of you.....to the point that when some of us mentioned it that it was an awful sign of an athlete to say that.....and for people to just go along with it was laughable. Do any of you think that 71% efforts are going to cut it in the CHL?
I don't.
Tell Kaleigh Schrock to take a shift off, 3 shifts off, a period off, a game off, 3 games off......
Not gonna happen.
The difference between him and the guys that don't give the effort on the ice.......LKS is a younger player who is working his tail off to make an impression and has hopes of furthering his hockey career, and he cares.
These other guys, do any of you really believe they care as much as Francis, or Schrock, or Musselwhite, or Cescon....???
Those other guys might have been great players at one point and time, but they were able to give their half-arse efforts in the IHL2 and get away with it.
The CHL appears to have younger players, hungry players that give the effort every shift and to me, that one thing shines over anything else we can point our fingers at as to what is wrong with this team right now.
There cannot be these half-arse efforts where a player that is one of your top paid players and is expected to score points only gets 3 shots in 4 games or whatever the stat was. It just can't happen. Guys can't go a whole game without making and finishing a check.
One guy in particular the last time he was here, made it point and put the effort in every shift to rattle the boards and play physical, and that is why he was good, and that is why he got a chance to play in K-Zoo and in the AHL.
But now, he obviously doesn't care, thinks he won't make it to the AHL again......and took his paycheck in Fort Wayne and is essentially pouting because he is not the Captain and his play is showing it.
We are all frustrated.
Things are bad enough right now, we can point everywhere the blame and be close or right on.
Won't be long and the players willl start pointing the blame on the fans......just watch. Where did some of those players on Cohn's blog go??? Someone must have told them to stop.
and Hit hits the nail on the head.
Obviously I don't know, but my guess is that there is friction within the team keeping them from coming together as a group. It's like cooking. I love cinnamon, and I love banana peppers, but I don't think I'll be throwing them together in the same recipe. It's the same reason that fantasy hockey doesn't impress me. Team chemistry is such an important element. It's not enough to have good players. You have to have good players who work well together. Considering that we all know what most of these guys were capable of just a few months ago, this is the explanation that makes the most sense to me. I just don't see the CHL as being that much better than the best teams in the IHL were. Weren't people arguing last summer that the players cut in the IHL often found homes in the CHL? And if they are so much better, why are some IHL teams doing very well for themselves this year? There's more to it than that.
Dominated by Evansville? Not sure I agree with that? We played them three times and won twice, once at home..one on the road. The point made above about the lack of desire in several of these players was the consensus tonight at least in the group I was sitting with at the game. It seems as if they are here playing but not playing to win.
Anyway, getting rid of the coach is not the answer(imo). It is a desperate type of move that rarely works out in a positive way. Maybe after a season that would make more sense, but switching a player here and there and not seeing results, then firing the coach, hiring a new one and then hoping for a string of wins just doesnt seem to be the smartest way to go about this. Have to admit it is getting harder and harder to watch the games though and the frustration in everyone is building.
hope the colts win today
Maybe they've run out of excuses Hit???
This falls on the lap of Al Sims.
Sorry to say it but he has been around hockey long enough to know that you can't win in a larger league when your payroll and key pieces are past their prime and your system is geared towards smaller rinks like what was in Flint or Port Huron.
Several rinks in this league are larger, the travel schedule is more hectic and you have players and a coach who have spent the last three summers on the golf course carrying the cup around instead of doing what is needed to prepare for this league.
Maybe Colin Chaulk could start his coaching career here, fire Sims and bring in Chaulk....gets him out from where he's at (if he's that unhappy) and possibly helps out the Komets....
All the best players from last years league? Is that why Muskegon pounded us all the time with Chaulk, Syro, Shaf, and Huk on the team?? Some or our posters need to get real. We would be dead last in the old IHL with this team as it is made up now. This is a bad team RK, period.
Komets91 I would not want to see Chaulk coaching here for at least another 5 years.
#1 I don't want him coaching the dead weight he played with here. That is a recipe for disaster
#2 This franchise should not have to hire a rookie coach. With all due respect to those who bash this franchise it is one of the best jobs in minor league hockey. When there is a coaching opening they don't need to reach out to people. The resumes come to them.
I'd love to see them get a guy like Dale Hunter but he might go straight from the OHL to the Maple Leafs job sooner than later.
Ice surface? I thought that smaller ice up in Port Huron was supposed to give the K's fits. Or are we revising history now? And lest we forget, Blake said the players were in great shape when camp started -- better than they had been in previous years.
Really is changing the coach going to make things any worse? The effort is pathetic. The preperation is terrible. Who's head does it fall on if not Sims?
Hey at least the Bears won again. WooHoo!!!
It is Larry the PA Guy's fault......
If he would only play the right music.
Or maybe it is one of the following excuses:
a) Squeezing sticks too tight.
b) Bad scheduling
c) K's Players have to play with new sticks they don't like.
d) K's Players have to use skates they don't like.
e) The Fans complain too much
f) The no touch icing
g) Sleeper Bus
h) Snakebit
What have I left out?
Did I sound like I ever said this team was not bad, dan? Derf!
Colts lose + Komets lose= not good :(
sec200 won a free movie from comcast & Komets will not honor it :(
Komets are losing, but its fun???????????
Some of the same people complaining now are the ones who wanted us to be the small fish in a big pond. We are the smallest fish in a much bigger pond, and now those people are very, very unhappy and are wondering what the heck happened. Interesting. We are losing games. We might have a losing season. When you switch leagues, I have a feeling that happens....any stats available on that, Blake? Have any teams switched from a dominating position in a "lesser" league to a league that was widely considered to be faster, younger, etc, and not struggled like we seem to be doing right now? Just wondering if that is sort of the norm, or if we are the only ones who have ever gone through this.
And hey, the Browns beat the Dolphins today....so I still believe the Komets can turn things around!!! :)
Better not say the IHL was a lesser league, BB, or else Blake and dan will jump on your case and tell you how the IHL was OBVIOUSLY a better league with more talented players and that there is some other phantom reason that the players who won last year's Cup, along with solid additions from PH and Kalamazo9 can't cut it in this league. You've just committed blasphemy!
Hit: You forgot to add that we don't have Colin Chaulk to your excuses list.
There are no stats like that which I'm aware of BB.
Sorry, I still think this is a lesser league. The overall depth of skill and the depth on the blueline is just not there. Just because there are more teams doesn't mean it's a better league, just a wider spread of talent. C'mon, it's $2,000 less per week on the salary cap. That automatically makes it weaker.
How about simply that the players who are here are not performing up to their usual/expected levels? It really could be as simple as that. Coaching, too, if you want to go there.
Doesn't mean they won't get there, but they are certainly making it harder on themselves.
Everybody stay warm and be careful in the morning.
Actually, Hit, it's my fault. I started following the team again when the season began in 2007, and they won three straight championships. I stop, and look what happens. I'm obviously a good luck charm.
Just thought everyone's eyes could use a good "roll" workout.
BB - the people who wanted to be a small fish in a big pond wanted the AHL... or atleast the ECHL... not the CHL. CHL is same level as IHL. (debate all you want on that).. So complaining on any level at this point is 100% warranted and should be expected.
Coming to the CHL people expect the Komets to dominate. As they should. We should get the best players, have the best attendance, and rule this league. And yes from season 1 on. Homework should have been done during off season. Shame on frankes and coach for that.. Our top players should be producing.. Shame on them for that.. Komets are falling apart and it is tough to put a finger on why.. Could seriously debate that all day long and still not figure it out.
Komets so far this year are disgraceful. Tough to watch. I still buuy tickets for me and my boys to go, but sadly I end up leaving.. Not b/c I am somehow a lesser fan, But b/c they are no fun to watch. Funny to say that when you consider their whole saying this year. "We make hockey fun" ... riiiiigggghhhht..... how?
So many aspects of the game escape the Komets this year. If forced to summarize their problems in a word I would say either teamwork or leadership. Torn on which one. flip a coin.
Blake: I agree with what you wrote about the players and coach and the levels they are performing at. I do have one question, not aimed directly at you, but if you get a chance and want to answer, I'd love to hear your opinion on it:
If we had the same team as last year, meaning all the guys came back, we lost no one (and added no one), would you say the Komets win this league? Completely theoretical I know, but if this league is less talented, the Komets should win it, correct?
Any takers?