Roster moves

Is Molle really hurt?? Anyone know for sure?

After the way he played last night, i am pretty sure you can figure out if he is really hurt or not lol

Molle is definitely hurt.

I always look at it two ways with IR moves. If players want to be released instead, they have that option so they can go somewhere else. They choose to stay. And, which system serves your fans better? Is signing a new guy every week or so giving your fans the best presentation, bringing in someone who doesn't know the system or the team or maybe who hasn't even practiced with the team? Is that the best opportunity for entertaining your fans, or having someone around who has practiced and has had a chance to get to know the fans and the team?

If the opposing teams don't like it, then scout better and treat your players better so people want to come there.

There's no way a 19-man roster for a pro hockey team is every going to be legitimate except as a way to control costs. It's a joke as far as maintaining a quality roster.

the other option is you can do what Tulsa did with Jason Weeks earlier this season which was cut him and re-sign him every week. Is that any better?

use the rules to your advantage. rather have guys we know then always bringing in somebody new!

Blake, any discussion from the K's as to how we always seem to play to the level of our competition? We beat the good teams and have really struggled against the cellar dwellers. I would have thought that at home we would have used our size advantage and played a physical game. I still stand by what I have said all year; when we play physical, we generally win. No reason to let a team beat us on home ice like that. Yes, it was a close game but if you look at the talent level, size, and speed, we should be able to win the majority of the time. I know that we have a good record against Dayton this year but we give away a lot of points by losing to teams like Bloomington and Dayton. I guess I don't understand why Al won't let these guys hit teams like them. We seem to only play physical when the other team dictates it. We have the type of team that should be dictating the flow and demeanor of the game.

I guess I must of missed something Blake. I didn't see anyone on this thread bashing the Ks for using the IR. I see it as a necessary part of winning, and like you said, if the player doesn't like it, he can leave.

My question was out of concern for Molle's health...

i wasn't responding to you breslyn, I was responding to Kometreality on another thread.

whole-n-one, nobody plays the physical game the way it used to be played. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. As far as Ks playing to their competition, that will be a topic of discussion tomorrow depending on how things go. I've seen it happen no matter who is coaching, who is captain or who is playing. It may just be an unanswerable question. Maybe it's somethign that every fan wonders about their team.

I don't know that there's an answer, but I'll ask.

Maybe it's as simple as it's just very difficult to give the same effort at your job every day no matter what your job is. It's kind of hard to figure out until you've done it for a while, and a lot of these kids haven't done it long enough yet. I wonder if all the rookies are starting to hit the wall here a little bit. Do you know what I mean? I know I have a hard time running out of gas in late-January and February usually. It's too far to look forward to the playoffs and it seems like you've seen the same teams 10 times, etc. I don't know.

No team is going to be on their A game every night, but after their loss in Bloomy on Tuesday you would have thought the K's would have come out a little more aggressive etc. Friday nights game there was no excuses for their lack of intensity. When that is lacking guys like Schrock, Henley, Benefield, and Thirne have to do something to change that neither of them did or tried and to a certain respect that is their roles. Tonight already Schrock and Benefield already have stirred the pot a couple of times as well as Henley.

Sgriffith, as a coach, how do you handle it when you sense you've got a game like that? And how soon can you sense it?

Playing down to your opponent's level seems to be a fact of life. Unavoidable but there. The Komet's performance on Friday was way beyond that. In the first half of the first period the Komets looked like they had never even played professional hockey before. They couldn't do much of anything, including getting to the other end of the ice or controlling the puck. It was like they had all been on a huge bender and couldn't even see straight. Slowly they started to play cohesively again and things were better in the second period. In the third period the team was too lethargic, and the Komets certainly didn't look like a league-leading organization. The expected spark and energy required to win was visibly absent. They may have had numerous shots on goal, but they generated few real quaity scoring opportunities. The Gems played on the other hand a consistent road game. I'm a long time Komet fan, but last night's game was not one the Komets really "deserved" to win. Sterling played well, but the Komets gave this one away by not supplying the required effort.

Maybe it's a game where you just have to give Dayton some credit, too. If the Komets are playing to their top level, they should win easily, but they obviously didn't. Maybe Dayton played to its top level last night.

I am sure coach Sims sensed it right from the start and I am guessing he let them know about it during the 1st period intermission. But at the end of the day the players are the ones that have to step up and take control. With a limited roster it is not like you can just bench a guy for an extended period of time or sit him out the next game so in some ways the Coach is limited in what type of "message" he can send them. They did pick up their intensity and aggressiveness in the 2nd period last night but the worst thing happen last night when the K's got the lead only to have Dayton tie it up 33 seconds later

Does it do much good to yell at the players, or is this something where you'll go to your captain and tell him to spread the message a little?

And you are right sometimes you have to give credit to Dayton they played their game last night which is a very deliberate game where they wait for you to make a mistake then jump on it. Remember Gratz philosophy comes a little from Greg and the K's use to play a similar type of road game.

Tonight Schrock and Benefield have been agitating and Molle already took on Duff so I am sure a message was sent before the game to come out strong. My guess that message was sent by the leaders of the hockey team. When the K's play an involved game guys hitting, agitating, and maybe a fight they are at their best IMO, but when they sit back try to make the perfect play they are not.

All depends part of coaching is to know what buttons to push for some guys "yelling" at them causes them to go into a shell and they play not to make mistakes while others respond to a good old fashion butt chewing...I would also speculate coach Sims leans on Chaulk, Smith, and to certain extent Henley to deliver messages those guys have been around the game...

I'll bet you've done it long enough you can tell early in a practice even, can't you?

Yes you can sense when something is missing, but sometimes you don't want to read too much into at times.

My opinion is that when you are in Ft Wayne uniform Everyone is gunning for you every night .... so if we have an off game it looks worse cause everyone tries hard vs us.