There are so many potential options that I really have no clue (insert your own joke here). I think for the first time in the 15 years I've been covering the team that anything is possible, and no one is automatically discounted from being involved in a trade. It's all going to depend on which player the opponent wants, just as it did with Danny Stewart two weeks ago.
I think there are so many options that no one in the locker room knows what's going to happen, and that in turn is causing more stress and affecting play as well. I don't think it's any surprise that the guys played better on Sunday when they were on the road, either.
The Komets are at the point where they have to give up something pretty good to be able to get some quality in return. We saw that with Stewart for Ryan Jorde two weeks ago. Of course, we also saw that anything is possible by Jim Duhart's signing with Missouri. Anyone notice he had two goals and five points in his first two games? Although in typical Duhart fashion he was minus-1. How in the world are you involved in five of your team's seven goals and still be minus-1? Amazing! If the league makes him POW, I'm going to scream.
I've been keeping my ear to the ground, but I haven't heard any credible rumors yet. There's all sorts of wild ones, but I'm ignoring those. The "Let's trade our bottom three players for Huge Belanger'' rumors.
And there's also no way the Komets are going to fire the coach. As a member of Komets management said to me Saturday night, "We're not that stupid.'' Nothing is going to convince the Franke brothers otherwise, so don't waste your breath. Spend more time Christmas shopping,it will work out better for you in the long run with a lot less stress.
I've been racking my brain over the past few days trying to think of an example when firing the coach actually turned the season around in minor league hockey. I came up with Bob Lemon and the Yankees, of course, and George Karl and Denver last year in the NBA, but that's two out of probably 1,000 tries. I still believe changing the coach now would be tantamount to giving up on the season, and it's way too early for that.
While I'm rambling all over the place, who among the players do you think is playing well right now? Who has earned the right to stay? How much are they accountable for what has happened?
I think one of the problems is the Komets have mostly role players, but they almost all play similar roles. Without Kean especially, there's not much offense coming from the blue line, though I think Bozoian could develop that eventually. Among the forwards, there are no bangers or snipers.
There are a lot of holes to fill.
Comments
Who's Danny Smith? ;)
David Hukalo is EASILY our best player right now. He's a lock I'd assume on him being in Fort Wayne after this week.
New website created. www.cafepress.com/firepuhalski
Danny Smith must be a 6-2, 220 forward with a great wrist shot who loves to bang in front of the net. Will also drop the gloves when necessary, but doesn't take any crap from anyone. Man, do I need to get some sleep.
Well if they deal Chaulk they outright stupid. He is one of the top players in the league and the heart and soul of this hockey club. I believe he is best captain in the whole league. What he has done for this team since he has been here has been unbelievable. He and Frenchy single handedly brought us back from a 3-1 series deficit last year against Rockford. It was Chaulk's play in games 5, 6, and 7 that won the series. The Komets had no business winning that series with all the injuries we had but Chaulker brought them together and won it. My prediction: IF they deal Chaulk, the Komets don't make the playoffs.
Hukalo is the only effort out there right now. Keep him and Chaulk for sure. The rest, I'm not sure if anyone wants any of the rest right now. Can't wait to see Duhart score 6 or 7 goals against us and throw kisses to the crowd as he normally does. What a puke.
Blake:
You know my face, probably not my name. We have talked a number of times in the past. I don't know where to start with the Komets. The question that I have is this. Where did whoever puts this team together (Is it Greg or David?) think the offense was going to come from? I watched the web all summer long and saw Muskegon, Kalamazoo, and Rockford reloading and saw nothing from the Komets in the way of real offensive power. Did they expect to win games 1-0 and 2-1 all year long? Personally, I haven't been impressed with a lot of the defensive play this year either. And if I hear David say one more time that we are looking for a big forward, I am going to throw up. Didn't we have Kevin Kotyluk, Dan Price, and Jason Selleke and none of them were good enough to play for Greg? I know they might have some weaknesses, but who doesn't? I think all three of them would look pretty good in the lineup right now. And don't get me started on David Beauregard. Puhalski dumped him twice. The first time they brought him back after a bad start, not as bad as this, and then dumped him again the following season. And I totally agree with JC's comments about Chaulk. The Komets had no business winning the Rockford series last season. The stars must have been aligned right and it was Chaulk who put them there.
I think that they ought to keep P.C. and mark smith as well as chaulk. Those guys are at least scoring. Beauregard will always be my favorite. Couldn't ever understand why he left or why they didn't want to bring him back.
Why we don't get the players back from previous seasons is because alot of them I've heard do not what to play for Cheif. I don't know what it is about this guy that players just don't want to play for him.
Yes, the Frankes ARE that stupid. They've proved it time & time again. They have no pride in this organization anymore, all they care about is getting people in the seats so they can watch their bank accounts grow.
Pulcrapski is on the news or in the paper all the time spouting off about how it's HIS job to motivate the players. Well, he's not, so what is he getting paid for? His Oscar-worthy performance of a card-board cut-out propped up behind the bench?
Chaulk should definitely stay. Getting rid of the best player in the league would be monumentally stupid. Hukalo hustles, but 9 of 10 times he has the puck he forgets what to do with it. Keep Chaulk, Drouin, Kean, Smith, Carpentier, Wiggins. Dupuis is past his prime, free up that vet spot and go looking for SOMETHING. Guinn is a waste of roster space, he's soft and has a crap attitude. Deal Goodwin, he's not all he's cracked up to be when not on a like with Chaulk & Venedam. Galbraith isn't the wonderpest everyone advertised him to be, deal him too. Get a REAL back-up goaltender, not the human sieves they keep throwing at us.
Please stop with the "Puhalski needs fired" stuff. Last I checked the coach is not playing the game. The coach didn't hand craft this team either. You play with the cards your dealt. The Frankes dealt him a crappy hand even before injuries took its toll.
Enough of the "we want Danny Stewart back" rumblings each time the Komets give up a goal or lose a game. Danny Stewart brings certain "attributes" to the team that will be missed but there are bigger fish to fry with this team. Danny Stewart is not a goal scorer. He is a 3rd line pest who gets an occassional garbage goal and will drop the mits when needed. We have that covered already. He was one of my favorite players as well but the team had bigger needs. Gonna post this to make sure it works....then I'll continue.
Okay....
This team is FILLED with role players as mentioned by Blake I believe. I have said that for 2 weeks or more. We have 2 or 3 decent playmakers (mainly Chaulk and Druin) and a ton of grinders. We need first line scoring wingers. Who was that supposed to be this season? Mark Smith? Sorry. Carpentier? Nope. Virag? Come on. Goodwin? I don't think so. Smith would be a nice 2nd line winger but he is not a viable scoring option you lean on. Carpentier is decent in a 3rd line role. Goodwin lived off the coat tails of his linemates last year picking up alot of junk goals. He is no sniper. Virag is yet another great person to stash on a latter line for ADDITIONAL scoring threats.
Worlton is about worthless. Slow as can be. Cannot handle the biscuit and it takes 3 minutes for him to start throwing punches. You have to agree to take a punch to give a punch. That is what I loved about Stewart. When he fought....he fought. He didn't do all this "sizing him up" crap. Galbraith...who knows. Spends too much time taking minors to even see what he can do. Bottom line....no snipers to go alongside of two really good playmakers, Druin and Chaulk. I seen they signed Lucuik but we'll need more than him to make a difference.
The defense is freaking terrible, obviously. Dupois...terrrible signing. Knows the game and should know its passed him by. Too slow. Repeatedly gets beat. Neumy....should be helping coach. SLOW. Guinn...inconsistant and SLOW. Jorde....great size but use it for crying out loud. Plays like a sissy from what I have seen. Has the goods to be a decent 1-4 guy but use your size to your advantage. Kean is great but is a siv. Always hurt. Bozoian has some good tools but needs to develope more. The guy like out there is Vanderbreggen. Hard-nosed but raw. Give him some 3rd pairing time. He certainly is no worse than others we have and is not afraid to lay the body on somebody.
I am sick and tired of being on powerplays and seeing Druin on the point. Where is our powerplay quarterback? Its not Kean. Kean is your offensive defenseman. You need someone out there like we had with Perrot. A quarterback. I am sick and tired of NOT seeing someone's ass not in the goalies mask. Park someone out front for crying out loud. All we do is pass around the boards or shoot into someone's legs, or both. The goalies see everything coming at them because nobody's rump in in the crease.
This team relies too much on breaks. Its how it was constructed. I'm sure it was not planned but the guys we signed this season would have to have career years to hve a successful season. Its we don't get the odd bounce of the puck or a garbage rebound...we're screwed for the most part. Since our defense is brutal and slow...any PK we go on is a deathwish. We get down early and often...then we press and do more dumb crap and people start leaving the seats, or stop coming all together.
The team I want to see on a nightly basis is the team that handed Rockford their asses a few weeks back. We set the tone early. We hit. We forechecked. We fought when needed. When you have people rushing passes or looking over their shoulder's you create turnovers. You create turnovers, you create offense. That was the best game of the season. Win or lose, its the effort put forth that we want to see. Bottle that up and sell it. It gets old watching other teams come into "The Jungle" and take dump on our lawn. You don't hear "Welcome to the Jungle" anymore. Whatever happened to the "You suck" chant? Forget being politically correct. When we dusted the cobwebs off that tune in the playoffs last year I had goosebumps all over the place. Whomever's idea the "Olay...Olay" song was should be fired. How lame. Hell, even Twister has quit on us.
Teams are built during the summer. If you get it wrong, your screwed. We are screwed. We can fix and maybe squeeze something out of what we have, make a trade or two to improve but we are not at the level of talent some of the other teams have. We can get things turned around with hard work and effort but this team will not compete for a title.
I wish we could just start this season all over again and get rid of players before the season started so we didn't have such a season or team like we do now. It seems that all I hear anymore is negative things. That's sad to see how things have progressed through this season. Hopefully it can get turned around here in a hurry. I think their play Saturday was a huge improvement.
Good grief, "scoops." You've got an opinion on everyone and everything, don't you? Is there anyone you DO like, besides Stewart? My God! LOL
Wow, Lisa! You said exactly what I was thinking, with wanting to start the whole season over with new players! I mean, all of the recent signings/drops and trades... isn't that what the TRADING CAMPS are for? We did next to nothing over our camp/exhibition games, and it's sad that we're having to do it all now, with however many games played.
I'll miss you, Dustin Virag! What a terrific player!
I like alot of the guys we have on this team. I just don't care for the team as a group.
I don't think scoop said that he doesn't like any of the players. He pointed out good attributes in all of them. He also stated that we don't have the right tools to win. I for one believe he is absolutely correct. We have good talent. But we are missing key elements. All of our players would be good role players on any team. Except for one without the basics. Which the Komets lack. I admit that I am spoiled. I am used to have a winner and a contender every single year. Maybe that is an unrealistic expectation. I have left the our building sickened night after night for most of the season. EVERY team that comes on to Coliseum ice is bigger and faster than we are. EVERY team that comes on to Coliseum ice has more heart and more will to win than we do. I am so sick and tired of seeing a puck in front of a goal with no one there to bang it home. I'm tired of seeing perfect passes get whiffed on a power play. I'm sick of seeing our biggest players check someone into the boards with one arm with all the voracity of a tee-baller going after a dandelion in the outfield. Who's to blame? I don't know. I certainly am no fan of Pulhalski(sp?). But all those that have stated there is no way in h e double hockey sticks that he is going to get fired are absolutely correct. Chaulk is the heart and soul. He always hustles, always makes the right play. So is he to blame? I say whoever is allowing great players such as Tom Nelson and David Beauregard to get away may be to blame. But that is all water under the bridge. As far as the "rumors" go Massie I can take or leave, Nelson would undoubtedly be a great acquisition and Perrault is about as useful as a Wall Street Journal at a WWE event. Bottom line: play smart, get someone in front of the net to screen and get rebound shots and if you are supposed to be a physical player for God's sake be physical. VanDerBreegen is a great step in the right direction. I believe Jorde could be if he puts a little more fire into his play. Chaulker keep being Chaulker. Danny Stewart is gone. TURN THE PAGE. Let's make the most out of what we have. I for one will be wearing my orange cheering on the K's regardless of wins or losses. That doesn't mean that I'm going to be happy to lose!
Last season they get rid of the you suck chant, this year I have only heard Welcome to the Jungle one time. It is not the same atmosphere in the Coliseum anymore, the Frankes are definitely more concerned with people in the seats than what people think. The problem is they are taking away everything people liked about going to K's games.
We have one of the slowest teams I have ever and with exception of game no really hits and we don't play physical. I read how Jorde was excited to show people what he had to offer, and in his fight with Fells he did pretty good, but the rest of the time you would think he's made of glass, he doesn't check anyone and if he does he gives him a love tap. The rest of the defense is either old and slow or just slow. On offense we look like a tee ball team, everyone needs a tee in order to shoot the puck. Why don't you give the goalie a longer look at what he is getting ready to try and stop. Especially with no one in front of the net to block his view. Goodwin tries but he gets tossed around like a rag doll. There are good elements to this team, but view of them. Chaulk and P.C. are definitely keepers. Van der Breggen has some good tools but needs more time to develop. Worlton is a waste of roster spot, can't do a thing on the ice including fight. I agree with scoops, a couple of weeks ago the team that beat Rockford was something to see. I haven't seen a K's team play that physical, with more heart and stick up for each other like that in two years. But it appears that was a flash in the pan. I hope they can get things going in the right direction, but if they wait to long we better start thinking about next year.