Komets notebook

Blake, are you saying that Schrock and Thorne ARE the guys going on reserve for this week or are you just speculating it could be them because of their lack of any production??? 

ok, I have been reading everyone's comments. I guess I don't understand why everyone is harping on Schrock and Thorne. They are on a line that is put out there against the other teams best line, they are put out there to prevent that line from scoring. IMO they have been very productive. Yeah they don't have points but its not for the lack of trying. Schrock is a -1 and Thorne is a 0. Which means that they are doing there job! I could not imagine not having someone on the ice that has a work ethic like those 2 guys. I could name 3 or 4 guys that have been playing without some grit right now..not to mention the fact that there is a centerman on this team that cannot win a faceoff to save his life.

It will be interesting to see how the new guys make a difference, if at all!

Let's Go Komets!!

D-   Due to no scoring, no hitting, no agitation, out of position regularly, very little fighting, etc...

A-   For defense...

In this league, it's hard to be a one trick pony...  I like Schrock and Thorne; but they need to contribute in more area's than one...  If they do sit for a couple games, I hope they use it as motivation to transfer more things from the D list to the A list....  IMO 

It's not JUST the kids that enjoyed the change in music!!! Nice job Larry!

Janice, I love the comments you post here.  I always read them.  I congratulate you on your loyalty to both Thorne and Schrock, but at this time, when the Komets need scoring, I don't think carrying two forwards who show basically no offense is something the team can put up with.  Your statistic of the +/- is absolutely correct.  I think when the season started the Franke's could have looked past their scoring ability in return for their defensive prowess.  Not now. 

I also agree with your assessment of other players in other areas who are not playing up to the standards demanded.  We know who they are.

Still, all in all, I agree totally with JR1 and his grading scale.  He has stated it much better than I could.  This league,  a combination AHL-ECHL  type player, demands that your players must be a talented mix of a lot of different skills.  As of now I haven't seen that in either Thorne or Schrock.

On a personal note, I'm not sure if I am a fan of the ECHL.  I say that because I'm not sure what the ECHL is and how to judge any particular team's talent.  Some have no afilliations, some have one (like Fort Wayne), and some have two.  How many higher level players are sprinkled throughout the rosters of each, individual team?  How many players will leave when, and if ,this NHL lockout non- sense ever ends? How can I judge the Komets if not solely on wins vs. losses?  The playing field just doesn't seem to be even now but conceivably could change at any minute, anytime.  I'm tired of seeing Evansville, Kalamazoo,  and Toledo all the time.  There are 23 teams in this league and when we hit the 25% mark of the schedule, the Komets will have played against four of them.

This will be an interesting weekend.  I have no idea if these new guys will stay or get pulled away as soon as they get more ice time and get in game shape.  I'm wondering if any of them will ever play at the Coliseum as next week all games are on the road in Orlando.

Finally, I wish someone could inform us of the progress, or lack of progress with Giosa and his timetable for a return.

I think everyone has a different stand point on certain areas and/or players that needs to be fixed. But it's hard to place a finger on what needs to be fixed. In my opinion, defense creates offense. Komets over the years have been defensive minded first and let the scoring come off of that. I think this season we have lost that. We don't have offensive defenseman that generate offense by getting the puck out of the defensive zone and creating scoring chances. I really haven't seen our offense been terrible this year when they are controlling the puck in the offensive zone. We are really missing Frankie, Dupuis, and Milam type players to force the puck away from the opposing teams offense and carry the puck up the ice, and still get back to defense would they need to. I have seen more odd breaks this year against us then I can remember in the past. Good scorers help offense but if your whole team is not focuse on your own net, you can't even begin to contralthe opposing teams net.

JR-what makes you think either one of these 2 guys are not motivated to score goals? Do you really think they are sitting there thinking..."It doesn't matter if I score or not!" I can assure you at least one of them is very frustrated for his lack of scoring. Sometimes we can sit in the stands and coach all we want, but until we are the coach behind the bench...I have a real hard time judging these 2 guys when we have bigger issues.

Janice, I never once stated they were not motivated to score goals....  In fact, I think it is just the opposite.  They are TOO motivated to score goals and it is affecting their overall game. 

My comment regarding motivation was in regards to if they get benched for a couple games by being placed on reserve status...  I am hoping they do not turn it into a negative by moping/complaining and turn it into a positive and motivate themselves to playing their regular styles. 

They just need to get back to playing K.I.S.S. hockey (Keep It Simple Stupid). 

First off, to Alan:  I am not sure how many ECHL or AHL games you have partaken but basically the product you are seeing on ice this season is a rough assessment of the ECHL as a whole.  It is in fact a developmental league for the NHL.  Obviously, winning and or championship teams tend to draw more fans and in some cases more local support.  In most cases from everything I have ever heard or read teams like the Komets (locally owned and operated) don’t seem to make up the bulk of the league.  We as local patrons have been very if not extremely fortunate to enjoy the Komets as a team over the years in the form they previously modeled.  I believe it was mentioned several times since the announcement of this team joining the ECHL that we should all become accustom to seeing the roster change aggressively from week to week and it appears to be holding true.  That simply put is what ECHL team rosters tend to look like.  They generally are not static.

As for the rest, I too was overly agitated with the fact that we can’t compete in this league with only one or two lines scoring goals.  The ECHL is a fast paced semi-chaotic league with a bunch of young players trying to prove they deserve to move upward and onward.  Keeping that in mind and with some of the recent comments I have read, by both players and the coach, I had to rethink my stance.  Clearly Sims has stated that he prefers to win low scoring games and that his main goal is have a program teaching that style of play.  He prefers defense over offense.  Obviously there is nothing wrong with this approach as long as the players buy into that style of play.  I would wager to say that most people at the home games so far would tend to believe other teams don’t follow the same model.  We are not other teams though.  With all this being said, as long as the players follow what the coach teaches and perform theirs assigned tasks things should work out in the long run.  As for Shrock and Thorne, last year the “Redrum” line contributed ¼ of the +/- for the team (+56 of +209) and only 97 of 608 points.  Regarding those numbers we have to assume that both the Franke’s and Sims were and are willing to accept their value for what it’s worth.  All we as fans can do now is sit back and wonder, which style of play will win out in the grand scheme of things and what players will be standing at the end.  Bottom line though, the TEAM needs to find a way to put up three or four goals consistently to be successful.

Final note:  I think people tend to forget the simple truth that other than Fort Wayne and Evansville just about every other team in the ECHL returned a lot of players from the previous year(s).  As a result of that, most of them already have played with their teammates and know the style of play required by their respective coaching staff.  We are after all an expansion team.  I do believe a lot of people have grown complacent with the amount of success in Fort Wayne; not that there is anything wrong with success.  We were always the big fish playing in a small pond and now the pond just got a LOT bigger.

Disclaimer: Clearly this is all my opinion and in no way shape or form intended to be held to any high standard.

According to the transactions Thorne was put on reserve.

Great comments from everyone. I think the team misses Auger and Giosa and could use another DeAngelis type player. I asked this question a couple of months back and will ask again. Is there anyone else making the trip down to see the team in Orlando? Blake will you be there?

Sorry, guys, I had some pretty bad computer problems all day and haven't been able to respond. Also had over 1,000 spam over the last couple of days to eliminate.

JR, that was what I suspected would happen. I didn't have any inside information if that is what you were asking.

DAL, no, I won't be making the trip to Orlando.

I'll post what I can as soon as I get to talk to Al after the game.

Sorry, DAL, that should have been to KometKrazy.

Also, you've got to remember there are 3-4-5 guys on each team who would normally be in the AHL because of the NHL lockout.

I talked to somebody last week who said the turnover of players will increase by four or five times if the lockout ends and that will happen ever week, not just at the beginning. Being an affiliate is ALWAYS about the club above you.

27 shots to 2...really? Thank god for Butler's game winner. And Reiter standing on his head I am sure. We have to sustain some kind of pressure when holding a lead in the 3rd period.

OK, so we won a game tonight we had no business winning.  For five years now we've had a golaie that could steal games on his own and this year we are once again blessed that Kenny Reiter has stolen at least 3 wins, and Effinger had a good shutout at home.  Lets be honest.  Take those great performances out, and we are below .500.  You can't expect goalies to play like this every night in order for this team to eek out wins when they are outshot 40 something to what...? 17 or whatever it was.  There are serious holes on this team.  The only solid position is in the pipes.  Our D is young and overall, average. And we can't score consitently.  People can say whatever they want about Schrock and Thorne, but the bottom line is that Schrock has one point!  Each D man has at least one point except Haggerty, who's been hurt.  Schrock is a minus player right now too.  I'm sorry, but that's not even close to good enough, and the kicker is, he isn't hitting or fighting like he has in the past.  He's lucky he's a hometown kid, else he'd be gone I think.  Bottom line is the team is letting in over 3 goals a game and not scoring.  Not a good combo to win games...All the forwads need to score.  Some more than others, but they all need to contribute

DAL, thanks for your response back to me.  Still, I'm not sure you got my point.

Sice our defensive duo of Schrock and Thorne did not play nobody can blame those two 2 guy for such a disgraceful showing in the that 3rd period. Not sure if that was a record but it has to be real close to one. No team in professional hockey gets out shot that bad ever and I mean EVER!!!

Ron, did you watch the game?

No I wasn't JR , but 47-15 game total shots and 27-2 third period with only 2 penalties to kill in 3rd period paints a pretty good picture. What picture did you get ? I'm curious what explanation you would have with those kind of stats. Also, curious if you have seen or heard of a worse shot descrepency in pro hockey ? I'm asking you because I don't know.  

I talked to Bob today and asked him about that. He said until the last five minutes, most of the shots were from the perimeter. Then things got hairy. He said Gwinnett seemed to take the Komets lightly.

It also happens frequently that a team gets a big lead and sits back defensively and gets out-shot badly. I've seen that frequently. Those old Cleveland teams used to do it to the Komets all the time. Port Huron when Chief was there, too.

There are shots then there are scoring chances. Looks like they were just shots until the last 5 minutes the way Bob described it to Blake.

I would like to weigh in on KLS for a moment. Unfortunatley this is a familiar story. The guy has played his heart out for his home town team. No one can question his desire and willingness to do what it takes.

The sad thing is, like a Wendel Clarke, Kaleigh had to play "bigger" than himself to earn his spot. What does he weigh, I know what the profile says but by mid season the guy isn't more than a buck seventy. Yet he takes on all comers. That takes it's toll. And I think this is what you are seeing. A guy that has a lot of miles on him that can't get going the way we would like.

I for one am cheering and hoping Kaleigh can make a huge impact when this hiatus is over. But having said that I hope he can learn to play within himself, not take on all challenges but be aggressive and pesky. He will last a lot longer if he can.

Ron, I did watch the game.  The Komets won the first 2 periods of the game, got a 3 goal lead  early in the 3rd period and then pulled back into their "prevent" defense.  They stopped pressing and let the action come to them.  I very much dislike this style of play late in the third period; but it is what they do. 

27 shots in the third period???  Pretty sure they counted some dump in's behind the net as shots... 

With about 5 minutes left in the game, the Gladiator's really started pressing and getting shots on net from up close...  One puck barely got over the line for a goal and the other one was roofed thru a very small opening (if I remember right).  The main problem is not the forwards getting back, its our dmen taking ill advised chances in their own zone.  If you take a run at a player and miss, that creates an odd man advantage in your zone...this happened a couple different times late in the game. 

I do not agree that this was a game that the Komets had no business winning, in fact, I'm willing to bet that people who are stating this didnt watch the game... 

Hello, Mike from Toronto.  Hope things are going well for you.

Mike, I think everyone on here is rooting for both Schrock and Thorne.  I am equally sure that no one questions their desire.  The Komets find themselves in an unenviable position where offense has basically disappeared.  Defensively, as part of the "checking" line, they have played very well with a solid +/-  ratio.  Sometimes it comes down to the point where a decision has to be made.  I know you understand what I'm trying to say. 

Sometimes I'm a little confused on exactly what I'm watching.  For instance when Gwinnett played here, they just out skated and out played the K's dramatically in the first game.  It was a real eye opener.  The next game was different.  The Komets skated with them, got great goaltending from Effinger and shut out the gladiators.  My take on the game Wednesday was that the Komets skated with them the first two periods, but were clearly out played in period three.  Which is it?  I don't know but I know it takes scoring to win games mostly.

The Komets just have'nt been scoring and a change was needed.  Unfortunately the victims were two very unimpressive forwards in terms of scoring.  I think they will get back on the ice soon, as I don't trust our affiliation as much as others might.  Sometimes I'm not sure what league we are in.  Is it the ECHL, the "premiere AA" league, or an even better league with some teams sprinkled with AHL players and other teams saturated with AHL guys?  If it's the latter we really can't judge the Komets on how good they may be.  We may have to wait till next season.

Finally Mike, it appears to me Colin Chaulk has just 21 shots in 16 games.  With the current scoring woes, he needs to start shooting more.  He has a great shot and the Komets need it now. Maybe you could pass that along.  Thanks.