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Tailing the Komets

Some things I noticed this week

* Drew Daniels is a warrior. Yeah, he screwed up and gave up Cincy's third goal Saturday night, but he was a beast the entire game and might have been Fort Wayne's best player on the ice. He busted his tail for 60 minutes and made a great play on the tying goal that will never show up on the stat sheet to clear the way for Mike Embach's shot. Then he forced the penalty on Cincy in overtime that led to the game-winning power-play goal. Two big-time plays that often go unnoticed. He was also great at moving in from the point to create offense when Cincy was packing it in deep. Several times he made solid moves to get around defending forwards and create chances. 

* Watching them struggle to score points out why they need Paul Crowder back. He's such a great play-making center who helps everyone else on the ice offensively and he wins faceoffs. He makes everyone on the ice with him 20 percent better with his passing and vision of the ice.

* The forwards have done a fantastic job this week at not taking so many penalties in the offensive zone. The Komets had only one power play against Saturday night. Maybe they listened to Kaleigh Schrock's message last week. Whatever happened to change things, it's impressive to see.

* The defense has definitely tightened up with Michael Tam back in the lineup and the return of James Martin and Joey Leach from Lake Erie. Will Lacasse continues to impress me by the way he always makes the smart, easy play and rarely gets caught up ice. 

* The Komets have been more physical of late, and I'm not just talking about being aggressive with hits but taking hits to make plays, too.  Another Tam and Daniels specialty. They're doing a better job of getting to the front of the net on offense and controlling it on defense. That can always improve.

* You can see every opponent and the Komets are being much more aware defensively and offense is only coming consistently from waiting for opponents to make mistakes to capitalize on. Cincy played extremely well Saturday night and did a great job of getting five guys below the dots defensively to close things off. Can't imagine the Cyclones can play any harder or better than they did last night. The penalties to Pacan, Vigier and Combs killed them. 

* The Komets are tightening everything up, and they are starting to do a better job on their PK. The PP has also been very good the last month.

* Pat Nagle is getting sharper by the period. He looks more relaxed and confident in goal, more sure of himself and he's doing a great job of placing his rebounds. 

* Matt Lowry may not say much, but he is one nasty little snot to play against. I'm guessing the Komets got him because they hated playing against him so much.

* It will be very interesting to see what kind of checking line the Komets can put together, really for the first time since they've been in the ECHL. Last night J.M. Rizk, Lowry and Kaleigh Schrock or CJ Severyn worked their tails off to contain Cincy's big line of Combs, Downing and Pacan. They were always a threat, but they really never got much going offensively. That will be a huge difference-maker for the Komets in the playoffs. 

Comments

Who/SuZ
Sun, 03/29/2015 - 5:25pm

Love the way Daniels plays, have all year...aggressive, smart, well conditioned and game savvy...this is for all those of you in the section I am in that do not like Drew Daniels..thanks Blake for pointing him out..same with LaCasse

Go K's and nice article overall Blake!

Who/SuZ
Sun, 03/29/2015 - 8:21pm

For those of U, that like to make line ups, move players around and CRITIQUE others for making such assumptions (since we are not GMs or coaches I believe was quoted), have at these suggestions.

- Crowder and Guggenberger come off of IR....who does not make the playoff roster?

- talked with M. Franke on Prostate night and he indicated they expect to get back Meurs, Petryk, Heard and Beaupre...with those additions in mind....who does not make the playoff roster?

IMO here are my assumptions...Rizk, Clarke, Barteaux, Perlini, Severyn and Lowry are no longer with us so we can make room for the above additions... or maybe even Krug..please advise if I have to many or not enough?

Have at it.

orange_koolaid
Sun, 03/29/2015 - 11:06pm

Who doesnt "like" Drew Daniels? I dont, why? Bc I love Drew Daniels.  Dude is a +/- monster.  Lead league +46? Jeers to the haters.

Alan
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 12:45pm

I agree with you, WHO.  Daniels has been a pleasant surprise. 

Without knowing if any player is going to get called up, my opinion is that Heard and Beaupre would be welcome.

This could turn out to be one of those rare times where your team becomes weaker by accepting higher-level players.

RG2
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 1:50pm

who/suz, Everyone will probably stay. As a coach, im not sure you can remove a player that has given his all to get to this spot just to replace them with an AHL'r that might not have the same heart. Regardless of scoring skill, at this time you want guys that back -check hard. Given that axiom, I see no reason why someone like Heard would not bust ass for a championship with Avalanche management watching.  Coachs decisions will be tough.   

  When the playoffs come, you can have a larger roster the regular season albeit there are caveats that designate types of reserves. There were teams last year that had 25-27 guys listed. Im sure someone( blogger out there) knows the rules and can elaborate.  Playoff eligiblity and size of rosters would be a great response from someone. 

   

RonFWA
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 2:04pm

The only Lake Erie guy I would add for sure would be Heard.  Petrk isn't a better choice that any of the "bubble" forwards that WhoSuz listed.  Meurs is a possibility provided it's the non-petulant version that was here early in his term vs Angry Meurs just before his callup.  Beaupre wasn't here long enough for me to form an impression. 

who/suz
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 4:47pm

Blake. .can you clarify the playoff roster situation as mentioned above. .it would be helpful. .thx

Blake Sebring
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:17pm

20 active spots and three reserves, that's it.

 

Who/SuZ
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:36pm

Thanks Blake....with that being said...the above numbers of 25-27 do not apply, so lets look at the team at playoff time....IMO:

- forwards-Faille, Szyd, Embach, Schrock, Petryk, Heard, Pistilli,Lowry, Ouellet, Crowder-

-defense -Leach, Beaupre, Daniels, Martin, Sol, Tam,LaCasse

-reserves -Severyn, Krug, Perlini

- goalies-Guggenberger, Nagle, Will

- out of the playoff roster, Rizk, Clarke,, Severyn,Barteaux

have at it all.

Who/SuZ
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:52pm

No Meurs

BNYS 79
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:56pm

Looks good to me Who/SuZ!  The only problem I see is you have Severyn as a reserve and have him off the roster for the playoffs.  That roster is one dangerous roster.  Who would want to go up against that?  Also what about Meurs?

RG2
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:57pm

Blake, have the playoff roster rules changed from last year? There were teams that had more the 23 players listed on their playoff rosters.   Could they have been protected players eligible based upon injury of those on active or reserve? 

BNYS 79
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:57pm

I see your no Meurs comment now.  You would rather have Petryk over Meurs?  

Who/SuZ
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 5:58pm

Sorry, Severyn as reserve...thanks for pointing it out.

Who/SuZ
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 6:00pm

I agree with comment above, would not want an Angry Meurs or any Meurs at all.

Blake Sebring
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 6:12pm

Playoff Rosters consist of a maximum of 23 Players – a 20-man active roster and a three-man reserve list. Upon submission of its Playoff Roster, each Member is required to include:

1. a minimum of 19 active, available (i.e. not injured or on recall) Players; and

2. a list of all other Players who meet the Playoff Roster Eligibility requirements, but who are unavailable at the time that Playoff Rosters are due to the League Office due to recall to the AHL or NHL. The Playoff Eligible List may only list Players who are unavailable due to recall. All other players (i.e. injured Players) must be listed on a Member’s initial Playoff Roster (active roster or reserve list) in order to participate in the Playoffs.

Throughout the Playoffs, but prior to the start of the Conference Finals, as the recalled Players listed on a Member’s Playoff Eligible List become available (due to assignment, release from PTO or their respective AHL teams’ seasons having ended), Members shall be permitted to supplement their initial Playoff Rosters with Players listed on their Playoff Eligible Lists, up to a maximum of 23 Players total. Once a Member has named a total of 23 Players to its Playoff Roster, or the Conference Finals have begun (whichever comes first), the Member’s Playoff Roster shall be fixed for the duration of the Playoffs (barring emergency conditions).

A Player who has finished the Regular Season on Injured Reserve may still be named to a Member’s 23-man Playoff Roster and will be eligible to participate in the Playoffs once his full IR time has been completed (provided all other playoff eligibility requirements have been satisfied). Once a Player has fully completed his remaining IR time, he may be activated and placed on the Member’s Active Roster.

Emergency conditions shall be established when the playing strength of the Member, by reason of injury, illness, recall or suspension by the League, is reduced below two (2) goalkeepers and sixteen (16) skaters. However, should a Member release a Player(s) from its Playoff Roster, its emergency conditions will drop by the same number as the Players they release. Only amateur Players may be signed and added to the Active Roster under emergency conditions.

 

JK
Wed, 04/01/2015 - 10:26pm

What's this "angry Meurs" about? It's the first I've heard of this. Also, Petryk has been easily one of the best forwards in Lake Erie since he's been there. I don't know why he wasn't so well liked here but he'd be a plus to a playoff roster.

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