I haven't read the paper today but... I hear it was a rip-fest.
It is frustrating to see how the season has gone.
It's unbelievable really.
Below, I have broken down two list...
Johnson, Guenther, Radovich, Brynes, Miller and Fogarty were all ECHL contracts brought in by Puhalski.
Collins, Chwedoruk, Swanson, Slivchenko, Clarke, Spencer, Young and Snavely were ECHL contracts the "nameless" guy brought in currently on the team. Not to mention Henrich as a free agent.
I think one of those list looks significantly better; in my own opinion, I don't think it's Puhalski's. (No offense to Coach Puhalski either, it's hard to take over a team mid season.)
However, we'd be lost for sure without guys like Collins, Chwedoruk and Clarke... Especially without the intensity of Chewy and Clarke. They seem to play hard every game.
It's hard enough (for ANY coach) to compete with a team full of ECHL only contracts, but that's what happens when you have the amount of injuries your affiliates have had.
Pittsburgh has been crushing us with call-ups (currently they have 8) and on top of that is the lack of players we have received from Philly. (currently we have 2 from the Fliers. That's the same amount we have from Pittsburgh right now too.)
It's just been a bad year. No one at the beginning of this season could've imagined all these call-ups. Actually I think that everyone was pretty amped when they saw the collection of talent that coach Patrick had on board.
You can place the blame on a coach (or coaches) all you want, but I think you can't really blame this season on a coach or coaches. Instead, I think it's more correct to blame it on a series of really, really unfortunate circumstances...
No one could've known that Manson would retire. Our defense was really not the same after he left.
Had Puhalski had control of the team from the start,
I really don't think this season would be much different.
Actually, he has done nothing to sure up our defense since he's been here. Instead he continuously has picked up UHL-level forwards while we continue give up over 40 shots a game.
I wish I had a real, tangible answer... but I don't I guess.
It is frustrating to see how the season has gone.
It's unbelievable really.
Below, I have broken down two list...
Johnson, Guenther, Radovich, Brynes, Miller and Fogarty were all ECHL contracts brought in by Puhalski.
Collins, Chwedoruk, Swanson, Slivchenko, Clarke, Spencer, Young and Snavely were ECHL contracts the "nameless" guy brought in currently on the team. Not to mention Henrich as a free agent.
I think one of those list looks significantly better; in my own opinion, I don't think it's Puhalski's. (No offense to Coach Puhalski either, it's hard to take over a team mid season.)
However, we'd be lost for sure without guys like Collins, Chwedoruk and Clarke... Especially without the intensity of Chewy and Clarke. They seem to play hard every game.
It's hard enough (for ANY coach) to compete with a team full of ECHL only contracts, but that's what happens when you have the amount of injuries your affiliates have had.
Pittsburgh has been crushing us with call-ups (currently they have 8) and on top of that is the lack of players we have received from Philly. (currently we have 2 from the Fliers. That's the same amount we have from Pittsburgh right now too.)
It's just been a bad year. No one at the beginning of this season could've imagined all these call-ups. Actually I think that everyone was pretty amped when they saw the collection of talent that coach Patrick had on board.
You can place the blame on a coach (or coaches) all you want, but I think you can't really blame this season on a coach or coaches. Instead, I think it's more correct to blame it on a series of really, really unfortunate circumstances...
No one could've known that Manson would retire. Our defense was really not the same after he left.
Had Puhalski had control of the team from the start,
I really don't think this season would be much different.
Actually, he has done nothing to sure up our defense since he's been here. Instead he continuously has picked up UHL-level forwards while we continue give up over 40 shots a game.
I wish I had a real, tangible answer... but I don't I guess.
14 comments:
Every red-blooded hockey fan in North America (except Puhalski) knows that you build a hockey team from the net out. There is no excuse for playing with 4 D-men in Charlotte Tues.,even with injuries. He said early on that "anyone can play defense". Here "no one" can play defense. There's no excuse for being out shot 55-20 game after game. Were there any defensemen in UHL? Why are we always loading up with forwards exclusively? There next move is going to ask me to renew my families season tickets. I hope they give me a reason to do so.
oops....Their next move....
(I'm so mad that I can't spell!!!)
Let's be fair. Patrick's list of guys on ECHL contracts is going to look a lot better for one reason. He had the entire off season to recruit guys and sign them. Puhalski had two weeks tops to sign some guys.
My second question is this, is this blog being written by a member of the Patrick family? The author has been pro-Patrick and anti-Puhalski since day one. You blast Puhalski for having only four defenseman but praise Patrick for signing guys like Snavely and Spencer.
I read this blog all the time and actually i think that it has been pretty evenly written for both coaches. I can't really tell any favoritism.
Neither coach has been able to do anything with this team and I think that's what the last post was basically saying. Not placing blame on either coach, but on circumstances. That sounds pretty fair to me Justin.
Keep up the good work on the blog.
Sadly, for the longest time, I have been feeling that we need to get rid of EVERYONE except for a certain few. (Even Collins, I feel that he had gotten comfortable in his tenure here, although I am glad to see him start producing like he should have been.)
Also, as for starting from the net out, when you are this far along in the season, what talent is left to chose from? We picked our best goalies to start the season and I agree the call-ups have killed us. So that leaves the leftovers to pick from. Darling was a great find this late in the season IMO. Houle has not been living up to his "NHL Level" status that Burke has labeled him numerous times. So far, even with all the losses, Darling has faced just as many shots, with less goals allowed continuously. Houle had 10 days off and we still managed to lost with him in net. If he wasn't rested enough, I don't know what else to do.
As for forwards, I understand the signings to try and get some power on a team with the weakest amount of goals scored in a season. But if we can't stop them from getting the shots in on goalies that need that help, we will continue to be screwed.
I thought that with a "Quality" UHL coach, we might have been able to get a hold of some of that upper level talent and maybe even have a chance against teams like Cincinatti. But if we can't even beat Johnstown, Dayton, or anyone like that, I feel that we have officially kissed our post-season chances goodbye.
Damn, I was even just being hopeful for that 5th and last playoff spot.
My comment "from the net out" is referring to signing Johnson & Radovich then Byrnes & Fogarty after school season. Are there any college defensemen looking for work? If "anyone can play defense" any of them would be a help. I also agree that call ups have killed us. My next worry is now that Fleury is back, will the trickle down hurt us by sending Brown or Curry back down and leave Darling "odd man out" without a contract. Maybe Pens will deal Saborin since trade deadline is near. I guess too many good goalies is a good problem to have.
I'll be sad to Sabourin leave but if that is what it takes for us to keep quality goalies, then thats that.
Something has to be done and quick. Fans are dying off and soon they will die off faster than the morale of the team. What's left of it.
Well, now Jeff State has been acquired.
about time we picked up a d-man.
the Nailers suck. Go Johnstown!
UBER excited about State
State's not coming... sorry bout your luck.
that is bad luck. WTF is going on? please explain.
Great, a Chiefs fan with a short memory. Must not remember us beating them game after game, year after year. Once again this year we'll get to see them finish fifth then lose first 2 of the 3 game series before "real" playoffs start.
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