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Post by Bob_in_Niagara on Nov 21, 2002 0:18:05 GMT -5
What an awesome brand of hockey this is in the AHL; very exciting!
Jason Ward was incredible tonight. He is going to make it to the NHL. He is better than Randy McKay; at least he was tonight. He is big, strong and goes to the net. His skating is much improved over last year and he has good scoring abilities.
Michael Ryder really impressed me tonight. He has lots of hustle and is relentless.
Ron Hainsey is a smart hockey player. He plays with a lot of poise for a young guy. He will be back with the Habs very soon.
Marcel Hossa got two goals, but he could play with a bit more intensity. He has the size!
Mike Komisarek is coming around. He played a steady game; nothing flashy, but steady. If he learns to play a bit more physical, watch out. He needs to develop a mean streak.
Thomas Plekanec is a skilled player, who is adjusting to a higher level of play. He is going to be very good.
Garon did not have one of his better nights, but, to be fair, he did not get a lot of help on some of the goals.
Balej and Bouillion did not dress due to minor injuries.
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Post by montreal on Nov 21, 2002 2:12:39 GMT -5
Ward 2g 2a 4pts, +3, 7 shots. A good night for sure. I think he leads the AHL in scoring as well. Komisarek 1a, +3, 3 shots.
Hamilton is playing some good hockey, they have won 6 outa their last 7 games, and are in 1st place. Before tonight's game, they had allowed the fewest goals in the league (31 ga) as Fichaud hasn't lost yet, and Garon has 1 loss so far.
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Post by MPLABBE on Nov 21, 2002 7:26:45 GMT -5
What an awesome brand of hockey this is in the AHL; very exciting! Jason Ward was incredible tonight. He is going to make it to the NHL. He is better than Randy McKay; at least he was tonight. He is big, strong and goes to the net. His skating is much improved over last year and he has good scoring abilities. Michael Ryder really impressed me tonight. He has lots of hustle and is relentless. Ron Hainsey is a smart hockey player. He plays with a lot of poise for a young guy. He will be back with the Habs very soon. Marcel Hossa got two goals, but he could play with a bit more intensity. He has the size! Mike Komisarek is coming around. He played a steady game; nothing flashy, but steady. If he learns to play a bit more physical, watch out. He needs to develop a mean streak. Thomas Plekanec is a skilled player, who is adjusting to a higher level of play. He is going to be very good. Garon did not have one of his better nights, but, to be fair, he did not get a lot of help on some of the goals. Balej and Bouillion did not dress due to minor injuries. That is pretty much what I saw on TV. Thanks for the report! Tell me, do you kno why no one sits behind the goals at the copps? |
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Post by Bob_in_Niagara on Nov 21, 2002 8:31:36 GMT -5
Hi Marc,
Attendance last night was around 4,000, while the rink holds about 9,000, so most fans sit between the blue lines. Me and my buddies did sit behind one of the goals for the third period and there was hardly anyone else there. You do get completely different sight lines and you don't have to keep straining your neck to see the play in the corners, etc.
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Post by BadCompany on Nov 21, 2002 8:54:56 GMT -5
Kept flipping back and forth between the two games, so I probably missed a lot of it, but anyways... What an awesome brand of hockey this is in the AHL; very exciting! Jason Ward was incredible tonight. He is going to make it to the NHL. He is better than Randy McKay; at least he was tonight. He is big, strong and goes to the net. His skating is much improved over last year and he has good scoring abilities. Michel Bergeron on TQS 110% the other night said, quote "I would take Jason Ward over Randy McKay any day of the week." Personally, I think that is a little bit of an exagerration, but take it for what its worth. Probably the kiss of death for Ward, he'll never get called up now...  I've always been Ward's biggest supporter, to be honest with you. His skating stride is extremely ugly, but that is not to be confused with "slow", which many people do. He gets where he wants to go in a decent enough amount of time. I would say it is probably slightly below NHL average. Mediocre in other words. Ward is currently leading the AHL in scoring. Michael Ryder really impressed me tonight. He has lots of hustle and is relentless. I have often compared Duncan Milroy to Michael Ryder, in that they play the same style of hockey. Ryder, to me, was always a dark-horse prospect, but he doesn't seem to be getting any ice time in Hamilton, and last year he was demoted to the ECHL a couple of times, despite having better numbers than some of the other Citadelle players (like Thinel, for example). Don't know why the organization is so down on him. Ron Hainsey is a smart hockey player. He plays with a lot of poise for a young guy. He will be back with the Habs very soon. Couple of things I noticed about Hainsey - one, his skating is really, really nice. Was watching a 5-3 powerplay for the Dogs, and Hainsey took the puck from behind his own net, and wheeled up the ice with the kind of speed from a blueliner I haven't seen since... geez, I can't even remember the last time I saw a Canadiens blueliner with that kind of silky acceleration. Malakhov maybe. The second thing I noticed, and this is a negative, is that he tended to bank the puck off the glass in his own end more than he had to. Probably lingering effects from Rick Green's "coaching." Marcel Hossa got two goals, but he could play with a bit more intensity. He has the size! I always thought of Hossa as a snake-in-the-grass type of player. You don't notice him, he doesn't seem to do anything, and yet when you look at the scoresheet after the game, he has 2 points. He plays a lot like Eric Chouinard, in that he floats around, and isn't very intense, but he seems to have better anticipation, and better "hockey smarts" which allows him to be in the right place at the right time more often than Chouinard. Mike Komisarek is coming around. He played a steady game; nothing flashy, but steady. If he learns to play a bit more physical, watch out. He needs to develop a mean streak. Komisarek is improving. If Hainsey gets called up to Montreal again (and that's probably not likely) I think Komisarek will be the best Bulldog defenseman by the end of the year. He actually threw a few real bodychecks last night, as opposed to some solid stiff arms. In a somewhat strange kind of observation, I thought his offensive game last night was better than his defensive one - he still seems to react to plays, rather than anticipate them. Thomas Plekanec is a skilled player, who is adjusting to a higher level of play. He is going to be very good. Plekanec is small. I was disappointed in what I saw of him last night, to be honest with you. Garon did not have one of his better nights, but, to be fair, he did not get a lot of help on some of the goals. Garon was left out to dry a lot, but he also didn't come up with the stellar, highlight reel save either. He turns in that kind of game at the NHL level, and its a 12 goal rout. We have seen how "well" Montreal's defense plays, they play like Hamilton did last night all the time, except instead of Alex Ponikorovsky taking shots on Garon, it would have been Mario Lemieux and Alexie Kovalev. Interesting game. |
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Post by Cranky on Nov 21, 2002 9:16:24 GMT -5
Thanks BC and BN.
I thought I was going to see both games but it did not happen. Oh well.
Interesting. I also have said that we might as well bring up Ward instead of McKay. The kid has the size to stand in front of the net but he does not have soft hands. At least he will work harder.
Not too excited by Hossa. Someone has to light fire under him because he seems to play a bit too soft. He will probably make it but the last thing we need is another Audi-Cherk. I wonder if it is the "why bother" syndrom? Certainly he and Ward are smart enough to realize that there is so many bodies up front on the Hab's that unless they score 85 goals in the next 6 games they have no hope in hell of making it up.
Komi actuially hit someone? Sheesh. I wonder how much difference I will see in a month and a half? It's almost impossible to make conclusions from watching any single came but still. Did he get challanged on the outside? How was his anticipation?
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Post by Bob_in_Niagara on Nov 21, 2002 9:29:28 GMT -5
His hitting was not a factor. He rubbed a couple guys into the boards; one of which, was Josh Holden, who is a kind of Darcy Tucker clone. Komi is a very good skater and was not really beaten too many times to the outside. He needs to play the body more though and not worry about the puck.
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Post by BadCompany on Nov 21, 2002 9:39:17 GMT -5
Thanks BC and BN. I thought I was going to see both games but it did not happen. Oh well. Interesting. I also have said that we might as well bring up Ward instead of McKay. The kid has the size to stand in front of the net but he does not have soft hands. At least he will work harder. Not too excited by Hossa. Someone has to light fire under him because he seems to play a bit too soft. He will probably make it but the last thing we need is another Audi-Cherk. I wonder if it is the "why bother" syndrom? Certainly he and Ward are smart enough to realize that there is so many bodies up front on the Hab's that unless they score 85 goals in the next 6 games they have no hope in hell of making it up. Komi actuially hit someone? Sheesh. I wonder how much difference I will see in a month and a half? It's almost impossible to make conclusions from watching any single came but still. Did he get challanged on the outside? How was his anticipation? Uh yeah, what Bob said about Komisarek. I didn't mean to imply that he was crushing people, just that he was actually hitting people in a real bodychecking kind of way. Shoulder-to-shoulder, separating a player from the puck. He didn't hurt anybody, and at no time did the crowd go "ooohhh" but they were good, legitimate checks that accomplished what body checks are supposed to accomplish. He wasn't beat to the outside (that I saw anyways, like I said, I was flipping - I need picture in picture TV), but he follows rather than leads in the defensive zone. Rather than steering a player into a part of the ice where he can't do anything (either by physically forcing him that way, or by being in the spot he wants to go) Komisarek tended to notice a player being somewhere and THEN going to cover him. On a couple of goals you can clearly read the numbers on his back, which is not a good thing if you are defenseman - means you have been turned around and are chasing the play. I too would have brought up Ward, but to replace Lindsay, not McKay. This "obstruction-crackdown, regular season" style of play really doesn't suit McKay. He isn't fast enough to play it, and at his age, and with his beaten body, he isn't intense enough to do it for 82 games. Where McKay shines though, like Gilmour last year, is during the playoffs, when the collars get tight, the whistles get quiet, and the cheap shots get popular. That's when a guy like McKay proves how valuable he really is. Lindsay, on the other hand, is what he is, and doesn't really change all that much. Gets kind of better in the playoffs, but not significantly so. I'd have Ward replace him, if only to bring some youthful enthusiasm to the team, while keeping McKay's veteran presence. But thats just me. |
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Post by Cranky on Nov 21, 2002 9:56:59 GMT -5
On Komi, what's your guess for how long it will take him to learn the game to be at least as good as, uhmm, Quintal? Two years? I am sure everyone wants Komi to be ready tomorrow but reality is going to bite a lot of fans on the butt. Komi for X-mas? Maybe in 2003.
This kid is concerning me a bit. He is far more raw then I thought he would be. If he was an adequate defenseman for collage then this proves my yapping about not letting prospects sit in collage for too long. Not competitive enough. Children versus men kind of thing.
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Post by Bob_in_Niagara on Nov 21, 2002 10:06:22 GMT -5
No need for concern; he will be just fine. Remember he is only 20 years old. The college game is good, but it is not a physical style of game. This is what he needs to work on. He is such a big, mobile guy, that I do not think it will take him too long to make the next jump, but we can't rush him along. He is still not ready yet.
I think Ward is ready for the NHL now. He was by far the best player on the ice last night.
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Post by MPLABBE on Nov 21, 2002 10:50:19 GMT -5
On Komi, what's your guess for how long it will take him to learn the game to be at least as good as, uhmm, Quintal? Two years? . From what I saw, his skating is MUCH better than Q-ball's and Komi is so superior offensively it's not funny You could bring up Komi now instead of Quintal and I think we would see an improvement. Mind you I hate Quintal with a passion so I may be biased.. BC, I noticed the same thing about Hainsey. Damn that guy is a good skater and like you said the ''Rick Green'' side is still there. Can we fire him already before he tells Markov to play that way?(once Markov understands english) As for Ward, he would be a fine 4th liner for this team. I can't wait for Friday's game. |
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Post by montreal on Nov 21, 2002 17:48:16 GMT -5
Kept flipping back and forth between the two games, so I probably missed a lot of it, but anyways... Michel Bergeron on TQS 110% the other night said, quote "I would take Jason Ward over Randy McKay any day of the week." Personally, I think that is a little bit of an exagerration, but take it for what its worth. Probably the kiss of death for Ward, he'll never get called up now... I've always been Ward's biggest supporter, to be honest with you. His skating stride is extremely ugly, but that is not to be confused with "slow", which many people do. He gets where he wants to go in a decent enough amount of time. I would say it is probably slightly below NHL average. Mediocre in other words. Ward is currently leading the AHL in scoring. I have often compared Duncan Milroy to Michael Ryder, in that they play the same style of hockey. Ryder, to me, was always a dark-horse prospect, but he doesn't seem to be getting any ice time in Hamilton, and last year he was demoted to the ECHL a couple of times, despite having better numbers than some of the other Citadelle players (like Thinel, for example). Don't know why the organization is so down on him. Couple of things I noticed about Hainsey - one, his skating is really, really nice. Was watching a 5-3 powerplay for the Dogs, and Hainsey took the puck from behind his own net, and wheeled up the ice with the kind of speed from a blueliner I haven't seen since... geez, I can't even remember the last time I saw a Canadiens blueliner with that kind of silky acceleration. Malakhov maybe. The second thing I noticed, and this is a negative, is that he tended to bank the puck off the glass in his own end more than he had to. Probably lingering effects from Rick Green's "coaching." I always thought of Hossa as a snake-in-the-grass type of player. You don't notice him, he doesn't seem to do anything, and yet when you look at the scoresheet after the game, he has 2 points. He plays a lot like Eric Chouinard, in that he floats around, and isn't very intense, but he seems to have better anticipation, and better "hockey smarts" which allows him to be in the right place at the right time more often than Chouinard. Komisarek is improving. If Hainsey gets called up to Montreal again (and that's probably not likely) I think Komisarek will be the best Bulldog defenseman by the end of the year. He actually threw a few real bodychecks last night, as opposed to some solid stiff arms. In a somewhat strange kind of observation, I thought his offensive game last night was better than his defensive one - he still seems to react to plays, rather than anticipate them. Plekanec is small. I was disappointed in what I saw of him last night, to be honest with you. Garon was left out to dry a lot, but he also didn't come up with the stellar, highlight reel save either. He turns in that kind of game at the NHL level, and its a 12 goal rout. We have seen how "well" Montreal's defense plays, they play like Hamilton did last night all the time, except instead of Alex Ponikorovsky taking shots on Garon, it would have been Mario Lemieux and Alexie Kovalev. Interesting game. Hey BC, About Ryder, he was sent down twice that I know of. Once in '01 for 5 games 4-5-9 and then again in '02 for 19 games 13-12-25 (he was supposed to play in the ECHL all star game but was called up right before) With Quebec he played 50 games in '02 11-17-28. He caught fire at the end of the season playing with Landry Ward I think. I'm not too high on Garon, I could see Hackett stay all season. But I like Pleks, I think he could be a good one, and hopefully Duncan Milroy turns out to be much better then Ryder. |
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Post by MPLABBE on Nov 21, 2002 18:13:23 GMT -5
You have to read in between the lines when it comes to BC
He compares Hossa to Chouinard. First reaction: no!!!!!!! then when you think of it and see Hossa play...it's not that far fetched...only difference is Hossa has better hands is quicker.
So when he compares Ryder to Milroy, don't freak out ;D cuz we all know Duncan is a much better prospect.
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