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Post by seventeen on Oct 3, 2010 0:06:04 GMT -5
It's the start of a new minor league year!!!! Here's a recap of a Dogs exhibition game from Habsloyalist: habsloyalist.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-11%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-11%3A00&max-results=3Who Let the Dogs Out?
When Bob Gainey walked into the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland today, he looked up at the low ceiling and the few hundred seats, smiled and said, "This is old-time hockey." The setting might have been old-time, but the hockey between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Binghamton Senators was fresh, fast and exciting. It was likely the best many fans in the sell-out crowd had ever seen in person.
It was definitely the first time the local arena announcer had to deal with French, Russian and Swedish names. After struggling with "Klubertanz" (Clubber-tents), "Engqvist" (En-gist) and "Fortier" (Four-tear) while reading the team lineups, the guy announced, "And there are a couple more I'm not even going to try. I give up."
After a bit of a slow start, the 'Dogs looked really good. Randy Cunneyworth is doing something similar to Jacques Martin, in pairing up two parts of a line, then mixing in different players as the third guy. That may stop when the real season begins and he's more certain about his lines. Today, Desharnais and Wyman were almost always together, often with Palushaj as the game went on. Dumont and Fortier made a nice grinding/energy pair and Avtsin skated with Palushaj and with Conboy.
Among the Canadiens prospects, there were a few real standouts. First star of the game, and the most impressive player on the ice for either team, was David Desharnais. He's going to dominate the AHL if he stays healthy this year. He had two goals today, both of them the result of driving to the net and hanging out in dangerous territory. He killed the first minute of every Bulldogs penalty and he won most of his faceoffs. He was quick and opportunistic every time he was on the ice.
Aaron Palushaj was also very noticable. He assisted on both Desharnais goals and was generally involved in something on every shift. He's a good skater and goes to the net to make things happen. He's a high-energy player.
In goal, Peter Delmas was third star of the game. He was solid and made some very nice saves, especially early when the 'Dogs spent a lot of time in their own end. He'll probably end up in Wheeling when Curtis Sanford comes back from injury, but he looks like he could play in the AHL.
Andreas Engqvist didn't have a great game. He's a smooth, strong skater, but he didn't do much with the puck today. He lost a lot of his faceoffs cleanly and he didn't spend much time in the corners.
Gabriel Dumont is a sparkplug. He scored the game's first goal off a nice feed by Olivier Fortier. Both of those guys forechecked aggressively and were solid defensively and on the PK. After seeing them together for a few shifts, they became inseparable in the fan's minds. They just go well together.
Alexander Avtsin is going to be a really good player. He's big and had no problem throwing his weight around when needed. He also wasn't a bit shy about going into the corners or the crease if that's where the puck was. He's got some serious speed when he gets going, but the most impressive thing about him are his hands. This kid can handle the puck. In one sequence, while the 'Dogs were on the PP, Mathieu Carle coralled the puck at the blueline and dumped it blindly into the corner. Avtsin intercepted it behind his back, then passed it between his legs to himself and managed to get a shot off, all in one movement. Very impressive stuff. On the other hand, it's obvious he's just 19 and struggling to understand the coach's English instructions. Sometimes he just looked like he wasn't sure where he was supposed to be, and a there were a couple of times when under pressure he just threw the puck away. Still, there's a lot of talent in that kid if the team can develop him properly.
Mathieu Carle was the best defenceman in the 'Dogs lineup. He had two assists, both on Desharnais goals, and his passing was crisp and accurate. He played a strong positional game, and quarterbacked the PP nicely.
The game ended 3-2 for the Bulldogs, but by the time the third rolled around, they were in control. Bob Gainey had to have been pleased with what he saw, and he was watching closely. He spent both intermissions signing autographs for long lines of fans, but stopped when the game started up again so he wouldn't miss anything. Even so, when Desharnais scored just 35 seconds into the second, Gainey was signing someone's shirt and looked mildly annoyed to have missed the goal. The Joe Byrne is not the kind of rink that provides instant replay on the big screen. In an old-time hockey atmosphere, the young 'Dogs gave a lot of Habs hope for a really promising future. When the final siren sounded, they left happy. Bob Gainey almost smiled. |
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Post by Skilly on Oct 3, 2010 8:43:39 GMT -5
I will be seeing them in 2.5 hours ....
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Post by seventeen on Oct 3, 2010 18:27:25 GMT -5
I will be seeing them in 2.5 hours .... Excellent, you can give us your take on them. And then we can hold you to it ;D. |
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Post by Skilly on Oct 5, 2010 9:50:01 GMT -5
The highlight of the night ....
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Post by seventeen on Oct 13, 2010 0:08:37 GMT -5
Man, the season's a week old and the Bulldogs haven't played one game yet, not till the 15th. Weird scheduling. I hate not having prospects to talk about.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 13, 2010 10:37:51 GMT -5
Man, the season's a week old and the Bulldogs haven't played one game yet, not till the 15th. Weird scheduling. I hate not having prospects to talk about. It is very odd, as quite a few teams already have 3 games under their belt. Guess the Dogs get a real compressed schedule as they will eventually have to make those games up. Good news is they finally play this weekend (Fri/Sat) and they will be on CBC on Sunday October 24th as part of CBC's new AHL coverage on various Sunday afternoons. The Dogs will also be in Montreal on Friday November 5th as part of the first of two visits to the Bell Centre this season. I would imagine the team is chomping at the bit to get going. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 15, 2010 21:26:07 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 15, 2010 23:34:35 GMT -5
Sounds like they had to shake some rust off in the first. Mayer gave up 2 goals on the 3 shots in the first, and then the boys got their game going and scored the next five. Good to see scoring by committee, as this team has a lot of talent and potential. I will do a bit of a team/season preview tomorrow likely. Congrats to Coach Cunneyworth getting his first Bulldogs win on the road in the barn in which he used to coach. Fitting home coming. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 16, 2010 2:23:05 GMT -5
So, the 2010-11 Bulldogs, how do they look? Well, at first glance, this is a changed team than the bunch that netted bags of team/individual records and 115 points in the AHL last season (best for a Bulldogs team ever and second overall in the "A").
Gone are some pretty key parts of last year's success, and added are some interesting new pieces in what could be a great year as well. PK Subban, and his incredible +46 rating, as well as second leading point getter Brock Trotter, will be missed. So too will All Star and league leading goalie Cedrick Desjardins. When you also chuck out AHL top coach Guy Boucher and his entire coaching staff (and GM to boot), you might wonder if this team has any hope in the good old H-E-double hockey sticks. Read on, MacDuff...
You have to look at the 2010-11 team in terms of what stays the same, and what replaces the missing pieces. David Desharnais was the team leader in points last year, and should not shy away from a return performance again. This diminutive forward also tore it up in the ECHL and ended up both ECHL league MVP and rookie of the year in his only year in that development league. His games with the Habs last season and his play in preseason show that size is the only thing holding him back, and only by a hair. On offense, this team should be deep. JT Wyman is coming off a great year, and is now getting tons of top six ice time. Big and fast, he cannot hurt you. He is not flashy, but is very under-rated. Coach Cunnyworth already has him on Desharnais' top line in preseason. Aaron Palushaj came over from St Lou for Matt D'Agostini and is only entering his second pro season. He had a good camp and you can see the speed, skill and potential. Door knocker, meet Mr Palushaj. Max Pacioretty is the poster child of being rushed through five levels of hockey in just under five years, let's hope some stability and some injury free time will get him over the hump. You can't beat that frame and skating, we will watch and see if those hands can catch up to the pro game. Ben Maxwell was darn close to my unofficial write-off list after last year, but he had a good camp. Can he now translate that into big production as a key top two centre role in Steeltown and get an invite back to the bigs? Ryan White is also so close to seeing the sights in the big city. His WHL below-average skating is now improved, and he has been able to bring all his good junior attributes along in stride. He is not far off, but we will all enjoy his Hamilton gig while it lasts. Ryan Russell is hell on wheels, he is just hard to see as he is very small. A critical good two way and checking forward, he still lags behind twin brother Kris who has seen NHL success on the CBJ blueline. QMJHL grads Dumont (tiny buzzbomb who scored a ton last season in the Q), Masse (a Boucher grad) and Fortier (ex top defensive forward in the Q) and big US kid Andrew Conboy (big, fast, north-south crash and banger) should all round out a nice forward bunch.
Of special note, there are few new rookies in town. 19 year old Alexander Avtsin comes overseas after tearing it up in a obscure Russian league as a 17 year old. Last year he got limited ice time in the KHL with a stacked Dynamo mens team, but ended up getting more ice time and success as the season progressed. With the crazy financial situation over at Dynamo, the two parties mutually severed and he is now plying his trade over here. A big right handed RWer with great size, wheels and hands, he could be a diamond in the rough...or pretty ordinary. He has already caught the eye based on his preseason Habs play and Dogs play, so let's see how this 19 year old Russian converts. Keep an eye out folks. The soon to be 23 year old Andreas Engqvist was a surprise invite and signing at last year's development camp, but he has been playing SEL hockey since he was able to drive it seems. A big body at 6'4", he also got the nod with Team Sweden at last year's Worlds. Will he translate into a big two way centre, or something more/less? Let's wait and see, shall we? The "other guy" in the Halak trade was ex-co-captain of the perennial contending Calgary Hitmen, Ian Schultz. I saw a lot of this kid in junior, and he is a gamer. Big and gritty, he played on the top line in the Dub because he sort of combined it all against that level of competition. At worst, he could translate into a good old grinder, but I would not count this kid's chances out of making it....even as a grinder. The Calgary Hitmen produce a lot of good NHL prospects, just ask Ryan White.
On the blueline, there have been some changes too. Gone are Benoit, Belle, Anderson, (and of course Subban), and enter some new promising folks to the fold. Team Captain Alex Henry was brought back and rewarded with a two year deal. On a team full of kids, this is a huge and important move. Mathieu Carle and Yannick Weber are back, after yet another camp of "knocking on the door". I actually thought that Carle had passed Weber last season, but both are looking reasonably equal so far. Full time NHLers? Well, the signing of Picard should send some messages. Newbies include Wisconsin native Kyle Klubertanz who is a great two-way guy who was in Europe last season, Cornell grad and Alberta lad Brendon Nash who is a big solid defender from a defense hockey factory in the NCAA, and AHL signings Petruic, Bisaillon and Urquhart. Add in St-Denis who went from AHL contract and splitting with the ECHL Cyclones and AHL Dogs to a NHL two way contract this season, and likely demotee Picard from the Habs. This seems like a really solid AHL level D. The lesser known additions are all good. This will be a solid bunch. Too bad some will have to go down to Wheeling in the ECHL.
Between the pipes, vet Sanford was brought back and ECHL Kelly Cup champ and playoff MVP Robert Mayer was promoted to fill the huge skates of departed Cedrick Desjardins (the trade that netted a very valuable goalie depth guy in Karri Ramo). The Habs also signed promising (or stalled?) 20 year old free agent Peter Delmas to an AHL contract to add depth in net. I wanted this kid in his draft year, but he went unsigned and has looked good in both training camps. Cannot hurt to shore up the franchise weak link in terms of depth.
Behind the bench come the Two Randy's (not Ronnies!!). Cunneyworth comes with some mixed reviews, but he seemed to guide Rochester to some pretty solid years under his watch and now has two years of NHL assistant coach experience. He has vowed to keep a lot of the aggressive style of Guy Boucher intact with the guys, but also work on teaching the game in their own zone so that they can make the transition into the NHL (or into a Martin led NHL team). He also won the AHL Coach of the year in his day, so is no slouch. Ladouceur comes in after 12 years of NHL assistant coaching experience, and OHL head coaching gigs to boot. Not bad at all.
How will our Gol Darn Doggies do? So far, this team went 3-0 in preseason and is now 1-0 early in its brand new regular season. Off to a promising start, but one win does not a season make.
Go Dogs Go!!
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Post by seventeen on Oct 17, 2010 1:27:57 GMT -5
A 5-3 loss to the Marlies (to quote Sylvester's kid in Bugs Bunny, "Oh the shame of it all!) tonight. They scored 3 times in the 3rd to seal the win. The tough goal to give up though, was to Kadri, late in the 2nd to rejuvenate them (oh the shame of it all). I'm not very confident in Robert Mayer at this stage. Not having Sanford hurts the club and doesn't allow them to bring Mayer on a little slower. theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007372 |
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 17, 2010 7:58:20 GMT -5
What happened to Sanford? Can't find any news about him on the net.
And not having Desjardins may really hurt. He and Sanford were the best tandem in the league last year GA-wise.
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Post by Lord Bebop on Oct 17, 2010 9:13:59 GMT -5
What happened to Sanford? Can't find any news about him on the net. And not having Desjardins may really hurt. He and Sanford were the best tandem in the league last year GA-wise. I think he got a puck to the throat in practice during camp. He's day-to-day last i heard. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 19, 2010 21:18:37 GMT -5
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Post by Yossarian on Oct 19, 2010 21:47:08 GMT -5
Interesting. His 3rd game in N.A., his first goal, and first star. Maybe we have the makings of a big, fast, and skilled top six forward. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 20, 2010 23:38:55 GMT -5
A nice read on Aaron Palushaj habsloyalist.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-11%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-11%3A00&max-results=3The Energizer Prospect
Watching Aaron Palushaj chug up and down the right wing for the duration of a hockey game gives the word "relentless" a visual aid. If he were a plant, he'd be a dandelion. A piece of heavy equipment? A bulldozer. On every shift, even though he's not the tallest player or the heaviest, he goes implacably where he wants to go. That's often into the corners and out with the puck. Or to the front of the net for a quick tip-in goal.
Selected in the second round of the 2007 NHL entry draft by the St.Louis Blues, the Michigan-born Palushaj played two seasons for the Wolverines of the NCAA. In his freshman year in college, he outscored fellow rookie and Habs first-rounder Max Pacioretty, putting up 44 points in 43 games. He was just 17 when he started that season. He improved to 50 points in 39 games in his sophomore year, then decided to make the leap and turn pro.
Michigan coach, Red Berenson, was sorry to see him go.
"Well, we really liked him as a young prospect and he had a good freshman year here, and a good sophomore year, and then he left. The pros talked to him and convinced him to leave, and he's still developing in the minors," Berenson explains. "That's an issue. We're doing a good job developing players to the point where the pros will pull them out early."
The Blues, and Palushaj himself, thought he was ready to make the move to the AHL last year. He'd put up 22 points in 44 games for the Peoria Rivermen when he found out he'd been traded to the Canadiens. The move shocked him, but he accepted it as just a bump in his inexorable path to the big time.
"To be honest, I don’t know why they dealt me," he says. "But it means another team wanted me so that’s a good thing."
The Habs certainly wanted him. The team's scouting department noticed him in his draft year, and saw him up close while keeping tabs on Pacioretty at Michigan. The fact that the Blues' draftee was outscoring their own first rounder didn't go unnoticed.
Berenson, meanwhile, wondered if Palushaj would survive the rigors of the AHL.
"Palushaj has a ton of talent. Whether he's ready emotionally and physically to play with men every night, 80 games a year, is a question mark."
It's still a question mark, even though Palushaj turned 21 just before this season began. He didn't play the Bulldogs' first several games after limping off the ice at practice last week. The ankle injury shouldn't keep him out too long, but it raises some concern about his size and durability. He says he knows strength is his big weakness, and he's grinding away in the gym to get better.
"I need to get stronger," he concedes. "I just turned 21, so I could definitely develop my strength a little bit more. And I think more speed will come with that and I'll be better in the corner and stuff. That's one thing I'm going to do."
He knows what he's got to do to improve because he spends a lot of time watching himself and running self-imposed drills to eliminate weaknesses he sees on post-game tapes.
"I watch a lot of video," he reveals. "I'm in the gym quite a bit. I stay after practice and work on my shot and my hands. A lot of stuff like that. I think video is one of the most important things, in any sport, especially hockey. So I watch a lot. I like to watch the game at least once after we play it."
The 6'0", 183-pound winger has, as Berenson says, tons of talent, but it's his tireless persistence that makes him a real threat. It's not just apparent in his presence on the ice, it's in his attitude off it as well. He came into Habs camp in September convinced he would crack the NHL lineup.
"I did have a good camp. I was planning on making the team in Montreal. But stuff happens and you have to come down here and work really hard." He pushes sweat-drenched hair back off his forehead, dark eyes burning, an open cut on a cheekbone glistening red. "Keep working hard every day, getting better on the ice and stuff. My time will come. My time will come." He repeats it emphatically, as though someone would dare disagree.
A lot of prospects with that attitude get discouraged when the demotion everyone but themselves knew was coming, comes. Not Palushaj. He concedes it was a tough moment when Jacques Martin told him he was going to Hamilton. Then he readjusted his focus and decided to burn up the AHL until the Canadiens recall him. For him, making it isn't a question of if, but when.
His old coach thinks he'll do it.
"I think he'll make it," says Red Berenson. "I hope he does."
If singleminded tenacity can translate to a job in the NHL, Palushaj will make his alma mater proud. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 23, 2010 0:18:14 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 23, 2010 20:52:32 GMT -5
Doggies deserved a better fate, they outplayed the Moose but the refs only saw the game one way. With Sandford still out after a puck to the throat before the start of the season, the Dogs now have to rely on Mayer and Delmas. Delmas made his pro debut last night and was quite good. Mayer has been solid being forced into the starter role. A 21 and 20 year old combo, so pretty good so far. Dogs on CBC tomorrow at 11:00 am Mountain and 1:00 pm Eastern. Catch and cheer on the baby Habs tomorrow on national TV. |
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Post by ValkyrieNS on Oct 24, 2010 9:24:29 GMT -5
Dogs on CBC tomorrow at 11:00 am Mountain and 1:00 pm Eastern. Catch and cheer on the baby Habs tomorrow on national TV. Cool! I know what I'm doing this afternoon! Hope that Delmas is playing because he's one of mine (Mooseheads)! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 27, 2010 22:18:59 GMT -5
After three straight games of going to extra innings and losing out on the second point, the Dogs won tonight in regulation and take the only two points of the evening, 5-4 against Syracuse Crunch. Patches had a big night with a goal and two helpers. Looks like Sandford is back practicing with the puck after taking that shot in practice to the throat that has kept him out so far this season. He is expected to be back in game shape by early next week. I expect Delmas will be ECHL bound if that happens. Danny Masse, David Urquhart and Sebastien Bisaillon have already made the trek to Wheeling. www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/article/bulldogs-crunch-syracuse-with-5-4-victory |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 28, 2010 0:33:41 GMT -5
Patches had 11 shots on goal in the game. That was a 1/4 of the Dog's shots  . Hamilton outshot Syracuse 42-12, yet we gave up 4 goals on the 12 shots. I think Mr Mayer is struggling in the AHL, so Sanford can't return quickly enough. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 28, 2010 9:52:26 GMT -5
Patches had 11 shots on goal in the game. That was a 1/4 of the Dog's shots . Hamilton outshot Syracuse 42-12, yet we gave up 4 goals on the 12 shots. I think Mr Mayer is struggling in the AHL, so Sanford can't return quickly enough. Yeah, Mayer still has some developing to do, but has been okay after being quite unexpectedly thrust into that #1 role. I expect with a more controlled number of games, he will be able to cut down on those softies and become a better goalie. All things considered though, he has been able to step up and help the Dogs get points. In the long run this will be good for his development, and it has not cost the Dogs too much in terms of the standings. It's a long season and lots can happen, so the coaches got to see an extended glimpse into his game. That's not bad either in the long run. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 28, 2010 18:16:37 GMT -5
I didn't know if I was reading this right, but Yannick Weber is doing alright this season: 6G 4A in 7 GP. Here's the rest of the stats: Hamilton Bulldog statsCheers. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Oct 29, 2010 0:34:49 GMT -5
I didn't know if I was reading this right, but Yannick Weber is doing alright this season: 6G 4A in 7 GP. Here's the rest of the stats: Hamilton Bulldog statsCheers. I'd love to see Weber or MAB replace O'Byrne or Spacek. We don't have a dominating forward line and it helps to get offensive support from "D" men who can join the rush and outman the other team in not overpower them. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 29, 2010 20:49:03 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 29, 2010 21:42:07 GMT -5
Yeah, and had to ride rookie Delmas for his first pro win to boot with 32 saves. Val will like to see an ex-Moosehead doing well. Kudos. Get well Curtis, you can only make this team better. The kids have done well though in net, so that is promising although not sure Mayer is ready for night after night in the AHL quite yet. Lot's of time left for him to develop. A Habs-Dogs double-bill winner is always good. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 29, 2010 21:45:13 GMT -5
I didn't know if I was reading this right, but Yannick Weber is doing alright this season: 6G 4A in 7 GP. Here's the rest of the stats: Hamilton Bulldog statsCheers. Yeah, they are all going in for him for sure. Still question his ability in his own end though, as he still looks shaky at times against even AHL competition. I hope he does well, but I see another MAB light developing. He is definitely a "tweener" right now. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 30, 2010 1:41:16 GMT -5
I agree NWT. He gets tapped (I'm hesitant to even use the word "checked") off the puck too easily in his own end. I still get nightmares from MAB's pinball routines.
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Post by ValkyrieNS on Oct 30, 2010 17:44:43 GMT -5
Yeah, and had to ride rookie Delmas for his first pro win to boot with 32 saves. Val will like to see an ex-Moosehead doing well. Kudos. Darn rights! Yippie for Delmas  I agree NWT. He gets tapped (I'm hesitant to even use the word "checked") off the puck too easily in his own end. I still get nightmares from MAB's pinball routines. Are we *still* going on about Marc-André? Geez, he's not even playing so far this season...  |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 2, 2010 20:30:11 GMT -5
After suffering through watching that Columbus game, we can take some solace knowing that the kids did alright at home tonight against the Moose, winning 3-1. Curtis Sandford is back in net (yeah!!) and both ex-Michigan boys Pacioretty and Palushaj were 1+1 tonight. Max with another five shots on net also got the first star. theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007472 |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 2, 2010 23:33:52 GMT -5
Nice to see MaxPac start to put it together. Leave him down another 15 games or so to keep that confidence level up and then bring him up. That would be right after we make a big trade to get that tough winger we need for the PP and to keep everyone honest.  Max is now up to 10 points in 9 games, so it's starting to come together. Only 2 goals, though, so I like seeing him take a lot of shots. Eventually, both the quick release and the accuracy will catch up to the strength he has. Palushaj, by the way, has 1 goal and 5 assists in just 4 games. |
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