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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 16, 2016 14:19:50 GMT -5
An interesting stat/fact about the IceCaps season so far.
With Lindgren in net, the IceCaps are 7-2. With anyone else in net (Yann Danis, Zach Fucale, Bryan Pitton) they are a combined 0-5. I am hoping that Danis would form a solid tandem with Lindgren, and still hope that will be the case. Reports are that he was good in his last start, but the IceCaps still let a 3-1 lead vanish with three unanswered goals.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 16, 2016 17:35:39 GMT -5
Some more statistical updates on the IceCaps at this stage of the season.
They have played 15 games, tied with another team for the most in the league so far. They find themselves with a .500 record and in 9th place in the conference, with their closest team one point back with two games in hand. If this trend continues, the team will not make the playoffs and keep Lefebvre's record of futility intact. The good news is there is lots of hockey left to be played.
Charlie Lindgren is a big part of the IceCaps success this season, as he is 7th is GAA, tied for first in wins, and third in the league with save %. Some of the boys are getting it done at the other end too. Even after his call up, Chris Terry is 5th in league scoring, two points out of top spot. Charles Hudon is 7th in league scoring and leads the league in goals with 9, and Nikita Scherbak is 10th in league scoring and tied for second with Anthony Mantha for goals with 8. Mark Barberio is second in league points for a defenseman, only one point behind the league leader. Andrighetto was doing well before his call up, with 11 points in his 10 games, but then there is a bit of a drop off. McCarron's 9 points to date are not terrible, but I think many were looking for the big man to dominate a bit more offensively when he was sent down to the AHL.
The call ups to Hanley, Andrighetto and Terry do make the team's lack of depth even more so than it was before, so it will be interesting to see if others step up in the interim as their ice time and opportunities increase.
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Post by duster on Nov 17, 2016 11:57:24 GMT -5
At first glance, it would seem the farm team has the same system as the big club i.e. mediocre coaching and relying on the goalie to win. Imagine if Barberio wouldn't have cleared waivers.
If Lefebvre is so good at developing players, why is Hudon still in the minors? Is it because he isn't suited for dump and chase hockey?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 17, 2016 13:20:11 GMT -5
Hudon needs to be a little quicker, but he has such good hockey instincts. No idea why they have not given him a real good looksie yet. Still young though, so he is doing his part.
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Post by seventeen on Nov 17, 2016 13:52:08 GMT -5
Yes he is, but Chris Terry has jumped ahead of him (?!). I like Hudon. During his lone call-up, he seemed to manage all right. We know he's a smart player and can score (at least at the AHL level). He had two assists in 3 games last year despite looking very nervous. A few more games for him to settle in and get comfortable and I think he'd do quite well.
Yet the organization doesn't have the same opinion. Charles may get his chance elsewhere, to prove he belongs in the NHL. I keep hearing he needs to improve his skating, but I wonder if that isn't the equivalent of a doctor telling a patient its a virus, when they really have no idea what the problem is. I haven't noticed a serious flaw in his skating, though I haven't had much chance to watch him vs NHL competition.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 18, 2016 23:27:15 GMT -5
4-3 SO win tonight in Rochester. Huge wins as the Amerks are right behind the IceCaps in the standings and it was a pretty deleted lineup with the call ups. Goals by Gregoire, Eisenschmid, and Barberio. Scherbak with a helper and Lindgren gets another win. Audette and Matteau scored in the shootout to secure the extra point.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 19, 2016 20:03:46 GMT -5
Andrighetto back in the lineup today for the IceCaps on the road against the Marlies.
Wait for it...St. John's wins without Lindgren in net! Danis with the 2-1 victory. The wait is over baby. Eisenschmid and Friberg with the goals.
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Post by seventeen on Nov 30, 2016 0:07:56 GMT -5
The Ice-Caps lose convincingly to Syracuse tonight, 6-2. theahl.com/game-summary?game_id=1016174Fourth in the North Division, 8th in the conference, but they've played at least 2 games more than anyone else. They have a .500 record. Needless to say, that number isn't going to get them into the playoffs. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 30, 2016 11:00:28 GMT -5
The Ice-Caps lose convincingly to Syracuse tonight, 6-2. theahl.com/game-summary?game_id=1016174Fourth in the North Division, 8th in the conference, but they've played at least 2 games more than anyone else. They have a .500 record. Needless to say, that number isn't going to get them into the playoffs. Yeah, by all accounts they put up a stinker last night. www.thetelegram.com/Sports/IceCaps/2016-11-29/article-4695430/IceCaps-fall-flat%2C-get-Crunched/1Charlie Lindgren is so good he does give them a chance to win every game he plays, but he was a mere mortal last night according to that report so they did not stand a chance. I would expect that Matteau will face some extra time off for his spear, as he was given a major and a match penalty for it during the game. He started this season missing three games for a previous infraction when he was last in the AHL with the Baby Devils. Lefebvre does suffer from his own case of line-over-juggling at times and has this little annoying habit of sometimes putting his better offensive players on lines with plugs. Go Sly Go!! |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 30, 2016 13:01:33 GMT -5
It's a very undisciplined team as well and has been through Lefebvre's tenure. I have always believed that's a facet of a team that comes from a coach.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 1, 2016 10:32:06 GMT -5
The IceCaps bounced back last night against the Crunch with a 3-2 SO win. Scherbak and Eisenschmid both had a 1+1 night. Yann Danis got his second win of the season and Andrighetto and Audette scored in the SO. Audette is now 3 for 3 in shootouts this season. An interesting note is that Lefebvre benched Scherbak for the entire first period. Not one shift. I am sure he was not the only one who did not show up the night before. That sounded like a total team epic fail in effort.
Despite his benching and games where he sometimes finds himself playing with plugs, Scherbak already has two more goals than last season and is well on pace of easily surpassing his points total from last year in short order too. He still is only 20 as he does not turn 21 until the end of the month, so far too early to get overly worried about his development. A lot of talented kids out of juniors have to learn that being a successful pro involves a lot of hard work and they cannot rely on talent alone anymore. He did spend last summer in Montreal training hard, so I think his commitment level is already up a few notches.
Scherbak's snipe last night.
And how about this pass?
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Post by seventeen on Dec 1, 2016 12:17:35 GMT -5
A benching like that is a win/win for the coach. If the player does nothing, the coach can point and say he deserved the benching and if, like Scherbak, he gets two points and drives the offense, the coach can say, "See, I motivated him". There's no way to know if Scherbak might have gotten 2 or 3 points if not benched, simply because he might have been disappointed with his own play. Unfortunately it reeks of the very same style as Therrien. Find someone to pick on the whole year and he's your 'project'. Therrien seems to have chosen Pateryn this year.
But I agree with you about Scherbak. There's a lot of talent and physical ability there. The rest is about getting him to believe in the other parts of the game so he's able to use defense to transition to offense. Unfortunately I have little confidence that Lefebvre has the skills to help him.
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Post by duster on Dec 1, 2016 15:25:47 GMT -5
The rest is about getting him to believe in the other parts of the game so he's able to use defense to transition to offense. Unfortunately I have little confidence that Lefebvre has the skills to help him I would think part of the basic criteria for a good coach in a development league is the ability to make a naturally skilled player more versatile and an overall better contributor. Isn't that type of development the reason why Lefebvre is still at helm despite his mediocre track record? |
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Post by Tankdriver on Dec 1, 2016 18:01:32 GMT -5
Still waiting for a player to be developed in the AHL by Lefebvre.
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Post by seventeen on Dec 1, 2016 19:53:38 GMT -5
The rest is about getting him to believe in the other parts of the game so he's able to use defense to transition to offense. Unfortunately I have little confidence that Lefebvre has the skills to help him I would think part of the basic criteria for a good coach in a development league is the ability to make a naturally skilled player more versatile and an overall better contributor. Isn't that type of development the reason why Lefebvre is still at helm despite his mediocre track record? To expound on Tankdriver's point, who has Lefebvre developed that you can look at and say....Player A came to the Habs well prepared to play, didn't need to be sent down again and is turning into a good player? The only guy I can think of who fits that description is Artturi Lehkonen and he developed in a Lefebvre free zone. Funny that, huh? I wouldn't be surprised at all if Martin Reway comes in next year the same way. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2016 20:46:52 GMT -5
I'd like to Scherbak put on a line with Rads and Chucky for a three game stretch to see how that line does. Nikita has great vision and passing and is a smooth skater. The Russian trio may have even better chemistry than Byron does. Would just like to see it, I know that's not how the Habs do things, he'll get a call up and play 7 minutes with grinders. Nikita will not produce unless he's put with highly skilled players who see the ice like he does. IMO
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Post by PTH on Dec 1, 2016 20:55:45 GMT -5
I'd like to Scherbak put on a line with Rads and Chucky for a three game stretch to see how that line does. Nikita has great vision and passing and is a smooth skater. The Russian trio may have even better chemistry than Byron does. Would just like to see it, I know that's not how the Habs do things, he'll get a call up and play 7 minutes with grinders. Nikita will not produce unless he's put with highly skilled players who see the ice like he does. IMO I'm skeptical. What works for Byron on that line is his speed and hustle on defense, which gives the other two room and confidence to go for plays and forechecking, knowing there's a defensive conscience backing them up. You can't expect a kid to be able to fill that role. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 5, 2016 16:30:11 GMT -5
Another split for the IceCaps over the weekend, this time against the Baby Pens. In very similar fashion to their split mid-week, they were pounded by the Pens 6-2 on Saturday night with Charlie Lindgren having another off game. He has been their rock so far this season, so a couple of iffy games in a row from their MVP so far. The boys did fare much better on Sunday, winning 3-2 in OT behind a two goal effort from Terry with Andrighetto potting the other. Yann Danis saved the day, quite literally and often with a 50 save effort (no that is not a typo!!). The downside to the win was that they did have a 2-0 lead late into the second, so they did let that early lead slip away again. McCarron and Scherbak were both missing yesterday as McCarron is day to day with a hand injury and Nikita was taken hard into the boards over the weekend.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 8, 2016 11:43:47 GMT -5
Hey seventeen, someone just threw up this beachball for us to hit!!  |
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Post by seventeen on Dec 8, 2016 14:19:58 GMT -5
Hey seventeen, someone just threw up this beachball for us to hit!! I'm too lazy to think up a new reply, so heres a post from 2 weeks ago The Ice-Caps lose convincingly to Syracuse tonight, 6-2. theahl.com/game-summary?game_id=1016174Fourth in the North Division, 8th in the conference, but they've played at least 2 games more than anyone else. They have a .500 record. Needless to say, that number isn't going to get them into the playoffs. What I find really troubling is that Molson hasn't put more pressure on Bergevin to fix that obvious problem. I can see the Big Club's coaching to be a more delicate issue, but you have clear evidence of incompetence on the farm club and Bergevin isn't about to turf his buddy. Molson has to press the issue. In his shoes I would, and I'd want to be able to confirm the new guy. If the team suddenly improves, it shines a rather large spotlight on Bergevin (which is another reason Berg isn't likely to want to make that change). |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 8, 2016 19:43:37 GMT -5
I am hopeful that they are just biding their time and the move to Laval next season will bring with it a new head coach. Lots of speculation about whether Joel Bouchard would make the move.
It is concerning that they accept mediocrity at the farm team level. In Montreal there is at least make the playoffs, and see what happens with the best goalie, bla bla. You would hope that part of the development plan for your top prospects at the next level would be to learn how to play and win in the much tougher second season. Most of our prospects have not seen the playoffs in the AHL. Thanks Sly.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Dec 9, 2016 16:30:27 GMT -5
I couldn't care less about the record. I care about how well the coaching staff in the AHL develops talent for the big club. Part of that is talent of course, the development piece matters too.
Who has gotten better playing in St John's? Hudon has probably been the most consistent play and I still have high hopes for him. McCarron has 3 goals in 20 games, which translates to about 12 goals over a full season. He had 17 goals in 58 games last year, so his goals per game is off 50%. Not good.
OTOH, Scherbak has 9 goals in 23 games, which would be 32 goals over a season. That's significantly better than he did last year.
Jacob de la Rose has 0 goals in 20 games.
Again, it's hard to separate the talent from the development sometimes. Is Lefebvre a bad coach or does he just not have good players to work with?
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Post by duster on Dec 9, 2016 16:34:27 GMT -5
Is Lefebvre a bad coach or does he just not have good players to work with? Hard to kick someone out of the foxhole when you're wedged in tight and being shelled. |
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Post by seventeen on Dec 9, 2016 16:45:47 GMT -5
I couldn't care less about the record. I care about how well the coaching staff in the AHL develops talent for the big club. Part of that is talent of course, the development piece matters too. The thing is, those are not mutually exclusive. I think you'd find that guys that 'grow up' in a winning environment develop better than those who don't. Teams that win not only have talent, they also have good habits and structure. There's also the issue of all our prospects constantly missing out on playoff experience. You may not be able to expect Lefebvre to make the playoffs every year, but he never makes them. Excuse me, that's not technically correct. In 10 years as an assistant and head coach (counting this year), he's made the playoffs once (and was bounced in the first round that year). I"m not sure he'd recognize a playoff spot if it slapped him in the face. To me, this is so obvious a case of incompetence that it's really hard to see it as anything but friendship trumping ability. In his first 4 full seasons, his teams averaged .484 (in a loser point system!). Counting the 24 games this year, that average rockets up to .491. Laval's team next year should be called the 500's, because that's going to be their record. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 9, 2016 22:14:18 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Dec 10, 2016 9:35:39 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Dec 10, 2016 9:41:33 GMT -5
I couldn't care less about the record. I care about how well the coaching staff in the AHL develops talent for the big club. And how is that going in your estimation ... Cheers. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 10, 2016 10:34:44 GMT -5
I couldn't care less about the record. I care about how well the coaching staff in the AHL develops talent for the big club. Part of that is talent of course, the development piece matters too. I am with 17 and think both development and being in a winning environment are linked and are both important. Berg puts a premium on winning. He talked about how winning in the AHL helped his development. His most controversial trade was to get Weber and Berg always references the two Olympic golds, etc. He moved for Shaw and talks about his two Cups in his first five years. Lehkonen just came off a SHL championship and broke Daniel Alfredsson's team playoff scoring record. Radulov has won the Memorial Cup, Gagarin Cup, Worlds and is a four time KHL MVP. All the key newbies have a winning pedigree. Yet, at the critical development league for the team's top prospects, they don't even get to experience one playoff game. They don't get to learn the rigours of a long, professional playoff run. They don't get to play through injuries that they would rest up on during the regular season. They don't get to test their mettle in a loser goes home game. Instead they get very unsatisfying extended off seasons. To me, that is a huge missing piece of player development. They don't have to always field Calder Cup contenders, but at least give the kids some playoff experience. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 17, 2016 11:24:33 GMT -5
IceCaps bounced back from a Thursday night loss (against a last place in the division team....Grrr) with a 3-0 Lindgren shutout last night against Utica. Pretty ravaged lineup, as they dressed seven D since they did not have enough healthy forwards. With the call ups and injuries to guys like Scherbak and Hudon, they are pretty weak up front. Terry played well as usual, but has since been called up due to Ghetto's injury where he crashed into the boards last night. They have one more game before the holiday break. Scherbak is to practice with the team, but won't play until after the break.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 28, 2016 22:40:48 GMT -5
Baby Habs make it two in a row post Christmas break with a 4-3 OT win tonight. Lindgren with 30 saves, Audette with 1+2, Scherbak returns to game action and gets two assists tonight.
The IceCaps held off the tough Marlies 2-1 on Boxing Day behind another good Lindgren performance.
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