A few weeks ago in the Bears' first meeting against the Hartford Wolf Pack, we got a brief look at the new 3-on-3 overtime rule change. While the teams only played 3-on-3 for a couple minutes before the Bears scored, seeing so much open ice was a bit discomforting. Scott Stuccio even commented during the broadcast that it looked odd.
Before commenting on the new overtime, I wanted to wait and see if Hershey would get into any more 3-on-3 situations to determine if my first impression was correct. Well, it's been a couple weeks and the only overtime game has been against Wilkes-Barre this past Friday night and it lasted about a minute.
However, on Monday James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail just so happened to post an article about 3-on-3 situations occurring in overtime. So I'm glad I waited because now I at least have another reference point. The articles discusses both the AHL and NHL in regards to overtime and 3-on-3 play. Likewise, my perspective floats between the two.
So first off, I'll admit that I have always been (and still am) a big fan of the tie. It has historical significance for both leagues and uniquely separates itself from the winner take all mentality of the other major American sports leagues. And just because the New Jersey Devils made the playoffs and won the Stanley Cup in 1995 by having the most ties and notably "playing to tie," a backlash started against this aspect of the game. This would essentially cause the AHL and NHL to move to a 4-on-4 overtime format and eventually the shootout in 2004-05 and 2005-06, respectively.
The purpose of these changes was to open up the ice in hopes of generating offense and if not then the shootout would be an exciting way to decide a game with a 1-on-1; player versus the goalie. Well, here we are again. Discussing how to open up the ice so that more games are decided in OT instead of the shootout. And 3-on-3 is what the NHL/AHL powers that be came up with?
Some say the most exciting play in hockey is the penalty shot. I beg to differ. The most exciting play is the 2-on-1. And that's because of the possibilities. In that brief moment a 2-on-1 contains all aspects of the game that makes hockey great. Offense, defense and goaltending. Does the player with the puck pass or shoot? If he shoots, does he shoot for a goal or a rebound? If he passes, does the defense break up the pass? If not, does the other offensive player take the shot (for goal or rebound) or attempt a pass back? And through all that, what does the goalie do?
From the little bit we've seen, because of so much open ice and so few players, the new AHL overtime format is basically just 2-on-1's back and forth. That may sound like a good idea on paper but in reality it is definitely a case of too much of a good thing. In the same way a penalty shot can be exciting, a 2-on-1 is exhilarating because it doesn't happen all the time. The scarcity of it drives demand which makes it that much more intense when it occurs.
But this is where we're at; this is what the decision makers have come up with. With the way things are going, I predict that by the 2019-2020 season the overtime format will consist solely of the two goalies on the ice just shooting the puck at each other.
The shootout was supposed to be an exciting way to decide a game. Now that's not viewed as proper so they're going to 3-on-3 overtime to try and move away from the shootout as much as possible. This speaks volumes about where both the NHL and AHL are at and how they got here since the 2005-06 lockout (which is coming up on the 10 year anniversary next season).
Instead of focusing on overtime, how about the decision makers figure out how to get the game back to the way it was coming out of the 05-06 lockout. No one can deny that the most exciting hockey (offensively speaking) of the past 20 years happened between 2005-06 and 2010-11. But 3-on-3 overtime is what they think is the most important in creating more offense in the game.
Showing posts with label AHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AHL. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Monday, January 16, 2012
Keith Aucoin on Record Setting Pace
Which got me thinking...I wonder what the record for most assists in a season is...
It is 89...by former Bear George "Red" Sullivan in 1953-54.
Coiner is on pace to SHATTER that mark. If Keith can keep up his current pace he would finish the season with 109 assists! 20 more than the previous record which has been held for almost 60 years.
Impressive.
Which got me thinking...if he is going to have that many assists, how many points will he have?
Assuming he keeps up his current pace of 1.68 points per game he will finish the season with 126 points.
Is that a record?
Yes and no.
The AHL record for points in a season is 138 by Binghamton's (and onetime Bear) Don Biggs in 1992-93.
But, the Bears all-time record for points in a season is Tim Tookey, who had 124 in 1986-87.
So, as it stands now you are watching the player that could set a new record for points in a season by a Hershey Bear.
And if the right pieces fall into place he could make a run at the AHL all time mark...he is currently on pace to fall just 12 points short.
There is another record he is approaching...remember back in 2008-09, Alexandre Giroux recorded a goal in 15 straight games...an AHL record...Coiner is approaching something similar.
The record for most consecutive games with an assist is 17 (owned by two players actually). Currently, Aucoin has an assist in 13* straight games, leaving him 4 short of tying the mark and 5 short of setting a new one.
What a season for #11!!
And what a career. As of today, Keith Aucoin sits at #16 (top active player) on the AHL's All-Time Scoring list with 771 points in 10+ seasons. Of the 15 players above him, only one has averaged more points per season (through 2010-11) than Aucoin. That player....Bruce Boudreau.
If Aucoin continues on his current pace this season and records the aforementioned 126 points, he would climb all the way to #7 on the All-Time list...one spot behind Mike Nykoluk.
Bears fans...we are watching one of the greatest players in the storied history of the AHL. Enjoy it.
*(No, the healthy scratch status from the other night did not ruin this run based on the information I can find. If you remember back in 08-09 Giroux actually missed games during his streak while on recall to Washington. And, the AHL's daily report stat sheet still lists Aucoin's streak as current.)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
AHL Suspends Rechlicz
Absurd. That is the simplest way I can explain what the AHL did today. They suspended Phantoms Tom Sestito and Oliver Lauridsen 1 game each for grabbing Hershey's Joel Rechlicz while on the bench. Good for them.
1 game. Weak, but ok, I understand.
Wrecker got the same. A 1 game suspension. Wait...WHAT?
To help understand this, let's recap what took place on Saturday:
Player A is standing on the ice after getting checked, watching other players start to fight;
Player B, ON THE BENCH, grabs Player A and starts pounding on him;
Player C, ALSO ON THE BENCH, assists Player B in pounding on Player A.
So....
The player standing ON THE ICE, minding his own business gets the same suspension as the player who WHILE ON THE BENCH began punching him.
Oh, now I understand. Wait, no I don't.
Ok let's try again...you want to suspend Wrecker for pulling the linesman back to the melee...fine. But didn't you kind of do that on Sunday when he was suspended for accumulating 3 game misconducts (2 in this game) on the season? But fine. Suspend him again. 1 game. Done. Accepted.
But to hand out equal suspensions to Wrecker, Sestito, and Lauridsen is absurd.
This is a ruling that I just do not understand.
And apparently the other Phantoms didn't get noticed, but I can assure you that they were taking swings at Danny Richmond while he was pinned against the boards at the Adirondack bench. The AHL's video surveillance is obviously not up to par with the NHL so they likely didn't catch any of the punches, so no suspensions were handed down.
But I can assure you that the Bears know who the culprits were.
The Phantoms return to Giant Center on Friday, March 16. Get your tickets now.
1 game. Weak, but ok, I understand.
Wrecker got the same. A 1 game suspension. Wait...WHAT?
To help understand this, let's recap what took place on Saturday:
Player A is standing on the ice after getting checked, watching other players start to fight;
Player B, ON THE BENCH, grabs Player A and starts pounding on him;
Player C, ALSO ON THE BENCH, assists Player B in pounding on Player A.
So....
The player standing ON THE ICE, minding his own business gets the same suspension as the player who WHILE ON THE BENCH began punching him.
Oh, now I understand. Wait, no I don't.
Ok let's try again...you want to suspend Wrecker for pulling the linesman back to the melee...fine. But didn't you kind of do that on Sunday when he was suspended for accumulating 3 game misconducts (2 in this game) on the season? But fine. Suspend him again. 1 game. Done. Accepted.
But to hand out equal suspensions to Wrecker, Sestito, and Lauridsen is absurd.
This is a ruling that I just do not understand.
 |
| Pardon the language, but this pretty much summed up my feelings. |
And apparently the other Phantoms didn't get noticed, but I can assure you that they were taking swings at Danny Richmond while he was pinned against the boards at the Adirondack bench. The AHL's video surveillance is obviously not up to par with the NHL so they likely didn't catch any of the punches, so no suspensions were handed down.
But I can assure you that the Bears know who the culprits were.
The Phantoms return to Giant Center on Friday, March 16. Get your tickets now.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Schedule is out!
The Bears schedule was released this week and below I discuss a few notes about it but first I wanted to touch on something I left you with last time.
The outdoor game.
It appears that I may have misunderstood or misinterpreted what was said by the AHL rep.
I thought he said "in Hershey" when, based on additional information, he might have said "involving Hershey".
PennLive.com's article today mentions a possible game between Hershey and Adirondack at Citizens Bank park on January 6. Citizens Bank park will host the Winter Classic on January 2 and rumors have flown that the Bears vs Phantoms game could be outdoors on the 6th.
Who knows.
Either way there is a chance that Hershey could be playing outdoors sometime this year. And it isn't that far a trip to Philly!
Other thoughts on the schedule:
It seems like a good schedule.
Now that the schedule is out it feels like hockey season is right around the corner. And I guess it is.
The outdoor game.
It appears that I may have misunderstood or misinterpreted what was said by the AHL rep.
I thought he said "in Hershey" when, based on additional information, he might have said "involving Hershey".
PennLive.com's article today mentions a possible game between Hershey and Adirondack at Citizens Bank park on January 6. Citizens Bank park will host the Winter Classic on January 2 and rumors have flown that the Bears vs Phantoms game could be outdoors on the 6th.
Who knows.
Either way there is a chance that Hershey could be playing outdoors sometime this year. And it isn't that far a trip to Philly!
Other thoughts on the schedule:
- I love the end of it. Over the last month of the season Hershey has 9 home games and only 6 road games. And those road games are day trips to Albany, Bingo, and Wilkes-Barre and then a New England trip to close the season.
- Hershey has 2 tough road trips (scheduling wise)...Dec 2-4 - Hershey goes to Syracuse Friday, Hershey Saturday, and then to Bridgeport for a 3:00 start on Sunday; Feb 17-23 - Trips to Providence, Manchester, and Bridgeport on Fri, Sat, Sun before heading to Rochester and Lake Erie (Cleveland) the following Wed and Thur.
- 13 three in three's (three games in 3 nights...Fri, Sat, Sun)
- 5 Wednesday home games...up from, I believe, 2 last year
- 2 Friday home games
- From December 10 - January 8 Hershey plays 12 games...9 at home and 3 on the road (Norfolk, WB/S, Adirondack). Nice to be home for the holidays!
- Hershey's longest consecutive home stand is only 3 games...they do that 3 times. But on multiple occasions they have 4 or 5 home games separated by one game road trips.
It seems like a good schedule.
Now that the schedule is out it feels like hockey season is right around the corner. And I guess it is.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Notes from the Patriot News Hockey Forum on August 5
It feels like I haven't been here for a while. Last week I said I would have a brief recap of the discussions from the Patriot News Hockey Forum from a couple Fridays ago and now you can actually read it.
Representatives from Wilkes Barre, Toronto, Binghamton, Syracuse, Bridgeport, Hershey, and the AHL were on hand to answer questions and discuss the Bears and (mostly) the AHL.
Honestly I expected John Walton and Tim Leone to be answering a lot of questions about the Bears and the upcoming 2011-12 season. Instead we got a lot of questions about the schedule, statistical discussion, officiating, rule changes, instant replay, and outdoor games, among other topics.
The only real "Bears" questions were about Greentree's veteran status and Danny Richmond's plus/minus rating.
Still a good time, well organized, and, in my opinion, very informative. So, enough jibber jabber, let's get on to the topics:
Officiating - will we see the AHL go to the 2 referee system for every game?
The quick answer...maybe but not this year. The longer answer...there aren't enough referees that are good enough, or ready, to work AHL games. So basically it comes down to this...yes, the AHL's end goal is to have 2 referee's calling every game, just like the NHL, but no it won't happen this season or maybe next. They need time to train the up and coming referee's and get them ready to go.
Scheduling - why doesn't Hershey and other Eastern Conference teams get games against many Western Conference teams?
This one was relatively easy to answer...because the league doesn't actually make the schedule. The AHL's process is to allow the Board of Governors, which is one representative/owner from each team, to decide what teams they will play.
So basically the BoG goes into a room for a while and they discuss who each team wants to play. And that is how the schedule is done.
So a team that struggles to fill a building when playing non-rivals is going to want to schedule more against their rivals...even if they aren't in the same division or conference.
In addition the BoG has to consider the travel costs of all those games. Some teams can't afford to travel all over the country and while Hershey probably could...why should they? Season ticket sales are off the charts, they averaged about 9,500 fans last year...damn near capacity, and why should they travel all over the country spending money and tiring out the players if no one is going to make them.
Basically what it all boils down to is money. Teams want to make as much of it as they can and the added travel and unfamiliar opponents just don't make a good business decision.
If you want games against the other teams...tell the Bears...not the AHL.
Plus/Minus discussion - does the stat really mean anything?
Most of the members of the panel basically said the stat is useless UNLESS a guy routinely plays against the top line of an opponent.
Personally, I think the stat is useless unless it is completely out of line with the rest of the team. If 22 of the 23 players have a rating of +5 or better and that last player is -5 then I think you can see a true result.
But generally this is a stat that, when created, the intentions were good and the idea was good. Unfortunately, when actually applied to the games there is no real relevance to actual hockey.
Rule Changes - will we see any for 2011-12?
No. The only real change will be the same as in the NHL, the interpretation of the 'headshot' rule.
Otherwise, it seems that the AHL would prefer to keep their rules in line with the NHL. There was some discussion about getting rid of the Delay of Game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. Everyone on the panel seemed to favor getting rid of it, but in the end the AHL is meant as a developmental league for the NHL and training guys at this level should be aligned closely with the operation in the NHL. Translation...you don't want players getting used to one thing at the AHL level only to have it work differently in the NHL.
Instant Replay - will the AHL ever adopt it?
This, as luck would have it, again comes down to the Board of Governors an one thing...money. The technology is there, obviously, but it costs money to do this.
Again, everyone on the panel was definitely in favor of instant replay, but I don't think any of them are expecting to see it anytime soon.
It was said that this topic comes up at every BoG meeting but they never more it forward.
Kyle Greentree - is he a veteran or what?
Yes, Kyle is a veteran. He has played in 260+ games BUT he has not played in 320. So he falls into the "veteran-exempt" category.
The AHL rules state that teams may dress 5 players that have played 320+ games AND one player that has played in 260-320 games.
So Kyle will be in the lineup every night barring injury or recall.
Outdoor Games - will the AHL ever do an AHL Classic like event?
Simple answer...no. And they never have. Any outdoor game held to date was organized and paid for by the team that hosted...NOT THE LEAGUE.
So any hope of seeing an outdoor game at HersheyPark Stadium...not likely.
Or is it?
The AHL rep said this,
"if you are interested in an outdoor game in Hershey, you might want to consider keeping January open."
Wouldn't that be pretty damn cool!
Representatives from Wilkes Barre, Toronto, Binghamton, Syracuse, Bridgeport, Hershey, and the AHL were on hand to answer questions and discuss the Bears and (mostly) the AHL.
Honestly I expected John Walton and Tim Leone to be answering a lot of questions about the Bears and the upcoming 2011-12 season. Instead we got a lot of questions about the schedule, statistical discussion, officiating, rule changes, instant replay, and outdoor games, among other topics.
The only real "Bears" questions were about Greentree's veteran status and Danny Richmond's plus/minus rating.
Still a good time, well organized, and, in my opinion, very informative. So, enough jibber jabber, let's get on to the topics:
Officiating - will we see the AHL go to the 2 referee system for every game?
The quick answer...maybe but not this year. The longer answer...there aren't enough referees that are good enough, or ready, to work AHL games. So basically it comes down to this...yes, the AHL's end goal is to have 2 referee's calling every game, just like the NHL, but no it won't happen this season or maybe next. They need time to train the up and coming referee's and get them ready to go.
Scheduling - why doesn't Hershey and other Eastern Conference teams get games against many Western Conference teams?
This one was relatively easy to answer...because the league doesn't actually make the schedule. The AHL's process is to allow the Board of Governors, which is one representative/owner from each team, to decide what teams they will play.
So basically the BoG goes into a room for a while and they discuss who each team wants to play. And that is how the schedule is done.
So a team that struggles to fill a building when playing non-rivals is going to want to schedule more against their rivals...even if they aren't in the same division or conference.
In addition the BoG has to consider the travel costs of all those games. Some teams can't afford to travel all over the country and while Hershey probably could...why should they? Season ticket sales are off the charts, they averaged about 9,500 fans last year...damn near capacity, and why should they travel all over the country spending money and tiring out the players if no one is going to make them.
Basically what it all boils down to is money. Teams want to make as much of it as they can and the added travel and unfamiliar opponents just don't make a good business decision.
If you want games against the other teams...tell the Bears...not the AHL.
Plus/Minus discussion - does the stat really mean anything?
Most of the members of the panel basically said the stat is useless UNLESS a guy routinely plays against the top line of an opponent.
Personally, I think the stat is useless unless it is completely out of line with the rest of the team. If 22 of the 23 players have a rating of +5 or better and that last player is -5 then I think you can see a true result.
But generally this is a stat that, when created, the intentions were good and the idea was good. Unfortunately, when actually applied to the games there is no real relevance to actual hockey.
Rule Changes - will we see any for 2011-12?
No. The only real change will be the same as in the NHL, the interpretation of the 'headshot' rule.
Otherwise, it seems that the AHL would prefer to keep their rules in line with the NHL. There was some discussion about getting rid of the Delay of Game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. Everyone on the panel seemed to favor getting rid of it, but in the end the AHL is meant as a developmental league for the NHL and training guys at this level should be aligned closely with the operation in the NHL. Translation...you don't want players getting used to one thing at the AHL level only to have it work differently in the NHL.
Instant Replay - will the AHL ever adopt it?
This, as luck would have it, again comes down to the Board of Governors an one thing...money. The technology is there, obviously, but it costs money to do this.
Again, everyone on the panel was definitely in favor of instant replay, but I don't think any of them are expecting to see it anytime soon.
It was said that this topic comes up at every BoG meeting but they never more it forward.
Kyle Greentree - is he a veteran or what?
Yes, Kyle is a veteran. He has played in 260+ games BUT he has not played in 320. So he falls into the "veteran-exempt" category.
The AHL rules state that teams may dress 5 players that have played 320+ games AND one player that has played in 260-320 games.
So Kyle will be in the lineup every night barring injury or recall.
Outdoor Games - will the AHL ever do an AHL Classic like event?
Simple answer...no. And they never have. Any outdoor game held to date was organized and paid for by the team that hosted...NOT THE LEAGUE.
So any hope of seeing an outdoor game at HersheyPark Stadium...not likely.
Or is it?
The AHL rep said this,
"if you are interested in an outdoor game in Hershey, you might want to consider keeping January open."
Wouldn't that be pretty damn cool!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Defending the Schedule Matrix and an Early Look at a Potential Lineup
Yesterday I complained a little bit about the schedule and its lack of balance. I thought maybe I overreacted a bit considering there hasn't been balanced schedules the last few years either but then I went to the PennLive forum and I see I am not the only one upset about the balance.
But today I am actually going to DEFEND the AHL on the schedule debate. Understand this though...I want a balanced schedule. I want the AHL to adopt the NHL schedule matrix so that everyone pretty much plays everyone else the same amount of times. It works.
Now, let me say this. I understand (and actually kind of agree) with what the AHL did and why they did what they did.
Generally people think it has to do mainly with travel costs. I am sure that is part of the issue but I don't believe that is the MAIN issue.
The biggest reason the AHL does the schedule this way is ticket sales.
I actually thought about this yesterday, but decided against discussing it in that post. Most of the fans in the AHL are casual fans. Sure, in Hershey there are 10,000 casual fans, but most cities have half of that at the most.
Even in Hershey the majority of the fans aren't concerned too much with roster moves, prospects, and if the schedule is balanced.
Yes there are fans (you are reading an opinion of one right now) that take the AHL very seriously and love to follow the league and are 100% committed, both emotionally and financially, to my favorite team.
But compared to the NHL the AHL has no fans. It would be like comparing the popularity of football to the NHL. Landslide victory for one side.
Now, I am not saying that the AHL doesn't care about their fans. In fact they care about them more than any other league because they depend on them for revenues more than most other leagues.
There are no TV contracts in the AHL, minimal radio coverage for even the best teams, and advertising dollars come in but on a scale much smaller than larger sports leagues.
So guess where the dollars come from...the fans.
So...myself and many of the more intense fans would LOVE to see the Bears play the Rampage, Icehogs, Barons, and Heat every season. It would be great to see the talent on those teams at a time other than the Calder Cup finals.
But for the casual fan...that isn't the case. They would prefer to see rivalry games. In Hershey that isn't necessarily the case. Most Saturday games were sell outs and most games other nights were over 9000 fans no matter who the opponent was.
However, not all fans are as loyal or supportive as Bears fans. For example...Syracuse hosted Albany and about sold 1,700 fewer tickets than when they hosted Rochester.
Another example...Wilkes Barre/Scranton...they hosted Manitoba, sold about 6200, they hosted Abbotsford, sold about 5900, and they hosted Hershey, sold 8100. All those were Friday night games throughout the season.
Another...Albany...they finished the season LAST in the AHL in attendance. One Saturday they played Adirondack and drew 5,200 fans (2,000 more than their season average)...the next Saturday they played Norfolk and drew 2,200. That is 3,000 fans less...and that makes a huge difference on revenues.
Obviously it isn't a perfect comparison since other things impact attendance figures but it gives you an idea of what fans prefer.
And Hershey is NOT immune to this problem. Looking at Sunday games throughout the season you will see that one team outdraws the rest:
Adirondack - 7,000
Binghamton - 7,500
Charlotte - 7,400
Manitoba - 8,000
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 10,700
Casual fans show up when the opposition is a known rival. Simple as that.
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And the AHL is built and survives based on the interests of the CASUAL FAN. Without them there would be many fewer teams which would affect the overall hockey landscape as a whole.
So, in the end I would love to see more competitive balance (and honestly without tearing apart every single teams matchups I can't honestly say there isn't SOME balance worked in) I also understand that in order to maintain a successful league and successful teams you have to get people in the seats.
And the best way to do that is to schedule the rivalry teams more than any other.
Ok, so there, I gave the AHL their due for creating the schedule. It is tough to balance a schedule with every team playing other teams evenly when those teams can't make money in many games.
In my opinion, it is better to have 30 AHL teams and an unbalanced schedule than it is to have 20 AHL teams and a balanced schedule.
And like I said yesterday...this could help Hershey in the end. By the time the playoffs roll around they have already played a tougher than average schedule. So, assuming they make the playoffs, they are more likely to perform well in those "bigger" games.
And as you will see below...this is going to be quite a team in Hershey this season.
With that, let's just take a glance at the prospective Hershey Bears roster as of today. For the purposes of this exercise I am going to assume that Jay Beagle does not make the Caps while both Cody Eakin and Mattias Sjogren do. That could absolutely change. Personally I think there is 1 or maybe 2 spots available for those 3 players. And yes I guess I should include Mathieu Perreault in that discussion but I don't see it happening for him.
So, when looking at the below lines remember that Beagle's spot could be filled by Eakin or Sjogren too.
Any way you look at it this is what many people would describe as...stacked. Loaded. Explosive.
Maybe the key term to describe this roster is another word that we floated around often in 2009-10....deep. You could LEGITIMATELY have 6 forwards pushing the 30 goal mark this upcoming season. Seriously. 6 different forwards. And there could be more if there was more ice time to share.
Just take a look....
And that doesn't even include Dmitry Kugryshev, Daved de Kostrozza, or Francois Bouchard. Sure...injuries and callups will force players to move around but consider that Kane scored 24 goals last year and he is on the 4th line. Christian Hanson scored 13 and he isn't even in the lineup based on these projections!
Impressive depth.
Defensive pairings are difficult to predict but look at the depth here. Brett Fleming is really looking good at development camp and could push guys for time. Patrick Wellar...who some considered one of Hershey's most consistent defensemen last season is likely the #6 guy here.
Is this unit better than last years? I would say it is definitely not any worse.
The goaltending is easy...Holtby, Sabourin, Cheese. Done.
So what are the overall thoughts? I see one potential problem with the roster and it may or may not actually be a "problem". There isn't that a "go-to" goal scorer on the team as in years past. Giroux and Gordon filled that role in years past. But I don't see a pure goal scorer that can be relied on game in...game out.
BUT...having 6 guys who could push the 25-30 goal mark is pretty impressive and will be tough to stop each night. Especially when the next 6 could be pushing the 15-20 goal mark!
Does depth out-perform star power?
In the playoffs it does.
But today I am actually going to DEFEND the AHL on the schedule debate. Understand this though...I want a balanced schedule. I want the AHL to adopt the NHL schedule matrix so that everyone pretty much plays everyone else the same amount of times. It works.
Now, let me say this. I understand (and actually kind of agree) with what the AHL did and why they did what they did.
Generally people think it has to do mainly with travel costs. I am sure that is part of the issue but I don't believe that is the MAIN issue.
The biggest reason the AHL does the schedule this way is ticket sales.
I actually thought about this yesterday, but decided against discussing it in that post. Most of the fans in the AHL are casual fans. Sure, in Hershey there are 10,000 casual fans, but most cities have half of that at the most.
Even in Hershey the majority of the fans aren't concerned too much with roster moves, prospects, and if the schedule is balanced.
Yes there are fans (you are reading an opinion of one right now) that take the AHL very seriously and love to follow the league and are 100% committed, both emotionally and financially, to my favorite team.
But compared to the NHL the AHL has no fans. It would be like comparing the popularity of football to the NHL. Landslide victory for one side.
Now, I am not saying that the AHL doesn't care about their fans. In fact they care about them more than any other league because they depend on them for revenues more than most other leagues.
There are no TV contracts in the AHL, minimal radio coverage for even the best teams, and advertising dollars come in but on a scale much smaller than larger sports leagues.
So guess where the dollars come from...the fans.
So...myself and many of the more intense fans would LOVE to see the Bears play the Rampage, Icehogs, Barons, and Heat every season. It would be great to see the talent on those teams at a time other than the Calder Cup finals.
But for the casual fan...that isn't the case. They would prefer to see rivalry games. In Hershey that isn't necessarily the case. Most Saturday games were sell outs and most games other nights were over 9000 fans no matter who the opponent was.
However, not all fans are as loyal or supportive as Bears fans. For example...Syracuse hosted Albany and about sold 1,700 fewer tickets than when they hosted Rochester.
Another example...Wilkes Barre/Scranton...they hosted Manitoba, sold about 6200, they hosted Abbotsford, sold about 5900, and they hosted Hershey, sold 8100. All those were Friday night games throughout the season.
Another...Albany...they finished the season LAST in the AHL in attendance. One Saturday they played Adirondack and drew 5,200 fans (2,000 more than their season average)...the next Saturday they played Norfolk and drew 2,200. That is 3,000 fans less...and that makes a huge difference on revenues.
Obviously it isn't a perfect comparison since other things impact attendance figures but it gives you an idea of what fans prefer.
And Hershey is NOT immune to this problem. Looking at Sunday games throughout the season you will see that one team outdraws the rest:
Adirondack - 7,000
Binghamton - 7,500
Charlotte - 7,400
Manitoba - 8,000
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 10,700
Casual fans show up when the opposition is a known rival. Simple as that.
So, in the end I would love to see more competitive balance (and honestly without tearing apart every single teams matchups I can't honestly say there isn't SOME balance worked in) I also understand that in order to maintain a successful league and successful teams you have to get people in the seats.
And the best way to do that is to schedule the rivalry teams more than any other.
Ok, so there, I gave the AHL their due for creating the schedule. It is tough to balance a schedule with every team playing other teams evenly when those teams can't make money in many games.
In my opinion, it is better to have 30 AHL teams and an unbalanced schedule than it is to have 20 AHL teams and a balanced schedule.
And like I said yesterday...this could help Hershey in the end. By the time the playoffs roll around they have already played a tougher than average schedule. So, assuming they make the playoffs, they are more likely to perform well in those "bigger" games.
And as you will see below...this is going to be quite a team in Hershey this season.
With that, let's just take a glance at the prospective Hershey Bears roster as of today. For the purposes of this exercise I am going to assume that Jay Beagle does not make the Caps while both Cody Eakin and Mattias Sjogren do. That could absolutely change. Personally I think there is 1 or maybe 2 spots available for those 3 players. And yes I guess I should include Mathieu Perreault in that discussion but I don't see it happening for him.
So, when looking at the below lines remember that Beagle's spot could be filled by Eakin or Sjogren too.
Any way you look at it this is what many people would describe as...stacked. Loaded. Explosive.
Maybe the key term to describe this roster is another word that we floated around often in 2009-10....deep. You could LEGITIMATELY have 6 forwards pushing the 30 goal mark this upcoming season. Seriously. 6 different forwards. And there could be more if there was more ice time to share.
Just take a look....
| LW | C | RW |
| Bourque | Aucoin | Mink |
| Greentree | Perreault | Potulny |
| Micflikier | Beagle | Ford |
| Kane | Carroll | Paquette |
| Lacroix | Hanson | Mitchell |
And that doesn't even include Dmitry Kugryshev, Daved de Kostrozza, or Francois Bouchard. Sure...injuries and callups will force players to move around but consider that Kane scored 24 goals last year and he is on the 4th line. Christian Hanson scored 13 and he isn't even in the lineup based on these projections!
Impressive depth.
| D | D |
| McNeill | Orlov |
| Collins | Miscovic |
| Richmond | Wellar |
| Oreskovic | Fleming |
| Baier | Brouillette |
Defensive pairings are difficult to predict but look at the depth here. Brett Fleming is really looking good at development camp and could push guys for time. Patrick Wellar...who some considered one of Hershey's most consistent defensemen last season is likely the #6 guy here.
Is this unit better than last years? I would say it is definitely not any worse.
The goaltending is easy...Holtby, Sabourin, Cheese. Done.
So what are the overall thoughts? I see one potential problem with the roster and it may or may not actually be a "problem". There isn't that a "go-to" goal scorer on the team as in years past. Giroux and Gordon filled that role in years past. But I don't see a pure goal scorer that can be relied on game in...game out.
BUT...having 6 guys who could push the 25-30 goal mark is pretty impressive and will be tough to stop each night. Especially when the next 6 could be pushing the 15-20 goal mark!
Does depth out-perform star power?
In the playoffs it does.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Schedule details are beginning to emerge
And the schedule is in no way balanced.
Hershey will play the following teams (home/away split provided):
East Division games:
Binghamton Senators (4/4)
Norfolk Admirals (5/5)
Syracuse Crunch (3/3)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6/6)
Eastern Conference games:
Adirondack Phantoms (2/2)
Albany Devils (2/2)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2/2)
Connecticut Whale (2/2)
Manchester Monarchs (2/2)
Portland Pirates (1/1)
Providence Bruins (1/1)
St. John's (2/2)
Springfield Falcons (1/1)
Worcester Sharks (1/1)
Western Conference games:
Charlotte Checkers (2/2)
Lake Erie Monsters (1/1)
Rochester Americans (1/1)
I know travel costs have to be taken into account for these schedules but how can you shift to a Conference playoff format and still have almost half of a teams games against just 4 teams?
Hershey will play East Division teams 36 times. Sure those are important as divisional races will heat up for the division crown, but unlike in years past the remaining playoff spots are determined at the CONFERENCE level and not the divisional level.
Honestly, look at the teams Hershey has to play the most...Wilkes-Barre, the #1 seed from last year...Binghamton, the Calder Cup Champs...and Norfolk, a team that came on extremely strong at the end of last season and gave the Pens a scare in the 1st round.
The schedule does seem somewhat balanced in that the "weaker" divisions don't seem to play as many games within their own divisions. Adirondack will only play 24 games within their division (which is considered the weakest in the AHL as the bottom 4 teams from the Conference and Connecticut, the 8th seed in the playoffs, make up the Northeast division). Unfortunately the AHL screws up again as the Phantoms won't play the new St. John's team at all and only has to play the Bears/Pens a combined 6 times.
In a divisional format (regular season) where teams are competing for division crowns within their own division, divisional games are more important. In the AHL's defense the divisional games are slightly less important than the past few years which saw divisional playoffs as well. This season the AHL moves to an NHL like Conference playoffs setup which does eliminate the need for balanced schedules to a point.
But these are just absurd.
The schedule creates an unfair advantage for certain teams. In the NHL these types of divisions do not usually create a problem because the schedule is ultimately balanced with every team playing the other ones the same number of games. In the NHL games are divided like this:
In Division - 6 games against each opponent (24 games)
In Conference (out of division) - 4 games against each opponent (40 games)
Out of Conference - 18 games against opponents
The only place where that isn't balanced is in the Out of Conference schedule where there could be some discrepancy on balance depending on what teams play who and where.
BUT in the division and in the conference everything is equal. The Flyers will play the Pens 6 times..as will the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils. The Flyers will play the Caps 4 times...as will the rest of the Atlantic and Northeast divisions.
And yet in the AHL the Bears will play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 12 times in 2011-12 while the Syracuse Crunch will only play them 8 times.
The Penguins will play the Portland Pirates (Atlantic Division champs last season) 4 times while Hershey will only play them 2 times.
Norfolk plays the Pens and Bears 10 times each but only gets Syracuse 4 times. AND they will only play 4 games against the Western Conference...all against Charlotte. (Some Eastern Conference teams won't play a Western Conference opponent at all!)
Syracuse will only play 26 games within the division this season. 10 games LESS than the Bears will. And they play the Rochester Americans (in the Western Conference) 10 times. That is more than they will play any single team in their own division.
How is it that one team in the East Division gets 10 fewer division games then another?? Shouldn't they be playing the same teams as everyone else they are competing with in the division?
In addition to that...I thought the new alignment would create the opportunity to see new teams in Hershey during the regular season or at least more of certain teams then we have in the past. And yet we are actually going to see one fewer team this season than last. In 2010-11 the Bears were visited by 18 different teams...in 2011-12 that number drops to 17.
I guess in the end it doesn't really matter. Balanced schedules haven't been part of the AHL before and it hasn't seemed to effect Hershey that much. In the end maybe the tougher schedule gets them more prepared for the playoffs.
Who knows. Maybe I am just still upset about the whole realignment/playoff changes that they instituted (I am by the way) but I still think a balanced schedule could work.
In the end ticket sales and limiting travel costs win out in the AHL. And in the end I will still pay for season tickets and write this blog.
I just want hockey to start so we can stop talking about this relatively unimportant stuff and start talking about wins and losses!!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
AHL Realignment and other news
The realignment of the AHL for the 2011-12 season is complete. Instead of the 4 divisions we have become used to the AHL will be mirroring the NHL and their 6 division format.
The biggest change is that Charlotte has been relocated to the Western Conference. And of course two new divisions were created (Northeast and Midwest). Below are the new divisions.
The division winners will get the top 3 seeds and the next 5 best teams will get into the playoffs. Gone are the days of trying to figure out if the 5th team from one division gets in over the 4th of another. That part I like.
The playoffs will be reseeded (just like the NHL) after the first round so that the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed. Again, I like this.
But overall I am not a fan of the new format. I liked the fact that the division opponents had to play each other in the playoffs every single year. Not playing each other is going to take away from the divisional rivalries that were created and fostered by the divisional playoffs of years past.
Sure the Bears and Penguins will still have a good rivalry but it will be diminished if they do not regularly face off in the playoffs. In years past you knew during the regular season that games against Wilkes-Barre were likely playoff previews...now they are just regular season games within the division.
The real deciding factor though will be in how they create the schedule. In years past the divisional opponents would play each other multiple times a season, sometimes as many as 12. And that worked because the playoffs were done divisionally.
Now that the playoffs are seeded by conference the schedule needs to be more balanced. I honestly don't think Hershey will play Wilkes-Barre 10 times this season. And if they do it is a huge mistake by the AHL.
Divisional opponents should play each other 6 times each. They should play the remaining conference opponents (10 teams) 4 times each. And each division should play each team from 1 division of the opposing Conference 2 times each. That is 74 games...4 more would need to be scheduled...fairly.
The AHL has not announced how the schedule will be created. And we might not know until late August when the schedule is typically announced. But if they don't create a balanced schedule where each team plays similar teams than it can't work.
Either way I am going to miss the divisional playoff format. Sure, rivalries will still be fierce in the East Division and regular season matchups will still be entertaining.
But a second round matchup against the Connecticut Whale just doesn't have the same emotion as an East Division final against the Baby Pens.
Player Movement News:
The Washington Capitals traded Eric Fehr to Winnipeg for a 4th round pick and Dannick Paquette. Paquette will likely start the season in Hershey and he brings a needed element to the team....agitator. Hockeysfuture.com describes him as
With the loss of Steve Pinizzotto this is exactly what the Bears needed. He likely won't be as offensively productive as Pinner was but apparently he has that ability. Last season in the ECHL he scored 13 goals and added 7 assists to go along with his 179 penalty minutes in 59 games.
Hershey still needs to add an enforcer but generally they can wait to do that until later in the summer as players of that nature don't get signed too early. Paquette is 6'1" 210lbs so he is not going to fill the role that Joel Rechlicz filled last season but he can surely scrap when necessary.
And Dannick is only just turning 21 so he is 6 years younger than Pinner. Which definitely makes him more valuable to the organization. He is signed for 2 more years so expect to see him in Hershey for the foreseeable future.
In other news...Brian Willsie has signed with Montreal/Hamilton for the upcoming season. With all the veteran spots already taken up in Hershey you knew he wasn't going to be back. He had a great season for Hershey last year and it is tough to see him go.
The biggest change is that Charlotte has been relocated to the Western Conference. And of course two new divisions were created (Northeast and Midwest). Below are the new divisions.
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | North Division | ||||||||||
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| Northeast Division | Midwest Division | ||||||||||
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| East Division | West Division | ||||||||||
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The division winners will get the top 3 seeds and the next 5 best teams will get into the playoffs. Gone are the days of trying to figure out if the 5th team from one division gets in over the 4th of another. That part I like.
The playoffs will be reseeded (just like the NHL) after the first round so that the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed. Again, I like this.
But overall I am not a fan of the new format. I liked the fact that the division opponents had to play each other in the playoffs every single year. Not playing each other is going to take away from the divisional rivalries that were created and fostered by the divisional playoffs of years past.
Sure the Bears and Penguins will still have a good rivalry but it will be diminished if they do not regularly face off in the playoffs. In years past you knew during the regular season that games against Wilkes-Barre were likely playoff previews...now they are just regular season games within the division.
The real deciding factor though will be in how they create the schedule. In years past the divisional opponents would play each other multiple times a season, sometimes as many as 12. And that worked because the playoffs were done divisionally.
Now that the playoffs are seeded by conference the schedule needs to be more balanced. I honestly don't think Hershey will play Wilkes-Barre 10 times this season. And if they do it is a huge mistake by the AHL.
Divisional opponents should play each other 6 times each. They should play the remaining conference opponents (10 teams) 4 times each. And each division should play each team from 1 division of the opposing Conference 2 times each. That is 74 games...4 more would need to be scheduled...fairly.
The AHL has not announced how the schedule will be created. And we might not know until late August when the schedule is typically announced. But if they don't create a balanced schedule where each team plays similar teams than it can't work.
Either way I am going to miss the divisional playoff format. Sure, rivalries will still be fierce in the East Division and regular season matchups will still be entertaining.
But a second round matchup against the Connecticut Whale just doesn't have the same emotion as an East Division final against the Baby Pens.
Player Movement News:
The Washington Capitals traded Eric Fehr to Winnipeg for a 4th round pick and Dannick Paquette. Paquette will likely start the season in Hershey and he brings a needed element to the team....agitator. Hockeysfuture.com describes him as
a perfect example of a player that teams love to have on their own side, but hate to play against. Perhaps the only thing more agitating than his gritty style of play is the fact he also has the ability to bury the puck and make the opposition pay for their mistakes and indiscretions.
With the loss of Steve Pinizzotto this is exactly what the Bears needed. He likely won't be as offensively productive as Pinner was but apparently he has that ability. Last season in the ECHL he scored 13 goals and added 7 assists to go along with his 179 penalty minutes in 59 games.
Hershey still needs to add an enforcer but generally they can wait to do that until later in the summer as players of that nature don't get signed too early. Paquette is 6'1" 210lbs so he is not going to fill the role that Joel Rechlicz filled last season but he can surely scrap when necessary.
And Dannick is only just turning 21 so he is 6 years younger than Pinner. Which definitely makes him more valuable to the organization. He is signed for 2 more years so expect to see him in Hershey for the foreseeable future.
In other news...Brian Willsie has signed with Montreal/Hamilton for the upcoming season. With all the veteran spots already taken up in Hershey you knew he wasn't going to be back. He had a great season for Hershey last year and it is tough to see him go.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Things are about to pick up
Tomorrow marks the beginning of free agency for the NHL and in turn the AHL. Which means things are going to start getting interesting.
This morning an update to the previously posted (and provided here) article identifying all the free agents that played in the AHL last season was made. Here is the link if you want to read through the 200+ names that are available for teams to sign beginning tomorrow. Again a thanks to Pens' beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for doing the leg work on this list.
If you view the prospective 2011-12 Bears roster you will see that the Hershey Bears have many holes to fill through free agency. Currently there are 2 goalies, 6 defensemen, and 11 forwards that could POTENTIALLY be Bears next season. There are so many variables at play with that number that it isn't even worth discussing.
I expect the Bears to be quite active in free agency this year as they will be looking to replace a substantial portion of their offensive and defensive talent.
As signings and/or trades happen I will post them here.
Caps Offer 5
Just so we are all on the same page...the Washington Capitals made qualifying offers to 5 restricted free agents this past week. Semyon Varlamov (more on him below), Troy Brouwer, and Karl Alzner are obviously not in Hershey's plans. But Mathieu Perreault and Francois Bouchard very well could be.
Qualifying offers basically mean that the Capitals can match any offer made to these players during free agency. And if they choose not to match an offer they would receive compensation for losing the players.
Barring a trade I fully expect Bouchard to be back in Hershey this season. Whether that is good or bad depends on your perspective. Let's just say I have a wait and see attitude on Bouch.
Perreault is a different case. Some teams out there might be willing to sign him for a decent salary given his upside and production to date. I can't see the Caps matching an offer that is too high based on the organizational depth at center. Let's call the odds 50/50 that Perry is back in Hershey as of right now.
So, those players are not officially back in Washington/Hershey jerseys for 11-12 but they are on their way.
From Russia to DC back to Russia?
No one is quite sure what is happening with Semyon Varlamov this offseason but all signs recently point to him returning to Russia to play in the KHL for 2011-12.
This could potentially impact Hershey directly. As of right now Braden Holtby would become the #2 in Washington while Dany Sabourin would become the #1 in Hershey with no #2 in Hershey.
That is subject to change though as the Caps could see fit to sign a low-price veteran backup (read: Brian Boucher) to serve as the #2 in Washington while Braden tries again to play a full season in Hershey.
Personally...I think Braden will be in Washington and the Bears will be forced to sign another veteran AHL goalie for the 11-12 season.
We should know soon.
AHL Realignment
Things could look drastically different in the AHL this upcoming season. As Tim Leone reports, the AHL is considering a plan that would create 6 divisions (like the NHL) instead of the 4 currently. The makeup of those divisions would likely be geographical in nature but nothing is ever perfect.
I think its funny that the AHL would consider going to 6 divisions at the same time that there is talk of the NHL going to 4!
The AHL annual summer meetings will be held next week (3rd-7th) and expectations are that a decision will be made during them.
Personally I like the 4 division layout because it creates better rivalries. The divisional playoff structure breeds hatred for other teams and that would be lost with a move to 6 divisions. Sure the Pens and Bears would still have a good rivalry but there could be multiple years in a row where the teams don't play in the playoffs, where as now they play in the playoffs almost every year.
But going to 6 divisions would create more balance and equality. It will be an interesting decision.
Former Bear Free Agents
Tim Leone also discusses free agency in his article today, including a compilation of recent Bears who are unrestricted free agents this offseason. Definitely check out the entire article but I have provided a copy of the list below.
Keep checking back!
This morning an update to the previously posted (and provided here) article identifying all the free agents that played in the AHL last season was made. Here is the link if you want to read through the 200+ names that are available for teams to sign beginning tomorrow. Again a thanks to Pens' beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for doing the leg work on this list.
If you view the prospective 2011-12 Bears roster you will see that the Hershey Bears have many holes to fill through free agency. Currently there are 2 goalies, 6 defensemen, and 11 forwards that could POTENTIALLY be Bears next season. There are so many variables at play with that number that it isn't even worth discussing.
I expect the Bears to be quite active in free agency this year as they will be looking to replace a substantial portion of their offensive and defensive talent.
As signings and/or trades happen I will post them here.
Caps Offer 5
Just so we are all on the same page...the Washington Capitals made qualifying offers to 5 restricted free agents this past week. Semyon Varlamov (more on him below), Troy Brouwer, and Karl Alzner are obviously not in Hershey's plans. But Mathieu Perreault and Francois Bouchard very well could be.
Qualifying offers basically mean that the Capitals can match any offer made to these players during free agency. And if they choose not to match an offer they would receive compensation for losing the players.
Barring a trade I fully expect Bouchard to be back in Hershey this season. Whether that is good or bad depends on your perspective. Let's just say I have a wait and see attitude on Bouch.
Perreault is a different case. Some teams out there might be willing to sign him for a decent salary given his upside and production to date. I can't see the Caps matching an offer that is too high based on the organizational depth at center. Let's call the odds 50/50 that Perry is back in Hershey as of right now.
So, those players are not officially back in Washington/Hershey jerseys for 11-12 but they are on their way.
From Russia to DC back to Russia?
No one is quite sure what is happening with Semyon Varlamov this offseason but all signs recently point to him returning to Russia to play in the KHL for 2011-12.
Lots has been said and written discussing what is going to happen but most recently things have begun to progress in the Varly to KHL storyline.
This could potentially impact Hershey directly. As of right now Braden Holtby would become the #2 in Washington while Dany Sabourin would become the #1 in Hershey with no #2 in Hershey.
That is subject to change though as the Caps could see fit to sign a low-price veteran backup (read: Brian Boucher) to serve as the #2 in Washington while Braden tries again to play a full season in Hershey.
Personally...I think Braden will be in Washington and the Bears will be forced to sign another veteran AHL goalie for the 11-12 season.
We should know soon.
AHL Realignment
Things could look drastically different in the AHL this upcoming season. As Tim Leone reports, the AHL is considering a plan that would create 6 divisions (like the NHL) instead of the 4 currently. The makeup of those divisions would likely be geographical in nature but nothing is ever perfect.
I think its funny that the AHL would consider going to 6 divisions at the same time that there is talk of the NHL going to 4!
The AHL annual summer meetings will be held next week (3rd-7th) and expectations are that a decision will be made during them.
Personally I like the 4 division layout because it creates better rivalries. The divisional playoff structure breeds hatred for other teams and that would be lost with a move to 6 divisions. Sure the Pens and Bears would still have a good rivalry but there could be multiple years in a row where the teams don't play in the playoffs, where as now they play in the playoffs almost every year.
But going to 6 divisions would create more balance and equality. It will be an interesting decision.
Former Bear Free Agents
Tim Leone also discusses free agency in his article today, including a compilation of recent Bears who are unrestricted free agents this offseason. Definitely check out the entire article but I have provided a copy of the list below.
- Alex Giroux
- Kyle Wilson
- Dean Arsene
- Graham Mink
- Matt Beaudoin
- Chad Wiseman
- Danny Syvret
- Mark Wotton
- Quintin Laing
- Grant Lewis
- Troy Milam
- Jason Bacashihua
- Nolan Yonkman
- Staffan Kronwall
Definitely an interesting list.
Expect active summer season from Caps
Finally, I leave you with this quote from Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals...
“We now move on to free agency,” Leonsis wrote. “We want to keep some players. We want to sign some players. Wish us well in all of our pursuits.Interesting. We could see a summer that we haven't seen since the Bears/Caps alliance started back up a few years ago. Prospects, picks, veterans...they could all be on the move. Who knows.
“And then don’t be surprised if you see some trades. It takes two to tango. We want to change and improve. We ware getting ready for a new season which is fast approaching.”
Keep checking back!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Free agent list
Found a list of the 186 "AHL" free agents today and figured I would share it in case you are curious what players are free agents this season.
Thanks to Pens beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for compiling the list.
Definitely some interesting names on the list. 5 of the top 20 names have played in Hershey sometime in the last 3 years.
Thanks to Pens beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for compiling the list.
Definitely some interesting names on the list. 5 of the top 20 names have played in Hershey sometime in the last 3 years.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Relocation of Manitoba Moose
With the NHL returning to Winnipeg it really didn't make sense, nor was it probably feasible, to have both an AHL and NHL team playing in the same building.
So the Moose set out for a new home. And they found one...
And it is even further from Hershey than Winnipeg!
St. John's, Newfoundland will be re-joining the AHL this season. They last had a team in 2005 as the St. John's Maple Leafs. They will begin play this season and will be affiliated with the new Winnipeg franchise.
Last season the Manitoba Moose were affiliated with Vancouver while Chicago was affiliated with the Atlanta Thrashers (who are now the Winnipeg team).
Based on calculations from this website it is 1302 air miles from Harrisburg, PA to St. John's. That is 115 miles further than a trip from Harrisburg to Winnipeg.
The real adjustment to this is going to be the realignment that results from it. You can't have a team located in the distant East playing in the Western Conference. So someone is going to be relocated.
My best guess would be Syracuse returning to the Western Conference where they played as recently as 2008-09.
However, Charlotte is technically the Westernmost team in the Eastern Conference. But they are also the furthest South and many of the Western Conference teams are in the Northern tier.
More than likely (barring any other relocations) Bridgeport would move back to the East Division, St. John's would move to the Atlantic, and Syracuse would head to the North Division.
Time will tell.
So the Moose set out for a new home. And they found one...
And it is even further from Hershey than Winnipeg!
St. John's, Newfoundland will be re-joining the AHL this season. They last had a team in 2005 as the St. John's Maple Leafs. They will begin play this season and will be affiliated with the new Winnipeg franchise.
Last season the Manitoba Moose were affiliated with Vancouver while Chicago was affiliated with the Atlanta Thrashers (who are now the Winnipeg team).
Based on calculations from this website it is 1302 air miles from Harrisburg, PA to St. John's. That is 115 miles further than a trip from Harrisburg to Winnipeg.
The real adjustment to this is going to be the realignment that results from it. You can't have a team located in the distant East playing in the Western Conference. So someone is going to be relocated.
My best guess would be Syracuse returning to the Western Conference where they played as recently as 2008-09.
However, Charlotte is technically the Westernmost team in the Eastern Conference. But they are also the furthest South and many of the Western Conference teams are in the Northern tier.
More than likely (barring any other relocations) Bridgeport would move back to the East Division, St. John's would move to the Atlantic, and Syracuse would head to the North Division.
Time will tell.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Calder Cup remains in East Division
The Binghamton Senators have won the 2011 Calder Cup! Congrats to the Senators and their fans for a great season.
Honestly, entering the playoffs I did believe that the Bears would be good enough to win it all but if there was one team I was more concerned about than any other in the Eastern Conference it was the Senators. I wouldn't have bet on them winning the Cup but I would have bet on them giving it a good run.
They were, in theory anyway, the last team in the Eastern Conference to be in the playoffs. They were only in due to the East Division having one more team than the Atlantic Division making it possible for the 5th place team from the East to make the playoffs over the 4th place team in the Atlantic.
That's what happened and the Senators never looked back.
Congrats to the 2011 Calder Cup Champion Binghamton Senators!
Now...let's shift all our focus to the 2011-12 season in which the Bears will be looking to re-establish their seemingly annual spot in the Calder Cup Finals!
Honestly, entering the playoffs I did believe that the Bears would be good enough to win it all but if there was one team I was more concerned about than any other in the Eastern Conference it was the Senators. I wouldn't have bet on them winning the Cup but I would have bet on them giving it a good run.
They were, in theory anyway, the last team in the Eastern Conference to be in the playoffs. They were only in due to the East Division having one more team than the Atlantic Division making it possible for the 5th place team from the East to make the playoffs over the 4th place team in the Atlantic.
That's what happened and the Senators never looked back.
Congrats to the 2011 Calder Cup Champion Binghamton Senators!
Now...let's shift all our focus to the 2011-12 season in which the Bears will be looking to re-establish their seemingly annual spot in the Calder Cup Finals!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sens/Aeros final ; New Layout...what do you think?
First of all the Binghamton Senators and Houston Aeros have won their respective conferences and will begin play in the Calder Cup Finals on Friday in Houston.
Should be an entertaining series. If you have a few bucks (and a good bit of patience) you can see it all (or most of it anyway depending on how their service holds up) over at AHLlive.com.
Personally I think the Sens will take it. No real reason for that opinion...just a gut call.
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Not sure if you noticed...(if you are reading this via a reader or something you obviously haven't but if you are actually reading on the site you must be blind to not notice)...but I made some slight/major changes to the layout/design of the web page.
I am still using the blogger technology so it is a little limited but I like some of the features I added.
You will notice the new Pages links below the header. Some of these are future pages (such as 2011-12 schedule and stats) that will be updated when the information is provided and the season starts.
I also have a page dedicated to the 2011-12 roster for you to check out. This is up to date as of today and will be updated whenever there are new signings/assignments. All the players on the list are eligible to play in Hershey next season. Some likely won't but you never know.
My goal is to give you a one-stop shop for everything Hershey Bears. Hopefully during the 2011-12 season you will be able to find current stats, upcoming games, and all the previews and reviews that I can write.
I also included an about me page for those of you curious...and yes I think most of you are. As well as a contact me page which really just moved from the main page.
If you would like to share your opinion on the updated site...please leave a comment but remember what your mother taught you...if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Because we all know that I follow that rule!
Should be an entertaining series. If you have a few bucks (and a good bit of patience) you can see it all (or most of it anyway depending on how their service holds up) over at AHLlive.com.
Personally I think the Sens will take it. No real reason for that opinion...just a gut call.
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Not sure if you noticed...(if you are reading this via a reader or something you obviously haven't but if you are actually reading on the site you must be blind to not notice)...but I made some slight/major changes to the layout/design of the web page.
I am still using the blogger technology so it is a little limited but I like some of the features I added.
You will notice the new Pages links below the header. Some of these are future pages (such as 2011-12 schedule and stats) that will be updated when the information is provided and the season starts.
I also have a page dedicated to the 2011-12 roster for you to check out. This is up to date as of today and will be updated whenever there are new signings/assignments. All the players on the list are eligible to play in Hershey next season. Some likely won't but you never know.
My goal is to give you a one-stop shop for everything Hershey Bears. Hopefully during the 2011-12 season you will be able to find current stats, upcoming games, and all the previews and reviews that I can write.
I also included an about me page for those of you curious...and yes I think most of you are. As well as a contact me page which really just moved from the main page.
If you would like to share your opinion on the updated site...please leave a comment but remember what your mother taught you...if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Because we all know that I follow that rule!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thoughts on the NHL, AHL, and tv coverage
Just because the Bears were eliminated a little earlier than we are accustomed to doesn't mean hockey ended. So let me share with you my thoughts on things going on in both the NHL and AHL with an opinion on the NHL TV coverage thrown in too...
1. Capitals
Let's start here since many of us loyal Bears fans are rooting for the former Bears currently wearing Caps sweaters. The Caps find themselves in a 2-0 hole after 2 losses on home ice in the NHL's second round against division rival Tampa Bay.
They have played good but it hasn't been enough. The Lightning have managed to pull out the wins up to this point and now the series shifts to Tampa for games 3 and 4 tonight and tomorrow night.
My opinion...Caps have to win both. Obviously they could split in Tampa and come back from 3-1 down but I don't see it.
In my eyes the Caps have a couple glaring problems. 1) A star who likes to shoot. When he gets frustrated he likes to shoot more. Which is exactly what Tampa wants. When Ovi skates into the zone, cuts the middle, and fires a wrist shot the Tampa coaches can hardly contain their joy. Every time it happens the Tampa defense is ready to block the shot. He needs to get the puck in deep and start moving it around. Get traffic to the net and get shots on Roloson.
2) Lack of a true supporting cast. In Pittsburgh you have Malkin and Staal to go with Crosby. In Philly you have two full lines of scorers. In Tampa you have Vinny, St. Louis and Stamkos, Chicago has Kane, Toews, and Sharp. Vancouver...the Sedins and Kesler. San Jose...Thornton, Marleau, Couture, and others. Each of those teams has 3 guys they can count on too score when they need it. Right now the Caps have how many? One? Backstrom isn't playing well, Johansson isn't quite there yet, Arnott was there a few years ago, Knuble too. So that leaves Laich and Semin. I could see a Laich/Staal comparison here. Both solid players who score. And that's great but it isnt' enough. Semin...I know he has been better this playoff year but something still seems to be missing from his game.
In the end the Caps have Ovi (who's game isn't evolving the way it needs to in the postseason) and a bunch of guys who either aren't carrying their own weight or who aren't good enough.
Will it be enough? Maybe but someone has to step up and score goals. Tampa is a good team but they aren't THAT good.
The East is wide open. No dominant teams exist and every team has their flaws. If Washington can't overcome theirs (and quickly) they will be golfing with the Bears sooner than later.
2. Flyers
Let me start by saying this...I despise this team. I am sure the players are great human beings and are probably the nicest guys in the world. But once they put on the ugly orange jersey they become the face of evil. There are players on this team that at one time or another I didn't mind them as a player...Claude Giroux is one that comes to mind but now that he is a card carrying member of the Flyers fraternity...I despise him.
That being said...this team is as talented as any team in the NHL. If they had even the slightest hint of a competent goalie they would likely be rolling to the Stanley Cup. But their goaltending situation is a mess, to say the least, and they, like the Caps, find themselves down 2 game to none.
Despite the fact that Boston is probably the tougher opponent than Tampa Bay I still think the Caps are in a tougher spot. The Flyers have proven that they play as good or better when faced with adversity. They seem to thrive when they find themselves trailing in a series.
I do think Boston is ready this year after blowing a 3 games to none lead last spring. I do think Philly has to win both games in Boston, just like the Caps in Tampa, to win the series. But I wouldn't write the Flyers off as much as the Caps IF the Bruins were to win game 3.
Go Bruins!!
3. The AHL playoffs
These are much less interesting to me without the Bears in it. Not because I care less but the games aren't on TV so unless I sit at my computer and either pay to see them (not gonna happen) or listen on the radio (highly unlikely) the only updates I get are from AHL.com and some blogs. And that isn't enough to keep me thoroughly interested.
But just for an update...
The Checkers have a 2-1 series lead with games 4 and 5 in Charlotte this Wednesday and Friday. Should the series go past that (let's hope not) then the teams would have to travel late Friday night for a Saturday evening game in Wilkes-Barre. That is a tough schedule.
Based on things I have read and seen it would appear that the Checkers have been the better team this series. That could be wrong as I haven't followed really close but that's the impression I get.
And all I have to say is...GOOD! Go Checkers!
In the other Eastern Conference series the Binghamton Senators have a 3-1 series lead over Portland with game 5 coming tonight in Binghamton. It would be smart for the Senators to show up tonight intent on ending the Pirates season as games 6 and 7 would be back in Maine.
I said before the playoffs started that I expected Binghamton to come out of the Atlantic bracket and cause some problems. They got off to a rough start, going down 3-1 against Manchester, but have come back pretty well winning 6 of their last 7 games, 5 of them on the road.
Could you imagine a Binghamton vs Charlotte Eastern Conference Final???? Who would have thought that was possible when the playoffs (or season for that matter) started!
4. NHL TV Coverage
I watch a lot of sports on TV...college football and basketball, NFL, baseball, tennis, some golf, lacrosse, and obviously hockey. And I have to say that I think Mike 'Doc' Emrick is the best play by play man in any sport. I enjoy listening to Doc call games more than anyone else on TV or radio (sorry John Walton). His enthusiasm and knowledge makes it very enjoyable to watch the games. He always has litte anecdotes to throw out there too...and he does it in a way to make it seem important to the game.
It doesn't hurt that anytime he is doing a Caps game he gives Hershey a mention!
1. Capitals
Let's start here since many of us loyal Bears fans are rooting for the former Bears currently wearing Caps sweaters. The Caps find themselves in a 2-0 hole after 2 losses on home ice in the NHL's second round against division rival Tampa Bay.
They have played good but it hasn't been enough. The Lightning have managed to pull out the wins up to this point and now the series shifts to Tampa for games 3 and 4 tonight and tomorrow night.
My opinion...Caps have to win both. Obviously they could split in Tampa and come back from 3-1 down but I don't see it.
In my eyes the Caps have a couple glaring problems. 1) A star who likes to shoot. When he gets frustrated he likes to shoot more. Which is exactly what Tampa wants. When Ovi skates into the zone, cuts the middle, and fires a wrist shot the Tampa coaches can hardly contain their joy. Every time it happens the Tampa defense is ready to block the shot. He needs to get the puck in deep and start moving it around. Get traffic to the net and get shots on Roloson.
2) Lack of a true supporting cast. In Pittsburgh you have Malkin and Staal to go with Crosby. In Philly you have two full lines of scorers. In Tampa you have Vinny, St. Louis and Stamkos, Chicago has Kane, Toews, and Sharp. Vancouver...the Sedins and Kesler. San Jose...Thornton, Marleau, Couture, and others. Each of those teams has 3 guys they can count on too score when they need it. Right now the Caps have how many? One? Backstrom isn't playing well, Johansson isn't quite there yet, Arnott was there a few years ago, Knuble too. So that leaves Laich and Semin. I could see a Laich/Staal comparison here. Both solid players who score. And that's great but it isnt' enough. Semin...I know he has been better this playoff year but something still seems to be missing from his game.
In the end the Caps have Ovi (who's game isn't evolving the way it needs to in the postseason) and a bunch of guys who either aren't carrying their own weight or who aren't good enough.
Will it be enough? Maybe but someone has to step up and score goals. Tampa is a good team but they aren't THAT good.
The East is wide open. No dominant teams exist and every team has their flaws. If Washington can't overcome theirs (and quickly) they will be golfing with the Bears sooner than later.
2. Flyers
Let me start by saying this...I despise this team. I am sure the players are great human beings and are probably the nicest guys in the world. But once they put on the ugly orange jersey they become the face of evil. There are players on this team that at one time or another I didn't mind them as a player...Claude Giroux is one that comes to mind but now that he is a card carrying member of the Flyers fraternity...I despise him.
That being said...this team is as talented as any team in the NHL. If they had even the slightest hint of a competent goalie they would likely be rolling to the Stanley Cup. But their goaltending situation is a mess, to say the least, and they, like the Caps, find themselves down 2 game to none.
Despite the fact that Boston is probably the tougher opponent than Tampa Bay I still think the Caps are in a tougher spot. The Flyers have proven that they play as good or better when faced with adversity. They seem to thrive when they find themselves trailing in a series.
I do think Boston is ready this year after blowing a 3 games to none lead last spring. I do think Philly has to win both games in Boston, just like the Caps in Tampa, to win the series. But I wouldn't write the Flyers off as much as the Caps IF the Bruins were to win game 3.
Go Bruins!!
3. The AHL playoffs
These are much less interesting to me without the Bears in it. Not because I care less but the games aren't on TV so unless I sit at my computer and either pay to see them (not gonna happen) or listen on the radio (highly unlikely) the only updates I get are from AHL.com and some blogs. And that isn't enough to keep me thoroughly interested.
But just for an update...
The Checkers have a 2-1 series lead with games 4 and 5 in Charlotte this Wednesday and Friday. Should the series go past that (let's hope not) then the teams would have to travel late Friday night for a Saturday evening game in Wilkes-Barre. That is a tough schedule.
Based on things I have read and seen it would appear that the Checkers have been the better team this series. That could be wrong as I haven't followed really close but that's the impression I get.
And all I have to say is...GOOD! Go Checkers!
In the other Eastern Conference series the Binghamton Senators have a 3-1 series lead over Portland with game 5 coming tonight in Binghamton. It would be smart for the Senators to show up tonight intent on ending the Pirates season as games 6 and 7 would be back in Maine.
I said before the playoffs started that I expected Binghamton to come out of the Atlantic bracket and cause some problems. They got off to a rough start, going down 3-1 against Manchester, but have come back pretty well winning 6 of their last 7 games, 5 of them on the road.
Could you imagine a Binghamton vs Charlotte Eastern Conference Final???? Who would have thought that was possible when the playoffs (or season for that matter) started!
4. NHL TV Coverage
I watch a lot of sports on TV...college football and basketball, NFL, baseball, tennis, some golf, lacrosse, and obviously hockey. And I have to say that I think Mike 'Doc' Emrick is the best play by play man in any sport. I enjoy listening to Doc call games more than anyone else on TV or radio (sorry John Walton). His enthusiasm and knowledge makes it very enjoyable to watch the games. He always has litte anecdotes to throw out there too...and he does it in a way to make it seem important to the game.
It doesn't hurt that anytime he is doing a Caps game he gives Hershey a mention!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Caps previews, League news, Other thoughts
If you are here looking for Preview #1 of the Bears/Checkers series you can scroll down the page or click here to see the preview now.
Okay well I did not intend to post again before tomorrow's Preview #2 discussing some of the players we will see over the next 4-7 games. But then I found all these interesting links and wanted to share!
First of all, the NHL playoffs begin tonight. That includes the Caps. If you are excited about the Caps chances this year and are looking for some good series previews I encourage you to check out some of these links. They are all worth the read and will get you ready for game 1 tonight.
Capitals/Rangers: Breaking Down the Match-up (Japers Rink)
Another Rematch with Another Old Rival (On Frozen Blog)
The "E" Word (Dump 'n Chase)
Sweet are the uses of adversity – Duke Senior (Chirps from the Ledge)
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Now that you are hyped for the Caps series lets return to the AHL and get you hyped for the Bears series...as if you weren't already.
The following image was created by the folks at Chasing Checkers, a Charlotte Checkers blog. They did their series preview post (view here) and this was the image they created for the post...
It's just not right. How much would you love to see that 4 game sweep now?!? LET'S GO BEARS!!!
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Now on to some frustrating news. In my opinion anyways.
Last year Hershey won 60 regular season games. A record.
This season Hershey drew 392,005 fans. A record.
Hershey won 32 playoff games the last 2 seasons. A record.
Those might stand a while. The AHL's Board of Directors announced today some schedule changes for the AHL beginning next season.
1. 76 game regular season.
2. Longer season by days (one week added).
3. First round becomes 5 games instead of 7.
I have nothing against a shorter season for the most part. The league cited the wear and tear on prospects for the reasoning and I think it is fair. But no team will win 60 and (more than likely) no team will draw 390,000+ fans in 2 less home games.
The reason for lengthening the season is to eliminate ALL 4 in 5's. So no more Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun weekends for next season. Obviously that is better for the players but the 4 in 5 surrounding Thanksgiving was always fun. In the end this will surely lead to better hockey, fewer injuries, and better development for the young guys.
The final item is the one that bothers me the most. 7 game series are the ONLY WAY IT SHOULD BE! Period. I can see shortening the regular season (as far as number of games) but shortening the playoffs too? I know I know...it's only 2 games. But...its ONLY 2 GAMES!
I am sure these changes will seem insignificant down the road but for now they offer both positives and negatives in my eyes.
Here is the AHL.com article discussing the moves.
------------------------
Now back to the good news.
Sweetest Hockey on Earth is welcoming all Bears fans to their tailgate on Sunday afternoon. They will be near light post 96 starting at 2pm (unless it rains in which case it is cancelled). Sounds like a good time that I intend to check out.
---------------------
Check back tomorrow for more series previews!!
Okay well I did not intend to post again before tomorrow's Preview #2 discussing some of the players we will see over the next 4-7 games. But then I found all these interesting links and wanted to share!
First of all, the NHL playoffs begin tonight. That includes the Caps. If you are excited about the Caps chances this year and are looking for some good series previews I encourage you to check out some of these links. They are all worth the read and will get you ready for game 1 tonight.
Capitals/Rangers: Breaking Down the Match-up (Japers Rink)
Another Rematch with Another Old Rival (On Frozen Blog)
The "E" Word (Dump 'n Chase)
Sweet are the uses of adversity – Duke Senior (Chirps from the Ledge)
---------------------------
Now that you are hyped for the Caps series lets return to the AHL and get you hyped for the Bears series...as if you weren't already.
The following image was created by the folks at Chasing Checkers, a Charlotte Checkers blog. They did their series preview post (view here) and this was the image they created for the post...
It's just not right. How much would you love to see that 4 game sweep now?!? LET'S GO BEARS!!!
--------------------
Now on to some frustrating news. In my opinion anyways.
Last year Hershey won 60 regular season games. A record.
This season Hershey drew 392,005 fans. A record.
Hershey won 32 playoff games the last 2 seasons. A record.
Those might stand a while. The AHL's Board of Directors announced today some schedule changes for the AHL beginning next season.
1. 76 game regular season.
2. Longer season by days (one week added).
3. First round becomes 5 games instead of 7.
I have nothing against a shorter season for the most part. The league cited the wear and tear on prospects for the reasoning and I think it is fair. But no team will win 60 and (more than likely) no team will draw 390,000+ fans in 2 less home games.
The reason for lengthening the season is to eliminate ALL 4 in 5's. So no more Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun weekends for next season. Obviously that is better for the players but the 4 in 5 surrounding Thanksgiving was always fun. In the end this will surely lead to better hockey, fewer injuries, and better development for the young guys.
The final item is the one that bothers me the most. 7 game series are the ONLY WAY IT SHOULD BE! Period. I can see shortening the regular season (as far as number of games) but shortening the playoffs too? I know I know...it's only 2 games. But...its ONLY 2 GAMES!
I am sure these changes will seem insignificant down the road but for now they offer both positives and negatives in my eyes.
Here is the AHL.com article discussing the moves.
------------------------
Now back to the good news.
Sweetest Hockey on Earth is welcoming all Bears fans to their tailgate on Sunday afternoon. They will be near light post 96 starting at 2pm (unless it rains in which case it is cancelled). Sounds like a good time that I intend to check out.
---------------------
Check back tomorrow for more series previews!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Is the East Division the best in the AHL?
First lets cover last nights game. Hershey responded to their lacking performance from Sunday with a significant 2-1 victory over the hosting Norfolk Admirals.
It was Hershey's 3rd victory (in 3 tries) over the division rivals this season.
And they did it with only 5 defensemen dressed. Patrick McNeill received his first NHL call up earlier in the day and left Norfolk for Anaheim prior to the game. He will be with Washington as long as Mike Green is listed as questionable or day to day.
Josh Godfrey was recalled from South Carolina to take his place but he did not arrive in time to play in the game.
So the Bears went with 13 forwards and 5 defensemen. And it worked.
Sean Collins picked up his 4th of the season late in the first period and Keith Aucoin added the game winner, his 15th of the year, with only 18 seconds to play in the 2nd period.
Todd Ford stopped 29 shots. The penalty kill killed off 4 power plays. And the team limited one of the AHL's top scoring teams (and top shooting teams) to only 1 goal and 30 shots.
Hershey is now 15-3-1-2 overall when being out shot by the opponent. That is a pretty impressive stat if you think about it. It says a lot about how well the defense and goaltending has been this season.
Next up is yet another 3 in 3 this weekend. A trip up to Rochester on Friday followed by home games against Bridgeport and Charlotte on Saturday/Sunday.
More on that later this week.
-----------
Last night while watching and listening to the game I heard John Walton talk about how strong the East Division is. I have been meaning to look into this for a while just to see how good the division is for a while.
Looking at the standings and the stats you would think the East Division must be pretty good.
Wilkes-Barre is #1 in the league overall while Hershey is #2. After that you have respectable teams in Charlotte (66 points, 9th overall), Norfolk (65 points, 10th), and Binghamton (62 points, 14th).
Those 5 teams are also in the top 8 in goals per game. And 4 of them are in the top 12 in goals allowed per game (Charlotte is 23rd).
Everything looks good. Then you consider the bottom three teams in the division. Albany, Syracuse, and Adirondack. They are the 3 worst teams in the league by points and winning percentage.
That really brings down the division a bit, don't you think.
Also consider the other divisions and their competitive balance.
The North Division sees Manitoba in 1st with 64 points and Toronto in 5th with 59 points. Sure 4 of the East division teams would lead that division but they have played a better overall schedule.
Now the West Division. Houston leads with 68 points. Chicago sits in 7th with 60 points. 8 points separates the top 7 (of 8) in the division.
Hershey trails Wilkes-Barre by 10 and they are in 2nd.
Okay but maybe the top part of the East Division is just that good. Maybe they are beating up on everyone else including their lowly East Division brethren.
Partially. Overall the top 5 in the East Division are 35-16-4-3 against the Atlantic division and 16-7-1-3 against the North Division. (None of the top 5 have played a West Division opponent this season).
But that is only part of the story. Consider that neither Charlotte nor Norfolk have (or will) play anyone outside of the Eastern Conference this season. **By the way...how ridiculous is that? Honestly, look at their schedules. Charlotte will have played 28 against the Atlantic Division and Norfolk 24 against the Atlantic...and NONE against the North or West Division. Balanced? I think not.**
And consider that 9 of those 16 wins against the North have come against last place Rochester. And 19 of the Atlantic wins have come against Springfield, Providence, and Bridgeport...the current bottom dwellers of the division.
That means that only 7 of the wins against the North division have come against the top 6 teams in that division. And only about half the big 5's wins over the Atlantic have come against the top 5 in that division.
So is the East the best division in the AHL?
I would argue no. Sure they are probably better than the Atlantic but I would say that both the North and West divisions are better overall than the East.
But at the end of the season only one thing matters.
The best of the East vs the best of the West.
And the East has won the past 2!!
It was Hershey's 3rd victory (in 3 tries) over the division rivals this season.
And they did it with only 5 defensemen dressed. Patrick McNeill received his first NHL call up earlier in the day and left Norfolk for Anaheim prior to the game. He will be with Washington as long as Mike Green is listed as questionable or day to day.
Josh Godfrey was recalled from South Carolina to take his place but he did not arrive in time to play in the game.
So the Bears went with 13 forwards and 5 defensemen. And it worked.
Sean Collins picked up his 4th of the season late in the first period and Keith Aucoin added the game winner, his 15th of the year, with only 18 seconds to play in the 2nd period.
Todd Ford stopped 29 shots. The penalty kill killed off 4 power plays. And the team limited one of the AHL's top scoring teams (and top shooting teams) to only 1 goal and 30 shots.
Hershey is now 15-3-1-2 overall when being out shot by the opponent. That is a pretty impressive stat if you think about it. It says a lot about how well the defense and goaltending has been this season.
Next up is yet another 3 in 3 this weekend. A trip up to Rochester on Friday followed by home games against Bridgeport and Charlotte on Saturday/Sunday.
More on that later this week.
-----------
Last night while watching and listening to the game I heard John Walton talk about how strong the East Division is. I have been meaning to look into this for a while just to see how good the division is for a while.
Looking at the standings and the stats you would think the East Division must be pretty good.
Wilkes-Barre is #1 in the league overall while Hershey is #2. After that you have respectable teams in Charlotte (66 points, 9th overall), Norfolk (65 points, 10th), and Binghamton (62 points, 14th).
Those 5 teams are also in the top 8 in goals per game. And 4 of them are in the top 12 in goals allowed per game (Charlotte is 23rd).
Everything looks good. Then you consider the bottom three teams in the division. Albany, Syracuse, and Adirondack. They are the 3 worst teams in the league by points and winning percentage.
That really brings down the division a bit, don't you think.
Also consider the other divisions and their competitive balance.
The North Division sees Manitoba in 1st with 64 points and Toronto in 5th with 59 points. Sure 4 of the East division teams would lead that division but they have played a better overall schedule.
Now the West Division. Houston leads with 68 points. Chicago sits in 7th with 60 points. 8 points separates the top 7 (of 8) in the division.
Hershey trails Wilkes-Barre by 10 and they are in 2nd.
Okay but maybe the top part of the East Division is just that good. Maybe they are beating up on everyone else including their lowly East Division brethren.
Partially. Overall the top 5 in the East Division are 35-16-4-3 against the Atlantic division and 16-7-1-3 against the North Division. (None of the top 5 have played a West Division opponent this season).
But that is only part of the story. Consider that neither Charlotte nor Norfolk have (or will) play anyone outside of the Eastern Conference this season. **By the way...how ridiculous is that? Honestly, look at their schedules. Charlotte will have played 28 against the Atlantic Division and Norfolk 24 against the Atlantic...and NONE against the North or West Division. Balanced? I think not.**
And consider that 9 of those 16 wins against the North have come against last place Rochester. And 19 of the Atlantic wins have come against Springfield, Providence, and Bridgeport...the current bottom dwellers of the division.
That means that only 7 of the wins against the North division have come against the top 6 teams in that division. And only about half the big 5's wins over the Atlantic have come against the top 5 in that division.
So is the East the best division in the AHL?
I would argue no. Sure they are probably better than the Atlantic but I would say that both the North and West divisions are better overall than the East.
But at the end of the season only one thing matters.
The best of the East vs the best of the West.
And the East has won the past 2!!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Western Conference All Stars
A look at the players that will make up the 2010-11 AHL Western Conference All-Star team. (*Any mention of organizational rank is from HockeysFuture.com.)
Goalies:
Defensemen:
Forwards:
Goalies:
- Jake Allen (Peoria Rivermen) ~ 16-7-0 | 2.12 gaa (5th in the league) | .934 save % (3rd) | 5 shutouts (tied for 1st) - rookie is #4 overall prospect in Blues organization.
- Mark Dekanich (Milwaukee Admirals) ~ 18-7-4 | 1.95 gaa (3rd) | .931 (4th) | 4 shutouts (5th) - 3rd year pro has already tied a career high for shutouts.
- Curtis Sanford (Hamilton Bulldogs) ~ 18-9-1 | 1.72 gaa (1st) | .939 save % (1st) | 5 shutouts (tied for 1st) - 12th year pro has already tied a career high in shutouts and is 5 wins short of his career high (23).
Defensemen:
- T.J. Brodie (Abbotsford Heat) ~ 42 games | 3 goals | 17 assists | 20 points - rookie is #4 prospect in Flames organization.
- Brian Connelly (Rockford IceHogs) ~ 45 games | 4 goals | 23 assists | 27 points (14th among AHL defensemen) - 2nd year pro has tied a career high for goals in a season.
- Maxim Noreau (Houston Aeros) ~ 51 games | 7 goals | 23 assists | 30 points (9th among defensemen) - #11 prospect in the Wild organization.
- Nathan Oystrick (Peoria Rivermen) ~ 36 games | 10 goals (tied for 2nd among defensemen)| 18 assists | 28 points (10th) - 5th year pro is on pace for career highs in goals and points.
- Paul Postma (Chicago Wolves) ~ 52 games | 8 goals | 27 assists (tied for 1st among defensemen) | 35 points (2nd) - 2nd year player is #2 defenseman in Thrashers system.
- Clay Wilson (Rochester Americans) ~ 47 games | 8 goals | 23 assists | 31 points (6th) - 6th year pro is approaching a career high in goals.
- Keith Aulie (Toronto Marlies) ~ 34 games | 3 goals | 6 assists | 9 points - 2nd year pro is #1 defenseman prospect in Toronto organization.
- Mathieu Carle (Hamilton Bulldogs) ~ 39 games | 8 goals | 8 assists | 16 points - 4th year pro has already set a career high in goals and he leads the Bulldogs with a +15 rating.
Forwards:
- David Desharnais (Hamilton Bulldogs) ~ 35 games | 10 goals | 35 assists (2nd in league) | 45 points (9th) - 4th year pro is #10 prospect in Montreal system.
- Linus Klasen (Milwaukee Admirals) ~ 38 games | 20 goals (9th) | 19 assists | 39 points - playing in his first pro North American season after spending 3 years in Swedish Elite League.
- Spencer Machacek (Chicago Wolves) ~ 45 games | 16 goals | 25 assists | 34 points - 3rd year pro is on pace for career highs in goals, assists, and points. He is #4 overall prospect in Atlanta organization.
- Brett MacLean (San Antonio Rampage) ~ 42 games | 18 goals (15th) | 24 assists | 42 points (13th) - 3rd year player is #2 overall player in Phoenix organization; will likely challenge his career highs in goals, assists, and points.
- Max Pacioretty (Hamilton Bulldogs) ~ 27 games | 17 goals | 15 assists | 32 points - 3rd year pro has spent the majority of his pro career with the Montreal Canadiens.
- Michal Repik (Rochester Americans) ~ 43 games | 8 goals | 32 assists (5th) | 40 points - 3rd year pro is #6 overall prospect in Florida system; he has already set a new career high for assists.
- Sergei Shirokov (Manitoba Moose) ~ 42 games | 16 goals | 17 assists | 33 points - 2nd year pro in North America, he is the #4 overall prospect in Vancouver organization.
- Mark Olver (Lake Erie Monsters) ~ 47 games | 20 goals (10th) | 11 assists | 31 points - rookie is #4 forward prospect in the Colorado organization.
- Mathieu Beaudoin (San Antonio Rampage) ~ 32 games | 14 goals | 19 assists | 33 points - 4th year pro is 5 goals and 11 points away from tying his career highs.
- Colin McDonald (Oklahoma City Barons) ~ 50 games | 24 goals (3rd) | 9 assists | 33 points - 4th year pro has already set career highs for goals and points and is only 3 shy in assists.
- Francis Wathier (Texas Stars) ~ 44 games | 14 goals | 11 assists | 25 points - 6th year pro is on pace for a career year in goals, assists, and points.
- Alexandre Giroux (Oklahoma City Barons) ~ 50 games | 25 goals (2nd) | 33 assists (4th) | 58 points (2nd) - named captain of the Western Conference by AHL; former Bear hero is on pace to set a new career high in assists.
Eastern Conference All-Stars
A look at the players that will make up the 2010-11 AHL Eastern Conference All-Star team. (*Any mention of organizational rank is from HockeysFuture.com.)
Goalies:
Forwards:
Goalies:
- Braden Holtby (Hershey Bears) ~ 12-5-2 | 1.73 gaa (2nd in the league) | .939 save % (2nd in the league) | 5 shutouts (tied for 1st in the league) - has only played in 20 games due to NHL recall this season.
- Martin Jones (Manchester Monarchs) ~ 17-5-0 | 2.17 gaa (8th) | .930 save % (5th) | 2 shutouts - a rookie currently #2 goaltender in Kings system.
- John Curry (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) ~ 18-8-0 | 2.46 gaa | .906 save % | 1 shutout - replaced teammate Brad Thiessen in the lineup.
- Erik Gustafsson (Adirondack Phantoms) ~ 45 games | 4 goals | 24 assists | 28 points (12th among defensemen in AHL) - rookie is #8 overall prospect and #4 defenseman in Flyers system.
- Justin Braun (Worcester Sharks) ~ 29 games | 4 goals | 13 assists | 17 points - rookie has spent 15 games with San Jose in the NHL this season earning 1 goal and 8 assists.
- John Moore (Springfield Falcons) ~ 47 games | 3 goals | 15 assists | 18 points - rookie is #3 prospect in Columbus organization.
- Brian Fahey (Hershey Bears) ~ 34 games | 3 goals | 14 assists | 17 points - 8 year veteran made his NHL debut for the Capitals this season playing in 7 games during his call ups.
- Bryan Rodney (Charlotte Checkers) ~ 47 games | 6 goals | 20 assists | 26 points - the 4th year player is 1 goal short of tying his career high in goals.
- Viatcheslav Voynov (Manchester Monarchs) ~ 46 games | 11 goals (1st among AHL defensemen) | 25 assists | 36 points (1st among defensemen - 3rd year player has tied his career high in goals; #6 prospect in the Kings system.
- Robert Bortuzzo (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) ~ 47 games | 2 goals | 16 assists | 18 points - 2nd year player is #6 prospect in Penguins system; 2nd on the Baby Pens with a +16 rating.
- Mark Wotton (Bridgeport Sound Tigers) ~ 46 games | 3 goals | 5 assists | 8 points - former Bear defensemen (05-06 season) was named Eastern Conference captain by the AHL
Forwards:
- Luke Adam (Portland Pirates) ~ 27 games | 12 goals | 14 assists | 26 points - rookie is #4 prospect in Sabres organization; has played 18 games for the Sabres this season.
- Matt Anderson (Albany Devils) ~ 42 games | 16 goals | 16 assists | 32 points - leads the Devils in goals and points; has already tied his career high in goals.
- Bobby Butler (Binghamton Senators) ~ 44 games | 21 goals (1st among rookies, 8th overall) | 11 assists | 32 points - #7 prospect in the Ottawa system; leads the Senators in goals.
- Andrew Gordon (Hershey Bears) ~ 38 games | 21 goals (7th) | 23 assists | 44 points (10th) - 4th year pro is coming off career highs in goals and points and is on pace to set new highs this year.
- Johan Harju (Norfolk Admirals) ~ 37 games | 16 goals | 15 assists | 31 points - 1st season in North America, he is leading Norfolk in goals.
- Corey Locke (Binghamton Senators) ~ 43 games | 16 goals | 44 assists (1st) | 60 points (1st) - 7 year veteran is on pace to shatter his previous career high in points, 85.
- Kyle Palmieri (Syracuse Crunch) ~ 32 games | 11 goals | 8 assists | 19 points - rookie is #4 prospect in Anaheim organization.
- Rhett Rakhsahi (Bridgeport Sound Tigers) ~ 42 games | 10 goals | 24 assists | 34 points - rookie leads the Sound Tigers in assists and points; #9 prospect in Islanders system.
- Jerome Samson (Charlotte Checkers) ~ 49 games | 23 goals (4th) | 22 assists | 45 points (4th) - leads the first year Checkers in goals and points.
- Jeremy Williams (Connecticut Whale) ~ 49 games | 22 goals (6th) | 18 assists | 40 points (17th) - 7th year pro leads the Whale in goals and points.
- Jamie Arniel (Providence Bruins) ~ 46 games | 14 goals | 16 assists | 30 points - 2nd year pro has set a career high for goals; leads the Bruins in goals and points; #8 prospect in Boston organization.
- Eric Tangradi (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) - 42 games | 18 goals (16th) | 14 assists | 32 points - 2nd year pro is #1 overall prospect in Penguins organization; has set a new career high in goals this season.
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