Disclaimer: There will be no mention of the return, impending return or speculative return of Alex Pietrangelo.
I am guessing it was somewhat of a bedraggled and disconsolate Ice Dog team that returned from their sojourn through the U.S last week. It was the first significant road trip of the year for the young team, it was a time for some team bonding and a time to pick themselves off the mat and build some momentum after a stirring 4-2 victory over Peterborough on Thanksgiving. However, three tough losses, two of which featured late game winning goals made for a lost week's worth of games. Now the Ice Dogs are also 0-6 on the road, though one of those was through a shootout.
If you were looking at the glass being half-empty , you point to the hard fact of the matter that the Ice Dogs have won one of their last nine games. If you were looking at it being half-full, you see the margin of error between winning and losing being awfully slim as three games have gone to a shootout, as well as the aforementioned late goals. Fans tend to have a hair-trigger when they look for solutions. Such is life with the ardent fan. The Ice Dogs cannot doctor the birth certificate of Michael Swift, nor kidnap Luca Caputi or programme Reggie Jackson to kill the queen (oops classsic Naked Gun reference slipped in there). What solutions exist for the Ice Dogs?
DOES THE COACH WALK THE PLANK?
Aaah yes, the old adage of deep-sixing the coach. No, not the solution here. Coach Cichillo and his staff will accept their fair share of responsibility for the recent woes. However, if you look at the games, Cichillo has shuffled the lines, put the right personnel on at the end of games and even changed up the shootout rotation. I may cringe a little when he rolls out his four and five forward power play, but the coach is fine. In fact, I think his approach likely has been a stabilizing force for the young Ice Dogs.
TRADER DAVE?
A big trade usually shakes the foundation to the core. That being said the Ice Dogs do not have the right marketable assets in making trades. This is not to say that the players are not enticing to other teams. However, do you really want Andrew Aggozino, Chris DeSousa, Alex Friesen, or Mathew Sisca traded at the peak of their development? Guys like Scott Fletcher and Josh Day are proven commodities, but as overagers their return in a trade is somewhat minimal. It leaves a guy like Drew Schiestel, but you really need his two-way play and steadying influence back there.
STAY THE COURSE
While the returns have not been good for the Ice Dogs in the early going, there is no need for a full scale panic. Last years Ice Dogs endured a six-game losing streak in which they were miserable, being outscored 31-16 and suffering two 7-2 losses. Most teams go through a rough patch at some point in the season. If there is anything that is slightly alarming it is the inability to win on the road. Elite teams hold serve on the road, meaning they will be at .500 if not above and rule the roost at home. The team is not that far away from being back in the upper echelon of the conference, surprising as it may sound considering their recent woes.
Maybe the balance of power would be tipped by the repatriation of a certain #10 whose name is constantly mis-pronounced. (sorry, I tried but one reference had to sneak in there. Hey, at least I did not come out and say his name!)
Steve Clark
TV Cogeco Play-by-Play
I am guessing it was somewhat of a bedraggled and disconsolate Ice Dog team that returned from their sojourn through the U.S last week. It was the first significant road trip of the year for the young team, it was a time for some team bonding and a time to pick themselves off the mat and build some momentum after a stirring 4-2 victory over Peterborough on Thanksgiving. However, three tough losses, two of which featured late game winning goals made for a lost week's worth of games. Now the Ice Dogs are also 0-6 on the road, though one of those was through a shootout.
If you were looking at the glass being half-empty , you point to the hard fact of the matter that the Ice Dogs have won one of their last nine games. If you were looking at it being half-full, you see the margin of error between winning and losing being awfully slim as three games have gone to a shootout, as well as the aforementioned late goals. Fans tend to have a hair-trigger when they look for solutions. Such is life with the ardent fan. The Ice Dogs cannot doctor the birth certificate of Michael Swift, nor kidnap Luca Caputi or programme Reggie Jackson to kill the queen (oops classsic Naked Gun reference slipped in there). What solutions exist for the Ice Dogs?
DOES THE COACH WALK THE PLANK?
Aaah yes, the old adage of deep-sixing the coach. No, not the solution here. Coach Cichillo and his staff will accept their fair share of responsibility for the recent woes. However, if you look at the games, Cichillo has shuffled the lines, put the right personnel on at the end of games and even changed up the shootout rotation. I may cringe a little when he rolls out his four and five forward power play, but the coach is fine. In fact, I think his approach likely has been a stabilizing force for the young Ice Dogs.
TRADER DAVE?
A big trade usually shakes the foundation to the core. That being said the Ice Dogs do not have the right marketable assets in making trades. This is not to say that the players are not enticing to other teams. However, do you really want Andrew Aggozino, Chris DeSousa, Alex Friesen, or Mathew Sisca traded at the peak of their development? Guys like Scott Fletcher and Josh Day are proven commodities, but as overagers their return in a trade is somewhat minimal. It leaves a guy like Drew Schiestel, but you really need his two-way play and steadying influence back there.
STAY THE COURSE
While the returns have not been good for the Ice Dogs in the early going, there is no need for a full scale panic. Last years Ice Dogs endured a six-game losing streak in which they were miserable, being outscored 31-16 and suffering two 7-2 losses. Most teams go through a rough patch at some point in the season. If there is anything that is slightly alarming it is the inability to win on the road. Elite teams hold serve on the road, meaning they will be at .500 if not above and rule the roost at home. The team is not that far away from being back in the upper echelon of the conference, surprising as it may sound considering their recent woes.
Maybe the balance of power would be tipped by the repatriation of a certain #10 whose name is constantly mis-pronounced. (sorry, I tried but one reference had to sneak in there. Hey, at least I did not come out and say his name!)
Steve Clark
TV Cogeco Play-by-Play
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