During Saturday's our local roundtable entitled Between the Bluelines, Al, Ed and I debated whether or not it was time to trade for a veteran goaltender. Ed was very direct in saying that it was time to make a move for a veteran tender, while I agreed with Ed but was not quite as vociferous. I pointed out the 6 games (now 7) in which the Ice Dogs have gone to either a shootout or OT. The Ice Dogs, by the way, are a dismal 0-7 in those games. While people will point out that the Ice Dogs get a point in those games, do you really see the Ice Dogs high-fiving over an OT loss or a shootout loss? Bottom line is those are losses and points taken off the board for the Ice Dogs. Win half of those games and questions about whether or not the Ice Dogs get a veteran 'tender likely are not raised. Of note in those losses I would consider at least 2/3 of the OT goals scored against the Ice Dogs as "softies" while between them John Cullen and Mark Visentin have allowed 9/13 goals in the shootout. You can spin them any way you want, but those are pretty dismal. Both goaltenders have had their shining moments in net. Poor John Cullen was brilliant on Thursday but the lasting image is of him being woefully out of position on the OT winner and then throwing a bit of a temper tantrum on the ice that may have done John McEnroe proud.
Back to the original question of whether or not the Ice Dogs need a veteran goaltender. Certainly the goalie landscape changed with the trade of Trevor Cann to Peterborough. Now teams have a sense of what personality their team will take on. This is of course, thrown out the window if you are the Osahawa Generals who got pounded 10-2 by Peterborough and then beat Kitchener 5-3 on the road and then thumped Barrie 5-0 at home, which I'm sure has their Coach Chris DePiero scratching his head. Bottom line for the Ice Dogs is that they are not far away from being in the upper echelon of the conference. Outside of Belleville and Brampton, teams are bunched up and a goaltender can be a difference maker. The Ice Dogs know that all too well when they got Sebastian Dahm from Sudbury last year.
Thanks to the advent of fantasy sports, everyone thinks that they can be a GM and the pulse of the Ice Dog nation seems to lean toward demoting Visentin and making Cullen the back-up. Sounds good on paper, but what you are doing is telling two young goaltenders that their roles have been reduced and they are demoted. What does that do for the make-up of a young goaltender? On the other side of the coin, the OT and Shootout losses are piling up and there has got to be a measure of frustration on the team that they have not closed the deal in OT or the Shootout.
If you are truly developing a young team, then you ride it out and stick with the young 'tenders knowing that there will be some long nights at the office. If you feel you have a shot at the upper part of the conference, then it is imperative to grab a veteran goalie. That much you owe to your veterans, and you need to pull the trigger on that deal sooner rather than later..
Dave Brown, over to you.
Steve Clark
TV Cogeco
Back to the original question of whether or not the Ice Dogs need a veteran goaltender. Certainly the goalie landscape changed with the trade of Trevor Cann to Peterborough. Now teams have a sense of what personality their team will take on. This is of course, thrown out the window if you are the Osahawa Generals who got pounded 10-2 by Peterborough and then beat Kitchener 5-3 on the road and then thumped Barrie 5-0 at home, which I'm sure has their Coach Chris DePiero scratching his head. Bottom line for the Ice Dogs is that they are not far away from being in the upper echelon of the conference. Outside of Belleville and Brampton, teams are bunched up and a goaltender can be a difference maker. The Ice Dogs know that all too well when they got Sebastian Dahm from Sudbury last year.
Thanks to the advent of fantasy sports, everyone thinks that they can be a GM and the pulse of the Ice Dog nation seems to lean toward demoting Visentin and making Cullen the back-up. Sounds good on paper, but what you are doing is telling two young goaltenders that their roles have been reduced and they are demoted. What does that do for the make-up of a young goaltender? On the other side of the coin, the OT and Shootout losses are piling up and there has got to be a measure of frustration on the team that they have not closed the deal in OT or the Shootout.
If you are truly developing a young team, then you ride it out and stick with the young 'tenders knowing that there will be some long nights at the office. If you feel you have a shot at the upper part of the conference, then it is imperative to grab a veteran goalie. That much you owe to your veterans, and you need to pull the trigger on that deal sooner rather than later..
Dave Brown, over to you.
Steve Clark
TV Cogeco
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