DO THE DOGS NEED A VETERAN 'TENDER?

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   
 

Crunch Time

It may seem that we are well into this year's hockey season.  And yet the reality is that it is still early days.  Despite this, the season has already arrived at a critical juncture for a number of players selected last June in the NHL Draft.  NHL Teams can keep their picks in the lineup for nine games before their salaries kick in against the cap.  Hard as it might seem to believe it is "crunch time" already for these young men.

 

At the time of writing, Sarnia's Steven Stamkos, Peterborough's Zach Bogosian and Guelph's Drew Doughty all have seven games under their belts with Tampa, Atlanta and L.A. respectively.  WHL graduate Luke Schenn has put in eight games with Toronto already and Alex Pietrangelo has logged only three games due to being placed on the Injured Reserve List by St.Louis.

 

None of these players show any signs that they are about to return to their Junior alma matre.  In fact, the Leafs have announced that they plan to keep Schenn in Toronto.  Of the remaining four, it is probably a pretty safe bet their careers in the NHL are now secure.  Thus, the NHL's gain is Junior Hockey's loss.  A loss for Canada that is, come this December, when it is time to select this year's edition of Team Canada.  How great would this fearsome five look with a red maple leaf on their chests?

 

One might also say "Crunch Time" has arrived for the Ice Dogs as October draws to a close.  Niagara has just come off a huge victory against the Spirit this past Saturday.  They got a solid effort from everyone, despite being out shot 38 to 28.  The defence needs to tighten up and allow fewer Shots on Goal.  The good news was that Mark Visentin came up with some tremendous saves when called upon and that was a very welcome sign that perhaps the fortunes of the Ice Dogs are about to turn in their favor.  But to win consistently, the team collectively must play better in support of their young netminders.

 

Niagara can score.  No doubt about that.  They currently sit with the second highest total "goals for" in the East with 52.  Only Oshawa with 57 has more.  But, they have allowed the highest "goals against" in the East with 64.  If the Dogs are to win more  frequently they need to continue to be the creative offensive team they have demonstrated themselves to be this year, while at the same time cutting down on the goals against.

 

This young Niagara Team can still easily move up in the standings and compete with virtually any team in the League.  But to do so, they must start now before losing any more ground on the leaders in the standings.

 

Crunch Time is here indeed!

 

IceDogs Goals v Saginaw

TV Cogeco would like to apologize for the technical difficulties experienced in the 

St. Catharines/Thorold area during the game on October 25th. We will be working to correct these issues shortly. 

Hockey = Respect

Many people have different views of the game of hockey. Hockey to me is synonymous with good values and respect. We as hockey players were always taught the team come first over the individual. Great life lesson to learn. Hockey is the best sport in the world. 20 guys working together for a common goal. Hockey is about extra effort. Hockey is about war and leaving everything to have to offer on the ice. You always can see someone's true character when things are going wrong or your team is on a losing streak. The complainers and the  people that are first to throw someone under the bus. It is easy being a good team-mate or coach or parent or fan when things are going well. Good people, good players are there for each other when things go bad. Hockey is a game of mistakes. I have never seen anyone play a perfect game. It is when a mistake is made that a true team-mate picks that player up and says "forget about it"." You have done 100 things right to your one thing wrong". Hockey is about brothers for life in good and bad. 20 players hearts beating as one. That is a true team and that is pure hockey.

 

Ok...there is my mission statement for the day. Let's talk Ice Dogs. The most important ingredient for a successful team is attitude and strong effort.The good news is the Ice Dogs have plenty of that. They come out to play every shift. I have yet to see them quit. I firmly believe that hard work never goes unrewarded. If the Ice Dogs continue to play hard the wins will come their way.

SHUFFLING DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC, STAYING THE COURSE AND OTHER POORLY CONSTRUCTED BOAT RELATED ANALOGIES

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

Conventional Wisdom

I have good news and I have bad news.  The bad news is the Ice Dogs are 8TH in their Conference.  The good news is that if the season were to end today they would have a spot in the post season.

 

To be sure, this stretch of 10 games has been hard to take.  Even seasoned broadcast veterans such as me would rather cover a Team that is successful and exciting to watch.  But let's not get too wrapped up in doom and gloom here.  Of their 10 losses, 1 was in overtime and 3 came via shootout.  Just 3 more points during that stretch and the Dogs would be tied with Barrie and Oshawa (as I sit down to write this on Sunday October 19TH) for 2ND in the Conference.

 

Faithful Ice Dog fans are itching for changes.  And not just tinkering, but significant changes that turn around a team's fortunes immediately.  Most immediately, the Fans are demanding trades.  Go get an experienced goalie some say.  Others say, trade your O/A's for help.  When is Pietrangelo coming back?  All valid thoughts and questions to be sure.  But the truth of the matter is that there aren't likely to be any easy answers.  If Dave Brown could make these moves, he probably would.  His career and that of his coaching staff depend on success on the ice.  Trust me, I have known Dave and Mario professionally for 4 years and they hate to lose.  Actions such as trades can only happen when someone else out there needs to help themselves as well.  And often as not, teams will only look to solidify their lineups as they get closer to the trade deadline.  Until then, Conventional Wisdom in the Major Junior Hockey World suggests all teams will continue to monitor their rosters and have conversations with other teams in an attempt to sniff out potential trade deadline opportunities.  At the same time, keeping their own statagey close to the vest.

 

Sounds painful to be sure.  But most OHL teams are currently locked into this courtship ritual.  And while it goes on, the fans have to endure it.

 

As for Alex Pietrangelo, Conventional Hockey Wisdom suggests, that unless an 18 year old prospect is the 2ND coming of Bobby Orr, it is always best to return him to Junior.  Better that than to scar him for life with a bitter NHL experience.  But when it comes to such traditional wisdom, the times may be changing.  In the world of the salary cap, NHL Teams may opt keep an entry level contract rather than a higher priced veteran who may have lost a step.  Alex has played 3 games with St.Louis so far and by all reports has done nothing to hurt his chances of staying with the Team.  In fact, reports are his play has been solid.  He may very well come back and for the sake of the suffering fans in Niagara, I hope he does.  But I would suggest that his return won't be automatic.

 

For all you suffering Niagara Ice Dog Fans out there, the ride this year may be bumpy.  But it certainly won't be dull!