No excuses for loss to Gwinnett
Posted 06:08 p.m., December 3, 2008
South Carolina’s 3-2 loss to Gwinnett on Tuesday night was disturbing on a couple of different levels.
The first of which was the fact that the Rays had a 2-0 lead and instead of tightening up in their defensive zone, kind of took their foot off the “defensive” gas pedal and let the Gladiators back into the game.
The game, which was pretty much a “Sunday Skate” for both teams in the first 20 minutes, opened up after the Rays got their lead.
That’s not the kind of hockey we’ve seen from the Rays since Jared Bednar took over as head coach last season. If anything, his teams have gotten stronger defensively as the game has gone on. They tend to wear teams down, which accounts for a lot of their late goals.
Yes, the Rays have four players still up in Hershey – Sasha Pokulok, Josh Godfrey, Steve Pinnizzotto and Maxime Lacroix – but that’s no excuse for not giving a full 60-minute effort.
The Rays have enough bodies on hand and enough firepower in their lineup right now to play better than they did Tuesday night against Gwinnett.
After talking with Bedsy after the game it wouldn’t surprise me to see a trade or two in the near future. He didn’t come say anything or even imply it, but reading between the lines, he’s not been happy with the effort for a couple of weeks.
We had a little blurb in the P&C print edition this morning about the demise of the Augusta Lynx.
Very disappointing for the ECHL. I thought the league should have stepped in and helped them out until the end of the season. I looked at the Augusta Chronicle story this morning that said the team needed about $300,000 to finish out the season. You’ve got 22 teams, each of them could pony-up $10,000 each, which would be about $225,000, and then have the ECHL pick up the final $75,000.
I know times are tough financially, but this is a real black eye for the league. Teams have obviously come and gone throughout the ECHL history, but they’ve never had a team fold in the middle of the season. That’s 21 seasons.
The ECHL’s reputation as a league that produces legitimate “NHL prospects” has grown over the last four or five seasons. Each year it seems that the league helps “develop” legit NHL prospects.
This really hurts that reputation as a legitimate “developmental” league.
APM
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Comments
Posted by stingrays01 on December 3 at 8 p.m.
Just a guess, but I think the ECHL didn't bail out the Lynx because there are other teams struggling too.
The ECHL bails out the Lynx, who's next in line looking for a bail out?
As far as the team goes, I really haven't had a problem with any of the goalies or defensemen this season. Dovgan has not looked that great, which has been a big surprise to me. I'm thinking it's got to be the groin because there's no way a young guy like him got worse than two years ago.
There are a few forwards that I wouldn't mind seeing get traded. I thought a couple of them were really good free agent signings too. More proof that stats don't tell the whole story. Wouldn't mind seeing a couple of Lynx forwards join the Stingrays. They had a few hard workers on that team.
Too bad the Lynx announcement didn't come before the game started. Maybe then some players would have came out playing like they wanted to keep their jobs.
Oh well, back to back games with Charlotte this weekend.
4-0 so far against the Checkers. Lets make it 6-0.
Posted by RaysRsharp on December 3 at 9:47 p.m.
Augusta was looking for a handout. Won't be any free cheese until Obama takes office.
Posted by borohockey8 on December 3 at 10:21 p.m.
Dovgan has disappointed me greatly and Kelly and Johnson have been flat out terrible. Andrew, a Sunday Skate? It was more like a beer league game where it did not look like anybody knew what they were doing.
Posted by theballsiam on December 4 at 4:06 a.m.
I'm not surprised Kelly looks bad.. he doesn't really fit in with the other guys playing style, IMO. Johnson is surprising to me though, he IS talented enough but is probably being dragged down by playing with the slow, not as skilled Paul Kelly. They've played enough games to find SOME chemistry, but I don't see it.
Posted by hockeyfanatic on December 4 at 8:26 a.m.
Johnson has proven to be a good player. He's had some great chances, but I am not impressed with Kelly either.
Posted by lou9 on December 4 at 11 a.m.
Couldn't agree with you more, Andrew. Tuesday night was one of the worst games I've seen. Bednar has to be wondering what else he can do to get these guys to play every shift every night. After listening to the post game radio show I gained even more respect for Jared. He took responsibility for their bad play, even though I think he wasn't at fault. He said there were only about 7 guys playing hard right now. Maybe with Augusta folding he can look at eliminating some dead weight. Keep up the good work Jared!
Posted by canesfan1 on December 4 at 11:29 a.m.
I don't typically pour mouth our players. I try and find the strengths in everything that they do, but I could tell the frustration by just listening to the Josh's broadcast on Tuesday night. I have been saying this all season long, with a lot of other people as well. The Rays do not play a full 60 minutes of hockey. You are lucky to get 40 out of them on any given night. I am not too worried about Viktor. He’s very much behind the curve right now and it seems that he is trying to put on some weight as well. He will be fine. I don’t think that it is a good idea to put all of our eggs in the basket that is Pinner, Godfrey, Pok, Lacroix, returning. Those guys are good enough to play in Hershey on a regular basis and will be anytime there is a need for them. If we have that type of mentality, then we are one or two injuries away from playing like crap until they return. Miller’s right, we should have driven a decisive win home against a sub-par Gwinnett team. Because you better believe the Florida Everblades are going to be bringing the heat for the entire season, and I don’t think we could take a best of 5 or 7 series with them with the way we are playing. Last time I checked, their lead is growing and we are pretty stagnant.
Posted by Sportsfan0799 on December 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Former stingrays players and this season players and some Hershey bears players on NHL 2009 Video Game.
Evan Schwabe- Pelicans
Marc Busenburg-Worcester Sharks
Jeremy Stevenson- KalPa Kuopio
Jonas Johansson -HV 71
Greg Schmidt-Straubing Tigers
Joey Tenute- Free agent
Paul Traynor-Iserlohn Roosters
Mark Ardelan-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Trevor Gallant-Straubing Tigers
Maxime Daigneault- Free agent
Deryk Engelland-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Jamie Fraser- Bridgeport Soundtigers
Andrew Gordon-Bears
Grant McNeill- Free agent
Daren Machesney- Bears
Patrick McNeill- Bears
Rich Peverley- Milwaukee Admirals
Rory Rawlyk- Free agent
David Spina-San Antonio Rampage
Kyle Wilson- Bears
Sasha Pokulok- Bears
Guys we have on our Roster Now that on the video game
Zach Tarkir- Free agent
Victor Dovgan- CSKA Moscow
Here few bears players as well that arent on the bears team this year but are in the game
Oskar Osala- Blues of the FNL league
Greg Amadio- last year team
Keith Aucoin- Albany River Rats
Darren Reid- Philadelphia Phantoms
Semen Varlamov-Yaroslavl Lokomotiv
Posted by letdropEM on December 4 at 2:57 p.m.
here is the article from the augsta lynx newspaper. read it. scroll down half the way and you will see bedsy is intrested in some augusta talent.
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2008/12/04/lyn_502696.shtml
Posted by stingrays01 on December 4 at 6:38 p.m.
The first ex Lynx signing.....
12/04/2008 Matt Auffrey (RW) Florida ADD Signed to SPC
The rich get richer.
Must be nice to able to play under a different salary cap than everyone else... ;-)
Posted by borohockey8 on December 4 at 6:49 p.m.
This is a joke. Florida has every former all star known to man. This is a joke and the ECHL needs to take a look at this. Unless Auffrey decided to sign with them for free, this is a serious problem. I would love to see paperwork for all these players to just have proof that they are under the cap. I would rather have Bourdeleau (SP?) anyway. Come on Bedsy and sign Boudeleau!!!
Posted by letdropEM on December 4 at 10:53 p.m.
why am i not suprised. I mean i would want to go to a team that is already stacked and decrease my playing time? Ha smart move Auffrey. Florida is ridicously stacked. I agree on with you too borohockey that something deff is going on there. I wouldnt mind seeing patrick bourdleau(sp)either. Or Joel Hanson. Hes pretty good too. The lynx had alot of hard workers on their team. Thats what i always noticed about them when the stingrays played them this season. Not the flashiest guys but damn hard workers. And i will take that anyday over what we have here. LETS PLAY HOCKEY.
Posted by Sportsfan0799 on December 4 at 11:14 p.m.
Is anyone making it up to the game to see checkers on Friday?
Posted by HighDef on December 5 at 9:30 a.m.
How about Slattergren. Florida is stacked but they will fizzle by play-off time. Cammerron plays head games with his players and they quit on him late in the year when it counts.
Posted by letdropEM on December 5 at 10:03 a.m.
Slattergren is playing in the AHL up in portland i believe. So if he does come back he will prolly be the next evergay.
Posted by letdropEM on December 5 at 10:07 a.m.
auffrey was singed by the everblades yesterday and was released today. Maybe found somewhere else to play.
Posted by canesfan1 on December 5 at 11:30 a.m.
Theres a good chance that I will be at the game in Charlotte. Look for the big guy in the new jersey sitting with a red head in a Seitz jersey.
Posted by RaysRsharp on December 5 at 2:47 p.m.
Mike Brodeur signed with Rochester. (Florida's AHL affiliate)
Bordeleau signed with Albany. (Florida's other AHL affiliate)
Posted by stingrays01 on December 5 at 4:13 p.m.
Kroll Recalled to Hershey; Busniuk Signed...
http://www.stingrayshockey.com/news/index.html?article_id=820
Congrats To Johann Kroll!!!!
He really deserves the call up. I'm glad I already got his CD.
Posted by PDDuke85 on December 5 at 5:11 p.m.
Props to Johann, much deserved.
Jared, if your listening; I'm 52, out of shape, and last played competitive hockey 34 years ago. I can play right defense and promise to skate every shift like the Stanley Cup is on the line. Call me.
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