Rochester Amerks 2019-2020 Season

[Ogre]

I should add that there were two 5-3 PKs in a row and I don’t think he play PK at all so that was probably the reduced toi. I really wish they’d just give us that damn stat.

[tom webster]

10 hours ago, Ogre said:

He got less toi in the third. There was an interview with Dineen with regards Mitts where he basically said he was going to get tons of ice time and he did at first. He just makes poor decisions. He dumped the puck back to Johansson(who was a friggin stud tonight with a 40 save shutout) and it nearly was picked off. He can’t get a decent shot off because he can’t get open. Same with passing. He also wasn’t very good on the boards. I hope he gets better because he certainly doesn’t fit the Amerks’ style of play.

I’m glad I finally got to see him play live. It’s tough to watch hockey on TV in general and very tough to judge a player IMO.

Some guys just don’t pan out. We have no idea if it’s coaching, scouting or the player. 
And just to be clear, I’m not writing him off just yet

Edited December 21, 2019 by tom webster

[inkman]

10 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Some guys just don’t pan out. We have no idea if it’s coaching, scouting or the player. 
And just to be clear, I’m not writing him off just yet

True. It seems as if he was annoited (or promised?) a status he never deserved.  To have this many top 15 picks (Grigs, Girgs, Risto, Mitts, Nylander) Turn into two NHL defenseman is troublesome. The Sabres really needed these picks (as well as Sam, Jack , 26) to turn into studs. Jokiharju is promising, Risto is serviceable but if they don't get Mitts to be something, we are talking about whiffs on almost every pick outside the top 2. 

[kas23]

I think I would be more worried if Mitts immediately began lighting it up in Roch. It would point towards a ceiling of a great AHL player, but someone who just can’t cut it in the NHL. What we have now is a player with obvious flaws on full display. If the coaches can correct these, he very well may be salvageable. Coaches can focus on fixing him instead of the pressures of running an NHL team.
 

The only obvious problem, which can’t be corrected, is that he should’ve been sent to Roch last year. Let’s hope the damage can be reversed. He should stay down the rest of the season and expect to spend next year too. 

[Ogre]

46 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Some guys just don’t pan out. We have no idea if it’s coaching, scouting or the player. 
And just to be clear, I’m not writing him off just yet

I’m not going to write him off either. There’s no question that his skating and hands are above average. He needs to learn where to be on the ice to be successful though. If any team can turn him around it’s the Amerks. Hell they were winning games with Paescht playing as a forward and Brady Vail out there. 

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

True. It seems as if he was annoited (or promised?) a status he never deserved.  To have this many top 15 picks (Grigs, Girgs, Risto, Mitts, Nylander) Turn into two NHL defenseman is troublesome. The Sabres really needed these picks (as well as Sam, Jack , 26) to turn into studs. Jokiharju is promising, Risto is serviceable but if they don't get Mitts to be something, we are talking about whiffs on almost every pick outside the top 2. 

You have to put it into context though. It’s early, but there are few players from Casey’s year lighting it up.

Sometimes it’s just luck. Some drafts, like Jack’s  are too good and your competition gets better As well. Some drafts you have to be in the top 3 to get anybody. 
 

I would love to go back and see how many late season, meaningless wins were the difference between drafting one player over the other. 

[Weave]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

Some guys just don’t pan out. We have no idea if it’s coaching, scouting or the player. 
And just to be clear, I’m not writing him off just yet

 

1 hour ago, Ogre said:

I’m not going to write him off either. There’s no question that his skating and hands are above average. He needs to learn where to be on the ice to be successful though. If any team can turn him around it’s the Amerks. Hell they were winning games with Paescht playing as a forward and Brady Vail out there. 

 

I'm about ready to write him off. He's had 0 professional growth.  At this point if something positive happens we're playing in bonus time. 

[Zamboni]

4 minutes ago, Weave said:

 

 

I'm about ready to write him off. He's had 0 professional growth.  At this point if something positive happens we're playing in bonus time. 

Meh ... don’t be too discouraged. He just turned 21. He has too much talent to be a NHL bust. Hell, even though it’s not what he projected to be ... if Casey tops out as a solid 3rd liner in the NHL and plays spot duty on the 2nd line, for me, that’s a success story nonetheless. Again, not ideal, not what he was projected to be when drafted. That’s not a bust to me. Anyone who plays (has a career) in the NHL isn’t a bust to me. I just have a different mindset than the ZOMG he’s a top 10 pick, he must play on the top line!!!!

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Meh ... don’t be too discouraged. He just turned 21. He has too much talent to be a NHL bust. Hell, even though it’s not what he projected to be ... if Casey tops out as a solid 3rd liner in the NHL and plays spot duty on the 2nd line, for me, that’s a success story nonetheless. Again, not ideal, not what he was projected to be when drafted. That’s not a bust to me. Anyone who plays (has a career) in the NHL isn’t a bust to me. I just have a different mindset than the ZOMG he’s a top 10 pick, he must play on the top line!!!!

I wonder how much the information age has made situations like this more prevalent. Grigorenko, Mittlestadt and to a lesser extent Dahlin; were built up as prospects with expectations they couldn't possibly live up to. Grigs is out of the league, Mittlestadt is floundering in the minors and Dahlin couldn't possibly live up to "the next Bobby Orr or Nikolas Lidstrum" comparisons. 

[tom webster]

So, the two players picked right before Casey, one just left the Rangers, one scoring at about same rate.

 

Again, maybe that year just sucked.

[Ogre]

Well, fwiw, Mitts was the last guy off the ice from warmups. 

[Ogre]

There are a few young girls sitting in the row behind me tonight and they are friggin cracking me up. The lights dimmed and the spotlights are on ready for the teams to take the ice...”Woooo! Go Team!” “Hey do you think we’re on tv?” Now the refs take the ice..”Woooo! go refs!” Now we’ve moved on to the anthems. Since we’re playing Belleville  Oh Canada comes first...”Wooh! Wait! Are we in Canada?!” ?

[Ogre]

This was a pretty good game. Belleville had a ten game road win streak going that was broken with 2 seconds left. Mitts took a high stick in his big ol’ head that gave us the pp for the gwg that gave us our 4-3 regulation win. Overall he looked a lot better. Moved the puck well. Found open ice. He had a shift where he got lost a little bit but they recovered. They put Porter on his wing which is a good move. He played a ton of minutes. They’re working his ass off. Also a good move.

[Taro T]

11 minutes ago, Ogre said:

This was a pretty good game. Belleville had a ten game road win streak going that was broken with 2 seconds left. Mitts took a high stick in his big ol’ head that gave us the pp for the gwg that gave us our 4-3 regulation win. Overall he looked a lot better. Moved the puck well. Found open ice. He had a shift where he got lost a little bit but they recovered. They put Porter on his wing which is a good move. He played a ton of minutes. They’re working his ass off. Also a good move.

Good.  Hopefully he gets acclimated pretty quickly and starts making progress again.

[Zamboni]

Good to hear/read reports that Mitts was much better this game.

Instead of things like “he’s awful”. 

[Ogre]

I should have just said “better”. I don’t want folks getting their hopes up. I saw baby steps...that’s all.

[Zamboni]

Just now, Ogre said:

I should have just said “better”. I don’t want folks getting their hopes up. I saw baby steps...that’s all.

Oh I’m certainly not getting my hopes up other than hoping he starts playing better in the AHL. Small expectations.

[inkman]

Getting ready to watch the Dalton Smithless Amerks take on the UTI (as long as they abbreviate it that way, I can't help myself).  

[inkman]

Amerks staving off the UTI, Leier scoring from Wilson and Porter.  The "Hey if Dalton can get recalled why not us" line.  Amerks 1-0.  

[inkman]

The UTIs have cheerleaders, thankfully not the other way around but they are captivating me this game.  Not because of their looks, okay that helps, but how does one end up there.  It's kinda unlike any cheerleader job I've seen. They don't do cheers in the traditional sense, they just kinda wander around the arena shaking their pom poms.  I'm sure I wouldn't complain if I was in attendance, I just gotta wonder what these women think about their gigs.  It certainly can't pay much in effing Utica.  

[inkman]

Leier with his 2nd to tie it up at 2 on the PP

[inkman]

Amerks fall behind as Justin Bailey scores.  3-2 UTIs.  

[inkman]

Jonas Johansson and Lawrence Pilut named to AHL All-Star team. Woot! 

[inkman]

Mittlstadt Scores on the PP.  Looking very reminiscent of VO, and I could have sworn he said "That's ***** Right!" immediately after scoring (reading his lips on the close up replay).  Amerks tied 1-1.  

 

[inkman]

A better view