Here is the opening night roster
M. Wall Still With Team
J. Theodore Was here for a rehab start and hopefully get a win in front of 15,000
J. Boychuk Up & Down with Avs, Back with us
M. Love SWT
D. Purinton SWT
M. VernaceSWT
C. McLeod Got his shot and never has been back
B. Kelly SWT
M. McCutcheon SWT
E. Healey SWT
K. Cumiskey Got his shot, was suppose to be back for a workout period but hasn't been back
T. Hensick Back With Team, spent time in Colorado a couple of times, our All-Star MVP
J. Jillson SWT
M. Rycroft Good Guy, but Traded for Dupuis & Campbell, Great trade for all involved
D. Jones Will not be back, been skating on 1st line until last night. Was on checking line last night
C. Stewart SWT
D. DaSilva SWT
M. Hussey Writing on wall for this vet. Went to play in Europe, still a great player, this was an unavoidable loss
W. O'Neill SWT

Key Additions
Wyatt Smith Injured with AVS, glad he's here, been a great leader and captain. I am sure he is ready for a player's only meeting...
Phillipe Dupuis: Came to the team and we went 7 straight games without a regulation loss. NEEDS TO BE BACK, I think this guy is the key
Buzz Fritsche As I was reminded, another possible Martin St. Louis???
Darcy Campbell Hey, he'd play DEFENSE... Out for the year though with injury
Jason Bacashihua Acquired in trade and probably reason his PT has been diminished. A couple of conditions in trade was level of draft pick if he played in Colorado or made our Clear Day roster
Tyler Weiman SWT Was healthy scratch in first game and started season as Back Up.

Many others have come and gone. I see Burki played last night and Robbie Drummond has been a great shot in the arm with his speed.

We have had consistancy in our roster, more than I figured before I put it on paper...

The only thing I can see is Joe Sacco can't coach. He doesn't prepare our team for anything. These back to back games show me we weren't ready for the playoffs anyways so no big deal last night eliminated us from the playoffs.

i don't know what the avs office is going to do about our developmental coach not developing players. of course, handing a green coach the reins on a brand new program wasn't a smart move. it's easier for a new coach to inherit a system (ANY SYSTEM) and make modifications than to have to build a whole program.

our coaching staff is pretty screwed, but that's because the nords, er - avs are pretty screwed as well. i swear i think they accidentally won the cup based on how that team is managed.

Philippe Dupuis is awesome, he made things happen out there on offense, something we needed and something we're missing right now.

i agree completely! it was nice seeing him in action the first time when rycroft was traded so suddenly, but his absence is REALLY noticed right now.

sacco will probably remain the coach for next season, he's probably got a 5 year contract or something like that, unless the av's front office doenst think he's doin a good job in developing players they might buy out his contract and get rid of him but since they guys we've been sending up there (colorado) have been producing they might look at that and keep sacco just on that alone. since this is a developmental league why do we have to win, if it is just a developmental league who cares right? b.s. i want this team to be a winner something this city hasnt seen in a long time (our sports teams have come close but havent gotten the big win yet.)

I doubt that a minor league coach has a 5 year contract.

quote:

Originally posted by smalltown:
I doubt that a minor league coach has a 5 year contract.

I certainly hope you are right smalltown...

i dont know how long he has a contract for that is why i said "or something like that" he may only have a one year deal, maybe two, i dont know.
we will find out next season if he's still the head coach of this team.

Have a look at the plus/minus. What is Joe thinking about. Keep playing the same guys who make the same mistakes. He coaches like Paul Maurice. Can't believe he will be back next year.

Roster moves...
O'Neill (finally) assigned to Johnstown, and Straub and Roche were recalled. Burki as well, though he was suited up for the Grand Rapids drubbing. I can't understand what happened to his game. Burki recorded 9 points in his first 16 games and zero in his next 17, and counting.

He might just be moving people around to give them a chance to play and be evaluated. Seasons essentially over, so now Sacco can experiment and look to next year.

looks like Joe's been experimenting all year. He coaches like he played.

which might be why we're 30 points out of first place in our division.

quote:

Originally posted by #1 kelly fan:
Have a look at the plus/minus. What is Joe thinking about. Keep playing the same guys who make the same mistakes. He coaches like Paul Maurice. Can't believe he will be back next year.

I hope coaches use thier own stats regarding anyone's plus minus because the "official" online stats are always incorrect.... especially in hamilton, Springfield and Rochester - they count power play goals for and against which is incorrect - AND - most games record pluses only for goals and assists for offensive players which is incorrect also

Are you sure? I haven't done any checking, but I know that all the official game lines go through the AHL, and the box scores on the site show each player on the ice for any given goal.

Plus/minus is an ice hockey statistic that measures the team goal differential when a specific player is on the ice. Players' plus/minus stats get increased by one every time their team scores an even strength or shorthanded goal while they are on the ice. Whenever the team is scored against while at even strength or on a power play when the player is on the ice, his plus/minus is decreased by one. The statistic is sometimes called the plus/minus ratio even though it is a difference, not a ratio.

I am not sure if Boychuk will be up or down next year. He will still be restricted free agent, but if he is called up and down he would have to go through waivers. Either he will be up with the Avs or down with the Monsters. That is if they offer him a contract.

What are the chances of him coming back next year? Also, when do they start contract talks? Boychuk better be back next year! I'm now a STH, and he's one of the reasons! That boy is hot!

Contract talks usually start around the end of June. I know this year Johnny signed very early, but it was his first year off the his 3 yr entry contract.

Johnny has 4 games in up in Colorado this season, so if he would play 6 more games next year and they would try to send him down, he would have to clear waivers. He is 24 and this would be his last year as a RFA. It is a big crap shoot to see who will sign where at the end of the season!

What happened with Jamie Lundmark? Is he still on the team? If he is how's he doing? I used to see him in Hartford all the time and really liked him.

Weiman was recalled to practice with Colorado on their playoff run...awesome news, as this gets Bacashihua in the lineup, where he should be in the first place.

cash might be hurt, that's prolly why he didnt start against syracuse. we'll see hopefully he does.

quote:

Originally posted by tha hansons!:
cash might be hurt, that's prolly why he didnt start against syracuse. we'll see hopefully he does.

He took a puck to the GOOD KNEE on Friday. He said it missed his pad. He didn't travel to Hamilton and took treatment on his knee.
I'd pretty much bet if he isn't scratched, he will be in goal. One thing is for sure, he's dressed, he usually plays...

we'll see. it would be nice to go out and beat hamilton and rochester to end the year on a hight note.

Well they had Cash play on the 4th, Weiman play on the 8th, so I'm thinking they'll have Wall play on the 12th. That way each goalie had a last game at home. Just a thought.