BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Wow, I don't think I've ever seen the mood change with a team so quickly. The Komets lost 4-2 to the expansion Prairie Thunder on Saturday and, boy, the locker room was somber afterward.
The officiating was bad in this one -- how many times can a goalie kick the net off the moorings with no call? -- but to their credit, the Komets weren't making excuses for their inability to stay out of the penalty box. After a sluggish start, the Komets could ill afford to play that type of hockey.
The Komets got better as the game went on, but every time they got some momentum, they'd take a bad call. Coach Pat Bingham is really losing his patience with that, saying that he's tired of seeing the same players make the same mistakes over and over again. A lot of the penalties have been from laziness, too; instead of being in the right position, the Komets will haul somebody down, Bingham said.
He didn't name names, but I got the impression some of the guys he's upset with are not necessarily the younger players.
I'm sure this will blow over soon, but after winning 4-2 at Rockford, Ill., on Friday, it's only natural for the Komets to take this one kind of hard. It's a good sign anyway that the Komets hate losing this much. And it's a good sign that for the second straight night, the Komets played better as the games went along.
Some other things of note:
- The lights were off in the locker room after the game, apparently because of a timer, and it took them about 15 minutes to get them back on. The Komets weren't too pleased they had to wait on that to shower.
- Bingham admitted that playing the same people over and over again on the penalty kill is making some of his key guys tired. But, he said, he's yet to develop trust with too many guys, since so many mistakes are being made.
- The Komets' majority owner, Stephen Franke, was at the game.
- Komets center Bruce Richardson is fortunate he only got a minor penalty for mauling a Bloomington play after the final buzzer.
-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette
Looking from the B2 broadcast, the sucker punch (on Bozoian) from Jason Payne was pretty nasty. Do you think he will be suspended Justin?
Posted by: Derick | October 15, 2006 at 01:26 AM
Was B2 working tonight?
Well, the UHL officials I spoke with said it would probably be reviewed. I think the match penalty he got was plenty punishment. I hate to say it, but I didn't think it was all that horrible, in the respect that Bozoian was at least facing him and jawing at him. We've seen plenty of sucker punches where the guy is facing the other way or something. Don't get me wrong, it was nasty, but I think the punishment fit the crime. A.J. didn't miss a shift.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | October 15, 2006 at 02:41 AM
I know it's early, but my concern about the way they played against Bloomington brings up the fear of the inconsitancy of how they played last year. I'm sure they'll be okay, and I'm sure that arriving only 20-minutes before warm-ups did have a part to play. But they have a full season to get things worked out, so I'm not worried about the big picture.
Posted by: Brad Lyons | October 15, 2006 at 07:57 AM
Yep the B2 was working...maybe it just looked bad from the angle of view.
Posted by: Derick | October 15, 2006 at 09:42 AM
Like Justin said, it was a tale of 2 different nights. One thing that is very apparent with the Komets right now is that they have shown a great propensity for taking stupid penalty after stupid penalty so far this year. We all wanted a more physical team this year, but not a undisciplined team that takes silly minor penalties all of the time. Hopefully, this is something that can get corrected quickly.
Posted by: Komet Fan | October 15, 2006 at 10:43 AM
So the Komets are having a penalty problem. That seems consistant at least with last year.
Posted by: Greg | October 15, 2006 at 08:00 PM
none of it means anything until theyve all got a few games under their collective belts and some real practice time. remember, they havent known one another for very long...
Posted by: chuckitt | October 15, 2006 at 08:23 PM
Getting to know each other has nothing to do with taking stupid penalties. Sadly, most of the penalties were unnecessary as well, just being lazy, kind of like Galbraith last year. Yes, I want a more physical team, not s stupid team. BIG difference.
Posted by: Komet Fan | October 15, 2006 at 08:28 PM
That cracks me up...If someone would have made a negative comment about Galbraith last season...all heck would have broke loose on this and the other blog. Funny that when guys leave it is ok to pile on them. I'm not saying I don't agree that he was over-rated and a dumb motor mouth, I am just saying a few of this said this last year and it was the ultimate sin. LOL
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | October 15, 2006 at 09:54 PM
US not THIS...sorry
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | October 15, 2006 at 09:55 PM
Well Hit, I was one of the few that bashed on Galbraith all last year, much to the dismay of many Komet fans who had blinders on. I generally agree with Chuckitt, but in this case, time and familiarity has zero to do with taking stupid penalties.
Posted by: Komet Fan | October 15, 2006 at 11:21 PM
Gotta agree, most of these guys are veterans and "should" know what the rules are. A dumb penalty is a dumb penalty. Guys not being use to each other can result in bad offenseive chances and bad defensive coverage. Not penatlties.
Posted by: Greg | October 16, 2006 at 10:25 AM
as a former player ,it does make a difference to know the guys youre on the ice with. you know what the other guy will do or where he will be so if someone gets around you or you blow an assignment., you know whether your buddy will be there to make up for your mistake. when youre not sure of what the guy next to you will do, then you hook and trip and do whatever you can to try and make up for your own mistake. once they know one antoher better the stupid things will go away UNLESS the players and coach turn out to be as dumb and selfish as last years squad.
Posted by: chuckitt | October 16, 2006 at 11:56 AM
as far as the vets knowing what the rules are and ect, believe me, the team that gets away with breaking the most rules is the team that will usually win the game. hockey is about getting the job done, no matter what it takes, and if you get a ref who turns his head then that just goes to the advantage of the team will ing to take the most risks!!
Posted by: chuckitt | October 16, 2006 at 11:58 AM
justin, congrats on your award too bad they had to bury it in the back of the paper!
Posted by: chuckitt | October 16, 2006 at 01:35 PM
Thanks. And you're correct.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | October 16, 2006 at 02:18 PM
What award did Justin get? I don't get the Fort Wayne paper. Thanks.
Posted by: Tom | October 17, 2006 at 02:29 PM
It was basically an award for public awareness and excellence in journalism for a story on local golfer Chip Novak, was has schizoaffective disorder.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | October 21, 2006 at 04:03 PM