It's Here! 2004-2005 AHL Season Thread
 

Go Amerks!

1st place overall (didn't see results of last nights games) and Roy and Vanek are looking good. Miller has played great and doesn't look like the assclown he did in Buffalo last season.

Griffins RULE!!!

The Manitoba Moose are doing good this season. :)

I may be in PA, but I watched my WolfPack destroy the Bears in Hershey on Saturday. It was the coming out party for everyone who never lights the lamp: Garth Murray, Ryan Hollweg, and especially the big lug Steve MacIntyre. It's easy to beat everybody when you've got the league's two best goalies on your team. :D

Miller plays for the Amerks, sorry :D

go Grizz!

what the fuck is the AHL?

Yeah, but we've got the reigning AHL MVP Jason LaBarbera AND Stephen Valiquette. I'll give you Norm Milley, though. ;)

Chuck Kobasew has been doing well in Lowell on a line with Eric Staal...

the Monarchs are rolling

Colin Forbes leads the AHL with like a +43. It's sick. I was really confused until I saw who he plays with: Kobasew and Staal; then it all made sense.

Cincy Mighty Ducks, baby!

I'm still mad at Kobasew because I drafted him last year after his monster training camp and he tanked

So, I guess Vanek wasn't ready for the pros huh?! :D

Cards sighting!!! WHOOOT!

So was Sutter. He was slated to be the #2 RW but ended up on the fourth line. He did manage to learn the defensive side of the game and it seems his scoring touch is still there at the AHL level. Now he needs to translate it at the next level. If he can't, well, he'll be the next Paul Ranheim.

Hey, 'Heimer might not have done a whole lot except skate around, but he shut down Jagr like it was his job.

Drafting on preseason and training camp results?

You deserved to lose that pool...

FOFC is blocked at work, so, can't get in here unless I'm at home. :(

so, the hxxp thing failed!

No, but games are blocked, and that is a description used for a search of FOF. People that play Fantasy Football were especially miffed.

eat our dust!!!



(March 7, 2005) — Don't think. That's Thomas Vanek's game plan for breakaways.

The hockey world should pay attention.

Vanek scored twice on solo dashes on Sunday evening, including the winning goal 1:37 into overtime, as the Rochester Americans rallied past the Manitoba Moose 5-4 at the MTS Centre.

Vanek took a pass from Paul Gaustad and sped in alone on goalie Alex Auld, scoring by faking a shot, then slipping the puck between the goalie's legs.

His breakaway goal on a power play at 10:40 of the third period tied the score 3-3. The rookie left winger has 25 goals and has been uncanny on breakaways.

"I don't think about it too much," Vanek said. "I just see what he (the goalie) gives me and take the percentages. If you think too much, you won't be successful."

Four times the Amerks erased one-goal deficits. Ryan Kesler's penalty-shot goal against Tom Askey (15 saves) at 11:03 of the third period put the Moose up 4-3, but Chris Taylor's breakaway goal off a perfect outlet pass from Steve Lingren tied the score 4-4 with 6:12 to play.

"I always say the biggest thing on any goal is the guy who gave you the puck," Taylor said. "Lindy made a great pass."

Run-and-gun, stretch-the-ice hockey is certainly not the style the Amerks want to play, but they're more than glad to look for breakaways when the opportunities are presented.

"It's not like it was a wide-open game but we just snuck it through a couple times," said Taylor, who helped set up power-play goals by Jason Pominville in the first period and Gaustad in the third. The victory stretched the Amerks win streak to eight. By going 17-1-0-1 in the past 19 games, they have zoomed to 44-10-3-5 with an American Hockey League-best 96 points.

:) It's good to see the Amerks playing so well. I'm loving how some of the prospects are developing into worthwhile NHL candidates. Obviously, Vanek, Roy and Miller will get the headlines but some of the other guys are making huge cases as well.

Jason Pominville is continuing to put a bunch of points on the board and I'm really pleased with guys like Dan Paille, Chris Thorburn and Nathan Paetsch too. The Sabres have a solid nucleus already and look good for the future as well.

Yes, and thankfully our blueliners have been playing great which is encouraging.