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MakMauser
(Rookie)
USA
18 Posts |
 Posted - 05/01/2009 : 10:08:43 PM
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| Get out the brooms! The Jackals have been swept off the ice!!!! |
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mheck13
(The Next Level!)
USA
208 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 11:09:52 PM
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| A shutout, A sweep. If the Jackals don't have their tails between their legs, I don't know what would. |
Cyclones hockey. A championship caliber team in a city of losers. |
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CincinnatiFan
(The Next Level!)
USA
288 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 1:31:45 PM
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Somebody will probably tell me this is in the wrong category but it fit pretty good with the above comments.
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090503/SPORTS01/905030340/1119
Jackals want more AHL help next season
Martinson questions motivation of some
By Joe Mink • jmink@gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 3, 2009
The Elmira Jackals took it one step further in the playoffs this season, claiming the franchise's first ECHL playoff series after falling in the first round a year ago.
After winning on Trenton's home ice in Game 7 to take the American North semifinals series 4-3, the Jackals hit the skids against the defending champion Cincinnati Cyclones, losing four straight games.
That outcome has Elmira coach Steve Martinson considering his approach for next season.
"I thought we had a team good enough to beat anybody in the playoffs. But we didn't play well enough to win," he said. "It's not about potential, it's what you do."
He was talking specifically about the postseason, and he believes he has a plan to make Elmira better at the most important time of the year. Martinson said he wants to bring in more players on American Hockey League contracts.
"We have some pretty good young players to bring back. But my conversations will be with (AHL) teams we're affiliated with," Martinson said. "I want more young motivated players under contract. I want guys who want to move up and get better, but who also want to be part of our organization if it didn't work out yet in the AHL."
"I want guys who play hard in the regular season and the playoffs. We didn't have enough guys playing hard in the playoffs to win. ... We didn't have enough players every night with the same motivation to win."
He mentioned Kevin Ulanski, a former Jackals forward who also competed for Martinson with the United Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs, as the kind of player he wants "because of how he performed for me in the playoffs."
The Binghamton Senators are Elmira's AHL affiliate, but Martinson noted that the Norfolk Admirals worked well with the Jackals for the playoffs, sending them goalie Riku Helenius and defenseman Kevin Quick, both high NHL draft choices.
Helenius had a rough time with Elmira, playing in just two games with a 6.91 goals-against average and .787 save percentage. Martinson pointed out Helenius was injured and sick during his time here, greatly affecting his performance.
"I've talked to Tom Mitchell (Binghamton's executive vice president of operations), and the guys who sign with them will get the first opportunity. We're having conversations with Norfolk. They showed what they're willing to do by sending guys from Tampa Bay to us for playoffs." Martinson said.
And while he seeks players with AHL talent or better, Martinson also said he wants a core under contract to Elmira "who are loyal."
The Jackals owe some teams players to complete those "future considerations" deals, and Martinson said he wants to meet with other personnel before deciding who stays and who goes.
"Some don't want to be back, and others I don't want back," he said, declining to name names. "Elmira's a small town. It's not for everyone. Some players will be protected so we can trade them, others we want back. Others will be free to go."
Martinson also wants to make quicker offseason decisions.
"I'm not going to do what I did last year, waiting for players all summer. We're going to make an offer and negotiate right away. I'm going to let them know right away if I want them or not," he said.
He's already been in contact with a defenseman who has played in Europe the last few years but who wants to return to the states because he has school-age children.
"For someone with kids school age, Elmira is attractive. The schools are great and the travel isn't bad. I've been offering this guy a job for five years now," Martinson said.
Elmira, which never had losing or winning streaks of more than four games, made the playoffs for the second straight season after missing the postseason the previous three years.
"I guess in reflecting, when you look at the positive, we finished two points out of first place. I thought we had a team that was good enough to get first place and get home ice (advantage)," Martinson said. "We had a pretty good year, though it's always disappointing when you don't get first in the division.
"We had a winning record against Cincinnati during the regular season, and we played in the toughest division in the league. That last month, it was a battle to make the playoffs," he said.
Elmira boasted a balanced offense in which four players - Pierre Luc Faubert, Chris Korchinski, Steve Yetman and Paul McIlveen - topped the 20-goal mark. Five others hit double figures, and some of them reached that in limited action. Then Colton Yellow Horn and Brendan Connolly gave the team an offensive spark as late additions.
Martinson said he liked his young defensemen, as Wes Cunningham, Craig Switzer, Travis Gawryletz, Slavomir Tomko and Guillaume Lepine all were playing in their rookie seasons.
Yet another rookie, Michael Teslak, gave Elmira strong goaltending in both the regular season and playoffs. But he's likely to end up in the AHL next season, so the Jackals will again be in the market for a new netminder. |
Get Clones instead of Clunkers.
Cincinnati Cyclones
League Champs 2008 and 2010.
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mheck13
(The Next Level!)
USA
208 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 2:22:56 PM
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CincinnatiFan,
Thanks for the info. "We had a winning record against Cincinnati during the regular season..." Well, he didn't have a winning record against the Clones where it counted the most (playoffs). I wonder how they will look next year. |
Cyclones hockey. A championship caliber team in a city of losers. |
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BP2011
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
531 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 3:55:03 PM
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| I think Martinson brings a good point that he wants players who are loyal and after we defend the Kelly Cup Weber should make sure are core players wont jump to europe like perkins, martin, toomey and even scott reynolds did before the season started |
08, 10 Kelly Cup Champions
08, 10, 14 American Conference Champions
08, 09, 13 North Division Champions
08 Brabham Cup Champions |
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bags
(Person With Nothing Better To Do!)
USA
2224 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 5:10:54 PM
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The strangest part for me with Elmira is they played solid "hockey" during the regular
season and we struggled every game.Then in the playoffs the crazy play of Chaz and Sygori
ruined the chemistry and allowed us to dominate. Just what we don't need, Martinson thinking
in a smart hockey way.By the way,he's hot on a player for FIVE years and thinks he may finally land him?
Maybe a 5 year veteran for an AHL team but sounds old for an ECHL team. |
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SCUBA
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
584 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2009 : 11:24:11 AM
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| The problem with Martinson seems to be that he is not willing to take responsibility himself for anything. So he gets a bunch of players on contract and next year during the playoff rounds he is decimated with call-ups, instant excuse. I hope he actually contacted those players that he isn't that interested in seeing them return, because if he hasn't the whole team develops the complex and none want to return. He seems to be a difficult coach to play for. I would be interested to see how long Martinson will last.....obviously goon hockey works in the reguilar season to an extent but at sometime you actually have to play the game. |
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