AHL: Syracuse Crunch Report Card, Part Two
In the final part of this look at the Syracuse Crunch from the past season we take a look at the forwards and the coaching staff. Mark Hartigan, Brad Moran and Joe Motzko formed one of the most dangerous lines in Crunch history; Alexander Svitov continued to leave onlookers wanting more; and MoDo may not have had room for Joakim Lindstrom, but the Crunch got a big boost from his offense and gets big marks for making such a smooth transition to the North American game.
FORWARDS
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Why break them up now? They formed one of the most dangerous lines in Syracuse history, blending talent, smarts and hard work to form one dangerous trio. They carried the Crunch as far as they could but needed more help from their supporting cast. All three were also casualties of the lockout because each would have definitely gotten a look at some point due to their superb play throughout the season. Hopefully Columbus does its part and re-signs each player; if not for depth at the NHL level, then to give the Crunch a solid base from which to create a formidable club for the upcoming season.
Grade: Straight A's across the board for these three. Also, how about Hartigan returning just 12 days after going under the knife for an appendicitis? That's what being a hockey player is all about.
The problem with Svitov may be too high of expectations. Everyone looks at his 6'4" frame, the velvet soft hands and his smooth stride and they just assume he will hit the ice and dominate. The problem is that rarely happens. Does this make Svitov an underachiever or do people just expect too much? His stats are not that bad (19G, 23A in 69GP) and if you throw in his 200 PIM's, his numbers are more than decent. But why does it always seem after watching him play that he could have done more? Face it: he is an enigma and probably always will be. But remember he has never - at any level - put up sick numbers and maybe he never will. The funny thing is that even if he fails to put up those types of stats for the next five years some GM will still be there with a contract in hand, waiting to add this immense talent to his team.
Grade: B. Jumps up half a letter grade for his pugilistic abilities.
Jackman, along with Jeremy Reich, had to be two of the most disappointing players in the first half for the Crunch. Both were counted on to put up numbers reminiscent of '03-'04 and neither produced them. Jackman turned things around in the second half of the season though. He went back to doing the things that made him successful in years past and his stats reflected it. He finished the year with seven points in his last seven games.
Grade: C+. Ended on a strong note, but he needed a much quicker start to the season.
The Crunch's rookie of the year was a pleasant surprise this past season, especially after showing very little in an eight-game audition in '03-'04 that included a six-game stint with the Blue Jackets.
He burst onto the scene after being a healthy scratch in three of the first seven contests and he was remarkable in his consistency. In fact, only twice in the season did he go more than four straight games without recording a point. He also showed that he can take care of his own end with his +9 rating, tied for third-best on the club.
Grade: B+. Combine his speed with some experience at this level and Mauldin could be dangerous next season.
Peter and Chris Ferraro:
This is another one of those what-might-have-been scenarios. They were obviously more effective when both players are on the ice and the duo just appeared to be hitting its stride when Chris went down with the hand injury. Chris started the season more quickly (5G, 6A in his first 15GP), while Peter finished well (3G, 4A in his last 7GP). Each player came in as advertised; they can't dominate the play anymore, but they are still solid contributors in a second or third line capacity.
Grade: C+. Dropped them down half a grade for the abundance of bad penalties they tend to take.
Brandon Sugden:
He took his game to the next level and was well on his way to dominating the AHL before injuries derailed him shortly after the New Year. Like Hartigan, Moran and Motkzo, Sugar was also a victim of the lockout with the Jackets eager to unveil the one-two punch of Sugden and Shelley. Injuries are obviously an occupational hazard for Sugden, but he still needs to find a way to avoid the injury bug. That's easier said than done of course, but if he works hard in this off-season like he did last year, anything is possible.
Grade: B+. The best insurance policy in the American League.
Syracuse's other Austrian import, Trattnig also took some time to re-acclimate to the North American style of play. It took him 37 games to find the back of the net, but he still contributed early on thanks to his prowess in the shootout. He also morphed himself into a pretty decent body checker along the way and he picked up it up on the offensive side as the season progressed. He finished the season with four goals and three assists in his last five games.
Grade: C-. Took too long to find his game, but he gets points for his physical play.
Here's another player who underachieved in 2004-05. Syracuse expected Pandolfo to come close to duplicating the previous season's success, but it just never materialized. He was even a healthy scratch on three different occasions prior to missing 11 games late in the year with an injured ankle. Will the memories of his '03-'04 season be enough to warrant attention from Columbus? It will be interesting to find out.
Grade: D+. Output decreased by 21 points last season.
He played well in training camp, but that didn't carry over to success in the regular season. As such, he was sent to Dayton after being a healthy scratch in five of Syracuse's first 25 games. He didn't really dominate in the Coast, but he returned a different player after eleven games with the Bombers. He was voted Syracuse's most improved player and he became a valuable asset on the penalty kill, along with being a solid energy guy for the Crunch. He will need some more time in the minors to develop but he should still be on the radar of Columbus.
Grade: B-. Hopefully Goertzen spends some time in the off-season working on his fighting skills.
He finally made his way over to North America after being tabbed by the Jackets with their ninth selection in 2001. He looked over-matched early, but he settled in and his play improved with his comfort level. Although he showed offensive upside, he'll need some more seasoning in the minors to continue adjusting to the more physical game in the States.
Grade: C-. Remains on the fringe of prospect status.
The Crunch sure could have used Lindstrom's talent from the start of the season. A relative unknown commodity in the States after being selected in the second round of the 2002 Entry Draft, Lindstrom signed with the Jackets after being forced to the bench on a crowded MoDo team in Sweden. He immediately paid dividends, giving the sagging Crunch offense a real boost down the stretch. A solid find for Columbus, Lindstrom should spend at least one full season auditioning in Syracuse before embarking on a long NHL career.
Grade: B+. His quick adjustment to the AHL was downright impressive.
These two players are connected by a late-season loan between Syracuse and Grand Rapids. Robinson was another player the Crunch could have really used from Day One. In 19 games with the team he was better than a point-per-game player and his blazing speed gave Syracuse's offense a real high-octane boost. Panzer just never got rolling in Syracuse though. He came in with a bum ankle and then suffered a knee injury just when the ankle felt better. It was a tough luck season for a likeable player.
Grades:
Robinson: A. A prime example of what a change of scenery can do for a
player.
Panzer: C-. It would have been interesting to see what a healthy Panzer may have done.
A disappointing swan song for one of Crunch's all-time favorites, things started slowly and just snowballed from there. He ended up being on the outside looking in once the Crunch acquired the Ferraro twins.
Grade: Honorary "A" for time served with the club.
Coaching Staff:
Gary Agnew became the whipping boy near the end of the season, but let's be realistic: coaches are only as good as the talent they are given and that put him behind the eight ball from day one. Was he perfect? No, but who is? Spend five minutes speaking with either member of the Crunch's coaching staff and it is clear Syracuse is just a stopover for each one. All things considered, keeping the Crunch alive until the final week of the season was quite an accomplishment.
Grade: B-. Their PK systems may have raised questions with some people and their use of Sugden at times could have been better, but other than that it was a solid effort.
Article courtesy of Syracuse-Crunch.com