Albany “First Period” Report

By Mike Buskus

This started out as a “first quarter” (20 games out of 80) report but, for a variety of reasons, got delayed in writing and editing. This writer could, somewhat arbitrarily, have limited the writeup to the first 20 games, but ignoring the next five that have been played did not seem to make sense, so instead of four “quarterly” recaps, there will be only three, coinciding with approximately equal “thirds” of the season. So, it is now a “first period” report, or a recap after “one third” of the “game”. Since the Albany River Rats have played 25 out of their 80 regular season contests, this is a grade report to date.

Goaltending

Not since the Albany River Rats won the Calder Cup in their second year of existence (1994-1995) (Mike Dunham; Corey Schwab) has the minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils been so blessed with goaltending talent. The River Rats actually have three prospects who probably have a future in the NHL. The trio of Ari Ahonen, J.F. Damphousse and Scott Clemmensen has wowed the fans, and impressed the scouts.

Damphousse currently is in New Jersey, as backup to Martin Brodeur. The most experienced of the three netminders, Damphousse worked five games for the River Rats (1-1-1; 3.62 GAA; .883 save percentage), plus one start (Tampa Bay) and one relief effort (Washington) with the Devils.

Damphousse got a real “trial by fire” last year (2000-2001) with the Albany River Rats. Due, in part, to a groin injury of teammate Frederic Henry, Damphousse played in 55 AHL games last year with the Rats, earning 24 of the team’s 30 wins, with very decent numbers including GAA of 2.86 and a save percentage of .914. Most impressive of all, those numbers came despite a very young, rather inexperienced defense last year. Unfortunately for him and the team the River Rats failed to qualify for post-season play. But, the first round draft pick of the Devils (24th overall in the 1997 entry draft) was most noteworthy for his poise. A “soft” goal did not rattle him. J.F. Damphousse matured quickly with the Rats and the booster club voted him their choice as MVP.

For his rock-solid performance in net with the River Rats, Damphousse earns a grade of “A-”.

Ari Ahonen, also a first round pick of the Devils (27th overall in the 1999 entry draft), has been the workhorse so far this season, measured by time in net (669:28 through 25 games). It was not until November 24 that he got his first win (Rochester, 3-1), with his second victory coinciding with the team ’s first (and so far only) road win (Hartford, 4-2).

Ahonen, like his colleagues in net for Albany, has faced a lot of shots. The River Rats are second-last in the league (26th out of 27 teams, at 34.60 shots per game), so Ahonen has faced a lot of rubber. His save percentage of .919 reflects his 364 saves on 396 shots in 11 games. For his solid performance to date, Ahonen receives a grade of “B+”.

The other member of the Rats’ goalie trio is Scott Clemmensen. He celebrated an NCAA title for Boston College at the Pepsi Arena in Albany this spring (along with teammate Brian Gionta). But, the BC netminder played in eight games with the River Rats before getting his first victory. In team game #25, on Sunday, December 9, Clemmensen was the goalie in net when the Rats won, 2-1, in overtime, against the Syracuse Crunch.

Clemmensen actually was chosen, out of the three, to start the season with New Jersey, through that assignment was expected to be mostly emergency backup as Martin Brodeur would play almost every game. Then, several weeks later, he got sent to Albany and J.F. Damphousse got sent to the Devils.

Clemmensen has been decent in net, and, like his colleagues, has simply not gotten the offensive support he needs to win more games. His stats are respectable (2.85 GAA; .915 save percentage), but he is playing on a team that has the lowest scoring in the entire league. At 2.12 goals for (versus 3.24 goals allowed), the Rats have won only 4 out of 25 games (with 5 ties and 3 overtime losses), for 16 points. That is better only than one team (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) in the 27-team league, so it certainly puts more than the usual pressure on a goaltender. For his solid performance, Clemmensen earns a grade of “B+”.

Fans, as well as media covering the River Rats, seem to recognize that the goaltenders are not the problem for Albany. If anything, they have played better than expected. Collectively, the goaltenders earn a grade of “A-” to “B+”. Nothing to be ashamed of there; plenty of upside potential for all three netminders.

Forwards

Overall, the forwards net a grade of “B-”, with somewhat of a disappointment for the second and third liners in terms of offensive production, underperformance in terms of back-checking for all the forwards, and, in general, insufficient physical play.

One forward, veteran Stephen Guolla, acquired several weeks into the season as a free agent, merits a grade of “A”. He has been, game in and game out, the most dependable two-way player on the ice. An excellent faceoff artist, Guolla, a former league MVP with Kentucky, has adapted very, very well to the Devils/Rats’ defensive style of play. No one on the team works harder at killing penalties or is more reliable in both attack and defense zone. If the Devils had a spate of injuries, illness or suspensions, they would not do badly to summon up Guolla to fill in.

Guolla’s seasoning in San Jose and Atlanta are very evident on the ice. Despite his reputation as a “scorer” with the Kentucky Thoroughblades, he is one of the most generous players in terms of passing to others. His work effort is consistently 100%, quite reminiscent of when John Madden wore an Albany jersey. Steve Guolla has earned and deserved numerous “first”, “second” or “third” star awards in post-game honors. He is often the best player on the ice. His numbers (5G; 7A; 12 points, -4 +/- in 18 games) underestimate his value to the team. This writer shudders to think what the team’s record would be without Steve Guolla in the lineup. If only the Rats had a few more veterans like Guolla.

Four of the forwards earn grades of “B+” for overall solid effort and generally good play. Brian Gionta, the rookie from Boston College (7G; 8A; 15 points; -3 +/-); Stan Gron, a second-year player from Czechoslovakia (8G; 6A; 14 points; -4 +/-); Jiri Bicek, a fifth-year pro from Slovakia (6G; 7A; 13 points; -8 +/-); and Christian Berglund, a rookie (7G; 5A; 12 points; -7 +/-), have each shown excellent promise and occasional excellence.

Of the four, two (Gionta and Bicek) have truly blazing speed. They have tremendous acceleration which leads to breakaway scoring chances. Both need to work on “finishing” skills near the net. Each of them have tremendous work ethic and a willingness to fight through traffic. Gionta lost parts of his dental work during one game, but managed to get back into play to secure an assist on the ensuing power play. Both of them lead the team in terms of “puck pursuit” and intensity in terms of puck control. They are fun to watch.

Albany Week in Review believes that Gionta has so much up-side potential that he may be the next Steve Sullivan. Bicek, with more experience, has taken his transfer from New Jersey to Albany as an opportunity. Bicek has eliminated his tendency to get bad penalties. He certainly is one of the most-improved River Rats, judged by prior seasons.

Gron and Berglund add pretty nice “finishing” skills around the net. Gron gets rebound goals with his ability to snap wrist shots into the upper shelf of the net. Berglund shows pretty good poise for a rookie.

Captain Sylvain Cloutier earns a grade of “B”, though it should be stressed that he has played with a knee injury and probably returned to the game earlier than expected and before he was really healthy. Cloutier is the model “team player” and a very reliable two-way forward. Last season, he got the team’s first goal of the season and the last marker as well. He started the same way, earning the team’s first goal on the road in Providence, but was felled with a knee injury the next night. Cloutier sets a standard for working in the corners and behind the net and is very reliable faceoff man.

Richard Rochefort, who has missed half the season with a knee injury, earns a “B” for solid work when he was healthy enough to play.

A bunch of forwards have underperformed, in the opinion of AWIR. For whatever reason, these guys receive grades of “C+”, reflecting limited offensive productivity. This group includes Ted Drury, Mike Rupp and Scott Cameron. The effort has been acceptable, but the results for these guys are not quite up to potential.

Other players, who have seen limited ice time, have received grades of “C”, including Bruce Gardiner, Jason Lehoux, Max Birbraer and Brett Clouthier.

Sniper Pierre Dagenais, who made the Devils’ roster during training camp, receives a grade of “D” for his 6-game “conditioning” stint in Albany. Unable or unwilling to give or to take a check, Dagenais parks in front of the net or waits at center ice to enter the attack zone. Lazy, pure and simple. A waste of talent. An embarassment on the ice, considering his talent. A lot of fans in Albany would prefer a “grinder” who works in the corners and finishes his checks to a talented but unmotivated guy like Dagenais. Despite the fact that he has a remarkable release and superb shot, Dagenais simply is not a complete package. Defense is not his concern and movement without the puck is not a regular part of his repertoire. For all his talent, it is sad that he collects a grade of only “D”, but that is what he gets for his unenthusiastic half-dozen games in Albany this season.

Defense

Promise, but performance is not there yet.

The blueline has been a trouble spot so far this season, mostly because, like the past two seasons in Albany, it is too green. Too many rookies, once again. A collective team grade of “C” on defense, despite real effort.

The most dependable defenseman is Mike Commodore, who has split time between Albany and New Jersey. He is the only blueliner in postive territory in the plus/minus category (at +1). Commodore is pretty physical, a trait which earned him a three-game suspension as a result of a brawl last week in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when he apparently left the bench to come to the defense of goaltender Ari Ahonen. For his overall performance, Commodore earns a grade of “B”.

Two blueliners grab grades of “B-” for significant contributions. Veteran Joel Bouchard has been the best puck-carrying D-man, who often joins the attack. Second-year man, Daryl Andrews, has been a pleasant surprise, stepping up his play after Sascha Goc and Josef Boumedienne were traded to Tampa Bay for Andrei Zyuzin. Andrews and Bouchard both see substantial time on special teams. They both show good hockey sense and both have been reliable.

The rest of the defense earns grades of “C”. Andre Lakos, in his third year, has started to play more physically, but trails blueliners in +/- with -13. Rookies Victor Uchevatov, Mikko Jokela and Joel Dezainde have yet to make their mark.

Special teams

Team grade for special teams is “D”. Far below expectations. Far below average. The power play is 26th overall (12.9%), 20th at home (16.1%) and 26th on the road (9.3%). They waste 5-on-3s and are inept with 5-on-4s. A bunch of the losses (13 losses in 25 games) can be placed squarely at the feet of the special teams’ play.

Penalty kill is not much better than power play. Below average for the league, the team is 17th at home (81.6%), 16th on the road (80.4), and 17th overall (81.1). The only saving grace is that the team is one of the least penalized. But PK has been weak, by any standard.

Coaching

With three rookie coaches (Bob Carpenter, head coach, his first year as boss; Geordie Kinnear and Chris Terreri, defense and goaltending coaches), fans have to be patient. These guys were fine players during their playing days. Whether they can make the transition to coaching is an open question. But, like any other coaches, you have to grade them in part based on team results. So, a grade of “C” for coaches is all that can be awarded at this time.

Overall comments

The team surrenders far too much “center ice” to opponents. The trap has not been working. Goaltenders have been pounded with far too many shots. The team spends far too much time inside its own blue line.

The team lacks toughness. Apparently because coach Carpenter (to judge from his quotes in the newspaper and on TV) lambastes players for getting penalties, they are not nearly physical enough. Not counting a heavily-penalized game last weekend in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the River Rats were, by far, the least penalized team in the league. Fans cannot remember the last time they saw charging or boarding called. Gone are the thunderous checks for which Eric Bertrand and Sascha Lakovic were legendary.

The slide in the standings (to 26th out of 27 teams) has hurt attendance. The team averages only 3,741 fans, a far cry from the nearly 6,000 in 1996, the year after the Rats won the Calder Cup.

With only 16 points in 25 games, unless dramatic improvement is on the way, the team will fail to qualify for playoffs for only the second time in its nine years of existence.