GDT - Trenton/Cyclones 12/28

[titans04]

Cincy playing their 3rd in 3 days traveling up after playing in Wheeling last night.

T-Devils are back to fielding to many marginally talented guys and having them play big minutes. Burton is still out after hitting his leg on the post in the shootout over a week ago. Torti, Poli, Eaves, Cormier and Coleman sitting and watching. Clearly Cormier has played himself out of a regular starting spot, at best I think he plays every other game from here on out, depending on injuries. The deal with Coleman is this - their holding him out 2 weeks past when he could have played, to ensure he's 100%, He was able to come off the 30 day IR today but hell what's one more game right? - Here's the answer, once again the T-Devils goalie doesn't give them a chance to win today. This time Effinger was the sieve.

Sitting Coleman out this game so he could get one more practice in was retarded, they're stalling on making the decision on what to due with Smith and that's right from the front office. Coaches want him gone and the org obviously doesn't want to admit they made a big mistake not only by signing him orginally but they resigning him over the summer. I'm sure Effingers play today will make the decison even more difficult to justify. For our sake pick one and move on, play Coleman until he falls over.

I usually completely agree with Paul's writeups after the game, not so today. Kilpatricks 3rd goal from about 12 feet out and with nobody between him and Effinger the five hole must have looked the size of the ocean to him it did to me and I was lined up perfectlly 12 feet away,and he easily SLID it though. The gwg was yet another unscreened wrist shot from the blueline that inexplicably found the back of the net. Just terrible. Kilpatricks second goal was an end over end dying quail from about 15 feet away that just fooled Effinger.

Both goalies were awful, Castonguay beat Houle twice from the top of the circle on consecutive power plays, Houle showing Red Light like quickness going post to post, hard to believe it could take that long to go six feet. I also thought we got outplayed for a huge majority of the game and always find it funny when SOG #'s seem to climb during intermissions.

Not much to like about todays game obviously, they just didn't play well. Snetsinger again showed no sign of a pulse - very hard to figure this guy out, Ackeson played with one which was plesant surprise.

Harrison had two decent scraps with Johnson, first time right off the faceoff both took off their buckets squared up nicely and Harrison took the one-sided fight getting the jersey over his head and pounding away. Second one it appeared that Johnson tried a different strategy of getting the quick jump which initially put Harrison on his heals, one he got his footing he seemed to get the better of it. The two fights were on back to back shifts.

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From todays Trenton Times, summed up perfectly.

T-Devils fall into old habits and let one slip away

Monday, December 29, 2008

BY JOSHUA BRETT

Special to the Times

TRENTON -- The Trenton Devils' four-game winning streak just before its holiday break may have suggested that it was finally turning the corner.

So much for that idea.

Their first game after the holiday break, last night's come-from- ahead 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Cy clones at Sovereign Bank Arena, looked a lot like many of their losses in the first two months of the season. The T-Devils had some mo ments of brilliance but ultimately didn't make enough of their opportunities. And when they were in position to win, they instead lost on a soft goal in the third period.

The perpetrator this time was Mark Van Guilder. After getting assists on two of Cincinnati's first three goals, he potted a tally of his own with 9:19 remaining in regulation when his shot bounced off Trenton goalie Charlie Effinger's blocker and trickled into the net.

"Charlie might have been a bit screened, but he'd probably tell you that he knows he needs to make that save," said T-Devils head coach Rick Kowalsky. "I thought we played pretty well. We had our chances."

The first two periods could best be described as the Eric Castong uay and Jimmy Kilpatrick Show. Castonguay scored twice in the second period, both on great slap shots from up high, the second of which gave the T-Devils a 3-2 lead with 4:16 remaining in the second stanza. Kilpatrick recorded a hat trick for Cincinnati, the last of which was also of the weak variety.

With 2:06 remaining in the second and the Cyclones only 10 seconds into a power play, Effinger went down and closed his legs to stop a Kilpatrick wrister, but the puck squirted between his pads and into the goal to tie the game.

The T-Devils' defense allowed only three shots on goal in the final 20 minutes, which didn't feature a single penalty until after time ex pired. But one of those shots turned out to be Van Guilder's game-winner.

Notes: Goaltender Gerald Coleman was eligible to come off of injured reserve yesterday. And team officials said that the one- time NHL netminder has been skating since before Christmas. But Coleman remained inactive yesterday while Devils officials continue to decide how to make room for him.

Coleman was injured in his second game with the team and hasn't played in over a month.

Kowalsky said that the team wanted to give Coleman another couple of extra days after not skating during the break. Ko walsky said Coleman could play tomorrow here against Elmira.

One potential issue the Devils face in their decision, according to team sources, is the fact that goaltender Jason Smith, the Devils' sixth round draft pick in 2003, has an American Hockey League contract. This complicates the process of trading him or even re leasing him, should the organization choose to go that route.

Also not helping matters is that Smith has won only twice in 11 decisions (2-7-1-1) and has posted a rather ordinary .862 save percentage and 3.82 goals against average.

Cincinnati (14-12-2-3)121--4

Trenton (10-14-1-2)030--3

First Period-- 1. Cincinnati, Kilpatrick (9) (Van Guilder, Johnson), 4:59. Penalties: Johnson, Cin (fighting), 5:11; Harrison, Tre (fighting), 5:11; Johnson, Cin (fighting), 15:12; Harrison, Tre (fighting), 15:12, Sawatske, Cin (cross-checking), 19:33; Prough, Tre (interference on the goalkeeper), 19:33.

Second Period-- 2. Trenton, Akeson (2) (Kell,Bartlett), 3:54. 3. Trenton, Castonguay (8) (Gunderson, Leaderer), 5:20 PP. 4. Cincinnati, Kilpatrick (10) (Van Guilder, St. Denis), 14:19. 5. Trenton, Castonguay (9) (Gunderson, Cohen), 15:44 PP. 6. Cincinnati, Kilpatrick (11) (Van Guilder, St. Denis) 17:54 PP. Penalties: Kell, Tre (tripping), 0:48; Johnson, Cin (tripping), 4:14; Zanca naro, Tre (delay of game), 12:16; St. Denis, Cin (hooking), 15:28; Kell, Tre (interference on the goalkeeper), 17:43.

Third Period-- 7. Cincinnati, Van Guilder (7) (Grover), 10:41. Penalties: Kell, Tre (misconduct), 20:00.

Shots on Goal--Cincinnati 7-14-3--24, Trenton 7-11-8--26. Power-play opportunities--Cincinnati 1 of 3; Trenton 2 of 2. Goalies--Cincinnati Houle (8-6-1-1) 26 shots-23 saves; Trenton Effinger (5-7-0-1) 24-20. T-- 2:10. A--2,435. Referee--Francis Charron. Linesmen--Jameel Chaudry, Mike Hamilton.

Edited December 29, 2008 by titans04

[Birch]

Houle showing Red Light like quickness going post to post, hard to believe it could take that long to go six feet.

Thanks for posting a game report. (Our computer bit the dust. Missed the games yesterday. Had to borrow a PC to get the results.)

[tharrison]

Houle retired right after this game and the Cyclones other goalie was called up to the AHL, maybe we can loan Smith to them.

Johnson was begging for a rematch after Harrison easily took care of him first time around. I don't understand everyone's fascination with Cormier, he was a stud in a weak junior league, but has done absolutley nothing in the pros. At least Harrison can skate a regular shift and has a better pedigree.

[titans04]

Houle retired right after this game and the Cyclones other goalie was called up to the AHL, maybe we can loan Smith to them.

Johnson was begging for a rematch after Harrison easily took care of him first time around. I don't understand everyone's fascination with Cormier, he was a stud in a weak junior league, but has done absolutley nothing in the pros. At least Harrison can skate a regular shift and has a better pedigree.

I agree Harrison is a better all around player at this point and Kevin has been a flatout disappointment. But Harrison too drags down whatever line he's on. In fact not sure he saw the ice more than 2 or 3 times if that in the 3rd. He's painfully slow, both guys at best are the 10th forward in the lineup..

Edited December 30, 2008 by titans04