It is really amazing how far Coronato's game has evolved since even the start of last season. That extra time in the AHL coupled with being a mainstay now on the Backlund line has made him look and feel like a vet out there. Solid 200ft player with high IQ, a lethal shot, poise, speed, physicality and a surprising playmaker.
Pelletier is an NHL'er now. Glad we didn't lose him to waivers. No idea where his ceiling is, but I like his game and speed. He makes a lot of plays at speed, which really helps when the team is playing an uptempo style. Hard not to laugh at his scream when he scored both goals tonight. That's infectious.
Rory "The Magnificent One" Kerins. Who does this kid think he i dishing the puck after he gains the zone, drives forward to the net and takes Jones' stick with him (as if Jones needs any help screwing up!), and drives hard to the net for 2nd opportunities/screens - on his first NHL shift? This kid kept showing an ability to make plays both with and without the puck. He has really high IQ. He was obviously lost out there on some plays - for instance, on a rim-around on the offensive zone, I think he was supposed to go behind the net, but didn't recognize the play (or at least, as it seemed to me). However, this kid showed really well. Not 'I got a lucky second assist that had nothing to do with the play" type of showing - he did things right with and without the puck. Really eye-opening for me. Looking forward to seeing what else this kid brings.
Flames in their last rebuild mostly brought kids up the right way. For all the flack that Hartley takes (some of it earned, some of it not), young guys often showed really well, even young guys that didn't end up as NHL'ers that I thought would (like Granlund and his A+ shot, Horak with his 2-way non-stop motor, Wotherspoon showing well in limited games, etc). The difference between Huska and Hartley to me is that Huska is doing things without losing the respect of the vets. He isn't dividing the room (if you believe things from Stajan's perspective anyway).
Huska won't get it, but at this point, he deserves a lot of Jack Adams nods. I would say Carbery - barring some kind of a nosedive in the back half of this season - has that locked up, but Huska should get some votes here. I don't look at the Jack Adams as an award that gets coaches fired. Often a coach will take a team to an unexpected stratosphere, and when it comes down to earth, it often crashes, and he loses his job along with it. Sometimes it is just a matter of coincidence - some coaches can extract blood from a stone, but their methods lead to madness, and they end up with a short shelf life. Huska is a refreshing breath of fresh air. I have likened him to Jon Cooper, and I stand behind that comparison. This is an intelligent and well-spoken coach who is both fair and willing to sit and scratch players based on performance, and gets the most out of this team.
Best way I can summarize Huska's body of work at this point: He is squeezing blood from a stone, but not bleeding the players dry in the process.
Fun game to kick-start the 2nd half of the season!
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