Quad City officially eliminated from the playoffs

[Drunk Skunk]

With Milwaukee's win tonight, the Flames are officially out of contention for the Calder Cup playoffs.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Disappointing, I imagine, for you Quad City folks...

I thought the AHLers might make some noise this season.

[Drunk Skunk]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Disappointing, I imagine, for you Quad City folks...

I thought the AHLers might make some noise this season.

It's the first time in 13 years that the Quad City hockey team has missed the playoffs. Most fans are not pleased.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

It's the first time in 13 years that the Quad City hockey team has missed the playoffs. Most fans are not pleased.

This is probably the bane of affiliate existence. It's feast or famine in the AHL. You're not going to get the perennial stability of a well-run Indy League franchise that the Mallards were. Top-rate AHL squads can get poached by the parent team and it's Square One all over again. Rinse, repeat, rinse.

Guess the selling point of the Quad City AHL is the bump-up in quality of play over other loops. Hopefully you QCers appreciate that.

Having said that, youse fellers seem like a good lot, so's I hope for a better season next year.

[Drunk Skunk]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

This is probably the bane of affiliate existence. It's feast or famine in the AHL. You're not going to get the perennial stability of a well-run Indy League franchise that the Mallards were. Top-rate AHL squads can get poached by the parent team and it's Square One all over again. Rinse, repeat, rinse.

Guess the selling point of the Quad City AHL is the bump-up in quality of play over other loops. Hopefully you QCers appreciate that.

Having said that, youse fellers seem like a good lot, so's I hope for a better season next year.

I understand that, but unfortunately quite a few fans do not. I'm going to prepare a season recap thread tomorrow(yes I realize the season doesn't end until next Sunday, but I won't have time next week), and I'll touch on it.

I'm already looking forward to next season and think that QC will have a great team.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

I'm going to prepare a season recap thread tomorrow(yes I realize the season doesn't end until next Sunday, but I won't have time next week), and I'll touch on it.

That sounds great. I think I can speak for a lot of us that the eye-witness perspective is hugely appreciated. In fact, take your time. There's no real time constraint if you want to add your belated thoughts.

I'm already looking forward to next season and think that QC will have a great team.

We'll see where that goes. Some of McGill's comments suggest there could be a real team turnover.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

I understand that, but unfortunately quite a few fans do not. I'm going to prepare a season recap thread tomorrow(yes I realize the season doesn't end until next Sunday, but I won't have time next week), and I'll touch on it.

Looking forward to it DS

[Hack&Lube]

What happened to change the team so much between last year's conference champions and this year's team?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Quad City might have had a better season if not for the three infamous bail-outs in Giordano, Taratukhin and Ryder, but then that's merely conjecture at this point and there's no use belabouring further.

Does seem that there might be more outgoing bodies than those coming in, at least at this early point. Lots of pending free agents of variable status and such. Get the feeling guys like Stevenson and Kolanos will high-tail it to Europe, so there's recruiting work to be done.

Some good talent coming in possibly, but I think we'll see some augmentation in the form of ringers on AHL contracts, if only to appease the local fanbase. The reason I think that way is that the reserve squad in the ECHL for the most part will be let go.

[chris lindberg]

So, I wonder if Tomi Maki sticks around as one of the black aces?
Who else will be on Calgary's taxi squad, Germyn, Stevenson, Prust, Peters, Pardy, Ramholt, McElhinney?

I wonder if any of the others stand a chance....Puustinen, Chucko, Pelech, VanderGulik?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by chris lindberg

So, I wonder if Tomi Maki sticks around as one of the black aces?
Who else will be on Calgary's taxi squad, Germyn, Stevenson, Prust, Peters, Pardy, Ramholt, McElhinney?

I wonder if any of the others stand a chance....Puustinen, Chucko, Pelech, VanderGulik?

Chucko has been crap at the AHL level. Puustinen hasn't even played at the AHL level. Are you just throwing out names?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Black Aces are just hangers-on. You really don't want to see them become a factor, because of course, that means the lineup is depleted due to injury. Black Aces for the most part merely soak up the atmosphere.

Who one might think rises to the occasion is probably worth a separate thread.

[dlogint]

DS I'm looking forward to it also,especially your take on the D. Is Burke in the mix...quietly playing +5?

[SparkyOne]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

I understand that, but unfortunately quite a few fans do not. I'm going to prepare a season recap thread tomorrow(yes I realize the season doesn't end until next Sunday, but I won't have time next week), and I'll touch on it.

I'm already looking forward to next season and think that QC will have a great team.

I'm with DS....with whoever will come back and the juniors coming up, I think we'll have a great team. We most need a consistent scorer. That's the biggest problem with Giordano, Taratukhin and Ryder leaving....we didn't really have a go-to guy and nobody stepped up to take that spot.

I've actually loved watching our PK develop (we're now 3rd in the league) and the toughness of the defense. (When I watch Calgary games and then ours, you can actually see the consistency of the system....) Now we just have to pop in some offense and, with our outstanding goaltending, we should do very well.

I know people are griping about not making the playoffs but for some reason, I'm not terribly sad about it. With Pardy out (saw him at the game last night and he's looking good!), I think we would have struggled horribly. Now....it's off to Chicago for the game!!

[SparkyOne]

Originally Posted by dlogint

DS I'm looking forward to it also,especially your take on the D. Is Burke in the mix...quietly playing +5?

I certainly hope so. I've noticed continual improvement in his play as he gets more ice time. He's a tough kid. Our rookies have looked very good lately when our vets have kinda fallen into the shadows.

And, as much as I've ragged on him, Sutter has also made drastic improvements. He's contributing now instead of sticking out for making mistakes!!!

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Black Aces are just hangers-on. You really don't want to see them become a factor, because of course, that means the lineup is depleted due to injury. Black Aces for the most part merely soak up the atmosphere.

Who one might think rises to the occasion is probably worth a separate thread.

Maybe, but with Smith out with a concussion and Yelle banged up, that leaves the Flames with one reserve forward. I would think the Flames need to callup one more forward.

Of course that depends on Yelle's condition.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Seems Darryl Sutter was in attendance at last night's game. No doubt making a list and checking it twice...

[QCPuckFan]

It was interesting seeing Sutter this time around. In previous visits, he was obviously here for a very focused purpose of assessing players. I saw him in the suite on Friday night, and he seemed very relaxed. He walked up the lower level steps before the game, stopping occasionally to chat with fans in the seats. He got to the suite, removed his coat and just watched the game. This appeared to be more of a visit to touch base with the local ownership, present Van der Gulik his award on Saturday, and just generally take care of some end-of-season business.

[loknessmonsters]

I hope that everyone down in QC realizes that this was the 3rd youngest team in the AHL. Going forward you will have a bunch of guys with a years experience under their belt and a much better grasp of the pro game. With youngsters like Hugo and Pust making their way up to play with the QC club you will have some added scoring. Armstrong might be there as well. I might be wrong on Armstrong since he may have another year in the OHL. Just going off of memory now.

[Canada 02]

^Armstrong could play as a 20 yr overage, but Sutter has stated that he doesnt think 5 year junior career is necessary. He is destined for pro if he is in shape at camp