Photo by Josh Huskin
Sunday marked the quarter mark of the 2013-14 Rampage season. This means one thing--it's report card time! All skaters must have played in six games, goalies four. Grade scale is 1-10 with a "7" being average. D = Defense and O= Offense.
There's really no need to waste time. Let's get to the grades!
Defense
#2 Michael Caruso 8GP 0-0-0 -1 10PIM
D: 6 O: 4 Overall: 5
- Caruso has played just eight games due to a hamstring injury sustained in early November. In those eight games, Caruso was fairly underwhelming. He wasn’t terrible defensively, but he wasn’t good either. Offensively, he was invisible.
#3 Alex Petrovic 18GP 2-7-9 +10 33PIM
D: 9 O: 9 Overall: 9
- Petrovic has been the Rampage’s best defensive player and, arguably, the best player on the team so far. He plays effortless, but with an edge. He’s big, mean, and is a surprisingly agile skater who has the ability to join the offensive rush. Currently second on the blue line in scoring behind only Robak and leads the team with a +10.
#6 Ryan Whitney 6GP 1-4-5 -2 4PIM
D: 6 O: 9 Overall: 7.5
- Whitney got in just under the wire to be graded playing his 6th game on Sunday. He’s a weapon on the power play with a very good shot. His veteran presence has been noticeable as well. On defense, he’s a bit slow and that can be (and has been) exploited.
#7 John Lee 12GP 2-3-5 -2 6PIM
D: 7 O: 7 Overall: 7
- Lee is the surprise of the early season. While he was steady and unspectacular last season, Lee has played some pretty good defense and has actually started chipping in offensively. He has seen some PP time (more on that in a minute) and is a mainstay on the PK.
#8 Dennis Urban 10GP 0-2-2 +2 10PIM
D: 7 O: 6 Overall: 6.5
- Urban is fine as a 7th defenseman for this team. He’s got good skating ability and can play on the PP. He’s very small though and is pretty ineffective against bigger forwards. Could be pushed to Cincinnati with the Janik signing and Caruso nearing a return.
#21 Mike Mottau* 13GP 1-1-2 +4 10PIM
D: 9 O: 7 Overall: 8
- Mottau didn’t put up big numbers in his 13 game stint with the Rampage before heading to Florida, but his presence on the ice was noticeable. He has a calm to his game that is appealing to watch. He’s not big, he’s not fast. But he’s a smart player and a top line defenseman in the AHL.
#25 Colby Robak 18GP 2-8-10 E 10PIM
D: 7 O: 9 Overall: 8
- It would be unfair to say Robak has disappointed because he hasn’t. He’s been pretty good overall. That said, in his three years in a Rampage uniform, I haven’t really seen a lot of progress in his game. He’s still the most dangerous offensive weapon on the blue line, but he’s still prone to turnovers and mental mistakes. Recently found himself a healthy scratch in Rockford and has lost PP time to John Lee. If he could cut the mistakes down to 1-2 per game, he would be NHL ready right now.
#36 Jonathan Racine 19GP 0-4-4 +1 33PIM
D: 8 O: 6 Overall: 7
- As a fan of “stay-at-home” defensemen, I was most excited to watch Racine when this season started and he hasn’t disappointed. He plays mean, but smart, in his own end and is rarely out of position. He’s got a decent first pass and doesn’t embarrass himself on skates. Any offense he chips in, which has been limited, is just a bonus. He’s looked pretty good for a rookie and could find himself in Florida sooner, rather than later.
Not Graded:
Dylan Olsen
Colby Cohen
Zach Miskovic
Greg Zanon
Forwards
#10 Jon Matsumoto 17GP 3-2-5 -5 16PIM
O: 6 D: 5 Overall: 5.5
Matsumoto has been a disappointment in his return to San Antonio, culminating in him being a healthy scratch the last two games. He has struggled defensively and in the faceoff circle and is among the team leader in minor penalties taken. His saving grace this season is his shootout ability. Unfortunately, that’s not enough on a team this deep.
#12 Jared Gomes 19GP 0-3-3 E 12PIM
O: 5 D: 8 Overall: 6.5
After a slow start offensively, Gomes has started to pick it up in the last week. His three assists led the team for the week and he’s starting to look like the Jared Gomes from last year. He’s still a defensive pest and is decent in the faceoff circle. If he can keep up his recent production, it could be a huge boost to the Rampage.
#13 Steve Pinizzotto 7GP 3-0-3 +4 21PIM
O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
Since his return from a hip injury, Pinizzotto has been exactly as described. He’s a hard nosed player with an ability to score the ugly goals. His addition to the lineup gives every forward line a net-front presence. His defense has been underrated as well. I imagine he is not a fun player to play against.
#14 Vincent Trocheck 19GP 9-9-18 +6 14PIM
O: 9 D: 9 Overall: 9
Consider the hype lived up to. Trocheck is a dynamic all-around player that is an absolute joy to watch. Hard worker, terrific skater and playmaker, and always appears to be having fun. I worried about how his game would translate to the AHL. I worry no more. His defense is very good and he plays in all situations. He won’t be here long.
#15 Eric Selleck 18GP 2-1-3 E 40PIM
O: 6 D: 7 Overall: 6.5
Selleck is a perfect 4th liner on this team. Has an insane work ethic and deceptively good skating ability. Still prone to taking bad penalties, but his teammates love him and it’s easy to see why.
#16 Bobby Butler 18GP 5-7-12 +2 0PIM
O: 8 D: 7 Overall: 7.5
Honestly, I worried about Butler’s attitude early in the season. I’m guessing being paired with Trocheck all season will make those hard feelings go away. He has been one of the biggest beneficiaries to playing alongside the rookie. He’s dangerous on the power play and has the best one timer/wrister on the team. Won’t ever be known for his defensive play, but he’s good enough to get by.
#19 Garrett Wilson 16GP 5-4-9 +8 8PIM
O: 8 D: 9 Overall: 8.5
The other beneficiary of Trocheck’s presence. Wilson has surprised this season with his ability to score goals. He’s very good at screening the goalie and getting deflections or cleaning up rebounds. He’s a tough kid and will also stick up for teammates when needed. Has been quietly exceptional on defense. Uses his size and strength well and rarely quits on a play.
#22 Logan Shaw** 7GP 0-0-0 -2 5PIM
O: 4 D: 6 Overall: 5
The rookie stepped into the lineup and played ok. Has little to no offensive game at this level, but shows signs that he could develop into a solid 3rd/4th liner. Another big body who isn’t afraid to use it. Will get a ton of minutes in Cincinnati for now.
#23 Jack Combs 11GP 0-2-2 +1 8PIM
O: 5 D: 5 Overall: 5
Has done virtually nothing this season and has been relegated to healthy scratch on most nights. If he’s scoring, he’s a valuable asset. If he’s not, he brings very little to the table as we are finding out now.
#24 Quinton Howden 17GP 3-6-9 +2 6PIM
O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
After a slow start, Howden is starting to become the all-around threat that the Panthers were hoping for. Has blazing speed and decent hands. Once he gets totally comfortable at this level, he will be hard to contain. Has shown tremendous improvement on the PK and defensively. I expect a big second quarter from him.
#27 Greg Rallo 19GP 5-8-13 +1 10PIM
O: 9 D: 8 Overall: 8.5
Rallo accepted the vacant Captaincy and has been perfect for the role. He’s a quiet leader who lets his play on the ice speak for itself. Good two-way player with a dangerous shot. Has a non-stop motor and is extremely intelligent both with and without the puck. Leads the team in SOG with 67, it’s just a matter of time before he starts finding the back of the net consistently.
#32 Drew Shore 17GP 0-8-8 E 6PIM
O: 7 D: 9 Overall: 8
Despite the big “0” in the goals column, Shore has been one of the Rampage’s most consistent performers. Has spent time QB’ing the power play, plays a huge chunk of time on the PK and is solid on face offs. Shore is a very good all around player at this level. Has hit at least 5 posts this season. He’ll start scoring soon.
#37 Joey Crabb 17GP 3-3-6 -3 23PIM
O:7 D: 7 Overall: 7
Gritty player with some scoring ability. Has a tremendous shot, just has trouble creating space to unleash it. Crabb gives the Rampage yet another option to cause trouble in the opposing crease. Plays tough in his own end, but his aggressiveness can take him out of plays at times. Pretty darn good option for a bottom 6 in the AHL.
#41 Jed Ortmeyer 19GP 3-4-7 -1 24PIM
O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
Extremely intelligent veteran player who won’t shy away from the physical game. Ortmeyer does have some skill though. Has seen time on all four lines and has been good in each role. Good shot blocker and PK’er and another guy who plays solid defense, but can chip in offensively as well.
Not Graded:
Philippe Cornet
Wade Megan
Goalies
#1 Dov Grumet-Morris 7GP 1-5-0-1 2.69 .913%
Overall: 8
Dov has been the “Bad Luck Brian” meme of the Rampage this season. Looking strictly at wins and losses, it’s not pretty. But if you look at his peripheral stats, he’s been at least a league average goalie (maybe even slightly above average). In his seven starts, the Rampage have managed to score him a total of 12 goals. It might not be what you want as a starter on a contending team, but he’s a perfect backup for the team and a nice fallback plan for when Markstrom gets another shot in Florida.
#29 Michael Houser** 5GP 4-1-0-0 2.17 .917%
Overall: 9
Houser came in as a rookie and instantly impressed. Winning four of his five starts and playing confident and strong hockey. He’s a victim of the numbers game, though, and was sent to Cincinnati when Markstrom was sent to San Antonio so he could get heavy minutes there instead of backing up here. The fans didn’t like it, but it’s the smart thing to do and it’s only a matter of time before he’s given the keys to the car in San Antonio.
#30 Jacob Markstrom 5GP 3-2-0-0 2.38 .929%
Overall: 9
Markstrom struggled in Florida with little help from the team in front of him and fans became concerned about his confidence and prospect status. He put those concerns to bed with his performance through 5 games with the Rampage. Markstrom, once again, is arguably the best player in a Rampage uniform and flat out stole the game in Cedar Park last Friday. I don’t know if he will ever be a star in the NHL, but he’s a star in this league, and Rampage fans are lucky to watch him play on a nightly basis.
Not Graded:
Scott Clemmensen
*Currently in Florida (NHL)
**Currently in Cincinnati (ECHL)
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