Photo by Darren Abate
Last Monday's 3-2 shootout victory over Utica marked the halfway point of the 2013-14 Rampage season, which means it's time for the 2nd Quarter Report Card. The Rampage compiled a 5-11-1-2 record over the 19 games and judging by Tom Rowe's reaction above, he feels the same way fans do on any given night.
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.
Defense
#2 Michael Caruso 19GP 0-1-1 -5 16PIM
D: 6 O: 4 Overall: 5
- This is a hard grade for me to hand out as I am a fan of Caruso's game, but his defense has really struggled this season. He's not playing as physical as he has been in the past and routinely loses his man leading to good scoring chances against.
1Q: D: 6 O: 4 Overall: 5
#3 Alex Petrovic* 12GP 0-2-2 -4 13PIM
D: 8 O: 6 Overall: 7
- Alex seems to be the biggest victim of the coaching change in November. He went from a dangerous weapon on offense to "just another guy". His defense was still solid, though unspectacular unlike the first quarter. Currently on IR in Florida. Could return when healthy.
1Q: D: 9 O: 9 Overall: 9
#6 Ryan Whitney 12GP 2-5-7 -6 4PIM
D: 5 O: 8 Overall: 6.5
-Still dangerous offensively, especially on the power play but has been bad defensively over the last 4 weeks. Routinely relegated to healthy scratch status.
1Q- D: 6 O: 9 Overall: 7.5
#7 John Lee 14GP 1-1-2 -6 15PIM
D: 7 O: 6 Overall: 6.5
- Lee is a Rowe favorite, which puts this whole exercise into question as I am not a fan of his game. His offense has almost disappeared and, while he has stretches where he's very good defensively, he has more where he's nothing special.
1Q- D: 7 O: 7 Overall: 7
#8 Dennis Urban 13GP 0-6-6 +2 0PIM
D: 7 O: 8 Overall: 7.5
- Urban has benefited the most from the injuries and callups on the Rampage blue line. His speed is a nice asset in all three zones and his defense has been underrated. When paired with the right partner, he is an effective AHL Dman. 1Q- D: 7 O: 6 Overall: 6.5
#25 Colby Robak 13GP 2-1-3 -7 2PIM
D: 6 O: 7 Overall: 6.5
- Robak has all but disappeared offensively and is routinely shuffled out of the PP rotation. Can still have stand-out games, but their occurrence is becoming more and more rare. His defensive game is what it is. He can make highlight reel plays defensively...after turning the puck over in his own end.
1Q- D: 7 O: 9 Overall: 8
#28 Zach Miskovic 8GP 0-1-1 -2 2PIM
D: 7 O: 7 Overall: 7
- Zach is (was) a decent enough Dman who doesn't (didn't) really do anything exceptionally well. He also isn't (wasn't) lacking in any areas. A good player who deserves to play in the AHL and will get that chance now that he's been traded to Rockford for, as JP Williams says, a "washing machine" i.e. Future Considerations.
1Q - Not Graded
#33 Doug Janik 7GP 0-3-3 +2 8PIM
D: 7 O: 8 Overall: 7.5
- Along with Matt Gilroy, the arrival of Janik coincides with the surge in the Rampage power play. He has been very good running the point and has an incredibly hard shot. Plays well in all three zones, but can lose his man from time to time.
1Q- Not on team
#97 Matt Gilroy 11GP 3-3-6 -4 0PIM
D: 6 O: 8 Overall: 7
- Very good on power play. Good puck mover who plays with confidence. Not the greatest defensive player, but after a rough start, hasn't completely embarrassed himself.
1Q- Not on team
Not Graded:
Jonathan Racine
Greg Zanon
Forwards
#10 Jon Matsumoto 12GP 3-3-6 -3 8PIM
O: 7 D: 6 Overall: 6.5
Matsumoto saw a slight uptick in his play on both sides of the puck before his unfortunate injury. Mats is out "long term" according to Tom Rowe and the acquisition of Ryan Martindale from OKC could mean it's season ending.
1Q- O: 6 D: 5 Overall: 5.5
#12 Jared Gomes 19GP 1-3-4 -3 14PIM
O: 6 D: 8 Overall: 7
Gomes scored his first goal in 38 games Monday night vs. Utica. He's playing much more engaged offensively and pairing Jared with Greg Rallo has been very effective in the last few games. His defense is still very good and he is a vital player on the PK.
1Q- O: 5 D: 8 Overall: 6.5
#13 Steve Pinizzotto 13GP 3-1-4 -3 46PIM
O: 6 D: 7 Overall: 6.5
Pinizzotto slowed down offensively in the second quarter of the season. He performed his job as an agitator quite well, but had become redundant on this team with the emergence of Garrett Wilson and the re-emergence of Joey Crabb as net-front players. Traded to OKC on Friday morning for Ryan Martindale.
1Q- O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
#14 Vincent Trocheck 16GP 3-4-7 -14 8PIM
O: 8 D: 5 Overall: 6.5
After putting up 18 points in his first 19 games, Trocheck's offensive production has really slipped in the 2Q. He is still dangerous with the puck, but may be trying to do too much as the team struggles. Has been poor defensively, but not for lack of effort. Still has a lot to learn about playing professional hockey and I'm sure he will be the first to admit that. I actually expect a resurgence and a nice second half for him.
1Q- O: 9 D: 9 Overall: 9
#15 Eric Selleck 19GP 1-2-3 +2 38PIM
O: 6 D: 8 Overall: 7
Consistent production from the 1Q. Seen an improvement on defense. His good work ethic, combined with decent skating ability and good awareness, make him a valuable bottom 6 forward that can be put out against the opponents top lines.
1Q- O: 6 D: 7 Overall: 6.5
#16 Bobby Butler 19GP 6-5-11 -6 4PIM
O: 8 D: 6 Overall: 7
Had a rough stretch to start this grading period but had a nice run in the middle where he was the most dangerous offensive player on the team. Has struggled at times defensively, but appears to have righted the ship and is, most nights, the best overall player for the Rampage.
1Q- O: 8 D: 7 Overall: 7.5
#18 John McFarland 10GP 2-1-3 -4 5PIM
O: 7 D: 6 Overall: 6.5
Was playing well in Cincinnati and was rewarded with a callup. Has good speed and isn't afraid to play physical, but is still lacking in hockey IQ. Could turn into a very useful player in the AHL in the near future once he learns the game better. May be the casualty when Ortmeyer returns.
1Q- Not on team
#19 Garrett Wilson 19GP 4-4-8 -2 22PIM
O: 8 D: 8 Overall: 8
Wilson's 2Q was deceiving. He appeared to struggle both offensively and defensively, but the numbers are better than that. His offensive production was almost identical and his defensive play didn't drop off as much as I first thought. He's a good AHL player who does everything pretty well. Could be a huge player next season (Think Brett MacLean).
1Q- O: 8 D: 9 Overall: 8.5
#23 Jack Combs 7GP 0-0-0 +1 8PIM
O: 4 D: 6 Overall: 5
Rotated between healthy scratch and minimal minutes before being sent to Cincinnati. Dealt to OKC as the second player in the Pinizzotto trade bringing Derek Nesbitt back.
1Q- O:5 D:5 Overall:5
#24 Quinton Howden 18GP 2-3-5 -2 4PIM
O: 6 D: 8 Overall: 7
It might be time to look at Howden as what he is: a bottom six energy guy that excels on the PK. His speed is still his best asset. But unless he starts putting it all together on the ice, I don't see how he approaches top 6 minutes in the NHL.
1Q- O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
#27 Greg Rallo 17GP 3-5-8 -7 4PIM
O: 6 D: 8 Overall: 7
The Captain has struggled offensively since the beginning of December with the exception of a game here and there. His recent pairing with Jared Gomes has been relatively successful, however, as they are routinely sent out to shut down the opponents top threats. With the addition of Nesbitt, his production on the socresheet should go up once everyone gets comfortable.
1Q- O: 9 D: 8 Overall: 8.5
#32 Drew Shore* 11GP 0-7-7 -1 4PIM
O: 8 D: 9 Overall: 8.5
When with the Rampage, Shore was the best player on the ice for the silver and black. He played all phases of the game and played them all very well. Drew was a bit snake bit when it came to goal scoring, hitting posts and being robbed by goalies, but he routinely made things happen on offense and was a top notch defender.
1Q- O: 7 D: 9 Overall: 8
#37 Joey Crabb 16GP 1-4-5 -4 6PIM
O:6 D: 7 Overall: 6.5
Crabb struggled to find the scoresheet this quarter and had found himself in a suit for some game nights. But he's worked hard and has found his way back to being a regular in the lineup. Would like to see more consistency and some more points 5 on 5.
1Q- O:7 D: 7 Overall: 7
#38 Wade Megan 10GP 3-0-3 -1 4PIMO: 8 D: 8 Overall: 8
After tearing up the ECHL with Cincinnati, Megan was given his shot with the Rampage and hasn't disappointed. He's played well in all phases of the game and has found his way to centering the top line. I'm not sure he will ever light up the scoreboard, but he will be a productive player in this league.
1Q- Not Graded
#41 Jed Ortmeyer 14GP 3-4-7 -4 14PIM
O: 8 D: 7 Overall: 7.5
Good leader, smart, and seemed to be the only player doing anything for a two week stretch. Currently injured, but should be back soon and his return will help immensely.
1Q- O: 7 D: 8 Overall: 7.5
Not Graded:
Logan Shaw
Goalies
#29 Michael Houser 5GP 1-3-0-0 3.83 .887%
Overall: 4
For as good as Houser was in the first quarter, he was equally as bad in the second quarter. The team struggled defensively and he did very little to help out the situation. Still has a bright future and his success will be important to this team as he could be the heir to the position when Markstrom is in the NHL next season.
1Q- 9
#30 Jacob Markstrom 12GP 4-7-0-1 2.77 .914%
Overall: 7
Markstrom is Markstrom. An enigmatic personality overflowing with talent. He has games (more games than not) where he just blows you away with his abilities. He can, however, have his confidence shaken. His best non-physical trait is his ability to bounce back though. He can have a bad game, or period, and come right back and be dominant.
1Q- 9
Not Graded:
Rob Madore
Dov Grumet-Morris
*Currently in Florida (NHL)
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