San Antonio Rampage
19-18-2-0 (40 Pts)
10th- Western Conference
Last game: Defeated Abbotsford 2-1 on Jan 16th
Leaders
Goals: J. Matsumoto - 13
Assists: Matsumoto - 21
Points: Matsumoto - 34
+/-: B. Thomas - +9
PIM: E. Selleck - 122
Wins: D. Grumet-Morris - 8
GAA: Grumet-Morris – 2.01
Save %: Grumet-Morris - .933
AT
Houston Aeros
21-9-2-7 (51 Pts)
4th Western Conference
Last game: Lost 2-1 to Peoria on Jan 14th
Leaders
Goals: J. DiSalvatore - 12
Assists: DiSalvatore - 18
Points: DiSalvatore - 30
+/-: 3 tied w/ +9
PIM: D. Bagnall - 62
Wins: M. Hackett - 13
GAA: D. Kuemper – 2.07
Save %: Kuemper - .931
7:35 CST
Toyota Center
Houston, TX
Radio: www.ticket760.com
The Rampage, and newly added AHL All Star Jon Matsumoto (more later), open a tough 3 in 3 weekend three hours east in Houston for a huge road matchup with the rival Aeros. The Rampage currently sit 3 points behind Peoria for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. The Rampage will have a Saturday night tilt with the Rivermen sandwiched between trips to Houston Friday and Sunday. The Rampage are finally getting all their pieces in place, along with a huge piece (Matsumoto), for a playoff run. This weekend could go a long ways to making or breaking the season. Two games against a depleted Aeros squad, albeit on the road, and a game with one of the teams directly in front of them in the playoff chase. However, Houston has dominated the Rampage this season, so winning at least one of those two along with a win on home ice Saturday would satisfy at least one Rampage fan.
Forward Michal Repik also cleared waivers today and has been assigned to San Antonio. I love it when a plan comes together.
Trade Thoughts:
First, the details. Matsumoto was acquired from Carolina, along with Swedish prospect Mattias Lindstrom, Wednesday in exchange for malcontent winger Evgenii Dadonov and underachieving center AJ Jenks. Matsumoto instantly becomes the Rampage’s biggest offensive threat and leading scorer. Lindstrom is currently playing in his home country and probably won’t see N. America until next year. He has drawn comparisons to Tomas Holmstrom with his size and grit around the net and in the corners.
Harvey Fialkov, who covers the Panthers for the Sentinel-Sun, tweeted early Thursday that Dadonov had, in fact, asked to be traded and the Panthers obliged. After a successful rookie season in Florida, which saw Evgenii score 8 goals and make it to All Star weekend as the lone Panthers representative in the Rookies game, Dadonov was apparently none to pleased to be sent to San Antonio to begin the season. After 3 months of bouncing back and forth between the Panthers and the Rampage, Dadonov had apparently had enough. In an interview post trade, Dadonov stated that the Panthers had just too many players ahead of him on one way deals, and he would like the opportunity to start over in an organization where he has a chance to contribute right away.
Jenks, who played a full season in Rochester last year for Chuck Weber, had a similar situation. Jenks was one of the last cuts out of Rampage camp and started the season in ECHL Cincinnati. After a couple of promotions/demotions, Jenks seemed to find a spot on the Rampage 4th line. He just never seemed to be motivated in the games I watched him play. The skill is obviously there, but he seemed tentative and would often make a nifty play to get in space and then promptly turn the puck over. During Saturday’s game, I lamented to my wife that forwards should get an accidental assist or two playing in 27 games. (See Lessard, Frank or Vandermeer, Pete) But Jenks couldn’t muster a single point this season in San Antonio. And he just doesn’t do anything else well enough to justify playing him every night, in my opinion. Also, as pointed out by the writer of the Chasing Checkers blog, Jenks played his Jr. Hockey in Plymouth, which happens to be owned by the same group that owns the Canes, along with 3 current Checkers players. So, hopefully, a change of scenery will benefit him and he will turn into the player many scouts think he can be.
This deal appears to be a pretty good deal for both sides as long as Dadonov and Jenks break out of their funks. They are both good players who were apparently unhappy with the Florida organization. The Hurricanes made a deal that negatively impacted their AHL squad in order to add some decent prospects, one possibly NHL ready. The Panthers dealt from a position of depth and significantly improved their AHL team in a glaring area of weakness. There is a pretty big drawback, however, for us Rampage fans. I mistakenly thought this trade put us at our max vet limit of 5. However, Dan Weiss informed me that Mike Vernace is also a vet. Therefore, the Rampage are over the max and a vet will have to sit. None of the forwards (Cullen, Kearns, Thomas, Matsumoto) are going to sit considering how they are playing. That leaves Vernace and team Captain Nolan Yonkman. Yonkman is playing. We don’t need a riot at the ATT Center led by all the single female hockey fans. (Plus, despite what some fans tell me, he’s really damn good at playing defense) Unfortunately, this means more Keith Seabrook. I could’ve done without that, but it’s worth it to add a player of Matsumoto’s ability.
I am going to try my hardest to get out a mid season team report card this weekend. I won’t be doing individual players like I have in the past as I just don’t have enough info to make educated assessments right now. This will have to wait until season’s end, which hopefully will be a little later than normal this season.
LETS GO RAMPAGE!!!
Trade Thoughts:
First, the details. Matsumoto was acquired from Carolina, along with Swedish prospect Mattias Lindstrom, Wednesday in exchange for malcontent winger Evgenii Dadonov and underachieving center AJ Jenks. Matsumoto instantly becomes the Rampage’s biggest offensive threat and leading scorer. Lindstrom is currently playing in his home country and probably won’t see N. America until next year. He has drawn comparisons to Tomas Holmstrom with his size and grit around the net and in the corners.
Harvey Fialkov, who covers the Panthers for the Sentinel-Sun, tweeted early Thursday that Dadonov had, in fact, asked to be traded and the Panthers obliged. After a successful rookie season in Florida, which saw Evgenii score 8 goals and make it to All Star weekend as the lone Panthers representative in the Rookies game, Dadonov was apparently none to pleased to be sent to San Antonio to begin the season. After 3 months of bouncing back and forth between the Panthers and the Rampage, Dadonov had apparently had enough. In an interview post trade, Dadonov stated that the Panthers had just too many players ahead of him on one way deals, and he would like the opportunity to start over in an organization where he has a chance to contribute right away.
Jenks, who played a full season in Rochester last year for Chuck Weber, had a similar situation. Jenks was one of the last cuts out of Rampage camp and started the season in ECHL Cincinnati. After a couple of promotions/demotions, Jenks seemed to find a spot on the Rampage 4th line. He just never seemed to be motivated in the games I watched him play. The skill is obviously there, but he seemed tentative and would often make a nifty play to get in space and then promptly turn the puck over. During Saturday’s game, I lamented to my wife that forwards should get an accidental assist or two playing in 27 games. (See Lessard, Frank or Vandermeer, Pete) But Jenks couldn’t muster a single point this season in San Antonio. And he just doesn’t do anything else well enough to justify playing him every night, in my opinion. Also, as pointed out by the writer of the Chasing Checkers blog, Jenks played his Jr. Hockey in Plymouth, which happens to be owned by the same group that owns the Canes, along with 3 current Checkers players. So, hopefully, a change of scenery will benefit him and he will turn into the player many scouts think he can be.
This deal appears to be a pretty good deal for both sides as long as Dadonov and Jenks break out of their funks. They are both good players who were apparently unhappy with the Florida organization. The Hurricanes made a deal that negatively impacted their AHL squad in order to add some decent prospects, one possibly NHL ready. The Panthers dealt from a position of depth and significantly improved their AHL team in a glaring area of weakness. There is a pretty big drawback, however, for us Rampage fans. I mistakenly thought this trade put us at our max vet limit of 5. However, Dan Weiss informed me that Mike Vernace is also a vet. Therefore, the Rampage are over the max and a vet will have to sit. None of the forwards (Cullen, Kearns, Thomas, Matsumoto) are going to sit considering how they are playing. That leaves Vernace and team Captain Nolan Yonkman. Yonkman is playing. We don’t need a riot at the ATT Center led by all the single female hockey fans. (Plus, despite what some fans tell me, he’s really damn good at playing defense) Unfortunately, this means more Keith Seabrook. I could’ve done without that, but it’s worth it to add a player of Matsumoto’s ability.
I am going to try my hardest to get out a mid season team report card this weekend. I won’t be doing individual players like I have in the past as I just don’t have enough info to make educated assessments right now. This will have to wait until season’s end, which hopefully will be a little later than normal this season.
LETS GO RAMPAGE!!!
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