Post by Anaheim GM on Oct 6, 2015 15:57:02 GMT -5
Louisville, KY.- The Thunder made a deep run into the AsHL postseason for the fourth straight here, however, were stopped short by the two time Calder Cup winning Oakland Seals in the Conference Finals. "It certainly has been a long summer for us," said goaltender Sami Aittokallio, whose flashes of brilliance during the regular season gave hope to a roster that was largely offensively minded that a Cup was not out of the question. However, in the Conference Finals the Thunder were clearly outmatched by superior goaltending and defense. "We were not quite as balanced in the post-season as we looked during the Conference Finals and I think we've learned a lot from that," stated head coach Jim Schoenfeld.
The team added some free agents to the mix Michael Karanen, Mike Zegerle, Zach Sill, and Mat Bodie (already nicknamed "The Bodhizafa" by teammates) who all bring quick feet, grit, and defensive prowess to a lineup that looks to improve. "We must have balance, it is nature's rule," Kopsack told reporters.
Sami Aittokallio, who had a very lackluster post-season, trained differently this season and worked on his lateral movement. "He's going to be a great deal better, even by just having the experience of those tough, tense games," said coach Schoenfeld. "There is no doubt he is going to be our guy once again."
The team plans to heavily roll four lines and plans to utilize the entire roster in all situations. "We will have players on all four lines playing on the powerplay as well as on the penalty kill this season," coach Schoenfeld told reporters. "With the growth of Jon Merrill, Joe Morrow, and Steve Oleksy along with the additions of Trevor Carrick (drafted) and Mat Bodie (signed-free agent), we look to be even more difficult to play against than they were a year ago." All of this despite losing Mattias Ekholm to an Anaheim promotion. "We have a lot of confidence that this team is going to compete at a very high level this year," Owner/President/GM Mark Kopsack told reporters. "They have all of the tools, that's for sure."
There are rumors that GM Kopsack may be looking to sign goaltender Chris Driedger before the beginning of the season, however, details of it are not confirmed. Driedger was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 3rd round of the 2012 NsHL entry draft. The 6'2'' 206 lb. netminder has excelled in almost every facet of his growth and does seem ready for the challenges of AsHL goaltending duties. "He's a very calm guy in the net and he has the patience to let the play come to him," Kopsack said of the 21 year old. When asked if he lacks confidence in his goaltenders he told reporters, "It is always good to have as much healthy competition as possible, particularly at the AsHL level. Good goaltending, a lot of times, is about momentum and not much else, so it certainly won't hurt to carry four goaltenders for the minor league system."
With veteran goaltender Cedric "The Entertainer" Desjardins in the current backup slot, the signing of Driedger could shift the goaltending paradigm around in Louisville before preseason concludes. "We will be patient and see how it plays out. He's not even here yet, so we will certainly be glad to deal with all of the cards when they are dealt," said head coach Jim Schoenfeld, munching on a donut.
The team added some free agents to the mix Michael Karanen, Mike Zegerle, Zach Sill, and Mat Bodie (already nicknamed "The Bodhizafa" by teammates) who all bring quick feet, grit, and defensive prowess to a lineup that looks to improve. "We must have balance, it is nature's rule," Kopsack told reporters.
Sami Aittokallio, who had a very lackluster post-season, trained differently this season and worked on his lateral movement. "He's going to be a great deal better, even by just having the experience of those tough, tense games," said coach Schoenfeld. "There is no doubt he is going to be our guy once again."
The team plans to heavily roll four lines and plans to utilize the entire roster in all situations. "We will have players on all four lines playing on the powerplay as well as on the penalty kill this season," coach Schoenfeld told reporters. "With the growth of Jon Merrill, Joe Morrow, and Steve Oleksy along with the additions of Trevor Carrick (drafted) and Mat Bodie (signed-free agent), we look to be even more difficult to play against than they were a year ago." All of this despite losing Mattias Ekholm to an Anaheim promotion. "We have a lot of confidence that this team is going to compete at a very high level this year," Owner/President/GM Mark Kopsack told reporters. "They have all of the tools, that's for sure."
There are rumors that GM Kopsack may be looking to sign goaltender Chris Driedger before the beginning of the season, however, details of it are not confirmed. Driedger was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 3rd round of the 2012 NsHL entry draft. The 6'2'' 206 lb. netminder has excelled in almost every facet of his growth and does seem ready for the challenges of AsHL goaltending duties. "He's a very calm guy in the net and he has the patience to let the play come to him," Kopsack said of the 21 year old. When asked if he lacks confidence in his goaltenders he told reporters, "It is always good to have as much healthy competition as possible, particularly at the AsHL level. Good goaltending, a lot of times, is about momentum and not much else, so it certainly won't hurt to carry four goaltenders for the minor league system."
With veteran goaltender Cedric "The Entertainer" Desjardins in the current backup slot, the signing of Driedger could shift the goaltending paradigm around in Louisville before preseason concludes. "We will be patient and see how it plays out. He's not even here yet, so we will certainly be glad to deal with all of the cards when they are dealt," said head coach Jim Schoenfeld, munching on a donut.