Evil Inc.
by Jimmy Garoufalis
DRAGONS BREATHE FIRE HEADING INTO PLAYOFFS
August 8 1999
The Dragons won 4 of their last 5 games, including their final three, to
move from 11th place all the way to 6th. The Dragons will now face the
Goodfellas in the first round of the Concordia B Division Playoffs Tuesday at 21:00.
Many have asked Jimmy to provide some insight as to the Dragons season, so
here it is. An evaluation of the entire team, from forwards and defensemen
and goalie Brian Crompton. Even yours truly.
FORWARDS
SEAN MARCELLIN :
1-5-1 start
Sean showed his vaunted offensive skills, as usual, but his 2 way play left much to be desired. The team falling behind early forced Marcellin to do too much by himself, and even Sean, at his very best, can only do so much with a depleted team.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: B+
4-1-0 finish
Basically, Sean did it all. On a line with Peter Knapp, he averaged over 4
points a game,showed prowess as a defensive forward, forcing turnovers
both in the neutral zone and inside the opponents blue line.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: A+
PETER KNAPP
1-5-1 start
Peter is a study in character. After witnessing the Dragons' debut, a
10-1 shellacking at the hands of the Goodfellas, Peter could have quit. No
one would have blamed him. The Dragons had no cohesion, one substitute and
there was no guarantee that things would improve, even slightly. Peter
stayed on. He played a solid 2 way game, was the teams offensive light and
did not complain.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: A-
4-1-0 finish
Peter teamed up with Marcellin to form what was the league's best scoring
combination in the 2nd half of the season. Peter did it all. Played the
point on the power play, played practically the whole game twice and
covered pinching defensemen's asses on many an occasion.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: A+
JIMMY GAROUFALIS Grade for 1-5-1 start.
Not very auspicious. For a veteran, Jimmy was erratic, lost the ball too
many times, had his passes picked off, did not hustlet back to help on
defense, did not score once, and did not provide any leadership. And as
usual, Jimmy was mean tempered and egotisitical.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: D
4-1-0 finish: Played one game as a goalie and gave up three goals to the worst offensive team in the
league, almost costing the Dragons a playoff spot. But at least the Dragons bailed him out. Played
twice as forward and did not stand out, except when he took a retaliation penalty minutes after telling
his teammates not to do anything stupid. Played the last 2 games on D and will be remembered for
costing Sean a goal by being in the opponents crease, about fifty feet out of position. And as usual,
Jimmy talked too much and did little else. Grade for 4-1-0 finish: C
SALIM KARMALI
1-5-1 start
Salim impressed with his opportunistic ways early, scoring 4 goals
in this stretch, along with countless other chances. A bit inconsistent
however.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: B
4-1-0 finish
Missed a few games, and in the games he did play, he played below average,
always on the borderline of taking bad penalties, and not showing the
hustle that made Kamlesh want him on the team to begin with. A natural
goal scorer, he did not find the net during the teams' best run of the
season. While the team soared, Salim stagnated.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: C-
RAGESH PATEL
1-5-1 start
Demonstrated his natural talent but also showed that when times got
tough, he was not always willing to give that extra something that makes
a Peter Knapp so valuable.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: B-
4-1-0 finish
In the last 2 games of the season, Ragesh came close to finally becoming
the superstar many say he can be. Being put on a line with Sean and Peter
does that to people, and Ragesh shone. He ran to the corners, filled the
passing lanes, unleashed his devastating shot, came back to help on
defense and aside from almost taking a horrible retaliation penalty
against the Bullies, was perfect.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish. A
JOHN WONG
1-5-1 start
Always a hard worker, with unquestioned heart and determination, John
simply did not play up to his capabilities. Much is expected with a
vaunted reputation, and John had much to reprove.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: C
4-1-0 finish
Brilliant. Scored twice in the stunning upset of the Terror Squad,
including the winner, as well as scoring goals in the last 2 games of the
season, as well as drawing penalties at an unheard of pace.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish. A-
DEFENSEMEN
KAMLESH PATEL
1-5-1 start
Kam, like John Wong, is an unquestioned leader, but Kam, like John,
struggled. Kam made mistakes, turnovers in the defensive zone and failed
clearing attempts in an attempt to compensate for the teams then sagging
fortunes.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: C+
4-1-0 finish
Kam played both forward and back with equal aplomb. When the chips were
down, Kam came through. Statistics will not show his impact, but his
teammates know the value of Kamlesh Patel.
YVES ANDRE LOUIS SAUL
1-5-1 start
Took a while to adjust to the big surface, but Yves Andre showed the
promise expected of him. Boundless energy compensated for his relative
inexperience.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: B
4-1-0 finish
Yves Andre missed three games in a row, and it showed when he made his
return for the final 2 games. Often out of position, less energetic,
too much moving with the ball and not enough passing. Yves Andre's
momentum and improvement was slowed down as a result.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish. C-
REAL PAQUETTE
1-5-1 start
As with most big surface rookies, Real struggled during his adjustment
period. The longer clearing attempts took some getting used to, and Real
needed time to learn when to use the boards and when to work the middle of
the floor.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: C+
4-1-0 finish
The Dragons' best defenseman down the stretch. No doubt. Blocked shots
with relative ease, controlled the flow of the game when the ball was in
his end, did not lose the ball at all, and was able to intercept passes
and stop fast breaks at an alarming rate. Surprisingly enough, Real
showed some pop at the point too.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: A
NICK KOHNER
Just like Wong and Kam, Nick, as a veteran of the big surface was expected
to be a steadying influence. Nick played adequately, although he turned
the ball over a few too many times, and he had problems clearing the zone
and preventing speedsters from getting breakaways.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: C-
4-1-0 finish
Missed a few games, but when he came, he played the way a defensive
defenseman should play. Effective, with little attention drawn to him,
being in proper position by leaving little space for others to get around.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: B+
GOALTENDER
BRIAN COMPTON
1-5-1 start
The circumstances were difficult. The Dragons played below adequate defense,
gave up countless opportunities, countless shots, which would test any
goalies' patience and ability. That being said, Brian did not play up to
his standards. Normal looking shots were giving him trouble and there were
too many rebounds.
Grade for 1-5-1 start: C-
4-1-0 finish.
First 7 games 1-5-1 won loss record, 7.28 GAA Last 4 games 3-1-0 won loss
record, 3.00 GAA Those numbers say it all. Brian excelled in both the 5-2
upset of the Terror Squad and the 4-0 loss to the Storm, and while he did
not play as brilliantly in the final 2 games, Brian only gave up goals
after the games were already decided. Solid positioning, few rebounds,
stamina and a focus were Brian's calling cards the 2nd half.
Grade for 4-1-0 finish: B