SB Nation - Ryan Vesce

Stargazing: Dallas Defeats San Jose, 3-2 in Shootout

Brad G — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:03:04 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

Ryan Vesce and Stephane Robidas: Shootout Specialists?

Fluky goals and phantom high sticking calls couldn't top the abnormality of who the coaches sent out there in the shootout last night. Dallas, once kings of the skills competition had lost their first four shootouts of the year, scoring just one time in thirteen attempts. So Marc Crawford decided to mix things up a bit and send little Stephane Robidas out there? Maybe it was because they've been so inept at the shootout this year, and maybe it was because I was still trying to figure out just who the heck Ryan Vesce was, but I saw Robidas and like many Stars fans thought: "Eh, at this point, why not?"

He made Marc Crawford look like a very smart man. Why not, indeed.

I'm burying the lead, of course. Marty Turco was the real hero last night. As much of a confidence builder as this one could be (pending the possibility of a let-down in Phoenix) for the team as a whole, Marty must feel like he can do anything after that performance. It wasn't just his goaltending either. As Razor pointed out on the broadcast, he made almost as many plays with his stick handling as he did with his pads. That was the Marty Turco we know and love, and missed last year.

This was the 5th time already this season that the Stars have trailed after two periods of play and pulled at least a point out of the game. Last season, they managed it only five times all year. Trailing after two is not an ideal situation, but it's nice to know the Stars are seemingly never out of it. Even against the top team in the league.

After the jump, quotes and reaction to last night's big win...

NHL.com brings you all the Robidas you need:

Defenseman Stephane Robidas, who had never taken a shootout attempt, scored in the third round to give Dallas its first shootout win in five tries this season as the Stars rallied for a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Robidas admitted he was surprised to get the call.

"When you look at all the forwards we have, and all the skills, it was pretty surprising," Robidas said. "I scored in a preseason game last year and once in junior hockey but I wasn't comfortable making a move so I just shot it."

...

"I tried to keep it simple and not think too much," said Robidas, 32, who has 3 goals this season and 33 in his career.

The Mercury News reports on Todd McLellan's state of mind after the loss:

Interestingly, McLellan was philosophical about the way things played out, too.

"You have to build that into a season and into a game," McLellan said, referring to both lost leads and bad bounces. "It’s going to happen at times. We’d prefer that it didn’t, but I’m not overly disappointed with the game."

He talked about his choices for the shootout when someone asked about Ryan Vesce. Without getting into why he chose Vesce, he did say that the coaching staff wrestled with the fact he didn’t get much ice time, especially in the third period, and might be cold, but stuck with Vesce anyway.

On Neal's goal:

The flukey nature of Dallas's first goal seemed to make the shootout defeat a little less painful.

"The guy just took a shot, and I was standing off to the side. It went right off the toe," Demers said. "You couldn't get an unluckier bounce than that."

Pucks get deflected all the time. It's funny that we, as hockey fans, belly ache about the ones that take the more dramatic paths to the net. (And we all do it.) Sure it was a funny bounce, but how many pucks get deflected off a leg and two sticks and find the net only to be called "hard working goals" after?

Coach Crawford liked the way his team responded:

``It builds a lot of belief in the guys about not playing it safe and really getting involved,'' Stars coach Marc Crawford said ``We're trying to push our D to be a bit more dynamic, and tonight, out of necessity, they did it. When you're down 2-0, you've got to take chances and you've got to really force (the opposition) into making plays before they want to. That was our objective, and I think it worked for us tonight, and I'd like to see us do it more regularly.''

Mike Heika recaps the drama:

...Then, in the third period, Trevor Daley kicked out what looked like a sure goal, and the Stars forced a too man men on the ice penalty, and the Stars were suddenly all over Evgeni Nabokov,. Then, just as after a power play expired, James Neal somehow banked a shot in off of Sharks defenseman Jason Demers. It wasn't so much a deflection as a rainbow gift from the hockey gods.

And, then, the Stars started to smell blood. They raced up and down the ice, giving up golden scoring opportunities, but also creating golden scoring opportunities. Marc Crawford juggled all over the place, he started getting Mike Modano out on the ice more and he moved Mike Ribeiro to a wing.

And just as Loui Eriksson and Neal forced a turnover and moved the puck off the wall in transition, Modano jumped up while trailing the play and pounded a shot between Nabokov's pads.

Boom, it was 2-2 (and Modano had his first two points of the season).

Mike Modano was good last night. He hadn't scored since the last time they played the Sharks. Please Mike, don't wait that long again.

I liked what Brandon Bibb touched upon here last night at Defending Big D:

About that ugly 1 for 34 against San Jose's penalty kill dating back to last season. Yeah, might want to get that one sorted out at some point during the season series, Stars.

Not like they weren't getting chances. But like Razor mentioned, when they did get chances on the man advantage, those chances fizzled into nothing without Nabokov having to do much to thwart them.

At the very least, I want the Sharks' best penalty killer to actually be the best penalty killer if the Stars are to not score on the man advantage. That rarely happened last year. Or tonight for that matter.

In particular, that PP following that horrible call on Pavelski was just awful. That needs to change. Check the play by play. They lost the face-off, had a giveaway, and a Robidas blocked a shorthanded shot by Heatley. Those are the only three things recorded during a two minute power play? No shots? No missed shots? Blocked shots? Nothing? In the third period?

And finally, something that probably requires more mention than a blurb at the end here, Fabian Brunnstrom's name was allegedly being tossed around a little bit at the GM meetings... [Morning News]

GMs around the NHL are interested in Stars winger Fabian Brunnstrom. TSN's Darren Dreger says so right here.

Dreger is very plugged in and was up in Toronto at the GM meetings, so I would say he probably has something here. It also seems to make sense that the Stars would listen to what those GMs have to say.

The reason is the Stars have some very talented skilled and scoring wingers, and Brunnstrom right now is at the bottom of the depth list of those players. He was put in a battle for the right wing spot on the Morrow-Ribeiro line in training camp, and lost the job to Jamie Benn. Benn, 20, has done nothing in the young season to show he is slipping or that he needs time in the minors, so it seems pretty clear that he is going to be in the mix in the top six forwards for some time to come. Morrow, James Neal and Loui Eriksson have the other jobs locked up.

Turco's Stonewalling of Sharks Leads to Stars' Rally ; Shootout Win

Brandon Bibb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:58:17 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

28 days ago: San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, left, races to the puck in front of Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco (35) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Browse more photos »

It's late, so of course this recap is going to be brief.

But the number 1 star of the night was clearly Marty Turco. He kept the Stars in it having only allowed two second period goals from Dany Heatley and Ryan Clowe. He shined during the third period, particularly with the game on the line after a late Mike Modano slashing penalty put the Stars a man down.

But he saved his best stop of the game for the second round of the shootout. Dan Boyle executed a series of splendid dekes to get Turco out of position. Or so Boyle thought. When he went to backhand the puck and tuck it inside the near post and Turco, the Stars' netminder flopped onto his back and with a last minute desperation move, kept the puck out with his glove hand.

And after Ryan Vesce had made it five consecutive shooters from both teams to not dent the twine, Stephane Robidas finally notched the first shootout win of the season for the Stars with an absolutely sick snapshot over Evgeni Nabokov's left shoulder into the top corner of the net.

Other quick thoughts:

Once again, why doesn't the league use replay to correct mistakes on high sticking penalties? In the second period, they whistled Steve Ott off even though replays never conclusively showed he high sticked. Then in the third, Joe Pavelski was victimized when officials called him for high sticking James Neal, even though it was obvious that the Real Deal was the victim of some friendly fire from the stick blade of Nicklas Grossman.

The Sharks were able to take advantage of that phony call on Ott. But fortunately for the refs, the Stars weren't able to do anything with that late power play off the flat out bogus call on Joe Pavelski.
"Crankshaft" appears to be a very appropriate nickname for San Jose's Douglas Murray.
No doubt James Neal had a very strong game tonight for the Stars. And when he tries to take games by the bull horns like he did tonight, the Stars will be successful more nights than not.

But dare I suggest that if he continues to get chances in the shootout that he find another move since the one he has, while effective at beating goaltenders, keeps ringing the post?
Speaking of Neal, I thought it was somewhat fitting that his goal canceled out the fluky goal that Ryan Clowe scored. And it continued to be fitting when Mike Modano's blast canceled out Dany Heatley's snipe from close range.
Sure, San Jose deserved that 2-0 lead by virtue of their domination of the middle frame. But the first period was evenly played and the Stars dominated much of the third period and deserved to have this contest tied at 2-2 going into OT.
About that ugly 1 for 34 against San Jose's penalty kill dating back to last season. Yeah, might want to get that one sorted out at some point during the season series, Stars.

Not like they weren't getting chances. But like Razor mentioned, when they did get chances on the man advantage, those chances fizzled into nothing without Nabokov having to do much to thwart them.

At the very least, I want the Sharks' best penalty killer to actually be the best penalty killer if the Stars are to not score on the man advantage. That rarely happened last year. Or tonight for that matter.
Remember that point I made to Sevy two weeks ago about how good a job fighting does to bring closure to issues on the ice? Exhibit A from tonight's game certainly has to be Krys Barch's fight with Brad Staubitz.The Sharks' tough guy came in a little too late for the Stars' liking on Tom Wandell.

Barch challenged him to a round of fisticuffs, they settled right then and there. And you didn't hear another word about that hit for the rest of the game.
There's a part of me that actually feels sorry for San Jose. Because no matter what they accomplish during the regular season this year, nobody in the hockey world outside of San Jose will give a damn until about the Sharks until they at least advance to the Western Conference Finals. And for some, that might not even be enough.

UFA of the Day: Ryan Vesce

That'll Cheech You — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:55:08 -0000

Micro machine shows ya who's boss. He is, if you didn't know.

View full size photo »

So far, the players chosen for "UFA of the Day" have been pretty well known Sharks. As it stands, most FTF readers have agreed to keep Semenov and Roenick, while Grier was shooed off.

However, it will be interesting to see how this vote turns out, as I would imagine there are no strong emotions associated with Ryan Vesce.

If you could tell me who Ryan Vesce was before the beginning of the year, I'd give you five bucks. Well, no, I probably wouldn't. But I'd give you a hug. Just tell me where to mail it.

The 26 year old Vesce returned to the AHL in 2008 after a year in Finland, and proceeded to have his best statistical year as a pro. The New York native and four year NCAA player with Cornell University scored 71 points (24 goals) in 67 regular season AHL games, and 10 points in 12 AHL playoff games. In 10 games with the big club, Vesce didn't score any points, but impressed McLellan and his assistant coaches with his endurance and lightning quick skating stride.

During the AHL season, Vesce logged big minutes on both the PK and PP and served as captain for much of the season. He plays much bigger than his 5'8" 170 pound frame would suggest, and he's skilled in the face off circle.

We've been talking at length about the cap issues next season, and Vesce is exactly the type of player that we should be looking for. He's cheap (the $475,000 he made last year was the smallest salary on the team), young, and appears to be coming into his prime. However, there are a few things that diminish Vesce's value on the Sharks, and these factors may decide his fate with the organization.

First, Vesce is yet another pivot on a team ripe with center men. Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Goc, Mitchell, Roenick, Plihal, and Couture could all be competing for one of four center spots on the team. Although there is room for a little finagling, (moving one or two of them to the wing) not every center makes that transition as well as Marleau did. It's safe to say that we're pretty safe at center for the foreseeable future.

Second, although Vesce does play big, he's still small in stature. The Sharks were pushed around during the playoffs, and it's not known if Vesce will be able to push back on a consistent basis.

Third, Vesce's doppleganger just happens to be on the same team he's trying to make. Although Mitchell missed the regular season, he was able to show the organization that he's still the same player that everyone was so impressed with in 2007-2008. Mitchell is practically Vesce in a slightly larger package; he's a small, quick skater who plays well on the kill and brings fire to your lower lines. There's definitely room for the two of them, but there isn't necessarily a need for both.

All in all, I'm a Vesce supporter. At 26, he's not really a prospect, but he's shown improvement in each of his professional seasons. He brings leadership, grit, and skill to your team... if he was just a little bigger, he'd be an NHL veteran by now.

He might not make the team next year, but he can reprise his role as captain in Worcester until injuries or need at the NHL level lead to a call up. Having a player like Vesce in your coffers is the definition of "depth".

TCY's Final Offer: Two years at $650,000. Vesce had a good season last year and could probably command a bit more elsewhere, but the opportunity to play with the Sharks and former high school and college teammate Douglas Murray is too awesome to pass up.

Poll

If you were Doug Wilson, would you resign Ryan Vesce?

Yes

162 votes

No

28 votes

190 votes | Poll has closed

Worcester Watch: It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Riiight...

That'll Cheech You — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:34:13 -0000

	@ 4:05 PST

Series	Series Tied 2-2
Radio	WTAG
Antagonists	Stanley Cup of Chowder

[Note]: Make sure to visit the Worcester Sharks' webpage for all your Worcester needs. You can watch the game through AHL Live for $8.00 per game or $40.00 per round.

We recently commented on Worcester's defensive miscues, citing a need to improve defensively in order to make this series competitive. Either the Worcester Sharks read this blog, or the coaches saw the same things we did (TCY's ego goes with option one, TCY goes with... toss up). The AHL Sharks' defense came up huge against Providence in game four, earning a 2-2 series tie and a Thomas Greiss shutout in the process.

I'm actually starting to like this funky away-home-away-etc. playoff format. After Worcester grabbed momentum in Providence in game three, they were able to immediately use it to their advantage in game four at home. Now that the series is tied, it becomes a best-of-three that starts tonight in Providence.

Only one goal was scored in Saturday's contest (by Tom Cavanagh in the first period), but it proved to be enough to ensure a Worcester victory. The defense was amazing, and Greiss played out of his head yet again. Not only did Worcester survive a 5-3 in the second period, but they were also able to fend off a desperate Bruins team at the end of the game. The Bruins, down 25-13 in the shot clock with seven minutes left in the third, outshot the Sharks 12-2 in the final minutes but couldn't get past Greiss in the crease. (Or, Greiss in the criess, for you phonetics fanatics).

As much as I love the 1-0 win, only a few things made this game exciting.

Greiss
McGinn dropping the gloves
The Announcers ("How's the ceiling look Vladimir?")
The relative wooziness incurred from the fumes while recaulking my shower during the first and second intermissions.

One goal won't be enough tonight against Providence. However, if the Sharks are able to eek out a win, they'll have two chances to close out the Bruins, with one coming at home on Wednesday.

Go Little Sharks!

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2 on goals by McLaren (Frazer), Couture, and Vesce. Rask throws something.

The AHL all-stars: Two Girouxes, Rory and a Brodeur

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:07 -0000

The AHL also announced its all-star teams this week, and they give you a decent idea of who some of the top talent is in the NHL's minor league:

Team Canada

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Steve Downie, Nor	x-Johnny Boychuk, Pro	Mike Brodeur, Roch
x-Alexandre Giroux, Her	Kyle Cumiskey, LE	Barry Brust, Hou
x-Claude Giroux, Phi	Cody Franson, Milw	x-Brian Elliott, Bing
Mike Iggulden, Bri	Bryan Helmer, Her ("C")
Jason Krog, Man	x-Derek Joslin, Wor
Corey Locke, Hou	Andrew MacDonald, Bri
Brett MacLean, SA	Brett Palin, QC
Mark Mancari, Por	Danny Syvret, Phi
x-Chris Minard, W-B/Scr
Cal O'Reilly, Milw
Teddy Purcell, Man
Martin St. Pierre, Pro
Mike Santorelli, Milw		x-starters

The tough thing about these all-star games is that, not only do you have to hope no one gets injured, but there's also the problem of call ups to consider. Claude Giroux just torched the AHL in his first pro season with 17 goals in 31 games and is now up with the Flyers, perhaps permanently given their injury woes.

At least they don't have to worry about Captain Helmer missing the game. (Great character guy. Was good to see him get some time in the NHL with the Caps as part of his swan song.)

Three Milwaukee players here, all Nashville picks in the midrounds. Franson's a great example of the depth the Predators have on defence now; he's only 21, big and skilled and would be in the NHL with most franchises. (Not bad for a third rounder.)

Purcell looks like a really good NHLer, someone we'll see play a role with the Kings when they're climbing the standings a year or two from now. He probably misses this game, too.

Boychuk leads AHL defencemen in scoring for the Baby Bruins, and I bet the Avs are kicking themselves for dumping him this summer.

And looking at the goalies, I wonder if the Sens will give Elliott a shot in goal if Gerber and Auld continue to struggle. (And in case you're wondering, Mike Brodeur is a distant cousin of Marty. He started the season in the ECHL and has been very good for Rochester in a dozen games so far.)

Team PlanetUSA

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Keith Aucoin, Her	Rory Fitzpatrick, Roch ("C")	Jeff Frazee, Low
x-Chris Bourque, Her	Jonas Junland, Peo	Daniel Larsson, GR
x-Nikita Filatov, Syr	Mattias Karlsson, Bing	x-Cory Schneider, Man
x-Nathan Gerbe, Port	x-Jakub Kindl, Gr. Rapids
Martins Karsums, Pro	Ben Lovejoy, W-B/Scr
Tim Kennedy, Port	Bobby Sanguinetti, Hart
Petri Kontiola, Rock	Jaime Sifers, Tor
Drew Miller, Iowa	x-Yannick Weber, Ham
Joe Motzko, Chicago
Michael Ryan, Albany
Ryan Potulny, Spr
Jeff Taffe, W-B/Scr
Ryan Vesce, Wor		x-starters

Vote for Rory paid off! The plucky defenceman gets the captain's 'C' while playing for his hometown Americans despite having a pretty pedestrian season so far.

Aucoin's another veteran worth pointing out: a 5-foot-9 30-year-old playing for one of the best teams in the league, he leads the AHL in scoring by a mile with 48 points in 34 games despite missing some time while playing three games with the Capitals in the NHL.

Filatov's with Columbus at the moment, so his participation's in doubt.

Karsums is a talented young Latvian who I saw at the world juniors quite a bit when they rolled through B.C. two years ago. He's eighth in league scoring and should see time with the big-league Bruins in the near future.

Weber looks like another good one for the Habs, too, who also have P.K. Subban on the way on the blueline.

Kindl... don't tell me you're suprised the Red Wings have another European stud coming on the blueline.

Speaking of Detroit and potential gems, so much for Jimmy Howard as the goalie of the future: Sweden's Danny Larsson has outplayed him by a mile and makes the team here. He was a late third-round pick in 2006.

I know there are some readers who see a lot more AHL hockey than I do; let me know what you think of the teams and some of the players' play to date.

SB Nation - Ryan Vesce

Stargazing: Dallas Defeats San Jose, 3-2 in Shootout

Turco's Stonewalling of Sharks Leads to Stars' Rally ; Shootout Win

UFA of the Day: Ryan Vesce

If you were Doug Wilson, would you resign Ryan Vesce?

Yes

No

Worcester Watch: It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Riiight...

@

4:05 PST

Series

Series Tied 2-2

Radio

WTAG

Antagonists

Stanley Cup of Chowder

The AHL all-stars: Two Girouxes, Rory and a Brodeur