Are the defending champions in trouble? Is there need to worry? Should the panic button be pushed?
Some will say yes. The defending three-time champions are currently 0-2 (19GF/30GA), and both losses are to division rivals. This time last season they were on top of the east at 3-0 (33GF/23GA), and 3-0 in the division. Of course they have been without the services of injured forward Stephen Keogh for the first two games, and they are hoping he returns for next weekends return match against Toronto. This is already a huge game as another loss to Toronto will not only place them at 0-3, but will also give Toronto the early season tie-breaker over the Knighthawks.
Some fans are wondering if the trade to move up in this years draft that sent Johnny Powless and Joel McCready to Vancouver, in exchange for the number two overall pick (Jeremy Noble) to strengthen the offense. So far this has not worked out in the Knighthawks favor. Powless and McCready are playing for Vancouver, while Jeremy Noble is unable to travel east to play for the Knighthawks because of his job.
Early rumors during pre-season had Rochester looking to trade Noble to a western conference team. In an early December interview with Noble, Stephen Stamp at IL Indoor reported the following.
He lives in Denver, where he recently graduated from university, and is going through the interview process for a couple of job opportunities there, either of which would see him “travelling throughout the United States during the week, to Seattle and California, all different places with work. To do that during the week and then travel to Rochester on weekends would make it pretty tough for me to have a life at all,” Noble told IL Indoor.
The righty forward out of the Orangeville Northmen system and MSL’s Oakville Rock took pains to make it clear that the problem is with his schedule and commitments in Denver, not with the Knighthawks. “It’s nothing against Rochester, Mr. Styres [owner and GM Curt Styres], anyone in the organization, any teammates. I have no problem with Rochester. But for living purposes and work purposes it just wouldn’t work out to be there now. It’s unfortunate that it’s come down to that, but I have no problem with Rochester or the organization, I think they’re first class.”
Fans in Rochester are obviously upset because of who they gave up to get the rights to a player who can not play for them because of work. Some say he shouldn’t of entered the draft. Would this of made a difference in their record now? Maybe, Maybe not.
Rochester’s problem is they had a lead versus Toronto, and turnovers in the final quarter, hot goaltending by Brandon Miller and the fact they only had 59 loose balls to Toronto’s 94 led to their first loss. The following week the head to New England. When the team was the Philadelphia Wings, the Knighthawks had their number. In this game a 2 goal deficit at halftime turned into a 6 goal lead after the third quarter and the game was taken away quickly in the fourth. Knighthawks were outscored 11-3 in the second half, and the Black Wolves picked up 20 more loose balls.
Rochester needs to turn it around quickly. In the first 2 games their opponents picked up 55 more loose balls. We know that loose balls are a big part of the game, they lead to extra scoring opportunities for your team, along with limiting your opponents chances. The Knighthawks have been outscored by a total of 17-6 in the second half of both games.
Rochester plays Toronto next Saturday January 24th at 7:30pm. Look for a different Knighthawk team in this game.
