SportsFrequent call-ups and demotions hurting Heat performance

Frequent call-ups and demotions hurting Heat performance

This article was published on February 21, 2013 and may be out of date. To maintain our historical record, The Cascade does not update or remove outdated articles.
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By Tim Ubels (Contributor) – Email

Print Edition: February 20, 2013

Call-ups have been way up since the NHL lockout ended last month. This is not only due to the replacement players needed for an injury-prone big league team, but also because the NHL salary cap works on per-day costs.

One of the most coveted resources for NHL management is cap space for maximum roster flexibility when they are looking to move a player. Organizations are saving cap-space by demoting players for as little as one or two games at a time, a strategy that is much easier for NHL clubs that have an AHL affiliate only a short drive away.

Lately the Abbotsford Heat, who play a fair distance away from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, have been plagued with daily demotions and cross-country flights for a number of their players, causing their play to suffer.

Since the injury to Calgary Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff on February 5, the Heat have become a .500 hockey team, outscored 17-12 by their opponents over that stretch. With additional injuries to Sven Baertschi, Michael Cammalleri, and Mikael Backlund, the Flames recalled Heat goalie Danny Taylor and forwards Ben Street, Roman Horak and Paul Byron for short stints with the team.

Serving as stopgap players until Flames management can decide on more permanent replacements for these positions, Horak and Street have been returned to the Heat lineup, while Byron suffered a fractured hand in his season debut on February 13, with no timeline set for his return. The last thing the Heat need is to lose their top offensive contributors, especially considering the Heat, who rank third in their conference, sit 29th in the AHL in goals for per game (2.25).

After splitting back-to-back home games against the Rochester Americans, the Heat squeaked out two close shootout wins against the Lake Erie Monsters to end their home-stand, defeating them 4-3 and 1-0 respectively. Heat goaltender Barry Brust gave his team a chance to win in the absence of Danny Taylor, stopping seven of nine shooters over the two games series. The Heat finished their eight game season series against the Monsters by picking up 13 out of a possible 16 points.

Opening up a five-game road trip against the Milwaukee Admirals, the Heat came out flying, outshooting their opponents 30-18 by the end of the game. However, they only solved Admirals’ six-foot-five goaltender Magnus Hellberg once out of those 30 shots, with Max Reinhert scoring his fourth goal of the season from Nemisz and Callahan in the third period. Despite falling 2-1 to the Admirals on February 12, they maintained their thin lead for top spot in the North Division ahead of Rochester, Lake Erie and Toronto.

Friday night saw the Heat play the first of three road games over a stretch of three days against the Peoria Rivermen, then moving onto the Rockford Icehogs before finally returning to Milwaukee to settle the score with the Admirals.

The game also marked the first start of Heat goalie Danny Taylor after his short stint with Calgary ended on Wednesday, where he served as Leland Irving’s backup. The Rivermen outworked, outplayed and outscored the Heat 4-1, with Ben Walter providing the lone offensive tally for the Heat, while Danny Taylor stopped 30 of 33 shots in his return.

Call-ups from a deep AHL team can provide newfound energy for an NHL team in need of a big boost during a tough stretch of games. Although this frequent calling-up and demoting by the Flames allows Heat prospects a chance to prove themselves, it can also lead to inconsistent play for a team trying to stabilize its roster.

The Heat, who lost a lot of their  top-end talent after the lockout ended, now have to contend with top line players disappearing for games at a time during their own tough stretches.

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