“Phil Youngclaus was dissatisfied with this league,” Marks said of the blueliner’s desire to return to the ECHL. “Quite honestly, the last month that he was here, he wasn’t playing very well anyway because his head was in Gwinnett.”
The coach believes Parker had someone in his ear telling the tough guy he could make more money in the LNAH (Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey), which is renowned for its fighting. When Parker was late for the team bus last week, Marks had had enough.
“I was going to leave him at home anyway,” he said. “It (ticked) me off.”
The good news is that newcomers Cody Hamilton, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Lucknow, Ontario, and Mike Olynyk, a feisty forward from Sparwood, British Columbia, are already fitting in well.
“There are new guys but I don’t think it’s changing the chemistry,” said goaltender Derek MacIntyre, fresh off a 41-save performance in a 2-1 road win over Fort Wayne on Wednesday.
“They work hard and they want to be here so that’s the important thing.”
Marks is also expecting to get more information about the “player to be named later” in the recent deal with Flint.
Calling all scorers
In the last 10 losses for Dayton (18-22-3-1 overall), the team has allowed three or fewer goals in eight of those games.
“You tell me that you’re going to give up three goals or less in 10 games, you should be .500,” Marks said.
Those losses reflect a failure to capitalize on scoring chances and occasionally running into a hot netminder.
“The one thing you can’t control is the opposing goalie,” said Marks. “If they’re on, they’re on. Some nights, you can’t put a pea by them and other nights, you can put a watermelon in.”
Playoff attitude
Many coaches like to challenge their players in the regular season by simulating a playoff series. Marks is a believer in that philosophy. He wants his players thinking postseason now.
“Coach brought it up a couple weeks ago, if we break it down into five games at a time, and if we can win three out of five, it should give us a lot of points and put us in the playoffs,” said vet Joe Van Culin.
“We haven’t had our good stretch yet and I think we’re due for it.”
Team tough
Releasing Parker definitely decreased the goon quotient. But a more collective effort in the physicality department will probably serve Dayton better anyway.
Olynyk seems to be a prime candidate to chip in when it comes to the rough stuff. And Justin McCutcheon, who arrived two and a half weeks ago, showed he was willing against Fort Wayne when he sent Brad McMillan to the Komets’ locker room for repairs following their tilt Wednesday.
“Maybe we’ll have to have strength in numbers rather than worrying about having one big hammerhead,” said Marks.
Given that it’s Super Bowl week, Marks had a football analogy to pass on. He said that a huge hit on the gridiron can be infectious. The same goes on the ice.
“The whole team feels it,” he said.
Hitch hiking
The Columbus Blue Jackets brought the axe down on Ken Hitchcock on Wednesday, ending the former Stanley Cup-winning coach’s four-year reign with the NHL club. His replacement, interim head coach Claude Noel, is no stranger to Marks.
Marks coached the new Jackets boss in the IHL back in the late 1980s. Unlike Hitchcock, a disciplinarian and taskmaster, Noel approaches the job with a brighter outlook.
“He’s a very personable guy,” Marks said of the well-liked Noel, a former Dayton Bombers coach. “Maybe Columbus plays with a little more relaxed atmosphere with Claude because he’s more of a relaxed personality.”
Gem of the week
He may only have one game as a Gem under his belt but Olynyk made a big splash in his Dayton debut Wednesday. The physical winger, who had been out of hockey for months, assisted on both Gems goals and was a +2 in the 2-1 win over Fort Wayne, Dayton’s only victory this week.
About the Author