Discipline is the key for Whalers

DANBURY , Conn  – A year ago, the Danbury Whalers stumbled in their quest for the Federal Hockey League’s inaugural championship. This year, they have a plan they think will allow them to bring the trophy to the Nutmeg State.
Head Coach Phil Esposito’s blueprint for success in his first year at the helm is to have a definite plan, one that is focused on a basic principle – discipline. It is a plan that he hopes his Whalers can apply as they embark on season two this weekend with three games including one against former Danbury coach Chris Firriolo and his New Jersey Outlaws.
“We need and will have forecheck and defensive zone discipline,” Esposito said. Teams that can play defense can win championships.”
Esposito

is no stranger to structure, having played his college hockey at West Point before launching his professional playing and coaching career. His coaching philosophy is no secret and leaves no one in the dark.
“I don’t like loose ends. I want everyone to know what’s going on in black and white so everyone follows the letter of the law. It makes us stronger,” he said. “When that happens, we will be successful.”
A year ago, the Whalers finished with a 24-18-5 record, good enough to be the fourth place team in the FHL and make the playoffs. They were an outstanding 21-5-1 at home but a dismal 3-13-4 when they left the state. Danbury led the league with 1,097 penalty minutes.
Much of the Whalers roster that Firriolo built last season is back for another run at a championship. As the beneficiary of the former coach’s recruiting, Esposito is counting on the existing chemistry between the returning players to ignite the start of the season and cement the team’s solidarity both on and off the ice. The off-ice togetherness was never more evident than when the team pitched in to rescue a driver who was trapped in an overturned vehicle along an interstate highway in December.
Along the forward lines, no less than eight players have returned to the lineup. Chris Seifert (24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points,plus-24 rating) leads a potent offense wearing Whalers jerseys. Devin Guy (9-17-26), Matt Caranci (7-17-24), Joe Dabkowski (11-12-23, plus-2), Sean O’Malley (16-6-22, plus-1), Lucas Schott (3-14-17), Lynn Beedle (3-5-8) and Corey Fulton (2-3-5, 217 penalty minutes) are all back, giving Esposito almost three full lines to play with.
Missing from the mix are Alec Kirschner, Martin Moucha and Igor Karlov. Kirschner, who lit up FHL goalies to the tune of 22 goals and 18 assists and a plus-27 rating in 17 games last season, was listed as having been put on team suspension for 20 games as of October 27th. As part of the same transaction report, Moucha, who put up 31 points and a plus-23 rating, was listed as being waived. It was expected that both Kirschner and Moucha would be splitting time between Danbury and the team’s ECHL affiliate in Elmira. According to team officials, Karlov has decided not to play this year but the transaction wire on the 27th indicated that the team had waived him.
In an effort to fill in, Esposito signed 6’2”, 225-pound veteran forward Nick Deschenes. The Alberta native saw action in both the AHL and ECHL after he graduated from Yale in 2003. During his career with the Bulldogs, Deschenes netted 36 goals in 114 games. For the last five season, he played in Europe, most recently with the Ritten Renon in Italy (two goals and five assists in 13 games) and the Nijmegen Devils in Holland (28-33-61 in 41 games).
Now in the twilight of his playing career, Deschenes is planning on going into coaching when he hangs up the skates. Esposito was so impressed with Deschenes’ play and attitude that he made the newest Whaler player / assistant coach as well as team captain.
“He (Deschenes) is the best player in the league and an overall leader,” Esposito said. “He needs to be in a situation to learn the back end of the business.”
Like it is around most of the league, finding good defensemen has been a difficult proposition. Esposito, a forward in his playing days, said that if he could go back and redo his career, he would have played defense.
“If you are a solid, stay-at-home defenseman, you can succeed and have a long career professionally,” he said. “There are not a lot of them out there.”
Veteranblue liners Adam Blanchette (2-8-10), Paul Arnott Jr. (2-7-9 in 25 games) and Chris Clark (0-6-6) have all returned to Danbury for another go. Arnott is coming off a shoulder injury that curtailed his season greatly so he will be watched closely. Esposito picked up former Canadian junior player Jon Croley at a free agent camp in Elmira and is grooming the rookie forward to play defense.
“He (Croley) does a lot of things like a defenseman and he gives us that offensive ability,” Esposito said.
As for the situation between the pipes, Esposito is confident that he has that final ingredient to complete the Whalers’ road to the Commissioner’s Cup. Netminders Nick Niedert (19-14-3, 3.52 goals against average, .898 save percentage) and Peter Vetri (2-0, 0.50 goals against, .981 save percentage in two contests) are both returning to the lineup.
With two goalies who he considers to be good enough to start every night, Esposito will have to find a way to get both enough work to keep them happy and winning games.
“I have the best 1-1A goalie combo in the league,” Esposito said. “If I can figure it out so that everyone is happy, it will bring us accolades.”
For Niedert, last year’s premature ending to Danbury’splayoff run was disappointing. With a number of former SPHL players joining the rosters of FHL opponents, Niedert said he is looking forward to going up against them and moving past last year’s finish.
“Last year was frustrating but it doesn’t mean anything anymore,” he said. “Everybody in the league got a lot better.”
Guy agreed that 2010-2011 was very frustrating but he believes this season will be far different.
“It wasn’t the hard work and determination that kept us from the championship. It was what we couldn’t prevent,” he said. “We had a skid in the middle of last year (but) Phil turned us around. We’re anxious to play for him this year.”
If the Whalers can turn the anxiety into positive play, this could turn into a very successful season.
(Editor’s note: The Whalers had a successful debut, coming from behind to beat New Jersey 5-4. Matt Caranci scored the game-winning goal with 21 seconds left in regulation time to give Danbury the win.)
Contact the author at susan.erichsen@prohockeynews.com