2-16-99. The Pilots Seat is commentary, written from a fan's perspective, about the Pensacola Ice Pilots
by Scott Gregory
Careful ... you might trip over those aspirations.
After the Ice Pilots lost a shootout to South Carolina on Sunday, Coach Al Pedersen went out of his way to boast that the Pilots were 8-6-3 since the All-Star Break.
Ummm ... by my count, that's eight wins in 17 games, not even one in every two. Better, yes. But is this something to go out of one's way to brag about?
This type of record should be expected, not celebrated. Any team worth its salt will put together a couple of three-game winning streaks here and there -- and look what the Pilots sandwiched between the three-peats.
Why are expectations so low? The Pilots had no business having 19 points at the All-Star break. Let me rephrase that ... the team that started the year had no business having 19 points at the All-Star break, and the team that entered the All-Star break had no business having 19 points at the All-Star Break.
This team never has been nor is it now the worst team in the ECHL. Yet, the standings state otherwise with 16 games to go.
The Pilots are playing better hockey, especially on the power play, since the addition of defenseman Joe Harney. Mike Sullivan has come to life on offense over an extended stretch. Sheldon Gorski has proven to be a fine addition. Pierre Gendron has awakened from his January goal-scoring blahs. Add Darrin Madeley to that mix in goal, and this has the looks of a pretty darn good hockey team.
No team can keep focus for a full 60 minutes every night. But the Pilots usually can't keep focus for anywhere close to that, even when they win. Why?
I'm tired of asking that question, and I'm tired of Pedersen continuing to pose that question without giving clear answers. It's his job to come up with solutions. It seems that no matter who puts on a Pilots uniform this year, this keeps happening. Pedersen recently hinted that perhaps some of his players aren't in shape. If that's the case, it's partially his fault for not working them harder during practice. If they're flabby, take them out and run them every day. If Pedersen is upset about off-ice habits, how about a few healthy scratches to drive his point home?
By all accounts, Pedersen knows his hockey, and is a nice man. But nice doesn't win hockey games. If the problems are what Pedersen is hinting at, it's his responsibility to put his foot down and force change. He's the captain of this plane, and I don't know why he has been so reluctant to take command.
You'll be happy to know that the Pilots have been mathematically eliminated from a shot at 50 losses, and avoiding the all-time league loss record of 49 is just one point away in the final 16 games.
That seems to be the kind of thinking that goes into this team's goals. Instead of shooting for the playoffs, they seem to be shooting more for 26th-place Johnstown. The Pilots aren't the best team in the league, by far. But Pedersen isn't expecting enough out of his players, and this talented group is giving him exactly what he is expecting -- flashes of brilliance and heavy doses of mediocre play. Pedersen must raise the bar on his expectations to salvage anything meaningful out of this season,
give his players reason to feel some pride, and create momentum heading into next year.
With all the purple involved, would the Rev. Jerry Falwell love Mardi Gras?
Fans can't throw stuff on the ice, but folks on the ice threw stuff at the fans last weekend.
The Mardi Gras promotion during the second intermission on Feb. 7 was great fun for the fans. A float circled the ice, and riders threw fans beads, moon pies, doubloons and cups. Great job by the Pilots office for setting this up.
Finora Conversation
I stopped by the Fish House after the Feb. 7 game and spoke with John Finora after the postgame radio show. I wanted to let him know that I didn't appreciate his comments about the Pilots fans "not understanding the flow of the game" during his previous show, nor do I like the way he tends to cut off anyone who calls in with anything critical to say about the Pilots.
I'll keep details of the discussion private, but let me say that I appreciated him taking 15 minutes to explain his position. He did say he will work more toward letting fans speak their minds. I'm looking forward to future shows to see if that holds true, but I appreciated John's sincerity, as well as his clear love of the game of hockey.
© Scott Gregory. All Rights Reserved. Gregory is a Pilots season
ticket holder from Navarre. He is a former Florida Gators football beat writer and sports editor for Copley Newspapers. He can be reached at scott@thefivehole.com. Comments are always welcome.
