“He’s going to have to catch up to the pro game, this game is fast for him right now,” said head coach Mike Vellucci during training camp. “He’s not a big guy so he’s going to have to be smarter than everyone else. He needs to have a good stick and move his feet a lot more than he is right now. It’s just going to take him some time to get used to it.”
Now, nine games into the campaign, Bean looks like he’s finding his footing.
“I like the progression of his development,” said Vellucci. “The game is starting to slow down for him a bit. Early on I think the pro game was a little fast for him and he had to get his speed up to this league’s level and I think he’s done that. He’s getting pucks faster, he’s moving it quicker and now I think he’s confident that he can join the rush and make plays.”
“I think in the first few games it was about getting settled and finding my stride,” said Bean. “I was getting shots they just weren’t going in. That’s hockey. Things are going in right now and that’s great.”
After battling through the first handful of games with just one assist to show for it, Bean took the spotlight in Friday’s tilt against Binghamton by tallying the overtime-winner with a slick top-shelf shot while rushing in. That goal – his first as a pro – went along with an assist earlier in that same game. Bean followed things up with a three-point effort (1g, 2a) the next night to move into a tie for the scoring lead on Charlotte’s blue line.
“I think he paced himself in junior and you can’t do that in this league,” said Vellucci. “You have to play every shift as hard as you can for 30 to 45 seconds. I just think he’s improved the overall speed of his game and that’s what he needed to do.”
The coaching staff hasn’t been shy about throwing the young blue liner straight into any situation, trusting his skill and strong work ethic to push through those rookie hiccups.
“Like I always say, with any player I can live with mistakes, I can’t live with not working hard,” said Vellucci. “If you’re working hard you’re going to get the opportunities and I’m going to put you in the best position to succeed. He’s been working very hard, he’s attentive with the defensive coach Ryan [Warsofsky], they work closely together and Ryan gives him tips and ideas and Jake goes and tries them and works on it. It’s a great relationship those two have.”
“It’s really nice to have that confidence,” said Bean. “You can get on the ice and not tip toe around out there, not be afraid to make mistakes. You know that if you work hard at those mistakes everything will be alright and you can push the envelope a little bit and play more on the edges. That’s what you need to develop.”
SOPHOMORE SUCCESS
Bean isn’t the only first rounder who has taken a step forward recently.After a rookie season that left him wanting more, Julien Gauthier has found his offense early on in year two. The 21st overall pick in 2016 has lit the lamp four times and registered six points through the first nine games.
“I’m really proud of Goats for the strides he made from last year to this year,” said Vellucci. “We had a good talk this summer and he got a clean slate and he came in and he’s making the most of it.”
Having previously shown flashes of the impressive offensive side he flaunted in junior, the 21-year-old has rounded out his game, using his imposing 6-foot-4 frame to make an impact in all facets of the game.
“It’s not just scoring goals it’s how hard he’s working and how he’s paying attention to details,” said Vellucci. “When he’s going, nobody is going to stop him. We talked about him this summer that we feel we can get a lot more out of him than his first year and he came in and he’s proven to everybody that he’s a first-round pick and he’s a top prospect.”
Gauthier has capitalized on loose pucks in front of the net, something that was last year’s AHL scoring champ Valentin Zykov’s bread and butter. If the Quebec native can follow that path the Checkers could be in for an offensive windfall.
“If he continues to work as hard as he has, only good things will happen for him,” said Vellucci.
SAARELA GETS ON THE BOARD
After one of the most prolific rookie campaigns in team history, Aleksi Saarela found himself snake-bitten early on this season. The 21-year-old sniper had no shortage of chances through the first few games, wiring laser shots that just couldn’t find the back of the net.“I know I can’t score in every game, but I’m frustrated if I can’t score,” said Saarela. “I can be really hard on myself. That’s why I’m here, if I can’t score I’m kind of pissed off at myself. But I know that they will come. I just have to keep working hard.”
“I just talked to him today on the ice that he has to start hitting the net,” said Vellucci. “He’s shooting wide, he’s trying to make the perfect shoot every time. His shot is so heavy and hard, but shots over the net aren’t going to go in.”
In Charlotte’s win over Syracuse Saturday night, however, Saarela finally got that monkey off his back.
With the Checkers up by just one in the middle frame, Saarela ripped a one-timer from the right circle that found twine for what would ultimately hold up as the game winner.
“It felt awesome,” said Saarela. “I was kind of fortunate too because that wasn’t that great of a shot. But it’s good that it went in. I feel way better now that I don’t have the pressure to score the first goal.”
The hope now is that Saarela’s first will be a spark for his high-talent offense.
“I’m glad he got that first one,” said Vellucci. “I feel like he’s going to get a bunch here now.”
“Oh yeah, I trust that I’m going to score this upcoming weekend for sure,” said Saarela.
KEEPING THINGS FRESH
With a road-heavy first few months of the season, the coaching staff is weary of the grind their team is going through. After an off day on Monday, Tuesday’s practice had a unique look to it.“We have four practices before we play this weekend so we don’t want to get monotonous on the guys,” said Vellucci. “Today was a little more on the skill side, we were out there working on some small area games where you have to battle and work for your spot on the ice.”
Three players were missing from the practice – Saku Maenalanen, Clark Bishop and Cliff Pu. Maenalanen exited Saturday’s win over Syracuse with an injury and never returned, Pu missed all three of last week’s game with an illness and Clark Bishop suffered a tough fall into the boards Friday night but returned to action on Saturday.
Despite their absence, the good news is that Vellucci confirmed all three will be available for the weekend.
