Can Pelle be the Spark the Aces Need?

While the Aces have been the recipient of a huge emotional boost following the return of players the likes of Tony Resendes, Mike Christensen and Rob Miller over the past week and a half, newly acquired enforcer Joe Pelle may in fact turn out to be the Butch Goring-esque trade that puts the Brooklyn Aces back in the driver’s seat and nabs them a championship.

Let’s face it, the Aces have not been the same team since they lost their former captain Chad Wilcox to a knee injury and suspension almost two months ago. Despite possessing the best offense in the league, alongside amazing goaltending and sturdy defense, they’ve lacked the jam at times that played an integral part in their first half success.

It wasn’t that the organization didn’t notice the problem either. However, when Aces head coach Chris Firriolo said last that he was considering making a trade to bring in toughness last week, many fans on the message boards believed it was semantics and an attempt to rally his team together and get them to play with more of an edge.

“We have three lines that can go out there and produce offensively, but we’ve gone the whole season without a line that can just bang and bang,” Firriolo said after the team beat the Hudson Valley 8-4 last week. “We need more than just a grind line. We need a few hard-nosed players that aren’t scared to take the body. I think that’s what we have to try and do.”

While Firriolo still won’t have his dream of grind line truly realized, through the trade of veteran defenseman Nick Grove, the Aces were able to land Pelle, who will most likely be used in the same role Wilcox was, playing about 10-12 minutes a game on various lines. The only question is, can he be as effective as Wilcox?

Anyone that has seen him on the ice this season will tell you that he plays with an intensity very similar to Wilcox and goes out of his way to deliver the big hit, something Wilcox didn’t do with much frequency this season. Pelle’s ability to be more than someone who drops the gloves and a player that can help provide space for the talented players on the ice without resorting to fighting will also be a big bonus.

With Chris Robinson and Mike Thomson beginning to play tougher over the past few games as well, the Aces will be a grittier team in the corners, but will now have a player in Pelle that is willing to drop the gloves when the time comes. One of the reasons why 6′5 defenseman Gabe Yeung was let go earlier in the season was his inability to be an enforcer and play the type of hard-nosed hockey the team needed him to. In Pelle, the Aces will get a warrior that will have no problem adjusting to his role as an enforcer. Despite the fact that he doesn’t have to fight in order to do his job, he will fight and will do it as often as possible to ensure no one takes liberties with his teammates.

While his overall effectiveness has yet to be determined, with their core back on the ice and added toughness in Pele, the Aces will be a much different team the rest of the season.

Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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