Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

[FiveHole12]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

I'll guess... the frosh, Thatcher Demko.

[eagl21]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

The kid says that Danny Linell is going to have a bigger role than he thought he would. Thoughts? I hope the kid does well this year. Has a lot of potential. I saw him play at Choate one time. Skated around everyone. Hopefully he finds his stride this year.

[claver2010]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Apparently all signs point to Demko

As for Linell, I think he can have a valuable role on a winning team. I just don't get the infatuation of putting him on the blue line.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Linell could have an impact and make a jump under the right circumstances. Probably not a HUGE one. At forward. He has tools to work with. On defense, however, he really doesn't belong there. I think we all know this. If this is something that is being tried out at this point in time, then either we're still dealing with crazy Pirate Jerry from last year (in which case we might want to just throw in the towel this season already cause we can expect some great line combos like WaterBoy-Gaudreau-McMullen) or the defense they have been recruiting the past few years has been so bad that we are screwed from the get go.

On this year's team with some bigger guys coming in, sure he could get on the right line and have a reasonably decent impact. Last year he was a small guy doing nothing on a small team that did nothing. Hopefully this year is different.

[BCHockeyfan]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Linell is going to be the 6th defenseman Thursday night unless something drastic happens between now and then. He needs to play well vs St Francis in order for the staff to feel confident. I personally don't know why they have him on the second power play unit and 6th D spot. Here is what units look like-

Johnny, Kevin Hayes, Billy Arnold, McCoshen, and Matheson

Richardson, Cango, Fitzy, Dots, and Linell

Will find out more in todays skate. Hopefully better ideas of lines.

-the kid

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Last year he was a small guy doing nothing on a small team that did nothing. .

hahahahahha , i needed a laugh today

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Johnny, Kevin Hayes, Billy Arnold, McCoshen, and Matheson

Holy crap

[Seacaptim]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Linell is going to be the 6th defenseman Thursday night unless something drastic happens between now and then. He needs to play well vs St Francis in order for the staff to feel confident. I personally don't know why they have him on the second power play unit and 6th D spot. Here is what units look like-

Johnny, Kevin Hayes, Billy Arnold, McCoshen, and Matheson

Richardson, Cango, Fitzy, Dots, and Linell

Will find out more in todays skate. Hopefully better ideas of lines.

-the kid

York likes Linell' s ability to quickly move the puck. This will help BC regain its transition and speed game. You can not maximize a speed and transition game, if your defensemen can not gain possession and move the puck quickly to speedy forwards.

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

That first PP unit will probably be on the ice for the full two minutes every time I'm going to try to track how long that first unit typically stays on the ice, would be interesting to see.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with starting the season with Linell as the #6 dman. Maybe this is what they told him to expect after last year and he worked on it in the offseason. We'll see. I'm ok with the experiment with the caveat that they don't force it if it's just not working.

[claver2010]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Reading the kid's most recent update, looks like Sit isn't going to be ready for Thursday, "Sit barley staking in red medical jersey"

Interesting they put Hayes as C on the 1st line.

Yeah that first PP unit, Jesus

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

York likes Linell' s ability to quickly move the puck.

Yea putting a forward on defense to move the puck quickly certainly worked when they put Joe Whitney back there a few years ago and Linell last season. And Brian Boyle in 2007. Worth noting every single one was a failure and the last two were basically the sole reason for brutal tournament losses.

Am I just being crazy here or does this really annoy anyone else? This season is kind of a crapshow and hasn't even started yet and we likely have actual 6 solid, healthy defensemen on the roster which is even more strange. The only good thing about this is that we're dealing with this early and it will be a failed experiment and over in a month rather than putting him on defense late in the season and say... getting blasted in the butt by your rival in the HE semis (like last year).

[Hokydad]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Wrong. Joe Whitney and Ben Ferriero were very good on point on PP together
led Hockey east when Whitney aas a freshman

[claver2010]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Wrong. Joe Whitney and Ben Ferriero were very good on point on PP together
led Hockey east when Whitney aas a freshman

A F playing the point on the powerplay =/= a F playing D full time.

And yes Nick, it bugs the **** out of me. Especially considering we're sitting Savage & Jeke so Linell can be the 6th Dman

[Hokydad]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

no rule that says a D has to be on point on pp. it is a man up advantage and those with best hands and vision should be there.
Safe to say track record of success is the answer you need. It has worked and to say it didnt is foolish.
I highly doubt Savages total of 4 points all last year(9th for D on team) in junior hockey will be missed on the power play in Hockey east

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Boston College Eagles 2013-2014 season thread -Speed returns to The Heights

Wrong. Joe Whitney and Ben Ferriero were very good on point on PP together
led Hockey east when Whitney aas a freshman

Ah, hoky, dude. Read what I'm saying. I'm not talking about the powerplay. Whitney grabbed 50 points as a freshman with the ability to work the point. I know him and Ferriero and even Patrick Eaves helped the PP tremendously. It works even if there is a blip on the radar here and there with the possible SHG against. Not a newsflash.

I'm talking full time defense not powerplay time. Hold the offensive blue line (see BU game last year at Garden with the handling of a bouncing puck that ended up in the BC net a few seconds later). Gap control. Going back and getting the puck (see terrible turnover at Conte that also ended up with a puck behind Milner a few seconds later). Forget about moving the puck....... there's a lot that needs to be done just to get the puck and get it done right.

You think Linell is just going to learn this stuff in a year? I know you are well aware of what it takes to play defense full time given your coaching experience.

Also, ironic statement about a defenseman with 4 points.