Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Very slick Tony. I was about to correct you.

[umassfan49]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Something is seriously wrong if you don't play your #1 goalie that has already led you to a recent national championship the rest of the way. I say Muse or die for BC fans.

[jjmc85]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Muse.
Just kidding, it's Milner. But you're a UMass fan so who knows what contacts you have on the team! I don't want to leak any secrets :-P

Believe it or not, I actually have more contacts with the Eagles than I do with the Minutemen.

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Something is seriously wrong if you don't play your #1 goalie that has already led you to a recent national championship the rest of the way. I say Muse or die for BC fans.

Close your eyes and picture this: Muse's left arm was cut off in a horrible smelting accident. Do you still want him in net?

Open your eyes. His arm is still there but the result is generally the same. Do you still want him in net?

It's hyperbole, obviously, but still, if Jerry thinks Milner is better, so do I.

[Moose98]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Close your eyes and picture this: Muse's left arm was cut off in a horrible smelting accident. Do you still want him in net?

Open your eyes. His arm is still there but the result is generally the same. Do you still want him in net?

Tony, that's a pretty offensive opinion.

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Tony, that's a pretty offensive opinion.

*****http://files.myopera.com/drlaunch/albums/37656/o-rly001.jpg******

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Something is seriously wrong if you don't play your #1 goalie that has already led you to a recent national championship the rest of the way. I say Muse or die for BC fans.

What if you had someone better than Muse? That might be the case here. Then again, it might not. But the people making the decisions just might think so.

You have to admit, the goaltending saga since Schneider's junior year has been crazy as heck... potentially in order starting with offseason of 2007.

- Schneider leaves a year early.
- Accelerate Muse to come in a year early with Schneider scholarship available. Margolin also enters school with Muse
- Muse wins national title and plays every minute of the season.
- Margolin leaves school after never seeing the light of day (and he still basically hasn't seen the light of day for Conn College or wherever he went).
- Maxwell decommits
- Grab Venti as insurance
- Recruit Billet to replace Maxwell (but a year behind when Maxwell was supposed to come in)
- Muse has hip injury and gets surgery
- Grab Milner as insurance
- Recruit Barone (also as insurance?)
- Milner takes starting job from Muse?..... which is strange because this was probably the potential situation York expected if you change Milner to Maxwell anyway.

Who knows who is going to be where next year. I mean, this is crazy stuff you don't see too often in college puck with the goalie position. That's 8 different names you just saw in that timeline (Schneider, Muse, Margolin, Maxwell, Venti, Billet, Milner, Barone) and I left out Kremer since he was not really relevant to the situation.

[brightonjohn]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

What's the story with Edwin Shea?
He didn't play against UNH in season finale and York was quoted as saying only 1 sophomore defenseman will play against UMASS this weekend.
Am I not informed about an injury?

[umassfan49]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Close your eyes and picture this: Muse's left arm was cut off in a horrible smelting accident. Do you still want him in net?

Open your eyes. His arm is still there but the result is generally the same. Do you still want him in net?

It's hyperbole, obviously, but still, if Jerry thinks Milner is better, so do I.

If that was the case, being a UMass fan I would want Muse in net. And sorry BC fans, play Muse because in reality, hes the better goalie.

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

And sorry BC fans, play Muse because in reality, hes the better goalie.

Oh? And you know this how?

[umassfan49]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

What if you had someone better than Muse? That might be the case here. Then again, it might not. But the people making the decisions just might think so.

You have to admit, the goaltending saga since Schneider's junior year has been crazy as heck... potentially in order starting with offseason of 2007.

- Schneider leaves a year early.
- Accelerate Muse to come in a year early with Schneider scholarship available. Margolin also enters school with Muse
- Muse wins national title and plays every minute of the season.
- Margolin leaves school after never seeing the light of day (and he still basically hasn't seen the light of day for Conn College or wherever he went).
- Maxwell decommits
- Grab Venti as insurance
- Recruit Billet to replace Maxwell (but a year behind when Maxwell was supposed to come in)
- Muse has hip injury and gets surgery
- Grab Milner as insurance
- Recruit Barone (also as insurance?)
- Milner takes starting job from Muse?..... which is strange because this was probably the potential situation York expected if you change Milner to Maxwell anyway.

Who knows who is going to be where next year. I mean, this is crazy stuff you don't see too often in college puck with the goalie position. That's 8 different names you just saw in that timeline (Schneider, Muse, Margolin, Maxwell, Venti, Billet, Milner, Barone) and I left out Kremer since he was not really relevant to the situation.

I'd say it worked out pretty good for BC. Muse lead BC to a national title in his first year, something Schneider failed to do after reaching the finals his final two. Muse plays basically every minute his sophomore and junior year, minus a small portion of the Beanpot and you pick up a solid goaltender from the USHL in Milner to back him up. The other kids coming and going doesn't really mean much as Venti is the prep school third stringer who, let's face it, might never play again. You have two solid goalies and incase something happens you have a former prep player, or any other future recruits that might be needed. I think your good.

[Moose98]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Oh? And you know this how?

Well, he's got about as much credibility as you do with your statement about muse's perceived glove weakness.

Unless of course secretly the BC pep band members also moonlight as team staff members and have access to game vids.

If anything I think he's been a lot better this season with the upstairs shots. Every time someone does score that way(because all kids shoot there to begin with for the glory goals) you run here and ***** about it.

I mean, what do you expect with a butterfly goalie? There are pros and cons to each style, but I guess you already know that?

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Well, he's got about as much credibility as you do with your statement about muse's perceived glove weakness.

Really? I've gone to all but 5 games this year. I'd say I have a better idea of Muse's vs. Milner's talents than he does.

Unless of course secretly the BC pep band members also moonlight as team staff members and have access to game vids.

Nice (though bizarre) attempt to discredit me because... I'm in the pep band?

I didn't play in the pep band for hockey games this year anyway.

If anything I think he's been a lot better this season with the upstairs shots.

Yes, he has been better. Unfortunately, I think Milner has been better than Muse's "better."

Every time someone does score that way (because all kids shoot there to begin with for the glory goals) you run here and ***** about it.

Everyone shoots there on Muse because he is not good at that particular corner of the net.

You don't think people shoot at Muse's high glove side more than they do other goalies in the league?

I mean, what do you expect with a butterfly goalie?

I would expect it to be his relative weakness, but the problem is that 1) he really, really struggles with it and 2) everyone in the country, especially coaches who have film, obviously, knows that he struggles and so every opportunity they get, they rip it glove side high.

Look, I realize it was a hyperbole. I said it in my original post. I just personally think that Milner's overall play has been better than Muse's.

Would I be upset if York played Muse? Not really. I think their talent levels are pretty close to equal. To me, the biggest problem with playing Muse isn't that his weakness is more focused in one area, it's that everyone knows it and shoots at that area.

Honestly, if York started Muse I would be all for it. I would still think that Muse is disproportionally bad at glove side high, but I would defer to Jerry's judgment.

Though, to be perfectly honest, if York wanted to start a traffic cone in net, I'd trust him. Because he's Jerry York.

[joegrav]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

Though, to be perfectly honest, if York wanted to start a traffic cone in net, I'd trust him. Because he's Jerry York.

"You know, I thought traffic cone had a few terrific practices, and we thought we'd give him a shot. Really a terrific cone and does everything he's asked to do, great to see a kid like this get a chance, hopefully we can play well in front of him. It's like I always tell the guys, [insert humorous saying here]."

[joegrav]

Re: Hockey East Quarterfinals - #7 UMass @ #2 Boston College

In all honesty though, I think Grant's been a little over the top and hostile here in support of the decision to play Milner, haha.

I am on the fence on this one, to be honest. Milner in big games still makes me nervous, because imo, the two biggest games he's played this year have been unsuccessful: home vs. BU and away @ UNH.

Meanwhile, Muse has won a few big games for us this year, including the Beanpot and the season finale against two teams that shoot glove high as well as anyone. Plus he was VERY good against Denver and kept BC in it while Rakshani went off in the third period.

I think Milner is by far the more athletic goalie, and doesn't have a particular weakness that I can see; Muse seems to make some more spectacular saves and has a big-game track record.

I do think Moose is under-rating Muse's glove high problems. Grant is right that the top teams seem to gun for the top shelf disproportionately against Muse. UNH and BU especially just shoot there all day. I've never noticed this from UMass - maybe the state budget cut out the line-item for game film.

If BC wins tonight, I'd still like to see Muse get a crack at game 2, then make the final call going into Hockey East semifinals. If anything, it makes BU (our likely opponent should we advance) have to worry about preparing for each goalie during practice next week.

At that point, you have to ride your horse; I gravitate toward Muse, but it seems like York is leaning toward Milner right now - and I don't have a problem with that.