Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

I think you've got to put things in context; and if the context is "performance this year" then a really important part of any judgment of this year's performance is how it compares to last year's performance, because it's how you did last year that, all other things being equal, sets the bar.

I don't see any reason why there needs to be a bar set. Simply judge on the performance. The man had the youngest team in the country, with a target on their back all year and won the league.

They got it right this year (for once).

What they should be doing is creating a 2nd award for 2nd best coach so York can rightfully win the COTY award every year (perhaps name that one the Jerry York award) and someone else can win the 2nd best coach award and will not feel snubbed having to coach in a league with York. It's not easy.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

absolutely you can use the preseason poll as a base. the COACHES vote in the poll and the COACHES vote for the award.

So you think the preseason #1 team's coach could NEVER win the award unless everyone falls into their slot from the preseason poll with no teams finishing higher than expected?

That sounds kind of... dumb.

The best coach in the league won the Coach of the Year Award. Why is there a discussion here?

[J.D.]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

As for the Penrose, you might have to rank Blashill right up there with the job he's done...

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

If anything, getting this year's season done with a one horse show and one great goalie-- if that were indeed the case-- gives MORE credit to Dennehy's coaching, not less. It means he's getting more done with less than other programs have. Maybe someone should ask York to sit Atkinson or Gibbons for this weekend-- you know, just to prove he's really the Coach of the Year.

Christ Almighty...

Please tell me you're joking... Yea... I'm sure he wouldn't be able to win without one of those two guys. BC was without Patrick Eaves, Stephen Gionta, and Peter Harrold and still won the 2005 Hockey East title in the Garden. I'm pretty sure he could win without Atkinson or Gibbons unless you think that between 2005 and now he forgot some of his coaching skills. In 2008 he won a national title without Brock Bradford and kicked out O'Hanley and Motherwell the first weekend of the season. These are All-American types we're talking about here, just like Gibbons and Atkinson. Does he really need to prove that he can do it again this year?

He's been without Kreider for 3 games now... went 3-0 so far.

['MackFan]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

So you think the preseason #1 team's coach could NEVER win the award unless everyone falls into their slot from the preseason poll with no teams finishing higher than expected?

That sounds kind of... dumb.

The best coach in the league won the Coach of the Year Award. Why is there a discussion here?

maybe I'd be more convinced if it didn't take a UNH collapse for them to even win the league when EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WOULD

If BC ran away with the league title, clinched it in the second to last week or something then I see more of an argument here for york. great coach and not disrespecting him just shocked dennehy didnt win it and i dont think Im alone

[Hokydad]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

wasnt even factoring in last year. laughable to think MD should have 2 and JY 1 in their carears in HE. laughable.

Only record that matters is 20-6-1. that is JY's HE record this year . First team since 1996, 15 years ago to get 20 wins. BC only lost 2 of their last 18 to accomplish it. Many injuries, forwards playing D, more than one kid out with broken jaws, several gone to WJC, on and on and on

Amazing how he juggles things over there and always, I repeat, always gets the job done.

MD did a fantastic job but still only won 16 HE games and only won 1 of their last 4. Clearly changed some minds with those last 2 weekends

Remember, they gave it to MD last year with an under 500 record in both arenas, in and out of conference.

Clearly the right coach won. Playing 3 Atlantic Hockey teams and 2 vs Alabama Huntsville does not impress the voters.

You have to remember, MC lost twice to PC, To Lowell, to NE and tied UVM. That leads voters to think they lose focus.

[Hokydad]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

maybe I'd be more convinced if it didn't take a UNH collapse for them to even win the league when EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WOULD

If BC ran away with the league title, clinched it in the second to last week or something then I see more of an argument here for york. great coach and not disrespecting him just shocked dennehy didnt win it and i dont think Im alone

The first team in Hockey east to win 20 games in over 15 years, collapse or not, they only lost 2 of their last 18. Maybe the collapse had to do with the methodical presure applied by BC and than going up to Durham and beating them on their own ice to clinch.

They didnt back in, like MC did in the top 4 or UNH did, they took it by storm

[Kenny]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

Dennehy won his "shock factor" COTY award last year. Everyone knew Merrimack would have a good team this year (20 returning letter winners after a 6th place 2010 finish) and they played up to their expectations. I truly believe last year was their break out year and Dennehy was rewarded for it (highest league win total in 2010). They were expected to finish middle of the pack in the league and they did. Jerry won the award because his team played up to their expectations as well, but those expectations happened to be the best team in the league. So, Jerry essentially went wire to wire as the top team in the league if we look at pre-season polls and end of the season results. That's why he wins. Confused as to why this is even debatable?

[J.D.]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

maybe I'd be more convinced if it didn't take a UNH collapse for them to even win the league when EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WOULD

just shocked dennehy didnt win it and i dont think Im alone

Seriously, a UNH collapse? It's not BC's fault they didn't get to play them head-to-head in a weekend series until the final weekend. BC was there all season long. It was hardly a collapse by UNH.

And, no, you're not alone. I thought Dennehy would win this as well--but that doesn't mean York wasn't just as deserving.

First team since 1996, 15 years ago to get 20 wins.

I do have to mention here that there are three more league games now compared to then...

[Hokydad]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

I do have to mention here that there are three more league games now compared to then...[/QUOTE]

Good point, guess we better simply stick with highest winning % since 1996.....

[Warrior51]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

The tradition continues today. (Obviously more today!) But with at least 3 Merrimack fans attending the HEA Semis regardless of who makes it since '97. Sissy K's around 1 to start the crawl to the Garden and the epic evening that is about to go down! Go WARRIORS!

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

maybe I'd be more convinced if it didn't take a UNH collapse for them to even win the league when EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WOULD

You're not very bright, are you?

Did that collapse include 2 games head to head with BC in which BC won both? The schedules they played evened out at the end but prior to that BC's was tougher early on which accounted for UNH getting points on BC to blow in the end when they had to play Merrimack twice and BC twice in their last 8 games.

['MackFan]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

MC picked to back into the playoffs at no. 7 by the same voters who vote for coty and they finish 4th, get home ice, blah blah blah

BC picked to finish 1st, and they do.

merrimack didn't have injuries? they missed Da costa for more games than BC has missed kreider and da costa is one of the best players in the country. bigos logs them huge minutes and missed time. every team had injuries.

no disrespect to york he's been the best coach of the last 10-15 years in college hockey, no doubt. the fact that he didnt win coty in other years is a shame. But that doesnt change that the best coaching "performance" which to me is getting your kids to play above the expectations set for them, then the coty is dennehy hands down.

all a matter of how you interpret the award

[RENCEB]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

Everyone knew Merrimack would have a good team this year (20 returning letter winners after a 6th place 2010 finish) and they played up to their expectations.....They were expected to finish middle of the pack in the league and they did.....

Pre-season coaches poll had them 7th behind UVM and NU (and ME) (with a big drop-off to 8 through 10)
http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/...9/sep29mpp.php

Does anyone remenber where Connelly and Hendrickson predicted they'd finish?

I think a lot of posters had them in the 4th-6th range.

[boblav1]

Re: Merrimack College 2010-2011: playoff run

From today's Lawrence Eagle Tribune: Hockey-East-embarrassed-itself-not-naming-Dennehy-Coach-of-the-Year