2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Yeah, good point. If I'm a pollster and I see 8-20-8 and around 35th makes sense - maybe lower. Just reminds me what a disaster last season was - and the season before in conference.

The Cats are really two years removed from having some respectable overall results. Losing Pacan last year was really a big hit (and still is this year) but lets hope this incoming class helps and that we see major strides from last years freshmen and sophs - which I do believe is possible/likely. We have not seen enough development year to year recently.

We also have a very young team still this year with just a couple of seniors. That bodes well for next year if Vazano can be the solution in net.

And we need a power play that does not remind me of the Bruins power play.....

[Cat lover]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Hockey Polls have short memories after the first few weeks of games, if Vermont goes 2-2 or better in its first two weekends
you wont see them in the 30's.

Here is what I think are the biggest keys to the Cats season

1. Team Chemistry - No more players leaving, being kicked out by the coach or worse being asked to leave by the players themselves.
2. Get off to a good start - Best way to characterize lsat year was a "Snowball going downhill"
3. Scoring - Some might think its #1 but if the team can get back to the great team D it used to play you dont need as much scoring
4 Shorthanded - As bad as the PP has been(never really been a team strength)the kill was worse as it used to be the one thing you could depend on
5 Line Chemistry - Can 3 players actually(be allowed?) to stick together long enough to get to the point where they can spend less time thinking about what the guys on each side of them might do and instead already knowing and making quicker and better choices in quality scoring chances.

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I think the good start is a bit overrated as this team is YOUNG and will need time to gel. We had better hope so at least as starting with two at Uminn and two at home with Mack is a recipe for a rough start on the W/L measuring stick. What is important is that they are competitive and play with heart.

Looking forward to seeing some hockey tomorrow night.

[jcarter7669]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I think the good start is a bit overrated as this team is YOUNG and will need time to gel. We had better hope so at least as starting with two at Uminn and two at home with Mack is a recipe for a rough start on the W/L measuring stick. What is important is that they are competitive and play with heart.

Looking forward to seeing some hockey tomorrow night.

I agree with Cat Lover on the good start. Last year the two games against DU should have been both wins, instead they were "moral victories". I truly believe has the Cats come out of that weekend with two wins or a win and a tie it would have been a different story. Perhaps, Wahs may have been around for the entire season...

Anyways, looking at this year, I don't think Minny is that highly regard this year. Someone will correct me if I am wrong . With MC being at the Gutt, I think those are the make or break games this year. I, with my green and gold glasses on, think this team is a better team then MC. I would be dissappointed with anything less then a 2-2 record.

[GreenCat]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I think the good start is a bit overrated as this team is YOUNG and will need time to gel. We had better hope so at least as starting with two at Uminn and two at home with Mack is a recipe for a rough start on the W/L measuring stick. What is important is that they are competitive and play with heart.

Looking forward to seeing some hockey tomorrow night.

I think Cat Lovers point was last year they had some serious bad puck luck early and lost some heart breaking games early that they should have won and that just snowballed into a season where they never got their confidence back.

[Patronick]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Excellent start to the season, boys. Sure, it was just an exhibition game against a bunch of 17 year olds, but let's not focus on that. Vermont hockey is back, and I, for one, am very excited!

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I was trying to be optomistic that last year was an aberration in an otherwise upward trendline for this program but that exhibition performance was not impressive and historically when we can't beat an exhibition team the year that follows is usually happless.

Yeah I should not overreact to one bad game after two weeks of practice but they got:
outhustled - lost basically every race to a loose puck and the high schoolers were backchecking and stick checking while the Catamounts were not
outmuscled - lost every battle in the corners or scrum
outskated - the high schoolers were much faster with many more odd man rushes blowing by Catamounts at times
outefforted - the high schoolers blocked 15 UVM shot attempts

UVM's power play looks like it always does - completely ineffective. One seeing eye shot got through a moving screen, otherwise they had one other good chance in about 18 minutes of power play time. Pathetic.

I can't say that I was impressed with even one Catamount. Nobody looked strong, skilled and ready to carry the load in a D1 schedule. Yeah, the defense did not look terrible, but it certainly did not look good. There was no offense. Way too much puckhogging with open skaters not being passed to, and when they did pass it was usually not tape to tape with many bad passes behind skates. And don't tell me that the lack of McCarthy, Roos and Marshall mattered against a team that got outscored 8 to 0 last weekend in two games versus D1 opponents. I bet Plattsburgh beats them tonight in fact.

I'm not sure why this is happening but ever since Willie Mitchell left its been downhill. If they don't improve dramatically on every measure I don't see them even threatening to be a .500 team this year and if they put up efforts like last nights against a D1 opponent there won't be many close games.

The upside is that it won't be difficult to get out of the parking lot.

[HOCKEYGUY23]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I was trying to be optomistic that last year was an aberration in an otherwise upward trendline for this program but that exhibition performance was not impressive and historically when we can't beat an exhibition team the year that follows is usually happless.

Yeah I should not overreact to one bad game after two weeks of practice but they got:
outhustled - lost basically every race to a loose puck and the high schoolers were backchecking and stick checking while the Catamounts were not
outmuscled - lost every battle in the corners or scrum
outskated - the high schoolers were much faster with many more odd man rushes blowing by Catamounts at times
outefforted - the high schoolers blocked 15 UVM shot attempts

UVM's power play looks like it always does - completely ineffective. One seeing eye shot got through a moving screen, otherwise they had one other good chance in about 18 minutes of power play time. Pathetic.

I can't say that I was impressed with even one Catamount. Nobody looked strong, skilled and ready to carry the load in a D1 schedule. Yeah, the defense did not look terrible, but it certainly did not look good. There was no offense. Way too much puckhogging with open skaters not being passed to, and when they did pass it was usually not tape to tape with many bad passes behind skates. And don't tell me that the lack of McCarthy, Roos and Marshall mattered against a team that got outscored 8 to 0 last weekend in two games versus D1 opponents. I bet Plattsburgh beats them tonight in fact.

I'm not sure why this is happening but ever since Willie Mitchell left its been downhill. If they don't improve dramatically on every measure I don't see them even threatening to be a .500 team this year and if they put up efforts like last nights against a D1 opponent there won't be many close games.

The upside is that it won't be difficult to get out of the parking lot.

Having 3 of your top six forwards out absoultely matters. It changes everything and the roles that everyone has. You just make a blanket statement like those three don't matter. McCarthy is your 1 or 2 top forward and he and Stalberg have absolute chemistry. Marshall is your most dynamic skater. Roos is guy who matters in area's 1 & 2 of your complaints. One of your top six might not matter, but 50% of your top forwards matter. It changes matchups. Still not a great loss but lets not get crazy, they are also VERY young. They also rolled every line in every situation. I am sure Sneddon wanted to see things as the roster has added alot of new faces and you have to put kids in situtations to see what you have. You can't replicate those situations in practice.

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Marshall is really fast and Roos battles, but if they are top six forwards on this team then I stand by my assertions of concern for a season with no lines to exit the parking garage. I was thinking that Roos is 4th line and Marshall has difficult cracking the lineup given his 3 year lack of offensive production and the increased headcount at forward. I think you need to give Montagna, Mountain, and Markinson all chances to play and show what they can do before you keep hoping Marshall shows something. Either that or you need to sit Lenz or Decenzo which seems less likely.

In the end I think we have a lot of guys that are 4th line material on a good team and we are lacking in puckhandling and scoring among the forwards.

projected lines:
Stalberg, McCarthy, Brickley
White, Reynolds, Bruneteau
Lenz, Markinson, Roos,
Leonard, Decenzo, Montagna

I had much higher expectations than what I saw on the ice friday night, that was similar to watching the Red Sox fold in September.

[HOCKEYGUY23]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I agree we have the deepest fourth line. Thats why i think missing McCarthy (1st line), Marshall. (2nd line), Roos (2nd-3rd line) was important last night. I guess my expectations weren't as high to start but I think we will improve.

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I see that none of the other few followers of this thread even feel well enough after last nights depressing performance to even bring themselves to log in and comment on this fine Saturday. I would be curious to hear others comments........

Sneddon was rather positive in his postgame comments, but what else can he do? He can't come out and say "yeah we look terrible, we just got beat by a bunch of 17 year olds after two weeks of practicing and yeah we are going to struggle to win 5 games this year". He has to keep it positive in hopes that it all comes together into a competitive unit. However, the lack of effort and execution last night leaves a lot of concern for everyone with two eyes and a brain.

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

I see that none of the other few followers of this thread even feel well enough after last nights depressing performance to even bring themselves to log in and comment on this fine Saturday. I would be curious to hear others comments........

Sneddon was rather positive in his postgame comments, but what else can he do? He can't come out and say "yeah we look terrible, we just got beat by a bunch of 17 year olds after two weeks of practicing and yeah we are going to struggle to win 5 games this year". He has to keep it positive in hopes that it all comes together into a competitive unit. However, the lack of effort and execution last night leaves a lot of concern for everyone with two eyes and a brain.

I don't think you can get too despondent. Sure, it wasn't what any of us were hoping for, but it was our first time on the ice this year, it was an exhibition, and we weren't at full strength. Not to mention, we seemed to have carried over that annoying habit from the last several years of playing exceptionally poor in games we're supposed to win. We'll have a much better indication of where we stand after next weekend. Although it might not be pretty, I wouldn't be surprised to see us take a game. I'm someone that can get kinda down on the team when they're not playing well. I'm not there yet after last night.

[Martin St. Louis Fan]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

The only thing I can say that troubled me from Friday's game was Alex's cheapie. That won't earn him playing time. Other than that, I was kind of hard to judge, as the ref's were calling every ticky tack thing. The cross check on call on Doerring was a joke. He was skating to the bench for a line change, and the USA player just stopped, blocking his way to the bench. He just shoved him out of the way, and got called for cross checking! No flow at all to the game. We will better idea after the road trip.

[The Rube]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Hi guys!

We're waiting.

[Cat lover]

Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)

Why do you even go Snowboarder? I never understand why people can be so negative about how well a bunch of KIDS play a GAME.

Should we be thrilled? Of course not but lets put to much into one game that had 8 or so nubbies playing.

To me the team showed great speed and dominated on faceoffs, and yes the refs killed any flow by throwing thier arms up at every
bump and shove. And yes they stunk both ways.

The shot selection was not good at even strength or PP, but the lines have yet to be set with McCarthy and Roos out and that mixed things up and sorry HockeyGuy but i dont see Marshall playing much more than 4th line and thats not even a given.

2 Players that showed the best together and made a few nice pass plays were Stalburg and Reynolds, would like to see them together for a game or two because they seemed to be on the same page.