2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

[GoUNH]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Tonights 4th line showed flashes of dominance. Just trying to focus on the positives here fellas

[WildShawn]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Tonights 4th line showed flashes of dominance. Just trying to focus on the positives here fellas

doesn't matter when you can't keep the opponents under 5 goals/game

[Felger]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Tonights 4th line showed flashes of dominance. Just trying to focus on the positives here fellas

Senior night can't come soon enough

[GoUNH]

doesn't matter when you can't keep the opponents under 5 goals/game

Hence my referring to it as a positive

[Saetia22]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Tonights 4th line showed flashes of dominance. Just trying to focus on the positives here fellas

Well from the video replay, it looks like Willows passes the puck up to Thrush, who skates it up, and passes to Agosta for a goal (the first goal). I'm not reading this on the scoresheet though

[Umileated]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Thanks for your input, Umile. Unfortunately, now I have two semiconflicting stories about tonights game. From what I've seen throughout the year, I can assume that both team defense and goaltending can be a weak link.
Nice to see Thrush score again.. it seems (so far) that this freshmen class could be pretty good offensively.

I'm not displacing blame strictly to the defense camp. He seems to be getting into a head-trip funk as soon as the team falls behind.

In contrast, I saw a lot of skill in the UAH goalie a few weeks ago, up until he lost his focus. There was one goal he let in, and continued to re-enact the save he should have made during whistle breaks minutes later. The first few minutes of that game were competitive. That was one of their undoings. Glad to see that there are no more zeroes in the team records now, by the way (for both UAH, and Merrimack).

[C-H-C]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Watched this one online so I probably missed a lot that happened off camera. But I was at the BU, Harvard, and last night's UMass-Lowell losses. Two persistent issues need work.
(1) Too often, DiGi has been making the initial save but leaving the rebounds too far away to cover up on his own but not far enough to be out of the scoring zone.
(2) Too often, defensemen and centers - both veterans and newcomers - aren't effectively containing/covering loose players around the net.
These aren't necessarily insurmountable problems. It might help DiGi to give Wyers or DeSmith the start against BU and have him work over the Christmas break with his goalie coach (who is based near Philadelphia and DiGi's hometown).

A couple of positives:
(1) The freshmen forwards and first-year defensemen are contributing - some, like Grayson Downing and TvR, in a big way.
(2) The offense is generating plenty of shots on goal.

The route that UNH has been using to get to the NCAA tournament in recent years - winning lots of regular season games both in and out-of-conference - is becoming out of reach. To get there this spring, they may need to steadily improve and win the Hockey East Tournament. A pretty tall order.

[Umileated]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Watched this one online so I probably missed a lot that happened off camera. But I was at the BU, Harvard, and last night's UMass-Lowell losses. Two persistent issues need work.
(1) Too often, DiGi has been making the initial save but leaving the rebounds too far away to cover up on his own but not far enough to be out of the scoring zone.
(2) Too often, defensemen and centers - both veterans and newcomers - aren't effectively containing/covering loose players around the net.
These aren't necessarily insurmountable problems. It might help DiGi to give Wyers or DeSmith the start against BU and have him work over the Christmas break with his goalie coach (who is based near Philadelphia and DiGi's hometown).

A couple of positives:
(1) The freshmen forwards and first-year defensemen are contributing - some, like Grayson Downing and TvR, in a big way.
(2) The offense is generating plenty of shots on goal.

The route that UNH has been using to get to the NCAA tournament in recent years - winning lots of regular season games both in and out-of-conference - is becoming out of reach. To get there this spring, they may need to steadily improve and win the Hockey East Tournament. A pretty tall order.

Your defensive notes say it better than I could even think it. The rebound have been unruly. There was one particular UML drive last night during the third that stood out to me where UNH executed man-man coverage. Sure enough, the puck was forced to the corner, and cleared of the defensive zone after the first challenge at the boards. Hopefully we see more of that Thursday.

Offensively, there are a lot of good ideas happening on the ice. My thought is that these plays need more practice and better synchronicity of the team. There's some great quick pass-work being performed and a lot of great passing lanes being found in both the new transition and offensive game, but many receptions include a split second of hesitation, fumbling or juggling and this slows the play down giving the opposing defense time to react. If this gets tightened up, then a defense is going to have to anticipate, not just react.

[Felger]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

The only positive about this season is that Maine is still worse than UNH.

I don't know about that, Maine won two games on the road this weekend which is something UNH has yet to do once.

[walrus]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

The only positive about this season is that Maine is still worse than UNH.

At least Maine is still in your heads, even when they suck
We're 2 points ahead in HE, so there

[UNHhockey29]

I don't know about that, Maine won two games on the road this weekend which is something UNH has yet to do once.

You mean it's ok to win on the road?

[bakchk20]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I agree with all the criticism of the defense. This team has tons of interest in playing offense, but only a passing interest in playing team D. I have been watching this program for years and I cannot remember seeing so many weak side (back door), wide open, unmolested opponents only needing a quick tuck to score. Just brutal. And blocked shots are virtually non-existent. The good news is, lots of experience for a young group. They will improve eventually.

[WildShawn]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

At least Maine is still in your heads, even when they suck
We're 2 points ahead in HE, so there

Well, shut me up!
It's all we have left, now I know what it has felt to be you guys the last 4 years

[walrus]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Well, shut me up!
It's all we have left, now I know what it has felt to be you guys the last 4 years

sucks, doesn't it? If we don't get rid of Timmay, Maine is going to continue to stink the place up.

[unh_hockey]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

sucks, doesn't it? If we don't get rid of Timmay, Maine is going to continue to stink the place up.

I don't see UNH exactly reaching new heights anytime soon either..