Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Not to bring up Roy more than he already has, but how do you think he would have fared here? I still think he could have been the guy to resurrect this moribund program and history will show what a dark day it was when he decommitted.

I doubt that he will stay at NU for more than two years. He probably would do the same if he had gone to Brown. I don't know if he could have had a lasting effect.

[Jasma]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Glancing at the standings tonight, and a couple things jump out:

1. With the exception of Dartmouth, Brown has points against the rest of the league. (I know Colgate beat us, but there is still a home game against the Raiders to be played). Has any season seen more parity?

2. Oh what may have been.... If there is a full lineup against Harvard in Cambridge, our PK didn't crap the bed at Yale, and we found a way to beat Dartmouth at home in a game we outplayed the Green, we are defending a shot at the bye rather than playing catch up.

3. Am I alone in praying Robertson is healthy for Tuesday?

4. How in Sam hell are Princeton and RPI in 3rd an 4th? Last check, those were two bad hockey teams.

Princeton has been pretty good most of the year. Their problem is the same as other years; lack of depth and consistency.
RPI has been playing well since the first of the year. Their young guys generate most of the offense and it has taken a while for some of them to adjust to college hockey. Once they put the freshman in goal, their season took off.

[kdiff77]

I doubt that he will stay at NU for more than two years. He probably would do the same if he had gone to Brown. I don't know if he could have had a lasting effect.

I agree. What I noticed yesterday, more than his immense skill, was his play off the pick (or lack thereof). The effort just wasn't there. He was often coasting or completely stationary, and sometimes would hang out in the neutral zone as his line mates forechecked behind the net. He rarely was of any use in the defensive zone.

But, man, was he good with the puck on his stick.

[turk181]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I agree. What I noticed yesterday, more than his immense skill, was his play off the pick (or lack thereof). The effort just wasn't there. He was often coasting or completely stationary, and sometimes would hang out in the neutral zone as his line mates forechecked behind the net. He rarely was of any use in the defensive zone.

But, man, was he good with the puck on his stick.

perhaps knowing his tremendous scoring abilities.....it's the coaches decision to keep him up in the neutral zone. If they wanted him down low I doubt the coaches would tolerate his, "cherry picking".

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

perhaps knowing his tremendous scoring abilities.....it's the coaches decision to keep him up in the neutral zone. If they wanted him down low I doubt the coaches would tolerate his, "cherry picking".

He was floating in the neutral zone while his linemates were behind the opponent's net. So instead of hanging out in front, hoping for a loose puck to squirt free, he was drifting away behind the point. It was weird.

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

He was floating in the neutral zone while his linemates were behind the opponent's net. So instead of hanging out in front, hoping for a loose puck to squirt free, he was drifting away behind the point. It was weird.

It's a system that's designed to create a quick breakout, and it's a system that's He Who Must Not Be Named has made his own. The lightning quick scorer, the one whoc an score from anywhere, gets a quick 2-line pass into the neutral zone and is either immediately behind the defense or immediately one-on-one with a guy he can undress pretty quickly. He's not required to play defense in that regard. It hangs the d out to dry a little bit but it works to create major breakouts.

The difference is that a GOOD defensive team shuts that down in a blink, and if you watched BC, Gaudreau would occasionally backcheck instead of hanging out for breakouts. That's the problem with hockey sometimes; you don't teach the kids how to play defense. You need to win by locking down defensively instead of scoring eleventy billion goals.

[kdiff77]

It's a system that's designed to create a quick breakout, and it's a system that's He Who Must Not Be Named has made his own. The lightning quick scorer, the one whoc an score from anywhere, gets a quick 2-line pass into the neutral zone and is either immediately behind the defense or immediately one-on-one with a guy he can undress pretty quickly. He's not required to play defense in that regard. It hangs the d out to dry a little bit but it works to create major breakouts.

The difference is that a GOOD defensive team shuts that down in a blink, and if you watched BC, Gaudreau would occasionally backcheck instead of hanging out for breakouts. That's the problem with hockey sometimes; you don't teach the kids how to play defense. You need to win by locking down defensively instead of scoring eleventy billion goals.

I don't think you guys are understanding what I'm saying. He was in the neutral zone while Northeastern was forechecking behind the Boston College goal. Instead of making himself open for a pass in front of the net or helping out down low, he was IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE. Unless NU was playing the neutral zone trap while trailing by two goals, and using their most skilled offensive player to implement said trap, Roy was clearly out of position.

[LTsatch]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I don't think you guys are understanding what I'm saying. He was in the neutral zone while Northeastern was forechecking behind the Boston College goal. Instead of making himself open for a pass in front of the net or helping out down low, he was IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE. Unless NU was playing the neutral zone trap while trailing by two goals, and using their most skilled offensive player to implement said trap, Roy was clearly out of position.

He was probably the sixth man on the ice and figured there were enough forwards in the zone already

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I don't think you guys are understanding what I'm saying. He was in the neutral zone while Northeastern was forechecking behind the Boston College goal. Instead of making himself open for a pass in front of the net or helping out down low, he was IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE. Unless NU was playing the neutral zone trap while trailing by two goals, and using their most skilled offensive player to implement said trap, Roy was clearly out of position.

My mistake, I thought you were saying NU was on defense. The Wandering Forward is a common offense these days.

[Mike Hutter]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Wow. Another great game. From Mike's broadcast it would appear that Danis, oops, Borelli, is in the nets!!

RPI and Brown could be a classic this Friday night.

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Every game is huge, and the Bears clearly understand that. Well done. Again.

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Huge win tonight, and now Brown can mathematically control its own destiny to go as high as 3rd in the ECAC standings if the cards break the right way. Can still fall as low as 11th though so I think they need to watch themselves at the same time.

That's strictly a quick hit - more observations to come. Excuse me while I go play Powerball since I'm a Brown fan.

[burgie12]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

[N]ow Brown can mathematically control its own destiny to go as high as 3rd in the ECAC standings if the cards break the right way.

One of these things is not like the other.

Brown only controls their own destiny up to 5th place.

And, they can still finish in 12th.

[DarthBruno]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I... He was often coasting or completely stationary, and sometimes would hang out in the neutral zone as his line mates forechecked behind the net. He rarely was of any use in the defensive zone. ... But, man, was he good with the puck on his stick.

Hmmm, this sounds familiar. Go back a few years to Meehan. Can you spell Brian I-N-....? Oh, never mind.

(I wanted BI to be the greatest, and his stick work and wrist shots were incredible in the O-zone, but he wasn't the whole package and often seemed not to have his heart in the game. No disrespect to him. Just struck by the similarity to kdiff's description of R-y above.)

[DarthBruno]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Brown only controls their own destiny up to 5th place. And, they can still finish in 12th.

Try as you might, you cannot dampen our joy this morning.