UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

[Snively65]

Im no expert but seems like it would make no sense for him to leave unh for at least another year or two. His game seems far more suited to developing in college than in the ahl because of the aforementioned size and physicality issues. I dont see carolina taking him anytime soon

'Canes defense one of the worst, if not the worst, in the NHL this past season. Joe Corvo leading scorer for their d-men, at 7 G, 10 A, and -3 +/-. So, do not be too sure about Pesce staying.

[WIrinkrat]

Brett Pesce on the possibility of leaving UNH and joining the Carolina Hurricanes this season:

Im no expert but seems like it would make no sense for him to leave unh for at least another year or two. His game seems far more suited to developing in college than in the ahl because of the aforementioned size and physicality issues. I dont see carolina taking him anytime soon

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Brett Pesce on the possibility of leaving UNH and joining the Carolina Hurricanes this season:

"You know obviously I think there's a lot to work on my game, I need to get a little bit bigger, but you know I haven't really thought ahead yet. I'm trying to play it day by day."

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

"UNH Defenseman Brett Pesce Drafted #66 by Carolina Hurricanes"

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Congratulations to Scott Pavelski, who graduated as Distinguished Scholar (GPA > 3.0) for all eight semesters that he attended UNH.

http://unhwildcats.com/releases/HE_AcademicTeam_201213

[Snively65]

Former UNH men's hockey player Bobby Butler has been traded to the Florida Panthers.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=674004

Good for Butler. I think that he can be a top six forward for the Panthers.

[New Hampshire 'Cats Fan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Former UNH men's hockey player Bobby Butler has been traded to the Florida Panthers.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=674004

[Ralph Baer]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

RPI blog Without a Peer article about UNH http://www.withoutapeer.com/2013/06/...hampshire.html.

I have no connection to WaP besides for being a reader.

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Tale of two senior managers whose work force consists of 18-24 year olds. The first trusts kids. For players, he provides them encouragement to trust their own abilities and surprisingly, the kids want to play for him. He recognizes the need for contemporary mentorship, and consistently hires youngsters with little or no NCAA experience to mentor. Mike Cavanagh had no experience, Scott Paluch had no experience, Greg Brown had no experience, and now Ayers has no experience.

The other senior manager does not trust kids. He wants them to do only what he says, follow instructions, and success comes from hard work and following his instructions and systems. In turn, the solution to problems is to make his message louder. Thus, he surrounds himself with his own contemporaries.

Two of these things are not like the other

Hired

*****http://unhwildcats.com/media/hockeym/coachesheadshots/Tcms_umile-dick.jpg?max_width=150&max_height=200******

*****http://unhwildcats.com/media/hockeym/coachesheadshots/borek-scott.jpg?max_width=150&max_height=200******

*****http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/200/FI/FICFAMZZZCYXBFI.20121023174205.jpg******

*****http://unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/coaches/Jim_Tortorella.jpg?max_width=150&max_height=200******

*****http://unhwildcats.com/media/hockeym/staff/churchard.jpg?max_width=150&max_height=200******

Not Hired

*****http://cdn2.sportngin.com/attachments/text_block/2122/2000/Ayers_Mike_large.jpg******

*****http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uk-ZlyHLQ8g/TkxdrqZ4vfI/AAAAAAAAITQ/EAkbFZcqgjI/s320/A.jpg******

Speaking of erudite, I think you have rightly characterized Richard's style regarding the brain trust. Not sure where you are going with the "does not trust kids". Umile's job is to coach not vice versa.

In any event, Umile's legacy is yet to be written. I don't think his tomestone will read, "I only chose assistants who were bald". JMHO

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Looks like Mike Sousa will be on UConn coaching staff ........

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Good stuff, JB, Greg, dover, watcher, and others. But, I thought that getting bounced by RIT in the second round was bizarre compared to the other three second round losses the past five years, especially after upsetting Cornell with their supposedly invincible goalie. No question in my mind that Umile has done more with less the past five years.

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

I don't like, I think it is bogus. What you're telling me is that Umile has had no positive influence on the team in his entire 24 year career. That when the team wins, it's the players, and when they lose, or don't meet expectations of a certain subset of the fan base, then it's on him. I have always considered you an erudite fan JB. Tell me something more so I won't have to change my mind.

Erudite - wow great word! I haven't seen that used in sometime... by the way thanks.

I think you are missing my point not sure if it is your reading or my writing probably a little of both. But your comments are way outside of what I am trying to express.

UNH and Umile have changed tremendously over the 24 years. That evolution from what I see on the ice has been based on coaching growth / philosophy and talent (players) you have and can get based on the programs growth. Stealing a line from a football coach, I think Umile has made some really good meals while not being able to shop for all gourmet groceries.

So try this:

Between 1997-97 and 1998-99 there was a tremendous philosophy growth from run and gun with little D to a more rounded team that played two way hockey. Some of that was driven by the talent available. I like to think, Bekar stays - UNH wins it all in 1999, but I don't know if Bekar had stayed would the style have changed from run and gun to solid 2-way play. Some of that change had to be born from the dismantling at the hands of Michigan's two way play. However change isn't comfortable and normally happens out of some necessity. That need was 160+ points walking out the door. Maybe the change happens anyway maybe not. That change made UNH better long term.

I don't think the 1999 team makes the title game without that coaching shift. Another year of run and gun and they probably don't make the NCAAs as great as Krog was. It was the more focused style UNH played that year that got them to the game. That team was really one super line and 3 lines of just play solid 2-way even and we win. For that I give the credit to the coaches.

However at the same time UNH still didn't demonstrate the ability to play in big games (HE title, NCAA title). In that year they came out tight in both games and fought back for a chance. So why do I give the credit to the players for fighting back, well the tight play in "big" games and even not as big elimination games has dogged the team for years before and since. Several times as the better team getting blown of the ice and not fighting back. If that fight was inherent to the coaching (not the staff but the coaching get through to the players) UNH would have always been a tough out, not a repeated tight starting team that sometimes won, sometimes lost but was rarely a tough out.

Now the last 4 years we have seen another change, winning all those opening round NCAA games, being a tough out in the 2nd round even if not getting the frozen 4 is new for UNH. There has clearly been another coaching step forward. For years I doubt team looked at UNH in the NCAAs and went boy that game is going to be tough, today I would think that happens, even when they lose to superior talent it isn’t the 7-2 / 9-2 blow outs of years past. Maybe Umile of today doesn't have a tight 1999 group and he wins that one too.

I see the spikes as player performance and the long term trends or philosophy shifts as coaching. The fighting back in the 99 big game was a spike; the 2-way play for the year was a shift. In college with players around 4 years or less, with early departure or players not hitting the ground running 1st year, any trend that exists for 4 years plus is now a coach programmatic change, single year anomalies are player talent.

I do give Umile credit. I am frustrated by the glacial pace at which he has changed but he has significantly grown the program. I honestly think some of his best coaching has been the last 5 years when the talent on the ice would have had a hard time getting on that 97-98 teams 4th line. Yes he buys the groceries but that GM work isn’t the same as coaching up the players once they are on campus.

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Based on UNH history at that time I would say no it was talent that caused that come back in that game. A decade later and seeing the (slow) growth in the UNH program I would give the coach way more credit. This is most certainly not fact based just observations, in 1999 the teams guts were more a year to year thing now it is more consistent with a down year time to time. Also this is probably unfair, but hey it is my opinion, you don't have to like it... you can be wrong .

I don't like, I think it is bogus. What you're telling me is that Umile has had no positive influence on the team in his entire 24 year career. That when the team wins, it's the players, and when they lose, or don't meet expectations of a certain subset of the fan base, then it's on him. I have always considered you an erudite fan JB. Tell me something more so I won't have to change my mind.

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Hate to rehas a game that is 14 years old, but the interference call on Haydar about 3 minutes into the game was horrendous. Sure, they put themselves in a hole, but they came back. Coaching have anything to do with that?

Based on UNH history at that time I would say no it was talent that caused that come back in that game. A decade later and seeing the (slow) growth in the UNH program I would give the coach way more credit. This is most certainly not fact based just observations, in 1999 the teams guts were more a year to year thing now it is more consistent with a down year time to time. Also this is probably unfair, but hey it is my opinion, you don't have to like it... you can be wrong .

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread

Can someone refresh my memory? Who was the captain of that 2007 team that folded down the stretch?

That was a good squad...We havent had a team win that many games since 07... I personally think the 08 team has the most talent I have seen since I have been following UNH Hockey. I really became a fan in the early 2000's and while the '02 was very dynamic---that '08 team was DEEP. If I can recall, the 4th line was Thompson-Desimone-Leblanc, all went on to sign NHL contracts! That team underachieved, but 25 wins is still pretty good. Interestingly enough Josh was recently asked about being bounced in the first round on the UNH hockey blog---was a good read...

"Well, I am not in the locker room of the current team so I cannot speak of the challenges they have faced in the second half of the season. My senior year the team was really rolling and we got hit with some injuries to key players.
I remember we lost Mike Radja (1st line center) for about a month, Jacob Micflikier (1st line winger) for like 3 weeks, and Brett Hemingway (1st line winger) for the hockey east tournament games. It was hard to get things rolling because the lines were constantly shifting.
I remember the NCAA game against Miami well—we were the better team, outplayed them, but their goalie had a good day. Not much you can do.
The bottom line is UNH has made it to the tournament again. They have enough talent to beat anyone. The team who gets the momentum first will likely win."