Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

Didn't see the game, but the way it's being described, sounds like giving up an early goal may have been better for you guys in regard to having to take more chances. It's just a different mentality. Had the game against BC been scoreless into the 3rd, I doubt you would have seen firewagon hockey from BU. But, Lowell is a **** good team and obviously knows how to play with a lead. Fitting for Parker that he wins one last game against BC, but also fitting that the end result is missing the tournament (when you consider everyone who rightfully wanted to see a change).

[UMLHockey224]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

The game was amazing tonight... The atmosphere, the game, the fans, and thank god not the refs lol!
Sad to see its jacks last game, but they went full steam ahead against us! Fitting that both freshman goalies were standing on their heads again.
Good luck to you guys next season

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

I certainly understand why you would have issue with Jofa's specific post, but I don't like this argument. We all hide behind screen names and critique (sometimes very critical) what we see. The fact that the players have accomplished more than us athletically is irrelevant...

exactly. mookie couldn't bake a cherry pie to save his life, but he knows when one is delicious and when one tastes like bunghole.

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

See you in Pittsburgh?

i'll be there

[bantam75]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

Didn't see the game, but the way it's being described, sounds like giving up an early goal may have been better for you guys in regard to having to take more chances. It's just a different mentality. Had the game against BC been scoreless into the 3rd, I doubt you would have seen firewagon hockey from BU. But, Lowell is a **** good team and obviously knows how to play with a lead. Fitting for Parker that he wins one last game against BC, but also fitting that the end result is missing the tournament (when you consider everyone who rightfully wanted to see a change).

Sorry, but that is just an a-hole comment, you don't know jack about what we see as fitting especially for those of us who wanted a change. Winning is the only "fitting" result for a class act like Jackie. The idea that ANYONE from BC knows what is fitting for BU and Jack Parker is laughable. What was fitting was Jack getting the last laugh over BC in his last rivalry game.

[defkit]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

- First off, congrats to Parker on a great 40 years, enjoy retirement.
- I agree with the thoughts around the cautious game plan by BU. Being down a goal early might have led to Parker letting the skill players be more aggressive. But that's how he has always been, which is one reason I'm excited about a change at the top.
- The players skated hard, and save for a couple bad giveaways by Oksanen (his nervousness with the puck is palpable), I thought the players gave a great effort. In a 1-0 game, any bounce can change the outcome. The GWG involved: A questionable non-call when Megan went down that led to the 3 on 2, a broken play by Lowell that resulted in Maguire having to scramble to the left, and him knocking the puck in with his stick after making what would have been a spectacular save with the pad. BU put 30+ shots on net, including a few real testers. Give Hellebyuck credit. His stats are ridiculous, and he showed why tonight.
- Tough 4 years for the seniors, with basically no hardware. Frozen Fenway is probably their highlight. Statistically, Megan had a solid two years after a couple disappointing ones. Escobedo solidified after a rough start (remember his horrible giveaway behind the net to BC a few years ago?). Best of luck to them and the others in their future endeavors.
- As someone else mentioned, it's a mystery what happened in January and February. But having two players leave certainly didn't help. Two wins over Harvard, and this team has a chance to win an NCAA game.
- Like Bomber, if I had to pick a team to win HE and the NCAAs besides BU, it would be Lowell. I think they are FF-bound, and have a good shot at winning it all.

Now, let's get Quinn, Sullivan, or Hynes into the fold and start getting this team back on the path to being an Elite team consistently!

[carltonbarrett]

The idea that ANYONE from BC knows what is fitting for BU and Jack Parker is laughable. What was fitting was Jack getting the last laugh over BC in his last rivalry game.

.....yeah, fitting is right, BC is going to the big dance and BU's going golfing, again! Parker may have won the battle but as usual, he lost the war.

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

Sorry bantam, didn't think anyone would throw a tantrum over that. Obviously as bu fans, you wanted to see your team win it all. You probably dreamed of that fairytale ending for "classy jackie".

And I'm pretty sure I said it was fitting that parker won his last game against bc...so we agree there.

BU hockey: congrats on winning a hockey east semifinal

[ericredaxe]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

exactly. mookie couldn't bake a cherry pie to save his life, but he knows when one is delicious and when one tastes like bunghole.

In this case it would be fair for you to criticize the taste of the cherry pie... but not the integrity of the person who baked it. That is the difference.

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

Maybe fitting that goonan picked up one last embellishment penalty for his team in his first weekend back?

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Sorry, but that is just an a-hole comment, you don't know jack about what we see as fitting especially for those of us who wanted a change. Winning is the only "fitting" result for a class act like Jackie. The idea that ANYONE from BC knows what is fitting for BU and Jack Parker is laughable. What was fitting was Jack getting the last laugh over BC in his last rivalry game.

This whole thing is so priceless I don't even know where to begin.

[BigRedTerrier]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

Only got to see parts of the second period and the last 5-6mins of the third, but somehow this loss doesn't sting as much as many of the others did in the past years. My criticism with BU...going back to 2004 when I started grad school there, was always that the talent is there, but the heart was inconsistent. The heart has definitely been there the last few weeks and so I have no trouble watching a team that gives it all lose. It's just too bad that it took Jack's retirement to bring about that kind of effort and that it wasn't there earlier in the season, or they'd still be playing. In hindsight, I can't help but wonder where this team would be had Jack announced his intentions to retire before the season started.

It's also interesting to ready others criticize the conservative style of play by BU. This also was something I noticed from the start...very talented players that seemed to be reigned in. I think the key is to teach these talents players when to reign it in and stay back on defense, and when to push it offensively. Maybe I'll be eating my words, but right now I'm be excited to see a coach who can teach talented offensive players to be smart defensively, while allowing them to have fun out there and take some chances. With this freshman class, that could be a very exciting team to watch, even if they aren't a championship team next year.

[KnightsOfTheRound]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

I certainly understand why you would have issue with Jofa's specific post, but I don't like this argument. We all hide behind screen names and critique (sometimes very critical) what we see. The fact that the players have accomplished more than us athletically is irrelevant.

I agree the fact that most of us are fat neckbeards (ha) shouldn't preclude us from discussing the athletic accomplishments of the players, but I also think sometimes people on this board go too far. The players we're discussing are amateur college kids. I would, and have, said some pretty pointed things about professional athletes in real life and on the internet, but I always at least try to restrain myself a bit here because we're talking about student athletes. I know it's what they signed up for when they committed to play at a school like BU or BC, but I personally feel bad publicly and anonymously ripping into the performance of 19 year old sophomores and questioning their heart or commitment. Maybe it's warranted sometimes, but I try to draw the line.

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

That's fair.

[chickod]

Re: Boston University season thread 4: Where BC comes to talk hockey

It's also interesting to ready others criticize the conservative style of play by BU. This also was something I noticed from the start...very talented players that seemed to be reigned in.

I think you summed up the last four years of discussion on this board! Personally, I have said several times that they seem to be too "choreographed." They're playing that Bruins puck possession style which cannot help ingrain the mindset of "don't make a mistake." In other words, it's as if they are playing scared to lose. You can't win that way. I agree, loosen the reigns! It's been particularly exasperating because the school three miles up the street plays the exact OPPOSITE way! They are one of the most exciting teams in college hockey to watch and they are always thinking "attack." As I said yesterday, I don't believe that you can be consistently successful in today's game by playing a close to the vest, conservative style (which is why, sorry, but I don't think Lowell will win), for the following reasons:

1) You tend to sit back and become tentative, which makes the defense back in and get bottled up in their own end.
2) There aren't a lot of great puck-moving defenseman, even at this level
3) Players are bigger and faster so there is less time and space to react
4) Applying constant pressure puts the opponent back on their heels and creates more scoring opportunities and odd-man rushes, which is important because of "5)" below
5) Goalie equipment is insane and it's tougher to score today with all the shot-blocking and clogging of the middle

The biggest irony that I saw this year is that BU played a defensive-minded style, yet gave up 40 shots per game and was outshot in almost every game. Not a good combination! How does that even happen? It happens when you put pressure on a defense that doesn't have the ability to play that style. The whole point of playing that style is to LIMIT the opponent's scoring opportunities, but all it actually did was to put the BU sub-par defense under MORE pressure, so to me it totally backfired. The two games at the Garden were a microcosm of the last 10 years of the Parker era. The only time they were successful was when they opened it up and attacked (see the 2nd half of the game against BC) - and that was only when they were forced to. Think about it...even in 2009 they were down 1-0 to BC for almost the ENTIRE game before they exploded for 3 goals in 46 seconds. We don't even have to talk about the Miami game. That team should have blown everybody away - the fact that there were so many close games at the end of the year should have been cause for consternation. And on the other side of the ledger, this year, look what happened when we played with the lead and backed up. See the Northeastern and especially that dreadful Harvard game in January, where we just stopped skating - probably the worst loss I can remember in BU history. This has been a recurring pattern for years with this program. They play well when their backs are against the wall and they retreat into a shell with the lead. Yeah, I get it. SOMETIMES you will lose when you continually press forward and maybe give up a couple of odd-man rushes. But the problem is, you can't just turn it on and off and keep changing styles. You have to dance with the girl you brought. You don't see BC going into a shell. Even Friday night, they kept it full throttle. Did it cost them? Yes. But has that style been overwhelmingly successful? YES!!! You can't win 0-0. It would be different if we were Merrimack or Providence, but this team has tremendous offensive talent if they would only be "unleashed." You can't hold back players like that, and in fact, I believe that is why we have had the number of defections that have occured. Players don't like the system. It's like a football coach insisting that he is going to run the wishbone even though he has a quarterback who can't move and can't handle the ball. You wouldn't tell Merrimack to open up the game and try to win 6-5 every night with the players they have. When you don't adapt your style to the talent you have, it shows a lack of flexibility (should I say "stubborness") that hinders your success. And THAT is the complaint we have had with Coach Parker. Nobody is trying to rip him now that his career is over. We just want to see a style of play that is going to help our team to be as successful as possible and also create a style of play that is exciting to watch. I wonder if the BU administration has gone to any games and seen the attendance and/or lack of enthusiasm the last few years (another thing I've been ranting about). Most of these games would put one to sleep. This program, given the talent they are lucky enough to be able to bring in here, should be doing a little better than they have been. I don't think we're unrealistic (as I mentioned yesterday) and expect to go to the Frozen Four every year and win the championship eight out of every ten years (as apparently Jofa thinks we should), but if we're going to call ourselves an "elite" program we have to step it up a notch.