UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Ya but UNH lost the game and he predicted they would win!!!

So I take it you now agree with me that UNH *winning* the SOG count is/was meaningless, right e.cat?

JMO - the RPI kid who scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period does not deserve a GWG. Discuss.

Travel safe, y'all, and hope everyone (even you, EGOL) has a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

[HockeyRef]

So I take it you now agree with me that UNH *winning* the SOG count is/was meaningless, right e.cat?

JMO - the RPI kid who scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period does not deserve a GWG. Discuss.

Travel safe, y'all, and hope everyone (even you, EGOL) has a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

Sooo if say Kelleher or Willows got one by Diebold last night in the final secs...GWG? Yes? No? 😉

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

So I take it you now agree with me that UNH *winning* the SOG count is/was meaningless, right e.cat?

JMO - the RPI kid who scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period does not deserve a GWG. Discuss.

Travel safe, y'all, and hope everyone (even you, EGOL) has a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

I think the STAT in and of itself is not that relevant and a moot point, but the PROCESS of getting shots to the net and creating opportunities is a relevant conversation. SOGs are a result of that process and goals are too. You can't have goals without SOGs!! The process of getting shots to the net is what it is all about on offense.

In summary, saying the "SOG count is/was meaningless" doesn't tell the whole story. The process is what is meaningful. It just doesn't always produce the desired results!!


JMO.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Sooo if say Kelleher or Willows got one by Diebold last night in the final secs...GWG? Yes? No? ��

First period, no. Third period, heck yes.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

I think the STAT in and of itself is not that relevant and a moot point ...

You have become enlightened. My work here is done.

... but the PROCESS of getting shots to the net and creating opportunities is a relevant conversation. SOGs are a result of that process and goals are too. You can't have goals without SOGs!! The process of getting shots to the net is what it is all about on offense.

In summary, saying the "SOG count is/was meaningless" doesn't tell the whole story. The process is what is meaningful. It just doesn't always produce the desired results!!

Dammit, you had to go qualify things. Couldn't leave well enough alone, could ya??

Seriously though ... I can't disagree too much with that, e.cat. My only edit to what you've said above is I'd probably add the word quality in front of every time you wrote the word "shots" and "opportunities".

I'll also point out that a team with better quality finishers won't need as many SOG's to generate more goals than an opponent lacking quality finishers, whether that's on any given night, or (more likely) over a longer period of time (I think that's what the stats geeks call "sample size"). Right now, I think that's part of what's hurting UNH. Lots of quantity, but not enough quality. Yet.

The best way I've always tried to explain it is this ... a successful team is one that gets a lead, preserves a lead with smart strategic and disciplined play, works to its strengths, and forces opponents away from their own strengths. If you're a good team and you have a one-goal lead in the second or (especially) the third period against a lesser opponent, you know the opponent is eventually going to try to break out of their own comfort zone and start committing more players to the attack. That opens their defense up, and while you're preserving your one goal lead by forcing the opponent out towards the edges, they're trying to get the puck to the front in search of a stick or lucky bounce, and probably piling up some numbers. But all it takes is a goof or two by the trailing team, and all of a sudden, the good team with the one-goal lead has a breakaway or an odd-man rush or two, which are usually better quality chances than just throwing pucks in volume at the net from wide angles or long distances. And then the good team has a two goal lead, 99% lights out.

I'll challenge our posters to try something the next time you turn on a game, and you don't know the score (and don't peek). Turn off the sound too. Watch how the two teams play in the 3rd period. I bet most of you will be able to figure out which team is winning, and which team is losing. The losing team is almost always the one playing with the most urgency; the winning team is usually the one who is playing it more disciplined and safe, true to whatever system they use. If you can't tell, it's either a tie game or a blowout.

Just a fun suggestion for fellow hockey fans after you all chow down on the usual turkey and trimmings this weekend.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

I think that UNH has an anomalously bizarre relationship with SOG and wins vs losses. I think that Chuck's point about lack of finishers the past few years is part of that. But, I think that our anemic PP can be blamed as well.

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

You have become enlightened. My work here is done.



Dammit, you had to go qualify things. Couldn't leave well enough alone, could ya??

Seriously though ... I can't disagree too much with that, e.cat. My only edit to what you've said above is I'd probably add the word quality in front of every time you wrote the word "shots" and "opportunities".

No question and it goes without saying!

Have a good turkey day Chuck and to all my fellow UNH posters too☺

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

I think that UNH has an anonymously bizarre relationship with with SOG and wins vs losses. I think that Chuck's point about lack of finishers the past few years is part of that. But, I think that our anemic PP can be blamed as well.

Goalies are all very good these days too but that works both ways for and against! UNH is snake bitten right now for sure!

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Old news, .........but UNH beat BU..........on Tuesday night.............in squeak ball ..............75 to 68.

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Old news, .........but UNH beat BU..........on Tuesday night.............in squeak ball ..............75 to 68.

Coach Herrion is under a LOT of pressure to turn that program around this year, or likely he will be given his walking papers. From what I've read, this year's team may just be the one team that starts to make some real noise in the AE conference. We shall see.

[GoUNH]

They've been playing it again for the last year and a half or so, either in tied games or when UNH is leading. The timing can be somewhat random. It raises the question that if the song is unbanned (as it seemingly is) why can't it be played when the team takes the ice to help create some atmosphere? The only reason that comes to mind is that it would be seen as the AD conceding they were wrong.

The intro was much better in years past when the arena actually clapped along to "Two Step" as the song built, died off a few seasons ago. Instead of a consistent one speed clap it became a series of slow claps before it disappeared completely.
The "Also sprach Zarathustra" (2001: A Space Odyssey), Dave Matthews "Two Step", Opus "Live Is Life" combo has been consistent since at least the late 90's, "O Fortuna" was added around 2006 or 2007 from memory.

If memory serves me right, they at one time took the ice to "wipeout" in the 70's, no? I was in Jr. High at the time.

[Aerman]

I think that UNH has an anomalously bizarre relationship with SOG and wins vs losses. I think that Chuck's point about lack of finishers the past few years is part of that. But, I think that our anemic PP can be blamed as well.

I'm thinking those two things could be related.

Happy Black Friday all. I'm safe in my bat cave, avoiding the madness!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Today's Fun Fact and Quiz for the SOG aficionados

According to Hockey-Reference.com, it appears statistics for Shots Against, Saves and Goals Against Average were not tracked officially for goalies (or even for teams) until the 1983/1984 season - even though Shots On Goal were tracked for teams AND even for individual players for several years previously. See the following link to Billy Smith's stats to see when it all started):

http://www.hockey-reference.com/play...smithbi01.html

Now on to the quiz: The Edmonton Oilers won 5 Stanley Cups over seven seasons between 1983/1984 and 1989/1990. The first four Cups were with teams featuring Wayne Gretzky, who had been traded to the LA Kings and missed out on the Oilers' 1990 Cup title. For Bruins' fans, think power failure at the Original Gahden and Petr Klima in double (if not triple?) OT, etc.

How many times in those five seasons did the Oilers outshoot their opponents (total SOG) during the regular season?

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Since that last one wasn't really UNH-related, let me put this four-part quiz out there to get back on-topic ...

* The 2002/2003 UNH Wildcats were Coach Umile's last squad to win HE Tournament honors, defending their 2001/2002 HE Tourney trophy with a 1-0 overtime win against BU in the Finals. Tyson Teplitsky scored the game-winner in unusual fashion (see below). In retrospect, their accomplishments that season show how remarkably that team overachieved, considering:

(1) Only two (2) UNH players from that season's team ever skated in the NHL, and between the two of them, they played a grand total of 10 NHL games, with zero goals and two assists. Name them?

(2) Teplitsky's OT tourney winner was from behind the BU goal, and banked into the net past BU goalie Sean Fields off the skate of this BU defenseman, who went on to play over 400 games in the NHL. Name him?

(3) UNH faced Cornell in the semifinals of the Frozen Four in Buffalo, took and built an early lead, and then held on for dear life to punch their ticket to the NCAA D-1 Finals. Which two Cornell players would go on to play over 400 games apiece in the NHL?

(4) UNH moved on to face Minnesota in the Finals, and after two periods the teams were tied 1-1 before Minnesota overwhelmed UNH in the 3rd period to take the national title 5-1. This would mark back-to-back D-1 titles for the Gophers, who beat UMaine in the Finals the previous season (in OT) in St. Paul. Which three Minnesota players from the team that beat UNH would go on to enjoy 10 season careers in the NHL (I believe they are all still active NHL players)?

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I'll be back over the weekend to see how it's going ...

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

If memory serves me right, they at one time took the ice to "wipeout" in the 70's, no? I was in Jr. High at the time.

You are correct! In the late-80's it was replaced with Guns N Roses "Welcome To The Jungle".