UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

[Whalers]

On Grasso: so WHAT if he's played for 5 seasons...ever hear of a red shirt athlete? And second, at least we have something / someone moving towards a milestone we haven't seen since TyK etc. Yes, it's true the program needs some big dogs doing big dog things, (or Cat) but, hey, I'll take it.

Now here are the high standards that will get UNH back to the top of hockey east and back on the national scene. In the same light, let's also celebrate the fact that Sato is the first UNH player from Japan who has scored more than 25 career points. Yes, we have heard of a red shirt YEAR, but by the time Grasso is done, it will be a faded Pink. :-) :-)

[Chuck Murray]

Tommy Nolan was a medical redshirt, I don't think Grasso's numbers even sniff at Nolan's. I'll give Grasso the unprecedented benefit of a sixth year, and he'll still be far removed.

BTW Nolan is 47 years old now. THAT makes me feel VERY old indeed ...

[Dan]

It's not so much Grasso - as the expectation for Grasso following his freshman season and his ability/production relative to his teammates. We expect a lot of offense from Grasso, but he has never really been that kind of player...

He didn't score in the USHL, until his final season (at age 20) when he netted 22 goals in 60 games. Before that he scored just three goals in 17 games, nine goals in 59 games and nine goals in 60 games. That season he played on Des Moines' top line, as the 'third' piece on the Bucs' high-scoring trio...

Similarly, he potted his 20 freshman goals at UNH as the primary beneficiary of an elite PP that included T. Kelleher (24-39--63), McNicholas (13-30--43), Salvaggio (23-13--36) and Cleland (3-33--36). NINE of Grasso's goals came with the man advantage. Another handful came skating on lines with either Kelleher, McNicholas or both...

As an offensive player THAT is who he is - a third piece that can hang with top talent and put up a lot of points when he is put in a position to do so. He's not someone who can truly create for himself or others - which is why his scoring rate (2019-20 to 2020-21) has suffered in C. Kelleher's absence.

We all remember Dan Correale, right? He went from three freshman goals to four in his second and third years, and then 16 when skating alongside T. Kelleher and Poturalski as a senior. UNH has too many Correale types - the Grassos, Piersons and Kellehers - and not enough TK's or AP's (or Angus Crookshanks). Correale had a fine senior season with his linemates, but imagine what a pure goal scorer would have done? Crookshank scores 30 skating with those two...

---

It's why I've long wondered about a Grasso transfer and why, if he wants to play another year at the college level, I think he should transfer.

If I was in his shoes, I'd take advantage of a sixth year. His pro prospects are limited and coming back would allow him to complete his masters, or even start on a doctorate. On the transfer market, he should be pretty desirable from a hockey standpoint and could easily find a situation to flourish offensive (boasting those pro prospects) and finally play in an NCAA Tournament...

Put Grasso on next year's Michigan team, for example, on a line with supremely skilled offensive players like Thomas Bordeleau and Matthew Beniers and I'll bet you he scores 20 again (maybe 25). It allows Michigan to spread out the rest of their elite talent and roll nine deep instead of six deep. It makes them a National Championship favorite.

UNH, meanwhile, is probably better off if he (and others) moves on, freeing up scholarship money and jumpstarting a rebuild in earnest. Begging, again, the question of whether this administration/staff is capable of leading such a rebuild...

[HockeyRef]

It's not so much Grasso - as the expectation for Grasso following his freshman season and his ability/production relative to his teammates. We expect a lot of offense from Grasso, but he has never really been that kind of player...

He didn't score in the USHL, until his final season (at age 20) when he netted 22 goals in 60 games. Before that he scored just three goals in 17 games, nine goals in 59 games and nine goals in 60 games. That season he played on Des Moines' top line, as the 'third' piece on the Bucs' high-scoring trio...

Similarly, he potted his 20 freshman goals at UNH as the primary beneficiary of an elite PP that included T. Kelleher (24-39--63), McNicholas (13-30--43), Salvaggio (23-13--36) and Cleland (3-33--36). NINE of Grasso's goals came with the man advantage. Another handful came skating on lines with either Kelleher, McNicholas or both...

As an offensive player THAT is who he is - a third piece that can hang with top talent and put up a lot of points when he is put in a position to do so. He's not someone who can truly create for himself or others - which is why his scoring rate (2019-20 to 2020-21) has suffered in C. Kelleher's absence.

We all remember Dan Correale, right? He went from three freshman goals to four in his second and third years, and then 16 when skating alongside T. Kelleher and Poturalski as a senior. UNH has too many Correale types - the Grassos, Piersons and Kellehers - and not enough TK's or AP's (or Angus Crookshanks). Correale had a fine senior season with his linemates, but imagine what a pure goal scorer would have done? Crookshank scores 30 skating with those two...

---

It's why I've long wondered about a Grasso transfer and why, if he wants to play another year at the college level, I think he should transfer.

If I was in his shoes, I'd take advantage of a sixth year. His pro prospects are limited and coming back would allow him to complete his masters, or even start on a doctorate. On the transfer market, he should be pretty desirable from a hockey standpoint and could easily find a situation to flourish offensive (boasting those pro prospects) and finally play in an NCAA Tournament...

Put Grasso on next year's Michigan team, for example, on a line with supremely skilled offensive players like Thomas Bordeleau and Matthew Beniers and I'll bet you he scores 20 again (maybe 25). It allows Michigan to spread out the rest of their elite talent and roll nine deep instead of six deep. It makes them a National Championship favorite.

UNH, meanwhile, is probably better off if he (and others) moves on, freeing up scholarship money and jumpstarting a rebuild in earnest. Begging, again, the question of whether this administration/staff is capable of leading such a rebuild...

Excellent take on Patrick G and funny you should mention Dan C as I was just talking about him and that fantastic line he played on that year with Potsy and TyK. I think Patrick played very well against MC last weekend and hope that continues this weekend. Injuries have also taken their toll on him as well so given all of that, he's been a decent leader as the A. Netting 100 points is 100 points and that, should be celebrated!

[Chuck Murray]

Game tonight, home vs. Providence ... the excitement on-line is palpable, all the way to Page 2 ...

[HockeyRef]

Game tonight, home vs. Providence ... the excitement on-line is palpable, all the way to Page 2 ...

Hopefully with a couple of guys back tonight, notably Angus (and Charlie??) we have a shot at a decent weekend. We normally give PC a good game guess we'll find out! Rah! How's that for excitement?!? Go 'Cats! EDIT: No Charlie. Nick Cafarelli on the top line with Angus and Jackson.

[HockeyRef]

That was a beauty of a play...well done 'Cats!!

[Snively65]

Easily could be down 7-1, if not for pipes. :-(

[HockeyRef]

Easily could be down 7-1, if not for pipes. :-(

Time to change it up maybe....? Went to heck in the 3rd. Hate to see it.

[Chuck Murray]

Time to change it up maybe....? Went to heck in the 3rd. Hate to see it.

Are you finally conceding that things under MS7 aren't quite going to plan, 'Ref?

Even if UNH was somewhat fortunate to get to the 3rd period on level terms, you could see from the outset that they were simply outskated, outclassed and outcoached. Robinson did a good job keeping things close until then, even unlucky with a weird deflection accounting for PC's tying goal. But after that ... yowzah, the second goal came from a terrible decision that let the PC kid basically walk in unbothered from the right corner to the front of the UNH net (guessing MacKinnon blew that coverage, not sure though?) ... the 3rd PC goal, Maass makes a terrible decision to gamble, again leaving the lane to UNH's goalfront wide open. Those two goals right there, ugh. Just some very basic defending, and you can probably cut both of those out, and then you're deeper into the game tied at 1-1. But with those two blown coverages, it's 3-1, then a decent goal from a PC senior who'd never scored a D-1 goal before, and it looks like UNH were the guys ready to board the bus early for a long ride home. Q - U - I - T is what I saw, and that's unacceptable in any way, shape or form.

PC's forechecking really just took it out of UNH, and as the game wore on, PC seemed more and more focused on pinning UNH's defense in their own end. Of course, the inability of most of the UNH defensemen to carry the puck cleanly out of the defensive zone played into the success of the PC forecheck. UNH, on the other hand, couldn't establish a forecheck against PC's defensemen if their collective lives depended upon it. And instead of coasting to the finish, PC ramped it up to the end.

If I didn't know better, I'd say one of the head coaches was tutored by the late, great Shawn Walsh ... while the other has been sold to us as the hand-picked successor to the good but not great Dick Umile. I'll let you guys figure out who was who, it's not a tough call. And one of them was hired about 10 years ago ... hmmm, why can't we ever hire a guy like that, eh?!?

One final comparison ... Robinson was seemingly (and if so, understandably) showing some frustration at how the guys were playing in front of him in the 3rd period. It was hard not to think back to a game almost 18 years ago, which also entered the 3rd period at 1-1, when a Coach Umile squad either ran out of gas OR quit/choked and saw a souped up opponent erupt for a slew of goals, that decided a watershed game in the program's history on the shores of Lake Erie. In that game, the UNH goalie - who is now the lead assistant at another HE program - similarly lost his cool and composure in frustration at how his teammates were spitting the bit at the worst possible time. Of course, said same goalie had a similarly unpleasant experience in his team's final game the season before ... but whatever, it shouldn't be too much to ask the players not to soil themselves when the chips are down. Last night was JAG - just another game - but yes, it was downright embarrassing down the stretch.

Yes, this is a challenging year. For everyone. No more excuses. Right the ship, or down with the ship, and we've got to find a new captain - not the next "E.J. Smith". I loved MS7 as a player, he was right in the middle of so many great moments, but to watch him behind the bench ... it's like he's a poorly-dressed carbon copy of his former UNH coach - uptight, aloof, looking at times like a man waiting to catch the commuter train out of town. If his current boss could at least suggest he appear a little more engaged and animated, I'd appreciate it. 'Cuz it looks like he's there to just punch a clock, and his players do the same.

It's too bad, there is a decent (not great) core of talent on this team, it should at least be a .500 team, somewhere in the middle of the pack in the HE standings. At this rate, neither of those goals is going to be even remotely attainable. Sad ...

[HockeyRef]

Are you finally conceding that things under MS7 aren't quite going to plan, 'Ref?

Even if UNH was somewhat fortunate to get to the 3rd period on level terms, you could see from the outset that they were simply outskated, outclassed and outcoached. Robinson did a good job keeping things close until then, even unlucky with a weird deflection accounting for PC's tying goal. But after that ... yowzah, the second goal came from a terrible decision that let the PC kid basically walk in unbothered from the right corner to the front of the UNH net (guessing MacKinnon blew that coverage, not sure though?) ... the 3rd PC goal, Maass makes a terrible decision to gamble, again leaving the lane to UNH's goalfront wide open. Those two goals right there, ugh. Just some very basic defending, and you can probably cut both of those out, and then you're deeper into the game tied at 1-1. But with those two blown coverages, it's 3-1, then a decent goal from a PC senior who'd never scored a D-1 goal before, and it looks like UNH were the guys ready to board the bus early for a long ride home. Q - U - I - T is what I saw, and that's unacceptable in any way, shape or form.

PC's forechecking really just took it out of UNH, and as the game wore on, PC seemed more and more focused on pinning UNH's defense in their own end. Of course, the inability of most of the UNH defensemen to carry the puck cleanly out of the defensive zone played into the success of the PC forecheck. UNH, on the other hand, couldn't establish a forecheck against PC's defensemen if their collective lives depended upon it. And instead of coasting to the finish, PC ramped it up to the end.

If I didn't know better, I'd say one of the head coaches was tutored by the late, great Shawn Walsh ... while the other has been sold to us as the hand-picked successor to the good but not great Dick Umile. I'll let you guys figure out who was who, it's not a tough call. And one of them was hired about 10 years ago ... hmmm, why can't we ever hire a guy like that, eh?!?

One final comparison ... Robinson was seemingly (and if so, understandably) showing some frustration at how the guys were playing in front of him in the 3rd period. It was hard not to think back to a game almost 18 years ago, which also entered the 3rd period at 1-1, when a Coach Umile squad either ran out of gas OR quit/choked and saw a souped up opponent erupt for a slew of goals, that decided a watershed game in the program's history on the shores of Lake Erie. In that game, the UNH goalie - who is now the lead assistant at another HE program - similarly lost his cool and composure in frustration at how his teammates were spitting the bit at the worst possible time. Of course, said same goalie had a similarly unpleasant experience in his team's final game the season before ... but whatever, it shouldn't be too much to ask the players not to soil themselves when the chips are down. Last night was JAG - just another game - but yes, it was downright embarrassing down the stretch.

Yes, this is a challenging year. For everyone. No more excuses. Right the ship, or down with the ship, and we've got to find a new captain - not the next "E.J. Smith". I loved MS7 as a player, he was right in the middle of so many great moments, but to watch him behind the bench ... it's like he's a poorly-dressed carbon copy of his former UNH coach - uptight, aloof, looking at times like a man waiting to catch the commuter train out of town. If his current boss could at least suggest he appear a little more engaged and animated, I'd appreciate it. 'Cuz it looks like he's there to just punch a clock, and his players do the same.

It's too bad, there is a decent (not great) core of talent on this team, it should at least be a .500 team, somewhere in the middle of the pack in the HE standings. At this rate, neither of those goals is going to be even remotely attainable. Sad ...

Nope, not conceding anything...the change up I speak of, is with the goal tending, but really, that's not what's needed. I realize Mike R is an excellent player and would agree the D in front isn't giving him the support. It's important to give Taylor playing time, if he's the one for next season. I do think that at this point in the season you'd see some more cohesive play and yeah, the injuries of key players in the past 3 weeks has made that difficult if I can offer any 'excuse'. Regardless, agree with your points entirely regarding how PC just took it to us and did not take their skates off the pedal until the final whistle. I thought we played them pretty well in the first period, even though most of the second. Seems the game plan against UNH is basic: hassle, forecheck, give them nothing and....Anyway, that's pretty much my feelings about it. If I had a crystal ball I'd say the powers that be have made their minds up about who's the Captain of the ship, and, that's not going to change anytime soon..that said, what do any of us really know about the situation? Speaking of your 'carbon copy' comment, my husband said "seems like Umile's teams were better prepared'. He's got a pretty decent take on things...and if that's correct...???? Onto Sunday.

[NCAA watcher]

https://youtu.be/wcbp_fysXgI?t=43

Second straight game in which they make an unforced error in the D zone, with the inability to make a clean breakout. One forechecker, and the D to D pass is airmailed to it can't be handled, leading to a turnover and goal.

The other was v. U.Conn where the D to D pass hit the forward's skate and bounced out to the late forechecker who scored.

[Scott]

Missed the game last night, and I'm kind of glad that I did.

I'm going to refrain from posting any more here...as we have been taught so many times, "if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all".

This team and its coaching staff "are what they are", and nothing is going to change that fact now and for the forseeable future. Fighting for HE cellar space seems inevitable at this point...

Over and out!

[Felger]

Robinson was seemingly (and if so, understandably) showing some frustration at how the guys were playing in front of him in the 3rd period. It was hard not to think back to a game almost 18 years ago, which also entered the 3rd period at 1-1

18 years. And counting.

Back in the dark years it was "only" 16 years between Frozen Four appearances. We're already beyond that point with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel..

[Chuck Murray]

Nope, not conceding anything...the change up I speak of, is with the goal tending, but really, that's not what's needed. I realize Mike R is an excellent player and would agree the D in front isn't giving him the support. It's important to give Taylor playing time, if he's the one for next season. I do think that at this point in the season you'd see some more cohesive play and yeah, the injuries of key players in the past 3 weeks has made that difficult if I can offer any 'excuse'.

That was pretty much a non-answer, HR. Switch the goalie ... yet it's not the goalie's fault, but Taylor has to play ... it's the fault of the defense, there should be more cohesive play, etc.

Each and every piece of that puzzle lies at the collective feet of the coaching staff, yes? And MS7 is in charge of the coaching staff. His entire coaching staff consists of 3 guys whose collective experience was as better-than-average D-1 players, and as non-descript D-1 assistants. So ... when you said it's time to "change it up", you were by definition either asking the coaches to "change it up" OR asking the guy in the corner office to "change it up" with the coaches. Please, just pick one.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again ... Robinson has played well, last season and this season so far, but he's not going to be on any of the All-HEA teams nor likely even Honorable Mention. That's good, but not "excellent" or great. So, how bad is Taylor where it causes MS7 to ride Robinson like he was Conklin, Ayers, Regan or DeSmith in their respective D-1 primes? And if Taylor hasn't panned out, well hey, MS7 recruited him, right? When you're the HC, all decisions lead to the HC, no?

It looks to me like MS7 is coaching like his job is on the line (and if so, I'm OK with that) where he's putting all his eggs in the Robinson 2021 basket, and can't be bothered to be concerned about the Taylor 2022 basket, 'cuz he (MS7) thinks that might end up being someone else's problem. And if it still ends up being MS7's problem, he has the offseason to try to pull a rabbit out of his hat, so he's kicking that can down the road a few weeks.

You don't have to agree/disagree, but that's the way his actions come across to this observer.

Regardless, agree with your points entirely regarding how PC just took it to us and did not take their skates off the pedal until the final whistle. I thought we played them pretty well in the first period, even though most of the second. Seems the game plan against UNH is basic: hassle, forecheck, give them nothing and....

With all due respect, PC outplayed UNH from start to finish. It wasn't particularly close, either. Yet they were somehow still in the game until they folded like a flimsy lawn chair with stupid, basic defensive miscues early in the 3rd period. I think it was Snives who said it could have been 7-1, which I agree with BTW. This is not the first time this pattern has played out.

Anyway, that's pretty much my feelings about it. If I had a crystal ball I'd say the powers that be have made their minds up about who's the Captain of the ship, and, that's not going to change anytime soon..that said, what do any of us really know about the situation?

That's a downright depressing outlook.

Speaking of your 'carbon copy' comment, my husband said "seems like Umile's teams were better prepared'. He's got a pretty decent take on things...and if that's correct...???? Onto Sunday.

I would agree, MS7's teams seem less well-prepared than his predecessor's teams were.

Frankly, he's not recruited as well as any of the guys preceding him during the Umile Era either.

And that includes end stage Borek. Let's sit back and chew on that one for a moment ...