<> Michigan Tech Huskies 2021-22: STILL Our 100th Anniversary <>

[John J. MacInnes]

Bliss, Swoyer, and Blake Pietila named to the all-CCHA Second Team.

[purpleinnebraska]

The hard part for me as a Tech fan, it feels like Tech is backing into the playoffs.

10 of the 16 teams will back into the playoffs. Just run with it. We got killed by Northern last year in the tournament, and then went to the Frozen Four. I know it's cliche, but after next week, everyone's record is 0-0.

[Lost_Husky]

Sorry to jump in, but with respect to the tourney the pairwise math majors are saying on various boards Tech is a lock and I like your chances. The eastern leagues do not like the style of hockey the CCHA teams play (especially eastern teams). They do not match up well with us. Last year BG went in to Camden and thoroughly beat down Q while Bemidji kicked the crap out of Wisco and the Lakers didn't look half bad against the eventual national champs. This year Mankato ran UMass out of their building and you split with Clarkson. While we may not win every game, we are always more than competitive. Underestimate us at your peril.

Now if we find Tech up against Denver or Nodak, well, hmmmm...all bets are off. But matched up with any ECAC/HE team and I'm on Draft Kings dropping coins on the Huskies. And I'm likely doing so against the two UMs or ND.

The hard part for me as a Tech fan, it feels like Tech is backing into the playoffs. Yes, I would take Tech against HE or the ECAC. The B1G gives us issues as they have the ability to consistently capitalize on Tech's all too frequent mental lapses/breakdowns. Agreed that the NCHC schools are tough as nails and outside of Mankato, I don't know who can go toe to toe with them. Tech would have been included, after our MnSU series, but they turn around and can barely beat FSU. I don't want to talk about BSU.

[John J. MacInnes]

My nomination for MVP is Michael Karow.

Curious to see if your vote still stands after that catastrophic giveaway against Bemidji.

[John J. MacInnes]

Ran every possible result still available and Tech is a 100% lock.

You can get Tech as low as 14th with these winners - Minnesota State, Minnesota, Quinnipiac, and Northeastern over UMass-Lowell (the Nacho winner doesn't matter). But that means the only AQ not in the field would be the Atlantic Hockey winner. Ohio State would also stay in the field as the #15 in this scenario.

They also land at #14 if Colgate or Harvard win ECAC. Tech would be the last at-large in this scenario, with the ECAC and Atlantic Hockey taking two spots with autobids.

If UConn wins Hockey East, Tech would actually move up to #11.

What happens from there may not look promising, but they will be in the field regardless.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Sorry to jump in, but with respect to the tourney the pairwise math majors are saying on various boards Tech is a lock and I like your chances. The eastern leagues do not like the style of hockey the CCHA teams play (especially eastern teams). They do not match up well with us. Last year BG went in to Camden and thoroughly beat down Q while Bemidji kicked the crap out of Wisco and the Lakers didn't look half bad against the eventual national champs. This year Mankato ran UMass out of their building and you split with Clarkson. While we may not win every game, we are always more than competitive. Underestimate us at your peril.

Now if we find Tech up against Denver or Nodak, well, hmmmm...all bets are off. But matched up with any ECAC/HE team and I'm on Draft Kings dropping coins on the Huskies. And I'm likely doing so against the two UMs or ND.

[Lost_Husky]

Well last year at this time we had several players decide to come back because of unfinished business. They had lost to Bemidji in the league playoffs despite outplaying them. Now we have the team again losing to Bemidji in the league playoffs, but this time we were outplayed by them. No progress there.

I'm not seeing next year as a plus for us either and I don't see us making any noise what-so-ever in the NCAA's. We are just cannon fodder honestly.
Take our record for the year vs teams that are above 500. Mankato- 0-4, Bemidji is not above 500, neither is LSSU, NMU is, we were 3-1, Notre Dame, 0-1, Clarkson, 1-1, Michigan a tie,... so that's it. everyone else below or at 500. 4-7-1. Great work, right.? Deserve a bid, right?

We've had turnovers all year. I think personally it's not a players thing but a systems thing. We've had lack of scoring most of the year. Again, imho a systems thing. We've had good goaltending for the most part. Do I see us suddenly turning things around in a 1 and done NCAA? No I do not. Do I see this getting better next year? No I do not. I mean we played a sub 500 Ferris team 4 times at the end of the year and couldn't win a single game in regulation. Against Ferris state. You expect us to be better vs UND?, or Minnesota?

After the way we are ending the season, I don't think we deserve a bid, but who deserves it more? HE, ECAC, and AH are dreck this year. OSU who was bounced in the first round by PSU? It isn't like we are the only team in this kind of blah morass.

Not that this is an excuse, but losing a top 6 forward and a top 4 D really hurt us. I know "next man up", but this late in the season those losses are hard to overcome. Still shouldn't have been a 5-2 loss.

I can't speak to hockey, but in basketball, turnovers are mostly a player problem. They are trying to force a play, not able to read the D/see what is going on, just don't "get it", don't understand their/the people they play with limitations, or players aren't on the same page/not communicating. For Tech, I think it is a lot of the above. At this point in the year, we are who we are. Players should know each other, where they want the puck, learned from their mistakes, talking with each other about what the other team is trying to do,... If the coaches have a plan that isn't working, it isn't like the players can't call an audible/talk with the coaches right away about what they are seeing. Most good coaches are open to feedback and tweaks to improve play.

Where the coaches can deserve the blame, recruiting and player development. Recruiting has been sub-par in my opinion. It took until Caderoth until we get a true center. After him, what other true center do we have? How do the coaches expect anything to flow without someone who is a plus in vision, passing, setting up scorers, wining faceoffs,...? With the wild west of transfer rules we STILL can't get/didn't feel the need for another good center? I question the super-sized senior class. The staff might be bailed out by the Covid year to smooth out the glut, but we can't be an once every 3-4 year and rebuild team.

For me, Joe and staff have done a respectable job in systems. We have improved or are top 15 in almost every measurable team category. My only grip is outside of a few non-seniors everyone feels like an interchangeable body. Sure some of them have different skill sets, but in general not many of them stand out. Is that because the 3rd-4th lines are a revolving door? IDK. I think players do better when they get consistent playing time with the same people. Joe, and understandably so, has a huge roster and has to manage that. He also wants to push the guys and not have them feel comfortable so they grow. I get it, but is it working, IDK.

Next year is going to be a step back. Tech can't replace out top line with what we have in the pipeline. I think we are in the CCHA 2-7 mix. FSU gets better, but the rest of the CCHA is going to be about where they are. There will be a lot of player movement that will mess up some teams in one area and help other areas. MnSU will still be favored and the Tommies will be improved, but still building their roster.

Thus thinks the armchair sports fan.

[manurespreader]

Well last year at this time we had several players decide to come back because of unfinished business. They had lost to Bemidji in the league playoffs despite outplaying them. Now we have the team again losing to Bemidji in the league playoffs, but this time we were outplayed by them. No progress there.

I'm not seeing next year as a plus for us either and I don't see us making any noise what-so-ever in the NCAA's. We are just cannon fodder honestly.
Take our record for the year vs teams that are above 500. Mankato- 0-4, Bemidji is not above 500, neither is LSSU, NMU is, we were 3-1, Notre Dame, 0-1, Clarkson, 1-1, Michigan a tie,... so that's it. everyone else below or at 500. 4-7-1. Great work, right.? Deserve a bid, right?

We've had turnovers all year. I think personally it's not a players thing but a systems thing. We've had lack of scoring most of the year. Again, imho a systems thing. We've had good goaltending for the most part. Do I see us suddenly turning things around in a 1 and done NCAA? No I do not. Do I see this getting better next year? No I do not. I mean we played a sub 500 Ferris team 4 times at the end of the year and couldn't win a single game in regulation. Against Ferris state. You expect us to be better vs UND?, or Minnesota?

[MavsFan]

Sorry you guys won't be in Mankato next weekend. Not because I think you're easier, but because you're my favorite fan base in college hockey. I always enjoy when you come to town.

[Scrum Bucket]

That was a brutal 3rd period for the Huskies. Sloppy, missed passes, straight up giveaways, and missed coverages. Not sure this team has what it takes to win in the tourney when the going gets tough, if they get in that is.

[John J. MacInnes]

With Tyrell Buckley unavailable, Marcus Russell gets the call on the blue line tonight. No Ryland Mosley in the lineup, Blais Richartz is listed as the left wing on the 4th line. Nick Nardella is the extra forward, so only 6 D are dressed.

[John J. MacInnes]

Congratulations to Dirk Hembroff and Mix93 WKMJ, named as the best play-by-play sports in Commercial Radio Market 4 by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters!

We know it goes further than just Market 4 that he's the best.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

St Thomas played Minnesota St to a one goal game Friday and Ferris beat them.

Yes, but MSU also beat U-Mass, SCSU, Providence, Duluth, ASU. And with the exception of LSSU, beat every team in the WCHA at least twice. So they can afford to let a couple slip through their fingers. Tech doesn't have that margin for error.
MSU outscored their opponents at a 3:1 ratio. Yes, three TIMES as many goals as their opponents. Looking strictly at their CCHA schedule, the ratio balloons to 4:1. That's insane dominance on the score sheet. Tech didn't even achieve a 2:1 ratio in either case. So yes, MSU did lose 5 games (all season), but in nearly every other game they didn't just win, they blew the other team out of the building.

[Lost_Husky]

I feel like Tech still lacks the necessary killer instinct, elite level mentality, winning attitude, etc (whatever you want to call it) that higher ranked team have built into their DNA. Too often Tech is trying to survive games against Ferris, StT, Michigan State, etc. If you can play a pair of 1 goal games against MSU, then you've set the bar at a certain level. Letting those lower ranked teams hang around in games and taking Tech to OT or even losses is not holding the bar at that high level. Tech needs to see those "must win" games on the schedule and just lick their chops at the chance to just dominate a team for the entire weekend from whistle to final horn. Clearly this year's team has potential, but they need to play at the level of that potential every minute. I don't know if it is lacking from the staff preparing the team to play like winners or simply the team not being able to find that level of compete every time their skates touch the ice. Regardless they need to find their highest level and maintain it for the rest of the season.

Some good points. I do think this team lack a killer instinct, doesn't have natural scorers, and plays to their competition. That said, this is clearly an NCAA tournament caliber team who's goals against, PP, and PK don't get enough attention. This is an effort team who generally doesn't take a lot of penalties and can hold their own against anyone.

[davyd83]

I feel like Tech still lacks the necessary killer instinct, elite level mentality, winning attitude, etc (whatever you want to call it) that higher ranked team have built into their DNA. Too often Tech is trying to survive games against Ferris, StT, Michigan State, etc. If you can play a pair of 1 goal games against MSU, then you've set the bar at a certain level. Letting those lower ranked teams hang around in games and taking Tech to OT or even losses is not holding the bar at that high level. Tech needs to see those "must win" games on the schedule and just lick their chops at the chance to just dominate a team for the entire weekend from whistle to final horn. Clearly this year's team has potential, but they need to play at the level of that potential every minute. I don't know if it is lacking from the staff preparing the team to play like winners or simply the team not being able to find that level of compete every time their skates touch the ice. Regardless they need to find their highest level and maintain it for the rest of the season.

St Thomas played Minnesota St to a one goal game Friday and Ferris beat them.