BU: '22-'23 Season: Sail The Boats

[hydrant]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

He is eligible. After breaking his collarbone I'm sure some teams may have backed off wanting to sign him (If he is not signed by 7/1). Looks like next year regardless we will have 2 LHD and 4 RHD for regulars.

[BU Fan 84]

I think you guys will score plenty of goals next year. You have a good group of freshman forwards in Wilmer, Greene, Hutson and Kaplan. Will still have Lane Hutson and add Celebrini. With that it's probably fine having guys like Tuch and Peterson who don't have a ton of skill but are experienced players. I think the questions will be in goal and on defense. I am assuming Commesso will sign and I believe you will be losing Fensore (did Colby Cohen pronounce his name correctly?) and McCarthy. Hutson is great but I don't see a ton of talent on the backend.

I always get nervous relying on incoming Freshmen for scoring. We've had some top USHL/USNTDP scorers before that don't pan out - Wise, Weiss, Hank something or other are the most recent ones that come to mind. I do think this year's Freshman class is a very good class to build on. I just think it would be good to have a couple 15-goal scorers from Seniors or Juniors and I don't see Tuch and Peterson doing that. Defensively, I am skeptical of Vinnie - could be good based on the limited time he has had, but who knows whether he's actually good enough for a top team. I am worried Webber will leave early. He's solid in his own zone and just seems like the type of player that will go for an AHL contract. I am pretty surprised that none of the Seniors are apparently coming back? Not just Stevens or Armstrong, but I just don't see Skoog or Brown having an NHL career. Maybe Brown will get called up for a few games here and there when someone has some injuries but that's about it. Are we really expecting Fensore or McCarthy to have NHL careers? Fensore is good but small. I think Grzelcyk was better and has gotten lucky with a really rare opportunity. Not sure why the majority of the seniors would leave for a middling AHL career - if that.

[BU Fan 84]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

Everyone that was on any team in any sport for the 2020-21 season is eligible. Apparently even if you used a redshirt or transfer year prior to that season. So for some people it could be a 6- or 7-year college career.

[brassbonanza]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

Yes, in fact I've heard it's a real possibility due to the potential timeline of his injury recovery and the prospect of playing with his brother. I have no idea if a decision has been made either way, but I've heard it is not open and shut that he's leaving. Additionally, I've heard a handful more of the current seniors may use their Covid year. No idea who or how many, just that it's been discussed.

And no, injuries didn't keep us from being able to skate with that Minnesota team from LW1 to RD3. They're really good. We're pretty good. Just not on the same level, at all.

I could not disagree more with this. Fensore is nursing the leg injury he sustained against UVM and is clearly not at full strength. I'm told Webber has been nursing a nagging lower body injury for the better part of a month too from a blocked shot towards the end of the season. Of course, we're without Case.

Those three injuries alone prevented us from being able to compete against Minnesota's front line Fs. I'm not saying we'd have shut them down, but if you think the loss of Case and two other top D playing at 50-75% had no impact - especially on the increased load on Hutson and Gallagher, I don't know what to tell you.

We skated 4-4.5 D, two of which were healthy, against the #1 team in the country last night and were tied heading into the 3rd period.

This is before we consider Zabaneh's injury and Skoog being unable to contribute.

They just didn't have the horses and the guys who were out there could not handle the load by themselves. It was an extraordinary effort.

[J.D.]

Additionally, I've heard a handful more of the current seniors may use their Covid year. No idea who or how many, just that it's been discussed.

I am always curious how this goes. Like do all of these guys get scholarships in their additional year? Because that would impact incoming freshmen. Or do some of these guys who were on scholarship willingly pay for a year of school for their extra year? A lot more for a college coach to juggle these days and navigate the portal temptations etc.

[brassbonanza]

I am always curious how this goes. Like do all of these guys get scholarships in their additional year? Because that would impact incoming freshmen. Or do some of these guys who were on scholarship willingly pay for a year of school for their extra year? A lot more for a college coach to juggle these days and navigate the portal temptations etc.

I don't know, but it's intended to be an imperfect solution to the 2020-2021 season that can barely be considered a legitimate season - across all collegiate sports. It was handled at the time as it should have, but to dock those athletes a year of eligibility that year would've been worse than giving them the option to get that year back.

All Covid years will be exhausted after 24-25, so it'll be done then.

[BU Fan 84]

I could not disagree more with this. Fensore is nursing the leg injury he sustained against UVM and is clearly not at full strength. I'm told Webber has been nursing a nagging lower body injury for the better part of a month too from a blocked shot towards the end of the season. Of course, we're without Case.

Those three injuries alone prevented us from being able to compete against Minnesota's front line Fs. I'm not saying we'd have shut them down, but if you think the loss of Case and two other top D playing at 50-75% had no impact - especially on the increased load on Hutson and Gallagher, I don't know what to tell you.

We skated 4-4.5 D, two of which were healthy, against the #1 team in the country last night and were tied heading into the 3rd period.

This is before we consider Zabaneh's injury and Skoog being unable to contribute.

They just didn't have the horses and the guys who were out there could not handle the load by themselves. It was an extraordinary effort.

Your obsession with making excuses is kinda weird. Healthy Skoog, McCarthy, and Webber can't skate with Minnesota. Gallagher can't. We saw from the beginning of the game that Hutson isn't yet good enough to skate with that team. I think in another year, he will be. Acting like a couple of injuries is all that kept us from beating Minnesota because we were tied 2-2 is ridiculous. We were never in that game. Minnesota was incredibly unlucky for two periods. It's okay to admit the team you like isn't quite there yet. Other than dumb penalties, no one is criticizing BU, their effort, or how they played, prepared, or were coached. In order to beat them last night, we would have needed Eichel, O'Regan, and Rodrigues, and the '09 D corps. Not McCarthy and Skoog.

[J.D.]

Ya I think the Hutson factor was the eye opener for me. Seemed like a total non factor out there so credit to Minnesota for sure on that front.

[BU93]

Lane Hutson did seem like a non-factor most of the time, that was disappointing. Many players seemed like a non-factor though. It was a bad game at a bad time. Minnesota was firing on all cylinders. Commesso and Mr Post and Crossbar kept us in the game. That happens sometimes - better than being blown out of the building after 10 minutes. We also seemed to be playing in St Paul south - Minnesota really brought a VERY large contingent to Tampa. It was a game that if you won, you got through it. That’s how single elimination works. However it remains close, you take it and just try to win the thing. We had that opportunity, but the penalties at the end of the 2nd did us in last night. Unfortunate night. We’re better than we played for sure. Although I’m thankful we got there, I’m never happy that we didn’t win it. The program is moving in the right direction and I’m hopeful for a very competitive run over the next several years. Good recruiting class coming in. Would love to have a few of those seniors back for another year if possible to help keep the momentum going. Go BU!

[brassbonanza]

Your obsession with making excuses is kinda weird. Healthy Skoog, McCarthy, and Webber can't skate with Minnesota. Gallagher can't. We saw from the beginning of the game that Hutson isn't yet good enough to skate with that team. I think in another year, he will be. Acting like a couple of injuries is all that kept us from beating Minnesota because we were tied 2-2 is ridiculous. We were never in that game. Minnesota was incredibly unlucky for two periods. It's okay to admit the team you like isn't quite there yet. Other than dumb penalties, no one is criticizing BU, their effort, or how they played, prepared, or were coached. In order to beat them last night, we would have needed Eichel, O'Regan, and Rodrigues, and the '09 D corps. Not McCarthy and Skoog.

These aren't excuses, it's relevant context. At no point in anything I wrote did I say the injuries were "all that kept us from beating Minnesota." I said those injuries prevented us from being able to compete against the MN front line. We'd absolutely be an underdog to them with a more healthy roster, but not nearly as much as we were yesterday.

This team's advantage all year has been its depth at F and team defense. With the players who were injured or out, we lost some of that advantage.

[ericredaxe]

I am always curious how this goes. Like do all of these guys get scholarships in their additional year? Because that would impact incoming freshmen. Or do some of these guys who were on scholarship willingly pay for a year of school for their extra year? A lot more for a college coach to juggle these days and navigate the portal temptations etc.

I would imagine that it could be any or all of the above and is always just a discussion that has to be had.

[Lemonade]

This BU was banged up and that’s a fact. Minnesota played great but you can’t claim this was a fully healthy BU team as several key players were hurting. Minnesota looked great and that was partly because they had power plays and it’s easy to look great when you have one or two more skaters than the opponent. BU started too slow and was caught off guard. Hutson struggled and looked indecisive but the kid is just a freshman playing on a big stage. I wouldn’t calling hitting posts bad luck. BU also hit posts. Minnesota was stronger, faster and ready to go from the start. BU wasn’t. The story was penalties and the effort it takes to kill those off. It’s a losing recipe.

[Lemonade]

These aren't excuses, it's relevant context. At no point in anything I wrote did I say the injuries were "all that kept us from beating Minnesota." I said those injuries prevented us from being able to compete against the MN front line. We'd absolutely be an underdog to them with a more healthy roster, but not nearly as much as we were yesterday.

This team's advantage all year has been its depth at F and team defense. With the players who were injured or out, we lost some of that advantage.

100% agree. Zabs, skoog, fensore and Weber banged up with McCarthy out really thinned out their depth and it showed. Other players had to play more minutes. Is Minnesota better yep. Could BU have given them a better game (it was 2-2 going into true 3rd) if they were healthier yep. Still a fantastic season for this team they just ran up against a train of a team when they were running on fumes.

[defkit]

Ya I think the Hutson factor was the eye opener for me. Seemed like a total non factor out there so credit to Minnesota for sure on that front.

I've honestly been surprised that it took until this game for a team to be able to neutralize him - and that of course speaks to how good he is. However, for all of his amazing skills, he isn't a great skater. He overcomes that with his stutter-steps and jukes. But if you don't fall for them, you can take away his toolbox pretty effectively.

On the play where he took the penalty, that is just a case of trying to do too much. His d-partner was wide open for an easy pass to get out of trouble, but he either failed to recognize that he was about to be double teamed, or he thought he could still beat it - bad decision.

Minnesota just had a combination of speed and skill that we had not seen all season and the team struggled to cope with it for most of the night.

[Jofa]

. I wouldn’t calling hitting posts bad luck. BU also hit posts. Minnesota was stronger, faster and ready to go from the start. BU wasn’t. .

Yes I never understood the post thing “robbed” or “bad luck”. They missed the target. If you shoot a basketball off the rim no one says bad luck