RPI 2023 Off-season: We March Fourth Into the Off-season

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 10 April 2023. There are 180 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.

[DrDemento]

Quinnipiac played great and are deserving winners, but there was something about the Minnesota game plan, especially in that third period, that was way off. Kinda played to Q’s strengths instead of trying to leverage their own speed. Even still, the Gophers were just a minute away from winning it.


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i saw it exactly as you described. Minnesota had played to win for 40 minutes and then sat back and tried to simply not lose. QU was just too fast and talented and most of all, patient and mature, to do that against. Any team that amasses over 30 winds in a season obviously deserved to win and did not need any help from an opponent.

[Ralph Baer]

It's been 69 years since a team beat Michigan in the NCAA semifinal and then Minnesota in the final. Those who follow this thread might be able to guess which team accomplished that feat.

Quinnipiac is halfway to duplicating it.

They did it as we all know now, and also the final went to OT as in 1954.

[DrDemento]

They did it as we all know now, and also the final went to OT as in 1954.

As Yogi might have said - "It is deja vu all over again"

[sezenack]

i saw it exactly as you described. Minnesota had played to win for 40 minutes and then sat back and tried to simply not lose. QU was just too fast and talented and most of all, patient and mature, to do that against. Any team that amasses over 30 winds in a season obviously deserved to win and did not need any help from an opponent.

I do not agree that Minnesota sat back and tried to lose. That is usually the case when a team gets dominated like that with a lead in the third period, but in this case, Quinnipiac was just playing at such a high level that Minnesota had to just dump the puck out and ice it a ton. QU's forecheck was so fast, tenacious and potent that I don't think Minnesota got a single clean zone exit or entry that period. It wasn't a style or strategy choice by Minnesota; it was just QU totally dominating in the offensive zone and in transition.

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 11 April 2023. There are 179 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.

[DavidNardolillo]

I do not agree that Minnesota sat back and tried to lose. That is usually the case when a team gets dominated like that with a lead in the third period, but in this case, Quinnipiac was just playing at such a high level that Minnesota had to just dump the puck out and ice it a ton. QU's forecheck was so fast, tenacious and potent that I don't think Minnesota got a single clean zone exit or entry that period. It wasn't a style or strategy choice by Minnesota; it was just QU totally dominating in the offensive zone and in transition.

Yes, Q played well (won the faceoff battle by a significant margin, which was also a factor), but Bob Motzko himself indicated in his post-game comments that he changed the game plan when they went up 2-0. Minnesota had the team speed to challenge Q's forecheck and better impose itself in the 3rd period (MN's forecheck is pretty good, too), but chose a different path. Echoes of 2014 when Don Lucia allowed Shane Gostisbehere too much space to dictate play.

Even still, it was there for Minnesota to hang on and win. The penalty was a bit harsh, but you need to be smarter in the offensive zone and not put the referee in a position where he needs to make a decision that can go against you. Minnesota almost got through it; Q needed to pull their goaltender and the tying goal (and even Q's first goal) probably should have been stopped by Klose.

[Some folks on here know that I used to be a Minnesota season ticket holder when I was a law student there, but just a disclosure that I am not an impartial observer of the game.]

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Dunno if we are still looking for portal talent, but four kids from BU have entered...3 forwards (Phillips, Carrabes, Armstrong) and Dman Copeland.

[Ralph Baer]

Dunno if we are still looking for portal talent, but four kids from BU have entered...3 forwards (Phillips, Carrabes, Armstrong) and Dman Copeland.

We are probably not looking for more forwards but are for more defense.

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 12 April 2023. There are 178 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Coulda been an RPI jacket that Benny was wearing...just sayin' ...ha ha. I'll get over it........someday !

https://twitter.com/MaineIceHockey/s...19536389005313

[sezenack]

Genuine question here because I can't remember if it got reported or not. Is it possible Barr saw through Shirley's bs and that she wasn't going to give the team the support it needs/deserves and turned us down?

[DavidNardolillo]

Coulda been an RPI jacket that Benny was wearing...just sayin' ...ha ha. I'll get over it........someday !

https://twitter.com/MaineIceHockey/s...19536389005313

Kind of amazing to me that we had Monty on our staff.

[DavidNardolillo]

Genuine question here because I can't remember if it got reported or not. Is it possible Barr saw through Shirley's bs and that she wasn't going to give the team the support it needs/deserves and turned us down?

Anything is possible, but a number of people close to the program at that time told me that Barr wanted the job and didn't get an offer. I recall McElroy said at the time (I think at the press conference announcing Coach Smith) that they wanted someone with head coaching experience, and that effectively eliminated Barr. I just think the decision makers didn't want the same profile they got when they first hired Appert.

Time will tell whether that was the right decision, although I can't imagine that Barr would have had better luck with RPI's COVID restrictions or level of investment in the program.

The new president is clearly a hockey fan, a potential for some investments is there. Let's see how things unfold in the near future.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Genuine question here because I can't remember if it got reported or not. Is it possible Barr saw through Shirley's bs and that she wasn't going to give the team the support it needs/deserves and turned us down?

I won't go into details, but have been told by folks that I trust that that is not how it played out...