Re: 2011-12 Vermont Season Thread (Vezina & Conn Smyth trophy edition)
He doesn't need to crap on the players, Sneddon is far more tactful then that, but one of his best qualities has been honesty and placing both accolades and responsibilities where they lie. I am not seeing that this year. I expect him to come out and say " we aren't playing real well here, we are getting out worked, we aren't blocking shots, we aren't clearing the puck, etc and as the coach of this team I am going to take the steps to make sure that we stop the bad habits and get back to where we need to be."
I disagree that these kids do not need to be kicked right now, IMO they need a good kick in the hind end. It's unfortunate with all the injuries that the option of sitting players isn't an option. These are not kids, they are young men with a dream of playing at an elite level. They are at a level where they need to get it up and play hard on their own and start getting ready for that next level.
Sneddon needs to sit them down and review some tape from the Dean Strong years.
While at times I have been critical of Sneddon, it is clear that he right now is dealing with a team that simply is less talented. He played the last few games without four of his top nine forwards(23,3,17,19), and one of your top six d-men (25). You could argue that he is without two of his top three forwards in McCarthy and Brickley. If you took four of the top offensive players off the Patriots, Sox or any other team the results are not going to be pretty. Did anyone watch the Maine game. You talk about Dean Strong, I never saw so many players diving in front of bullets, finishing checks playing as hard as possible. They simply don't have the bullets in the chamber. Are you going to go off on your kid if he is a C math student and busts it to get a C? No. Unfortunately when you lose what we lost in bodies, you are a C student. However if you are a C student your work will never resemble an A student.
Now lets look a little further. When the year started Sneddon did in fact call people out after the first MN game. He specifically called out the top players and said they need to be better. They were. Remember also we started the season with 3 freshmen at the blue line, half of them, you had basically four freshman forwards(21, 7,6,9), four sophomore forwards(11,14,19,23), a transfer student (13). That is alot of new parts. Then they had the injury bug, but instead of bug its an epidemic. So lets keep it in perspective.
I also know, they had three conditioning coaches in three years. Do NOT underestimate what the loss of Goodman was to this program. I know from several guys, that they are really ****ed with what the new guy did before this season. Guys lost weight (muscle) and in fact were worse off when the season started. That's not Sneddon, the AD hired him and hired the two failed projects before him.
Guys are developing. Stalberg and Brickley are better each year. Reynolds is improving, Nick Bruneteau is improving. The biggest regression has been in goal.
Lastly, look at next years class. Recruiting isn't suffering, Girgesons (sp.?), Fallon (another top USHL point producer), a 6'3" goalie and McCarthy returning. So if Girgeson's leaves is it because of Sneddon? No! Coyle left BU, is it because Parker sucks? No.
Sneddon has done wonders that these guys haven't quit. Did anyone watch the Tampa Bay Buc's in football, imagine that at the Gutt. Last year when things went bad, it got real ugly, losing by 4, 5, 6 goals. This year the compete level is up, but the cupboard is bare. If they are not remarkably better next year, then there is an issue, but honestly, this team works and competes. If their talent wasn't watching from the stands this team would have been better sooner.
