Re: 2013-14 Quinnipiac Bobcats Part II: The final push towards Philadelphia
Since no one else wants to break down the game, I guess I'll have a whack.
I said earlier this week I could see things going either way. This team was so inconsistent -- had so many clunkers -- that all you could do was hope they wouldn't have one in the biggest game of the season. Some of those clunkers came in wins where they snuck by thanks to inferior opposition, but they were very hot-and-cold this season.
Frankly, I loved Quinnipiac's start tonight. Their first five minutes were tremendous. Outshot Providence 6-1, dominated play, I don't think Providence touched the puck for five minutes. Then, the Friars rush down the ice, the QU defense loses its coverage, and it's 1-0. From that point on, Providence asserted itself physically, and Quinnipiac refused to reciprocate.
From that point on, Quinnipiac didn't win puck battles, they didn't power through checks, they shied away from Providence's physicality, and they didn't look like they were willing to pay the price to make a play. There was barely ever any traffic in front of Gillies. The guy's a good goaltender, the only way you're beating him is if you get traffic in front. I counted two great saves he had to make in the first two periods. For a team that put 37 SOG, that's ridiculous. We had the one shot off the post, and he made a great glove save on another one, and that's about it. Complete lack of desire to do the little things to win a hockey game.
I was very disappointed in the effort. Frankly, that's not the compete level I saw two weeks ago -- or even seven days ago. You have to be willing to do the little things to win. Hockey can be a cruel game, but it's also a game that often tells the truth. If you're not doing what it takes to win hockey games, if you're not doing the little things, you're not winning the games. Simple.
Is this post too harsh? Perhaps. But more is expected when you pull that jersey over your head.
Now, one more thing. (And please, don't flame me. I'm not blaming this. I think I've laid out plenty of blame). But, there were three or four clear penalties in the first period (CTTH, holding, and at least two or three picks) that went uncalled in the first period. The reason I bring this up isn't to say that Quinnipiac got screwed -- I know better than that. It's to say that it's a completely different game if the referees make a call in that spot. If those are penalties, Providence can't be as physical as they were, and frankly, if Quinnipiac gets a PP in the first period, it's very possible this is a very different game.
Ultimately, this was so disappointing because this team had a tremendous amount of potential. I thought the offensive skill on this team was better than last year's team, and while the defense was young, this team still had one of the best GA/game averages in the country. They were good enough. They didn't play good enough when the chips were in the middle of the table. That's a real shame.
Now, for the optimistic view: It feels **** good to be this annoyed with a loss in the NCAA Tournament. How far Quinnipiac hockey has come in just a few short years. That is thanks, in no small part, to this group of players. We thank them for what they've done, while wondering what went wrong tonight.
