All Things Denver XXXVII

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Sometimes these games happen.

Not impressed with Montgomery's crybaby rant dropping F bombs in a quiet arena to the BC bench with about 7-8 minutes to play. The top line may play against you in a 6-1 game. You play 60 minutes. If you want a mercy rule go coach little league.

 

[32 Degrees!]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

And here I thought the Super Bowl was pathetic....

 

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

This season's leading goal scorer was freshman Trevor Moore with 14 goals. Only twice in Denver hockey history has the team's leading goal scorer had fewer than 14 goals in a season. In 1979 Ed Beers and Glenn Johnson tied for the team lead with 13 goals. In the program's first season, 1949-1950, Ron Jacobsen scored 11.

Throughout the just completed season I said/posted that the Pioneers were strong in goal, on the blueline and in playing overall team defense. I made no secret of the fact I thought the scoring--especially by the forwards--was anemic. The Pioneers face a bit of a conundrum in terms of returning players. The good news is apart from two seniors and perhaps one or two early departures [Laleggia and Didier] the squad will return intact. The bad news is apart from two seniors and perhaps one or two early departures [Laleggia and Didier] the squad will return intact.

Yes, perhaps some players will develop into more prolific scorers, just as some may regress [Matt Tabrum scored 7 goals last year just 4 this year; Q Shore scored 10 goals last year only 7 this year]. Jim Montgomery and his staff would do well to recruit some players who prove to be bona fide 15 to 18 goal scorers annually for the Pioneers. The Pioneers' most pressing need is scoring from their forwards. The Pioneers' record and ability to compete in the post-season will improve in direct proportion to their ability to score more goals. My $.02.

 

[rufus]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

That was ugly. Denver just looked slow and scared to me. And their defense looked like it was coached by TIMMAY, stand around flatfooted poking at the puck with your stick while the BC forwards skate right by.BC certainly came ready to play.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

I wonder if Ron Jacobsen's got any eligibility left.

 

[duper]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

A terrible, terrible showing against a team that was clearly both more talented and better prepared.

That said, I don't recall too many people having super-high expectations of this team heading into the season, and I certainly don't recall terribly high expectations ten or so games in. I think we should keep sight of the fact that in a very unpredictable year, the Pioneers kept their streaks of winning 20 games and making the national tournament alive.

Sometimes these games happen.

Not impressed with Montgomery's crybaby rant dropping F bombs in a quiet arena to the BC bench with about 7-8 minutes to play. The top line may play against you in a 6-1 game. You play 60 minutes. If you want a mercy rule go coach little league.

Sounds like poor sportsmanship. I wonder if anyone would demonstrate similar poor sportsmanship by entering a team thread and complain about the coach's behavior after a game in which their team demolished the other. Nah! Surely no one would be that big an arsehole. (For the record, I'm not actually kvetching here, I just think it's funny that after your team crushed ours, you felt the need to come in here and complain about sportsmanship. I hope I'm not the only one who found that amusing.)

 

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

I wonder if Ron Jacobson's got any eligibility left.

As I perused the record book I saw Jacobsen led the team with 11 goals. For the sesaon he had 12 points. Ron liked to shoot. Passing, uh, not so much.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

As I perused the record book I saw Jacobsen led the team with 11 goals. For the sesaon he had 12 points. Ron liked to shoot. Passing, uh, not so much.

He had that lightning-like 58 mile an hour slappah. And he skated like lava flowing up hill. A guy like that's got to shoot.

If I read it correctly, Ron only played for one season. That means he's got 3 years of eligibility left! Okay, so he'd be in his 80's. Get a waiver from the NC$$ for a specially modified walker, and he's good to go

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

A terrible, terrible showing against a team that was clearly both more talented and better prepared.

That said, I don't recall too many people having super-high expectations of this team heading into the season, and I certainly don't recall terribly high expectations ten or so games in. I think we should keep sight of the fact that in a very unpredictable year, the Pioneers kept their streaks of winning 20 games and making the national tournament alive.



Sounds like poor sportsmanship. I wonder if anyone would demonstrate similar poor sportsmanship by entering a team thread and complain about the coach's behavior after a game in which their team demolished the other. Nah! Surely no one would be that big an arsehole. (For the record, I'm not actually kvetching here, I just think it's funny that after your team crushed ours, you felt the need to come in here and complain about sportsmanship. I hope I'm not the only one who found that amusing.)

Right on both counts. As many observers more perceptive than I have noted, not much was expected of this team. Yet, somehow they saved their best efforts for the conference playoffs, where they won 4 straight elimination games to meet those two benchmarks: season victories and the NC$$ tournament. Inexplicably, they saved their worst outing for the biggest stage. I wonder how many times DU has trailed in any game, ever, 6-zip. It's a good thing there wasn't a bonus system in place or BC could have made it 10-zip. It's more than simply losing a game. It's looking like they didn't belong that hurts. What really hurts is it may have been more than merely looking like they didn't belong.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Does Peg apologize to Gwoz?

 

[duper]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

It's more than simply losing a game. It's looking like they didn't belong that hurts. What really hurts is it may have been more than merely looking like they didn't belong.

Agreed. This is what makes a side of me want BC to run the table, and to do so in similarly imposing fashion. The looking like our guys didn't belong there is a little hard to take.

 

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Right on both counts. As many observers more perceptive than I have noted, not much was expected of this team. Yet, somehow they saved their best efforts for the conference playoffs, where they won 4 straight elimination games to meet those two benchmarks: season victories and the NC$$ tournament. Inexplicably, they saved their worst outing for the biggest stage. I wonder how many times DU has trailed in any game, ever, 6-zip. It's a good thing there wasn't a bonus system in place or BC could have made it 10-zip. It's more than simply losing a game. It's looking like they didn't belong that hurts. What really hurts is it may have been more than merely looking like they didn't belong.

Bingo. I don't think Denver did belong, but--to use your word--I am not "hurt" by that because at no point during the season did this team show itself to be a legitimate NCAA championship contender. This was a mediocre team throughout the regular season. In the conference tourney it "caught lightning in a bottle" when the top seeds lost. Denver beat the number 3, 5 and 8 seeds to win the NCHC post-season title. Congratulations to Denver for winning the event, but the attrition of top seeds was of pre-eminent importance. Without Sam Brittain playing the lion's share of minuets in goal this season I think Denver would have posted a losing record in the regular season.

I've read that BC comes to Magness Arena next fall for a series. I'm confident the Eagles will suffer attrition through both graduation and early defections to pro hockey. Let's see what progress the Pioneers make in closing the sizeable gap between itself and BC. I think Denver would have had a difficult time beating Minnesota and Wisconsin this season had they faced them on a regular basis. To repeat myself, unless and until Denver gets increased scoring from its forwards I feel the team will be a pretender rather than a contender for a national title.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Occasionally you hear about heated high school rivalry basketball games played in closed gyms, to avoid fights. At some point somebody emerges (or perhaps they release white smoke) to announce the winner. That would have been my preference today. Having to watch them treat DU like road cones, and listen to the announcers trying to put lipstick on that pig, really hurt. Better somebody emerges with an envelope and a ditzy actress announces: the victory goes to BC, 6 to 2.

 

[Pablo]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Good comments, old pio and shot. As to the gwoz comment, some truth to it, but this team snuck into the tourney and was not one of gwoz's one or two seeds. So comment a bit off point. Just give credit to the bc first line for an absolutely epic game. That wrap around goal was a thing of beauty, and Sam was not himself today, either. Good to see Cowley with a solid game in relief.

 

[HoosierPioneer]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

I'll hope this was a learning experience for a team made up of 40% freshmen. If we can keep some players (21 and 4, notably) around, there's some potential here. Maybe not dominance, but potential to be a good, solid team. A month ago even being in the tournament seemed like a crazy idea. I think throughout the year Montgomery has gotten better with the media, he's had some good turnaround moments, and now has a year of head coaching in the college game under his belt, like the other freshmen do. Cowley has not looked bad in the few minutes he played this year.

I'm definitely looking forward to next season more than I was about this same time last year. Hat's off to BC, not much more to say about today's game.

 

[MagnessMan]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Agree with much of what has been written post game. Truth is BC can make a lot of teams look bad--and they can do it quick like they did today. Anyone who has been paying attention knew we were headed for a fiery death today. In other news...

What an amazing day of hockey! The Sioux/FSU and SCSU/Irish games were just fantastic! I really thought that Ferris outplayed the Greenies. If it hadn't been for Goldbrick the Bulldogs would be Philly bound. Whatever happens tomorrow we have a classic West/East bracket split for the FF. Just got tickets today. Should be great!

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Sometimes these games happen.

Not impressed with Montgomery's crybaby rant dropping F bombs in a quiet arena to the BC bench with about 7-8 minutes to play. The top line may play against you in a 6-1 game. You play 60 minutes. If you want a mercy rule go coach little league.

Having followed Monty for more than 20 years, I'm not especially surprised to hear that his behavior was less than stellar.

As a Maine fan, you can bet that I was in his corner Back in the Day, and none of us Black Bear fans will ever forget his potting three in the 3rd to beat Lake State in '93... And last off-season, most of us wanted him to take over at Maine for Whitehead, myself included.

Thing is, the great Paul Kariya spoon-fed him those goals, and he looked as though he was going to cry when PK was awarded the Hobey before the FF that season. (If you have any doubt about that, check-out the YouTube video of the Hobey presentation, when Paul dragged him up to the podium to receive equal credit; Monty looked as though his dog died that morning.)

That was a telling moment.

I don't root against Monty, but he seems to have certain character issues. I'm really happy that Maine chose Red over him right now, the undeserved AQ for Denver this season being neither here nor there in this discussion.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

Having followed Monty for more than 20 years, I'm not especially surprised to hear that his behavior was less than stellar.

As a Maine fan, you can bet that I was in his corner Back in the Day, and none of us Black Bear fans will ever forget his potting three in the 3rd to beat Lake State in '93... And last off-season, most of us wanted him to take over at Maine for Whitehead, myself included.

Thing is, the great Paul Kariya spoon-fed him those goals, and he looked as though he was going to cry when PK was awarded the Hobey before the FF that season. (If you have any doubt about that, check-out the YouTube video of the Hobey presentation, when Paul dragged him up to the podium to receive equal credit; Monty looked as though his dog died that morning.)

That was a telling moment.

I don't root against Monty, but he seems to have certain character issues. I'm really happy that Maine chose Red over him right now, the undeserved AQ for Denver this season being neither here nor there in this discussion.

Stick it in your ear. I'll ask again: didn't Maine used to have a nationally significant hockey program? The fact that you no longer do is not ameliorated by trolling here.

 

[theprofromdover]

I'll hope this was a learning experience for a team made up of 40% freshmen. If we can keep some players (21 and 4, notably) around, there's some potential here. Maybe not dominance, but potential to be a good, solid team. A month ago even being in the tournament seemed like a crazy idea. I think throughout the year Montgomery has gotten better with the media, he's had some good turnaround moments, and now has a year of head coaching in the college game under his belt, like the other freshmen do. Cowley has not looked bad in the few minutes he played this year.

I'm definitely looking forward to next season more than I was about this same time last year. Hat's off to BC, not much more to say about today's game.

BC dressed 3freshmen defensemen, 5 freshman forwards and an 18 year old freshman goalie last night.

 

[MichPieGuy]

Re: All Things Denver XXXVII

What an ugly way to end a yo yo season. I was gone and doing other things well before the end of the 1st period, and thankfully saw better hockey in Cincinnati and Minneapolis. Too bad from my perspective that Notre Dame/Boston Campus had such a walk-in-the-park game yesterday and will continue to get the ESPN gush-factor should they get by another source of NE/SPN gushes today. At least the main campus in Indiana got sent home by the Cloudies! I'll watch the Cloudies/Goofs game today and won't pay any attention to the other one and will watch the two Michigan schools play some bouncy-ball.

Here's hoping that Monty and assistants fill the cupboard with some talent and depth next year so that any late season successes will not turn out to be a one-week fluke. He still gets good first-season marks for doing at least something with, honestly, not much except an exceptional goalie. The grades start becoming more meaningful next season.

Go Cloudies, Go Still Sioux...