Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

[JMSF#1]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

The only negative I saw this weekend is that the defensive play can get pretty sloppy at times. It doesn't really matter that much when we are scoring 5+ per game, but as much as I'd like to believe we can consistently do that we are going to inevitably find ourselves in lower scoring games.

That and the penalties (although most of the calls were total garbage) need to be the main areas of focus moving forward.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Ya, I'm throwing out Friday's game in regard to giving up five just because they gave up 1 thru 40, the game was well over after that and things got a little bizarre.

As for Saturday, thought Samuelsson made a couple bad turnovers, but he also had one very nice breakup of Megan. First BU goal, Wey was a little out of position and there was no forward getting back to pick up Nieto. 2nd goal, gotta give BU some credit. Nobody could quite clear out their man and Muse couldn't cover the puck...Pereira beat Mullane to the rebound. Overall though, didn't think it was that bad. Right now there's a lot to be happy about.

11-5 (9-4)...5-1 in the last six. At this point last year they were 10-3-2 and that quickly turned into 10-6-2. They are in good shape with Kevin Hayes and Cross returning to the lineup soon. Next game against a Colgate team that hasn't won an ECAC game yet and is just 3-9-1. Can't lose that one like they did to SLU last year. BTW, look at the next five home games:

Providence
Lowell
UMass
Northeastern
UMass

They've gotten through the brutal first semester IMO and I would completely expect 10 points there.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Also, I know not everyone likes Spaz as the head coach, but thought it was pretty cool when they showed him. He wasn't looking at first, but then had a great reaction.

it was and ditto for the women's soccer coach.............about the pornstar moustache?? well, i have a moustache myself so i will reserve comment
also, on J.D's post, i think that 12-4 might be what we thought we'd be at this point so we aren't that far off despite the uneven play earlier but i like where we sit at this time............

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Congrats on the sweep. NO question the better team won on both nights.

I think BC IS that good but I really don't think BU is as bad as they showed Friday. At least Saturday's contest held my attention...

It was really a perfect storm of BC's strengths (speed, special teams, experienced forwards) against BU's weaknesses (Awful PP, young D).

Well BU has NU on Wednesday. It'll be interesting to see if they can put this behind them or if they'll still be shell shocked.

As knowledgeable fans, why do you suppose the BU PP is so poor? I'm just seeing a set-up and then a lot of passing.

Nobody moves w/o the puck and no one seems to take the puck to the paint in an attempt to move an opposition's player out of position.

Regardless, what's done is done. Congrats.

 

[JeffCMSB]

Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

Pine Tree Pucks has learned that Brian Dumoulin has made the USA World Juniors team that will compete in Buffalo December 19th through January 5th

LINK>>>>

10:45AM UPDATE - We had a chance to speak with Brian this AM, check it out.

 

[Slasher7]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Congrats on the sweep. NO question the better team won on both nights.

I think BC IS that good but I really don't think BU is as bad as they showed Friday. At least Saturday's contest held my attention...

It was really a perfect storm of BC's strengths (speed, special teams, experienced forwards) against BU's weaknesses (Awful PP, young D).

Well BU has NU on Wednesday. It'll be interesting to see if they can put this behind them or if they'll still be shell shocked.

As knowledgeable fans, why do you suppose the BU PP is so poor? I'm just seeing a set-up and then a lot of passing.

Nobody moves w/o the puck and no one seems to take the puck to the paint in an attempt to move an opposition's player out of position.

Regardless, what's done is done. Congrats.

BU, like most teams, struggled with BC's speed, especially Friday. What surprised me about BU this weekend was how badly Milan's play has fallen off. He was lights out in 2009 but appears extremely vulnerable now. I know he doesn't really have strong D-men in front of him (Warsofsky is a fourth forward realistically), so maybe that's part of it. Coyle and Nieto are keepers, but I dont think Clendening will do much. Its early, but he got turnstyled several times by BC's forwards this weekend.

Regarding BU's powerplay, everything moves thru Warsofsky so if BC can rush him at the point and limit his puck touches, BU's powerplay fizzles. They did a really good job of that for the most part all weekend, especially Saturday.

Good wins, on to Colgate.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Coyle and Nieto are keepers

absolutely, i liked them A LOT!

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

As knowledgeable fans, why do you suppose the BU PP is so poor? I'm just seeing a set-up and then a lot of passing.

Nobody moves w/o the puck and no one seems to take the puck to the paint in an attempt to move an opposition's player out of position.

Regardless, what's done is done. Congrats.

BC's pressure on the points caused BU's PP to sputter terribly. It's very tough to make a play out there with that much pressure. They are right on top of you and you NEED to move the puck or you're talking about a turnover and probably a breakaway (BC had 2 SHGs as it was and almost a 3rd as Whitney's breakaway Sat was like 10 secs after 1 expired). Additionally, that pressure took away shooting lanes. It's just super difficult to shoot in that situation with a guy on you that quickly. BC's shot blocking is fantastic to boot and they really convince you not to shoot when they get down on one knee and block the shooting lane with their chest. So they make the safe play and move the puck to the open guy. Problem is BC just kept rotating to the open man with absolute speed and precision. It was suffocating.

A few ways to try to beat this:
1) Shoot wide of the PKers from the point intentionally and crash the net. You can get some mighty nice rebounds off the backboards right into the crease like this and you have numbers down low if you can manage to get a good bounce.
2) Get it off to the wing and quickly get him to curl in behind the forechecker and throw it on net. That creates havoc as you have two guys on or behind that shooter and tons of room down low on that side the shooter comes from.
3) Get it off to the wing and bring your other wing into the slot which is open from the forechecker being so aggressive up high (passing lane should be wide open if you do it quickly)

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

You guys stole my thunder. It was obvious to me, even before Starman brought it up, that BC was simply not gonna allow the BU pointmen to beat them. Pressure the likes of Warsofsky/Clendening and simply make one of the forwards beat you with a great play. Ball's in Parker's court now. We'll see if he adjusts. I'd be curious to see if teams like UNH and Maine try to do the same thing to BU. Not only did BC dominate the BU PP, they also connected for two shorthanded goals and one goal that was a defacto SHG when Hayes broke up the play and sprung Whitney. Those three goals matched the 3/21 BU went on the PP (with all three coming in Friday's ridiculous game). Not sure what BU's PP percentage was coming into the series, but they were at 14% in the two games.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Thanks for the honest, hockey-talk, replies. Yeah, I agree with pretty much all of your points. Pressure the BU points and then the whole thing breaks down. Maine and UNH did do this with some success, but not with the same level I saw this past weekend.

It seems like the points couldn't/didn't shoot due to a lack of lanes and a lot of pressure which leaves the front 3 since BU wasn't plaing in an umbrella.

The front 3 can cycle the puck OK, but the nature of a cycle means that nobody is in front of the net (this includes the puck).

I think a BU forward needs the "take a chance" and take the puck to the crease in an attempt to pull a PKer out of position.

If somebody gives then you pass to someone who is presumably sneaking into the slot (from the point) or to the far post (from the wall).

If not then shoot it into the pads and crash the net.

This current pass, pass, cycle, poor angle shot just isn't cutting it.

FYI - According to my numbers BU's PP is 9% on the year and <5% if you rule out the Ice Breaker. That dog just won't hunt.

Regarding Millan. He has lost his touch lately. Last season he wasn't close to 2008-2009, granted the suporting cast. He was frequently out of position and giving up bad goals. It almost looked like he forgot how to skate at times.

Early this year it seemed he regained his championship form, but has certainly dropped off quite a bit lately.

It almost looks like he's on roller skates and on the ice at the same time...

 

[Boston22]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

It was really a perfect storm of BC's strengths (speed, special teams, experienced forwards) against BU's weaknesses (Awful PP, young D).

Well BU has NU on Wednesday. It'll be interesting to see if they can put this behind them or if they'll still be shell shocked.

As knowledgeable fans, why do you suppose the BU PP is so poor? I'm just seeing a set-up and then a lot of passing.

Nobody moves w/o the puck and no one seems to take the puck to the paint in an attempt to move an opposition's player out of position.

Regardless, what's done is done. Congrats.

I thought BU's powerplay would struggle this year, as they lost pretty much everyone from their 1st PP from last year (Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen, Bonino and Saponari). Connolly was their only returner from that PP, who didn't play this weekend.

I am actually surprised they have scored as many goals as they have this year at even stregth. I figured it would take them awhile to get going with so many young players playing pivotal roles for them (Coyle, Nieto, Clendening, Gill). I think they'll get better as the year goes on. Maybe they can get home ice. Only time will tell.

 

[Boston22]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

I took a look at BC's schedule in the second half of the year and something really stood out to me-- they play a home and home series with Northeastern the weekend after the Beanpot. That could mean 3 games against each other in 6 days! I don't know if I've ever seen this.

If anyone was handicapping the first round of the Beanpot right now, I think they would have to say BC would be favored to beat BU and Northeastern would be favored to beat Harvard (or possibly a toss-up). That would mean a BC-NU final. When was the last time this was the final?!?

 

[Hokydad]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

I took a look at BC's schedule in the second half of the year and something really stood out to me-- they play a home and home series with Northeastern the weekend after the Beanpot. That could mean 3 games against each other in 6 days! I don't know if I've ever seen this.

If anyone was handicapping the first round of the Beanpot right now, I think they would have to say BC would be favored to beat BU and Northeastern would be favored to beat Harvard (or possibly a toss-up). That would mean a BC-NU final. When was the last time this was the final?!?

I wouldnt say NU is a favorite vs Harvard.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

I took a look at BC's schedule in the second half of the year and something really stood out to me-- they play a home and home series with Northeastern the weekend after the Beanpot. That could mean 3 games against each other in 6 days! I don't know if I've ever seen this.

If anyone was handicapping the first round of the Beanpot right now, I think they would have to say BC would be favored to beat BU and Northeastern would be favored to beat Harvard (or possibly a toss-up). That would mean a BC-NU final. When was the last time this was the final?!?

Wow, good catch by you. That certainly would be strange. Last BC/NU final was back in 1983. You had me thinking, when's the last time BC beat BU in back-to-back first round meetings. Answer: it has never happened. Not that that means a hill of beans, but this year would be great to put an end to that

I wouldnt say NU is a favorite vs Harvard.

I would definitely say NU is a favorite. Not a huge favorite, but certainly at least a slight favorite.

 

[BCeagle]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

I took a look at BC's schedule in the second half of the year and something really stood out to me-- they play a home and home series with Northeastern the weekend after the Beanpot. That could mean 3 games against each other in 6 days! I don't know if I've ever seen this.

If anyone was handicapping the first round of the Beanpot right now, I think they would have to say BC would be favored to beat BU and Northeastern would be favored to beat Harvard (or possibly a toss-up). That would mean a BC-NU final. When was the last time this was the final?!?

I remember the first one by NU, Wayne Turner scores the game winner in 1980.

 

[sfo19]

Re: Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

Re: Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

Pine Tree Pucks has learned that Brian Dumoulin has made the USA World Juniors team that will compete in Buffalo December 19th through January 5th

LINK>>>>

10:45AM UPDATE - We had a chance to speak with Brian this AM, check it out.

Um...not to be nitpicky.

But TECHNICALLY he hasn't made it yet. The preliminary roster is being announced tomorrow. So he probably made that roster. There's still a few more cuts to be made that will be made at the camp coming up. Just sayin'...

 

[RockTheWhit]

Re: Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

Re: Brian Dumoulin makes US World Juniors Team

The preliminary camp roster will be announced Tuesday, but Dumoulin alluded to Kreider, Samuelsson and Wey joining him at camp. Kreider is a lock. Dumoulin has the inside track to a defensive defenseman role heading into camp. Last year, they took 2 solid defensive defensemen. It worked (they won gold), so I'd imagine they'd do something similar this time around. Dumoulin would fit this role.
As far as Wey and Samuelsson go, there should be 10 d-men at the camp for 7 spots. Nick Leddy, Derek Forbort, Jon Merrill, John Ramage are locks. Justin Faulk and Dumoulin are close, so they'd have to grab that last spot (barring something unforeseen happening with the roster announcement tomorrow).
Safe to assume that at least one BC defensemen is going though. Will they have enough guys to dress a full team in that holiday tournament?

 

[SteveF]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

mostly likely wey and samuelsson wont make that team.. so they will only be without the two guys you mentioned. both cross and kevin hayes should be back in time to fill in the holes.. cross being the lesser likely of the two. if not, joe whitney would presumably skate on defense and brooks dyroff would get back into the lineup at forward.

 

[RockTheWhit]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

mostly likely wey and samuelsson wont make that team.. so they will only be without the two guys you mentioned. both cross and kevin hayes should be back in time to fill in the holes.. cross being the lesser likely of the two. if not, joe whitney would presumably skate on defense and brooks dyroff would get back into the lineup at forward.

Thanks. I was under the impression that Cross wouldn't be back in time. Wey and Samuelsson seemed like longshots after the summer camp, but they still got the callback. Wey has impressed me more than Samuelsson, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him grab that last spot. He looked good this weekend and there had to have been plenty of eyes on him with how many possible WJC players were playing.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

Re: Boston College 2010-2011 In-Season Thread: Long Live The "Eagle" Empire!

we actually lead HE in attendance so far this year despite the attractive tuesday night game vs UML and the two sunday afternoon games...........a tad over 6000 per game, not bad