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Boston College 2024-25 TV * JG * MG

I had a bad feeling about this game. A lot of bad things happened, most of them self inflicted. It was NU's National championship game and they won it. They were the better team. There were at least 3 complete whiffs in open ice, Leonard's penalties, and Berard, with 5 minutes left takes a slash ??? WHat was he thinking. Whitehead was solid but he didn't have to stand on his head because BC fumbled a lot of great chances. Do they practice missing the net because they sure are good at it.
 
connor joyce is the only non top 6 player to score in the last 5 games
Terrible. Lineup changes must happen. Break up the top line and rearrange the top 6. One-line teams never work anyway. And give opposing coaches something to think about with regard to trying to get matchups (already hard as the road team since BC will be the home team the rest of the way).

Letourneau needs to be shut down and if Brown submits a lineup card with him in it in Manchester it should be a fireable offense before the puck even drops. Time to go older and more experienced.

Berard has to be LW3 and swapped with Sondreal as he needs to be getting more minutes and has a decent shot. Then I think you get creative with the fourth line, which may be seeing reduced minutes anyway. Dress Nolan Joyce and Michael Hagens as your extras and cobble a fourth line together with them and Sondreal/Shamburger and you have options on D as well if anyone gets booted (wouldn't surprise me) or hurt. I'd be curious to see the log of minutes last night. Skahan didn't seem to play much or maybe I just didn't notice him.

BC is 53rd in the country in faceoff % at 47.4%. In their losses, they are 43.6%; a negative delta of almost 4%. For reference, 43.6% would rank BC just slightly below the second to worst team in the country which has a 43.7% rate. Bentley, a possible opponent in Round 1 is 54% (9th in the country) and Holy Cross is 50.4% (28th). Providence, a likely Manchester pal, is 2nd in the country at 54.7%. Other possible bracket buddies... OSU 46th, DU 7th, QU 1st.

This is not going to end well.
 
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A few weeks ago the lineup was. Perreault-Gasseau-Leonard, Stiga-Hagens-Vote as top two lines.
Gasseau is not a center, but is forced to play there because we lack playmakers who can skate, pass and protect thru traffic. Andre has trouble skating thru center & maintaining possession and is easily stripped or ridden out. The solution was to head man the puck to Leonard who skates into the offensive zone with Perreault to set the table. It was starting to click and then Brown switched it up again late in a game to generate more offense.
Posma is a fourth line center at best, lacks speed & quickness, but forced up to line 3. He also is not really a center but ideally a winger, but is good on faceoffs.
I like Berard but only as a line 3 or 4 energy guy, who has a good shot. He is not a playmaker though and mostly a north south guy.
Sondreal is a guy who plays well and deserves a chance up with line two in place of Vote. He is gritty as heck, skates well, and very good on forecheck etc. Brown put him in recently in a OT game with Leonard ..
Brown asked for patience with Letourneau and he is at 0 goals with 3 assists, does not want the puck as a Center and his mates avoid passing it to him on breakouts because they sense his lack of confidence. Whether Brown feels pressured by Bruins or DL’s agent, I do not know. It really is embarrassing for DL. Brown, Bruins etc. He needs to go play in USHL or Canadian Jr. and see if he can develop there, lest he runs risk of having a short hockey career. Letourneau played only 4 minutes, Skahan 6 minutes, M. Hagens 3 minutes. NU basically played on 4 D men entire game.
Despite our lack of depth and missing Jellvik on line two, the team managed to run away with the #1 overall seed through the entire season.
I would put Michael Hagens back up at forward on line 3 or 4, as he can skate like wind, and has a good shot and offensive instincts.
 
Lenny Ceglarski territory? BC just changed coaches from York to Brown 3 seasons ago, and in year two, won the HE championship, regular season HE champs & lost in final game in Frozen four. We are #1 overall seed for NCAA tournament two years in a row.
Mike Posma plays on our 2nd power play unit. He has 4 goals/5 assists on the season. He would be a 4th line player on JY’s championship caliber teams.
We lack depth that was further depleted with Jellvik injury.
 
BC may still get the chance to win the Beanpot this year, but it would be played in St. Louis. Imagine all 4 Boston schools making the Frozen 4. As of now they are all no more than 5 games away from it happening. BC and BU 2 games to get there as they are both in. NU 2 wins and they are in the NCAA's while Harvard is 3 wins from getting there too. Of course they would have to all win (highly unlikely less than 1%) and they would have to be put in different regionals.
 
I had a ticket for last night. Woke up at 4am and couldn’t get out of bed. Made it to the ER at 8 to be diagnosed with a severe UTI and salmonella. Still in hospital. Sort of glad I missed it.
 
in order if they qualify: Harvard, Colorado College, Bentley or Holy Cross. However, Michigan could jump in front of Harvard in one case: that is if Michigan State and Minnesota are #1 seeds and Penn State and Michigan are #4 seeds. Penn State hosts in Allentown and the other #1seed would go there, leaving BC to face Michigan. Providence is more than 85% going to be there. They are at 85% for 8th and 15% for 9th so they will be there playing almost certainly either Ohio State or Denver.
Revised with today's results: BC will play in Manchester NH Friday March 28. Their opponent will be either the winner of Holy Cross vs. Bentley, or Michigan. Everyone else qualifying will be ahead of the AHA winner in PWR. Michigan only if there are 2 #1 B1G teams and 2 #4 B1G teams. In 2009 the precedent was set when BU had to play Ohio State rather than Air Force or Bemidji. Providence is more than 85% going to be there. They are at 85% for 8th and 15% for 9th so they will be there playing almost certainly either Ohio State or Denver with a tiny outside possibility PC plays Quinnipiac.
 
The Michigan thing is definitely a possibility which is wild but was something like 27% likely they would even make the field. That being said, I am not sure I would go too hard with the precedent angle. The committee has an out to do whatever they want if there are 5 teams from a single conference and this time it could be two conferences with 5 potentially so they may throw that all out the window to protect the #1. Not that BC deserves to be protected.

DU is taking care of business tonight in Game 3. 7 goals so far from 6 different players (3 Dmen). edit - now 9 goals from 8 different goal scorers.
 
I had a bad feeling about this game. A lot of bad things happened, most of them self inflicted. It was NU's National championship game and they won it. They were the better team. There were at least 3 complete whiffs in open ice, Leonard's penalties, and Berard, with 5 minutes left takes a slash ??? WHat was he thinking. Whitehead was solid but he didn't have to stand on his head because BC fumbled a lot of great chances. Do they practice missing the net because they sure are good at it.
Also were some unlucky bounces in front, Leonard hit another post (20 on season?). Agree on the penalties. Can not take those retaliatory types. Leonard was in alone a couple chances but too close to goalie which provided little angle to lift into net.. maybe a few days rest this week and then ramp up the practices to prepare for NCAA tournament..
 
2010 BC NCAA championship team-Ben Smith, Brian Gibbons, Dumoulin, Kreider, Jimmy Hayes, Mullane, Barry Almeida, Joe Whitney, Steve Whitney, Muse, Atkinson. That was a deep team. Almeida was playing on 3rd or 4th line as a Freshman because the roster was so stacked. He was a terrific penalty killer and player.
 
I agree with a lot of what is being said here. Bottom line is this: playoff hockey is different than regular hockey. Regular season juggernauts can turn into clowns real quick come the postseason. It's just completely different and you can read yourself a lullaby of hockey metrics and conclude BC was just unlucky to sleep better at night but those metrics don't really tell the story in the postseason.

They need to toughen up quickly and yes changing the lineup to do so would be wise.

I'd also like to point out that faceoffs are not all on the centers. If you lose them cleanly (Leonard on Saturday) that's one thing but the wingers are bad at getting in there and getting pucks as well. It's something that can be overcome but is exacerbated when you combine it with careless play with the puck. Puck management has also been a looming issue for a while going back to last year. Many other teams take care of the puck. I saw a bunch of instances where guys needed to get pucks deep (again playoff hockey) and did not and those can absolutely cream you in the postseason especially in the 2nd period with the long change.

Has anyone blown the #1 overall seed two years in a row? The effort is there but they have no heart. While Leonard is the kind of guy that could just go off and win a championship himself (Vanek/Gerbe come to mind) he's too busy crying to the refs and retaliating.

The Dean issue is one that looks bad on everyone. Put the kid in a terrible position. I'll blame Don Sweeney for now but as has been said this program owes Don Sweeney nothing. I for one appreciate that the students have chosen to support him.
 
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