Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

[btg1204]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Looking ahead to next season, BC and Maine look strong barring no early departures. BC loses Sneep and Smith but return the line of Whitney, Atkinson and Gibbons. Maine looks loaded with their roster. BU may fall a bit if they keep losing players to the pros. Merrimack may crack the top-4 in HE.

Provided no one leaves (Hayes & Kreider are not ready), next year's team is going to be absolutely stacked odds are ranked #1 going into 2010-11. The main problem I see is losing the grinder line of Price, Lombardi, & Almeida. They have been able to shut down the other team's #1 and be big on the PK. While we might have all the guns next year we do need some shut down forwards.

 

[JMSF#1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

I can see someone like Alber playing a similar role that Lombardi has. Is it just me or does it always seem like he makes a good decision with the puck...nothing too flashy but he's not going to turn it over.

 

[jdevoejr]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Amen! I'm ticked off that this is coming up at all now, while the men's hockey team is getting ready to head for Detroit.

Couldn't this wait until after the FF, or , better yet, be done right after the basketball season (when they were eliminated in the ACC tourney)?

Having this in the news right now is no big deal. With hoops finishing up this weekend it'll be ancient history by early next week. That being said, in addition to next years first line I absolutely love the way Mullane, Carey and Almieda play this game. They'll give you goals and might be your checking/shutdown line as well.

 

[btg1204]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Devoe, those are the three names that initially popped into my head.

Also the leadership, I love what Smith, Lombo, & Price all represent as captains. Hard working, not the most gifted, follow my lead type players. I also love how there is a separation between the best players and the captain. Should be interesting...

That being said, let's get #4 in 2 weeks.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

So the attendance issues at BC are more to do with the move to the ACC because the regional rivalries aren't there?

I believe this to be absolutely true...........obviously the team isnt that good lately and the shortsighted would say that is the reason, i think not .

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

The reason for the attendance issues are twofold:

1) Because the basketball team sucks.
2) Because no one on campus gives a crap about the team because they are their own little clique. They don't get involved on campus and keep to themselves. Whenever there is a pep rally, for example, they always decline to attend.

There is a stark, stark contrast between that and how the hockey team is perceived on campus.

i know we are supposed to talk hockey but this may be an insight to more underlying issues............assuming this post is true i think it was time for skinner's departure. Imagine a hockey rally and Jerry not REQUIRING the hockey players to attend???? not that they wouldn't anyway. WOW! the only question is IF the basketball team acts like this and is perceived in this manner, why do more students attend their games than attend hockey games?

 

[RENCEB]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

..... Drain your bank account dry, you won't remember what you spent those dollars on 10 years from now if you don't go, but you won't forget going there for the rest of your life, so just make it happen.....

AMEN!!! Did something like this in 1977, Merrimack @ Ohio State; 16 in Winnebago. A roadtrip that still makes us laugh our *****e$ off when we get together! GO FOR IT!!

 

[JMSF#1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Lombardi is supposed to be on NESN SportsDesk following the Bruins game

 

[brightonjohn]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Provided no one leaves (Hayes & Kreider are not ready), next year's team is going to be absolutely stacked odds are ranked #1 going into 2010-11. The main problem I see is losing the grinder line of Price, Lombardi, & Almeida. They have been able to shut down the other team's #1 and be big on the PK. While we might have all the guns next year we do need some shut down forwards.

Very good point about losing Price and Lombardi. I never really gave them enough credit because they don't put numbers up - usually at least - and totally overlooked their defensive contributions to the team. Can't find their +/- numbers anywhere, but I'll bet they're pretty good.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Price +5
Lombardi +8

Pretty good when you consider they're often out there against other teams top lines.

 

[Federal League]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Very good point about losing Price and Lombardi. I never really gave them enough credit because they don't put numbers up - usually at least - and totally overlooked their defensive contributions to the team. Can't find their +/- numbers anywhere, but I'll bet they're pretty good.

They're actually the worst of any of the forward lines, but that's actually to be expected from any checking line. They're consistently matched up against the opponent's top line -- obviously they're gonna get scored on more. Combine that with the fact that they don't score much themselves and, well, you get a not-so-great plus/minus. The best checking line I've ever seen was the Red Wings' "Grind Line" of the late 90s, and like BC's checking line, it usually hovered around an even rating. Think of it this way, though -- an even rating means your fourth-best scoring line is scoring just as much as the top lines it's matched up against. I'll take that any day.

Edit: As J.D. pointed out, those ratings are very good for a checking line.

 

[FiveHole12]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Very good point about losing Price and Lombardi. I never really gave them enough credit because they don't put numbers up - usually at least - and totally overlooked their defensive contributions to the team. Can't find their +/- numbers anywhere, but I'll bet they're pretty good.

Here's the +/- Stats.

Lines like the Lombardi-Price-Almeida line are very tough to replace. They are the grinders that wear down the opponent's best and contribute to the team in so many ways that don't show on the score sheet. Gannon-Greene-Bertram were as good as there was in that role in 2008. We struggled without them in '09.

I can see Alber with Almeida next season... who's gonna be honored to be the 3rd player to fill out that line?

 

[JMSF#1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Here's the +/- Stats.

Lines like the Lombardi-Price-Almeida line are very tough to replace. They are the grinders that wear down the opponent's best and contribute to the team in so many ways that don't show on the score sheet. Gannon-Greene-Bertram were as good as there was in that role in 2008. We struggled without them in '09.

I can see Alber with Almeida next season... who's gonna be honored to be the 3rd player to fill out that line?

Gannon-Greene-Bertram was very good...the problem for the year after was that all of these guys graduated that spring. Fortunately, Almeida will be back and Alber appears as though he can fit in well there. The third on that line will have to sort itself out...

No doubt Price and Lombardi will be missed, but I don't think there will be quite the dropoff as there was in 08 with all three guys leaving.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

If things go as planned, I'd expect the top line to remain intact.

Let's say Kreider and Hayes both return. You lose Smith. To me, I want a similar type player who can cycle with this line. I look at a guy like Paul Carey to replace Smith on that line, but it really is too hard to project when you factor in incoming freshmen.

One thing to consider is Almeida becoming more of a threat on a scoring line. I think he's shown he can do that.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Just listened to Gene D and hear this a lot...

When did the word "program" become "progrum"

 

[Zudnic]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

One thing to consider is Almeida becoming more of a threat on a scoring line. I think he's shown he can do that.

I suspect that Almeida is Dan Bertram all over again - the highly touted recruit with all the talent in the world who never quite lives up to his potential.

 

[JMSF#1]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

Nothing earth-shattering in the Lombardi interview...he was talking about how the Jrs. and Srs. want to be able to share the experiences after winning a title (going to the White House, Bruins and Sox Games etc.)

Lombardi is a great representative of the hockey program.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

I don't think Almeida had the hype of Bertram. Yes, big things were expected of him, but he's come on the 2nd half of the year. 7 goals last year, 8 this year. Given a role on a scoring line I don't think it's a stretch to see him with 12-15 goals next year.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

I don't think Almeida had the hype of Bertram. Yes, big things were expected of him, but he's come on the 2nd half of the year. 7 goals last year, 8 this year. Given a role on a scoring line I don't think it's a stretch to see him with 12-15 goals next year.

Almeida was once very hyped, but had a very, very serious injury his last year in preps or juniors, if I remember correctly. I believe it is just great he is still playing. Someone with a better memory/more direct involvement with BC can probably give more details.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston College Hockey Thread: Frozen once again

You are correct. Something to do with an exploding bottle of some sort...