Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

[Jofa]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

People, people, people.

The sky is not falling, step away from the edge.

What did everyone expect from this team going into the season?

Preseason my thoughts were:

- A good chance at a Beanpot. (Accurate)
- Likely get to the garden for Hockey East (disappointing there)
- On the bubble for NCAA (and actually were a notch above a bubble team.)

Candidly, this team is just about what I thought they would be. Take Eichel off last years team and I'm not sure we do as well as we did this year.

We seem to be moving in the right direction but the road will. It be without some potholes along the way.

Whether it was expected or not is not the point. When are they going to start getting better (new coach, supposed uptick in recruiting classes). I'm not ready to say "moving in the right direction" based on future recruiting classes alone. This years Frosh class good but didn't do much at the end of the season and the best of the lot they let get away.

 

[chickod]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

That would have been your solution?

No...I prefaced my remarks by saying "In the hindsight is 20/20 dept." It's just speculation...just something that came to mind when I thought back about the whole "If you want to play defense don't even bother to get on the plane" thing.

Only time will tell if the solution is as "dire" as some of us think...ahem...

 

[Mike799]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Good thing we told Piccinich we were too stacked at frwrd and didn't need him back this season. 66 pts in the OHL and is a 4th rd pick

 

[Tater]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Good thing we told Piccinich we were too stacked at frwrd and didn't need him back this season. 66 pts in the OHL and is a 4th rd pick

I'm pretty sure that's not what happened but whatever.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Some tidbits:

- The lack of confidence BU seemingly had since the Beanpot is a major head-scratcher It seemed like everyone was saying the right things about the team's confidence and readiness, but it hasn't been there the entire month.

- Secondary offensive scoring from Lane and Ahti during this period was non-existent. It's very easy to forget Ahti was playing thru a significant shoulder injury from the Quinnipiac game; from what I've been told Lane was also playing thru a lower-body injury that he's been dealing with for a while.

- Not having guys like Olsson, Roberto, Greer killed their forward depth the last 2 months. And frankly I don't think the coaching staff ever had much faith in the 4th line in 2nd half of season.

- From a player development and recruiting standpoint, there is a bit of overemphasis on the NHL factory aspect of the program. A huge focus on getting the 1st-2nd round NHL draft picks to the next level. I don't like programs that exclusively recruit overage players, but one has to wonder if having more Chris Connolly and Matt Gilroy types at BU may benefit the program from a maturity and leadership standpoint given the galaxy of potential future NHLers being recruited.

 

[buoldtimer]

For a team that had 3 d-men who played in the WJC, and a returning All American d-man, the play in the BU end of the ice over the past 3 weeks was very disappointing.

 

[Terrance]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Gentlemen, I have a friend that works for the boston herald and I'm told there is going to be some bad news coming out about BU hockey. Please stay tuned - I will update as soon as possible.

So someone at the Herald knew BU was gonna lose to DU by 5?

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

For a team that had 3 d-men who played in the WJC, and a returning All American d-man, the play in the BU end of the ice over the past 3 weeks was very disappointing.

Agreed. Very puzzling how they seemingly began to sputter out of control at both ends of the ice after the second ND series. At least they generally played well post-Beanpot against UML, UNH, and the first ND game. But after dropping the second ND game - in which they also played quite well - everything just fell off the rails. Two barely-there wins over a pitiful UMass team and then the a mediocre effort in UML game one and two consecutive awful games. I'm not one to assume what's in a player's head, but you have to wonder what was going on in the locker room among the leadership and the coaching staff in terms of gauging the pulse of the team over the last few weeks. There certainly wasn't a lack of ability, these guys massively shorthanded soundly beat QU on the road, beat DU, Michigan, Harvard, and Northeastern three times.

Some interesting thoughts from the Freep writers as well on the same topic: http://hockey.dailyfreepress.com/20...ed-at-notre-dame-but-what-exactly-went-wrong/

 

[defkit]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Lots of good points being made on here, some of which I agree with more than others.
- the season met my expectations, the poor play down the stretch was a huge disappointment.
- However, the two teams that we looked really bad against are both playing today to get into the Frozen Four. While I wish we were on par with them, I think it is clear that we were not this year.
- Let's also not forget the mid-season turmoil they went through, plus the Olsson injury, plus losing Letunov late in the process.
- As far as being an NHL factory, I would offer up Grzelcyk and O'Regan as evidence that not everyone here is just dying to move on. I'll wait to see how long JFK, Greenway, and McAvoy are here before I start getting concerned about this issue. That said, I agree it wouldn't be a bad idea to look at "older" freshmen. Which brings me to Letunov, based on the fact that he was drafted at least two years ago, it seems he would have been a little on the "older" side. Also, based on Steve Greeley's comments at the summer roundtable, I know this staff knows they need players that are going to be here for 4 years, will be good captains, etc.
- The play of the d was perplexing. Somerby started off the season well but seemed to struggle down the stretch. Hickey looked ok, but I was hoping for more given how sting he looked as a freshman. Fortunato did develop - he had a lot more points, and overall he did okay in his own end.
- As far as needing a clear #1 goalie, we certainly have a talented one coming in Oettinger. Whether he'll be able to step right in, who knows. At least we know he has played against D-1 teams already.
- The offense needed more pieces, clearly. Lane did develop, but cooled off down the stretch, as they pretty much all did. Lot's of talk of losing Eichel, let's not forget we also lost the second leading scorer in the nation in Rodrigues, and Hohmann. JFK, Greenway, and Carpenter are top three line material on most teams. With the talent at forward coming in next year (especially if Harper joins the mix as rumored), I think we will see significant improvement.

Overall, I'm not going to start worrying about the coaching yet. I do expect better in areas like the Power Play, but in my eyes, a three year window is not enough to start thinking about changes, especially with how well last season went.

Best of luck to the Seniors.

 

[Hokydad]

I'm pretty sure that's not what happened but whatever.

Good for him. 60 points in ohl and 4rd pick means low AHL at best prob ECHL

 

[BUPhD]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Other than the seniors, is anyone planning to bolt? I can't say any of them really seem ready.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Good for him. 60 points in ohl and 4rd pick means low AHL at best prob ECHL

which is top 6 for our boys based on what we saw this season.

 

[defkit]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Other than the seniors, is anyone planning to bolt? I can't say any of them really seem ready.

One name that comes to mind is Somerby - most assumed he would be gone but there was talk not too long ago that he may want to come back. I suppose Hickey could leave if the Flames wanted him to. Other than that, I can't think of anyone that is either ready for the AHL at worst. JFK and Greenway, as promising as they look, certainly need at least one more year. The other question is whether any of the fringe guys might leave due to concern over not getting playing time. I think Kelley and Lawrence will be seniors, correct?

 

[Rover]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Really have to put the spotlight on Quinn for this one. The Curse of Jack Parker strikes again. Parker coached teams had a maddening and consistent ability to not show up for big games. Quinn at this point is causing similar concerns. I was expecting a letdown year, but getting blown out in the NCAA's with the talent they have is a joke. In their last 3 playoff games they got outscored 15-4 and one of those goals was with 13 seconds left during a 7-1 a s s beating. Yikes.

Much, more more disturbing (aside from breaking down in front of his players after the game ) is how Quinn stated he felt the team took a turn for the worse after the ND series. Great, coach, you diagnosed the problem weeks ago but couldn't do anything to light a fire under the team? How much money is the school paying you? Parker used to do this crap all the time as well, saying how he knew the team would have a bad game because they were lousy in practice all week. Hey Coaches, its your freakin' JOB to correct these things ahead of time.

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

One name that comes to mind is Somerby - most assumed he would be gone but there was talk not too long ago that he may want to come back. I suppose Hickey could leave if the Flames wanted him to. Other than that, I can't think of anyone that is either ready for the AHL at worst. JFK and Greenway, as promising as they look, certainly need at least one more year. The other question is whether any of the fringe guys might leave due to concern over not getting playing time. I think Kelley and Lawrence will be seniors, correct?

Somerby was a -4 against Denver. Hickey, and especially McLeod, had better years as freshmen than sophomores. They all need to come back for their own goods.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

There was a lot of buzz Somerby would leave, though an Islanders reporter recently tweeted he'd heard Doyle would come back for his senior year. He's a shoo-in for captain if he returns. I've read a few places that Calgary may push hard on Hickey to leave. Other than that, I think we'd have to look out for transfers or guys leaving for PT reasons. MacLeod certainly comes to mind, perhaps a forward or two. Especially with the abundance of talent coming in the freshman class, you have to wonder if a few of the guys on the bottom two lines might think they'd have more of a chance to play elsewhere.

 

[BUPhD]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

I suspect playing time and/or "you're not going to develop there enough" would be more the reasons for leaving than "you're ready for the big time." At least this means a fairly solid return rate I guess. But we lose some key guys too. It'll be important that returners step up and take leadership on the ice.

 

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

A few thoughts on The St. Paul Suck-Job.

Have we all forgotten that this team was a third period assassin last season? They were dripping with character and won a number of big games. I'm not ready to flush DQ's coaching career based on a small sample size (Two). Yes, the end of the year was very disappointing. This team totally lost their way after the Beanpot (Our real National Championship game, right?)

As a matter of fact, the drop-off was so severe I do wonder if there is something else going on.

Next year should be a bounce back to contending for a FF slot. If not, we'll talk.

BU Hockey: We Expect Better

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

Next year should be a bounce back to contending for a FF slot. If not, we'll talk.

dunno.... mookie expects a lot of "we're young" excuses again..... peeps waiting for the freshman class to develop and come back strong in 17/18 with the NEW RECRUITS!

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2015-16 thread part 3 - The Postseason

As a matter of fact, the drop-off was so severe I do wonder if there is something else going on.

Another close heartbreaking loss on Garden ice... I remember walking out of there that night with a thought in the back of my head that they wouldn't recover from that and the year was effectively over. Hard not to think the PC game hung over their heads for the whole year. At some level, you can't coach that out of their minds.

Another point, they kept talking on the broadcast about how many people we had back from last year's team, yet only two of our top-six forwards and four third- and fourth-liners who started in the PC game were suited up this weekend. Yes, the entire defense was back, but there were some major changes up front to the roster from last year. Add in the Piccinich departure, Letunov not being admitted and you end up with a far different roster than Quinn had seemingly projected for this year. Sub in Olsson, Roberto, Letuonov, and even Piccinich or Greer to our lineup and I suspect we have a far different level of success. No Kelley, Robbie and Cloonan probably sit due to lack of production, Andren and Udahl likely aren't added to the roster, the fourth line of Moran-Phelps-Olsson that was very productive when in tact during the fall can stay together, and Quinn has options of forwards to sub in and out. Realistically, despite guys who weren't producing offensively, Quinn had no options to sub into the lineup at forward by the end of the year. Before we all go throwing Quinn under the bus, it's worth considering all of these roster moves that were largely out of his control and tied his hands in terms of how to respond to poor play down the stretch.