Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

[Lemonade]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

The college hockey landscape has perhaps changed more in the last 6 years (Parker's final year) than in the 1990s and 2000s. With realignment and the paradigm shift to rising programs building & sustaining success via mostly older players, it'll be interesting to see how the BUs, BCs, Michigans, Wisconsins, Minnesotas, NoDaks proceed.

I, for one, see Albie shifting BU's recruiting strategy. Even though I'm not a fan of the approach some programs have taken towards getting to where they are, I think the new norm to win in college hockey is to get older. The key is to find the right balance between the high-end NHL prospects and the 4-year players who can be impact players and not just roster fillers.

Exactly. Its a fine dance of finding "Good Players" that will be good but not good enough to leave the school early. Supplement them with guys that will stay 1 or 2 seasons. UMass resurgence is large in part to Makar bucking the trend and staying an extra season - that was lucky. NU has Davies who is 22 years old and is a junior along with Primeau. BC got hammered when their senior class left a few years ago and they still havent recovered. Of all schools I would say Providence has the blueprint to copy. Older guys, mix in some young guys but those guys who arent good enough to leave early every season.

 

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

If you're a BU hockey fan, whatever you do, don't look at the roster of returning forwards. It will make you cry.

I've just lowered by over/under to 9.5.

 

[chickod]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

Of all schools I would say Providence has the blueprint to copy. Older guys, mix in some young guys but those guys who aren't good enough to leave early every season.

Yeah. And who wants to watch that? I guess if you have insomnia it's good. What's great about watching BU, BC, NU etc is that they have high-end talent that produces an exciting game (even if they don't stay). It's a two-edged sword. You won't win the whole thing more that a handful of times, but the "dynasty" days are over anyway. If I'm going to watch a team who finishes 16th in the PWR every year and wins every game 2-1 as opposed to an exciting team who plays a flashy, wide open style but only wins everything once every 15 years, I'll take the latter.

 

[Lemonade]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I would say what Colby Cohen shares has way more significance than any of this babble this isn’t about blue chippers leaving early

I dont take one guys comments and think its fact. Did this BU team really get outcoached? Did BC get outcoached all season with York being behind the bench? It comes down to TALENT on the ice and BU has young talent but thats different from proven veteran talent that wins. Farabee had no issue putting up points. If Bobo was healthy I think BU wins the Beanpot and if Farabee was healthy I think BU at least gets by NU and is in the Hockey East Championship game. Parody is at an all time high and some players didnt produce and some were injured so its tough to put blame on someone. I dont think BU was outcoached this season but I think they were outplayed on some nights due to player effort.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I wish Agganis still posted here so he could try and explain how BU ended up in this position. The super recruiting of David Quinn has apparently turned out to be a negative in the long run.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

Players leaving to further develop in the AHL is absolutely a product of the perception of the coaching staff. I'd be very surprised if there isn't at least some turnaround at the assistant level this offseason.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

As of right now you're returning three of your top four forwards and five of your top seven. Adding a top 15 and maybe 10 pick plus two good USHL scorers.

You'll be fine at forward. Can't speak to the other positions.

 

[Lemonade]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

Yeah. And who wants to watch that? I guess if you have insomnia it's good. What's great about watching BU, BC, NU etc is that they have high-end talent that produces an exciting game (even if they don't stay). It's a two-edged sword. You won't win the whole thing more that a handful of times, but the "dynasty" days are over anyway. If I'm going to watch a team who finishes 16th in the PWR every year and wins every game 2-1 as opposed to an exciting team who plays a flashy, wide open style but only wins everything once every 15 years, I'll take the latter.

Absolutely. It was certainly an awesome season when Jack Eichel was here....you are either going to watch young future NHL players or older good college hockey players....I rather pay and watch the young studs as well.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I wish Agganis still posted here so he could try and explain how BU ended up in this position. The super recruiting of David Quinn has apparently turned out to be a negative in the long run.

It was always going to be high risk/high reward. Thought you'd get at least one title out of it. Think you might still have three first rounders next year so you'd still be in the same realm you have been.

 

[Lemonade]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

Players leaving to further develop in the AHL is absolutely a product of the perception of the coaching staff. I'd be very surprised if there isn't at least some turnaround at the assistant level this offseason.

I think thats a weak excuse. Farabee did fine. These high end players see college as a stepping stone and nothing more. A necessary evil before they get paid. Players want to sign that ELC as soon as possible so they start eating into that 3 year contract so they can become millionaires. If a NHL team wants you early and then most kids jump at it so the clock to getting that huge payday starts earlier. Its a selfish sport at this level...of course they want to win as a team but its more like 24 individuals playing with the same jersey until the next nicer jersey comes along.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

Its a selfish sport at this level...of course they want to win as a team but its more like 24 individuals playing with the same jersey until the next nicer jersey comes along.

I don't see this attitude from the best three teams in MN (and the country).

 

[Lemonade]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I don't see this attitude from the best three teams in MN (and the country).

Minnesota is also a different animal as they have the MN High School thing going for it and players stay there to play. Minnesota Gophers have 20 players from MN which is great since they have pride in playing for their state. BU has 9 from home state. Different animal. Technically the state school is UMASS and they only have 4 Mass residents.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I think thats a weak excuse. Farabee did fine. These high end players see college as a stepping stone and nothing more. A necessary evil before they get paid. Players want to sign that ELC as soon as possible so they start eating into that 3 year contract so they can become millionaires. If a NHL team wants you early and then most kids jump at it so the clock to getting that huge payday starts earlier. Its a selfish sport at this level...of course they want to win as a team but its more like 24 individuals playing with the same jersey until the next nicer jersey comes along.

My comment is less about Farabee and more towards some of the others that have left or are been rumored to be considering signing who would absolutely not step onto an NHL roster this year, and very likely would not next year. In that category: Krys, Farrance, Bowers, Harper.

Leaving early to go ride the bus indefinitely in the AHL is not the same as signing an ELC when you know you're going to be able to make the NHL roster in a year or so.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I think the news of Farabee's departure and the somewhat knee-jerk responses by BU alums in the hockey media is causing a continuous loop of knee-jerk reactions. I can understand why some might criticize the coaching based on both results and observations. However, to blame the coaching staff for the team's overall body of work and the early departures is a bit of an overreaction.

Based on its recruiting, I think the coaching staff definitely accounted for the probability of another off-season of high roster turnover. When taking a look at last offseason's transgressions and the construction of this year's roster, it simply wasn't a deep enough roster for BU to accomplish more without most everything going right throughout the season. Unfortunately a lot of things didn't go the way many around BU hockey had expected:

- Oettinger's inconsistency much of the season
- Major injuries to (Bobo, Krys, Wise)
- Regression by key players (Harper, Bowers, Cockerill, Krys)
- Midseason departure (Vidoli)

The 2nd & 3rd points forced bottom-of-the lineup players -- especially at forward -- to play regular shifts. It was clear as the season progressed roster depth was lacking in close games, where the bench was shortened out of necessity.

I've said this in a prior thread, but this BU team lost a lot more than just its head coach after last season. The size, skill and experience last year's team possessed that was so helpful down the stretch wasn't there. Think about the players lost and players who backfilled in this year's lineup:

2017-2018
Greenway
Tkachuk
Melanson
Crone
Phelps
Olsson
Hickey
Macleod
Diffley


2018-2019
Farabee
Wise (12 games)
Willman
Quercia
DeBoer
Cheremeta
Blixt
Vidoli (5 games)


If Bowers returns, that at least "stems the hemorrhaging". In order for BU to be as competitive as they need to be in HE, key returnees must elevate their games and the high-end Freshmen can hopefully be as good as advertised, and the older Freshmen can hopefully contribute in depth roles immediately. Not to mention they need to shore up the goaltending situation with finding someone to share duties w/ Purpura.

 

[ColinWilsonFan]

I think thats a weak excuse. Farabee did fine. These high end players see college as a stepping stone and nothing more. A necessary evil before they get paid. Players want to sign that ELC as soon as possible so they start eating into that 3 year contract so they can become millionaires. If a NHL team wants you early and then most kids jump at it so the clock to getting that huge payday starts earlier. Its a selfish sport at this level...of course they want to win as a team but its more like 24 individuals playing with the same jersey until the next nicer jersey comes along.

You are just wrong “blue chip” prospects don’t leave to sign ATO’s and not burn a year of elc and go play in AHL.. most D1 coaches tell their kids better off to stay at a good D1 program than to play in the AHL farabee is a good player scored a lot of goals look at the rest of his game ...

Add krys now to the mix and who else ? Come on reality needs to come into play here and bigger fear now about potential of decommits? Sometimes maybe not every job is good for everyone and people have to realize their strengths and what they are good at

 

[ColinWilsonFan]

I think the news of Farabee's departure and the somewhat knee-jerk responses by BU alums in the hockey media is causing a continuous loop of knee-jerk reactions. I can understand why some might criticize the coaching based on both results and observations. However, to blame the coaching staff for the team's overall body of work and the early departures is a bit of an overreaction.

Based on its recruiting, I think the coaching staff definitely accounted for the probability of another off-season of high roster turnover. When taking a look at last offseason's transgressions and the construction of this year's roster, it simply wasn't a deep enough roster for BU to accomplish more without most everything going right throughout the season. Unfortunately a lot of things didn't go the way many around BU hockey had expected:

- Oettinger's inconsistency much of the season
- Major injuries to (Bobo, Krys, Wise)
- Regression by key players (Harper, Bowers, Cockerill, Krys)
- Midseason departure (Vidoli)

The 2nd & 3rd points forced bottom-of-the lineup players -- especially at forward -- to play regular shifts. It was clear as the season progressed roster depth was lacking in close games, where the bench was shortened out of necessity.

I've said this in a prior thread, but this BU team lost a lot more than just its head coach after last season. The size, skill and experience last year's team possessed that was so helpful down the stretch wasn't there. Think about the players lost and players who backfilled in this year's lineup:

2017-2018
Greenway
Tkachuk
Melanson
Crone
Phelps
Olsson
Hickey
Macleod
Diffley


2018-2019
Farabee
Wise (12 games)
Willman
Quercia
DeBoer
Cheremeta
Blixt
Vidoli (5 games)


If Bowers returns, that at least "stems the hemorrhaging". In order for BU to be as competitive as they need to be in HE, key returnees must elevate their games and the high-end Freshmen can hopefully be as good as advertised, and the older Freshmen can hopefully contribute in depth roles immediately. Not to mention they need to shore up the goaltending situation with finding someone to share duties w/ Purpura.

“Oettingers inconsistency” you obviously don’t know much about hockey the guy had the 5-6 best save percentage in the country and a bad GAA why ?! Because he was facing an insane amount of shots per game in number and quality .. there was no defensive structure in front of him in any meaningful way oettinger was by far the MVP
Of this team in every way ... There isn’t enough time even to address the rest we all love the team and this program but we need to deal with reality and not wishful thinking ....

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

This guy's coming out swinging

 

[chickod]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

I think thats a weak excuse. Farabee did fine. These high end players see college as a stepping stone and nothing more. A necessary evil before they get paid. Players want to sign that ELC as soon as possible so they start eating into that 3 year contract so they can become millionaires. If a NHL team wants you early and then most kids jump at it so the clock to getting that huge payday starts earlier. Its a selfish sport at this level...of course they want to win as a team but its more like 24 individuals playing with the same jersey until the next nicer jersey comes along.

Right. Which is going to turn off even more fans, IMO. I'm not saying I have a solution. But don't you think that at least "some" of the attendance decline is a direct result of this? Fans like to identify with players on teams, and the constant merry go round is not conducive to that. I won't stop watching because it's impossible after 49 years. But many will, or will choose other forms of entertainment. And the players had better watch it also. Nothing lasts forever and at some point schools are going to realize that the benefits of these programs are starting to get negated by the reduction in revenue. It's not as if they're getting name recognition to attract a wider pool of students. College hockey is a niche sport. UCF got more recognition by almost upsetting Duke in the BB tournament yesterday than BU will get in ten years for their hockey program. If you never travel to other areas of the country it's hard to realize that. It's a fad with schools that just recently elevated the sport, like Penn State and Arizona State. But a few years of not reaching the pinnacle and their attendance will tail off as well. Once the revenue starts to dry up, there will be fewer places for players to go to gain that necessary "experience" to get to the next level. Like everything else, a good rule is "everything in moderation." Once the pendulum swings too far in one direction, you can bet it's coming back soon.

 

[chickod]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

This guy's coming out swinging

Not wrong though. My guess is you would have said the same about Woll. The defense in front of him was less than stellar...and it's pretty tough when you don't score any goals. BU struggled to score all year (or they had a couple of games where they scored in bunches to skew the average). It's very difficult to win games when you get behind 1-0 and start believing your chances have just gone down by 50%.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University 2018-2019 - Still Alive!

“Oettingers inconsistency” you obviously don’t know much about hockey the guy had the 5-6 best save percentage in the country and a bad GAA why ?! Because he was facing an insane amount of shots per game in number and quality .. there was no defensive structure in front of him in any meaningful way oettinger was by far the MVP
Of this team in every way ... There isn’t enough time even to address the rest we all love the team and this program but we need to deal with reality and not wishful thinking ....

Jake's second half of the season was outstanding, but he did have an inconsistent first half. 4 on 35 @ Mankato, 4 on 30 @ Mankato, 3 on 17 @ MC, 2 on 19 @UNH, 4 on 27 @UML, 3 on 30 BC, 3 on 30 @NU, 5 on 39 PC. You're right, some very high shot totals in there and of course not all of those goals are his fault but 8 of the 16 first half games he was <.900. That plus having seen every game in person with my own eyes, he let in a larger than usual number of ones he'd want back.

Fortunately he reversed that in the second half and single-handedly won numerous games and kept us in others that we had no business being in.