Re: Boston University 2019-2020
While I couldn't help wonder when we were up a goal late if a run all the way to the conference championship game could somehow get them an at-large bid, I'm guessing it wasn't really possible. With that in mind, the optimist in me says - this is an okay team that can play well at times, and they nearly won a road game in an arena they don't do well in. The NCAAs are only possible with a nice run in a couple weeks. Get a W tonight, play well next week against BC (win or lose) then at least split with NU and maybe they can find the right time to get hot...
IMO, this is the double-edged sword you get with high profile (high draft picks) players. They seem to play better when the lights are turned way up. Just to name a few examples...the NCAA regionals win over North Dakota (McEvoy to Keller), the HE Championship that they had to win to get in, the Beanpot win over BC, the "almost" win vs NU. But then look at the losses to Sacred Heart and Merrimack (no disrespect to their TEAMS, but this team seems to go through the motions when they play a game such as, oh, what the heck, "Some throwaway game up in Rochester.") Might as well use that reference since this is the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice!
I don't know the answer to this, and I'm not sure there is one. This is the path (as has been discussed seemingly forever on this board) that BU has chosen. Stock up on one and dones and try to catch lighting in a bottle. Other schools take a different approach. Try to build the program from the ground up and then win with older, experienced players who stay three or four years. Not saying which is right, but just pointing out the pitfalls of the first approach. A good analogy is an organization like the Red Sox, who seem to "decide" when they want to "load up" with free agents and stars so they can win, and then the next year dump salaries and perform terribly. There's no middle ground with that strategy, because there is no continuity from year to year. So you hope they jell so they can win one, but then you understand that it's probably not going to happen again for a few years. And, realistically it DID work. 2015 was won until [we all know what]. Then Eichel left and we had to start over. But "start over" is still hit or miss. You won't win every year, regardless of what "stars" you might bring in, because they are basically mercenaries and you don't know how they are going to fit in. Right or wrong, this is the strategy that BU has pursued for YEARS now, so we might as well get used to it. The world has changed and we are no longer going to be "perennial" contenders, so if anyone has that expectation, they need an attitude adjustment.
But the BIG question is, "Is this the right strategy given the heightened emphasis on the PWR the last few years?" Because the PWR rewards consistency. We could make the case that, on a good day, BU is BETTER than many of the teams above it in the rankings, but it doesn't matter. It's tough to HAVE TO win the HE tournament every year just to get to the NCAA's because they squandered opportunities throughout the season. It's nice to be able to play well in big games, but you have to GET TO the big games first, and they don't leave themselves any margin for error. Many contend that is the coach's fault. Although I am sure that is a factor, my personal belief is this is what you get with high-profile players that have their hearts set on loftier goals. They can't maintain that edge every game like the grinders do. Don't forget that the Beanpot was televised all over North America (NESN, NHL Network, TSN). Some may think it's a coincidence that they played well in both games - both in prime time all over the continent - I don't.
Some also say it could be a "leadership" issue. Yes, I agree. The 2009 team won because of its senior leadership. But that's the point. How is a one and done freshman going to come in and be a leader? First of all, you need credibility, and it takes time to earn respect. Second of all (and this is not assigning blame - again, it's just the way it is), how engaged is that guy going to be when he's out of here at the end of the season?
I think we have discussed ALL of these things for years now, but many just don't seem to want to accept the new reality. This is not the BU hockey powerhouse that we are used to seeing contend for a national title every year. It just isn't. That fact is NOT disputable. They is WAY too much talent spread out all over the country for that to happen. I think what people are afraid of, though, is that in addition, we are dangerously close to dropping out of "blue blood" status. And that is NOT acceptable to many people. But I'm not sure we can control that either. When you have giant state schools (for those of you who remember the comic strip "Tank McNamara" - "Enormous State U") with HUGE fan bases and endowments, particularly for sports, such as Penn State, and even UMass and UConn more recently, it's tough to compete if they are going to commit to spending those resources to win. UConn had 5,653 there last night (I wasn't there, but from TV it sure looked that was a pretty accurate count). We haven't had that in years at Agganis (OK, Sean, I'm putting you to work here...but even if we have, it's once in a blue moon.
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