BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

[mookie1995]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

alright, eddie murphy can play more than a cop or a donkey. he is very good in coming to america and of course in trading places (close 2nd for best evah american movie).

funny, but that means that aykroyd is the only common bond in both movies... i am not sure what that tells us.

 

[Scarlet]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

trading places (close 2nd for best evah american movie).

One of those movies I will watch whenever it is on, no matter what point of the movie it's at.

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I can't say that I was overly impressed by Merrimack.
I was very impressed with Canatta. And that Merrimack worked hard and played good team defense. But there wasn't one skater that made you open your eyes like Da Costa did.
I'll be surprised if they end up in the Top 10.

Two dubious penalties did BU in last night, and credit to the Warriors for being opportunitic.

Escobedo taking a cross-checking penalty way behind the play while BU had a breakaway was just plain dumb. Escobedo has been making a lot of bad decisions over this season and last. He played much more within himself, when he wasn't really ready, as a freshman.

I'm not sure that I've seen a penalty called in the situation that Coyle's was called. Too bad, because Coyle had played a good overall game to that point.
But to get called for penalty in the offensive end, while on a powerplay, holding a 2-1 lead, with under 3 minutes left and AT HOME was an amazing series of coincidences.
Anyone who thinks that Parker has the referees in his back pocket and gets all of the calls only needs to look at that one.
Which team is at home, and what the game situation is, should not matter -- to good officials. But we all know that it does.
The interference call was marginal at best. I didn't think it was a penalty ... and to call it when they did??? Wow!

Pulling the goalie for a 6-on-4 skating advantage was the thing to do, and Merrimack worked for a goal.
Then a fluky bounce decided the game in OT. BU should never have left themselves in that situation, and had it not been for Canatta, the game would have been over after two periods.

The fact that Merrimack won the game by throwing the puck toward the net should be an eye-opener for BU, particularly when it concerns the woeful powerplay. When you put the puck on net, or get it toward the net, good things can happen, and often do.

How to fix BU's powerplay???
1. Scrap the fancy passing.
2. Stop the pointmen from passing up so many shots for passes. Encourage them to shoot more.
3. Make sure the wingers crash the net when the shots are coming from the point.
4. Don't play dump-and-chase so much. The personnel is there that can carry the puck into the offensive zone and make things happen.
In another words, make it simple, trust your talent and shoot, Shoot, SHOOT!

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I'd add to the post below on the PP, move the puck with a purpose. It seems the point men pass it back and forth in sort of a "here, you see if you can do something" kind of way. This also leads to hesitation, which allows the PK men to recover and set up to block a potential shot. Move it swiftly with a purpose, keep the PK on it's toes, don't let them set up and come out to pressure or block a shot, then throw it at the net and be able to get a rebound with the PK still trying to recover.

 

[joen05]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Was the day we moved to Agganis the same day that ended the team skating out of the tunnel to the music from the Blues Brothers?

And when did we switch to wearing the helmets during warmups? (Sometime last year I believe?)

As a former band member, they still play that song at the beginning of every period, but now it's mixed with "shippin' up to Boston", and the intros now include the video, so the band can't play it when the team first comes on.

 

[carltonbarrett]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I can't say that I was overly impressed by Merrimack.
I was very impressed with Canatta. And that Merrimack worked hard and played good team defense. But there wasn't one skater that made you open your eyes like Da Costa did.
I'll be surprised if they end up in the Top 10.

They're undefeated, #1 in the PWR right now and you'd be surprised if they finished top 10? So who do you think is going to finish ahead of them? BC, MN, MI, maybe CC and DU. Who else?

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Certainly on pace to get a HE playoff ticket refund this year. I know we have some games in hand on most teams but this is sobering. Eighth place? Hopefully the team thinks so too.

 

[J.D.]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

No losses to HC or UMass-Amherst. No. That is not a shot at BC and BU, but it's just pointing out you still have to win the games.

Hey now, don't compare losing at UMass to losing at home to HC

UMass is now 4-4-2 and has a positive goal differential...not quite as terrible as everyone might think. Seeing NU at 1-7-2 is bizarre given how tough they've played BC and MC.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Hey now, don't compare losing at UMass to losing at home to HC

UMass is now 4-4-2 and has a positive goal differential...not quite as terrible as everyone might think. Seeing NU at 1-7-2 is bizarre given how tough they've played BC and MC.

I couldn't agree with you more. I've seen NU play four times now and have been impressed with them. They skate hard and seem pretty solid, yet cannot win and they have played more league games than anyone else. UMass-Amherst looks awful at times and real good at times. Hard to figure them.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I couldn't agree with you more. I've seen NU play four times now and have been impressed with them. They skate hard and seem pretty solid, yet cannot win and they have played more league games than anyone else. UMass-Amherst looks awful at times and real good at times. Hard to figure them.

NU will certainly go something like 1-1-1 against BU. They always play BU tough.

 

[Jofa]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

or you start to realize how far Mack has come which i think from this seat is more startling (and i dont buy that the BU program has fallen to the depths some have expressed on this thread , see 2009)................ya, i know, some will say this is another sandbagging post

2009 = unintended consequences. Parker might have "retired" by now if it wasnt for all of those own goals that helped give them the title. It was a great story but now BU is most likely going to be 3 straight years on the outside of the NCAA's and 4 out of 5, thats the depths by BU standards (or standards I would hope the fanbase would have). Parker has destroyed the program he built how ironic.

 

[Salvo1017]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

But there wasn't one skater that made you open your eyes like Da Costa did.
I'll be surprised if they end up in the Top 10.

I think that is the precise reason why they will end up in the Top 10. 16 players out of 22 eligible skaters have registerred goals this year...

How's that group full of NHL draft talent working out for you? I'll take my team, over any one super player, or even a group of super players who won't play together, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[collegefan06]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I think that is the precise reason why they will end up in the Top 10. 16 players out of 22 eligible skaters have registerred goals this year...

How's that group full of NHL draft talent working out for you? I'll take my team, over any one super player, or even a group of super players who won't play together, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I completely agree with you. I believe BU's recruitng high profile draft picks without concern for how they fit into a team, character and wanting to win for the school versus take the next step as quickly as possible is one of BU's issues.

 

[carltonbarrett]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

As much as I believe the Mack is easily a top 10 team and as much credit as I give Dennehey for turning things around, I still see a lot of 23 and 24 year olds on their roster, which is the easiest way to turn things around quickly. Granted the Mack isn't going to out recruit the BC's, BU's and Michigans of the world for the top 18 year old talent, so they don't have many options, but still slightly unfair in my eyes when you have grown men oftentimes competing against teenagers.

 

[quiddlet]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I have an extra ticket to the BC game today I'm trying to get rid of for face value (20). E-Mail me at quiddlet@gmail.com if interested...
I'll be at the game so it won't be hard to meet up.

 

[Salvo1017]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

As much as I believe the Mack is easily a top 10 team and as much credit as I give Dennehey for turning things around, I still see a lot of 23 and 24 year olds on their roster, which is the easiest way to turn things around quickly. Granted the Mack isn't going to out recruit the BC's, BU's and Michigans of the world for the top 18 year old talent, so they don't have many options, but still slightly unfair in my eyes when you have grown men oftentimes competing against teenagers.

Unfair? Having a student body of 2000 kids, an athletics budget that probably looks like a pea next to a boulder, and you think the fact that we have kids that are 2 or 3 years older than the average is unfair?

BC seems to be doing fine with a young roster?

 

[mookie1995]

Unfair? Having a student body of 2000 kids, an athletics budget that probably looks like a pea next to a boulder, and you think the fact that we have kids that are 2 or 3 years older than the average is unfair?

BC seems to be doing fine with a young roster?

your examples (excuses) are no reason you have have older aged canadians). ((and not that there is anything wrong with it, some kids (adults) develop later on after their classmates have gone onto school))

 

[steakbomb]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Cisse just anihilated a BC D-man. Like the way he plays the game.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I'm not really sure why people have a problem with it. If you prevent the MC's, LSSU's, etc of the world from having older kids, the level of play will go down dramatically. I like seeing good hockey. There is no rule against it. Merrimack cannot compete for 18 year old local talent with BU and BC for lots of reason like location, history, academic profile, etc.

I'd like to look over the HE All-Academic teams over the years, but these "over aged Canadians" have always done very well in school and been great in the community. I've followed Merrimack for a long, long time and they have been classy individuals.

Give it a rest.

 

[Salvo1017]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

your examples (excuses) are no reason you have have older aged canadians). ((and not that there is anything wrong with it, some kids (adults) develop later on after their classmates have gone onto school))

Not meant as examples or excuses or reasons as to why we have older aged canadians on the team. They were meant as examples of showing why us having them isn't unfair. Perhaps more like an equalizer?

Maybe Parker should follow suit? If he can't get the young kids to buy into the BU system anymore and play as a team maybe he'd have better luck with the older gents? I dunno. All I know is "wah wah we lost because their average age is 3 years older" sounds a lot more like an "excuse" than anything I wrote...