BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

The current NHL collective bargaining agreement does not help. The reality of it is there is more pressure than ever on NHL teams to sign their drafted prospects who choose the NCAA route before they complete their 4 years' eligibility. With most of these players being drafted the Summer before their Freshman year, the clock starts ticking already 'til August 15th 4 years after their draft year.

It's a known risk the current BU staff is taking with building/sustaining the program. In many of these cases, getting even 3 productive years out of these players is considered a success. Guys like O'Regan and Grzelcyk (drafted prospects who played all 4 years) are becoming more of an exception.

Having said that, in looking at BU's incoming class for 2017-2018, Bowers may be the only one that may leave before his Senior year. It's a class that may not be as high-end in talent, but stocked with players that will very likely be 3-4 year contributors the way O'Regan, Grzelcyk, Lane, Ahti, Hohmann, Rodrigues recently were.

A sources from inside USA Hockey tell me that Brady Tkachuk will be "high end talent," too.

 

[Scarlet]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Not to derail this conversation that fans of so many schools are saying "I wish I had such problems!" - I just saw that both remaining Friday games are at 6:05pm and televised on NESN and ASN. OK, carry on.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

A sources from inside USA Hockey tell me that Brady Tkachuk will be "high end talent," too.

Yes that's what I've heard as well. May not be as prolific a player as his brother at same age, but has big upside.

Reason why I didn't include him yet is b/c he's not eligible for the draft 'til 2018 b/c of his late '99 DOB. Thus, I feel optimistic he'll likely be a 3+ year player.

 

[wysi]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Not to derail this conversation that fans of so many schools are saying "I wish I had such problems!" - I just saw that both remaining Friday games are at 6:05pm and televised on NESN and ASN. OK, carry on.

The calls for having "less talent" are astounding.

 

[Hank81]

And that would be good news IMO. The whole has to be greater than the sum of its parts, so the team with the most talent doesn't always win. As they say, "That's why they play the games." Sometimes teams with lesser talent play better as a team. And that's something I would be better able to support. I'd rather see good team play as opposed to disjointed, individual play. It's frustrating to watch a team with all this talent not improve significantly by this point in the season.

I agree with chickod's points.So much of this is a game of confidence. Look at Q last year. 2 draft picks and in FF twice in 3 years.Played as a team.
Confidence and balance of skill players is the key to hockey as a team game. Possibly next year balance returns but I think the politics of the NHL are firmly planted in the BU front office. That was not SOP in Parker era. Yes I am a Parker fan! One kid back in 2010 told me Parker famous quote was "you will make more money out of NHL then in NHL" during recruiting trip. I think he built a great program for the ages. I do not see those qualities in Quinn

 

[chickod]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

The calls for having "less talent" are astounding.

Yup. You continue with that narrative. I forgot that all fanboys can't make any comments that are construed as being "critical."

Did you not see my comment that "The whole has to be greater than the sum of its parts?" What don't you understand about that statement and that often times top loading your team with talent leads to less productive results?

Heaven forbid that you actually try to assimilate what I am saying.

 

[chickod]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

The calls for having "less talent" are astounding.

BTW...Only FOUR Hockey East teams have fewer goals than BU: Merrimack, UMass, UConn and Maine (and Merrimack and UConn have scored only two less). Must be all that spectacular talent!

<i>New thread name: "Terriers floundering..."</i>

 

[BUtogether]

Just goes to show how overrated and overhyped many players can be. All in all, it has been about what I expected of this years Terriers. Probably 20+wins, loss in Bpot, loss in HE tourney and 2 round exit from NCAA's. maybe the recruiting will get better

The point is not when they go or if they stay the point is you have a coach who is trying to appease the NHL..getting his face on the NHL Network at every chance...voted one of the 50 most influential people in the NHL...not college hockey ..the NHL...we have an "advocate " in coach Quinn.....the issue is there is zero accountability for horsebleep play and non stop praise for potential not production...there is not one D on this team who had played so well that they shouldn't have gotten a night off especially Sir Charles....yet never happens...same up front...Keller ..JFK...Bobo....other than that anyone is replaceable if you want to send a message.....Here's the message....a kid works harder than you ..you play....a kid steps into your role and produces...you play ...the goaltender stops multiple odd man breaks caused by you...you play.....this team has been brutal since the break...yet zero adjustment...just claim ignorance and pray Oettinger and Keller can steal games.

 

[chickod]

The point is not when they go or if they stay the point is you have a coach who is trying to appease the NHL..getting his face on the NHL Network at every chance...voted one of the 50 most influential people in the NHL...not college hockey ..the NHL...we have an "advocate " in coach Quinn.....the issue is there is zero accountability for horsebleep play and non stop praise for potential not production...there is not one D on this team who had played so well that they shouldn't have gotten a night off especially Sir Charles....yet never happens...same up front...Keller ..JFK...Bobo....other than that anyone is replaceable if you want to send a message.....Here's the message....a kid works harder than you ..you play....a kid steps into your role and produces...you play ...the goaltender stops multiple odd man breaks caused by you...you play.....this team has been brutal since the break...yet zero adjustment...just claim ignorance and pray Oettinger and Keller can steal games.

So are you saying GQ should be fired? Just asking...and did anyone have any inkling of this before he was hired? I just want to know why the team is underperforming. If the reason is different from what I have postulated, fine. I'll accept that. Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[wysi]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

BTW...Only FOUR Hockey East teams have fewer goals than BU: Merrimack, UMass, UConn and Maine (and Merrimack and UConn have scored only two less). Must be all that spectacular talent!

<i>New thread name: "Terriers floundering..."</i>

My view is probably similar to that of BU Fan 84. Talent level and recruiting are good but the system needs tweaking. Bruins also played a puck possession game under Julien and were persistently low in scoring. The question for me is whether DQ can adapt, which doesn't seem promising at this point. But I went to school with him so I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[BUtogether]

So are you saying GQ should be fired? Just asking...and did anyone have any inkling of this before he was hired? I just want to know why the team is underperforming. If the reason is different from what I have postulated, fine. I'll accept that. Inquiring minds want to know...

I don't know how you could have an inkling before he was hired. No he should not be fired but I think if there are no changes moving forward the seat should start to get hot...the shame is this team has the talent especially in net to win it all. We shall see...glad to see the fan boys on twitter are so taken aback by the Eichel comment...I should call it "chasing Jack"....they should be far more concerned about why this team with so much NHL talent can't score and you just got s**t kicked by Harvard..

 

[BU Fan 84]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Not to derail this conversation that fans of so many schools are saying "I wish I had such problems!" - I just saw that both remaining Friday games are at 6:05pm and televised on NESN and ASN. OK, carry on.

That sucks. It's too early for people to get out of work and get there on time. Might be a different story if we had a few thousand students showing up to games.... But on the other hand, hopefully I can get home early enough to catch some other games on TV.

 

[BU Fan 84]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

My view is probably similar to that of BU Fan 84. Talent level and recruiting are good but the system needs tweaking. Bruins also played a puck possession game under Julien and were persistently low in scoring. The question for me is whether DQ can adapt, which doesn't seem promising at this point. But I went to school with him so I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love for him to be successful, obviously. I am just wondering the same thing as you. You can certainly be a good team scoring 3 a game if you are giving up less than 2. But I think you need to be up around 4 a game if you want to win or seriously compete for a national championship, unless you are a team that happens to get hot right at the end of the season.

 

[Rhett Hot]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Seems to me like some of you old timers don't like how times have changed.
Get over it. Not saying change is good, but change is change and there's nothing we can do to stop it.
So get on board and keep it shut.
Or carry on being grumpy old folks, what do I know.





Though the early starts annoy me Scarlet, it is a bit nice to have an excuse to leave work early on two Fridays in a row!

 

[Scarlet]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Looks like Hickey is out for the weekend. Hope it's nothing too serious. It didn't look good when he went down.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Looks like Hickey is out for the weekend. Hope it's nothing too serious. It didn't look good when he went down.

Quinn called it week to week from here forward. Seeing him come out and skate around the ice before the third period on Monday was a relatively good sign.

 

[defkit]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Any thoughts as to what the lineup "surprise" will be? Both Diffley and Switzer in the lineup, with someone from d playing up? Reuniting Bellows with Keller? Juha Vuori (sp?) making a surprise appearance?

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Any thoughts as to what the lineup "surprise" will be? Both Diffley and Switzer in the lineup, with someone from d playing up? Reuniting Bellows with Keller? Juha Vuori (sp?) making a surprise appearance?

4th line consisting of the Saponari brothers and Andy Glass

 

[BU Fan 84]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

It's gonna be okay! David Quinn has promised changes to the offense!

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU 2017 Season Thread II: Terriers rising

Looks like Hickey is out for the weekend. Hope it's nothing too serious. It didn't look good when he went down.

Hickey has been excellent this season, after taking several steps backwards during his sophomore year.

With him out, I prefer Diffley to Switzer on the blueline (better puck move, more consistently defensively), but wouldn't mind seeing Switzer get a shot at a wing.