BU 2020-21 Season: The Road to … Nowhere?

[defkit]

The reason why the replay reviews you saw were only looking at the skate on the blue line was because the people in the ESPN truck didn’t know the rule, nor did the commentators. As defkit pointed out, a very similar thing happened in the UMD-ND game, but Dave Starman correctly pointed out the rule. In the review of the UMD goal, ND did not gain control of the puck therefore making offsides reviewable. It was determined to be offsides and the goal was disallowed.

As an aside I chuckled when Starman (who no surprise to me knows his stuff) answering Leah Hextall’s question as to whether he has seen a quadruple (I think she mistakenly said 5 OT, probably because that’s what the scoreboard ticker said) OT game, he made reference to his time with the Macon Whoopie

Any opportunity to bring up the best team name in the history of team sports is one to take advantage of. I actually attended a Whoopie game once. Their was a literally a keg party giveaway contest for the fans..

 

[defkit]

In other news, David Quinn trending on Twitter. The angry mob not happy to see his return to the Rangers bench. When he is inevitably fired (that's life as an NHL coach)...would BU ever go back to him?

Believe me, I've been considering this possibility...

 

[DNAEagle]

NCAA is giving a free year of eligibility I think Teams are going to have a log jam, guys who are tweeners, not NHL ready and too good for college. BU has a lot of talent and I am sure some good incoming players. It may be that some Freshmen delay a year.

 

[brassbonanza]

Out of curiosity, could everyone have come back for next season?

All NCAA athletes get an extra year and their scholarships do not count towards any team limits for that season. This year automatically does not count towards anyone's eligibility limit.

 

[defkit]

No need. With those three returning, we have a *lot* of forwards.

Rising Seniors/superseniors:
Cockerill
Amonte
Kaufman
Wise
DeBoer
Quercia

Rising Juniors:
Armstrong
Boguslavsky
Mastro
JOB
Stevens
Phillips
Skoog

Rising Sophomores:
Zabaneh
Tuch
Peterson

That's 16 forwards, before we include any incoming freshmen. Have to wonder if one or two of the guys above may look to transfer - the minutes just aren't there. The 9 bolded names are hands-down must be in the lineup guys, and that's being generous since Wise and Phillips easily can be in that category.

Nor do I think any of these guys are candidates to go pro. Off chance for JOB/Mastro but I think both would be making a mistake.

Yeah, it's going to be a crazy offseason. The transfer portal has huge numbers, way more than ever before. Lots of hard conversations to be had. And yes, we have recruits coming, so we absolutely don't need to find anyone else. that being said, if some high talented players are available, I guess you have to consider them.

I would take Zabaneh before Quercia. The latter is a valuable penalty killer and has a good head on his shoulders. But Zabaneh has the potential (I know, potential) to be a very good college player.

 

[defkit]

All NCAA athletes get an extra year and their scholarships do not count towards any team limits for that season. This year automatically does not count towards anyone's eligibility limit.

So this means that everyone on this years team can play 5 years, including the freshmen. It is going to be weird for a few years I guess. Maybe the one time having all these draft picks turns out to be a blessing...

 

[brassbonanza]

So this means that everyone on this years team can play 5 years, including the freshmen. It is going to be weird for a few years I guess. Maybe the one time having all these draft picks turns out to be a blessing...

Yes, all can. I suspect current seniors are the ones most likely to use it. Likely progressively fewer do each year.

 

[J.D.]

All NCAA athletes get an extra year and their scholarships do not count towards any team limits for that season. This year automatically does not count towards anyone's eligibility limit.

This raises the question of how do certain schools handle it because are these guys coming back on scholarship? Paying their own way for a year? Not every program is gonna pay that extra $ even if only for a year.

 

[OldAlum]

This raises the question of how do certain schools handle it because are these guys coming back on scholarship? Paying their own way for a year? Not every program is gonna pay that extra $ even if only for a year.

I wonder how this impacts the status of the drafted seniors who decide to stay. There have been a few of those who stayed (Vesey, for example) who, by waiting until August after graduation, became free agents. Would not Logan become a free agent as well?

 

[OldAlum]

On another topic, I was one who thought Albie should be given a shot as a head coach. I was wrong, sadly. This hasn't been pretty and shows no glimmer of improving. As I watched his presser (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm1htMU-E2E)
pre-HE playoffs, I knew we were done. The team is not a team - it's just a collection of talented players without a leader. I was at the game in Albany. We were horrible in our defensive zone below the dots, couldn't get past the opponent's blue line carrying the puck and, whenever we dumped and chased, the chase was over before we got there. Disheartening, and a squandered opportunity.

 

[Rover]

Well, it was nice of SCSU to crush BC tonight! Well coached team.

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

I think we need a new coaching staff worse than BU. Who gets a new coach first?

 

[buoldtimer]

As it turns out, SCSU won by "no contest", too.

We'll see how they fare tomorrow playing a team that's actually coached.

The hallmark of Albie's teams is how easy they are to play against.

Godawful in their own end of the ice.

Wrong again. Frequently in error, but never in doubt.

 

[Lemonade]

It’s about age and experience. BU/BC are the youngest rosters in NCAA. That’s fine for regular season but when you get to heavy, hard hitting, clog the middle older teams playing playoff hockey it’s going to be tough to win. Teams like SC are men.

 

[BU93]

I would like to formally welcome BC to the modern college hockey era. No HE or National championships in 9 years (heck, we have 2 HE since then). To have young teams like ours, even with the young guns and top goalies, it takes a very special group to pull it off. I think we’re both trying to change, but neither of us has put it together yet.

 

[BU93]

I would like to formally welcome BC to the modern college hockey era. No HE or National championships in 9 years (heck, we have 2 HE since then). To have young teams like ours, even with the young guns and top goalies, it takes a very special group to pull it off. I think we’re both trying to change, but neither of us has put it together yet.

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

 

[defkit]

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

Another way perhaps to look at it, oddly, is to not find the best available regardless of age, but the very good that are smart, highly coachable, not highly drafted, and looking to play 3-4 years of college hockey. Guys like Steve Thornton, Dave Tomlinson, Chris Kelleher. I know it's hard to imagine turning down a USNTDP player if they want to come to BU, and maybe that isn't the answer. And I know we have already been mixing in USHL, BCHL, heck, even NAHL-type guys. But it seems like the recruiting scene has transitioned to the point where the programs that can recruit from the USNTDP start there, get as many as they can, and then fill in the gaps. BU, BC, Minnesota, Michigan, Harvard, and lately, Providence.

Maybe it is a development issue (again, coaching). Mastrosimone looked like Shawn Bates / Peter MacArthur-type of offensive player. But he doesn't seem to have improved at all. I don't mean to pick on him, there are many others.

 

[Cross Check]

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. I think both BC and BU need to do both, a mix of top flight high draft pick talent and older, more physically mature players. But it's become quite clear that the two of them being the youngest teams in the NCAAs just isn't working come tournament time against teams loaded with older, more physically mature, and experienced players. Times are a changin'.

 

[cridge]

Yeah, it's going to be a crazy offseason. The transfer portal has huge numbers, way more than ever before. Lots of hard conversations to be had. And yes, we have recruits coming, so we absolutely don't need to find anyone else. that being said, if some high talented players are available, I guess you have to consider them.

I would take Zabaneh before Quercia. The latter is a valuable penalty killer and has a good head on his shoulders. But Zabaneh has the potential (I know, potential) to be a very good college player.

Possibility of a BU player entering the portal? I would not be surprised if Deboer and potentially Wise want to go somewhere else for more opportunity.

 

[cridge]

Going to be interesting with Cockerill and Kaufman returning. BU currently has 25 roster spots taken (if no one else leaves). BU was expected to have 8 incoming freshmen. I can only account for 4 of them signing their NLI via twitter (F:Boucher, Wilmer, Greene and D: Schmidt... all 03 birth year). The other 4 are (F:Amonte 00, Carrabes 01 and Doyle 01, Legault 03). I HOPE they manage to bring the older commits in because we NEED to be older. Wilmer is 5'6... I don't know how that adjustment will be but what I've seen is he's fragile. Doyle was supposed to come this year but decided not to.

Overall, this is going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Just hoping Carrabes and Doyle come because they look like great 4 year players. Would not be surprised if Legault goes to Omaha (book it). Oh, and Greene would be playing for his draft year.... will be one of youngest in NCAA, but he looks like he can actually help BU at center. Sorry about this post, I know we just finished the season, but something to look forward to I guess. Biggest recruit would potentially be a new COACH who may actually make this team look semi decent.