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BU: Offseason '22: Build The Boats
- Thread starter Terrier86
- Start date
Thanks - just watched. I had to keep fast forwarding cuz he didn't start speaking till more than 15 minutes after it start. 
I'm happy. I like him. Yet, I'm reserving judgement. I wanted someone to ask him what happened against Michigan in 1996 in Cincinnati. Did the ice delay really throw them off that much? Gah! That game still bothers me. And I'm not being a wiseass about this. He was captain that year. He's talking about leadership, etc. Would be kind of interesting to get his perspective 25+ years later.
I'm happy. I like him. Yet, I'm reserving judgement. I wanted someone to ask him what happened against Michigan in 1996 in Cincinnati. Did the ice delay really throw them off that much? Gah! That game still bothers me. And I'm not being a wiseass about this. He was captain that year. He's talking about leadership, etc. Would be kind of interesting to get his perspective 25+ years later.
defkit
New member
Thanks - just watched. I had to keep fast forwarding cuz he didn't start speaking till more than 15 minutes after it start.
I'm happy. I like him. Yet, I'm reserving judgement. I wanted someone to ask him what happened against Michigan in 1996 in Cincinnati. Did the ice delay really throw them off that much? Gah! That game still bothers me. And I'm not being a wiseass about this. He was captain that year. He's talking about leadership, etc. Would be kind of interesting to get his perspective 25+ years later.
That team was an offensive machine but peaked too early, losing in the HE semis to PC and barely getting past Clarkson to get to the FF (oh how times have changed...being disappointed with a FF year). Bob Norton liked to say that going into the season they had 6 legitimate All-America candidates at forward (Pandolfo, Drury, Grier, O'Sullivan, B. Lachance, and Bates). They had some ungodly number of SHGs (I know at one point it was 21, but I think that was before the end of the season). Who knows what happened, but it's not like Michigan was a bad team.
The 1995-96 team was indeed an offensive juggernaut and still holds the program mark for most goals in a season with 236. They began the season going 18-1-2 before finishing 30-6-3. Pandolfo and Drury each had 67 points. Pando's 38 goals are third best in BU history (behind Garrity's 51 and Marquis' 41). Jay had six of BU's 22 SHGs, including a shorthanded hat trick against Northeastern, along with 16 power play goals, winning a truckload of conference, regional and national awards. Drury had 35 goals, Bates 28 and Grier 21. Will always remember Pandolfo carrying Travis' jersey through the handshake line after every game. I was at the Albany regional and, yes, BU was fortunate to get past Clarkson. The other team to come out of the Eastern Regional was Vermont, which had Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin each scoring 85 points that year and Tim Thomas in goal.
Oh my! https://twitter.com/NHL_On_TNT/status/1523848010479783936?s=20&t=_5Mqph6aMdOSwhAPliJKAA
Speaking of "what ifs" against Michigan... If only Jake hadn't gotten food poisoning before the Regional Semi-final in 2018. Might have another FF appearance on the old ledger.
Speaking of "what ifs" against Michigan... If only Jake hadn't gotten food poisoning before the Regional Semi-final in 2018. Might have another FF appearance on the old ledger.
Correct. He only gave up one goal against Cornell (BU won 2-1), but then got lit up by Michigan. That BU team had Tkachuk, Greenway, Farrance, Fabbro ...
I have heard the absolute opposite - if Albie came back there was going to be a mass exodus of players.
Friend_of_BU_Hockey
Registered User
I, too, have heard similar from multiple sources. I feel this quote from Dom Fensore in the BU Today article says so much:
“The second half, we kind of just gelled together, and [Pandolfo] was a big part of that,”
Friend_of_BU_Hockey
Registered User
Despite not having been around college hockey much as a coach, I think the biggest difference between Jay and Albie is that Jay brings a level of respect and credibility that I'm not sure Albie ever commanded as head coach. I feel there was an overestimation of Albie's vast experience as an Assistant/Associate HC across several programs and how that experience could translate into success as a head coach at a program of BU's stature.
In hindsight, I think the gap between expectations vs. reality with Albie's capabilities to be a consistently successful head coach at BU were far greater than many realized. I think the growth curve was far steeper than many expected and I'm not sure if he ever grew into the role the way he needed to. I think it was brassbonanza who pointed out that Jay has been a winner at every level he's played and coached at - Burlington High, BU, NJ Devils, Bruins. Albie's coaching experience prior to BU was all with programs that didn't achieve levels of success during his years at those programs that a place like BU demands.
In hindsight, I think the gap between expectations vs. reality with Albie's capabilities to be a consistently successful head coach at BU were far greater than many realized. I think the growth curve was far steeper than many expected and I'm not sure if he ever grew into the role the way he needed to. I think it was brassbonanza who pointed out that Jay has been a winner at every level he's played and coached at - Burlington High, BU, NJ Devils, Bruins. Albie's coaching experience prior to BU was all with programs that didn't achieve levels of success during his years at those programs that a place like BU demands.
brassbonanza
Super Serial
I wasn't saying the opposite as you - instead exactly the same. I was saying anyone who wanted to leave or decommit because Albie was let go would've done so already - and no one did. So now that they've made a hire, it seems unlikely anyone will now leave or decommit because they don't like the hire.
I too heard there would've been quite a few who left if Albie returned and that they players' opinion of his coaching was at least a small factor in Drew's decision to move on.
I agree with FoBUH's point above about commanding respect from the players. Albie always came off as very buddy-buddy with the players in his public appearances. I distinctly remember multiple instances of players calling him "Albie" in public, including Logan during a preseason event last year. It struck me as odd that they didn't refer to him as Coach, Coach O'Connell, or something similar and suggested an odd player-coach mutual respect.
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Gotcha. I think you touched on exactly what ended up being Albies downfall and that was the lack of respect of the head coach position. Albie is a great guy, great recruiter who connects with the kids with his personality. That personality however didn't translate into the head coach position. Not everyone is cut out for that head coach spot.
Small sample but in the most important games of the year you got blown out by a horrible Maine team and lost to a bad BC team which I believe ultimately cost you in the PWR and blowing home ice and having to play at UConn where you lost. Just adding some context about the first half of the season conveniently being Albie's fault and Pandolfo getting credit for the hot streak.
mookie1995
there's a good buck in that racket.
Why are we concerned if anyone leaves? What did these boys accomplish that any other schmoe off the street couldn’t?
there has been one single ncaa loss, and one single trophy of any kind (a limited field in season tournament). Mookie should be getting a refund on his season tickets from Nancy at this point for what mookie has spent over the last umber of seasons.
there has been one single ncaa loss, and one single trophy of any kind (a limited field in season tournament). Mookie should be getting a refund on his season tickets from Nancy at this point for what mookie has spent over the last umber of seasons.
McMahon cites a source saying the Len Quesnelle won't be part of Pandolfo's staff next season, adding that BU is looking for a coach with a "skills background" for that position. Two names that jump to mind are a pair of All-American defensemen: Jon Coleman--a teammate of both Pandolfo and Doug Friedman--who is now an assistant at Bentley, and Freddy Meyer, who succeeded Shawn McEachern at The Rivers School.
Got that right. Head coach can't be buddy-buddy with the players. Assistants can be a little closer to the team, but not the guy in charge.
Interesting! I'm still holding out hope for confirmation about Joe Pereira. And I was assuming that Doug Friedman would remain as the Hockey Ops guy. But I was questioning why the hockey ops guy was on the bench. Scott Young was as well when he was in that role but Brittany Miller was not. Is that their way of adding to the coaching staff without adding to the coaching staff?