BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

This year's team has a different makeup in terms of personalities and leadership. Bobo is a quieter, lead-by-example captain, flanked by a co-captain and 2 assistant captains who are still younger than the average age of most teams.

IMO last year's team had a leadership core that was complemented by a stronger group of Seniors (Melanson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley). That's lacking this year with Switzer & Prawdzik not really playing a role on the team, Cloonan only returning to the team out of need following offseason turnover, and Willman as a transfer struggling to regain is pre-ACL tear form at Brown.

Also, last year's lineup was bigger, deeper, and harder to play against once they started clicking. Greenway, Tkachuk, Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, MacLeod -- all very physical players. How many players on the current roster would one consider "difficult to play against"?

In addition to injuries that are playing a role right now, Bobo and Wise, and the likelihood that others (Krys and Harper come to mind) are playing through an injury. Last year's team was mostly healthy in the second half of the year by all accounts.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

In addition to injuries that are playing a role right now, Bobo and Wise, and the likelihood that others (Krys and Harper come to mind) are playing through an injury. Last year's team was mostly healthy in the second half of the year by all accounts.

IIRC, Harper was only significant injury/illness. Greenway missed 4 games for the Olympics.

Currently Albie is forced to dress every healthy/available skater.

 

[DLG]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

one of best college hockey writers

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...ecent-commits-give-window-recruiting-strategy

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

11 shots, and no goals, through two periods. Against UConn?
Are they packing it in for the season?
So much for a response to five straight losses and a fourth place finish in the Beanpot.
Will there be any life for the third period?

 

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

11 shots, and no goals, through two periods. Against UConn?
Are they packing it in for the season?
So much for a response to five straight losses and a fourth place finish in the Beanpot.
Will there be any life for the third period?

Yes, one would think. But who knows where they are mentally? We don't know the identity of this team yet. They haven't progressed as well as last year's, who was playing much better and by the end of the season was a team nobody wanted to face. This year's team seems to be fading quietly into the night...

Exactly why I posted this a few days ago. Mark Linehan just said "This is a twenty-minute statement for the rest of the season." We'll find out if they have packed it in by about 9:30...

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

one of best college hockey writers

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...ecent-commits-give-window-recruiting-strategy

Excellent article.

You watch BU, see four first-round NHL draft choices on the ice at the same time (Farabee, Bowers, Fabbro and Oettinger) and wonder why they aren't better? Then you check the respective ages of some of the other teams ...

It also shows that after the high-end talent, BU's depth players have been lacking.

 

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Excellent article.

You watch BU, see four first-round NHL draft choices on the ice at the same time (Farabee, Bowers, Fabbro and Oettinger) and wonder why they aren't better? Then you check the respective ages of some of the other teams ...

It also shows that after the high-end talent, BU's depth players have been lacking.

Yup. What I've been saying for five years. We need a better balance of EXPERIENCE and high-end talent. We're woefully behind. Other schools have "figured it out" and adjusted. BU hasn't. Although I give them credit for the comeback tonight on the road, this team just doesn't seem to have the horses. BTW, we are now tied with Maine for 7th place.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Great draft pick coming our way...

 

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Great draft pick coming our way...

Wonderful. So he'll stay one year and leave. We need OLDER leadership. The '09 team had a great SENIOR class. College hockey is getting older...you can't win with all 18-20 year-olds. And it's not just the physical maturity factor. These kids have one eye on the NHL before they get here. You need players who care about the TEAM - role players who don't have pro aspirations but will put their heart and soul into winning because they know their careers will be over when they graduate. Lowell and Providence have done it and others are quickly following suit. How long are we going to be the "farm team" for the USNTDP and NHL? And why should I bother to watch (much less attend) a team who is comprised of mostly NHL wannabes who give full effort half the time? I can watch the Celtics if I want to see that.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Wonderful. So he'll stay one year and leave. We need OLDER leadership. The '09 team had a great SENIOR class. College hockey is getting older...you can't win with all 18-20 year-olds. And it's not just the physical maturity factor. These kids have one eye on the NHL before they get here. You need players who care about the TEAM - role players who don't have pro aspirations but will put their heart and soul into winning because they know their careers will be over when they graduate. Lowell and Providence have done it and others are quickly following suit. How long are we going to be the "farm team" for the USNTDP and NHL? And why should I bother to watch (much less attend) a team who is comprised of mostly NHL wannabes who give full effort half the time? I can watch the Celtics if I want to see that.

Not only is BU once again college hockey's youngest team at a current average age of 20 years, 6 months, it's youngest by an average age of 4 months. As I mentioned in a recent post, BU has 1 C and 2 A's who are all only 20 years old. Not to mention the small Senior classes many BU teams since '09 have had.

2010 - 3 (Gryba, Z. Cohen, Popko)
2011 - 2 (Pereira, Kraus)
2012 - 5 (Connolly, Millan, Rollheiser, K. Gilroy, Gaudet)
2013 - 5 (Megan, Escobedo, Rosen, Santana, Ruikka)
2014 - 4 (Noonan, MacGregor, Ronan, Moscatel)
2015 - 3 (Rodrigues, Hohmann, Moccia)
2016 - 5 (Grzelcyk, O'Regan, Lane, Oksanen, Moran)
2017 - 3 (Somerby, Roberto, Kelley)
2018 - 6 (Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley, Melanson)

36 Seniors over 9 years = 4 Seniors/year average

In those Senior classes, the # of incoming Freshmen in each class was:

2010 - 5
2011 - 7
2012 - 10
2013 - 8
2014 - 8
2015 - 4
2016 - 9
2017 - 9
2018 - 9

69 Incoming Freshmen over 9 years

Out of the last 9 graduating classes, only 52% of the players in those classes were 4-year players.


Also, when looking at the returning players on the current roster (classes of 2019 - 2021), there were 26 incoming Freshmen with only 16 remaining on current roster --> 62% retention (or 38% turnover resulting from early departures, transfers, cuts, etc.).

Seniors (2019) - 8 Freshmen --> 4 Seniors
Juniors (2020) - 10 Freshmen --> 6 Juniors
Sophomores (2021) - 8 Freshmen --> 6 Sophomores


Recruiting may be an issue based on the context. When Quinn took over, it was very clear his focus on rebuilding BU Hockey would be based on recruiting blue-chippers more so than player development. He surrounded himself with assistants (Greeley, Albie) whose strengths were recruiting. While that approach certainly paid off in some ways (esp. from a branding standpoint), the lack of emphasis on recruiting 4-year players who could develop into impact players & leaders as upperclassmen is something I hope (and believe) will change for the better. BU Hockey needs more Rodrigues, Hohmann, O'Regan, Grzelcyk to complement the Bowers, Farabees (and Zegras next year)...

 

[Jofa]

2010 - 3 (Gryba, Z. Cohen, Popko)
2011 - 2 (Pereira, Kraus)
2012 - 5 (Connolly, Millan, Rollheiser, K. Gilroy, Gaudet)
2013 - 5 (Megan, Escobedo, Rosen, Santana, Ruikka)
2014 - 4 (Noonan, MacGregor, Ronan, Moscatel)
2015 - 3 (Rodrigues, Hohmann, Moccia)
2016 - 5 (Grzelcyk, O'Regan, Lane, Oksanen, Moran)
2017 - 3 (Somerby, Roberto, Kelley)
2018 - 6 (Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley, Melanson)

36 Seniors over 9 years = 4 Seniors/year average

In those Senior classes, the # of incoming Freshmen in each class was:

2010 - 5
2011 - 7
2012 - 10
2013 - 8
2014 - 8
2015 - 4
2016 - 9
2017 - 9
2018 - 9

69 Incoming Freshmen over 9 years

Out of the last 9 graduating classes, only 52% of the players in those classes were 4-year players.


Also, when looking at the returning players on the current roster (classes of 2019 - 2021), there were 26 incoming Freshmen with only 16 remaining on current roster --> 62% retention (or 38% turnover resulting from early departures, transfers, cuts, etc.).

Seniors (2019) - 8 Freshmen --> 4 Seniors
Juniors (2020) - 10 Freshmen --> 6 Juniors
Sophomores (2021) - 8 Freshmen --> 6 Sophomores


Recruiting may be an issue based on the context. When Quinn took over, it was very clear his focus on rebuilding BU Hockey would be based on recruiting blue-chippers more so than player development. He surrounded himself with assistants (Greeley, Albie) whose strengths were recruiting. While that approach certainly paid off in some ways (esp. from a branding standpoint), the lack of emphasis on recruiting 4-year players who could develop into impact players & leaders as upperclassmen is something I hope (and believe) will change for the better. BU Hockey needs more Rodrigues, Hohmann, O'Regan, Grzelcyk to complement the Bowers, Farabees (and Zegras next year)...

All of this is certainly leading to the fall from power from the former elite programs especially at BU however that doesnt take OConnell and this team off the hook for puking on their shoes/skates this year. Maybe there isn’t enough talent or experience to be elite this year but with Oettinger, Fabbro, Carpenter, Bowers, Harper, Farrance, Krys, Farabee, Cockerill,Amonte, Curry they should atleast be a good team. They are not.

 

[kbz]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

I've been thinking about the team's performance and in my mind have been going through the returning players and whether or not they are better or worse than last season. Here's my assessment:

#1 - Lynch - N/A
#2 - Switzer - no change
#3 - Amonte - better
#4 - Farrance - better
#5 - Crotty - better
#7 - Krys - same, he's very up and down (more down lately) but that's the player he's always been
#8 - Cloonan - better, I no longer look down at my phone when he is in offensive zone when I knew there was no way BU would score
#9 - Cockerill - worse, with the second half he had last season I was expecting about a 30-point season
#10 - Chabot - worse, but not a big impact that he is worse. Had hoped he may develop into a 10-point season.
#11- Curry - better
#14 - Carpenter - no change
#15 - Bowers - worse, should have had a 40-point sophomore season
#17 - Fabbro - better, I finally see him worthy as a first round NHL pick. A lot more poise to his game this season along with more stamina and speed (meaning he no longer skates like he has weights in his skates)
#21 - Harper - worse, not the same player he was before the illness
#22 - Witkowski - no change
#26 - Kotkansalo - no change
#30 - Oettinger - no change, this one is tough. He's worse because it seems like he lets in a softy every game. He's better because he's kept the team in many games they had no business being in, so overall the same.
#31 - Prawdzik - no change

Three of the worse players (Cockerill, Bowers, and Harper) are dragging this team down ALONG WITH only having one impact freshman player (Farabee).

The good news is that there are more better players than worse players which speaks to Albie being able to develop talent. The bad news is that freshman class isn't strong though I do see potential in DeBoer, Wise gets an incomplete, while Cheremeta, Quercia, and Blixt matriculated as 19 or 20 year olds and could be the change in recruiting philosophy that most are speaking about on this board. Cheremeta and Quercia could turn into really good 4th line players on a championship-caliber team.

If Cockerill, Bowers, and Harper were meeting expectations maybe this team would be 15-10-3 but perhaps this season is part of the growing pains in change in recruiting philosophy, though I haven't looked at the upcoming classes.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

I've been thinking about the team's performance and in my mind have been going through the returning players and whether or not they are better or worse than last season. Here's my assessment:

#1 - Lynch - N/A
#2 - Switzer - no change
#3 - Amonte - better
#4 - Farrance - better
#5 - Crotty - better
#7 - Krys - same, he's very up and down (more down lately) but that's the player he's always been
#8 - Cloonan - better, I no longer look down at my phone when he is in offensive zone when I knew there was no way BU would score
#9 - Cockerill - worse, with the second half he had last season I was expecting about a 30-point season
#10 - Chabot - worse, but not a big impact that he is worse. Had hoped he may develop into a 10-point season.
#11- Curry - better
#14 - Carpenter - no change
#15 - Bowers - worse, should have had a 40-point sophomore season
#17 - Fabbro - better, I finally see him worthy as a first round NHL pick. A lot more poise to his game this season along with more stamina and speed (meaning he no longer skates like he has weights in his skates)
#21 - Harper - worse, not the same player he was before the illness
#22 - Witkowski - no change
#26 - Kotkansalo - no change
#30 - Oettinger - no change, this one is tough. He's worse because it seems like he lets in a softy every game. He's better because he's kept the team in many games they had no business being in, so overall the same.
#31 - Prawdzik - no change

Three of the worse players (Cockerill, Bowers, and Harper) are dragging this team down ALONG WITH only having one impact freshman player (Farabee).

The good news is that there are more better players than worse players which speaks to Albie being able to develop talent. The bad news is that freshman class isn't strong though I do see potential in DeBoer, Wise gets an incomplete, while Cheremeta, Quercia, and Blixt matriculated as 19 or 20 year olds and could be the change in recruiting philosophy that most are speaking about on this board. Cheremeta and Quercia could turn into really good 4th line players on a championship-caliber team.

If Cockerill, Bowers, and Harper were meeting expectations maybe this team would be 15-10-3 but perhaps this season is part of the growing pains in change in recruiting philosophy, though I haven't looked at the upcoming classes.

Very fair assessments here. Only disagreements I have are Bobo and Harper need asterisks due to their health. It's clear Harper has not regained his form pre-illness/injury last season so that has to be considered. I anticipate he'll return next year so judgment of him is probably better suited for after next season. Bobo has been battling a lingering injury for the better part of the season, which seems to have finally gotten the better of him, but was still having a very solid year in all three zones before going down in January. I'd argue he's improved.

The lack of top-level scoring from Cockerill, Bowers, and Harper has indeed hurt the team's overall success. I hope we can hang on to those three, plus Farrance and Krys along with Curry, Amonte, Chabot, Crotty, and Kasper that'd be a solid core of 10 very experienced upperclassmen skaters next season who'd be everyday players. That's the kind of roster construction a successful college team is going to need to win it all. Having the blue-chippers is a necessary component, but it can only be a component - not the majority. A team needs of the experienced Pat Curry, Matt Lane, Luke Popko, Hohmann kind of players just as much.

 

[OldAlum]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Great draft pick coming our way...

So.... Who is the 'great draft pick'?

 

[kbz]

So.... Who is the 'great draft pick'?

I think the poster is referring to Zegras.

 

[Jofa]

So.... Who is the 'great draft pick'?

I think Mook means that poor finishing teams get high draft picks like in the pros. 90% of his posts are sarcastic just like 90% of mine are negative.

 

[brassbonanza]

I think Mook means that poor finishing teams get high draft picks like in the pros. 90% of his posts are sarcastic just like 90% of mine are negative.

BU is tanking for Zion.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

I think Mook means that poor finishing teams get high draft picks like in the pros. 90% of his posts are sarcastic just like 90% of mine are negative.

guys screwed up the 'seven is heaven' with the win last night

 

[defkit]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

I think Mook means that poor finishing teams get high draft picks like in the pros. 90% of his posts are sarcastic just like 90% of mine are negative.

That was my read as well...

 

[defkit]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Interesting game last night. Through 2 periods, the best entertainment was the BU Band's on-ice Dancing Queen rendition. The sound was excellent, and I was prepared to ask a couple of those lady skaters to suit up...
- Another strong game for Oettinger. The defense was playing with fire early on, and then down the stretch, he bailed them out many times.
- Meant to post before the game - hats off to Curry on having a heck of a year. He should be the team's Most Improved hands down.
- The second period was a snooze fest. BU had 2 shots, and I think UConn only had 3 or 4 until the past couple minutes.
- There was one shift for BU literally had 3 golden scoring opportunities, but couldn't execute. I think it started with Farrance coming right down the slot and mishandling the puck, and ended with DeBoer just missing someone else coming down the slot. I felt like that 30 seconds was a microcosm of our season.
- I was feeling clairvoyant. Around 20 seconds before Amonte's goal, I said to my friend "He needs to be like his dad and score a goal!". And then when we took the late penalty, I said "It's time for a short-handed goal". Heck of a shot by Farabee.
- I thought Harper started to look better - more speed and elusiveness than even a couple games ago. Hope it continues.
- I don't mean to be harsh, but Chad Krys is turning into a serious liability. I really would not be upset if for whatever reason, Chicago signed him. He seems like a fun kid to have on the team, he is an assistant captain, but he makes bad decisions, and often can't execute well on the good decisions he does make.