Bad time for a slump, boys.
I was not able to watch the Harvard game but same results. And the way it is trending, this could very be a match up in the second round of the playoffs yet again and we know what happened previously. We are way ahead of ourselves with lots of meaningful hockey left! Just watching the highlights in tight D zone coverage is abysmal, again these are the highlights as there could have been great D zone coverage for 95% of the game. Regardless, something has to change as scoring has become more difficult. I been preaching this until the cows come home. BG, overall does not have the type of skill to score "easy" goals (breakaways, odd man rushes) or guys that can make an offensive play. Yes they can score but the way they do it requires a lot of work and energy. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that but supplement that with 'easy" goals to make life easier. Additionally, there is too much pressure in the D zone and Clark!
Thoughts GB??? or anyone else for that matter?
Skimming through the ESPN broadcast, I'd say the D-zone has been the biggest issue for the past 3 weeks.
Still some positives, but the secondary scoring has somewhat dried up (Warpecha got one Friday) and that top line is getting fewer and fewer opportunities. I think teams look at Dartmouth as "stop or even contain the top line, and you'll probably beat them" which has been true in this winless streak.
4 points is a must vs Yale and Brown, given that this is at home. Top 4 is out of the question I think, regardless, though....but Top 8, while very likely, isn't completely secured yet either.
For sure! Clean slate this weekend although Yale and Brown are both playing their best hockey of the season and for some reason I seem to remember Brown giving us fits.
Agreed that secondary scoring is OK but what you see from Warpecha, Strong, Baker, and the bottom 6 is what you get. I will say that I do not know enough about the freshmen F's. Our guy, I do not remember his name off hand had high praise for LeSeur coming in but that has not panned out yet if ever as he is in and out of the line up and when in it s bottom six shifts. The key moving forward is how they play in their D zone and Clark has to be their best player!
The key moving forward is how they play in their D zone and Clark has to be their best player!
LeSeuer I think has had nagging on-again, off-again injuries throughout the season that has limited his ability to be in the lineup, and then, his ability to show that he may belong on another line but the 4th.
Some nights he has been and it still hasn't been good enough due to being hung out to dry. But he seemed to have been stronger in early jan than late. That may be in part to playing every minute of every game--it may not be related to that at all. I do wish the Big Green had faith in a backup goalie to give him a rest, but they don't, and they can't afford to take risks when points are so important right now.
Yes, it was me who commented on LeSuer. IIRC, I also said I felt he needed a year in Jrs. before stepping into D1.
I did not know that about LeSuer, being injured! Our guy Turks181, now I remember had him pretty highly touted coming out of I believe prep school with no juniors experience! I would have at least thought that that may have translated to a top 6 role. Just get healthy at this point!
I have been hammering this point "all along the watchtower" that Clark just needs to solid and consistent because we know the talent is there. As we both have harped on, the D has hung him out to dry many times.
We know that what BG has right is not working, that's proven! I will stick to this: Put Graber back at center! D1 will be Palosik and Demler D2 will be Less/Matthews and spot play D3 with Han, Paul, Markell (what happened), and even Graber in special situations. Know sure if each of their D man knows its role. With the above, it it clearly defined!
Thoughts GB?
I'm kind of done with the "Graber on the blueline" experiment, too--at even strength anyway. It became a necessity when Cameron went out forcing the Big Green to to do something to compensate, but I do like those pairings you listed. Less to me is our best Dman as in he's the most reliable in the back half, and I like him with Matthews. Demler has been very steady as well, and Palocsik fits well along side. Markell seems to have lost his confidence, which may be hard to regain without ice time, so the 3rd line could be somewhat problematic, though I think Brock Paul has been fine for a rookie back there most of the time. The top 4 D may be playing a TON if Graber goes back to center.
Not sure what we'll see for changes tomorrow in Hanover. I'll get to see this one in person for only the 6th time this season (2 Hanover, 2 in RI/CT and the opener--ugh--at Harvard)
Big Green: Should be a good game. Brown needs a win and I don't think the team is thinking ahead about H. Brown should really be up for this one. Dartmouth also needs a win to stop its fall, and Brown always has a tough time at Thompson.
BG beats Brown 5-2. Score was mis-leading but the dominance prevailed. Graber moves back to center and the top line proves fits especially below the dots zone time; that's the bets way to protect your D. Awesome sequence (evading defender) and shot by Markell, low and far pad...low and behold rebound off Strong's grill and goal. Maybe this gets Markell out of his funk? The rest of the goals were scored in tight, thanks in part to a Brown D that does a lot of puck watching. On a few scored against Brown's D were actually in good position but were either puck watching, bad read, probably a combo. You could tell Nieto was getting frustrated by this.
Yale comes in hot, probably one of the hottest in the ECAC, at least playing way better than the beginning of the season and they can put up goals. BG needs Clarky to be stellar and erase that "bad" second goal against vs Brown. Let's Goooooooo BG!
I dunno: Yale has 1 win in 5 so while I respect the Bulldogs, I don't consider them especially "hot"--better than earlier in the season, though, sure. Absolutely expect a win tonight.
-Glad that we both got our wish and the top line was reunited. Paid off too with that putaway goal in the 3rd after Clark allowed maybe his worst goal of the season. But I did like the way the Big Green played after that goal, especially Clark, who did have a couple of key saves immediately following before Dartmouth put the clamps on.
-Markell looked way better. It's hard to get out of a funk with no ice time, and he had more last night. I watched him a lot because his year to this point had epitomized "sophomore slump", but he got good minutes and used them well. Ended up +1 on the night. That bodes really well, as the team really does need Graber up front. They're not deep enough in the middle, with apologies to Hesler, Baker, and Rutherford, who are all solid but none is a 1st liner. And O'Connor is indeed better on the wing.
-Brown's D was really bad last night. Warpecha's goal was mystifying: every dark jersey is looking around while #8 has a free chance. Glad he's scoring again, too.
-Yale is better than Brown, so Dartmouth will have to be better as well. Hopefully the PP gets going again: it'd been very good earlier in the calendar year. PK looks excellent lately though.
