Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

There's $8 and 2.5 hours of my life I won't get back. We got out-hit, out-skated, out-passed, out-goalied, out-special teamed and out-scored. Not only are we sinking in the league, but also in the PWR.

 

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

I don't want to start a flame war here, but I couldn't believe ND's lack of sportsmanship tonight. I've never seen any team be that disrespectful to the opposing players or the fans. I was appalled, to put it lightly.

 

[NotreDameFan27]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

This season is starting to slip away. I guess we can right this ship and still finish top four, but finishing first in the league is starting to look more and more unlikely.

What's going on?

Could it be that earlier in the season, when we fell behind, we worked twice as hard to get back in the game (because we wanted to be first and considered ourselves a good team) and now we just give up?

 

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Okay, what Notre Dame fan negative repped me for my post-game post? What was I supposed to say? "Tough loss." "The refs were biased." "It was too cold."

Face it. Right now our goalies couldn't stop a sticky marshmallow. They had a collective save % of .727. The goalie I thought was finally our #1 let in 4 goals on 11 shots. His replacement let in 2 on 11. While I want to blame Sean Lorenz for that first UA(F) goal and Anders Lee for that 4th Alaska goal, in the end, the 20 skaters have to be allowed to make a mistake or two in a game. Those mistakes always seem to end up in the back of our net.

I know Alaska is hard to play in Alaska, but Bowling Green, arguably the 8th worst team in the country, travelled to Alaska last Friday and scored the same number of goals we scored last night--and won by 2 goals. For the weekend, their goalie gave up fewer goals than our goalies did in one night. They'd likely be a .500 team if they had anyone who could score--like, say, ND is supposed to have. But it's tough to have to score 5, 6 or more goals a night to come away with points.

I'm not pushing the panic button yet...more like the wake-up-and-smell-the-hot-chocolate button. If this team wants a first round bye, hell, if they want home ice for the first round, they better start playing like it.

 

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

I've resisted thinking it, but this season is starting to look a lot more like the 09/10 season than any of the other seasons since Jackson's arrival. On November 25th, Notre Dame was 10-2-3 and around 2nd in the pairwise. Since then they are 4-8 and have fallen all the way to 11th. The season is another 2 or 3 games from completely falling off the rails, and I'm not seeing a team that knows what to do to get it back on.

Alaska nets a season high in goals, nearly four more than a typical night. Chad Gehon, playing his 23rd game, scores his first goal of the season. Adam Henderson, playing his 24th game, manages his first assist. Special teams once again disappoint. Multiple power play goals given up, and we only seem to be able to score a power play goal if the other team has two guys in the box. Things like this should not happen to a team this talented, unless that team believes too much in their talent and not their effort.

Maybe the team in front of the goalies was soft. But the goalies behind them were just as soft, neither giving the team a chance to make a mistake. It would be nice for one of the goaltenders to get into any kind of a groove. I find it hard to believe we constantly hold the other team to a respectable number of shots (just 22 last night, no period with more than 8) yet the shots we do give up are all grade "A" chances? That's a cop out and we should expect more from the goalies, instead of giving them the cover of "the team played poorly in front of them." But last night the team in front of them WAS soft. It would be nice if Anders Lee would score another goal. That's 15 games out of the last 16 without one for those keeping score, not nearly good enough for someone so loaded with talent. It would be nice if David Gerths would score a point. There is one other skater in the CCHA who has played almost as much without registering a point, but he plays a stay-at-home defense and actually hasn't been playing for the last few weeks. It would be nice if Nick Larson could find his way to the scoresheet as often as he finds his way to the penalty box. It would be nice if our vaunted coaching staff could figure out how to get this team to kill a penalty or two, take a lousy shot on a power play, or to keep their heads if they don't like a call on the ice.

It almost appears to me as if Notre Dame is taking for granted the CCHA looks like the deepest conference this season, as if they are assuming 6 or maybe even 7 conference teams are going to the NCAAs. Dangerous assumptions to make. There are still some good teams and programs clustered around the bubble spots, any number of them ready to make a move. I'd hate to see how this season finishes is the other teams don't take anything for granted while we continue to do so.

Perhaps the talent is proving to be too heavy a burden for this team to carry. Hard work weighs a lot less.

 

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Okay, what Notre Dame fan negative repped me for my post-game post? What was I supposed to say? "Tough loss." "The refs were biased." "It was too cold."

Face it. Right now our goalies couldn't stop a sticky marshmallow. They had a collective save % of .727. The goalie I thought was finally our #1 let in 4 goals on 11 shots. His replacement let in 2 on 11. While I want to blame Sean Lorenz for that first UA(F) goal and Anders Lee for that 4th Alaska goal, in the end, the 20 skaters have to be allowed to make a mistake or two in a game. Those mistakes always seem to end up in the back of our net.

I know Alaska is hard to play in Alaska, but Bowling Green, arguably the 8th worst team in the country, travelled to Alaska last Friday and scored the same number of goals we scored last night--and won by 2 goals. For the weekend, their goalie gave up fewer goals than our goalies did in one night. They'd likely be a .500 team if they had anyone who could score--like, say, ND is supposed to have. But it's tough to have to score 5, 6 or more goals a night to come away with points.

I'm not pushing the panic button yet...more like the wake-up-and-smell-the-hot-chocolate button. If this team wants a first round bye, hell, if they want home ice for the first round, they better start playing like it.

Wasn't me. I share your concerns, although I may be even closer to the button. I see a lack of focus right now. I hope it isn't a lack of leadership, because if it is, it ain't going to get any better.

 

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Here's a disconcerting statistic: Through 27 games Notre Dame has already made a mid-game goalie change 6 times. In all of the 2009-2010 season it happened in 6 times in 38 games. In Jackson's other 5 seasons here, I doubt it happened a TOTAL of 6 times.

If the coaching staff thinks that the team needs a "message" sent to them by changing goalies, I don't think the skaters are getting it, and we may be in trouble. If the goalies are just playing that poorly and need to be yanked more than once every 6 games on average, I don't think THEY are getting it, and we may be in trouble.

There was a lot of talk in the early going about going further than last season. There are quite a few players who need to start getting it if they are even going to have a chance to do that, or it will be just that, talk.

 

[NDgolden]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

I posted these remarks three weeks ago and believe many of the same issues exist. This is not a loose playing group right now having fun. For a team as deep with talent, it continues to baffle us all with any sort of consistent play or momentum. We have seen player after player get hot then disappear for weeks with little production. Systems can work wonders for less talented teams but skill and talent are not issues with this team. The one thing this team cannot afford right now is penalties, especially the type driven by emotion. Our centers have to step up and make plays and not attempt to do it all them selves. Production and scoring is down for everyone this year and that is concerning, considering the abilities this team has. The +/- for this team is dramatically lower than last year. Tynan was near the top last year and now this year is in the negative. "Hard work" is certainly showing "talent" the door of late.

Posted earlier.

I find it hard to believe that one or two struggling players can bring down a team especially a team as deep in talent as Notre Dame is. In short one of the adjustments Jackson is finally faced with is the tough task of which all top tier programs and coaches have, is keeping the talented player(s) engaged when their roles may involve a less glamorous role than they are use to. Involving at times limited playing time or being a healthy scratch. Last year, a very large talented group of Freshman arrived and performed incredible well. Unfortunately, too much press and attention were awarded to Tynan and Lee even if it was warranted. For a good part of the season their success had some to do with not having to face other teams top lines often being matched up against teams 3-4 lines. They are no longer unknown and this year without a plethora of goal scorers, (Calle Ridderwall where are u) other teams can load up and defend the likes of TJ and Anders.

The other conclusion in question between Tynan and Lee bare out something completely different when you look at the stats more closely. Since the two have played together at ND Lee has over TWICE the amount of first assists to Tynan than TJ has to Lee. Obviously second assists come into play from Tynan handling the puck as much as he does and on the PP. Lee came to ND as a center out of HS and the USHL who during his Sr. yr in HS had 60 assists in 30 games. Lee has had success with a number of ND combinations, starting last year with Guentzel and Ryan last year, in fact that entire line were leading the team in scoring during the first 10 games of the season. Then a change was made and Tynan and Lee became a combination that had obvious success up until the last change which came after a disappointing result in the CCHA play-offs, Jackson again shuffled the lines. Lee was assembled with Sheehan and Maday. This line became the go to line up to the frozen four. This team simply needs to find more scoring combinations to advance deep gain this year along with a consistent goaltender. ND will be far more dangerous if this can be achieved with these two contributing on separate lines. What Lee does create is additional scoring chances and extended offensive play by using his physical skills and ability to protect the puck down low. What ever line Lee plays on will almost always generate the most shots on any given night by a fair margin.

On a side note, a few other observations.

1. ND needs to reduce the amount of "emotional" penalties they take and often by the usual suspects. Credit this year to Johns for huge improvements in this area. TJ take the chip off your shoulder, love your spirit but your going to get hit once in a while and are too valuable to be in the box instead of the PP. Also when you score especially on the road, knock off the antics of incensing the crowd, The Kessel hand to ear in Minnesota or the open arm embrace to Western student section. Go nuts when you get to the frozen four.

2.Give Summerhays an extended run of games and weekends. This guy is talented & competitive, he proved it in the USHL and has earned a chance to a solid run of games.

3. Defense move the puck, keep it simple and realize you will never skate the puck faster than making a pass.

4. This team is really pressing right now, the expectations are higher and flying under the radar is no longer an option. The over-all strength of the CCHA is staggering this year and weight of this schedule the remainder will require new contributors to step forward.

5. Centers will need to contribute more and distribute the puck better. Their goal is to make everyone around them better, and not try and shoulder all of the scoring responsibilities.

6. When this group plays as a disciplined "TEAM" they are incredibly tough to beat. The most recent examples are the BU & Minnesota.

7. When we start hearing less Tynan and less Lee we will know we are on the right track. Provided they are mentioned in the mix!

"Opinions are like onions, they make some people cry."

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

7. When we start hearing less Tynan and less Lee we will know we are on the right track. Provided they are mentioned in the mix!

Without Tynan being the best player on the team I'd hate to think of where they'd be. And Anders Lee hasn't been heard from too much lately. 8-2 record when he scores a goal, just 6-8-3 when he doesn't. I think I could stand hearing from him a little more often.

 

[Squarebanks]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

As someone who was at the game last night, ND looked like a team that didn't want to be here and was expecting to play half-*** and win. Should be interesting to see how tonight goes. I don't know exactly what was said, but some of our players certainly seemed to take exception to a perceived lack of respect (see Kaare Odegard's post game comments).

Also, Summerhays had a big contingent of Anchorage folk cheering him on.

 

[NotreDameFan27]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

I hope the coach sticks with Summerhays. I understand he wasn't that great last night, and i'm not sure if others will agree with me here, but I think he needs to stick with one guy and go with it. Confidence has to be playing a part in our goaltending situation. I think switching back and forth, even when one plays badly, actually exasperates the problem. If one guy knows HE'S THE GUY, he will play like it. He will play like it because he knows the team is counting on him.

I stand by my original opinion that Summerhays is the better goalie of the two. In the long run we'll do better with him in net. Others may disagree but that's how I feel.

What do you guys think?

 

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

... actually exasperates the problem.

I chuckled at this because I think you meant to say the team (and fans) are exasperated with the goalie problem, which is exacerbated by the constant switching.

I think I agree with your reasoning, though goalies know going in that they have to earn that start.

 

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

A split on the road is good. As long as they win at home. However, something seems off about this team. Watching them all weekend I couldn't help thinking they were half-assing it. Surely they aren't sick again. But are some players "playing through" dings? That first round bye might be needed in more ways than one.

5th in the league. 12th in the PWR. Time will tell if they are righting the ship, or if that ship is still listing.

 

[NotreDameFan27]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

The CCHA has been crazy this year and Notre Dame hasn't been exempted from that craziness. Incredibly, even after losing four of our last six conference games, Notre Dame is only four points out of first place in the toughest conference in the NCAA. Of the five teams ahead of the Irish in the standings, three have two games on hand and we're playing one - Ferris State - in a home-and-home series in two weeks. The attrition in the CCHA doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon either. It's possible we can be in FIRST PLACE (or very close to it) in TWO WEEKS.

This means we hold our own destiny in our hands. The only team we need to lose is Western Michigan, who are only one game ahead of us.

God must be a Notre Dame fan. I can't believe how much better I feel today than I did yesterday. Let's finish the season strong and use these losses as a learning experience.

 

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

We actually have games in hand on Miami, Ohio State and Lake Superior. Ferris has also played 20 CCHA games and has 8 remaining.

A couple of issues were righted, at least for 60 minutes that is. It's nice to see the special teams come through. Especially the PK. It was nice to see Johnson pull it together after another horrible start. The momentum goal Alaska scored half a minute after Notre Dame took their first lead and a second goal on just the 'Nooks second shot because we had the nerve to turn the puck over seemed to spell doom and I expected yet another change in the net. But since Forrest Karr is now Alaska's athetics director and has used up all his eligibility, Jackson decided to stick with his starter. What they hey, it worked.

I think we won't know what we've got with this team until the final horn sounds on their season. Whether that is sometime in the middle of March, or after the first of Springtime, or in the fun and the sun of an early April in Florida is up to them.

 

[NotreDameFan27]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

We actually have games in hand on Miami, Ohio State and Lake Superior. Ferris has also played 20 CCHA games and has 8 remaining.

I know Ferris has played the same number of games. What I wrote was that WE ARE PLAYING FERRIS STATE in two weeks. If we beat them, we will jump them in the standings. Thus, we control our own destiny. The only exception is Western Michigan who have played the same number of games and are three points ahead of us. They are the only team that we need to lose and have no control over.

 

[Irish83]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Hard to believe it but I just checked WMU's schedule. Can today's sports menu be any lighter? It's bad when the top events are over by 11:30 (Tiger playing overseas and the Australian Open finals) and yes this does include the Allstar "game". Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 

[NotreDameFan27]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Hard to believe it but I just checked WMU's schedule. Can today's sports menu be any lighter? It's bad when the top events are over by 11:30 (Tiger playing overseas and the Australian Open finals) and yes this does include the Allstar "game". Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Asides from next weekend, when they play Alaska at home, the final three weekends look pretty tough for WMU (vs. Ohio State; @Lake Superior State; home-and-home vs. Ferris).

There's still a lot of attrition left. We can definitely do this as long as we play well.

 

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Hard to believe it but I just checked WMU's schedule. Can today's sports menu be any lighter? It's bad when the top events are over by 11:30 (Tiger playing overseas and the Australian Open finals) and yes this does include the Allstar "game". Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

What on earth does this post mean?

 

[Irish83]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

It means just win this weekend and do not worry about the other teams at this time. What did you think it meant Dr. Melfi? Hint HBO.