Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

[Greyeagle]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

Seeing UMD today they looked like the best team BU will play so far this year. Unless Minn was just that bad. A lot of speed and energy. Goalie looked like he had good fundamentals . All that concern about the bracket didn't matter as BU was scheduled to play UMD in most scenarios and that's the matchup.

UMD is very good.
MN was pretty much awful, but only about 40% of the awful was self-inflicted, UMD shut them down and controlled the game.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

Yeah.....let's keep giving it to the same 'ole, same 'ole.......interest is waning everywhere.......game times, ticket prices, participating teams.......blah blah blah. They will be going to campus sites eventually anyway.......so it won't even matter and then Maine can host if they are good enough to be a top seed.

I'd be OK with campus sites, I'm only arguing that moving it to Portland won't make anything better and would make a relatively average regional placement potentially worse.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

MN crapped the bed. tUMD is good, I don't want to take ANYTHING away from that, but MN was purely pathetic today.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

Seeing UMD today they looked like the best team BU will play so far this year. Unless Minn was just that bad. A lot of speed and energy. Goalie looked like he had good fundamentals . All that concern about the bracket didn't matter as BU was scheduled to play UMD in most scenarios and that's the matchup.

A bit of both. Duluth controlled play very well in the first two periods, but Minnesota was downright awful at times. They were making mistakes left and right and trying to play 1v5 hockey, guys were out of position constantly, they looked liked a car driving with three wheels. Duluth hit them hard, played well, and capitalized on the MN mistakes. I'm not sure they'll pressure us like like Yale did, and they may adjust their game plan depending on if they want to turn this game into a track meet. That said, MN took control of the possession in the third and played well, but again had lots of trouble connecting on passes and stringing together chances on their increased zone time. It'll be a tough one for sure, a different kind of game, more physical and fast as opposed to today's grinder. Duluth's goalie, from what he had to face, seemed solid.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

The MN radio (major homer announcers) were absolutely ripping the Gophers after the first period. As in "they forgot how to play hockey" type insults. If you have ever listened to them...that was amazing in itself. Again, not taking anything away from tUMD, since you still have to capitalize on mistakes, but man....this was a pure sh*show and watching tUMD make MN rekt.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

The MN radio (major homer announcers) were absolutely ripping the Gophers after the first period. As in "they forgot how to play hockey" type insults. If you have ever listened to them...that was amazing in itself. Again, not taking anything away from tUMD, since you still have to capitalize on mistakes, but man....this was a pure sh*show and watching tUMD make MN rekt.

They went from looking like the best team in the country to barely knowing how to skate in a matter of 30 seconds. Taking nothing away from Duluth, they came out ready to play and played a great game, but the Gophers were a complete disaster for long periods of time tonight. Just head-scratching play.

 

[chickod]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

I just wanted to thank Darius (wherever he is) for the recommendation. We did indeed go to Piccola Italia and it was FABULOUS! Maybe the best veal I have had in years. Great wait staff too. And, by leaving the UMD-Minn game after two, we beat the crowd.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

UMD is the best team we've played all year. Only at the North Star Cup did they look weak (one game in five). The big question was did they only bring their A game for Minnesota (some schools do that).

 

[Biddco]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

UMD is the best team we've played all year. Only at the North Star Cup did they look weak (one game in five). The big question was did they only bring their A game for Minnesota (some schools do that).

I'm sure that was extra motivation but with a game with a Frozen Four birth on the line there is no shortage of motivation.

I'm looking forward to Toninato's first hit on Eichel.

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

They went from looking like the best team in the country to barely knowing how to skate in a matter of 30 seconds. Taking nothing away from Duluth, they came out ready to play and played a great game, but the Gophers were a complete disaster for long periods of time tonight. Just head-scratching play.

Bristedt had a great chance to score about five minutes into the game. He didn't & MN pouted. It was an amazing transformation and once UMD smelled the blood in the water MN was done like dinner.

 

[Biddco]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

Oh and we did a poor job of diving last night. That's a shame

 

[Jofa]

I'm sure that was extra motivation but with a game with a Frozen Four birth on the line there is no shortage of motivation.

I'm looking forward to Toninato's first hit on Eichel.

Eichel has no problem with being hit or hitting on his own. Focus on him and the #2 scorer in the country or OReagan can make you pay as well.

 

[Terrier520]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

For those watching the game on TV, just know it's going to be on ESPN2 -- following BC/Denver. Make of that what you will.

 

[chickod]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

I'm looking forward to Toninato's first hit on Eichel.

What is the obsession with people in the West trying to "prove" that Eichel is not as good as ALL the scouts obviously agree that he is? It was constant yesterday, especially from a certain Gophers poster (who I'm guessing is not saying much today).

 

[Hokydad]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

he is absurdly talented but he is a 96 and they are projecting out
thirty years ago this weekend was one of the most exciting college hockey games ever
umd, pc, rpi and bc played in semis. both were dbl and triple ot 7-6 type games
all 4 teams stayed in same hotel, losing teams partied all night

Rpi beat pc and their stud goalie 2-1 chris terrari in final on a shorthanded breakaway

umd will not make same mistake. they will hammer BU today.

 

[Biddco]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

What is the obsession with people in the West trying to "prove" that Eichel is not as good as ALL the scouts obviously agree that he is? It was constant yesterday, especially from a certain Gophers poster (who I'm guessing is not saying much today).

It's only natural when the other team has a highly touted recruit, people want him to play bad because it makes their team look good.

 

[chickod]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

But he's not playing badly. He doesn't always score but he creates opportunities for his linemates. If you focus too much on him the others will burn you...

 

[Greg A]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

Yeah.....let's keep giving it to the same 'ole, same 'ole.......interest is waning everywhere.......game times, ticket prices, participating teams.......blah blah blah. They will be going to campus sites eventually anyway.......so it won't even matter and then Maine can host if they are good enough to be a top seed.

Maine doesn't work. Yup, they fixed up the arena. But the Black Bears will take awhile to get back into NCAA contention. And Portland is two hours from Boston while Manchester, Providence, and Worcester are one. Can't say about Providence, we'll see today, but Manchester and Worcester have consistently put fannies in the seats. The big problem yesterday was, one, UNH was not playing (they might take as long as Maine to get back) and, two, the Friday afternoon start time. In prior years I believe every Manchester regional was Saturday/Sunday. I think Bridgeport has had Friday starts, but every other regional in the east has started on Saturday. The NCAA decides these things and, frankly, I don't think they understand the peculiarities of college hockey fans.

Certainly not an original thought, college hockey needs to go to the lacrosse model - quarterfinals at home sites, then two super regionals where two games are played to decide who advances to the FF. Sure, there are holes in this model, but no more than the one we have now.

 

[chickod]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

umd will not make same mistake. they will hammer BU today.

If you say so...

 

[Terrier520]

Re: Northeast Regional: Boston University, Yale, UMD, Minnesota

But he's not playing badly. He doesn't always score but he creates opportunities for his linemates. If you focus too much on him the others will burn you...

That's the thing that those who don't watch BU fail to realize. Eichel isn't Goudreau, and he's not going to score all these amazing goals (sure, he'll score some).

He's much better at creating space and freeing up his teammates.

The perfect Eichel play is where he'll dance around the defense, draw the goalie in, then make the perfect pass to O'Regan, who has an open net to play with. Was it against Lowell that he had the amazing 2-on-1 where he stopped, then passed to his streaking partner?