Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

[McBain75]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Right now I see a team that has learned some lessons from the first couple months, especially on defense and in net, and it's starting to show in the results. How many games early on did the Dogs outshoot their opponents but the shots weren't going in? Now they're starting to. Ruck is gaining confidence in net. The whole team seems more confident out there. It's fair to criticize Madigan and company for the slow starts to the seasons; it's equally fair to give them credit for putting an improving team out there that hasn't tossed in the towel yet. A young defense and freshman goalie had to take some lumps and learn their lessons; forwards needed to pick up the slack with Roy and Hedges out. Big picture - yeah, as someone else said we've all seen this movie before. But right here, right now, they're playing some good hockey, better as the season has gone on, they're still fighting forward and I can get behind that.

 

[HHound]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Its hard to deny that they are playing bad hockey right now, because they are not.


All lines are scoring, the goalie is finally playing with some confidence, the defense is still swiss cheese, but that was never going to get fixed this season, and with everyone collapsing below the circles on defense, as long as they do not get into an up and down skating type of contest, they can survive.

But still, to me, until proven otherwise, they are a bunch of puck-teases. I will root for them like heck, do not get me wrong, but until they do something special, its same old same with these guys.

That first sentence is a bit confusing.

As for the goal scoring and D. The last five games, three of which were against teams ranked in the top 20, produced a GF/GA of 16-8 including a shutout. I'll take that ratio anytime. Yesterday the D gave up a fluke, double deflection goal and another goalmouth putback in a garbage time 6 on 4 situation. The D has been playing more like Muenster, not Swiss cheese.

Tonight UNH will have the benefit of their Olympic acreage and should be a bit harder to defend. Well, so do we. If desperation counts for anything; advantage UNH. Getting swept this weekend would cripple their chance for a home ice in the playoffs. It should be a spirited contest.

I like your term "puck teases". I've heard the team maligned in many, many ways, but that is one of the most imaginative terms I've seen used to describe them. History shows that you are spot on. You get extra credit for PTs.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Tonight UNH will have the benefit of their Olympic acreage and should be a bit harder to defend.

Nah. They are not a good team. If UNH was a good team, yeah, harder to defend, but because they are not, not a big deal.

 

[RossiRules]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Nah. They are not a good team. If UNH was a good team, yeah, harder to defend, but because they are not, not a big deal.

Not sure, if they are good or bad but they are behind us now in the Pairwise! I am also building a home in Rye, and as a result I was in Portsmouth checking on the progress today and decided to head over to Durham to see the game. It was only my 5th or 6th time up there to see a game in 27 years only my 3rd at the Whittmore and it was a total *** kicking of UNH on their home ice. NU dominated in every aspect of the game O, D and Neutral Zone play and they could have scored 10 goals. Also of all of the original HE teams NU has had its historically worst record against UNH on the road. So I am going to enjoy it and take it with a grain of salt and just say this...I believe we can win a beanpot. I believe we can. Can we ? I am not sure, but I believe we can. Also noteworthy it was my 300th HE in attendance since I graduated !

 

[northeastern]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Nice going, Huskies.. keep it going.

 

[Happy Husky]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

what a great win! so happy for some many esp Ruck,Sikura and Jamieson (from Billerica,nice to see him get his first) Yes coaching is still an issue,I have a good memory,nevertheless,its a sweep win (I know UNH isnt that deep) and thats great-almost Beanpot time and miracles can happen #GoNU

 

[Split-N]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

I've seen this movie before

The skepticism is warranted given the recent history of this program, but looking at the remaining schedule, this team might still be able to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Given the way NU has been playing starting with the Belfast trip and contrasted with the way Mack, UMA, UConn, and Maine have been playing lately, I see a potential for as many as eight wins and 16 standings points there for the taking. Anything they get in the Beanpot and at Lowell are bonuses. But the recent history of this program also suggests an annoying habit of leaving "gimme" points on the table.

We've all endured the late-season fades so with that grain of salt, it's possible that this season might still turn out to be an interesting ride.

Totally different thought: How do KRoy and Hedges get worked back into the lineup without screwing up the chemistry that seems to have developed since Belfast?

 

[HHound]

Totally different thought: How do KRoy and Hedges get worked back into the lineup without screwing up the chemistry that seems to have developed since Belfast?

Perhaps the coaches can create a "1.5th" line of Hedges centering Roy with a bigger mucking RW such as Rosenthal. The team would be able to roll four talented lines. Pond and Jamieson would have to take a seat, as would the seventh D (Owens or Fennell?)

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

I had been discussing that very thing, and didn't even think of that. Honestly, it's the best idea I've heard by far. Mostly because I totally forgot Rosenthal was just sitting there unused.

 

[NU_Husky]

I had been discussing that very thing, and didn't even think of that. Honestly, it's the best idea I've heard by far. Mostly because I totally forgot Rosenthal was just sitting there unused.

Which is surprising considering how much you love Rosenthal
I think it should be:
21-18-12
15-27-28
7-8-9
10-16-19

Ditch Pond and Jameison and the 7th D and that's the best team we could possible put on the ice.

 

[Split-N]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Makes sense although I wouldn't want that 4th line, which has been en fuego lately, to get typical 4th line minutes. Collier in particular seems to be finally living up to his potential. His assist on Griffin's goal at UNH was a thing of beauty. I just don't want to see the energy and creativity 10-16-19 have been generating relegated to the bench for long periods.

 

[beanstalk]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Which is surprising considering how much you love Rosenthal
I think it should be:
21-18-12
15-27-28
7-8-9
10-16-19

Ditch Pond and Jameison and the 7th D and that's the best team we could possible put on the ice.

Perhaps this is the best team we can put on the ice, but it's also pretty much the same team that opened the season 1-8-1. Goaltending has come a long way, but two of those losses were to Bentley, so there were issues. I'm not sure that Hedges' pre-injury play this year warrants an automatic insertion into the lineup, let alone the second line. Hedges and Roy did not look good together in those first ten games. I agree on Rosenthal - he should never be a healthy scratch. I didn't understand that last year and I don't understand it this year.

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

That's also the team that hasn't lost since December 6th, with Roy/Hedges/Rosenthal replacing Jamieson/Pond, which can't possibly be a downgrade. If you want to argue for the returning Roy line starting with 4th line minutes as they break themselves back in with the current top 9 kept intact that's completely fine with me, but I don't think they'll ever be written as the fourth line on paper.

None of this matters anyway, because Roy is going to come back and they're going to put him on the first line with McMurtry who he likes to play with and probably ZAR, breaking up every other line in the process. It's pretty much a guarantee.

 

[northeastern]

don't try fix too much.. if it ain't broken..

..and hopefully KRoy has learned to play unselfish & make the passes.. the puck will find him (and the back of the net).. more often this way.

 

[Yuppie Scum]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

So it looks more like "Jar Jar Roy" from this angle..

 

[beanstalk]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

That's also the team that hasn't lost since December 6th, with Roy/Hedges/Rosenthal replacing Jamieson/Pond, which can't possibly be a downgrade. If you want to argue for the returning Roy line starting with 4th line minutes as they break themselves back in with the current top 9 kept intact that's completely fine with me, but I don't think they'll ever be written as the fourth line on paper.

None of this matters anyway, because Roy is going to come back and they're going to put him on the first line with McMurtry who he likes to play with and probably ZAR, breaking up every other line in the process. It's pretty much a guarantee.

Having trouble making sense of what you are saying.

1. You lump Rosenthal with Roy and Hedges as an upgrade to the streaking lineup, which is baffling considering that Rosenthal has played in every game during the streak, except the last two. He has been a big part of it. I can't understand why you think adding him would constitute an addition to the streaking lineup when he has played in as many games as Sikura during that period. So, that makes no sense and is just based upon his absence in the last two games, not the entire period of quality play.

2. My exact point was that virtually the same lineup with just the substitution of Roy and Hedges for Pond/Jamieson/Rosenthal was 1-8-1 during the first 10 games, so perhaps you should think twice about adding both of them to the lineup immediately. Your point is that we're playing great hockey, so let's add two highly skilled players to the lineup to make us better. But, it didn't make us better in the first 10 games. It made us worse. Chemistry is important and sometimes the finesse players with great skills are not what a team needs - most teams want a checking line with some scrappy, low-skill players.

3. Of course Roy comes back when he's ready. He is a proven star who merely slumped in the first 10 games this year. But I think your evaluation of Hedges is based on your memory of him from two years ago, not on the past year and a half, where his contributions have declined. He needs to earn a spot in this lineup and should not be added at the same time as Roy. That will jumble lines, destroy the chemistry and lead to a loss against a team we should beat.

 

[RossiRules]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Having trouble making sense of what you are saying.


3. Of course Roy comes back when he's ready. He is a proven star who merely slumped in the first 10 games this year. But I think your evaluation of Hedges is based on your memory of him from two years ago, not on the past year and a half, where his contributions have declined. He needs to earn a spot in this lineup and should not be added at the same time as Roy. That will jumble lines, destroy the chemistry and lead to a loss against a team we should beat.

I am going to go out on a limb and say with only 10 + games remaining and 5 PTS and no goals you will not see him on the ice again this year. That’s the way it goes with a drafted prospect who belongs to the Ducks of Anaheim they are calling the shots here not NU and not Kevin of our doctors in Boston. I beleive his upper body injury is a head injury most likely a concussion. I would have expected him to do what Steve Quailer did under similar circumstances a few years back and take his degree and anther year of hockey and grad classes. I believe looking at the at the rules he just missed it.

The student-athlete must suffer the injury during one of their four seasons of college competition or during the senior year of high school. The injury must be incapacitating. That means it must be a season-ending injury. The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season. The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30% of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.

He played in 11 games there were 34 games on the schedule but that includes the bean pot games and one exhibition so does he miss this by 2 games. That sucks!

 

[JerryP66]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

I am going to go out on a limb and say with only 10 + games remaining and 5 PTS and no goals you will not see him on the ice again this year. That’s the way it goes with a drafted prospect who belongs to the Ducks of Anaheim they are calling the shots here not NU and not Kevin of our doctors in Boston. I beleive his upper body injury is a head injury most likely a concussion. I would have expected him to do what Steve Quailer did under similar circumstances a few years back and take his degree and anther year of hockey and grad classes. I believe looking at the at the rules he just missed it.

The student-athlete must suffer the injury during one of their four seasons of college competition or during the senior year of high school. The injury must be incapacitating. That means it must be a season-ending injury. The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season. The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30% of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.

He played in 11 games there were 34 games on the schedule but that includes the bean pot games and one exhibition so does he miss this by 2 games. That sucks!

If they play 3 games in the playoffs that would put here total games at 37, 30% of that is 11.1 games

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

I could see him sitting out to RS. Especially if he's still not recovered from the concussion by the Beanpot. At this point he probably tanked his stock with ths play in October, Northeastern might be preferable to the ECHL/AHL.

However if he (and presumably Derick alongside him) comes back, and that's a gigantic IF, that would complicate an already precarious situation in terms of number of scholarships we have available and number of seniors on the team.

 

[beanstalk]

Re: Northeastern 2015-16: Hobey Roy Kenobi and the Freshman Force

Here's my prediction:

1. Yes, his stock was starting to tank based on his play before he went down, but it was such a small sample size that it could be attributable to a slump, bad puck luck, poor play around him by others, hidden injury/illness that he was playing through (even if he wasn't really injured/ill, the Ducks could be told that he was to help his cause), bad coaching, etc. The Ducks have seen him at a number of their own camps by now, so they know what he can do (e.g., the viral video of his ridiculous goal at camp this year).

2. There is zero chance of him coming back next year. From a hockey standpoint, he should not have even come back this year, but he wanted his degree and he wanted it paid for by his scholarship, so it was a life decision, which I applaud. However, once he gets his degree, he is gone - there is no reason for him to return.

3. The better question is whether he returns at all this year, even if he is fully recovered from his injury. He can control that process with the medical staff and it will be interesting as to whether he wants to gamble on his future by playing again this year. Personally, I don't think he has anything to gain with the Ducks, so he may not come back unless the Ducks have whispered to him that there is no place for him in their organization. In that case, he may come back to impress other teams. But I really feel he is already a known quantity at the NHL level, and teams either love him or think he is limited. Perhaps he wants to put on his cape and try to bring home a Beanpot trophy. I guess we'll see.

4. Derick will be back for sure. The family has already shown that it values a free education, so why not let the less talented son suck up as much free education as he can.