Northeastern 2022-23: Unfinished Business - Great Expectations

[OnePack]

Impossible to say for sure if struble and bucheler are the difference makers in the last couple games, but they’ve consistently underperformed my expectations and I think it’s very fair to say we are lackluster all around.

Maybe we lost the rah rah coach and keefe may have been the x/o guy, but I don’t think much is happening from an x/o perspective. Teams are prepared for the mcdonough one-timer and we seem pretty unable to string anything together that resembles a cohesive team effort.

maybe part of that is lack of heart. Have y’all watched Mickey Mack play? On paper you have a much weaker team, but on the ice you have a cohesive, unrelenting force that works hard every shift. If we played them today they’d look nhl caliber in comparison to us.

 

[PullTheGoalie]

Bucheler and Struble certainly aren't going to be the difference makers on offense. I do believe they'd help things on defense. I, too, believe Struble has underperformed. Bucheler not so much. There has never been a team that didn't feel the loss of their three most experienced defensemen. Offensively, yeah, teams are ready for the McDonough one timer. Who else on the team fits the description of 'shooter"? Looking at the scoring stats, McDonough and Hryckowian are producing as expected. Fontaine, Lund and Colangelo are right behind them. Aside from the injuries wiping out the more experienced defensemen, whatever is plaguing Jack Hughes this year is really holding back the team. A center driving another line would help immensely.

 

[McBain75]

I'm not even going to touch a debate over Madigan's time - the results speak for themselves, compared to the time before. He did a great job of building this program back up and putting banners in the rafters. It's reasonable for the fans and the program to wonder, "okay, how do we take the next step?" And I'm not going to throw Keefe out yet - the team won the league regular season trophy last year and he was coach of the year. His work on the previous staff, and last year, buys a lot of trust. Here and now however, this season so far, they're in a rut (especially after lofty expectations) and it's reasonable to be concerned. It's an opportunity for some guys to see what they're made of, if they can turn this in the right direction.

I agree with the posters who said the offensive zone movement is predictable. The Huskies break out of their zone well, they skate well, on Saturday when they won pucks in front of the net they did well. They were vulnerable in transition after a giveaway.

 

[PullTheGoalie]

4-3 OT win but not a confidence boosting win. Up 3-0 late 2d pd, Struble takes his third penalty of the game. 5 minutes for contact to the head, done for the game. LIU scored on that power play and got back in the game. With Spott and Bucheler still out and NU needing experience on defense badly, Struble still couldn't stay on the ice.

 

[RossiRules]

That's a poor W against a bad team. We are making a lot of excuses, but truthfully, the lack of discipline is the real issue. I believe that problem existed long before a few D men went down. I also firmly believe that a lack of discipline is a direct reflection on coaching. Sit guys who continually cost the team. Still, something else is wrong. Its not a slump, it's that they just aren't as good as predicted and the reality is that in itself it's just a hard pill to swallow. My thoughts are that they are about the same or slightly worse than last year. Perhaps a tad worse on D given the recent injuries. However, this year they are collectively getting only average or slightly below average goaltending. I predict 11 or 12 wins 13 tops..

 

[Split-N]

A few random thoughts after watching the ESPN+ stream:

• This is one of those wins that feels like a loss given that they were taken to OT for the second time in as many games by a team that didn't even exist two years ago. Even more galling that they blew a 3-0 lead along the way.
• Offense spends way too much time cycling along the perimeter. When they finally take a shot, it's blocked more times than not and nobody there to convert rebounds on those shots that do get through.
• Defense continues to be way too kind to opponents who regularly crash the net and raise havoc in front. Spott and Bucheler can't get back soon enough.
• That being said, Levi magic seems to have lost some of its magic (gulp).

As for Jayden Struble, I get it that he plays with an edge and that--by itself--is not a bad thing. But man, you have to pick your spots and that head shot last night wasn't one of them.

 

[Ryecheers]

A few random thoughts after watching the ESPN+ stream:

• This is one of those wins that feels like a loss given that they were taken to OT for the second time in as many games by a team that didn't even exist two years ago. Even more galling that they blew a 3-0 lead along the way.
• Offense spends way too much time cycling along the perimeter. When they finally take a shot, it's blocked more times than not and nobody there to convert rebounds on those shots that do get through.
• Defense continues to be way too kind to opponents who regularly crash the net and raise havoc in front. Spott and Bucheler can't get back soon enough.
• That being said, Levi magic seems to have lost some of its magic (gulp).

As for Jayden Struble, I get it that he plays with an edge and that--by itself--is not a bad thing. But man, you have to pick your spots and that head shot last night wasn't one of them.

I‘m sorry to say that our D consisted of refined, polite gentlemen and scholars who do not wish to offend opponents by pushing or jostling them while they are in our D zone. As for Struble: At times, he seems to leave his mind behind when steps on the ice. Too often, he plays “Crash”, and last night it was costly. With respect to Levi, he seems shaken at times. He is fighting the puck, handling it as though it is a hot potato. Perhaps the conventions that take place in his crease have affected his concentration or confidence. Perhaps he will be rested when the team plays at Bentley on 12/30. The mid season break may be exactly what he needs right now.
Otherwise: Our third line of Walsh between Novak and Riley Hughes is useless on offense. They do their best work on the PK. I have no clue why Williams and Choupani got 4th line minutes at LIU. OTOH, I don’t get to break down the game tapes the way the coaches can.

 

[OnePack]

Otherwise: Our third line of Walsh between Novak and Riley Hughes is useless on offense. They do their best work on the PK. I have no clue why Williams and Choupani got 4th line minutes at LIU. OTOH, I don’t get to break down the game tapes the way the coaches can.

I’d like to see the guys who are going to be the future of the team get more ice time. Novak, Hughes, and Walsh are unlikely to have semi-pro careers and are struggling to demonstrate why they had college careers. Maybe they’ll pick it up. Novak was actually one of my favorite players last year, but I don’t feel like we are seeing the same hustle from him (or anyone).

20 GAA (including an EN) in the last 5 games against fairly weak teams is a really challenging figure.

 

[Split-N]

...20 gaa (including an en) in the last 5 games against fairly weak teams is a really sobering figure.

fyp

 

[PullTheGoalie]

Bentley 3 NU 1. Looking at the box score and it isn't pretty. Contact to the Head 5, Boarding 2, Unsportsmanlike Conduct 2, Hitting After the Whistle 2, Unsportsmanlike Conduct 2. Glad I took the opportunity to go to Walter Brown and not Bentley.

 

[Snively65]

Bentley 3 NU 1. Looking at the box score and it isn't pretty. Contact to the Head 5, Boarding 2, Unsportsmanlike Conduct 2, Hitting After the Whistle 2, Unsportsmanlike Conduct 2. Glad I took the opportunity to go to Walter Brown and not Bentley.

Not even Novak could get up to compete against his former team, which has the worst record in Atlantic Hockey.

 

[Split-N]

Somebody was saying something about next four games should be easy wins? Seriously, if this isn't rock bottom, I cringe to think of what that might look like.

I'm told that quoting oneself is rude, crude, and uncouth. But I can't think of anything else to say right now.

 

[OnePack]

I think they competed ok except for the 2nd. Could have been a lot better of course but they had plenty of good chances they couldn’t drive home. A poor looking levi and some bad turnovers (outzen) gave Bentley all they needed. This game could have easily been 4-1 the other way but that doesn’t really matter. Lack of discipline still killing them

 

[RossiRules]

Ah what I said...5 times in prior posts. I love it when I'm right. Can't stay out of the box! These are stupid penalties at that. Season is over for the most part. Was thinking how far Levi has fallen he looks like a goalie in the prep school ISL. Positioning is not good. I believe he's either hurt or is lacking confidence. Granted the D in front of him is not what it was last year but he's getting beat on shots he can track and see. Not good. They need a team psychiatrist because it's not tallent..it's mental. They can't score.

 

[Ryecheers]

We all hate it when you’re right, because, if there is a downside to anything this team or its coaches do, you will find it and harp on it. You seem to a perma-bear with respect to this team.

You can enjoy being partially right about what we can see on the surface. What we can’t see is whether the team’s backbone, Devon Levi, has “packed it in”. He had made up his mind to turn pro next spring and feels he has nothing else to accomplish at the D1 level. He won every award and honor except an NC$$ playoff game. I wonder if Buffalo feels the same way they did before this season.

It occurs to me that having 4 second round draft picks plus a more than a half dozen lower picks may not be the blessing we thought it would be. Some of these guys, including Levi, may be more concerned with their future pro careers than what happens to their college team. OTOH, guys like ZAR, the Williams brothers, Ritzy and MccDonough, and many others came undrafted with something to prove and their skills improved every year. Perhaps an injection of job insecurity would be the vaccine that is needed to cure this strain of red/black Flu.

Incidentally, Our 12 draftees lost to a team with ZERO draftees. They were beaten by a goalie with the second lowest GAA in D1 at 3.84 even after holding us to 1 goal. Tomorrow we will see a Harvard team with 15 draftees and a goalie with a GAA of half of Bentley’s goalie.
We’ve made a practice of losing to teams we were expected to trample. Let’s see how they play in the role of underdog.

 

[RossiRules]

We all hate it when you’re right, because, if there is a downside to anything this team or its coaches do, you will find it and harp on it. You seem to a perma-bear with respect to this team.

You can enjoy being partially right about what we can see on the surface. What we can’t see is whether the team’s backbone, Devon Levi, has “packed it in”. He had made up his mind to turn pro next spring and feels he has nothing else to accomplish at the D1 level. He won every award and honor except an NC$$ playoff game. I wonder if Buffalo feels the same way they did before this season.

It occurs to me that having 4 second round draft picks plus a more than a half dozen lower picks may not be the blessing we thought it would be. Some of these guys, including Levi, may be more concerned with their future pro careers than what happens to their college team. OTOH, guys like ZAR, the Williams brothers, Ritzy and MccDonough, and many others came undrafted with something to prove and their skills improved every year. Perhaps an injection of job insecurity would be the vaccine that is needed to cure this strain of red/black Flu.

Incidentally, Our 12 draftees lost to a team with ZERO draftees. They were beaten by a goalie with the second lowest GAA in D1 at 3.84 even after holding us to 1 goal. Tomorrow we will see a Harvard team with 15 draftees and a goalie with a GAA of half of Bentley’s goalie.
We’ve made a practice of losing to teams we were expected to trample. Let’s see how they play in the role of underdog.

What he said...and the discipline issue. Our penalties are just bad, retaliations and not smart. Levi could be experiencing some sort of Sophomore Jinx but let's give the net to one of the guys who has been riding the pine. Maybe a rest will help as goal tending in mostly mental.

 

[Ryecheers]

What he said...and the discipline issue. Our penalties are just bad, retaliations and not smart. Levi could be experiencing some sort of Sophomore Jinx but let's give the net to one of the guys who has been riding the pine. Maybe a rest will help as goal tending in mostly mental.

Tell me, which goalie would you throw to the crimson wolves? The recruited backup, Grant Riley, started against a supposedly punchless Lowell squad. He faced 17 shots, gave up 3 goals, including a whiff on the first SOG he saw, and we lost 3-2. Chesley? No way! Only a new untreatable, strain of Covid keeps Devon on the bench this afternoon. Unless he has peaked at the tender age of 20, he must be allowed to play his way out of what could be considered a “slump” (2.31/.927), by his lofty standards.

 

[RossiRules]

Tell me, which goalie would you throw to the crimson wolves? The recruited backup, Grant Riley, started against a supposedly punchless Lowell squad. He faced 17 shots, gave up 3 goals, including a whiff on the first SOG he saw, and we lost 3-2. Chesley? No way! Only a new untreatable, strain of Covid keeps Devon on the bench this afternoon. Unless he has peaked at the tender age of 20, he must be allowed to play his way out of what could be considered a “slump” (2.31/.927), by his lofty standards.

You make a good point..however goalies need rest at every level from mite to pro..so if we don't have an NCAA caliber goalie on the bench better to confirm this now in the middle of a lost season than at the start of next.

 

[Ryecheers]

You make a good point..however goalies need rest at every level from mite to pro..so if we don't have an NCAA caliber goalie on the bench better to confirm this now in the middle of a lost season than at the start of next.

Yes, most goalies will benefit from a break from the challenges that they face on the ice. In this case, Devon h.as played just 3 games in the month of December, and those games were punctuated with some home cooking and Chanukah celebrations. Unfortunately, he seems to have taken some rest during games as well as between them.

As I mentioned earlier, today’s game marks the first time in a while where the Huskies are clear underdogs. After having the script against them, wouldn’t it be possible to be the flippERS instead of being the flipEES! One key to the game will be our ability to stay out of the penalty box. Harvard’s special teams are special,and they will hurt us.

 

[OnePack]

Best first period this season and still down 0-2 after one. Oops

edit: this team can’t put it in that back of the net to save their lives. Goal scorer mcdonough chips an empty net rebound wide again