Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

[Thiessen'sBetter]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

Negatives: The power play may be the worst in the country, we have two d-men (Hewkin and Guzior) who shouldn't be playing for Wentworth, Ferriero and Pimm- the two most heralded freshmen- have produced basically nothing, Vermeesch has yet to realize he's not David Krejci and can't NHL 11 L1 deke everyone at this level, Quailer has not played up to expectations coming back from the injury, Tuckerman out for the year.

Positives: Rawlings/Witt have been pretty solid, Olesaliak/Element have been impressive, 0-3-1 OOC (meaning were in better position in HE than it seems)

After Holy Cross/Bentley I was hoping Cronin would kick them in the rear to get it together. After the Niagara loss I almost hope that Cronin does some kind of "team building" activity (still undecided if those actually work) and tries to clear their minds for the rest of the way. Basically, have them look at Friday's game as opening night and go for a fresh start. There is no where to go but up
.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

There has only been one "bad" loss for NU this year, and that was opening night at PC. The Atlantic Hockey losses, while discouraging, are meaningless since this team was not making the NCAA tournament based on its OCC anyway, even if they had won all 3 Atlantic Hockey games.

If they manage a point or two at Maine, sweep PC, and split Merrimack they will be right where they need to be heading into the New Year, with a good shot at home ice.

 

[kcnuloyal]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

unfortunately, going 0-4-2 at home is not going to attract the freshmen class to come to any more games. the fan base is shot until the team strings together a few wins. i honestly wouldn't be surprised to see more BU or BC fans show up for a game if we continue to lose at home.

Good point. This is the fragile state of a program that relies mostly on its current undergraduate population to provide its home ice advantage. Once the freshmen realize that they can be doing other things from 7-9:30 on Friday and Saturday nights, the whole Jack Edwards "THIS. BUILDING. IS. VIBRATING!!!" effect goes right out the window. Very sad.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

Good point. This is the fragile state of a program that relies mostly on its current undergraduate population to provide its home ice advantage. Once the freshmen realize that they can be doing other things from 7-9:30 on Friday and Saturday nights, the whole Jack Edwards "THIS. BUILDING. IS. VIBRATING!!!" effect goes right out the window. Very sad.

They will come back when the team wins. Lets not worry about the fans, or even worse, FRESHMEN fans. People will continue to come. People have always come for the name teams, that is not going to change. The idea that the building is going to be all bu and BC students when we face those teams is a dumb one. All those teams have sent the same amount of fans every year, and will continue to do so.

If anything these losses will just stop the casual fan from coming, it WILL help grow the Die Hards who go to games not because its the place to go. I started going in a 3 win season in 96-97, and have not stopped since.

I hate to break it to some of you, but a bunch of these "fans" have been leaving early even before the Atlantic Hockey dive of the last two weeks. There were frat boys behind me at the BC game who left after the 2nd to start drinking. Those fans wont show up. And NU will be just fine.

 

[kcnuloyal]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

They will come back when the team wins. Lets not worry about the fans, or even worse, FRESHMEN fans. People will continue to come. People have always come for the name teams, that is not going to change. The idea that the building is going to be all bu and BC students when we face those teams is a dumb one. All those teams have sent the same amount of fans every year, and will continue to do so.

If anything these losses will just stop the casual fan from coming, it WILL help grow the Die Hards who go to games not because its the place to go. I started going in a 3 win season in 96-97, and have not stopped since.

I hate to break it to some of you, but a bunch of these "fans" have been leaving early even before the Atlantic Hockey dive of the last two weeks. There were frat boys behind me at the BC game who left after the 2nd to start drinking. Those fans wont show up. And NU will be just fine.

Your dedication is admirable, and is shared by everybody who cares enough to comment on these forums. But I think it's at least interesting to acknowledge the whole phenomenon that comes along with losing and playing bad hockey. When Matthews is truly rocking, it's comprised of a lot of younger college students who probably aren't sure what "offsides" or "icing" means, but just want to be a part of the college sports scene. This can be annoying for people like us who have been watching hockey for a while and have to sit in front of them and listen to them babble the whole game, but it's the nature of the beast.

Losing lots of games = fringe fans disappear and possibly don't come back = poor atmosphere for games that truly matter later in the year = same old story for NU hockey.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but if you've sat in an empty Matthews, then you know that it almost becomes an advantage for the opposing team.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

Your dedication is admirable, and is shared by everybody who cares enough to comment on these forums. But I think it's at least interesting to acknowledge the whole phenomenon that comes along with losing and playing bad hockey. When Matthews is truly rocking, it's comprised of a lot of younger college students who probably aren't sure what "offsides" or "icing" means, but just want to be a part of the college sports scene. This can be annoying for people like us who have been watching hockey for a while and have to sit in front of them and listen to them babble the whole game, but it's the nature of the beast.

Losing lots of games = fringe fans disappear and possibly don't come back = poor atmosphere for games that truly matter later in the year = same old story for NU hockey.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but if you've sat in an empty Matthews, then you know that it almost becomes an advantage for the opposing team.

Matthews full has not been an advantage for the NU team in a long time. Look at our home record when the team has been good and the building rocking, its not like the team is dominant and wins all its games. Look at the last 3 games of last season, killed by BC, tie to UNH, lose to bu. This year, lose to BC, tie UNH again. They were not intimidated, the building rocked. Does Merrimack or PC tighten up at Matthews, not really. The other teams get just as UP to play us with a huge crowd on hand as our team starts to play tight in front of the home crowd. I am starting to think its more of a bad thing then a good. For some of these teams, its the most fans they get to play in front of all year. They look forward to it now.

What happens with a rocking Matthews is that going to the game becomes FUN. If the game is close, which it always is, NU blows no one out, you can feel it in the crowd. You can cut it with a knife. And due to all the other arenas in the area being cookie cutter like the Garden, bu, bc, UMASS, UML, it also becomes unique. Its LOUD. You cant hear anything. The chants feel like EVERYONE is doing it, EVERYONE is playing their part. Its not like that anywhere else in the state. Everybody has their own favorite section they sit in with the same kids. Its like going home for 13-15 games a year. You see the same people for the most part in those sections. Its an event.

Those fringe fans, are going to come right back as soon as the team gets on a roll and a big game is coming, they always do. Yeah, UVM might not be as packed, but if the team is playing better, its all everyone talks about, and everyone will want to go again.

 

[ActionJoe]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

People will continue to come. People have always come for the name teams, that is not going to change. The idea that the building is going to be all bu and BC students when we face those teams is a dumb one.

I do not know about this. Obviously some NU fans will always show up but I remember some seasons where BU came to play and the only NU fans were in the DogHouse and even then they didn't even fill it up all the way. If NU loses the next couple games, it can easily happen again.

 

[kcnuloyal]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

You're right, and I'm not sure I actually disagree with you on this topic. In fact, you hit the nail right on the head in describing the Matthews environment. Maybe I'm unfairly harkening back to the 25-win season and the steady fan support and home ice advantage it created throughout the season. It's easier to keep that atmosphere alive when the team wins, everything just snowballs.

I just tend to think that getting those fringe fans back into the arena after a few wins will be more difficult than getting them to sample Matthews in the first place. All of us fell in love watching the game right away, no matter the score or the atmosphere. It's those kids who wonder aloud during the games, "Why doesn't anybody fight?", or "How many quarters do they play?" that end up making a lot of noise for us, love 'em or hate 'em

 

[Happy Husky Victory!]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

There has only been one "bad" loss for NU this year, and that was opening night at PC. The Atlantic Hockey losses, while discouraging, are meaningless since this team was not making the NCAA tournament based on its OCC anyway, even if they had won all 3 Atlantic Hockey games.

If they manage a point or two at Maine, sweep PC, and split Merrimack they will be right where they need to be heading into the New Year, with a good shot at home ice.

You can't be serious. Manage a point or two at Maine? Really? 1 point in Orono would be a miracle and that's doubtful at best. And by the way, I've been coming since the 98-99 season, which was atrocious, and have been leaving this year to go drink in the Varsity Club after the 2nd period too. Frankly, I think a lot of us need to have a few after witnessing this spectacle on ice. I knew that pair of Rosy colored glasses were floating around our fanbase somewhere....Found 'em!

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

You can't be serious. Manage a point or two at Maine? Really? 1 point in Orono would be a miracle and that's doubtful at best. And by the way, I've been coming since the 98-99 season, which was atrocious, and have been leaving this year to go drink in the Varsity Club after the 2nd period too. Frankly, I think a lot of us need to have a few after witnessing this spectacle on ice. I knew that pair of Rosy colored glasses were floating around our fanbase somewhere....Found 'em!

I think that getting away as a team for the first time this season for a long weekend away from Boston is just what the doctor ordered. Noramlly we spend at least one weekend away from home in the first weeks of October. Gives the team a chance to bond and to get to know each other off the ice, no girls or classes to get in the way. This has not happened yet this season, and you can kinda of see the results on the ice where they dont seem to know each other out there, and then the pressure of playing like crap in front of the home fans does not help.

Yeah, picking up points would be a surprise this weekend. But it gives the team a chance to "circle the wagons" if you will, get down to basics, play a simple style, and maybe steal something. Cronin's teams have generally been better on the road then at home, and have done pretty well at Maine.

I dont wear glasses of any kind, and am certainlly am not pleased with the last two weeks, but like you, have seen many great Octobers turn into flame outs by February. Cronin's teams usually play their best hockey from November through January, and then slowly tepper off. I am expecting the same this year. Better then the perfect October's under Crowder with 3 wins from then through January, and nothing after February.

This is not going to be a 3-5 win team.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

If they manage a point or two at Maine, sweep PC, and split Merrimack they will be right where they need to be heading into the New Year, with a good shot at home ice.

I say this as a realist, not as a fan of an opposing team, but what are you smoking? Home ice? Don't forget PC is in second place right now, Merrimack by all accounts nearly swept BC, and Maine dismantled the #2 team in the nation at the rink you're playing this weekend. As things stand now, you'd have to pull about ten rabbits out of one hat in order to crack the top 5 of the Big 4 and the Mack (who'd have thunk that sentence would be valid a couple years ago?) in order to even sniff home ice.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

I say this as a realist, not as a fan of an opposing team, but what are you smoking? Home ice? Don't forget PC is in second place right now, Merrimack by all accounts nearly swept BC, and Maine dismantled the #2 team in the nation at the rink you're playing this weekend. As things stand now, you'd have to pull about ten rabbits out of one hat in order to crack the top 5 of the Big 4 and the Mack (who'd have thunk that sentence would be valid a couple years ago?) in order to even sniff home ice.

PC has played 7 HE games, 2nd most in the league. They have managed 8 points, thats not very good, yeah two of them were against NU, but they are not setting the ice on fire if you will (3 of those points from UMASS who are not going to be very good this year, an impressive win against Merrimack, and a tie against a Vermont team that is never good this early). BC has come down to earth a bit since killing it out in Denver or was it Wisco? Either way, they are built to take off in February, not October.

Yeah, Maine has been playing well. And there is no reason to think NU can take any points, and that is just what I am hoping Maine is thinking going into this weekend and we can maybe snag a tie one of those nights. Its alot easier getting ready for North Dakota then it is NU, a bit of a let down for them, they could play down to our level.

Look at the hockey east standings, we are not out of home ice by a long shot, and thats the most important thing, not can we beat an Atlantic Hockey Team.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

PC has played 7 HE games, 2nd most in the league. They have managed 8 points, thats not very good, yeah two of them were against NU, but they are not setting the ice on fire if you will (3 of those points from UMASS who are not going to be very good this year, an impressive win against Merrimack, and a tie against a Vermont team that is never good this early). BC has come down to earth a bit since killing it out in Denver or was it Wisco? Either way, they are built to take off in February, not October.

Yeah, Maine has been playing well. And there is no reason to think NU can take any points, and that is just what I am hoping Maine is thinking going into this weekend and we can maybe snag a tie one of those nights. Its alot easier getting ready for North Dakota then it is NU, a bit of a let down for them, they could play down to our level.

Look at the hockey east standings, we are not out of home ice by a long shot, and thats the most important thing, not can we beat an Atlantic Hockey Team.

The point isn't are you mathematically out of home ice, the point is, is the quality of play on the ice conducive to you being a home ice contender. Right now for you to even try and argue that to be the case is comical. Surely you can turn it around, and I'm quite surprised at how bad your team has been, especially at home, but for you to even be thinking in terms of home ice when there are clearly four, if not five teams that are clearly above the rest makes no sense. Looking at your schedule, over the next two months, you have only two home games. That's not exactly a recipe to move up in the standings for a team that has yet to prove it can win games against meaningful competition.

 

[northeastern]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

Huskies 01.. i just want us to win a game against a opponent in HE. That would be step 1. Then i'd like us to win another gm against an opponent in HE.. (before January)... that's how broken we look (ed).

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

The point isn't are you mathematically out of home ice, the point is, is the quality of play on the ice conducive to you being a home ice contender. Right now for you to even try and argue that to be the case is comical. Surely you can turn it around, and I'm quite surprised at how bad your team has been, especially at home, but for you to even be thinking in terms of home ice when there are clearly four, if not five teams that are clearly above the rest makes no sense. Looking at your schedule, over the next two months, you have only two home games. That's not exactly a recipe to move up in the standings for a team that has yet to prove it can win games against meaningful competition.

That is what I aim for. Home ice. Which 5 teams are you talking about? PC which has played more games? UML which has played 8 and is truly in trouble at this point with amount of points they have accumulated? Merrimack which still cannot win on the road? UNH which we actually played well at home against? The only team running away at this point is bu. Maine has done well out of conference but need OT to beat UVM, tied bu, and romped over UML. Maybe they are the 2nd best team in the conference right now. So great, go and get swept by them, and we dont have to worry about them the rest of the way outside of one game, yet everyone else will go up there and get beat too.

I have yet to see anyone win a championship for playing great in October. I almost rather have it this way, then the team winning and thinking they are great when they are not. Now its nose to the grindstone time. The results jusitfy it they cannot get away from it.

They can get focused away from Matthews the next 3 games, and set themselves up to be in good shape heading into the New Year. Not looking for great October hockey. Looking for them to get better and better and better as the season goes on.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

That is what I aim for. Home ice. Which 5 teams are you talking about? PC which has played more games? UML which has played 8 and is truly in trouble at this point with amount of points they have accumulated? Merrimack which still cannot win on the road? UNH which we actually played well at home against? The only team running away at this point is bu. Maine has done well out of conference but need OT to beat UVM, tied bu, and romped over UML. Maybe they are the 2nd best team in the conference right now. So great, go and get swept by them, and we dont have to worry about them the rest of the way outside of one game, yet everyone else will go up there and get beat too.

I have yet to see anyone win a championship for playing great in October. I almost rather have it this way, then the team winning and thinking they are great when they are not. Now its nose to the grindstone time. The results jusitfy it they cannot get away from it.

They can get focused away from Matthews the next 3 games, and set themselves up to be in good shape heading into the New Year. Not looking for great October hockey. Looking for them to get better and better and better as the season goes on.

OK, that's nice to aim for home ice, but you presented a scenario and made it seem quite realistic, following it up by saying that NU would be in good position for home ice. Continuing your arguments against all HE teams, NU has won one game in conference against arguably the league's worst team. Therefore, presenting any scenario where NU is in good position for home ice is, at this point, not a realistic one. That's all I'm saying, from a realist standpoint, if I were an NU fan, I wouldn't be thinking in terms of home ice, but just figuring out ways to win games and get some points. Worry about final positioning later on.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

OK, that's nice to aim for home ice, but you presented a scenario and made it seem quite realistic, following it up by saying that NU would be in good position for home ice. Continuing your arguments against all HE teams, NU has won one game in conference against arguably the league's worst team. Therefore, presenting any scenario where NU is in good position for home ice is, at this point, not a realistic one. That's all I'm saying, from a realist standpoint, if I were an NU fan, I wouldn't be thinking in terms of home ice, but just figuring out ways to win games and get some points. Worry about final positioning later on.

They beat a team they had to beat. They lost a very close game to the team I expect to win the National Championship. They tied a team that should be in the Top 3 in the league, and they have one bad loss, the opening one against PC. 1-2-1 in 4 games to open the conference schedule.

Really, the only teams sitting pretty in the conference right now are bu cause they have not lost, Maine and UNH because they have each played 3 games and taken 5 points. UML and PC are in trouble with the amount of games they played and the points they have accumulated, and NU is right in the middle of the pack with everyone else.

edit: Again, its October. IF they had played like this in January, I am close to the front of the line in jumping off the Tobin and calling for a regime change.

 

[NUMcNeely]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

My outlook is patience until we hit 2011, then I'll start slamming my face on the panic button.

I just don't see how we can be THIS bad all season, please don't prove me wrong.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

Look at the hockey east standings, we are not out of home ice by a long shot, and thats the most important thing, not can we beat an Atlantic Hockey Team.

If we can't beat an Atlantic Hockey team (in three tries, no less), how in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks do you expect us to beat anybody in Hockey East, let alone enough anybodies to even think about home ice?

The issue is not the losses, it's what the losses says about the competence (or rather, lack of same) of the team.

You are what you are, and the record says that this is a bad team.

 

[Huskies01]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2010-2011 Season Thread

If we can't beat an Atlantic Hockey team (in three tries, no less), how in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks do you expect us to beat anybody in Hockey East, let alone enough anybodies to even think about home ice?

The issue is not the losses, it's what the losses says about the competence (or rather, lack of same) of the team.

You are what you are, and the record says that this is a bad team.

they already beat a Hockey East team and tied another. Those are the results I am go to go by.