Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Would UNH losing tonight reflect badly on NU? It would seem to be more beneficial to us if UNH won tonight and lost tomorrow to whomever they play.

It seems that our posters are having as much fun handicapping our NC$$ chances as they had all season (at least through February)!

We benefit more from PC winning for whatever reason. Did UNH play Michigan in the HEA-BTHC challenge or something? That's the only reason I could think of. Our best HEA scenario is ND, PC, then ND to win.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Penn state and Wisco tied 1-1 with 6:30 left in the 2nd. If PSU wins, how bad is that for NU? Big IF in my opinion but who knows

I don't think PSU winning this game would be bad for NU per se, but it would leave a negative outcome in play (PSU winning the BTHC (tm) tournament). If Wisconsin wins, that's one potential upset winner gone.

 

[beanstalk]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Would UNH losing tonight reflect badly on NU? It would seem to be more beneficial to us if UNH won tonight and lost tomorrow to whomever they play.

It seems that our posters are having as much fun handicapping our NC$$ chances as they had all season (at least through February)!

I think we could have a chance to leapfrog UNH if they lose tonight. They might lose a few more winning percentage comparisons, which could propel us by them.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Union doing its job.

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

If my Pairwise Predictor skills are accurate, we're down to this.

Tonight:
Quinnipiac Must Win (Currently in OT2 intermission) (Loss Puts Colgate in)

Tomorrow:
Atlantic Hockey- Doesn't Matter
ECAC- Doesn't Matter
WCHA- Doesn't Matter
NCHC Championship- Doesn't Matter

NCHC Third Place- Western Michigan Win OR Tie (Loss puts North Dakota in)
HEA- UML Win (Loss Puts UNH in)
BTHC- Wisconsin Win (Loss puts OSU in)

 

[fahey4prez]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Season over.

 

[northeastern]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Tough.. but not really.

Colgate..they had cards in their own hands.. playing for their NCAA lives.. win & they're in. Loss & out. They took care of business.
NU was in same situation even before HE playoffs.. could not manage the Ws at the tail end. Or in playoffs for that matter..

These things have a way of working themselves out.

 

[walrus655321]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Is there any scenario in which we will know our fate after today's games, or will have to wait until Saturday night?

I think we know our fate

 

[Split-N]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

In reality, all was lost the last weekend of the regular season. This last six days was just the hockey gods jerking us around one last time before administering the final gut punch.

 

[Thiessen'sBetter]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

So now that we're officially eliminated, on to the big question: Who of Roy, Witt and Szmatula are still with us in the fall?

 

[northeastern]

maybe 2 of 3.. hopefully all three stay.

this season ended being improvement over the last.. but bit disappointing at the end. If we can keep core group of team together.. some of the names mentioned..plus kids coming in.. we can build on that & strive for the tournament & hopefully make it back to the Garden.

Now that I know what we have (had) th is season.. i am actually looking forward to nxt season & hopefully the team is as well. Also, I'm hoping NU athletics can market the sport among students & the University/ neighborhood overall so we can 'up' once again.. the overall fan & player experience at Matthews. We have a decent team.. let's support 'em NU! Get a plan in place!

 

[Happy Husky]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

What are we going to take going forward, are we going to be thankful for a team that overachieved exceeding all expectations and has a bright future or will we lament a terrible breakdown in the final week effectively ending the season? What think Ye?

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

I don't think we're in that much better of a position going into next year than we were going into this year, assuming Witt takes his well earned money and runs. Without him and a bit of luck (Extra attacker goals, Taking 2 points from 0 in Providence, Lowell's post magnet in Lowell) this team still finishes in the 8th place range.

That being said. I'd like to see two things:

1) A team that's more consistent. This team took the best team in the country to overtime after leading them for most of the game and stayed right with them in the Beanpot until the Patrick Brown Miracle, swept Lowell, took three points from Providence and Maine, and beat Notre Dame twice in South Bend. It also couldn't beat BU, UMASS, Air Force, or Dartmouth. The frusterating thing about not making the tournament, besides it being our own doing, is the feeling that we had the ability to beat any team that got put on the ice in front of us if we got there.

2) A better home team. The schedule speaks for itself. We won three Hockey East games at home. Against Merrimack, Vermont, and Maine. Plus UMASS if you want to add home nonconference games, but then you gain the Vermont loss too. That's not acceptable for a team that has playoff aspirations that involve at very least making it to the Garden.

As for players, the most pressing need is a goaltender. If Clay stays, I'd rather not see him have to be in the game every night for us to have a chance to win, just for him to break down at the end when it matters the most. I'm not sure whether it was fatigue after 1000+ shots for a goaltender who hadn't played more than a few games for us in a season, the loss of Manson and Benning, just hitting a wall, or the mid-season magic being unsustainable, but the Clay Witt that was around most of the year wouldn't have given up 3+ goals all but once and 4+ all but twice after the Harvard game. And if he doesn't stay, I trust Roy any time in the game less than I trust Chris Rawlings when we need him to make the save, which says enough. Our only chance to get one for next year is probably the dude that decommitted a while back, but barring him showing up or us stumbling on a quality goaltender out of nowhere (See: Witt, Clay) I feel like this team goes as far as the man between the pipes can let it go.

 

[HHound]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

:

And if he doesn't stay, I trust Roy any time in the game less than I trust Chris Rawlings when we need him to make the save, which says enough. Our only chance to get one for next year is probably the dude that decommitted a while back, but barring him showing up or us stumbling on a quality goaltender out of nowhere (See: Witt, Clay) I feel like this team goes as far as the man between the pipes can let it go.

I don't know why you would make such a strongly negative statement about Derrick Roy. You could not possibly have seen enough of him this year to come to such a positively negative conclusion. Regardless, you may feel more comfortable know that the coaches have been monitoring several experienced and capable goalies who, with the benefit of an improved D, may be able to come in as capable D1 goalkeepers. By now they should have a pretty good handle about what his intentions are.

Remember, the coac hes can't make any promise to a recruited goalie until Witt is actually signed. Rawlings said he was turning pro - then didn't/couldn't and Gillies was allowed to get out of his obligation and go to PC (Where Pimm ate his lunch this year. )

 

[Huskies of NU]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

I don't know why you would make such a strongly negative statement about Derrick Roy. You could not possibly have seen enough of him this year to come to such a positively negative conclusion. Regardless, you may feel more comfortable know that the coaches have been monitoring several experienced and capable goalies who, with the benefit of an improved D, may be able to come in as capable D1 goalkeepers. By now they should have a pretty good handle about what his intentions are.

Remember, the coac hes can't make any promise to a recruited goalie until Witt is actually signed. Rawlings said he was turning pro - then didn't/couldn't and Gillies was allowed to get out of his obligation and go to PC (Where Pimm ate his lunch this year. )

The times I've seen D. Roy play over the past two seasons have been very lackluster. He looked very slow (slower than Rawlings) without the size to help make up for it. Combine that with poor puck control and the product is a subpar D1 goalie. The first NU goalie that comes to mind for a decent comparison might be Binnington. It's a small sample size for sure, but I feel confident in saying that this team will finish dead last in hockey east next season if D. Roy is first on the depth chart.

Witt's numbers this season more or less paralleled those of Thiessen's in '08-'09 (Witt had a worse GAA but a better sv%), so I would expect him to move on just like Thiessen did then. Since Witt is a redshirt junior I believe I read/heard somewhere that he will be finishing his degree this semester too, further decreasing his likelihood to stay. This presents a problem because we would need 2 goalies, as we already need one due to Mountain graduating. It seems a bit late in the game to recruit a premier goalie, but the USNDPT goalie Weyrick is still available after decommitting from Brown a couple months ago. If Witt makes his decision quickly it would be nice to try and land this kid, but I don't know where scholarship $$$ and the likes stand.

 

[Huskies of NU]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

If before the season started you told me the team would go 19-14-4 in the regular season and finish 5th in Hockey East and then lose a very closely fought quarterfinal match-up I would have been pleased in the positive trajectory.

However, the way the that this team perfectly executed the NU collapse down the stretch has removed a lot of the "feel good" mindset and replaced it with the typical bitterness associated with this time of year. The two losses against bu are inexcusable. Win one of those games and not only do they very likely make the NCAAs, but they avoid playing on the lake in the QFs.

Watching the semi-finals and finals matchups on TV this weekend has me questioning Madigan's coaching more than ever. I'm not very X's and O's smart when it comes to hockey, but to me it's plain to see that the 4 HEA teams that played this weekend looked much more organized and systemically disciplined than the Huskies ever do. This was true in all three zones and in all three phases. The only phase the Huskies seemed fairly disciplined at was the PK. They were opportunistic and pretty lucky in even strength play, never really establishing much sustained offensive zone time. Moving the puck through the neutral zone was a painstakingly difficult task in many games. The powerplay was an unmitigated disaster all season. I would joke with the people I sat with saying that we should be given the opportunity to decline the penalty like in football.

 

[Bad knees]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

All has not been lost this team has come a long way. You take a team with 11 to 12 new freshman and have Pimm, Witt, Roy, and Manson emerge to play much like they did it shows that this program is headed in the right direction. To an outsider from a different program maybe just maybe NU puts to much focus on the beanpot it's about the NCAA playoffs and being the best in the country. What I have read and seen this team has talent and if set on the right path this team could become a powerhouse it's about NCAA championships

 

[retsap71]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Clay Witt should 100% stay, he only has 1 year of starting under his belt. Why are these kids in such a hurry to play in the AHL. Thiessen had his cup of coffee in the NHL and is now on the way down. Witt can start that persuit next April, what is the hurry. I say that for Roy and Szmitula as well. AHL will always be there.

 

[Huskies of NU]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

Clay Witt should 100% stay, he only has 1 year of starting under his belt. Why are these kids in such a hurry to play in the AHL. Thiessen had his cup of coffee in the NHL and is now on the way down. Witt can start that persuit next April, what is the hurry. I say that for Roy and Szmitula as well. AHL will always be there.

If Witt completes his degree this spring, which I believe he is supposed to do, what's the point in staying? This might be his only chance to cash in and earn some money playing hockey. What if he comes back next season and gets hurt/struggles? He'll likely not get another chance to go pro. Since he will have his degree, if the AHL doesn't work out for him he has a contingency plan. This is why I think it makes sense for Szmats and Roy to stay, but for Witt to give it a shot if he gets an offer. But the idea of $$$ and the way the teams/agents put stars in these players eyes convinces them to leave before they're completely ready or even if they will never have a chance of making the NHL. Look at Jake Newton, Brodie Reid and Ludwig Karlsson for some recent examples. If Witt doesn't get an offer he could always be back, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

As someone with no knowledge of the players on a personal level, it looks to me like Szmats would be more likely to leave since I believe he's a free agent whereas Roy is property of Anaheim so they control where he plays. Additionally, Szmats is a year older and his game looks more complete than Roy's.

 

[beanstalk]

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2013-14 Season Thread II: In Witt we Trust

If Witt completes his degree this spring, which I believe he is supposed to do, what's the point in staying? This might be his only chance to cash in and earn some money playing hockey. What if he comes back next season and gets hurt/struggles? He'll likely not get another chance to go pro. Since he will have his degree, if the AHL doesn't work out for him he has a contingency plan. This is why I think it makes sense for Szmats and Roy to stay, but for Witt to give it a shot if he gets an offer. But the idea of $$$ and the way the teams/agents put stars in these players eyes convinces them to leave before they're completely ready or even if they will never have a chance of making the NHL. Look at Jake Newton, Brodie Reid and Ludwig Karlsson for some recent examples. If Witt doesn't get an offer he could always be back, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

As someone with no knowledge of the players on a personal level, it looks to me like Szmats would be more likely to leave since I believe he's a free agent whereas Roy is property of Anaheim so they control where he plays. Additionally, Szmats is a year older and his game looks more complete than Roy's.

I would be shocked if Szmatula left. There are not a whole lot of NHL teams banging down the doors for 5'7" players with one year of college under their belts. Both Whitney brothers played all 4 years at BC before signing as free agents. Yes, they were true freshmen who entered college at 18 instead of 21, but they still stayed well after they had shown abilities as good as, or better than, Szmatula's. Joe Whitney led the nation in assists as a freshman and won a national championship that year. He stayed three more years after that. If you've followed Szmatula's tweets this season, you would see that he is having a great time with his teammates. I doubt he even entertains leaving.

I think that the real risks are Manson and Witt leaving, since they are have more college experience and both have NHL bodies. This would leave gaping holes, particularly at goalie, where Witt was a monster. It appears that the coaching staff has been preparing for Manson to leave with all of the defensemen they have coming in next year. I don't think they could have anticipated that Witt would have such a breakout year and, besides, goalie is very tricky in terms of allotting scholarship money and playing time. If Witt leaves, then the coaching staff will be able to offer a full ride to a top goalie who knows that he can step right in and be the top guy his freshman year. But until Witt announces one way or the other, their hands are a bit tied in what they can offer a recruit. If Witt comes back, NU will be expected to finish in the top four of HE next year. If he leaves, then not much will be expected unless a five-star goalie is signed.