The Buckeyes are coming off a sweep at the hands of an improving Minnesota-Duluth team. That is the bad news. The good news is Ohio State still sets in 4th place in the WCHA and is only three points behind UMD and Wisconsin with 34 points to their 37 points. Ohio State heads to Bemidji this weekend for an important two games against the Beavers on their ice. If the Buckeyes want to hold onto that 4th spot or even move up, they need to bring their 'A' game every night out. There are no gimmes in the WCHA. Bemidji fans, our teams have not played since late October. How has your season played out? What can we expect this weekend? After climbing as high as 2nd in the league, our Bucks have gone 1-4-1 with a shootout win vs St. Cloud. Only getting five points out of a possible eighteen will drop you in the standings like a lead balloon. We played Wisconsin and UMD tough, but could not get a 'W' in either series. If nothing else, you should see a hungry Ohio State team this weekend. Should be an interesting series.
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Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
- Thread starter osualum86
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Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Well, October was a looong time ago. But in sweeping the home series, we won by an aggregate score of 14-2. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say we've got the tiebreaker all locked up.
However I also believe the games will be much closer this time; partly because the games are on the road, partly because the "midas touch" we had last is unlikely to recur. Another factor is that Bemidji has probably now adapted to "life without Suzanna." If any BSU fans have an update on how the Beaver Goalies have been doing, that would be very interesting to read.
Well, October was a looong time ago. But in sweeping the home series, we won by an aggregate score of 14-2. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say we've got the tiebreaker all locked up.
However I also believe the games will be much closer this time; partly because the games are on the road, partly because the "midas touch" we had last is unlikely to recur. Another factor is that Bemidji has probably now adapted to "life without Suzanna." If any BSU fans have an update on how the Beaver Goalies have been doing, that would be very interesting to read.
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
We have to find a way to break out of the recent slump and get six points. I don't care how it happens at this point. I don't care if we win both games 1-0. I'm not going to get back on the UMD thread and start a new debate, but 1-4-1 in our last six = slump. I completely agree that the Wisconsins and UMDs of the world have improved, but we should have improved as well. Coach Nate said on twitter over the weekend that getting swept at home is unacceptable and I couldn't agree more. We shouldn't have gotten swept at Wisconsin either. If we had just split with Wisconsin a couple weeks ago and this past weekend vs UMD we would still be setting in second place. I am starting to think there really is something to the "they cannot beat us" vs the "we think we can win" mentality (think you and someone were discussing that on the St. Cloud game thread). In looking back, the poster was OldDave but the statement was based on one of the uscho.com articles he had read and I believe Candace had mentioned the differences in the two schools of thought. The challenge for our program is to get to that "they cannot beat us" mentality, which we haven't quite reached yet. Well, I have said enough. I don't want to get to the point where I sound like I am being negative. I just don't want to see this team continue their recent slide and tarnish what has been an awesome season so far! They have worked too hard to get to this point. Hope they can finish this season like they started it ... strong!
Well, October was a looong time ago. But in sweeping the home series, we won by an aggregate score of 14-2. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say we've got the tiebreaker all locked up.
However I also believe the games will be much closer this time; partly because the games are on the road, partly because the "midas touch" we had last is unlikely to recur. Another factor is that Bemidji has probably now adapted to "life without Suzanna." If any BSU fans have an update on how the Beaver Goalies have been doing, that would be very interesting to read.
We have to find a way to break out of the recent slump and get six points. I don't care how it happens at this point. I don't care if we win both games 1-0. I'm not going to get back on the UMD thread and start a new debate, but 1-4-1 in our last six = slump. I completely agree that the Wisconsins and UMDs of the world have improved, but we should have improved as well. Coach Nate said on twitter over the weekend that getting swept at home is unacceptable and I couldn't agree more. We shouldn't have gotten swept at Wisconsin either. If we had just split with Wisconsin a couple weeks ago and this past weekend vs UMD we would still be setting in second place. I am starting to think there really is something to the "they cannot beat us" vs the "we think we can win" mentality (think you and someone were discussing that on the St. Cloud game thread). In looking back, the poster was OldDave but the statement was based on one of the uscho.com articles he had read and I believe Candace had mentioned the differences in the two schools of thought. The challenge for our program is to get to that "they cannot beat us" mentality, which we haven't quite reached yet. Well, I have said enough. I don't want to get to the point where I sound like I am being negative. I just don't want to see this team continue their recent slide and tarnish what has been an awesome season so far! They have worked too hard to get to this point. Hope they can finish this season like they started it ... strong!
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
I'm good with virtually everything in your post. While there's no need to have an in-depth debate on the definition of the word slump, allow me one more quick take: If you focus strictly on W/L record, yes, it's a slump. That said, I still see lots of good things going on out on the ice. As just one example, both of Saturday's goals were things of beauty -- tons of skill, teammwork and effort involved. Usually when I think of a slump, I think of a team that's noticeably misfiring or has quit moving their feet. In this case, we're doing a lot well, just not enough. I'll stop there; anything more would just be splitting hairs.
On a different front, suppose that we sweep next weekend, and that UND & MN do the same. We'd regain 2nd Place - by a single point. UND would be one point behind us. UMD would be 2 points behind, as would UW after its bye. Put another way, all four teams would be less than one game apart. It's crazy close.
I'm good with virtually everything in your post. While there's no need to have an in-depth debate on the definition of the word slump, allow me one more quick take: If you focus strictly on W/L record, yes, it's a slump. That said, I still see lots of good things going on out on the ice. As just one example, both of Saturday's goals were things of beauty -- tons of skill, teammwork and effort involved. Usually when I think of a slump, I think of a team that's noticeably misfiring or has quit moving their feet. In this case, we're doing a lot well, just not enough. I'll stop there; anything more would just be splitting hairs.
On a different front, suppose that we sweep next weekend, and that UND & MN do the same. We'd regain 2nd Place - by a single point. UND would be one point behind us. UMD would be 2 points behind, as would UW after its bye. Put another way, all four teams would be less than one game apart. It's crazy close.
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Your points are true. Then the following week Minnesota comes to Columbus and OSU could be back in the same situation. OSU can not afford anything less than sweeps against BSU and MSU and hopefully a split against UND. Very difficult.
Saw last weeks games and looks like OSU is a little wore down. Knapp has been amazing (OSU's MVP) and won a few early. Twins play an awful lot and tired late in games. OSU Coaches seem to have gone small at D other than the twins 3- 5' 3" or less and took a few too many penalties. WCHA has a ton of big forwards which wear D down and in the bigger rinks give them more room. Minnesota has all 6 D 5'7 or bigger 5-5'9"++, WI one 5'5" and 5- 5'7" or bigger, UMD all 5'5 or bigger, UND 1- 5'3" rest 5'6"or bigger. See a trend? Hate to pick on the smaller player but Kelly Wild is gone and missed.
Hopefully your Bucks will be ok and get that 4 spot. Good luck
Your points are true. Then the following week Minnesota comes to Columbus and OSU could be back in the same situation. OSU can not afford anything less than sweeps against BSU and MSU and hopefully a split against UND. Very difficult.
Saw last weeks games and looks like OSU is a little wore down. Knapp has been amazing (OSU's MVP) and won a few early. Twins play an awful lot and tired late in games. OSU Coaches seem to have gone small at D other than the twins 3- 5' 3" or less and took a few too many penalties. WCHA has a ton of big forwards which wear D down and in the bigger rinks give them more room. Minnesota has all 6 D 5'7 or bigger 5-5'9"++, WI one 5'5" and 5- 5'7" or bigger, UMD all 5'5 or bigger, UND 1- 5'3" rest 5'6"or bigger. See a trend? Hate to pick on the smaller player but Kelly Wild is gone and missed.
Hopefully your Bucks will be ok and get that 4 spot. Good luck
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Very good points, Pgb! John Markell once said something after a 3-2 loss to Cornell in the NCAA Tournament that may be applicable to our womens team right now. He said that hockey can be a cruel game because you can do everything right and still lose. I missed last weekend's games so maybe I shouldn't be commenting on whether we are in some sort of slump or not. Admittedly, I am going by the record and the only games I have seen in that group of games were the two games vs St. Cloud at home a couple weekends ago. Plus, the other side of the coin is, at this point, I suppose it really doesn't matter where we finish. We'll still have to go through the likes of UMD, Wisconsin, Minnesota, UND, etc. It would just be a nice goal for the team to accomplish ... finish in the top four and get home ice for the first round. And I am not just saying that because I thought it was possible last fall. This is about a hard working coaching staff and team. It's for them, it's not about me or any other fans. Thanks for the congrats on my 1,000th post! I honestly hadn't noticed. You're a great guy, too, Pgb! I really enjoy your "Unofficial" three stars of the game on those home weekends. I miss those when our team is on the road.
Very good points, Pgb! John Markell once said something after a 3-2 loss to Cornell in the NCAA Tournament that may be applicable to our womens team right now. He said that hockey can be a cruel game because you can do everything right and still lose. I missed last weekend's games so maybe I shouldn't be commenting on whether we are in some sort of slump or not. Admittedly, I am going by the record and the only games I have seen in that group of games were the two games vs St. Cloud at home a couple weekends ago. Plus, the other side of the coin is, at this point, I suppose it really doesn't matter where we finish. We'll still have to go through the likes of UMD, Wisconsin, Minnesota, UND, etc. It would just be a nice goal for the team to accomplish ... finish in the top four and get home ice for the first round. And I am not just saying that because I thought it was possible last fall. This is about a hard working coaching staff and team. It's for them, it's not about me or any other fans. Thanks for the congrats on my 1,000th post! I honestly hadn't noticed. You're a great guy, too, Pgb! I really enjoy your "Unofficial" three stars of the game on those home weekends. I miss those when our team is on the road.
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Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
WCHFan, your points are very well taken, but in looking at our roster, our two shortest defensemen are 5'4" and one of those D's is Annie Svedin, who has been playing for her National Team (Sweden), who you'll probably see in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. I agree that we miss Kelly Wild, who was one of those 5'3" defensemen. Unless I misunderstood your post, you indicated that those smaller D's are getting worn down by the bigger forwards in the WCHA. I do agree that in order to be successful, we need to stay out of the sin bin! I also agree that Chelsea Knapp has been amazing this season, and one of the reasons why we are in the top four in the league. If we can take care of business against Bemidji, Minnesota State, and get a split at UND, I like our chances to stay in the top four. That would give us 49 points. Should we pull off the unthinkable against Minnesota and get a point or three, that would be icing on the cake. It's a tough draw, but I believe this coaching staff and players are up to it. They just need to keep working hard and doing the things that have made them successful this season ... great goaltending, great play by the defensemen, and scoring by committee (everyone getting involved in the scoring). Regardless of how this season ends up, it's been very enjoyable to watch this program continue to grow, and I tend to say this every year, but we will certainly miss the seniors.
WCHFan, your points are very well taken, but in looking at our roster, our two shortest defensemen are 5'4" and one of those D's is Annie Svedin, who has been playing for her National Team (Sweden), who you'll probably see in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. I agree that we miss Kelly Wild, who was one of those 5'3" defensemen. Unless I misunderstood your post, you indicated that those smaller D's are getting worn down by the bigger forwards in the WCHA. I do agree that in order to be successful, we need to stay out of the sin bin! I also agree that Chelsea Knapp has been amazing this season, and one of the reasons why we are in the top four in the league. If we can take care of business against Bemidji, Minnesota State, and get a split at UND, I like our chances to stay in the top four. That would give us 49 points. Should we pull off the unthinkable against Minnesota and get a point or three, that would be icing on the cake. It's a tough draw, but I believe this coaching staff and players are up to it. They just need to keep working hard and doing the things that have made them successful this season ... great goaltending, great play by the defensemen, and scoring by committee (everyone getting involved in the scoring). Regardless of how this season ends up, it's been very enjoyable to watch this program continue to grow, and I tend to say this every year, but we will certainly miss the seniors.
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Sorry should have said 5'4. A couple of D looked smaller than her. Yes I like Svedin although not quite Wild and I know she no longer plays . I loved her game. My point was that with the bigger d it's nice to take up space. OSU just looked very small last weekend especially in front of the net. Maybe UMD banged harder than earlier in the year and I felt they controlled the front of the net. I think this is how teams are attacking/game planning agains OSU lately. Crashing the net drawing penalties. using their size.
Trust me when I say I would rather have OSU take the 4 spot over UND and wish them luck down the stretch. My second favorite team. And trust me when I say they will not take points away from Minnesota
Sorry should have said 5'4. A couple of D looked smaller than her. Yes I like Svedin although not quite Wild and I know she no longer plays . I loved her game. My point was that with the bigger d it's nice to take up space. OSU just looked very small last weekend especially in front of the net. Maybe UMD banged harder than earlier in the year and I felt they controlled the front of the net. I think this is how teams are attacking/game planning agains OSU lately. Crashing the net drawing penalties. using their size.
Trust me when I say I would rather have OSU take the 4 spot over UND and wish them luck down the stretch. My second favorite team. And trust me when I say they will not take points away from Minnesota
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Thank you for the clarification. I understand your points regarding how teams are attacking OSU the second time around this season. They are not getting the long shots by Chelsea Knapp so they are crashing the net and getting greasy goals against our smaller defensemen, or picking up penalties in the process. In regard to Minnesota, my head says you are 100% correct, but my heart says we could pull off a shocker or somehow end up going to OT and getting a point. Never say never. Rarely does a hockey team go through an entire season unscathed, but then, if any team could pull that off, it would probably be this season's Minnesota team. They do not appear to have a weakness anywhere. I am looking forward to seeing them in person here in a week and a half. First, though, we need to take care of business against the Beavers this weekend.
Sorry should have said 5'4. A couple of D looked smaller than her. Yes I like Svedin although not quite Wild and I know she no longer plays . I loved her game. My point was that with the bigger d it's nice to take up space. OSU just looked very small last weekend especially in front of the net. Maybe UMD banged harder than earlier in the year and I felt they controlled the front of the net. I think this is how teams are attacking/game planning agains OSU lately. Crashing the net drawing penalties. using their size.
Trust me when I say I would rather have OSU take the 4 spot over UND and wish them luck down the stretch. My second favorite team. And trust me when I say they will not take points away from Minnesota
Thank you for the clarification. I understand your points regarding how teams are attacking OSU the second time around this season. They are not getting the long shots by Chelsea Knapp so they are crashing the net and getting greasy goals against our smaller defensemen, or picking up penalties in the process. In regard to Minnesota, my head says you are 100% correct, but my heart says we could pull off a shocker or somehow end up going to OT and getting a point. Never say never. Rarely does a hockey team go through an entire season unscathed, but then, if any team could pull that off, it would probably be this season's Minnesota team. They do not appear to have a weakness anywhere. I am looking forward to seeing them in person here in a week and a half. First, though, we need to take care of business against the Beavers this weekend.
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Of course we miss having both Kelly and Brit on the ice. But on the bright side, we've had a full season with the Schmitt Twins playing together, which wasn't true last season. Also, transfer Kara Gust is really starting to come into her own.
Can't argue with the point that more size would be nice; but I like all of our current 'D'. Maybe this is something to take into account in future recruiting. But the desirability of skilled 'D' with size isn't exactly a secret.
Good insight. And yet, we have to take into account that this has been UMD's method of operation for, well, forever. Striving to physically dominate the slot and corners is simply what Shannon's teams do, and they usually do it better than anyone else. Could be that other teams are trying to emulate UMD's approach against OSU. But in trying to reflect on the St. Cloud series, I don't have any specific memory that this was important in those games. Will continue to observe with interest.
On paper, you're clearly correct. But I'll still be at the Ice Rink for both games. And if the Buckeyes take even a single point in that series, you can count on this quote making a cameo appearance....And trust me when I say they will not take points away from Minnesota
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
I was happy to check the standings and see a '37' in our points column. For some reason I thought OT wins were only worth 2 points. For some reason, I had it in my head that you had to win in regulation to get the 3 points. I was ready to get on here and complain about "leaving a point on the table" today until I saw the standings on the WCHA website!
I was happy to check the standings and see a '37' in our points column. For some reason I thought OT wins were only worth 2 points. For some reason, I had it in my head that you had to win in regulation to get the 3 points. I was ready to get on here and complain about "leaving a point on the table" today until I saw the standings on the WCHA website!
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Yes, yes, thank you Ally Tarr! God bless the good folks of London, Ontario, and thank you for sharing Ally with us!
Aaaaaahh. Whew. Thank you, Ally.
Yes, yes, thank you Ally Tarr! God bless the good folks of London, Ontario, and thank you for sharing Ally with us!
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Nope... it's only 2 points if it goes to a shootout.I was happy to check the standings and see a '37' in our points column. For some reason I thought OT wins were only worth 2 points. For some reason, I had it in my head that you had to win in regulation to get the 3 points. I was ready to get on here and complain about "leaving a point on the table" today until I saw the standings on the WCHA website!
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
The correct rule, IMHO.
Granted, it's tough on an underdog that loses in OT. At the emotional level, they'll feel like: "Hey, we took them OT; shouldn't that be worth a little something?" But the better view is that winning in either regulation or OT is a "real hockey" win, while losing during 60 or 65 minutes is a "real hockey" loss. You've only earned a tie after the full 65 minutes have expired.
Another angle on the same question: I strongly believe that all games should be worth the same number of points. That's the way it's handled in both the Women's WCHA and the Men's CCHA, and I'm grateful that's the case. Anyhow, if you embrace that principle, then giving a point to the loser inevitably means taking a point away from the winner. I'm fine with penalizing the winner for needing a shootout to get the job done. But penalizing an OT winner? Thumbs down from me.
The correct rule, IMHO.
Granted, it's tough on an underdog that loses in OT. At the emotional level, they'll feel like: "Hey, we took them OT; shouldn't that be worth a little something?" But the better view is that winning in either regulation or OT is a "real hockey" win, while losing during 60 or 65 minutes is a "real hockey" loss. You've only earned a tie after the full 65 minutes have expired.
Another angle on the same question: I strongly believe that all games should be worth the same number of points. That's the way it's handled in both the Women's WCHA and the Men's CCHA, and I'm grateful that's the case. Anyhow, if you embrace that principle, then giving a point to the loser inevitably means taking a point away from the winner. I'm fine with penalizing the winner for needing a shootout to get the job done. But penalizing an OT winner? Thumbs down from me.
Re: Ohio State @ Bemidji State 2/1 - 2/2
Not sure what you're saying here, pgb, because if a team wins in OT (before going to a shootout) they are not penalized - they get the same number of points as if they had won in regulation.
Not sure what you're saying here, pgb, because if a team wins in OT (before going to a shootout) they are not penalized - they get the same number of points as if they had won in regulation.
