Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

This is exactly why I don't get on here and rip on our coaches or our kids. I'll be honest, I do not have the same expectations for Ohio State Women's Hockey that I do for Ohio State Football, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

There isn't.

Rooting for a talented favorite has its advantages. But rooting for a plucky underdog has its selling points too. Personally I enjoy both roles, and am glad I have the opportunity to do both.

This program has had three different coaches in the last four seasons and only won ten games two seasons ago, so for me to get on here and ***** about a 12-4-4 record or denigrate the coaches and kids if they don't win a natty this season would be a tad unfair, IMHO. As an avid OSU Football fan, I totally understand the whole 'National Title or bust' mentality, and I'll 'fess up, I tend to agree with that most years, although I am not one of the lunatics that was calling for Urban Meyer to be fired after the Iowa loss. My point is, yes, I have expectations for our women's hockey program, I just haven't reached the 'National Title or bust' level with them yet.

Sometimes fans of the talented favorites forget to enjoy the climb to the top. Following teams like Buckeye Football and Gopher Hockey tends to be a bit of a trap in this regard. While I'm probably being a curmudgeon, I feel the need to make two related points. First, enjoy your own ride. Second, don't try to deny that simple pleasure to others.

Hey, I give those teams respect in the polls -- do I have to give them love here too?

Yes. Yes you do.

I think that the jury is still out as far as just how big a step forward the Buckeyes have taken this year. I've only watched them for two games, and outside of the five-minute overtime when they dominated, improved success over past years was as much about better puck luck as anything else. Maybe it can be chalked up to attitude and belief.

Teams like Bemidji and Duluth have improved a lot from the start of the year. Neither has the goaltending they did last year, but both are still capable of knocking off anyone they play. I imagine that the Buckeyes will be considerably better next season, but if the other six teams improve as well, then that improvement might not be reflected in the standings.

Strong points. And all reasons why the second half is going to be a great show, not to be missed...

Except, of course, for those fans who only care about 1st Place, and nothing else. I suppose that group can console themselves with two months of televised poker, then come back for the playoffs.

 

[ARM]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

Sometimes fans of the talented favorites forget to enjoy the climb to the top. Following teams like Buckeye Football and Gopher Hockey tends to be a bit of a trap in this regard. While I'm probably being a curmudgeon, I feel the need to make two related points. First, enjoy your own ride. Second, don't try to deny that simple pleasure to others.

I think that the point you are making in regard to teams can also apply to individuals on teams. People will sometimes say about a player, "She could have been a regular on another team," or, "She should have played D-III where she could have been a star." There is nothing wrong with being a player who is not featured and may get limited minutes. It isn't easy to be the person who is ready when called upon, but that is an important role that must be filled for a team to enjoy success. If the player relishes that role, who are we to say that she should not?

To bring it back to your point, not all teams will be championship teams. The whole point is to participate and to compete. Jim Scanlan's first team in Bemidji didn't win any trophies, but they still accomplished an awful lot. Maybe I'll eventually think of the 2017-18 Buckeyes similarly. Or perhaps they WILL win a trophy and I'll have to remember them differently.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

I think that the point you are making in regard to teams can also apply to individuals on teams. People will sometimes say about a player, "She could have been a regular on another team," or, "She should have played D-III where she could have been a star." There is nothing wrong with being a player who is not featured and may get limited minutes. It isn't easy to be the person who is ready when called upon, but that is an important role that must be filled for a team to enjoy success. If the player relishes that role, who are we to say that she should not?

Good insight. As a former "role player" myself, I can relate. Maybe that's part of why I believe the way I do...

To bring it back to your point, not all teams will be championship teams. The whole point is to participate and to compete. Jim Scanlan's first team in Bemidji didn't win any trophies, but they still accomplished an awful lot.

Yes, this is at the heart of the matter.

Maybe I'll eventually think of the 2017-18 Buckeyes similarly. Or perhaps they WILL win a trophy and I'll have to remember them differently.

Again, the second half chase should be great fun. The opportunity for a special season is there. Clearly there can be no guarantees. But that makes things more interesting, not less.

 

[Puckdrop14]

Good insight. As a former "role player" myself, I can relate. Maybe that's part of why I believe the way I do...

Yes, this is at the heart of the matter.

Again, the second half chase should be great fun. The opportunity for a special season is there. Clearly there can be no guarantees. But that makes things more interesting, not less.

Stick to your lines, work on the pp and pk, let the defense play some defense, take some of the focus off of blocking shots, let your goalie see the puck and you will have a great second half.

 

[ARM]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

... take some of the focus off of blocking shots, let your goalie see the puck ...

A few years back, a freshman defenseman told me that the biggest adjustment she had to make was that in HS they were taught to get out of the way and keep the lane clear so that the goalie could see the shot, but in college, the D were expected to block the shots. I suppose it makes sense given that every offense talks about wanting to get pucks to the net, and when asked why it is tough to generate offense against certain teams, "They block a lot of shots," always seems to be included in the explanation. In any case, blocking shots seems to be what every WCHA team tries to do, although you're right that some teams get quite obsessive about it.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

A few years back, a freshman defenseman told me that the biggest adjustment she had to make was that in HS they were taught to get out of the way and keep the lane clear so that the goalie could see the shot, but in college, the D were expected to block the shots. I suppose it makes sense given that every offense talks about wanting to get pucks to the net, and when asked why it is tough to generate offense against certain teams, "They block a lot of shots," always seems to be included in the explanation. In any case, blocking shots seems to be what every WCHA team tries to do, although you're right that some teams get quite obsessive about it.

A blocked shot will never go in, an unblocked shot has a 8% - 12% change of going in. Rarely is a goal scored where the goalie is screened. The biggest thing I see is goalies that go down and leave the cupboard doors open or can't get to the back door quick enough due to being down on their knees.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

A blocked shot will never go in, an unblocked shot has a 8% - 12% change of going in. Rarely is a goal scored where the goalie is screened. The biggest thing I see is goalies that go down and leave the cupboard doors open or can't get to the back door quick enough due to being down on their knees.

I question whether or not you actually watch the hockey games you attend.

 

[Puckdrop14]

I question whether or not you actually watch the hockey games you attend.

100% agree. Goalies at this level will stop the shots they can see. Not sure where those stats come from.

 

[shelfit]

100% agree. Goalies at this level will stop the shots they can see. Not sure where those stats come from.

Well, except for the softies they see but let in anyway. Other than those I completely agree. His stats probably came from his own mind. His best guess in other words. They don't keep track of that particular stat anywhwere.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

100% agree. Goalies at this level will stop the shots they can see.

What I see is that perhaps the major factor to "good goaltending" in the WCHA is puck control when they do stop the shots they see. Do they catch the puck? Do they kick or blocker it safely into the corner? Or do they let the rebound get away out into the slot for the easy put-back goal? Desbiens (for example) wasn't/isn't a great goalie because "she stops the shots she sees", but that she controls where the puck goes after. In terms of blocking shots then, the worse your goalie's puck control is, the more important blocking would become; the better her puck control, the less important blocking becomes.

 

[ne7minder]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

100% agree. Goalies at this level will stop the shots they can see. Not sure where those stats come from.

complete guesswork here but lets make some assumptions (so I don't have to try to find real numbers). If a goalie makes 20-30 saves a game & gives up 2-3 goals a game that would be 10%. If so 8-12% is amazingly close to right. But you also have to assume they saw all the shots they saved, not a valid assumption, some are made by assuming what is about to happen & being right. But, to the original point, I would always prefer having my skaters block the shot

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

Pgb-ohio, I'm approaching the point where I am going to need you to talk me off the ledge. I honestly don't know what to say about this one. We're coming off the holiday break so fatigue is not an issue. We were down a couple of D's so we only had two lines of D's but that shouldn't have made a huge difference because Coach Nadine tends to shorten the bench anyway. Emma Maltais was in Germany tonight playing for Canada in the Nations Cup, but again, we should still have enough talented players to get the W tonight. I'll say it, the Bucks got owned on their ice earlier tonight. You wouldn't have known Penn State came in below .500 overall and just .500 in the CHA as they dominated this one by a final score of 5-1. Penn State scored three goals and were up 3-0 before Ohio State was able to get a goal in the third period to make it 3-1. Penn State got an empty-netter to make it 4-1, then added another goal for good measure after Sauve was put back in to make the final score 5-1. Honestly, if this does not wake this team up, nothing will. I am really missing the Ohio State team I saw in October right now. I would love to post all the things I heard tonight regarding this team, but I am not going to go there. I haven't wanted to admit it, but I have reached the point tonight where I think there is some truth to Puckdrop14's contention that this team is in a downward spiral. Since this team got off to a 7-0-1 start, they are just a .500 team ... 5-5-3. I am not sure how else to characterize what is going on with this team right now. Honestly, I have so many things going through my head right now about what is wrong with this team. Coach Nadine said after the game "We started off good, getting opportunities but not converting them, but we need to score and we’ve been struggling with that for far too long. We need to play like the sixth best team in the nation. Unfortunately we did not do that tonight.” It's the coaching staff's job to figure out what is wrong with the team right now and fix it. To quote a former Columbus Blue Jackets coach who I still admire (Ken Hitchcock), if he were our coach tonight, he would have said, "We wanted it to be easier than it was," or "Too many people under the bar tonight." Heck, if John Tortorella was our coach, this would have been one of those 13 second post-game pressers like the one after the Jackets got drilled at home by Edmonton 7-2 a couple weeks back. I do agree with Coach Nadine that we need to score and start playing like a top ten team. I also think we are totally not used to being the hunted. Other teams know about our record/ranking, and they are stepping it up when they play us. We need to step our game up, too, and we haven't done that for more than a month. I just hope this is rock bottom and we start coming out of it right now. I need to end my rant session and just say regardless of this recent slide, I still trust the coaching staff and the process. I still think we have great kids who can play and are talented, they just need to step it up, and as Coach Nadine says, start playing like the 6th-ranked team in the nation. No one feels worse about this game than the girls and the coaches. Tonight was Ohio State's first loss on home ice all season. The other four losses were all on the road. Well, lets get to the box score. Julianna Iafallo scored Ohio State's lone goal in the third period. The PSU goals came from Christi Vetter, Aly Hardy, Katie Rankin (2), and Meike Meilleur. The Bucks outshot Penn State 32-26. Kassidy Sauve stopped 21 of the 25 shots she faced and her counterpart for Penn State, Hannah Ehresmann, stopped 31 of the 32 shots she faced. The two teams are back at it tomorrow at 3:07 pm. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State responds after tonight's performance. It is imperative that they figure things out quickly with the next four games being against top ten teams Robert Morris, then Minnesota.

 

[dd17]

Pgb-ohio, I'm approaching the point where I am going to need you to talk me off the ledge./QUOTE]

To be as polite as I can. This is not a well coached team. Talent wins early, coaching wins late. Her idea of coaching is to shorten the bench which she does more than any team in the nation. That’s it. There is too much talent on this team to sit half the players while those playing continue to struggle. Girls that play half the game and every power play and have a single goal need to be replaced. Even the announcer made fun of the power play. Hate to say it but it looks like the girls have stopped playing for her.

 

[Puckdrop14]

Pgb-ohio, I'm approaching the point where I am going to need you to talk me off the ledge./QUOTE]

To be as polite as I can. This is not a well coached team. Talent wins early, coaching wins late. Her idea of coaching is to shorten the bench which she does more than any team in the nation. That’s it. There is too much talent on this team to sit half the players while those playing continue to struggle. Girls that play half the game and every power play and have a single goal need to be replaced. Even the announcer made fun of the power play. Hate to say it but it looks like the girls have stopped playing for her.

The spiral will be difficult to reverse as this team is suffering from the Survivor Syndrome of being outplayed, outlasted and outwitted! It might get worse before it gets better. Be strong.

 

[D2D]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

I wonder if some fans might be reading too much into a loss in the first game after the long mid-season break? There's still plenty of hockey yet to be played...

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

This sums up my thoughts tonight ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2R2sH2ScBM

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

I wonder if some fans might be reading too much into a loss in the first game after the long mid-season break? There's still plenty of hockey yet to be played...

I sincerely hope you are right. Maybe some of us are reading too much into this, myself included. The next few games will give us the answer to that question.

 

[BigFan]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

Pgb-ohio, I'm approaching the point where I am going to need you to talk me off the ledge./QUOTE]

To be as polite as I can. This is not a well coached team. Talent wins early, coaching wins late. Her idea of coaching is to shorten the bench which she does more than any team in the nation. That’s it. There is too much talent on this team to sit half the players while those playing continue to struggle. Girls that play half the game and every power play and have a single goal need to be replaced. Even the announcer made fun of the power play. Hate to say it but it looks like the girls have stopped playing for her.

Emma Maltais is the straw in the drink for this team, not only does she rack up better than a point a game she makes everyone around her better. I really believe they miss her more than some people think. Thank God she will be around for the next few years.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

Emma Maltais is the straw in the drink for this team, not only does she rack up better than a point a game she makes everyone around her better. I really believe they miss her more than some people think. Thank God she will be around for the next few years.

She is obviously one of our best players, I agree with you there, and in her absence, the lines had to be juggled a little. However, I don't think that is a viable excuse for getting drilled 5-1 on home ice last night. I agree with you that it is great she will be around for three more years.

 

[Lindsay]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017-2018 ... Home Playoffs This Season?

“You wouldn't have known Penn State came in below .500 overall and just .500 in the CHA as they dominated this one by a final score of 5-1“

This moment was coming for about four or five months for Penn State. There is nothing shocking about it to me. I don’t know if the phrase “better than their record” applies to Penn State, mostly because I hate that saying and the excuses it inspires, but no one has handled them easily all year. Although they’ve lost a lot there is never a blow out.

Today’s game would be a fun one to attend. 2 other CHA teams have already split with Ohio State this year. Only Penn State is in a position to get a sweep after game one of the series. I don’t think Heising scored yesterday. I will have to check and see if she played. Usually she is the one if the few to score for Penn State.