Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2012-2013 - Locked, Loaded, And Ready To Roar <<<<<
Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2012-2013 - Locked, Loaded, And Ready To Roar <<<<<
A few thoughts about this year's results:
I won't even comment on effort, desire, heart, or the like. Only the players and coaches truly know themselves how hard they are trying.
First for the offense: I will still stand by my estimation earlier this season that the 2011-12 team as well as this 2012-13 team just do not have any natural goal scorers, snipers, or a # 1 line, which is a serious deficiency. The team still has talented players and a good offensive strategy / style that keeps the puck in the opponents' end a fair amount and generates plenty of possession time and shots on goal. The problem seems (to me, at least) to be that without that # 1 line or without the guys you can rely on to put up a point or two per game, all four lines of good (but not great) players have that much more pressure on them and have to face the opposing # 1 defense pairing much more often. Yes, the players and lines on this team can score goals and do at a fair pace, I believe that to be a bit misleading. When push comes to shove and they really really need a goal, the opponents know that most of RIT's goals come from in close ("garbage goals" to some). So if they just defend the crease and slot area like their lives depend on it, they're much less likely to give up goals to the Tigers. That and RIT does not have that "go-to" line that can take charge and tie a game or take a lead late in a contest (i.e. Lambert/Smith or Brenner/Favot). This observation really stands out to me every time I've seen this team play last year and this because in all the years I've been watching RIT hockey, I don't think I've seen a team that didn't have that type of player or line on it.
As far as the defense: Let's be honest, the aggressive physical and offensive type of style the Tigers play (and have been playing for most of the last 20+ years) lends itself to odd-man rushes and the occasional defensive let-down. There have been a few real good RIT teams that played quality "team-defense" (1988-89, 2009-10, as two examples), but more often than not, the success of RIT on the defensive end has mostly relied on spectacular goaltending (IMHO). Looking back at the runs of success I have witnessed, the team had a fantastic goalie saving the offensive-minded team's bacon... Abraham, Morris, Euverman, Guimond, DiMichiel, Madalora. When they have had good but not great goalies, the records have levelled off and even gone down (not counting 2005-06, of course). As far as the difference between the 2011-12 team and the 2012-13 team, most of what I can see is primarily that Madalora is gone. We've been fortunate in the past that RIT has had young goaltenders step right in in place of quality veterans and not miss a beat, but that can be unreasonable to expect that to happen every time they graduate such a superstar in net. Although Watson has been here a while, neither he nor Ruby (nor MacLean, of course) have played nearly enough to warrant such expectations... yet.
So, IMHO, until one or more of RIT's goaltenders steps up and becomes a bonafide starter amongst the best in AHA and until the staff can find a couple go-to scorers to field a true # 1 line, I don't think this team is going very far.
That being said, I still can't imagine even this team finishing in the bottom half of this league. Some of the close tough losses so far this early season could be quite costly, but there is a long way to go. We'll have to see how it all shakes out. Just as was posted earlier, if the Tigers put something together in late February / early March and get themselves to the BCA, you just never know.
As far as Niagara goes, I haven't seen any of their games. However, I am already intimidated by them. I don't care how good their offense or defense are. They have a goalie that is as hot as they come. 5 shutouts and a 0.99 save percentage? Yikes!
