Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2012-2013 - Locked, Loaded, And Ready To Roar <<<<<
Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2012-2013 - Locked, Loaded, And Ready To Roar <<<<<
Not to pick on you, but these are comments I read on the board that makes me wonder if I am watching the same game as everyone else. I am really confused given that this year RIT has 3 guys in the top 10 of point getters. They have 2 players in the top ten for goal scouring. Compare to last year team they have scored 41 goals compare to 30 last year. That’s all most a goal and half more a game. And overall they score the 4th most goals in the league. BTW, this despite the leader goal scorer from last year missing half the games they’ve played so far. So we are going to complain that we have all these points, but they don’t come from just one line. I really think us RIT fans are starting to invent our own traumas…
The other side of it is having goaltending numbers with the 8th and 15th ranked goaltenders in goals against average and 13th and dead last in save percentage. I do not blame it all on goaltending, seems to be in the minority here too. Despite the horrible save percentage numbers, RIT as a team has the 4th most saves of any teams in the AHA. Does it take a mathematic degree is figure out why???
Ok, first of all...
2012-13 Goals through 11 games: 33
2011-12 Goals through 11 games: 26
If you want to count Canadien exhibition games, be my guest. I don't.
Yes, this year's team has scored more goals than last year's to this point, but not all that many (and btw: my comparisons were between the last two Tigers teams and teams in previous years, not between this and last year's teams). I'm sure we could debate all week long about who they have played and when during these two 11 game stretches, but I would posit that our competition has not been as strong defensively this year as last to this point of the season. There were two games this season against pre-season # 3 Michigan, but look at where they are now: # 39, if I read this week's USCHO article on them correctly. And even at that, the 5 goal outburst is still the highest scoring game of the season. The difference between this year and last is that they haven't faced Union and Niagara (and even a poor RPI team with good goaltending) to get shutout three times. Yes, last year's team had offensive deficiencies as well, maybe more. But if you look at 2009 and 2010, the Tigers scored 38 and 34 goals through 11 games, more on par with this season. Now that might seem to refute my claims to some (obviously to you), but if you read the entire post, you would have seen that I acknowledged that this team plays its style well enough and has enough hockey talent to generate lots of pressure, pile up the shots on goal, and even score some at a fair pace. But when it comes to NEEDING a goal, it never seems to come. There are plenty of guys who CAN score and do at times, but not many who CONSISTENTLY DO score and put fear into the opponents come crunch time. So I never argued that RIT isn't able to score. I am also not against having three or four lines capable of scoring goals. The more the merrier. But my point remains that that without that one pair or three-some of true elite level offensive players (at least by AHA standards) leading the way through the force of their talent, will, and leadership, it makes winning a bit tougher... especially when the goaltending isn't in that elite status either. RIT has talented players, but they do not (at least NOT YET) have a Lambert, Smith, Brenner, Favot, Tanev, Ringwald, Maybury, Toll, Bournazakis, Palmer, etc, leading them... at least from an outsider's point of view. Maybe they have characters like that in the room, but as far as output on the ice, it's not obvious. As far as the scoring rankings (I'm guessing you're quoting AHA leaders - too lazy to look it up right now), it is early in the season and as opposed to a number of teams, RIT has yet to face too many of the elite goaltenders in the conference - good ones, but no Chubak or Bartus or Madolora types - YET.
