RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

Random thought: I really believe our defense is going to be like a line from a Megadeth song next year.

Take no prisoners
Take no sh-t

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries.

I expect a much more potent PP (30% anybody?) with a healthy Bergin and a set of forwards such as Polacek, JDA, O'Grady, and Malchuk (if Appert decides to go with 4 forwards).

I expect SA to go with four forwards. Malchuk, as a replacement for Kerins, is an interesting thought.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

I expect SA to go with four forwards. Malchuk, as a replacement for Kerins, is an interesting thought.

Come to think about it, it's a great idea. Last year, he was just a rock in front of the net and most of the goals he got were of the garbage type, and that's what we need with the number of snipers we already have.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries.

I expect a much more potent PP (30% anybody?) with a healthy Bergin and a set of forwards such as Polacek, JDA, O'Grady, and Malchuk (if Appert decides to go with 4 forwards).

Are you saying during or after the injuries? I'd say towards the late end of the season, the power play had tapered off a bit. Granted it wasn't bad enough for the fans to scream for the penalty to be declined, but it wasn't as stellar as we saw in the beginning of the season. I realize you're not going to get them all, but I think we were on track for at least 25% last year.

30% seems a bit of a lofty goal. No pun intended. However, I think we should be able to pull off at least 18%.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries.

I expect a much more potent PP (30% anybody?) with a healthy Bergin and a set of forwards such as Polacek, JDA, O'Grady, and Malchuk (if Appert decides to go with 4 forwards).

That line up leaves Pirri, Helfrich and Bailen for the second wave.
Those three alone will add 5% to the PP stats.

Lets get this season started.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries.

I expect a much more potent PP (30% anybody?) with a healthy Bergin and a set of forwards such as Polacek, JDA, O'Grady, and Malchuk (if Appert decides to go with 4 forwards).

I missed the fact that you have O'Grady here instead of Pirri. That surprises me. I would expect Pirri to center the first unit with Polacek at a point. As I wrote before, Malchuk makes sense up front with Pirri and D'Amigo with bergin and Poalcek on the points.

As for a second unit, perhaps Bailen and Brutlag at the points with Helfrich, O'Grady and Cullen (if he gets out of the doghouse) up front. If he isn't, then perhaps AAG.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

Are you saying during or after the injuries? I'd say towards the late end of the season, the power play had tapered off a bit. Granted it wasn't bad enough for the fans to scream for the penalty to be declined, but it wasn't as stellar as we saw in the beginning of the season. I realize you're not going to get them all, but I think we were on track for at least 25% last year.

30% seems a bit of a lofty goal. No pun intended. However, I think we should be able to pull off at least 18%.

Agreed-plus last year, teams learned how to play against our power play as the year went on. Chase was given less room as each game unfolded. He could not hide at all out there and he just could not get off his quick shot as often. This coming year we will have enough forwards for 2 potent powerplay lines. I thin your assessment of 18% or above is pretty accurate. 30% is a real stretch (maybe if we had the 1985 line up out there )

 

[redhead18]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

As for a second unit, perhaps Bailen and Brutlag at the points with Helfrich, O'Grady and Cullen (if he gets out of the doghouse) up front. If he isn't, then perhaps AAG.

IMO, I think Higgs would be a perfect fit on the second pp unit. Im really excited to see this kid on the ice again. He makes some incredible passes, good at faceoffs and you can park him right in front of the goal to knock in any rebounds that come his way. Id like to see him find his way onto the Pirri/O'Grady 5x5 line to start the season.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

In speaking of Paddy, I wonder what the heck happened? Freshman year, he was the star, and there was even a little talk about him possibly being a bubble 7th/8th round draft pick. Was it an injury? Is it all the competition for play time exposing any weaknesses he might have? I remember two years ago, we were talking about him playing with Polacek and Helfrich to give the line some size, and he was just getting pushed around last year.

Didn't Alex play on the 2nd power play unit last year?

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

Agreed-plus last year, teams learned how to play against our power play as the year went on. Chase was given less room as each game unfolded. He could not hide at all out there and he just could not get off his quick shot as often. This coming year we will have enough forwards for 2 potent powerplay lines. I thin your assessment of 18% or above is pretty accurate. 30% is a real stretch (maybe if we had the 1985 line up out there )

This is probably one of the best points, and was our downfall at the end of the year: Teams figured out how to play us. With more depth, we'll be able to throw a game at our opponents that they're not expecting. We can't try too hard with this though; we don't want to make the same mistake we made against Michigan State. If we can be equally as strong in the physical game as well as the speed game, our opponents will be left with a coinflip once they get to our game.

Putting Brutlag at forward was a terrific curveball. I wonder what we'll see next.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

IMO, I think Higgs would be a perfect fit on the second pp unit. Im really excited to see this kid on the ice again. He makes some incredible passes, good at faceoffs and you can park him right in front of the goal to knock in any rebounds that come his way. Id like to see him find his way onto the Pirri/O'Grady 5x5 line to start the season.

If Higgs can easily adapt to the college game (because I know some of these kids have difficulty with the transition from juniors to NCAA), this vision on the ice may give Joel Malchuk a run for his money. I thought that maybe we'd see Malchuk on with Pirri and O'Grady. Maybe for the games where playing rough will win, we see one of them in front for Polacek and D'Amigo?

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2591935

And what about Colts' captain Jacob Laliberte? As advertised, there he was out there, participating in the weekend scrimmages, along with several other veterans including Tyson and Tylor Spink, Kevin Cole and Mathieu Ouellette.

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2591962 Ouelette is going to Spain.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

Agreed-plus last year, teams learned how to play against our power play as the year went on. Chase was given less room as each game unfolded. He could not hide at all out there and he just could not get off his quick shot as often. This coming year we will have enough forwards for 2 potent powerplay lines. I thin your assessment of 18% or above is pretty accurate. 30% is a real stretch (maybe if we had the 1985 line up out there )

All the more reason we need a defenseman who can unleash the fury from the point...if they know we have a weapon up top, opposing PK's won't be able to key on Chase.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries...

Given that last year was basically Bergin's freshman season, then I agree. I'm not running down the kid -- I like him and fully expect he'll take a big step forward this year. I just think that Bailen will be that good.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2591935

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2591962 Ouelette is going to Spain.

More puff from Hambledon - "sure enough there's Jake out on the ice...blah blah blah..." He doesn't have the slightest motivation to shed any light on JL's situation. I guess it shouldn't irk me as much as it does...the death spiral of journalism continues.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

We havent really had a great QB on the #1 PP the past few years. At some points last season we were going 5 forwards on the PP. But if Bailen wants to step up and take this role on great. Maybe Bergin needs this competition to better his QB abilities on the PP.

Yes technically we had 5 forwards - but Brutlag was the "defenseman" in those cases.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

I missed the fact that you have O'Grady here instead of Pirri. That surprises me. I would expect Pirri to center the first unit with Polacek at a point. As I wrote before, Malchuk makes sense up front with Pirri and D'Amigo with bergin and Poalcek on the points.

As for a second unit, perhaps Bailen and Brutlag at the points with Helfrich, O'Grady and Cullen (if he gets out of the doghouse) up front. If he isn't, then perhaps AAG.

As RH pointed out, I think there's a chance that Higgs works his way into the role of the "get dirty guy" down low. He's got the right mindset and he can finish.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

Yes technically we had 5 forwards - but Brutlag was the "defenseman" in those cases.

I thought the reference was more around when we played BU, when we truly had 5 forwards. Obviously we saw how well that worked out.

Five forwards might work in a 5x3 situation, but I don't think it will help 5x4.

 

[redhead18]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

More puff from Hambledon - "sure enough there's Jake out on the ice...blah blah blah..." He doesn't have the slightest motivation to shed any light on JL's situation. I guess it shouldn't irk me as much as it does...the death spiral of journalism continues.

I guess its possible that Hambledon might have attempted numerous times to speak with him over the past couple years and JL just always declines to comment. Ive been reading the Colts articles in the SF for a while now and from what I can remember I rarely see any comments from JL, the team captain and scoring leader. Usually it seems the team captain is more or less a spokes person for a team. Who knows.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season Thread II -- We Can Rebuild Them. We Have the Technology!

The only reason Bergin hasn't been a stellar QB on the PP is because of his injuries.

I expect a much more potent PP (30% anybody?) with a healthy Bergin and a set of forwards such as Polacek, JDA, O'Grady, and Malchuk (if Appert decides to go with 4 forwards).

Bergin's line was 30 GP 4-7-11 (2 PP goals). IMO, Bergin needs to play with more confidence, period. Be it even strength or on the PP -- he was hesitant at times last season and it showed -- hurting us a few times. Again, this comes down to experience and I do think he'll show progress this fall.

Bailen's line was 58 GP 14-27-41 (6 PP goals). He was 6-10-16 in 37 GP his frosh year at BG, playing on both the PP & PK. My point is, he's no freshman.

We all know Seth expects to win a lot more games with this roster than he did last season. Having a confident leader - whoever it is - as the PP QB will help him do that. IMO, if Bailen comes in and runs the unit with confidence and attitude, you're gonna see him with the 1's.