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RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

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Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

How about on June 1st we let go of the past and start a conversation about the upcoming season and what we expect from the new coach.
From where I sit, it looks like we have a decent defense and a good goaltender. Big questions on offense, but with big potential from a couple of forwards.
I think that a .500 season would be acceptable if the team gives it 100% every game.
I am excited to see what Smith will bring to this team.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

ServinisScores said:
Thank you Doc. Whatever "Engineer Way" that existed in terms of a successful program was snuffed out by Appert. Let's hope Coach Smith puts focus on substance and results instead of style & marketing.
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How absolutely true. Jen and i took a little vacation from RPI hockey for a lot of reasons. Among the long list of reasons was the boredom and repetition that stemmed from the top. We never lost interest in our boys, most of whom gave what they had and played their hearts out. All anyone can ask is for the kids to give what they are capable of. But for the program to be successful and actually for it to even survive, it flows uphill. The administration and the coaching staff have to be give these boys the best chances to compete and to win. I have not been convinced that has been the case in many years.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Bummer. He was bringing in some really good talent to AA & I was hoping RPI’s new Coach would start taking advantage but good to see a real up & coming coach be rewarded. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brett Riley named Head Coach at Wilkes University. Talented young coach who revitalized <a href="https://twitter.com/AAPuck">@AAPuck</a> during his tenure. <a href="https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B">https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B</a></p>— Neutral Zone (@_Neutral_Zone) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Neutral_Zone/status/869650314554683392">May 30, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

turk181 said:
Bummer. He was bringing in some really good talent to AA & I was hoping RPI’s new Coach would start taking advantage but good to see a real up & coming coach be rewarded. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brett Riley named Head Coach at Wilkes University. Talented young coach who revitalized <a href="https://twitter.com/AAPuck">@AAPuck</a> during his tenure. <a href="https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B">https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B</a></p>— Neutral Zone (@_Neutral_Zone) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Neutral_Zone/status/869650314554683392">May 30, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...

That tweet just whizzed by me recently since I did not know who AA's coach was. :)
 
Ralph Baer said:
That tweet just whizzed by me recently since I did not know who AA's coach was. :)
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I brought his name up early on as a possible replacement for Appert and a few people on here laughed at me for the suggestion. Turns out I wasn't that far off base.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

jericho said:
I brought his name up early on as a possible replacement for Appert and a few people on here laughed at me for the suggestion. Turns out I wasn't that far off base.
Click to expand...

At my age, I don't remember everything. :)
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Today is 31 May 2017. There are 123 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 1 October 2017 for the start of next season.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Today is 1 June 2017. There are 122 days (4 months) until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 1 October 2017 for the start of next season.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Hockey: that's why we are here. Look at the Pens first two games. Massively outshot and outplayed, yet with good goaltending, anything is possible. If the Engineers can play like other successful programs, they will be fun to watch and enjoy a fair amount of success : if they are always moving their feet and go to the net, they will draw a lot of penalties, give themselves a chance to score, and win their fair share of games. They also have to decide to play the system right out of the starting gate and not wait until the season is half over and they have lost most of their games. Will we be a team that other teams fear or a team they take for granted.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

It's June, and still no full schedule. Coach Smith knows that ECAC teams usually don't wait until September to release this stuff, yes? ;):p

In speaking of schedule, I sort of hope we get a chance to play in the Vegas tournament in a future year if it becomes an annual thing. FlagDUDETTE's getting a little "travel sick" for that area (think "homesick", only instead of desiring home...), although I'm not really looking forward to driving over the Rockies in the winter, even if it is NM/AZ...
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

25+years said:
Hockey: that's why we are here. Look at the Pens first two games. Massively outshot and outplayed, yet with good goaltending, anything is possible. If the Engineers can play like other successful programs, they will be fun to watch and enjoy a fair amount of success : if they are always moving their feet and go to the net, they will draw a lot of penalties, give themselves a chance to score, and win their fair share of games. They also have to decide to play the system right out of the starting gate and not wait until the season is half over and they have lost most of their games. Will we be a team that other teams fear or a team they take for granted.
Click to expand...

The "outshot and outplayed but good goaltending" strategy is not something a team should bank their season upon, nor use in the long term. The second the goaltender goes down, you're exposed. Sound familiar? Because we've used this strategy recently. I understand that's sometimes what you have to use to get a jump, but all it does is buy you time. That's where developing strength in the rest of the team comes into play, and I sincerely hope we see that in the upcoming years.

You do make other great points about fundamentals that we have been dying to see for a number of years. We've masked not seeing them as "stupid penalties", "silly mistakes", and things like that. Some of the penalties for "making a loud noise" are going to happen given the circumstances, but you are correct in that we should not compound the situation.

There is a part of me that worries about how we come out of the gate. To paraphrase one of Appert's jokes after winning the second Governor's Cup to the band, they'll try not to make winning that the highlight of the season. Start in October with strength, but do it in such a way that you can pile on more and more strength as the season goes, to the point when you get to March, you have all the cylinders warmed up and running smoothly.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Great point about coming out strong. I really hated how we started things off against UNH this past season on the road and it seemed like we could never get much momentum rolling the rest of the way...



There is a part of me that worries about how we come out of the gate. To paraphrase one of Appert's jokes after winning the second Governor's Cup to the band, they'll try not to make winning that the highlight of the season. Start in October with strength, but do it in such a way that you can pile on more and more strength as the season goes, to the point when you get to March, you have all the cylinders warmed up and running smoothly.[/QUOTE]
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

I agree relying on great goaltending and winning despite being outshot and outplayed is not a great strategy for a winning season,but the reality is RPI will not have any 20+ goal scorers in the lineup. And SA's strategy of scoring by committee got us to where we are today. My point being that if you lack the star power, you have to make up for that with fundamentals: always skating, being where you are supposed to be on the ice, being willing to go to the net, and finishing checks on offense and defense. With a star like Eichel or Vesey, the other team has to focus on those types of players opening the ice up for the other players. if you don't have that star, a team is much easy to defend against unless the team is playing great fundamental hockey. A team like Princeton or Dartmouth comes to mind. We have to start somewhere and the reality is RPI is not likely to be a team with lots of 1st round picks, if any. So the system has to be the focus.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

25+years said:
I agree relying on great goaltending and winning despite being outshot and outplayed is not a great strategy for a winning season,but the reality is RPI will not have any 20+ goal scorers in the lineup. And SA's strategy of scoring by committee got us to where we are today. My point being that if you lack the star power, you have to make up for that with fundamentals: always skating, being where you are supposed to be on the ice, being willing to go to the net, and finishing checks on offense and defense. With a star like Eichel or Vesey, the other team has to focus on those types of players opening the ice up for the other players. if you don't have that star, a team is much easy to defend against unless the team is playing great fundamental hockey. A team like Princeton or Dartmouth comes to mind. We have to start somewhere and the reality is RPI is not likely to be a team with lots of 1st round picks, if any. So the system has to be the focus.
Click to expand...

Just for the record, RPI has never had a 1st-round pick under any coach.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Today is 2 June 2017. There are 121 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 1 October 2017 for the start of next season.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

FlagDUDE08 said:
It's June, and still no full schedule. Coach Smith knows that ECAC teams usually don't wait until September to release this stuff, yes? ;):p

In speaking of schedule, I sort of hope we get a chance to play in the Vegas tournament in a future year if it becomes an annual thing. FlagDUDETTE's getting a little "travel sick" for that area (think "homesick", only instead of desiring home...), although I'm not really looking forward to driving over the Rockies in the winter, even if it is NM/AZ...
Click to expand...

The women's schedule however is out http://www.rpiathletics.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=670&path=whock.
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

turk181 said:
Bummer. He was bringing in some really good talent to AA & I was hoping RPI’s new Coach would start taking advantage but good to see a real up & coming coach be rewarded. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brett Riley named Head Coach at Wilkes University. Talented young coach who revitalized <a href="https://twitter.com/AAPuck">@AAPuck</a> during his tenure. <a href="https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B">https://t.co/fVhEmRb26B</a></p>— Neutral Zone (@_Neutral_Zone) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Neutral_Zone/status/869650314554683392">May 30, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...
Just putting a bow in this...... <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Steve Needham, former assistant at Wesleyan, named Head Coach at Albany Academy (<a href="https://twitter.com/AAPuck">@AAPuck</a>). Well respected, well connected, quality coach. <a href="https://t.co/OjGdJXGLrM">https://t.co/OjGdJXGLrM</a></p>— Neutral Zone (@_Neutral_Zone) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Neutral_Zone/status/870637313600229378">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

Today is 3 June 2017. There are 120 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 1 October 2017 for the start of next season.
 
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