RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Are we really talking about getting rid of the coach after less than a season and a half?
This team has made great strides under Smith. He has them playing much better defense and clearing out the defensive zone. The fact that they can't score has nothing to do with his coaching.
Burgess has at least one great scoring chance in every game, and he converts one in ten. Wiffen is another disappointment. If Polino is going to be our leading goal scorer, we are in big trouble.
And we are.
I can only hope that he has done some excellent recruiting for the upcoming seasons.
My only problem with Smith is how he handles the goalies. I think he has killed Marshall's confidence, and might be doing the same to Savory.
I don't know what Perry did to him, but he also is being mishandled in my opinion.
That said, I think we need to give him a little more time to figure this out, before we start a search for a new coach.

I don not think I am as kind as you are. I agree that Perry has been mishandled. Of course i have no clue about what has gone on with personalities but at least when Perry has been on the ice he has looked comfortable. He has not looked awkward and his puck handling is far superior to many. I keep pointing out that we are not dealing with young teenagers. Many of the boys playing at the NCAA Division I level are similar to the younger players in the NHL and AHL. They have been playing this sport their entire lives and should not need all that much impetus to figure out what needs to be done. I think the talent levels among the various teams do not vary by as much as people think but for several years now, I cannot get over the feeling that we just look different on the ice playing as a group out there than most other teams. We seem far more hectic, far more disorganized, and far slower to make decisive plays.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I don’t think there’s a need to take shots at any of these players. Polino in college may not be a goal scorer but let’s be honest who has he played with that’s allowed him to be one? After speaking with his father at the Princeton game I never knew that he had major hip surgery the spring before he entered RPI. His dad said he’s finally healthy 18 months after surgery. So both he and Burgess has had major surgery. That’s a lot of any one to come back from. Before you take shots at any of these players remember they are college kids trying to play a sport that they love.

These kids do not want to lose, that is for certain. They try their best, each and every one of them. But someone has to figure out how to get the most out of them as lines and pairs. For years now they just do not seem to be in sync for enough minutes each game. The problem as I see it is not their talent or even their desire, it lies elesewhere.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

If we can beat Union and UML away, we can beat UVM away.

UVM hasn't been lighting the world on fire but is 4-2 in NC play. (Michigan Brown, Dartmouth , CC) Their keeper Lekkas is red hot --84 saves last weekend , including 48 saves in 2nd CC game. His .936 SP is 4th best nationally.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I don not think I am as kind as you are. I agree that Perry has been mishandled. Of course i have no clue about what has gone on with personalities but at least when Perry has been on the ice he has looked comfortable. He has not looked awkward and his puck handling is far superior to many. I keep pointing out that we are not dealing with young teenagers. Many of the boys playing at the NCAA Division I level are similar to the younger players in the NHL and AHL. They have been playing this sport their entire lives and should not need all that much impetus to figure out what needs to be done. I think the talent levels among the various teams do not vary by as much as people think but for several years now, I cannot get over the feeling that we just look different on the ice playing as a group out there than most other teams. We seem far more hectic, far more disorganized, and far slower to make decisive plays.

And as you pointed out recently, our women's team does not seem to suffer from not playing as a group although they seem to have even more trouble scoring goals.

 

[Noresmen]

These kids do not want to lose, that is for certain. They try their best, each and every one of them. But someone has to figure out how to get the most out of them as lines and pairs. For years now they just do not seem to be in sync for enough minutes each game. The problem as I see it is not their talent or even their desire, it lies elesewhere.

I listened a while back to an interview our old AC gave when at Denver. He was asked how he was able to be successful so quickly at Dubuque and now at Denver. His answer was simple. I don’t make my players fit into my system. I have them play a system that is suited to them. I adapt my style of play to my players.

To me there in lies the problem. Too many coaches try to make the players they have play a style that they want them to do or be vs what they are capable of being. Cohesiveness, Chemistry it’s all about playing within your self and not what someone else wants you to be.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I listened a while back to an interview our old AC gave when at Denver. He was asked how he was able to be successful so quickly at Dubuque and now at Denver. His answer was simple. I don’t make my players fit into my system. I have them play a system that is suited to them. I adapt my style of play to my players.

To me there in lies the problem. Too many coaches try to make the players they have play a style that they want them to do or be vs what they are capable of being. Cohesiveness, Chemistry it’s all about playing within your self and not what someone else wants you to be.

And that is exactly what makes Monty a great coach.

 

[RPI67]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

With our current goal production, you can't expect any game to be in the win column. Army always plays us tough and as Ralph said, UVM is at home.
I believe that we can take those two games, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Until we can score goals at a reasonable rate, we can't take anything for granted.[/QUOTE

Take more shots. Make the goalie make easy saves. He might leave a rebound or RPI might win a FO. In the Brown game RPI often tried to pass to a trailing player which has the puck going the way Brown wants to skate.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Take more shots. Make the goalie make easy saves. He might leave a rebound or RPI might win a FO. In the Brown game RPI often tried to pass to a trailing player which has the puck going the way Brown wants to skate.

That's all well and good for fundamentals, and the drop pass is a bad habit we've had for three years. Here's the question, though: Who on the team is actually crashing the net for a rebound? And given are forwards' size isn't exactly Doc-approved if you know what I mean, can we actually win those battles? Yes, they won't know unless they try, and maybe the smaller ones can play big and make it happen.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

With our current goal production, you can't expect any game to be in the win column. Army always plays us tough and as Ralph said, UVM is at home.
I believe that we can take those two games, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Until we can score goals at a reasonable rate, we can't take anything for granted.[/QUOTE

Take more shots. Make the goalie make easy saves. He might leave a rebound or RPI might win a FO. In the Brown game RPI often tried to pass to a trailing player which has the puck going the way Brown wants to skate.

Back in the early 1960s, I listened to an interview with Bronco Horvath (spelling?). He was a pretty good scorer back then, and was asked what made him successful. His answer was I shot into the goalies pads. If he saved it, it left a rebound for either myself or my teammates. The most important thing was to get the puck on net.
I have never forgotten that, and I am reminded of it everytime we try to make the perfect shot and miss the net.
Just sayin!!!

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Back in the early 1960s, I listened to an interview with Bronco Horvath (spelling?). He was a pretty good scorer back then, and was asked what made him successful. His answer was I shot into the goalies pads. If he saved it, it left a rebound for either myself or my teammates. The most important thing was to get the puck on net.
I have never forgotten that, and I am reminded of it everytime we try to make the perfect shot and miss the net.
Just sayin!!!

You're not the only one. Even when I was a freshman and took my mother to a game, I distinctively remember her asking, "Why isn't the center crashing the net?" And this was back when Fridgen was still coaching. This has been a problem for a VERY long time.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

You're not the only one. Even when I was a freshman and took my mother to a game, I distinctively remember her asking, "Why isn't the center crashing the net?" And this was back when Fridgen was still coaching. This has been a problem for a VERY long time.

I guess it just isn't "the Engineer way".

 

[rpi82]

I guess it just isn't "the Engineer way".

That’s the role I anticipated for Donovan Ott. He’s well built, strong and with what has occasionally been a solid wrist shot, He’s shown the ability to screen a few times but I’m hoping he puts it all together and not only helps his teammates score but he picks up tips, rebounds and centering passes around the crease.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out the 🖐👁 coordination at #⃣1⃣️ <a href="https://t.co/TEYNiUGH2B">https://t.co/TEYNiUGH2B</a></p>— RPI Men's Hockey (@RPI_Hockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/RPI_Hockey/status/1072927502706860032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

You're not the only one. Even when I was a freshman and took my mother to a game, I distinctively remember her asking, "Why isn't the center crashing the net?" And this was back when Fridgen was still coaching. This has been a problem for a VERY long time.

While crashing the net is important, I posted that to show how important getting the puck on net is to scoring a goal.
We miss the net on way too many scoring chances. And we don't get that many good scoring chances.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

While crashing the net is important, I posted that to show how important getting the puck on net is to scoring a goal.
We miss the net on way too many scoring chances. And we don't get that many good scoring chances.

This may be true, but perhaps the two are complementary? If we're not prepared to handle rebounds and scrums in front of the net, then wouldn't the onus be upon the snipers to try to find the perfect shot, only to end up missing? And maybe the culture goes further than we thought... I seem to recall, back when Scott Diebold was training in Buffalo during an off-season, he mentioned in an interview that many of the players were just taking one shot and not digging for rebounds and garbage goals.

Have both in the arsenal to be better rounded, but I would certainly try the gritty plays first. If the goalie's well able to control rebounds and follow the bouncing puck, that's going to be something we run into, so we go for something else. Or better yet, mix it up a bit. But the 28 missed shots we had in our last game is just plain embarrassing.

 

[sk8tronthepond]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

You're not the only one. Even when I was a freshman and took my mother to a game, I distinctively remember her asking, "Why isn't the center crashing the net?" And this was back when Fridgen was still coaching. This has been a problem for a VERY long time.

Well I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Like you, she now has the credentials to be the next head coach!

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I listened a while back to an interview our old AC gave when at Denver. He was asked how he was able to be successful so quickly at Dubuque and now at Denver. His answer was simple. I don’t make my players fit into my system. I have them play a system that is suited to them. I adapt my style of play to my players.

To me there in lies the problem. Too many coaches try to make the players they have play a style that they want them to do or be vs what they are capable of being. Cohesiveness, Chemistry it’s all about playing within your self and not what someone else wants you to be.

Succinct posting that pretty much says exactly what I have been trying to say for years. Spot on!

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Back in the early 1960s, I listened to an interview with Bronco Horvath (spelling?). He was a pretty good scorer back then, and was asked what made him successful. His answer was I shot into the goalies pads. If he saved it, it left a rebound for either myself or my teammates. The most important thing was to get the puck on net.
I have never forgotten that, and I am reminded of it everytime we try to make the perfect shot and miss the net.
Just sayin!!!

When I was very young (a long long time ago in a galaxy far away) and trying to learn to play this game. I had a family member who was a brilliant coach. His simple advice to me was to try to put every shot on net (no matter how soft), on the goalie but away from his glove hand where he simply cannot just catch the puck. There would almost always be a rebound for someone else and that someone else who was probably a better shot and a stronger kid than me who could score.

 

[jericho]

When I was very young (a long long time ago in a galaxy far away) and trying to learn to play this game. I had a family member who was a brilliant coach. His simple advice to me was to try to put every shot on net (no matter how soft), on the goalie but away from his glove hand where he simply cannot just catch the puck. There would almost always be a rebound for someone else and that someone else who was probably a better shot and a stronger kid than me who could score.

That's because back then goalies didn't wear gloves

 

[25+years]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

It appears we have returned to square one again. All we want is a team that shows it is getting some traction and not just spinning its wheels. I have been a season ticket holder for 27 years. When I share that with others, I always qualify that with "lots of very lean years". The discussion here seems to be how to get out of the rut and try to identify why RPI seems incapable of playing more competitively at the D1 level. I think when you can't recruit high level players to your program, it leads to poor records which leads to inability to recruit good players. And on and on. When we have had a couple good players (Murley, Haggarty, Polacek, etc) we have better records. If you don't have good players and the coach cannot develop a system that results in a whole that is better than the sum of its parts, we have RPI hockey. The one thing that seems left out of this discussion is :Is RPI making the investment in the program and facilities to make a qualitative difference? I think we all know the answer to that. So, for me, how long does this go on? Is RPI hockey trying to remain a D1 program? Or is it just one in name only?