The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

[Suze]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Sorry Suze but there is never any humor in that type of pain.
To put it into perspective for you compare it to child birth.
After a few months or years I've heard many females say "lets have another baby".
I've never heard a male say "go ahead and hit me there again".
Enough said.

It's a good thing that we mothers forget the pain of childbirth, or we would never have more kids. For me, even the 46 hours of labor and eventual C section of my first didn't deter me from wanting more! I didn't mean to be mean, but sometimes members of our family have weird sense of humors ... what can I say?

 

[MavsFan]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

And, unlike childbirth, nothing good comes from a shot in the man parts. You're not likely to say "yeah, it hurt like hell, but the result was worth it."

 

[davyd83]

Tech did not officially win a game. They tied their semifinal, advancing on a shootout that means nothing to the NCAA.

Ah... My error

 

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

The warmest low temperature this morning of all WCHA cities was in Anchorage. I expect that will be true again tomorrow.

GFM

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

The warmest low temperature this morning of all WCHA cities was in Anchorage. I expect that will be true again tomorrow.

GFM

This crap is evil. This was actually part of the forecast: "Becoming mostly cloudy and windy. Temperatures warming rapidly to -9 to -13F"

 

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Okay, here's a serious question. The WCHA is, generally

Ferris (22 pts — remember, they have two games in hand on Mankato)
Everyone else (11-20 pts, especially with four teams log-jammed at 14pts)
UAH (2 pts)

The matter of who is the top of "everyone else" changes from week to week. Mankato is on a nice run, and BG seems to have recovered nicely from dropping a game to the Chargers. Is anyone going to turn into a clear #2 (or #3 if there are two teams), or is it going to be a muddle in terms of just trying to get in #2-4 so you have home games? Is it a matter of who gets to play UAH in this stretch (including Tech, Lake, and Alaska for the first time) and who doesn't (BG, Ferris)?

Also, who of the eight teams in the middle misses out on the playoffs? The Alaska schools are at the bottom of the table right now, and Bemidji hasn't won in regulation in eleven games.

If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them, including why. I think that UAH has another 2-5 points left in its bag of tricks.

GFM

 

[Laker Dude]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Okay, here's a serious question. The WCHA is, generally

Ferris (22 pts — remember, they have two games in hand on Mankato)
Everyone else (11-20 pts, especially with four teams log-jammed at 14pts)
UAH (2 pts)

The matter of who is the top of "everyone else" changes from week to week. Mankato is on a nice run, and BG seems to have recovered nicely from dropping a game to the Chargers. Is anyone going to turn into a clear #2 (or #3 if there are two teams), or is it going to be a muddle in terms of just trying to get in #2-4 so you have home games? Is it a matter of who gets to play UAH in this stretch (including Tech, Lake, and Alaska for the first time) and who doesn't (BG, Ferris)?

Also, who of the eight teams in the middle misses out on the playoffs? The Alaska schools are at the bottom of the table right now, and Bemidji hasn't won in regulation in eleven games.

If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them, including why. I think that UAH has another 2-5 points left in its bag of tricks.

GFM

For some reason I have a fear 2 of those points for UAH will be when they play LSSU. Although LSSU should not take UAH lightly as the only win Alabama-Huntsville had last year was against the Lakers.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

I will say that I'm content with NMU's position right now... We're coming off a solid weekend against BSU and we do have 2 games in hand over most in front of us... I do wish we were in action this week to keep things going however...

Historically NMU has been a 2nd half team, although that has simmered down in the past few seasons... I would like them to use the next 2 weekends to put some space between themselves and the Alaska schools... It's doable... From there on out, it becomes harder to forecast... The next month of the schedule is against everyone who they will be around in the standings... Win at home/split on the road becomes the mantra there... I'm sorry to say this in front of the UAH folk, but I am glad that we end with them... As long as the Cats stay focused, it should be 4 points that weekend, which is always nice come clutch time...

Overall, I think home ice is a very solid goal... Probably 4th, maybe 3rd... 2nd is probably a longshot...

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Now is a pretty good time to look at it, since exactly 70 out of 140 league games have been played.

I think you can put Minnesota State as a pretty clear #2. They're 8-1 in their last nine league games, and as close to first place as they are to third place(2 point difference w/ two games in hand). The rest of the league is pretty crazy. There's a team with 14 points that would host a first round playoff series and a team with 11 points that would miss the playoffs entirely. I feel like Michigan Tech is a better team than their record shows and could have a big second half. Northern Michigan, for all they've gone through, is a sleeper too. They're 4th in the standings if you go by winning percentage, and have the best goalie in the league.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Now is a pretty good time to look at it, since exactly 70 out of 140 league games have been played.

I think you can put Minnesota State as a pretty clear #2. They're 8-1 in their last nine league games, and as close to first place as they are to third place(2 point difference w/ two games in hand). The rest of the league is pretty crazy. There's a team with 14 points that would host a first round playoff series and a team with 11 points that would miss the playoffs entirely. I feel like Michigan Tech is a better team than their record shows and could have a big second half. Northern Michigan, for all they've gone through, is a sleeper too. They're 4th in the standings if you go by winning percentage, and have the best goalie in the league.

IF Michigan Tech can get out of its scoring funk, it will do some damage, but they can't continue to make every goalie look like Patrick Roy...its getting old.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Okay, here's a serious question. The WCHA is, generally

Ferris (22 pts — remember, they have two games in hand on Mankato)
Everyone else (11-20 pts, especially with four teams log-jammed at 14pts)
UAH (2 pts)

The matter of who is the top of "everyone else" changes from week to week. Mankato is on a nice run, and BG seems to have recovered nicely from dropping a game to the Chargers. Is anyone going to turn into a clear #2 (or #3 if there are two teams), or is it going to be a muddle in terms of just trying to get in #2-4 so you have home games? Is it a matter of who gets to play UAH in this stretch (including Tech, Lake, and Alaska for the first time) and who doesn't (BG, Ferris)?

Also, who of the eight teams in the middle misses out on the playoffs? The Alaska schools are at the bottom of the table right now, and Bemidji hasn't won in regulation in eleven games.

If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them, including why. I think that UAH has another 2-5 points left in its bag of tricks.

GFM

well geoff,
if you are asking who the fans think will be home ice for the playoffs, I'd think the teams that have the most games with ummm... UAH have an advantage, and those with more games with Ferris or Mankato less of one. Another factor is the teams with olympic ice at home. If they have a schedule that gives them more home games vs teams that are on nhl rinks, I would think they could win more than they might otherwise.

I still think it's going to go down to the last weekend and some real nail biters. Plus Carpenter is coming back for bgsu, which you have to think will help them a little.

 

[pdt1081]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

BG's Freibergs is going to the Olympics for Latvia.

http://www.sent-trib.com/bgsu-sports/falcons-freibergs-named-to-latvian-olympic-hockey-team-1-7-14

 

[davyd83]

well geoff,
if you are asking who the fans think will be home ice for the playoffs, I'd think the teams that have the most games with ummm... UAH have an advantage, and those with more games with Ferris or Mankato less of one. Another factor is the teams with olympic ice at home. If they have a schedule that gives them more home games vs teams that are on nhl rinks, I would think they could win more than they might otherwise.

I still think it's going to go down to the last weekend and some real nail biters. Plus Carpenter is coming back for bgsu, which you have to think will help them a little.

So if they have NHL ice or Ferris ice, do they have a greater advantage if they play more games against Olympic sheet teams? NMU played Huntsville twice already and have two more. Is that an advantage? Of course, they've played Ferris and Mankato and play each of those schools again too. The advantage goes to the team that consistently plays good hockey and avoids injuries.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

So if they have NHL ice or Ferris ice, do they have a greater advantage if they play more games against Olympic sheet teams? NMU played Huntsville twice already and have two more. Is that an advantage? Of course, they've played Ferris and Mankato and play each of those schools again too. The advantage goes to the team that consistently plays good hockey and avoids injuries.

What?!?! the advantage goes to the team that plays better? Crazy! Do you have a newsletter? Can I sign up?

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

For Bemidji in the stretch run, I really don't know what to think. They seemed to have regressed since the start of the year; some of that could be their youth, the injuries they have run into and the lack of a bye during the first half. But watching the series against Northern Michigan coming out of the break, I was hoping for a return to where they were.

Goaltending, usually a strong suit for BSU, has been a little scary. Walsh just doesn't look as sharp as he has in years past. Wilkins looked good in a few games, but then got bit by some fluky goals against NMU and got pulled as Serratore was looking for some motivation.

The defense, another usually strong area, seems to be out of position a lot here lately. Opponents seem to be open in prime areas of the ice as the Beavers are scrambling, trying to cover everything or chasing the puck.

On offense, things have been more positive than in years past. Just about everyone who has seen the ice has a goal at one point during the first half. There was very good energy, chemistry and spacing early on, but then the injury bug hit and it got to the point where the Beavers were using a d-man to fill out the forwards.

BSU has their back against the wall. They had a home heavy first half and didn't protect home ice points. In order to get back into the race, they are going to have to make up points on the road. That is a tough task in any league. I see BSU being a road team in the playoffs.

 

[Squarebanks]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

For Alaska...

We just split Mankato at home. Our remaining schedule looks like this:

@Bowling Green
@NMU
Bemidji State
UAH
@Michigan Tech
Ferris State
UAA

We have the schedule in our favor to climb out of 9th, but these next two weeks on the road are crucial. What worries me is that BGSU is strong right now, and we have been historically terrible when playing NMU in Marquette. If we flop on the roadie, I don't think we will have enough in the tank to make up ground unless we go on a major hot streak. The five game losing streak in November/December was a killer.

That said, I like our chances at home against Bemidji, UAH, and UAA. The most intriguing series that isnt against our arch rival is Ferris State. The Bulldogs have been a buzz saw all year, but historically we've done well against them in Fairbanks.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

You're not going to offend me (and probably not any of the rest of us) by noting that our team is terrible. I watch our guys play every week, and I watch them lose most every game. I know what we do and do not have better than you do, because I see it every time out.

I will get mad, though, when someone questions our heart.

That is in the past,
GFM

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

So if they have NHL ice or Ferris ice, do they have a greater advantage if they play more games against Olympic sheet teams? NMU played Huntsville twice already and have two more. Is that an advantage? Of course, they've played Ferris and Mankato and play each of those schools again too. The advantage goes to the team that consistently plays good hockey and avoids injuries.

Well to try to clarify this, it's my opinion that olympic ice teams have an additional advantage other than just being at home, due to the size of the ice vs teams that are used to being on an nhl sheet. It takes an nhl team a little while to acclimate to the size and just practicing on it is not the same as a game. so my contention is that if your team has an olympic sheet and has multiple home games against nhl sized teams, it means you have maybe an extra win, all other things being equal.
Conversely if you are away, at nhl sheets, it could be considered a disadvantage as well.

 

[davyd83]

Well to try to clarify this, it's my opinion that olympic ice teams have an additional advantage other than just being at home, due to the size of the ice vs teams that are used to being on an nhl sheet. It takes an nhl team a little while to acclimate to the size and just practicing on it is not the same as a game. so my contention is that if your team has an olympic sheet and has multiple home games against nhl sized teams, it means you have maybe an extra win, all other things being equal.
Conversely if you are away, at nhl sheets, it could be considered a disadvantage as well.

Explain this: Tech plays home on an NHL sheet. Their away record on an NHL sheet 1-5-1 .214 (1-6-2 counting GLI). On an Olympic 2-4-1 .357. NMU plays on an Olympic and is 1-3-0 on the road on Olympic sheets (.250) and 3-5-1 (.389) on NHL sheets away from home.

 

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Small sample sizes. With the data from the old WCHA/CCHA, a study into the last few years would be more beneficial. Trends would be easier to spot.

If I get free time, I may try and take a crack at it this weekend.



I do recall an article from a few years back when NMU alums Chris Gobert and Terry Harrison were with the UHL Rockford Icehogs where their teammates were amazed at how fast those two were at skating.


I've always thought it was easier for skaters accustomed to International ice to adjust to smaller NHL rinks. I also believe that goalies used to International ice take longer to adjust to the smaller ice. But that's just my observation over the years of watching minor hockey.