Long look at what has been a long season (probably still angry)
Long look at what has been a long season (probably still angry)
This weekend they looked every bit as bad as Poulin's last team in losing twice to Western. The games appeared lost as soon as Western netted their second goals both nights.
Look at the numbers. 0-18 on the PP, PPs that included more than one 2-man advantage and a 5-minute major. 1-6 on the PK. Gave up a shorty. The top two goaltenders looking COMPLETELY lost for most of the time they were on the ice. Weak efforts in the faceoff circles for much of the weekend, including constant losses in Western's end. And please, nothing about the 50+ shots last night. I'm not going to go overboard dissecting what usually happens when a team fires 50 shots, but they often don't win. In fact the last time ND did it, they failed to win that game too, blowing a 3-0 lead in the process. Fact is, 50 shots usually means a lot of hurried blasts to the net, lots of low percentage shots from the corners and bad angles, and a lot of easy saves for the goalie. I believe Northern's goalie faced 50 shots yesterday from a team that most of us figured to be better and shut them out. Gill played well last night, better yes than Friday. And while I mean no disrespect to Western, or their posters, who all exhibit nothing but friendly competitiveness and class on this forum, Notre Dame LOST these games as much or more than anything else.
While I wish you folks wouldn't quote the idiots I have on "ignore" I guess that's my problem. I loathe to give that particular nameless idiot the time of day, but I think "leadership" is a legitimate topic for discussing what has led this team to the point it is at today.
Where that is is looking at a season that has seriously devolved into one where they quite possibly don't even earn first round privileges in the overly generous format that is the CCHA tournament. On a team with the kind of talent this one obviously has, you cannot spin anything positive out of that, and you can't make any legitimate excuses. Nothing can mask the fact that to this point, and especially considering how absolutely awful they looked this weekend, that their play has simply stunk as often as not.
We can make all the arguments we want about injuries. We can point out all the play making, goal scoring, and Hobey Baker quality goaltending that graduated last May. But none of that can really explain the inconsistencies of the 4-plus month long up-and-down nature of this season. We saw them look great in 2 games against a pretty good Michigan State team and pretty good in two ties -- including a comeback from a 3-0 hole in one -- to boot. They looked like two different teams against UNO. They looked awful against Ferris at home just one week after dominating a .500 Colgate team and posting another great comeback against a top-5 ranked North Dakota team on neutral ice. And while the injury list is long, there were but two players -- Cole and Maday -- out of the lineup the last couple of games who were making positive impacts on games. As JJfP said after Friday, you should beat teams struggling like the Broncos with your third string goalie between the pipes and leading scorer in the stands.
This is leadership folks, plain and simple. Talent can score goals. It can beat teams one night. Injuries can cause late losses from tired players, can wreak havoc on practice schedules. But leadership leads to discipline which leads to consistency, which leads to winning the games your talent dictates you should win almost all the time and putting yourself in position to steal one or two you shouldn't. I'm not blaming one guy. I'm blaming a lot of guys. Coaches and players alike have obviously not approached this season in a matter that has worked. Too much confusion early on about who should be between the pipes. Too little confidence in players not normally expected to dress leaving a bench much shorter than it actually was. Were the wrong captains picked? Are the players without letters who should also be leaders setting poor examples? Before Erik Condra or Christian Hanson or Mark Van Guilder had an "A" or a "C" sewed onto their sweaters, they were BLEEDING leadership. There were easily another 4 guys the last two years who could have been captains, and who played and led as such. Where is the rest of the leadership on THIS team?
Notre Dame has proven itself to be lacking in two things. Yes health is one. But leadership is the other. And the injuries probably kept us from seeing them compete realistically for a CCHA regular season title, I'll concede that. But it is a lack of leadership that has them look like they did in dominating MSU 5-2 one night, and looking like they did over 2 consecutive nights this weekend just a couple of weeks later, and finding themselves fighting to hold on to even 8th place. Speaking just for myself in many ways this season has been as disappointing as the one 5 years ago, and it is only because this team is twice as talented as that one that it hasn't turned into the 5 win nightmare that one was.
Now my head hurts a little.