BU and UVM?
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UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D
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BU and UVM?
HockeyRef
Well-known member
That's what I'm thinking....Nice to see the 'Cats come back in this one. That goal by AC and what a pass from Pierson to make it happen (if I have that right). Off to Fla for a few days....going to have to miss today's game due to travel but will be paying attention on Twitter. Maybe Grasso hits 100 today? Loved his 'toe flair' at the end of his penalty shot...
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Immediate hole (again) with 2 powerplay goals against, fighting uphill against a bad team.
Opponents are 28/82 on PP, 34% That's just attrocious. Previous worst during past 15 years was .22%
Opponents are 28/82 on PP, 34% That's just attrocious. Previous worst during past 15 years was .22%
NCAA watcher
Registered User
29/83
Somehow we are getting back in it!
NCAA watcher
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Yup. Short-lived.
deltabravo62
Active member
Lol
If I were Stewie, I'd start updating my resume.......
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
You do have to figure, even if MS7 does get the expected reprieve, at least one of his assistants will be scapegoated, and be forced to "walk the plank" at this rate, barring a miraculous turnaround in the program's fortunes over the next 3 weekends.
It would be tough on GS, who's the longest tenured of the 3 full time staff, and probably had designs on the top job until MS7 was tabbed as Umile's successor early on in Stewie's tenure. But if he's charged with the PK unit, that's a poor reflection. Wrong place, wrong time, etc.
This continues to look like a program whose results are underperforming for the talent on the roster. It's not a Top Four team mind you, but it should be a middle-of-the-pack team, and it's not there (again); the "quantity over quality" mediocrity of the Borek years have been flushed for some time now. MS7 has been running the recruiting for about 6 years, and running the entire show for half of that time. The results are not getting better. He keeps running Robinson out there for every game, it still feels to me like he's coaching for his job next year. IF BS+infinity is going to make a move, it should be a clean sweep.
THEN it gets interesting. Mike Ayers (now at BC) has to know he's not going to be Coach York's successor, so he'd arguably be in the mix if UNH does "business as usual" ... OR would the "nationwide search" actually finally happen if Ayers isn't their guy?
I know that's getting WAY ahead of things, but right now it appears the program is treading water, and unfortunately the water is not at the deep end, but rather at the "kiddie pool" level. Not good ...
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Post game Souza goes to his usual we have to be better I have to coach better mantra. Well...then do it!! There is no way with the talent you mention we should be playing this poorly...no way. As per Mike Ayers being in the mix hmmm that would be interesting but still doubting any real change is going to happen in the foreseeable future. Guess time will tell.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Couldn't agree with you more, HR. MS7 probably saw the routine in a Belichick post-game interview after a loss, and figures it's clever. It isn't. It makes him look like he doesn't have any answers. And the scariest part is ... he might not have any of the answers. BB gets away with that BS because he's actually got a successful track record to stand on, so some folks don't dare challenge him. MS7 hasn't even begun to earn that kind of "benefit of the doubt". Someone at UNH - his boss, or one of his assistants - should do him a huge favor and point that out to him. Or maybe he'll read it on here for himself.
The sooner he realizes this job is more than an opportunity to say trite things while getting paid (well) for it, just because he was the "chosen one" and can play the role indefinitely into retirement 'cuz that's what his mentor did ... uhhh, it might be hard for some of us to recall this, but Coach Umile also had to earn his stripes at UNH, and didn't get his long, relaxed ride into the sunset without first dragging a mediocre program into a new building, and then into a solid two decades' worth of very consistent success. Six years into Umile's tenure, there were already lots of reasons for optimism, and the best was clearly still yet to come. There's not even a faint indication so far that MS7 is leading the program in the right direction ...
NCAA watcher
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Umile didn't rebuild UNH. He inherited a foundation for the rebuild from Bob Kullen, of 6 All-American/NHL recruits who were either freshmen or sophomores.
Amodeo Fr.
Mitrovic Fr.
Flanagan Fr.
Scott Morrow Fr.
Winnes So.
Kevin Dean So.
He rode that core 6 his first four years, adding very little to the mix other than the aforementioned local townies like Chebator (Arlington), Thomson (Reading) Rob Donovan (Southie), Mike Sullivan (Reading) and Tom O'Brien (Tabor) Sean Perry (Southie) and Scott Malone (Southie) Cooper (Lawrence). Thus, when the core graduated in 92, the Umile built team was at .500.
Thankfully for Umile, he lucked into McCloskey, who in 92 jumpstarted recruiting with a first class Boguniecki, Nolan, and Tim Murray, and a second class of Mowers, Nikulas, (and Rob Gagnon), and a third class of Krog, Bekar (and Bragnalo).
So, it wasn't that Umile righted the ship, he got a really good ship in 1989 that he sailed from 88-92 without any repairs, then limped through 92-93 with his "built inside 128 recruiting" dingy, and was gifted a new boat by McCloskey in 93 til Umile cashed out.
It was the same lazy, selfish attitude that we saw in his final 6 years as he forced UNH to do the 3-year retirement circuit at full pay while "imparting" on his successor all of his coaching and recruiting "wisdom."
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
Just echoing Chucks point that while this team isn't "top tier" they certainly aren't 5-13 or whatever the record is...Hear your point. But...maybe I am being too generous. Good for MC..going 2-0-2 against UNH in any given year must be a positive. Bet Scott Borek enjoyed it.. It's a beautiful day in Fla!
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Giving the other team 1.5 free goals a game (30 pp in 21 games) makes it hard.
But as for the lack of success, it is puzzling. Ward is playing at a point a game clip, but only has 2 goals and 6 points in 19 games.
I suspect it there is a black hole effect due to a lack of depth on the lines. Of the top 2 lines, you have Crookshank and Ward able to carry the puck well, and Pierson able to pass well. But Grasso is solely a powerplay impact guy, who has only 2 goals even strength. Kelleher must be so injured, because he's invisible when he plays, and has no goals and very little impact on the game. Engaras is probably a third line center, responsible, but doesn't generate that much. So, of the top 6, you have 3 threats. I could actually see playing Eriksson up front, as his offensive skills are from the offensive zone, including going deep: he doesn't really clear the defensive zone too well, and isn't the most physical defender. That's also why I saw Cafarelli as a useful player on the top lines, even if he has many gaps in his game right now (conditioning, effort level, skating, defensive responsibility).
And then you have the third line. I like Gendron, who is big, has some skating issues but is decent in that regard, but uses his size and doesn't try to do too much.
Guys I think are negative from the eye test, like Herrmann, are actually producing somewhat. And just another guy McAdams is even in plus minus. the you have a bunch of guys who have never scored at any level, and could skate around for hours without being a threat. Sato, Esposito, Cipollone, Hankinson. Richels is just lost as a freshman, essentially a red shirt year hoping that his weaknesses of skating, puck handling, and cycling, can get to a manageable level for his one skill (shooting).
The other thing I'd guess at is the lack of offensive threat from the back end which may allow the defense to collapse down when UNH has it in the offensive zone. Maass, Verrier and McKinnon (and Jenson) are not threats at all, and struggle to get pucks on the net, so they play the puck down low, where UNH lacks any physical ability to control it.
Luke Reid is the exception, and creates offense. He'll be all-hockey east (even if Honorable mention) by his junior/senior years.
I hesistate to say this, because it's the exact opposite of the direction I want them to go in, but for a limited talent team, they don't even play that physical. There is little checking, following through on forechecks. Macadams is the sole guy who has a bit of an edge (well, OK, Gendron, too). Everyone else is playing a pickup game, but not realizing they lack the skills to dangle.
Which brings us back to the Penalty kill. They seem to play a tighter box, not pressuring the outside, but also let the guy in the crease alone and let the D go side to side. At some point, maybe mix it up and let a big D play man to man on the slot guy.
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