Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread
I'd say this one is right on target. Budgets don't win games - players do. This isn't "Moneypuck", or that other stats-driven baseball foolishness.
And excuses like "puck luck" or "bad ref calls" are just that - excuses. Winners don't make excuses or look for excuses. You make your own luck.
And for those who might not think dropping a point last night is a big issue - after all, winning out *should* still gets you 7 points and the RS title - guess what ... the two teams you're looking up at right now are BC (most talented team in HE, with best recent big-game history), and UMass-Lowell, which is probably playing the best hockey in the country right now (see 4-2 win @ BC, and 4-0 shutout over Merrimack so far this week). Destiny is now out of UNH's hands, and even if UNH suddenly finds that elusive "killer instinct" and runs the table these next three games, the 'Cats could still end up with no better than a #3 seed, because ...
* IF BC beats Providence at home tonight, they have two very winnable road games @ UVM next weekend. The only way I see them leaving Burlington without a full complement of 4 points next weekend is if they've managed to clinch top seed before the finale. Teams like BC generally know how to take care of their business in these situations. And obviously that's not good news for UNH's hopes for the top spot.
* IF UMass-Lowell beats Merrimack in North Andover tonight, they will then face a Providence team that by then will likely be in 5th/6th place, and theoretically only playing for first-round home ice, whereas UML will be playing for what would be their first HE hardware in program history. Considering how they've turned things around over these last two-plus months, and the experience they gained last season, does anyone think Coach Bazin won't have the Riverhawks ready for any of those games? I know I'm not expecting UML to drop anything from here on out.
And based on how UNH continues to play as the season winds down, the best you can hope for might be 3rd/4th seed and a home playoffs berth against either Providence (0-2-1), Merrimack (1-2-0) or BU (2-1-0). After struggling against the likes of UVM and UMass-Amherst??
Good luck with that, guys. 
For what it's worth ... the more I see them play, the more I'm still convinced UNH has overachieved this season, and the talent simply isn't there yet to get them to the next level. So it's hard to be too critical, especially when you do see the effort being put out there. Unfortunately, talent-wise they aren't quite there at the top of the league, and as a fallback, they also don't have enough tough, gritty types to set the tone, consistently win battles for the pucks in the corners and in front of the nets, etc. It's too bad a kid like Burke has been injured so often during his UNH career, as his physical presence does seem to lift them when he's out there. Yet again, DeSmith saved them a point last night. UMass-Amherst looked faster and more organized than UNH for long stretches of the game, and won battles for loose pucks way more than they should have. For tonight's game, UNH simply has to dig deep(er) and find a way to get 2 points, no matter what.
I also want to say that I'm very pleased with the improved play from Eric Knodel, who I gave some fierce criticism to after the first BC game. Not even looking at his offensive production (which again last night was critical - goal and an assist), I'm increasingly impressed with his progress in his own end of the ice, not the least of which saw him "selling out" late in the game to break up a 2-on-1 UMA chance. Very decisive, committed and smart decision, earned huge respect points from me, and he seems to be more committed to taking the body, which given his size and reach should be an increasingly prominent feature in his overall game.
Kudos also to freshmen Ryan Correale and Maxim Gaudreault, a pair of talented kids who scored points for also playing the body further up ice, without taking avoidable penalties. That bodes well for the future, and hopefully there are more in the UNH pipeline who are willing to play the same way.
Now ... here's to hoping the 'Cats find that elusive next gear tonight, catch some breaks elsewhere, and see how things play out next weekend vs. UMaine.
I'd say this one is right on target. Budgets don't win games - players do. This isn't "Moneypuck", or that other stats-driven baseball foolishness.
And excuses like "puck luck" or "bad ref calls" are just that - excuses. Winners don't make excuses or look for excuses. You make your own luck.And for those who might not think dropping a point last night is a big issue - after all, winning out *should* still gets you 7 points and the RS title - guess what ... the two teams you're looking up at right now are BC (most talented team in HE, with best recent big-game history), and UMass-Lowell, which is probably playing the best hockey in the country right now (see 4-2 win @ BC, and 4-0 shutout over Merrimack so far this week). Destiny is now out of UNH's hands, and even if UNH suddenly finds that elusive "killer instinct" and runs the table these next three games, the 'Cats could still end up with no better than a #3 seed, because ...
* IF BC beats Providence at home tonight, they have two very winnable road games @ UVM next weekend. The only way I see them leaving Burlington without a full complement of 4 points next weekend is if they've managed to clinch top seed before the finale. Teams like BC generally know how to take care of their business in these situations. And obviously that's not good news for UNH's hopes for the top spot.
* IF UMass-Lowell beats Merrimack in North Andover tonight, they will then face a Providence team that by then will likely be in 5th/6th place, and theoretically only playing for first-round home ice, whereas UML will be playing for what would be their first HE hardware in program history. Considering how they've turned things around over these last two-plus months, and the experience they gained last season, does anyone think Coach Bazin won't have the Riverhawks ready for any of those games? I know I'm not expecting UML to drop anything from here on out.
And based on how UNH continues to play as the season winds down, the best you can hope for might be 3rd/4th seed and a home playoffs berth against either Providence (0-2-1), Merrimack (1-2-0) or BU (2-1-0). After struggling against the likes of UVM and UMass-Amherst??
Good luck with that, guys. For what it's worth ... the more I see them play, the more I'm still convinced UNH has overachieved this season, and the talent simply isn't there yet to get them to the next level. So it's hard to be too critical, especially when you do see the effort being put out there. Unfortunately, talent-wise they aren't quite there at the top of the league, and as a fallback, they also don't have enough tough, gritty types to set the tone, consistently win battles for the pucks in the corners and in front of the nets, etc. It's too bad a kid like Burke has been injured so often during his UNH career, as his physical presence does seem to lift them when he's out there. Yet again, DeSmith saved them a point last night. UMass-Amherst looked faster and more organized than UNH for long stretches of the game, and won battles for loose pucks way more than they should have. For tonight's game, UNH simply has to dig deep(er) and find a way to get 2 points, no matter what.
I also want to say that I'm very pleased with the improved play from Eric Knodel, who I gave some fierce criticism to after the first BC game. Not even looking at his offensive production (which again last night was critical - goal and an assist), I'm increasingly impressed with his progress in his own end of the ice, not the least of which saw him "selling out" late in the game to break up a 2-on-1 UMA chance. Very decisive, committed and smart decision, earned huge respect points from me, and he seems to be more committed to taking the body, which given his size and reach should be an increasingly prominent feature in his overall game.
Kudos also to freshmen Ryan Correale and Maxim Gaudreault, a pair of talented kids who scored points for also playing the body further up ice, without taking avoidable penalties. That bodes well for the future, and hopefully there are more in the UNH pipeline who are willing to play the same way.
Now ... here's to hoping the 'Cats find that elusive next gear tonight, catch some breaks elsewhere, and see how things play out next weekend vs. UMaine.
