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UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

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Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

goblue said:
Interestingly, UNH's record from the Icebreaker game up to (but not including) the Union game where TvR got hurt was 13-11-1 (.540) and its record from that game (which was a loss) to its collapse in the HE finals was 9-7-0 (.563).

Mind you, I don't believe for one minute that Trevor's jump to the pros will be anything but bad for the 'Cats next year, but they were barely better than a .500 team before his injury, and about the same after, when the records are compared. I have to believe that a healthy TvR would maybe have added a few W's to the win column from mid-January on; I'm just surprised in hindsight that we didn't drop below .500 with him out. It would be easy to conclude that UNH won as a team, and lost as a team in 2013-2014. If they don't gain home ice in next year's HE tourney, it won't be only because TvR is gone (which I understand is not what you are implying.) The question, (to be considered along with how many angels can dance on the head of a pin) is would TvR playing as a healthy junior make the difference between the team retaining home ice and not? It didn't seem to this year.
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I think we're nibbling around the same point here ... ultimately, I think the fact that UNH kept the ship afloat in the second (post-TvR) half of this past season for several reasons, including coaching, development of Pesce, and surprising early maturity from the likes of Cleland and Maller. But the biggest reason - literally AND figuratively - was Knodel was there to lead AND soak up a ton of minutes. He's a player I was critical of in his early time at UNH, but he did not earn First Team All-HE honors this past season by accident.

Looking ahead ... the problem for next year's team isn't so much that TvR isn't going to be there, so much as it is that TvR isn't going to slide into Knodel's role, and in turn let Pesce slide into last year's "TvR". Because it does look like Pesce is ready to be that second guy, but I'm not sure he's quite ready to blossom into First Team All-HE honors next year. And even if he does ... then who's next behind him to play the big roles on the top two pairings next season?

If someone told me tomorrow that UNH was gonna win 22 games next year, make it to the Garden, and miss out on the D-1's ... y'know, while I'm sure I'd whine about missing the big tourney two years in a row, I'd probably take that deal right on the spot. And then maybe the year after that, if the incoming talent lives up to expectations and gels, it could be a really fun few years to look forward to ... :)
 
Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Chuck Murray said:
I think we're nibbling around the same point here ... ultimately, I think the fact that UNH kept the ship afloat in the second (post-TvR) half of this past season for several reasons, including coaching, development of Pesce, and surprising early maturity from the likes of Cleland and Maller. But the biggest reason - literally AND figuratively - was Knodel was there to lead AND soak up a ton of minutes. He's a player I was critical of in his early time at UNH, but he did not earn First Team All-HE honors this past season by accident.:)
Click to expand...

Knodel was second team All HE, not first. I appreciate his contributions, without him UNH probably would not have gotten home ice and a trip to the Garden. But he was not a shut down defenseman by any stretch of the imaginatiion. Very slow first two steps, reaction time pretty slow. As the season went along I noticed more and more that quick forwards could go right by him. And he was very hesitant to pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone, probably because he had been burned a few times with guys beating him to the puck and going in for an odd man rush.
 
Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Chuck Murray said:
But the biggest reason - literally AND figuratively - was Knodel was there to lead AND soak up a ton of minutes. He's a player I was critical of in his early time at UNH, but he did not earn First Team All-HE honors this past season by accident.
Click to expand...

During one of the Northeastern 1/4er final games (I think it was the first) I noted Knodel was on the ice a ton in the 3rd. I knew he had been playing big minutes but something seemed different. So I watched his ice time and the clock. In the last 2:38 of the game he sat for 22 seconds and was on the ice the rest of the time.

After that I noticed on many PK situations Knodel would play 1:30+ of 2 minutes, some of it depending on situation. Generally started on the PK would play the first minute plus, sit and if after 20 seconds or so if UNH got a faceoff he would be back on the ice. This must have been going on for a while but I didn't clue in. I don't know if anybody has ice time stats per game but near the end Knodel had to be around 40 minutes. Crazy levels of ice time...

Tough player to replace on the blueline. Only +8 for the year in conference but the coaches voted all league second team. Tells you how much UNH will miss him back there. Even though other teams got points they knew he was going to make it tough and I am sure basically every other team would have loved to have had him on at least on of there pairs.
 
Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Greg Ambrose said:
Knodel was second team All HE, not first. I appreciate his contributions, without him UNH probably would not have gotten home ice and a trip to the Garden. But he was not a shut down defenseman by any stretch of the imaginatiion. Very slow first two steps, reaction time pretty slow. As the season went along I noticed more and more that quick forwards could go right by him. And he was very hesitant to pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone, probably because he had been burned a few times with guys beating him to the puck and going in for an odd man rush.
Click to expand...

Knodel was always slow. What I really liked about his game is it appeared he knew he was slow. That is why for a big guy you never saw big hits out of him, would take him out of position, plus I am convinced he is a gentle giant. For the last two years I really appreciated the parts of his game where it was obvious he was self aware about limitations. It was his lack of speed that made me hope he might come back for one more year in Durham. As much as I like his game (for the self aware aspects) I don't think it translates to the next level - sadly too slow. Would be really happy to be proven wrong.
 
C-H-C said:
Big skates to fill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgU6NRhsa_0
Click to expand...

Big is right ...Sure his game wasn't necessarily bone crunching although I never ever worried when Eric was back there; he was steady as they go played with a ton of poise. His leadership alone is going to be missed on a ton of levels as well. Wish him the best and look forward to seeing how they all fare in their next steps! Brett P had to grow up big time and will need broad shoulders next year to fill the gap...Chuck mentioned Casey Thrush as a potential leader; I'm down with that too!
 
Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

JB said:
During one of the Northeastern 1/4er final games (I think it was the first) I noted Knodel was on the ice a ton in the 3rd. I knew he had been playing big minutes but something seemed different. So I watched his ice time and the clock. In the last 2:38 of the game he sat for 22 seconds and was on the ice the rest of the time.

After that I noticed on many PK situations Knodel would play 1:30+ of 2 minutes, some of it depending on situation. Generally started on the PK would play the first minute plus, sit and if after 20 seconds or so if UNH got a faceoff he would be back on the ice. This must have been going on for a while but I didn't clue in. I don't know if anybody has ice time stats per game but near the end Knodel had to be around 40 minutes. Crazy levels of ice time...

Tough player to replace on the blueline. Only +8 for the year in conference but the coaches voted all league second team. Tells you how much UNH will miss him back there. Even though other teams got points they knew he was going to make it tough and I am sure basically every other team would have loved to have had him on at least on of there pairs.
Click to expand...
The basis of my occasional, but consistent "distribution of playing time for the D - Men" posts through out the season. Thanks for some solid clock #s. I never did that. What I noticed was the odd number of D - men in the rotation and the double shifting. Early in the season (no Maller) there were times it seemed that they were playing 4.5 D - men. Some periods Quast was getting maybe 2 shifts. Fortunately he improved and Maller joining the team coincided with TVR's departure and Pesce was Pesce because without all that Knodel might have collapsed.
 
Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

Re: Lotsa offense just walked out that door ...

JB said:
Knodel was always slow. What I really liked about his game is it appeared he knew he was slow. That is why for a big guy you never saw big hits out of him, would take him out of position, plus I am convinced he is a gentle giant. For the last two years I really appreciated the parts of his game where it was obvious he was self aware about limitations. It was his lack of speed that made me hope he might come back for one more year in Durham. As much as I like his game (for the self aware aspects) I don't think it translates to the next level - sadly too slow. Would be really happy to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...
In many ways - size, awareness, physical and mental toughness - he compares to Chára. Hopefully he has at least a fraction of Zdeno's professional career.
 
Those who follow the UNH Recruits thread may remember that Dylan Chanter is the defenseman who had a seizure on the ice during a Dubuque Fighting Saints game last October. He had been involved in a fight, fell and hit the back of his head on the ice.

http://unhhockeyblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/unh-recruits-update-oct-21-2013.html

He returned to action one month later:

http://unhhockeyblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/unh-recruits-update-nov-12-2013.html

Over the Christmas break, Chanter decided to leave the USHL and finish up the season closer to home. He joined the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. One of the reasons Chanter decided to play in the USHL this season was to gain more visibility with NHL scouts. As fate would have it, he showed up on the NHL Central Scouting's radar after he returned to the BCHL.

While the lists released by NHL CSS this afternoon are rough drafts and there is no way of knowing where Chanter will end up on the final list of 210 top North American skaters next month, it is the first time that he has appeared on a CSS list.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Well, we may be the team with no trophy hardware, but UNH fans still have a pot to pee in.

I love it.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

goblue said:
Well, we may be the team with no trophy hardware, but UNH fans still have a pot to pee in.

I love it.
Click to expand...

Too bad they didn't have this around when Radja and Oshie were contesting.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

goblue said:
Well, we may be the team with no trophy hardware, but UNH fans still have a pot to pee in.

I love it.
Click to expand...


During basketball games.......?

Ha. Ya right.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Great article in todays Concord Monitor on the 'Cats season by Drew Bonifant... Tells the story of the season and guess we are opening next year with (drumroll) Union...
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Settling in for what this UNH fan use to consider as the very best week-end in college hockey viewing .... this year it is just the best.

Good luck to all participants.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

HockeyRef said:
Great article in todays Concord Monitor on the 'Cats season by Drew Bonifant... Tells the story of the season and guess we are opening next year with (drumroll) Union...
Click to expand...

I found this the most interesting, Coach Umile referring to the departure of TvR:
"We never, ever talked, he never told me he was leaving,” Umile said. “But the opportunity was going to be there, and it’s very, very difficult … to keep a junior that’s that talented.”

Isn't it courtesy, if nothing else, for the player to let his coach know what's going on? Just wondering -- this struck me as odd.

As far as Agosta being mentioned as leaving the team early, the reporter gave no other info -- it seems as if this were breaking news the writer would say more. I suppose he could be wrong, and just going on rumor. Hope that's all it is.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

goblue said:
As far as Agosta being mentioned as leaving the team early, the reporter gave no other info -- it seems as if this were breaking news the writer would say more. I suppose he could be wrong, and just going on rumor. Hope that's all it is.
Click to expand...

Well, Agosta did take part in Senior Night activities, and has been listed as a Senior on all rosters, etc. So it's reasonable for any writer who may not be 100% clued in to all the subtle details to assume he is gone. Personally, I'm assuming he is gone as well, but it will be interesting to see if there is any news coming out of the end-of-season team banquet on that front.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

sonar said:
Settling in for what this UNH fan use to consider as the very best week-end in college hockey viewing .... this year it is just the best.

Good luck to all participants.
Click to expand...

yeah I hear you..today got to thinking how much fun it was to go to ManchVegas last year as a newbie fan...you all must have many such memories. It was a blast and I am already hoping we go next.... Am going to entrench myself in all of the games I can stand to watch and like you...I wish everyone well! On another note our guys who are playing on these AHL club teams get their shot (possibly) tonight and will follow that on Twitter...good luck to them as well.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale

sonar said:
Settling in for what this UNH fan use to consider as the very best week-end in college hockey viewing .... this year it is just the best.

Good luck to all participants.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^^ !!!!!!!!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
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