UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Hard to think Coach Umile wouldn't take a mulligan if he had another chance to retire after last season.

Say what you will about the guy, but even if he's in it for a final payday, this is a tough way for him to go out.

Sad.

Well, as a long time DU supporter and knowing his competitive nature , this has got to be very difficult for him. The "final payday" aspect is probably the furthest thing from his mind right now.

 

[HockeyRef]

Well, as a long time DU supporter and knowing his competitive nature , this has got to be very difficult for him. The "final payday" aspect is probably the furthest thing from his mind right now.

My husbands been saying the same thing " this has to be killing him".

 

[HockeyRef]

Why would it kill him? To quote the Coach in setting the tone and priorities at this fall's Hockey East banquet: “I’m looking forward to retirement but also this final season in Hockey East. There’s a lot of people that you’ve shared some great moments with here — coaches, players.” He's so close to his goal of retirement (one more week), and had a chance for one last nostalgia tour, which were his stated goals.

If he had wanted to avoid the agida of this foreseeable season -- those in the know could see that UNH would be bad, and UNH was after all picked for 8th -- there was a very simple thing he could have done.

Hear that...just didn't think he expected this season, his final season, to be the way it has been. We have been over this already regarding talent on the ice...but right now 8th looks pretty darn good.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

"A favorite quotation of [Bill Parcells] is borrowed from Marv Levy, his former colleague in the coaching fraternity, who had a long run of success with the Buffalo Bills. ''When you're thinking of retirement, you're already retired,'' Levy said.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/s...ls-are-scrambled-about-parcells-s-future.html

 

[JB]

Hear that...just didn't think he expected this season, his final season, to be the way it has been. We have been over this already regarding talent on the ice...but right now 8th looks pretty darn good.

I still don't put that much blame on the talent... Yes it could be better.

Once the talent is on campus, whatever it is, it is the coaches job to put it in a system for the betterment of the team. Once it became obvious there was a problem, say mid December I haven't seen any real changes to the system attempted. It is manifest in the 5 on 3 PP that hasn't worked in forever that they continue to use.

 

[JB]

JB...the last thing I am trying to say here is it's the talent but felt I had to bring that up. That being said? I still maintain there's no way they end up like they did given what I saw the first few games. Every player on that team has regressed if you want my honest opinion. I can't think of one player who made big strides in their game and someone has to be held accountable for that... If I'm wrong with this assertion then someone give me the stats as I've seen every single game they've played in. St this point I welcome it.

You said what I wanted/wish I could say...

I will admit I paraphrased somebody... Anybody know who?

It fit this situation and so was appropriate.

I joked with a friend after the Lowell wins - when UNH was playing fast, aggressive, hitting hockey - that they hadn't had too many coaches practices yet. Give them some time they will stop doing that, as everyone knows you can't play that way on big ice...

We only have memories of that style of play.

 

[walrus]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Hard to think Coach Umile wouldn't take a mulligan if he had another chance to retire after last season.

Say what you will about the guy, but even if he's in it for a final payday, this is a tough way for him to go out.

Sad.

He will cheer up when they beat Maine in first series of HE tourney.

 

[HockeyRef]

I will admit I paraphrased somebody... Anybody know who?

It fit this situation and so was appropriate.

I joked with a friend after the Lowell wins - when UNH was playing fast, aggressive, hitting hockey - that they hadn't had too many coaches practices yet. Give them some time they will stop doing that, as everyone knows you can't play that way on big ice...

We only have memories of that style of play.

Can't highlight your last sentence but I'd like to say "they light the corners of my mind....misty water color memories....of the way we were " I've officially lost it...

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Nah, Yale hasn’t been much better. You guys have a more exciting train wreck going on, I can’t stop watching.

Don't blame you in the least, 'satch. This collapse has been epic. From "Champions of November" to the HE basement, in just under 90 days. "Parity" (parody?) aside, that's no small *accomplishment*.

I still think they'll somehow find a way to win tonight. Not that it matters, mind you. If nothing else, NU shows up WAY overconfident, sleepwalks through a relatively meaningless game, and UNH (finally) hangs on to an early lead to get Coach up to the magical 597 level. Keeping the <s>Quest</s> <s>Chase</s> Macabre Train Wreck alive into the MBPGEGAM round. Some guys just know how to do disaster better than others.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

"A favorite quotation of [Bill Parcells] is borrowed from Marv Levy, his former colleague in the coaching fraternity, who had a long run of success with the Buffalo Bills. ''When you're thinking of retirement, you're already retired'' Levy said.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/s...ls-are-scrambled-about-parcells-s-future.html

Agreed. By my calculations, that means Coach has been thinking about retirement for at least 10 years now ...

 

[Greg Ambrose]

I still don't put that much blame on the talent... Yes it could be better.

Once the talent is on campus, whatever it is, it is the coaches job to put it in a system for the betterment of the team. Once it became obvious there was a problem, say mid December I haven't seen any real changes to the system attempted. It is manifest in the 5 on 3 PP that hasn't worked in forever that they continue to use.

Hate to break it to you JB, but the talent is not very good. Three okay defensemen, and not one forward who would be considered worthy of top two line play on a good team. I said this in an earlier post but when you consistently lose one goal games or play to a tie it means you don’t have the talent to win. Two games that stick in my mind are the blown lead losses to UConn and Maine at home. Once both of these teams cut the lead to one, they could sense that UNH was vulnerable. In both these games I have no doubt that UNH was trying their hardest to preserve a victory. They just couldn’t get it done because the teams they were facing were just a tad better. It’s not the players’ fault if they are not Division 1 caliber, it’s the coaches fault for thinking that they were. Until the program gets better players, no amount of practice or in game management is going to make the product or the results better.

 

[HockeyRef]

Don't blame you in the least, 'satch. This collapse has been epic. From "Champions of November" to the HE basement, in just under 90 days. "Parity" (parody?) aside, that's no small *accomplishment*.

I still think they'll somehow find a way to win tonight. Not that it matters, mind you. If nothing else, NU shows up WAY overconfident, sleepwalks through a relatively meaningless game, and UNH (finally) hangs on to an early lead to get Coach up to the magical 597 level. Keeping the <s>Quest</s> <s>Chase</s> Macabre Train Wreck alive into the MBPGEGAM round. Some guys just know how to do disaster better than others.

And on your note of optimism for a win tonight I shall break out the Pom...

 

[JB]

Hate to break it to you JB, but the talent is not very good. Three okay defensemen, and not one forward who would be considered worthy of top two line play on a good team. I said this in an earlier post but when you consistently lose one goal games or play to a tie it means you don’t have the talent to win. Two games that stick in my mind are the blown lead losses to UConn and Maine at home. Once both of these teams cut the lead to one, they could sense that UNH was vulnerable. In both these games I have no doubt that UNH was trying their hardest to preserve a victory. They just couldn’t get it done because the teams they were facing were just a tad better. It’s not the players’ fault if they are not Division 1 caliber, it’s the coaches fault for thinking that they were. Until the program gets better players, no amount of practice or in game management is going to make the product or the results better.

I am not saying worst to first, or even top 5. I agree the talent is thin. I just think a better coaching job gets you 2-3 maybe 4 wins in 2018... Maybe home ice in the fake round. Clearly this system isn't right for this talent...

I look at the games in December and early January and see some lost opportunity to get to the NRN.

 

[HockeyRef]

I am not saying worst to first, or even top 5. I agree the talent is thin. I just think a better coaching job gets you 2-3 maybe 4 wins in 2018... Maybe home ice in the fake round. Clearly this system isn't right for this talent...

I look at the games in December and early January and see some lost opportunity to get to the NRN.

Bottom line for me at least...was that they played better. But we are going to go around and around with this so I'm just going to remember how I felt leaving the Tsongas that night...and hope for the best for our future.

 

[Dan]

I hate to sound like a broken record - but, yes, talent and ability is the ultimate factor. That's not the players fault. It's the coaches and recruiters fault. We can discuss effort and development - but it starts with the team's baseline ability and limited ceiling.

The team is weak in net, improved but only OK on defense (lack of depth and youth) and as bad as they've ever been offensively. They can't possess pucks and they're likely to score fewer than 100 goals this season. The first time they'll do so since the 1964-65 season (when they played 20 games total). I'm to lazy to do all the math, but a quick glance at an old media guide leads me to believe this may be their worst goals-per-game effort since 1949-50 when they scored eight goals in four games (and their perhaps their fourth-worst GPG effort since 1923, or in other words, all-time)...

They're 6-17-6 since the third weekend of the year - the data point since which they've only faced teams with chemistry and established starting goalies. I'll say it one final time - UML (who is simply not wh we thought they were) was a brand new team without chemistry and played Tyler Wall, who has been awful all year and has since been banished to the back-up roll. Colgate came to the Whitt without Colton Point who is arguably the best goalie in NCAA hockey - without him Colgate may be among the worst programs in the sport. It's no wonder they looked better early - they were playing disjointed teams with bad goaltending (not playing notably better - though they still had hope/belief in the possibility of great season, misguided as it was)...

Bottom line - UNH returned all but two key players and had the chemistry early that opponents lacked. They were the same team then with a natural advantage, good fortune (goaltending against) and early season enthusiasm. It adds up to a mirage. The first four games will end up being about 1/10 of their season - pointing to 1/10 and wishing they could play like that instead of understanding they are who they've showed 9/10 of the time is only going to lead to frustration. If that's why fans want to do - more power to them. It's time for the recruiters to realize who they are, how they got there and do something different to ensure they don't stay there...

I guess the difference is I would take nothing from the team being a few wins better - having knocked of Brown, Dartmouth, MC or Maine. They're an extremely flawed roster that was never going to contend for anything of note this season whether they played at their ceiling or floor. 10 wins or 15 wins - I don't care. When will they contend again - that's what matters to me...

The coaching hasn't done much to make them better (ZERO arguments here) - say realizing they're limited and changing up the system to try and mask their deficiencies. Instead they've played the same system they always have and magnified the talent gap. Still, where the coaches have really failed the program is recruiting players who can make real impact at the HE level...

All that said, yes, without question they absolutely quit last night after the second period. For the first time that I've seen all year, they gave up and got steamrolled...

---

Play Clark tonight. He's earned it, as much as Tirone, by simply being a good soldier - and the coaches owe it to him for never giving him a fair shake despite all the struggles the team has had with the position. They're not playing for anything tonight and, in fact, would be better of finishing last and getting UConn (or Maine - if tie breakers allow) than drawing Lowell.

They won't give him a shake this time either, though - it will undoubtedly be right back to Tirone. He's the senior who deserves it in their mind. He always has been. In addition to the lack of roster ability - the failure to EVER hosting a legitimate goaltending competition has killed this team for three seasons...

The Ty Taylor era can't start soon enough - assuming he wins the job (he should have no trouble doing so, FYI)...

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I look at the games in December and early January and see some lost opportunity to get to the NRN.

No doubt about it, the blown opportunities against the "cupcakes", and the three blown multi-goal 3rd period lost results against Brown, UConn and UMaine, those would have not only gotten Coach close to (if not to or past) the NRN, but also could have set UNH up for home ice next weekend. Talent no doubt is down, but good coaching keeps this somewhat afloat in the sea of mediocrity that Hockey East has been this season.

I'll also bring up the on-ice leadership vacuum that continues to be present for most of the last few years with this program. Putting aside last year's captain (Cleland), two of the last three seasons,, this has been a significant issue ... and looking ahead to next season, it may be an issue yet again. Most of the obvious candidates (and I use that term loosely) are either depth players (Miller), spare parts (Dawson, Cefalu), 5th year seniors (Clark, maybe Boyd?) or have been career underachievers (Vela). Nazarian may be the only one who does not fall into one of those categories, and his production has been decent, but not great. I've always thought underclassmen should be considered, but the options there (Blackburn, Wyse, BvR) are hardly obvious ones at this point of the game, either.

Sorry if I took this astray a little, but I'm searching for rays of hope, and I'm not seeing (m)any ...

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Play Clark tonight. He's earned it, as much as Tirone, by simply being a good soldier - and the coaches owe it to him for never giving him a fair shake despite all the struggles the team has had with the position. They're not playing for anything tonight and, in fact, would be better of finishing last and getting UConn (or Maine - if tie breakers allow) than drawing Lowell.

They won't give him a shake this time either, though - it will undoubtedly be right back to Tirone. He's the senior who deserves it in their mind. He always has been. In addition to the lacy of ability - the lack of EVER hosting a legitimate goaltending competition has killed this team for three seasons...

The Ty Taylor era can't start soon enough - assuming he wins the job (he should have no trouble doing so, FYI)...

I'll meet your Adam Clark, and raise you a Joe Lazzaro (sp?).

If you're not going to play Tirone tonight - and I agree, they probably will - why not start Robinson instead? One bad outing, and he's off your "good list" already? Isn't he the only returning guy who will have a legitimate shot at significant playing time next season? Unless you know Clark is returning next season ... why waste a start on him? Hasn't that ship sailed, especially with Taylor out on the horizon? At least with Lazzaro, you know he'll be back next season. And it's not exactly like UNH has to "sandbag" tonight to ensure they lose to get a more favorable MBPBEGAM match-up ...

 

[Dan]

I'll meet your Adam Clark, and raise you a Joe Lazzaro (sp?).

If you're not going to play Tirone tonight - and I agree, they probably will - why not start Robinson instead? One bad outing, and he's off your "good list" already? Isn't he the only returning guy who will have a legitimate shot at significant playing time next season? Unless you know Clark is returning next season ... why waste a start on him? Hasn't that ship sailed, especially with Taylor not on the horizon? At least with Lazzaro, you know he'll be back next season. And it's not exactly like UNH has to "sandbag" tonight to ensure they lose to get a more favorable MBPBEGAM match-up ...

I'm fine with Robinson starting and he deserves a real chance to compete with Taylor next year. But I'm dealing in what has become UNH absolutes - not what I would do. They're playing a senior on senior night - so Robinson and Lazzarro are out. It will be Tirone...

As for next year, maybe Souza will be different and look to a rotation/competition. I'll believe it when I (hopefully) see it. Until then I imagine he'll prefer to play HIS guy over Boreks - so, Taylor, who I do think is likely to be the better goalie in the long run. But a true competition or rotation until one guy earns the job - and continuing competition and accountability in practice - works for me. We'll see...

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

More specifically, UNH lacks senior talent. Other than McNick who has held his own under dire circumstances, Salvaggio and Eiserman are both busts!

 

[HockeyRef]

No doubt about it, the blown opportunities against the "cupcakes", and the three blown multi-goal 3rd period lost results against Brown, UConn and UMaine, those would have not only gotten Coach close to (if not to or past) the NRN, but also could have set UNH up for home ice next weekend. Talent no doubt is down, but good coaching keeps this somewhat afloat in the sea of mediocrity that Hockey East has been this season.

I'll also bring up the on-ice leadership vacuum that continues to be present for most of the last few years with this program. Putting aside last year's captain (Cleland), two of the last three seasons,, this has been a significant issue ... and looking ahead to next season, it may be an issue yet again. Most of the obvious candidates (and I use that term loosely) are either depth players (Miller), spare parts (Dawson, Cefalu), 5th year seniors (Clark, maybe Boyd?) or have been career underachievers (Vela). Nazarian may be the only one who does not fall into one of those categories, and his production has been decent, but not great. I've always thought underclassmen should be considered, but the options there (Blackburn, Wyse, BvR) are hardly obvious ones at this point of the game, either.

Sorry if I took this astray a little, but I'm searching for rays of hope, and I'm not seeing (m)any ...

Exactly the point Chuck those blown opps have cost them dearly. Not to mention the lack of any consistent scoring as Dan pointed out. As per Captain next season my bets on Vela if not for his "hot head" as some fans say but personally? That's exactly why he's my pick.

Not that I want a jerk out there mind you but someone to lead this team and a little fire isn't a bad thing. The safe and most likely pick? Miller or Nazarian. The latter has been in most of the pressers recently due to his scoring I suppose. Either player is fine still I'd go with Vela.