The disparity in SOG in the third is exactly what would be expected for a team clinging to a lead by one goal, according to Chuck, this game being a perfect piece of evidence in support of his thesis.
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UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
- Thread starter Snively65
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The disparity in SOG in the third is exactly what would be expected for a team clinging to a lead by one goal, according to Chuck, this game being a perfect piece of evidence in support of his thesis.
Certainly true for our most recent games. However. unlike previous games, we didn’t play like we were clinging tonight, per se. we didn’t get many real chances, but we also played very well in the neutral zone and did a lot of dumping the puck in. Announcers called it “conservative”. I might have used the word “controlled”. We definitely didn’t look on our heels, even with them playing 6 on 5. A few big face off wins helped our cause as well late in the game.
Amen. Back to .500. Are you headed to Lowell tomorrow?
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Well just got off a trip to Florida in fact endured that horrible Route 1 traffic to make it tonight so I’m thinking am going to skip it....however that could change lol!!!
Personally thought it was a typical UNH v UML game there were a lot of heroics out there tonight (that goal line save?!?) but the ‘Cats scratched it out!!! We’ll savor this one and see what happens tomorrow! Souza notes in the story that he knows they (UNH) won't get away with giving what they gave tonight tomorrow and there were some scrums. Mike Robinson had a great game for shut out #5 and there were timely defensive plays that helped them secure the win so we will take it!!!
Congrats to our Seniors who played their last home game at the ‘Whitt: Captain Marcus Vela, Assistant C Ara Nazarian, Frankie
Cefalu, Rich Boyd and Chris Miller. Matt Dawson will be back for a 5th season it was disclosed tonight. Awesome bunch wishing them well going forward still plenty of hockey left!!
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Darius
Go 'cats!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
Nice win last night. Too bad NU could not beat BC. We got a lot of good bounces last, will have to be much better tonight. Vela had a couple of big defensive zone face off wins while UML skated the extra attacker. It felt like the game did not match the SOGs. In the third, UML was bringing it, but it didn't feel like they were 8 - 1 bringing it. Lots of complete team defense all night, but again, lots of favorable bounces. Note to forwards: when a defenseman loses is stick? Give him the one in your hands. Jeez.
Go 'cats, Warriors, Huskies and Minutemen!
Nice win last night. Too bad NU could not beat BC. We got a lot of good bounces last, will have to be much better tonight. Vela had a couple of big defensive zone face off wins while UML skated the extra attacker. It felt like the game did not match the SOGs. In the third, UML was bringing it, but it didn't feel like they were 8 - 1 bringing it. Lots of complete team defense all night, but again, lots of favorable bounces. Note to forwards: when a defenseman loses is stick? Give him the one in your hands. Jeez.
Go 'cats, Warriors, Huskies and Minutemen!
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
Agree we have to be better tonight...only had one PP but that's an area of concern (0-20?). BUT PK did their job and that was huge. Are you talking about the Verrier play in the third? He managed to make lemonade out of that one! Imagine you'll be heading down tonight...enjoy and hopefully we can match what they are going to throw...as I suspect it will be a ton...Go 'Cats!! (and the others you mentioned...
)
Agree we have to be better tonight...only had one PP but that's an area of concern (0-20?). BUT PK did their job and that was huge. Are you talking about the Verrier play in the third? He managed to make lemonade out of that one! Imagine you'll be heading down tonight...enjoy and hopefully we can match what they are going to throw...as I suspect it will be a ton...Go 'Cats!! (and the others you mentioned...
)
Darius
Go 'cats!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
Yes. He did do well sans stick, but this was one of a handful of moments where UML could have scored.Agree we have to be better tonight...only had one PP but that's an area of concern (0-20?). BUT PK did their job and that was huge. Are you talking about the Verrier play in the third? He managed to make lemonade out of that one! Imagine you'll be heading down tonight...enjoy and hopefully we can match what they are going to throw...as I suspect it will be a ton...Go 'Cats!! (and the others you mentioned...
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
A well played and coached game last night by our guys. I do believe UML is a little better skating team , but UNH out worked them. A good performance by Robinson which was much needed. I believe it is in the team's best interest to play Robinson here on out. The team looks more confident with him in the net. The penalty kill was solid, but the power play needs to still be tweaked. The team still has to find a way to create more offense while not taking more risks. Lets hope for another hard working and disciplined game tonight.
A well played and coached game last night by our guys. I do believe UML is a little better skating team , but UNH out worked them. A good performance by Robinson which was much needed. I believe it is in the team's best interest to play Robinson here on out. The team looks more confident with him in the net. The penalty kill was solid, but the power play needs to still be tweaked. The team still has to find a way to create more offense while not taking more risks. Lets hope for another hard working and disciplined game tonight.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
Happy for the three point weekend. Tonight the ‘Cats played well matching the physicality and that was good to see. Thought the 3 Frosh on the D held their own with MacKinnon getting his first goal. Both goal tenders were tested. And finally we snap a long PP drought.
Uncanny how e.cats prediction has come to pass so far onto NU!!
Happy for the three point weekend. Tonight the ‘Cats played well matching the physicality and that was good to see. Thought the 3 Frosh on the D held their own with MacKinnon getting his first goal. Both goal tenders were tested. And finally we snap a long PP drought.
Uncanny how e.cats prediction has come to pass so far onto NU!!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
That works, but you can root for ties also. If both of those games end in ties, UNH would be the #7 seed and PC would be the #2 seed. UNH wins the H2H if tied with BC in the standings with 23 points. And PC wins the H2H if tied with NU and/or UML with 30 points.
That works, but you can root for ties also. If both of those games end in ties, UNH would be the #7 seed and PC would be the #2 seed. UNH wins the H2H if tied with BC in the standings with 23 points. And PC wins the H2H if tied with NU and/or UML with 30 points.
And, we are really good at ties; sure, let's pad our Hockey East single-season ties record with another one.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
A good weekend of hockey by our Cats. Robinson had a very good pair of games.
I would like to discuss the powerplay. We did score a powerplay goal on Saturday night, but the powerplay is still struggling. It will be very hard to win any games in the playoffs if the powerplay does not get going. The powerplay goals we have scored over the last few weeks were not from the powerplay set-up. They have come from the rush or from broken plays. What are your thoughts/suggestions about the first powerplay? The second powerplay?
A good weekend of hockey by our Cats. Robinson had a very good pair of games.
I would like to discuss the powerplay. We did score a powerplay goal on Saturday night, but the powerplay is still struggling. It will be very hard to win any games in the playoffs if the powerplay does not get going. The powerplay goals we have scored over the last few weeks were not from the powerplay set-up. They have come from the rush or from broken plays. What are your thoughts/suggestions about the first powerplay? The second powerplay?
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
Doesn't a decent PP come down to moving the puck into a place where a decent shot is taken, if not scored then, hopefully a rebound chance? Watching UML over the weekend that's what you see; a lot of puck movement followed by continued skating to get into a position to move the D for the best possible shot. So I'm not an expert but I think we lack that puck movement...Also think missing a key playmaker (as well as Patrick Grasso). Thinking we are too static for something that should be fluid...?? Although I will say it seemed better over the weekend. I know it's a point of work that Coach Souza has on his mind... You have to be opportunistic esp against the D's we have run into in these bigger games.
Doesn't a decent PP come down to moving the puck into a place where a decent shot is taken, if not scored then, hopefully a rebound chance? Watching UML over the weekend that's what you see; a lot of puck movement followed by continued skating to get into a position to move the D for the best possible shot. So I'm not an expert but I think we lack that puck movement...Also think missing a key playmaker (as well as Patrick Grasso). Thinking we are too static for something that should be fluid...?? Although I will say it seemed better over the weekend. I know it's a point of work that Coach Souza has on his mind... You have to be opportunistic esp against the D's we have run into in these bigger games.
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Updated GF/GA numbers...
UM - 3/9 (GA/G: 4.50) -- 0-2-0
NU - 3/12 (GA/G: 6.00) -- 0-2-0
UML - 5/4 (GA/G: 1.33) -- 1-0-2
PC - 2/4 (GA/G: 2.00) -- 0-1-1
The match-up continues to matter and UNH remains competitive only when they can keep the score down for the opponent. Let's hope upon hope they can steal at least a point from NU (and get the help they need) to face PC in the quarterfinals...
That would require success against an uptempo, skilled offense for the first time this season. Gut check time - as their best opportunity for any post-season success likely depends on it (even if @PC still represents an uphill battle). I would expect theyre swept by UMass, but could force a game three at Providence...
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
It's like trying to find the lesser of two evils...but I get the point here. Regardless of the opponent..UNH will have it's hands full. That said, it's still great they made it and whomever we play knows they won't go quietly. And, you never, ever know...that said, I guess playing PC would be a better draw. Either way, I'm just glad we will be able to say one way or the other, that they are 'still skating' past this Friday's last RS game.
It's like trying to find the lesser of two evils...but I get the point here. Regardless of the opponent..UNH will have it's hands full. That said, it's still great they made it and whomever we play knows they won't go quietly. And, you never, ever know...that said, I guess playing PC would be a better draw. Either way, I'm just glad we will be able to say one way or the other, that they are 'still skating' past this Friday's last RS game.
The stupid 5-3 PP setup with two forwards behind the net aside, which fortunately rarely happens, I think that the best PP chances come from high between the circles, where there might be rebounds out front, rather from down low where high angle shots rarely get through and rebounds are usually sent harmlessly off into the corners. Problem that I have seen is that our players at high center on the PP need too long to corral the pass, square up, and take a slap shot, which usually gets blocked and hardly ever gets through. Need quick one-timer wrist shots, even off the end boards wide of net, which could bounce out front.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity
I think both HockeyRef and Snively65 have made some very good points in regard to the powerplay. It seems to me that the players are trying to create the best/perfect play instead of a couple of good opportunities. It reminds me of the Soviet Union back in the 70's. The Soviets were fine with only getting 15 to 20 shots in a game. They tried to create the best quality of scoring chances versus taking a high quantity of shots like the NHL does today. Goalies today, like Primeau of Northeastern, will stop what they see. If teams do not have the skill to make those lateral and diagonal passes to create the backdoor scoring opportunities most will focus on taking the vision away from the opposing goalie. Primeau will make the save and control the rebound of the shots that he sees. In five games against him over the last two seasons we have scored only four goals. Only BvR's goal last Friday was a shot from the slot that beat him. The other three goals came from shots from a distance with players screening his vision.
I think both HockeyRef and Snively65 have made some very good points in regard to the powerplay. It seems to me that the players are trying to create the best/perfect play instead of a couple of good opportunities. It reminds me of the Soviet Union back in the 70's. The Soviets were fine with only getting 15 to 20 shots in a game. They tried to create the best quality of scoring chances versus taking a high quantity of shots like the NHL does today. Goalies today, like Primeau of Northeastern, will stop what they see. If teams do not have the skill to make those lateral and diagonal passes to create the backdoor scoring opportunities most will focus on taking the vision away from the opposing goalie. Primeau will make the save and control the rebound of the shots that he sees. In five games against him over the last two seasons we have scored only four goals. Only BvR's goal last Friday was a shot from the slot that beat him. The other three goals came from shots from a distance with players screening his vision.
And, we are really good at ties; sure, let's pad our Hockey East single-season ties record with another one.
Few stats in support of your statement....
- 59 other teams in D1 have averaged 3.44 ties this season
- With us in the mix, that number jumps to 3.56 ties
- our 9 ties are 5.3 standard deviations from the mean
Crazy crazy year. Only five other teams have more than 5 ties, with 7 being the tops.
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