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UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

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Snively65 said:
I disagree. Cannot have someone out there who spends well over half of his ice time in the penalty box. Wears down a team's PK, even when PPG's not given up. What happened to our SMT's? Perennially, the Cats are in the lowest five in Div 1 for taking penalties. I did not see the game; were any of Vela's five "good" penalties, ones that prevented a goal, etc?
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You may be right in theory, but Vela never missed a shift last night except for when he was physically in the penalty box. While not moving his feet effectively, he at least tried to defend with his stick - unlike many of his teammates who did neither. Hence all his penalties were lazy stick infractions.

In his defense, his fifth penalty was a very weak call. He was tied up physically fighting for the puck against the boards and it squirted free near his stick which had been turned around and stuck out of the scrum. The UVM player skated over it chasing a now loose puck and fell. It shouldn't have been called. Which is why, I assume, the ref three feet from the play did not make a call. The referee 100 feet from the play felt differently however...

The equivalent would have been Vela turned to face/defend his own goal and a UVM player skating full speed into his back and drawing an interference call. Still, UNH did not deserve even a tie, so it's hard to complain too much. And honestly a few of the penalties on both sides hinted at officials who just had to be involved in the game...
 
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Snively65 said:
I disagree. Cannot have someone out there who spends well over half of his ice time in the penalty box. Wears down a team's PK, even when PPG's not given up. What happened to our SMT's? Perennially, the Cats are in the lowest five in Div 1 for taking penalties. I did not see the game; were any of Vela's five "good" penalties, ones that prevented a goal, etc?
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I'm just thinking while he had an awful game (penalty wise) he still is needed offensively esp with Eiserman out. Not sure Coach operates that way either.

Hey trust me totally agree he should sit. Put Cefalu and Fregona back in that line up and pronto. Both play with a compete level sorely lacking as of late esp on the forecheck.
 
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HockeyRef said:
I'm just thinking while he had an awful game (penalty wise) he still is needed offensively esp with Eiserman out. Not sure Coach operates that way either.

Hey trust me totally agree he should sit. Put Cefalu and Fregona back in that line up and pronto. Both play with a compete level sorely lacking as of late esp on the forecheck.
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Thanks for the replies, HR and Dan. I need to see more games rather than commenting based solely on box scores. I hope to attend more games beginning in December, and trust that our record is still above 0.500 then.

Speaking of which, UNH still fifth in PWR, with PC only other HEA team in top 19. Inauspicious start for HEA teams in their OOC games. Of course, the shelves of other HEA teams not as heavily laden with cupcake OOC opponents as UNH.

UNH 36th in penalty minutes; I cannot remember any time in the last few years that we have been ranked so high in that category.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

So what’s up with Grasso? Sophomore slump or just getting back into the swing of things? Seems pretty invisible out there so far, at least on the scoresheet.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

At least 2, and I believe it was 3 of Vela's penalties were called by the ref at center ice and not the one looking directly at the play. The holding call (which was legitimate) was one and the last trip was as well. Not going to blast the officials for it being that way but the box score makes it look worse than it was. The only thing I can't believe they didn't call was the Vermont player who elbowed Blackburn in the back of the head driving him into the end boards in the third. But yeah, this game was not lost on officiating so I will leave it at that.

I think worse than the apparent lack of energy was the passing. I would say 40% if not more of our attempted breakout passes went right on to a Vermont players stick, and that was before they decided to shut down and sit on a two goal lead with 12 minutes left. I would also like to see the faceoff stats as my rough calculations put us at below a 25% win percentage on those as well.

It was rough to watch, so I will just take the tie and move on to Amherst next weekend. Looking for a much better effort and precision in their play.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

d.gerry said:
So what’s up with Grasso? Sophomore slump or just getting back into the swing of things? Seems pretty invisible out there so far, at least on the scoresheet.
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It looks like the shoulder is still bothering him on the ice. He is not digging in and getting to the net like he was last year. His offensive positioning in the first two games has been at or around the circles looking for a good shooting position where last year he was fighting it out in front of the net.

The second part of this is he has not been on the first PP unit yet, Vela is still holding that spot and it really serves two purposes. Vela is the first man to take the faceoff as McNicholas is not nearly as successful as he is at winning them. Also, going back to the first point, Grasso last year was the screen guy in front taking a beating for rebounds. I think they are definitely trying to keep him out of those type of situations for the time being.

He has had a few great chances that have just missed being goals, so I am hopeful that he can get things going. Between just trying to get back into things and the points I mentioned above, I am not surprised that he is slow to get on the sheet.
 
deltabravo62 said:
At least 2, and I believe it was 3 of Vela's penalties were called by the ref at center ice and not the one looking directly at the play. The holding call (which was legitimate) was one and the last trip was as well. Not going to blast the officials for it being that way but the box score makes it look worse than it was. The only thing I can't believe they didn't call was the Vermont player who elbowed Blackburn in the back of the head driving him into the end boards in the third. But yeah, this game was not lost on officiating so I will leave it at that.

I think worse than the apparent lack of energy was the passing. I would say 40% if not more of our attempted breakout passes went right on to a Vermont players stick, and that was before they decided to shut down and sit on a two goal lead with 12 minutes left. I would also like to see the faceoff stats as my rough calculations put us at below a 25% win percentage on those as well.

It was rough to watch, so I will just take the tie and move on to Amherst next weekend. Looking for a much better effort and precision in their play.
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If you MUST know the face offs were won by UVM 40-
28 😳 Not one of our strong suits...
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

deltabravo62 said:
He has had a few great chances that have just missed being goals, so I am hopeful that he can get things going. Between just trying to get back into things and the points I mentioned above, I am not surprised that he is slow to get on the sheet.
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Makes sense. You have to believe the offense will be much more dangerous when he's 100% and Eiserman returns.
 
HockeyRef said:
If you MUST know the face offs were won by UVM 40-
28 😳 Not one of our strong suits...
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They must have been generous and have us a bunch of the "toss ups" I know it got better in the second period but still, not a good showing on the circle. Vela and Blackburn are the only two that win faceoffs with any level of consistency.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

Casey DeSmith in relief for Pitt as they are getting killed by the Jets. Can't find the game must be on Direct or NHL network? HE goalie v HE goalie...Hellebuyck is opposing goalie for the Jets.
 
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HockeyRef said:
Casey DeSmith in relief for Pitt as they are getting killed by the Jets. Can't find the game must be on Direct or NHL network? HE goalie v HE goalie...Hellebuyck is opposing goalie for the Jets.
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In after Matt Murray gives up 4 on 9 shots to get yanked - DeSmith gives up a goal on his first shot against. Good luck to him he rest of the way, it doesn't look like the rest of the Penguins showed up tonight...

Alternate theory - who's the Pens goalie coach?? Jk. Jk.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

Dan said:
In after Matt Murray gives up 4 on 9 shots to get yanked - DeSmith gives up a goal on his first shot against. Good luck to him he rest of the way, it doesn't look like the rest of the Penguins showed up tonight...

Alternate theory - who's the Pens goalie coach?? Jk. Jk.
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I see what you're doing there Dan lol. :eek::D
 
And he starts the second period with by taking a penalty, haha. But, he has three saves now to lead all Pens goalies in save percentage tonight at .750!
 
Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

Tie in HE on the road not necessarily a bad result ... tie for purposes of the March with a two goal 3rd period lead, disastrous. Coach Umile's team has now had two straight games where they couldn't finish things out cleanly, and while 5-1-1 isn't a bad thing, it puts some extra emphasis on the importance of earning a W on the road at Amherst next weekend. The rest of November pits UNH against teams that have regularly gotten the better of them more often that not in recent years. December looks relatively tame ... but if they manage to skate through this weekend and next without a W, then it's three winless games on the trot, looking at the possibility of a barren November.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats-The Back Nine and Beyond!

HockeyRef said:
Casey DeSmith in relief for Pitt as they are getting killed by the Jets. Can't find the game must be on Direct or NHL network? HE goalie v HE goalie...Hellebuyck is opposing goalie for the Jets.
Click to expand...

2014 Hockey East Championship Game goalie matchup
 
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