University of North Dakota Hockey 2015-16 season

[burd]

giving me short side upper...he should be further out of his crease : )

I realize it's a joke, yzer, but it brings to mind a question I have often asked myself which some of you guys closer to the game itself might comment on.  I don't know when goalies began using the butterfly style--a long time ago, I'm sure  But shooters go either 5-hole or high now because that is where the biggest holes are.  I've noticed how often our guys miss high or off the shoulder going for water-bottle shots and not only do we not get a rebound, the puck often rings around off the glass and either out of the zone or high on the sidewalls.   A low shot can do that too if it's wide, but on net it has a much better chance of a rebound, it seems like.  I know goalies can kick low shots out too, which helps defense, but what exactly is the thinking on that?   Is it such a non-issue that coaches do not even bother with it, or do some stress more low shots  (when it's not a prime scoring opportunity) to raise the chance of rebounds and greasy goals?   Where there is any traffic, goalies don't see a low shot as well either. 

 

I started thinking of this when one of my kids started playing and seeing how so many young kids seem enthralled with water bottle shots when they should be going low.   I'm sure there are a lot of coaches and/or knowledgeable fans in this site who can respond to this.

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2015 by burd

[DamStrait]

I think most of us agree this was an unjustified suspension.  And most of us probably also agree that it is too bad some of the clean, heavy hitting in the game is being outlawed.  And that is interesting discussion for winter meetings and whatever seasonal meetings the heads of officials have.  But the real issue on the ground for our guys is how you play smart so those officiating decisions do not increase the chance that they will lose.  As fast as this game is played, and with the current enforcement goals of protecting players, that hit will get you the box every single time.  Wrong call upon slow motion review?  Probably.  But the penalty will be called and everybody knows it.   And nobody can act surprised that Cags got the dressing room for it either, right or wrong.   What counts is not whether the call was justified but how the players adjust to an environment they all know exists.  This team is good.  They have speed and skill up and down the lineup, great defense, and some snipers.  They need to play physical but smart, and that hit, while legit, was not particularly smart IMO. 

I see your point, but it really glosses over the most troubling aspect of this bit of officiating - how the hell does he get an ADDITIONAL game based on that video?  Call it a penalty live, maybe even a major - fine - but the additional game?  Disgraceful.  Just one more in the the ever growing litany of reasons that Don Adam should be beaten to a pulp and then fired - he is beyond loathsome.

[yzerman19]

I realize it's a joke, yzer, but it brings to mind a question I have often asked myself which some of you guys closer to the game itself might comment on.  I don't know when goalies began using the butterfly style--a long time ago, I'm sure  But shooters go either 5-hole or high now because that is where the biggest holes are.  I've noticed how often our guys miss high or off the shoulder going for water-bottle shots and not only do we not get a rebound, the puck often rings around off the glass and either out of the zone or high on the sidewalls.   A low shot can do that too if it's wide, but on net it has a much better chance of a rebound, it seems like.  I know goalies can kick low shots out too, which helps defense, but what exactly is the thinking on that?   Is it such a non-issue that coaches do not even bother with it, or do some stress more low shots  (when it's not a prime scoring opportunity) to raise the chance of rebounds and greasy goals?   Where there is any traffic, goalies don't see a low shot as well either. 

 

I started thinking of this when one of my kids started playing and seeing how so many young kids seem enthralled with water bottle shots when they should be going low.   I'm sure there are a lot of coaches and/or knowledgeable fans in this site who can respond to this.

 

 

 

Out wait a butterfly goalie and they will go down, thus giving you upstairs.  Make a goalie move laterally, and they have to give you five hole- they physically can't move without opening it up a little.  You shoot to where there's an opening.  Playing against a higher end goalie, who knows angles and comes out to challenge you results in it looking like there is no opening, unless you force him to make a decision.

Its always a good idea to get a shot, so the following principles apply:

If you're the shooter and you see a good opening, shoot for it

If you're the shooter and don't see an opening, try and create one (while keeping head up for teammate with better scoring chance)

If you're a shooter and you have a teammate crashing the far wing, shoot far-side, low, and hard off the pad to try and get a rebound in a better scoring position

If there isn't anything available, throw it on net, preferably through traffic 

If you throw it on net, follow your shot and try get your own rebound

 

Dicta Yzer

[The Sicatoka]

giving me short side upper...he should be further out of his crease : )

He recognizes you. It's intentional. He's not worried. He's seen your wrister.

[The Sicatoka]

I agree with "Dicta Yzer". 

As far as looking like there is no opening, I had a shooting coach who had us line up dot to dot in front of the net. He put a goalie in net. He told us to shut our eyes. He had the goalie move (went down butterfly with glove very low and blocker moderately high). He told us to open our eyes for just a one-count (open, close). We all had to then turn around and go to the locker room. 

He'd set a pencil and paper in each stall. He told us to draw what we saw.

We all started by drawing a net and then put a goalie in front of it. 

He went to the white board and started drawing: first a weird shape with two straight sides and then an odd shaped curvy line; then another odd shape, kind of mirroring the first; then a triangular shaped area between and below them. 

He drew what HE saw.

He drew the open spaces around that thing with pads and inside the pipes. 

He'd made his point: We all saw "goalie in front of net"; he saw "open spaces". 

Edited November 11, 2015 by The Sicatoka

[gfhockey]

Since since when do you girls not like hard nosed hockey?

[90siouxfan]

Since since when do you girls not like hard nosed hockey?

I like hard nosed hockey, but when the refs and regulating body punish that type of play to the point of detriment to the program it would be selfish of me not to recognize the ongoing change.  Do you only watch hockey from the 70s?

[yzerman19]

He recognizes you. It's intentional. He's not worried. He's seen your wrister.

[bigskyvikes]

I agree with "Dicta Yzer". 

As far as looking like there is no opening, I had a shooting coach who had us line up dot to dot in front of the net. He put a goalie in net. He told us to shut our eyes. He had the goalie move (went down butterfly with glove very low and blocker moderately high). He told us to open our eyes for just a one-count (open, close). We all had to then turn around and go to the locker room. 

He'd set a pencil and paper in each stall. He told us to draw what we saw.

We all started by drawing a net and then put a goalie in front of it. 

He went to the white board and started drawing: first a weird shape with two straight sides and then an odd shaped curvy line; then another odd shape, kind of mirroring the first; then a triangular shaped area between and below them. 

He drew what HE saw.

He drew the open spaces around that thing with pads and inside the pipes. 

He'd made his point: We all saw "goalie in front of net"; he saw "open spaces". 

Great story, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great teacher/coach?

[Goon]

 

[The Sicatoka]

Great story, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great teacher/coach?

Coach's former teammate. Too bad I have yzer's wrist shot.

[burd]

In some respects the Vikings and the  . .  Hawks? are in similar situations.  They both have had a fairly weak schedule up to now (Denver aside) but have done what they had to. The next 4 or 5 weekends, though, will tell us a lot about what they have.  . 

[yzerman19]

Coach's former teammate. Too bad I have yzer's wrist shot.

In all fairness, my wrister wasn't the problem...it was my edge work.  

[The Sicatoka]

And now a word from future politician Trevor Olson:

Q. Who is your favorite referee in the NCHC?

A. I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. They’re all my favorite.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/3881916-ice-time-get-know-und-forward-trevor-olson 

[snova4]

And now a word from future politician Trevor Olson:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/3881916-ice-time-get-know-und-forward-trevor-olson 

I can tell you who my least favorite is.

[Goon]

Since when do you guys not like hard nosed hockey?

[bigskyvikes]

The first half of the season is going to be brutal. 20 games before Christmas of which 13 are on the road. We start with 6 non-conference games, 5 on the road. Then play the Number 11 (Miami- at home) , Number 17 (St Cloud- away), Number 5 (Denver- at home) and Number 2 (Duluth- away). Throw in away games at CC and Michigan State and home games against Wisconsin and you have an extremely tough schedule. Along with a new coach, new goalie, and 10 freshmen what are the odds we come out of the first 20 games  above .500?

Being realistic, I'm expecting us to be at a 9-11 record before Jan. 1. With enough non-conference losses to keep us out of the NCAAs unless we win the NCHC tourney or are unbeatable the second half of the season.

 

How USCHO could rank us at Number 4 in the country when bringing in 10 freshmen is beyond me. We need to hope for an Omaha like season like they had last year where their freshmen led them in scoring and they got great goaltending from a returning player that was so-so earlier.

 

I am still really looking forward to this season with so many unknowns besides our D.

Things that make you go hummm,

Thank goodness. 

[SJHovey]

Has anyone else considered the possibility that we might have three different goaltenders play 10 games this year?

 

I mean, it's not outside the realm of possibility.  Hrynkiw has already played 10.  Johnson has played 3, and Tomek is supposed to be the guy when he's healthy.  We're getting into the part of the schedule where we're playing some better teams.  If Hrynkiw struggles, I suspect Johnson will see the ice again at least until Tomek has had a chance to get a feel for the college game.  I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see Tomek until the UAH game and the Under-18 exhibition, just to let him get up to game speed against lesser competition or in an exhibition game. 

I'm not sure I've ever heard of a college team who had three goaltenders who each played 10 games in a year, although it's probably happened.

[scpa0305]

Has anyone else considered the possibility that we might have three different goaltenders play 10 games this year?

 

I mean, it's not outside the realm of possibility.  Hrynkiw has already played 10.  Johnson has played 3, and Tomek is supposed to be the guy when he's healthy.  We're getting into the part of the schedule where we're playing some better teams.  If Hrynkiw struggles, I suspect Johnson will see the ice again at least until Tomek has had a chance to get a feel for the college game.  I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see Tomek until the UAH game and the Under-18 exhibition, just to let him get up to game speed against lesser competition or in an exhibition game. 

I'm not sure I've ever heard of a college team who had three goaltenders who each played 10 games in a year, although it's probably happened.

Did UNO have 3 different goalies play a few years back?  Blais seems to rotate his goalies every so often.

[Goon]

 

[bigskyvikes]

So you split on the road against the #7 ranked team in the nation and you drop?

Or did 1-4 kick butt? 

[bigskyvikes]

Noooo! They already think he's ready....

 

http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2015/11/23/9778548/brock-boeser-north-dakota-vancouver-canucks-scouting-report

[Cratter]

No surprise. As I've said before he's basically a Junior at UND right now.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Very interesting article on CHN by Adam Wooden http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2015/11/24_big_ten_legislation_raises.php

2 things:

1. I hate that the Big 10 hockey conference has the power to unilaterally put this to a vote without the support of NCAA coaches (49-11 against)

2. I would doubt UND is one of the 11 schools for this legislation.   I believe we've had some 25 year olds recently but couldn't think of names.

[Ray77]

Very interesting article on CHN by Adam Wooden http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2015/11/24_big_ten_legislation_raises.php

2 things:

1. I hate that the Big 10 hockey conference has the power to unilaterally put this to a vote without the support of NCAA coaches (49-11 against)

2. I would doubt UND is one of the 11 schools for this legislation.   I believe we've had some 25 year olds recently but couldn't think of names.

What a joke.  Don Lucia - you're an idiot.  I like Walt Kyle's quotes:

"A lot of these schools right now, and I'm not naming names, are doing everything in their power to push the scales in their favor," Northern Michigan coach Walt Kyle said. "A lot of these guys should be embarrassed. They want NCAA (tournament) games on home campus sites. Why is that? These are the same guys who started recruiting 15-year olds, then when everyone else did, they started crying about it. When it comes to playing Northern Michigan, Lake Superior, Michigan Tech — instead of two games on their campus, two on mine, they want four games on their campus.

"What is the problem? What is your issue? You don't want to recruit those kids, then don't recruit them," Kyle said.

"It's a joke. Number one, these kids graduate. They have a higher graduation rate than the younger kids. Number two, what business do we have to restrict the age of who can and cannot play? We all know junior hockey has become a big component in the development of hockey players and kids want to stay in it for different reasons, and they go into college for different reasons. ... (They are) better prepared to go to college for their experiences. I think those kids do nothing but benefit our game."