What does this team need?

[johnsowe]

What will it take for this team to win?

[UNDBIZ]

Heart. 

[yzerman19]

CBS, Stech, and Ladue...maybe a little LJ, Chyz and Sanderson

[siouxfan512]

Heart is part of it. I don't like to say it like that, as though these kids don't want to win, but they do lack identity.

Some people need to step up and be leaders and it can't always be the same few people. This team doesn't lack talent, but they do seem to lack a level of cohesiveness that we have had over the past decade. Even the Hak teams that had rough starts seemed to play with more identity than this.

I love to win, and I know that sometimes we will lose. BUT beyond wins and losses is HOW do we win, and HOW do we lose. Unfortunately, even in several of our wins, I haven't been overly impressed with the flow or crispness in our games, and our losses haven't had many bright spots.

This team has the potential to break late if we gel, BUT, the way we have started could mean we need a YUGE (credit Trump) second half to even make the tourney. This weekend could absolutely kill us in the pairwise. Not jumping ship on this team, but it is very tough to watch. A lot of mediocre play. Definitely lacking some of those top level, competitive, personalities like Caggiulia and Stecher.

[siouxfan512]

2 minutes ago, yzerman19 said:

CBS, Stech, and Ladue...maybe a little LJ, Chyz and Sanderson

Johnson could have had a huge year.

No doubt how big of a drop off we had after losing stecher. What a talent.

I hope, at this rate, that we can make the tourney. Beyond that, I hope these guys learn a lot to prep for next season.

I also don't blame the losses on Cam, he needs help, but I do think it is worth it to get someone else in there to get some playing time and experience. Just in case Cam were to get injured or something. I'm sure the coaches know more than us though, as they are in practice every day.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

More cowbell.

[bigskyvikes]

29 minutes ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

More cowbell.

Haha, remember that guy in the band? Wonder if he is still in the pro's playing that cowbell?

[MafiaMan]

48 minutes ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

More cowbell.

[geaux_sioux]

Christmas break

[geaux_sioux]

Over age Canadians?

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Need to forget about the championship last year and everyone other than Gersich to break out of their sophomore slump. Leadership goes without saying.

[bigskyvikes]

Ausmus needs to pick a home game full of students, sometime in the first period. Wait for the right reason to react, and he needs to over react! Put a helmet and gloves throwing beat down on a guy! Make the building erupt, make his team feel juiced up, yes get ejected, but all for the good of the team!

I think this would start the run! It has in the past...

[Cratter]

Hakstol.

[Oxbow6]

6 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Hakstol.

  Oh no you didn't!

[farce poobah]

Great topic for a Sunday morning.  I think ...:

First, we need guys to play with their head on straight.   This starts with reducing penalties.  There's been too many NEEDLESS penalties, and by several different players.   Hardly any were "good" penalties, such as to stop a scoring chance.

Hand in hand with penalties is moving feet and working the systems.   A fair number of coverage misses were because one player was out of position, drawing others out "to help out", leaving yet another Spartan open.   Disciplined play.  Trust your teammate does his job, so you can do yours.

Roster wise, its time to consider moving a forward back to defense.  We need more speed and puck moving skill back there.  And as we saw last year (and so far this year) the team's foundation starts with good defenseman play.

I can't say goaltending needs to change, but it could be better.   Time to steal some extra hours from our volunteer coach and I'll trust what judgments Mr Goehring says.   

All these guys were selected to play here for a reason.   They just need to remember how good they are when they play the game right.

[siouxweet]

Chemistry and consistency.

[Oxbow6]

3 hours ago, farce poobah said:

Great topic for a Sunday morning.  I think ...:

First, we need guys to play with their head on straight.   This starts with reducing penalties.  There's been too many NEEDLESS penalties, and by several different players.   Hardly any were "good" penalties, such as to stop a scoring chance.

Hand in hand with penalties is moving feet and working the systems.   A fair number of coverage misses were because one player was out of position, drawing others out "to help out", leaving yet another Spartan open.   Disciplined play.  Trust your teammate does his job, so you can do yours.

Roster wise, its time to consider moving a forward back to defense.  We need more speed and puck moving skill back there.  And as we saw last year (and so far this year) the team's foundation starts with good defenseman play.

Penalties are killing this team as they have a terrible PK, give up too many shorties and don't convert enough on the PP. IMO this team is best suited 5 on 5.

As to a forward back on D that's easy....Bowen. Who sits on D then....... Casey. He definitely in not a wing. So then if everyone healthy 2 of the 3 have to play up front...Wilkie, Simo and Gornall. Just one can be a scratch. This takes I to account Hoff is in lineup.

[SiouxVolley]

5 minutes ago, keikla said:

Per Schlossman's article, the players had a player-only meeting after the game last night.  I seem to remember that happening a few years ago.  I can't remember the specific year, but I remember Grimaldi making some comments about the total honesty regarding teammates calling each other out about their need to step up, etc..  Hopefully this team responds post-meeting like that team did.  It really was a turning point in that season.

It was after a St Lawrence loss at the Ralph on a Thanksgiving weekend.

[Oxbow6]

Based on overall play this season to date and his position draft wise Jost hopefully took the floor and called some people out. IMO this should be his team moving forward. When your best player gives more effort than almost everyone on the ice others need to heed his voice and opinions.

[cberkas]

26 minutes ago, keikla said:

Per Schlossman's article, the players had a player-only meeting after the game last night.  I seem to remember that happening a few years ago.  I can't remember the specific year, but I remember Grimaldi making some comments about the total honesty regarding teammates calling each other out about their need to step up, etc..  Hopefully this team responds post-meeting like that team did.  It really was a turning point in that season.

Why does this have to happen every to every other year? It gets old, same with the slow starts. How is it that other good teams figure it out day one and not half way through the year.

There are some quote I don't agree with, one being from Berry.

Quote

"I thought we battled and competed," Berry said. "The players did a lot of what we asked of them—blocked shots and competed and played a 60-minute timeframe. Obviously, we were short a goal to win the game, but for the most part they played the way we wanted them to and with the effort we needed."

They didn't show up at all this weekend except for one part of the third in Fridays game. Berry needs to stop with the "coach talk" and come out and say they lost to a bad team and looked past Michigan State, and thought Michigan State was a easy win.

This from Wolanin.

Quote

"It's not that we're young. It's not that we have no leaders. It's just a mindset we have to develop."

So where are these leaders? Because I haven't seen them yet. If the guys with letters on their jerseys don't want to lead then give it to someone who does.

 

[bigskyvikes]

3 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Why does this have to happen every to every other year? It gets old, same with the slow starts. How is it that other good teams figure it out day one and not half way through the year.

There are some quote I don't agree with, one being from Berry.

They didn't show up at all this weekend except for one part of the third in Fridays game. Berry needs to stop with the "coach talk" and come out and say they lost to a bad team and looked past Michigan State, and thought Michigan State was a easy win.

This from Wolanin.

So where are these leaders? Because I haven't seen them yet. If the guys with letters on their jerseys don't want to lead then give it to someone who does.

 

My guess is they know more about the situation then anyone on here.

Who really cares about slow starts and a come to the hockey gods meeting? FF appearances and a championship, they can start any way they want in my opinion!

[Oxbow6]

7 minutes ago, cberkas said:

There are some quote I don't agree with, one being from Berry.

They didn't show up at all this weekend except for one part of the third in Fridays game. Berry needs to stop with the "coach talk" and come out and say they lost to a bad team and looked past Michigan State, and thought Michigan State was a easy win.

 

This....^^^

Gornall and Peski played with more effort than Wilkie and Hoff did the night before but without naming names there were 6 guys to my count that coasted last night like they did on Friday.

[Irish]

We have a stunning lack of skill with the puck and horrible zone entry that is easily knocked off kilter by even the worst teams.  I think part of this is lack of skill - many other posters have correctly mentioned sometimes poor efforts, but outside of the big talents we don't have many guys who can skate and pass the puck with accuracy and without getting nervous.  In addition, we have huge lapses of defense especially in front of our net.  In addition, not many guys can score, even with over half the net open.  I am not overly impressed with the overall talent on this team.  Some guys have yet to show up this season.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

22 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Why does this have to happen every to every other year? It gets old, same with the slow starts. How is it that other good teams figure it out day one and not half way through the year.

 

Seriously, how is this a complaint?

Like "poor us UND fans, our teams sometimes underperform but end up clicking and winning by years end. Why can't everything just go smoothly every year like in a video game?!"

Also, does anyone remember the last time we didn't have a slow start? Oh yeah... last year!

 

[brianvf]

1 minute ago, Irish said:

I am not overly impressed with the overall talent on this team.

From what my sources say, Berry is cutting 75% of the team at semester break and adding recruits from the UND intramural league.
The players that are getting cut are trying to get picked up by DIII colleges, which is more appropriate to their talent level.

24 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Why does this have to happen every to every other year? It gets old, same with the slow starts. How is it that other good teams figure it out day one and not half way through the year.

They seemed to be ok last year.
And there's not many teams in college hockey that are dominant from day one and roll through the entire season.  UND did last year...UW during their last natty...BU during their last title year, etc...but still not overly commonplace.