University of North Dakota Hockey 2017-18 Season

[Sodbuster]

2 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Where I see this team going is where Duluth is today. 

- deep, solid group of upperclassman defenders
- a group of forwards that there really isn't a superstar but they get it done*

 

*Toninato and Iafallo were nice recruits but not top tier type guys. 

This coming season or the year after?

[The Sicatoka]

Yes, and then more so. 

[AJS]

3 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Yes, and then more so. 

That's what I see as well.

[The Sicatoka]

I like what I see with 4-5-6-24-28. That's the basis of a couple good years.  

[stoneySIOUX]

11 hours ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Take from it what you will but Polanski on TTD talks about guys coming in and figuring out their roles and says "I think WE'LL have a very good year next year"

I know it's not a guarantee but gave me a little hope that he wasn't looking at bolting right away.

Schloss noted in his blog for today that for both he and Gersich that it's "starting to sound more like they'll probably stay for next season" .... I'll take that, too.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Just now, stoneySIOUX said:

Schloss noted in his blog for today that for both he and Gersich that it's "starting to sound more like they'll probably stay for next season" .... I'll take that, too.

That excites me, Pogo could be dominant next year. His point production wasn't quite where I wanted it last year but my god his skating and board play are unparalleled.

[stoneySIOUX]

1 minute ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

That excites me, Pogo could be dominant next year. His point production wasn't quite where I wanted it last year but my god his skating and board play are unparalleled.

So good.

A lineup with Pogo, Rhett, Mismash, Olson and Smith could be a lot of fun to watch. No one will want to play us.

[Oxbow6]

13 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

So good.

A lineup with Pogo, Rhett, Mismash, Olson and Smith could be a lot of fun to watch. No one will want to play us.

...add in Gornall.

#shatteredglass

[SJHovey]

I like the balance next year's team might have, too.  I'm also excited by the way our freshmen defensemen played by the end of the season.  C. Poolman didn't look like a freshman at all, and I really liked how Casey Johnson, and even Peski, showed a willingness to jump up into the play once they got a little confidence.

If I have one concern about next year, it's this.  High end talent really makes a difference on the power play.  That's where exceptional playmaking talent and puck possession talent and a sniper's touch really show themselves, and we're not going to have a lot of that unless one of the incoming freshmen have it, or someone like Yon or Bowen take a big step forward.  The power play is going to just be a lot of big bodies in front of the net, hoping that a shot of the point deflects off them or hoping to screen the goalie on shots from the point.

A team's special teams play is pretty important, and is probably responsible in large part for our loss to BU this year.  That's my only concern.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

8 minutes ago, SJHovey said:

I like the balance next year's team might have, too.  I'm also excited by the way our freshmen defensemen played by the end of the season.  C. Poolman didn't look like a freshman at all, and I really liked how Casey Johnson, and even Peski, showed a willingness to jump up into the play once they got a little confidence.

If I have one concern about next year, it's this.  High end talent really makes a difference on the power play.  That's where exceptional playmaking talent and puck possession talent and a sniper's touch really show themselves, and we're not going to have a lot of that unless one of the incoming freshmen have it, or someone like Yon or Bowen take a big step forward.  The power play is going to just be a lot of big bodies in front of the net, hoping that a shot of the point deflects off them or hoping to screen the goalie on shots from the point.

A team's special teams play is pretty important, and is probably responsible in large part for our loss to BU this year.  That's my only concern.

If it makes you feel better, the 2016 national champions only had a Poweplay clicking at 19.1% which landed us 21st in the nation. Hardly a dangerous powerplay.

[Emerald joker]

I think Bowen and Yon could both have break out seasons, I like what I saw out of each of them this last season. Colton Poolman I say is a top defenseman maybe and Pogo where's the C!

[tnt]

11 hours ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Take from it what you will but Polanski on TTD talks about guys coming in and figuring out their roles and says "I think WE'LL have a very good year next year"

I know it's not a guarantee but gave me a little hope that he wasn't looking at bolting right away.

I thought if he ever came to the U.S. he would be arrested on the spot, so he might be bolting.   Just keep him away from the Junior High Schools!  

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

6 minutes ago, tnt said:

I thought if he ever came to the U.S. he would be arrested on the spot, so he might be bolting.   Just keep him away from the Junior High Schools!  

Took me a minute

[UND1981]

40 minutes ago, SJHovey said:

I like the balance next year's team might have, too.  I'm also excited by the way our freshmen defensemen played by the end of the season.  C. Poolman didn't look like a freshman at all, and I really liked how Casey Johnson, and even Peski, showed a willingness to jump up into the play once they got a little confidence.

If I have one concern about next year, it's this.  High end talent really makes a difference on the power play. 

I have a different thought on the PP.  St. Cloud had an awesome PP a couple years ago with no 1st round NHL draft picks on it.

[Magiccitysiouxfan]

So we need a new Captain for next season, who do you predict wears the C, and how many A's this season?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

5 minutes ago, Magiccitysiouxfan said:

So we need a new Captain for next season, who do you predict wears the C, and how many A's this season?

I'd think Olson has to be the favorite to wear the C, right?

[Kooshnitz]

1 minute ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

I'd think Olson has to be the favorite to wear the C, right?

I agree. I always liked olson hes one of my favorites. Good choice with pogo and perhaps gersich A

[The Sicatoka]

If Pogo is back, it's his "C". 

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, SJHovey said:

If I have one concern about next year, it's this.  High end talent really makes a difference on the power play. 

Um, about the power play with Jost, Boeser, et al, uh, they really didn't shine. 

Ohio State clicked at 32.5% and what'd they have? 

[sprig]

1 minute ago, The Sicatoka said:

 

Ohio State clicked at 32.5% and what'd they have? 

The B1g

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, SJHovey said:

I like the balance next year's team might have, too.  I'm also excited by the way our freshmen defensemen played by the end of the season.  C. Poolman didn't look like a freshman at all, and I really liked how Casey Johnson, and even Peski, showed a willingness to jump up into the play once they got a little confidence.

If I have one concern about next year, it's this.  High end talent really makes a difference on the power play.  That's where exceptional playmaking talent and puck possession talent and a sniper's touch really show themselves, and we're not going to have a lot of that unless one of the incoming freshmen have it, or someone like Yon or Bowen take a big step forward.  The power play is going to just be a lot of big bodies in front of the net, hoping that a shot of the point deflects off them or hoping to screen the goalie on shots from the point.

A team's special teams play is pretty important, and is probably responsible in large part for our loss to BU this year.  That's my only concern.

I actually like our talent next year (assuming Pogo, Wolanin, and Gersich all stay).  Those boys should all get a bit better, some of the other guys should get a bit better, and we have some nice freshman coming in.  Mismash (potential first rounder), Adams, and Kawaguchi all have a ton of skill.  I think guys like Hoff and JJ (even adding in Yon and Bowen) are really going to improve.  I mean, last year Kawaguchi had 83 pts in 56 games.  To compare, Bowen had 22 pts in 47 games.  This was in the same league and Penticton (Bowen's team) had much more fire power.  Also, Kawaguchi is a full year younger.  Collin Adams has averaged a point per game in the USHL over the past two years.  That's super tough to do.  These boys should be ready to go.

[jk]

I've been kicking around a PP theory, although I haven't researched it.  It starts with the premise that UND has underperformed on the PP since Blais was the coach.  That may not be true, according to the numbers, but it feels that way.  UND pretty much perennially has top 10 talent, and I think it's fairly often in the top 10 in goal scoring, but I feel like it's not often in the top 10 in PP success.  If that's not true, then the rest of this is pointless.

I recall wishing the great teams of the late 1990s could decline PPs, because they just seemed to rob the teams of their momentum.  They were on their toes a lot, heavy forecheck, lots of energy.  That style of play has carried over through two coaching changes, and you saw it on full display against BU.  UND gave BU little time to get anything going, and were very aggressive.  The Sioux had the puck most of the game.

I think UND recruits guys who fit that style, and I'm not sure that is well suited to the standing-still game that is the PP.  Think of guys like Gardner, Poganski, JJ, Hoff, Bowen, Yon, Smith.  I think of them on the move, hounding opposing defenses.  Then think of SCSU's PP, which I have to think is usually top 10; those guys are deadly.  They ping the puck around, rarely giving you the chance to attack a bobble.

If there's anything to this, we may not have the guys for an elite PP, not because they're bad, or the coaching is bad, but because they're better at other things.

[stoneySIOUX]

1 hour ago, Magiccitysiouxfan said:

So we need a new Captain for next season, who do you predict wears the C, and how many A's this season?

 

58 minutes ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

I'd think Olson has to be the favorite to wear the C, right?

 

45 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

If Pogo is back, it's his "C". 

I agree with Sic. I'd go like this:

C -- Pogo, A -- Olson, A -- Simo, A -- Wolanin, A -- Gersich and JJ as a wildcard to get a letter

I'd like to see Cam get a letter, too. Just seems like he's always been such a calming influence on our team.

[Walsh Hall]

22 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

I actually like our talent next year (assuming Pogo, Wolanin, and Gersich all stay).  Those boys should all get a bit better, some of the other guys should get a bit better, and we have some nice freshman coming in.  Mismash (potential first rounder), Adams, and Kawaguchi all have a ton of skill.  I think guys like Hoff and JJ (even adding in Yon and Bowen) are really going to improve.  I mean, last year Kawaguchi had 83 pts in 56 games.  To compare, Bowen had 22 pts in 47 games.  This was in the same league and Penticton (Bowen's team) had much more fire power.  Also, Kawaguchi is a full year younger.  Collin Adams has averaged a point per game in the USHL over the past two years.  That's super tough to do.  These boys should be ready to go.

I completely agree.  The way the team played in the last few games was impressive.  Next year may not have ultra high end talent, but there will be 4 solid lines that could be miserable to pay against.  If the returning players (especially the D) play like they did against DU, UMD, and BU I expect good things.  D core should be better than last year.

[yzerman19]

1 hour ago, Walsh Hall said:

I completely agree.  The way the team played in the last few games was impressive.  Next year may not have ultra high end talent, but there will be 4 solid lines that could be miserable to pay against.  If the returning players (especially the D) play like they did against DU, UMD, and BU I expect good things.  D core should be better than last year.

Tucker will not be easy to replace