University of North Dakota 2018-19 Season

[Irish]

Wow - 3 short years ago I had the feeling Berry "unleashed" our team in the Frozen Four.  Finally our horses were allowed to run.  We played fast, hard, went to the net, and had a creativity not seen much under Hak.  Now it looks like all of that is gone and we have a team that just flounders about on offence, one in which no one gets better, and one in which we have a hard time buying a goal.  What happened?  I just don't get it.  Other teams get a boost from a championship and here we are floundering.  I have no clue why we can't score.  Any one know why other team get guys who develop into great scorers and we get nothing?  Where did the magic go?  How do we get it back?

[SIOUXELEVENS]

Fighting hawks nickname ?

[fightingsioux4life]

8 minutes ago, Irish said:

Wow - 3 short years ago I had the feeling Berry "unleashed" our team in the Frozen Four.  Finally our horses were allowed to run.  We played fast, hard, went to the net, and had a creativity not seen much under Hak.  Now it looks like all of that is gone and we have a team that just flounders about on offence, one in which no one gets better, and one in which we have a hard time buying a goal.  What happened?  I just don't get it.  Other teams get a boost from a championship and here we are floundering.  I have no clue why we can't score.  Any one know why other team get guys who develop into great scorers and we get nothing?  Where did the magic go?  How do we get it back?

My thoughts exactly.

[Big A HG]

3 hours ago, Irish said:

Wow - 3 short years ago I had the feeling Berry "unleashed" our team in the Frozen Four.  Finally our horses were allowed to run.  We played fast, hard, went to the net, and had a creativity not seen much under Hak.  Now it looks like all of that is gone and we have a team that just flounders about on offence, one in which no one gets better, and one in which we have a hard time buying a goal.  What happened?  I just don't get it.  Other teams get a boost from a championship and here we are floundering.  I have no clue why we can't score.  Any one know why other team get guys who develop into great scorers and we get nothing?  Where did the magic go?  How do we get it back?

 

It's recruiting.  Brad took over an unforeseen change, kept the band together, and won a natty with a loose group of high-end talent.  We've recruited some really good talent on the back-end and even goaltending, but we've been late to the game or non-existent on marquee front-end talent.  It seems the theme is to go after strictly character players or leadership players more than straight up blue chip talent.  I'm fairly certain (but haven't looked) that this year and last have less NHL draft picks than most rosters since pre-Hakstol.  NHL talent isn't everything, but a team full of Rudy's ain't going to cut it either.  

Let's look past how inept our offense looks just trying to set something up and just see what kind of shots pass the eye test.  Most of our shots look weak, soft, and inaccurate.  It seems like some of these other teams always have guys wristing howitzers at the net.  Combine our weak shots with the fact that so few of our shots are from quality areas due to sluggish skills to get pucks to open guys and you are going to be on the struggle bus as far as scoring.

We're clearly recruiting the wrong forwards when a place like UND can be so short on talent and teams like Denver, Duluth, St. Cloud, and even Mankato are finding plenty of talent over us.  Our forwards don't look better than Bemidji's most nights and that's a MAJOR problem.

[dakotaKid92]

5 hours ago, stoneySIOUX said:

I think he could be making the point that the PWR is more irrelevant than the polls at this time of year. 

I think we should have a poll to figure out which is more irrelevant.  Unless someone can come up with a suitable mathematical equation to model which is more irrelevant.

[AJS]

I said this starting last year, but I think the problem is squarely on one single recruiting class. I still would like it explained to me what the thought process was with the now Junior recruiting class. You had the "star" in Jost, Hoff was a solid recruit that hasn't panned out like they thought (which does happen), so no real fault for the coaching staff. Then you dig deeper and the forward class was rounded out by Bowen, Yon and Smith. You had 3 out of your 5 forward recruits that didn't produce at all in juniors, yes, every team has to have roll players, but under no circumstances should over half your forward recruits be of that variety. With the talent at defense, you move Johnson to forward (I know wasn't expected), but now you have 4 of 6 that fit that description. Hoff hasn't materialized like they thought, Jost is a one and done and you now sit with 5 forwards who have limited offensive ability on your roster for 3 years. You are now stuck for two more years with over a third of your forward roster with basically no offensive ability. You just cannot handcuff your roster like this. 

The bad news is, we are now in this situation. The good news is, it's a mistake that Berry will never make again(ish). I still question the forwards this year (mostly Keane). They basically brought in one guy who produced, another who's a solid player (Hain), everyone likes what they've seen from Senden, but then there's Keane. They should have probably tried for another guy that can actually put the puck in the net. 

Good news is there's help coming next year. They are stacking up on offensive high end talent.

 

[SIOUX92]

The most concerning part of the weekend for me was how much the team mailed it in. Frustration has hit this team on an unparalleled scale. The college kids in that locker room know the skill they have. With that said, I can’t imagine the frustration in that locker room. I do not believe Saturday was an end to the season as some believe. However, next weekend is crucial. Sweep, split, or get swept, this team needs momentum as a unit. They need something to happen to make the team bond and want to fight every shift for each other.  Another weekend of selfish play will only slam the nail further into the coffin of this team. Nevertheless, 2 strong performances this weekend could revitalize this team. Regardless of what happens next weekend I will forever cheer, Go Sioux!

[The Sicatoka]

My pre-season fears are exactly here: I just didn't see where the offense was going to come from. 

At this point I'd put in one rule on the team: Shoot wide, skate later. Yes, even if it's a weak shot, get it on net and play for the greasy stuff. Go fancy or send it wide and you skate next practice. This team can't fire like Boeser or pick corners like Ryan Duncan. So don't waste any opportunity; get the puck on net and make their goalie work. 

[The Sicatoka]

Mentioning "skate" ... one more thing. 

If I see another guy lolly-gag coast-skating to the bench for a change I'm going to explode. A few guys need their "Dean Blais" moment. 

 

Control what's yours to control and how hard you skate every minute you're on the ice is yours to control no matter what else is happening. 

[scpa0305]

29 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

My pre-season fears are exactly here: I just didn't see where the offense was going to come from. 

At this point I'd put in one rule on the team: Shoot wide, skate later. Yes, even if it's a weak shot, get it on net and play for the greasy stuff. Go fancy or send it wide and you skate next practice. This team can't fire like Boeser or pick corners like Ryan Duncan. So don't waste any opportunity; get the puck on net and make their goalie work. 

They don't have any first round forwards.....but they do have quite a bit of guys that scored in juniors (similar to Boeser and Duncan).  So what's the deal?  There are always going to be "misses" on talent.  But so far, everyone is missing.

[scpa0305]

9 hours ago, AJS said:

I said this starting last year, but I think the problem is squarely on one single recruiting class. I still would like it explained to me what the thought process was with the now Junior recruiting class. You had the "star" in Jost, Hoff was a solid recruit that hasn't panned out like they thought (which does happen), so no real fault for the coaching staff. Then you dig deeper and the forward class was rounded out by Bowen, Yon and Smith. You had 3 out of your 5 forward recruits that didn't produce at all in juniors, yes, every team has to have roll players, but under no circumstances should over half your forward recruits be of that variety. With the talent at defense, you move Johnson to forward (I know wasn't expected), but now you have 4 of 6 that fit that description. Hoff hasn't materialized like they thought, Jost is a one and done and you now sit with 5 forwards who have limited offensive ability on your roster for 3 years. You are now stuck for two more years with over a third of your forward roster with basically no offensive ability. You just cannot handcuff your roster like this. 

The bad news is, we are now in this situation. The good news is, it's a mistake that Berry will never make again(ish). I still question the forwards this year (mostly Keane). They basically brought in one guy who produced, another who's a solid player (Hain), everyone likes what they've seen from Senden, but then there's Keane. They should have probably tried for another guy that can actually put the puck in the net. 

Good news is there's help coming next year. They are stacking up on offensive high end talent.

 

Bingo.  It was Berry's first year.....I'm sure they missed on some recruits as well.  But remember, Yon and Bowen committed long before they got to juniors.

Regarding your second paragraph, I also agree.  Keane is probably a guy that typically wouldn't make the team, as he didn't produce in any competitive junior league.  I doubt he's on a scholarship though considering who his dad is. Hain and Weatherby were solid gets though.  Senden is another guy who'll bring it but he's not very talented.  Some on this board love those players (and I do to for 4 line or extra player spots, they're more like practice players). 

As for next year, I too hope they'll all produce.  We need to turn this ship around. I am still blown away no one is talking about the fact Shaw wasn't on the bench last Saturday.

[siouxforce19]

14 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Bingo.  It was Berry's first year.....I'm sure they missed on some recruits as well.  But remember, Yon and Bowen committed long before they got to juniors.

Regarding your second paragraph, I also agree.  Keane is probably a guy that typically wouldn't make the team, as he didn't produce in any competitive junior league.  I doubt he's on a scholarship though considering who his dad is. Hain and Weatherby were solid gets though.  Senden is another guy who'll bring it but he's not very talented.  Some on this board love those players (and I do to for 4 line or extra player spots, they're more like practice players). 

As for next year, I too hope they'll all produce.  We need to turn this ship around. I am still blown away no one is talking about the fact Shaw wasn't on the bench last Saturday.

Shaw was out recruiting- so I’m not sure why we’d talk about it?

Unless you know something we don't... if so feel free to share with the group 

[AJS]

17 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Bingo.  It was Berry's first year.....I'm sure they missed on some recruits as well.  But remember, Yon and Bowen committed long before they got to juniors.

Regarding your second paragraph, I also agree.  Keane is probably a guy that typically wouldn't make the team, as he didn't produce in any competitive junior league.  I doubt he's on a scholarship though considering who his dad is. Hain and Weatherby were solid gets though.  Senden is another guy who'll bring it but he's not very talented.  Some on this board love those players (and I do to for 4 line or extra player spots, they're more like practice players). 

As for next year, I too hope they'll all produce.  We need to turn this ship around. I am still blown away no one is talking about the fact Shaw wasn't on the bench last Saturday.

I wish I wouldn't have included the part about this years freshman class, because overall it's night and day difference from the Junior class (based strictly on numbers) if nothing else. I still don't think that bringing in 50% of forwards you know won't produce offensively is a smart strategy, but also it's too early to really make a proper judgment.

As for the Junior class, although it's absolutely true, this wasn't meant to be a shot at any individual player. My frustration lies on the fact that over 1/2 that class was of the role player variety. I'll never understand it.

 

That all being said, I still have a good feeling about this year. This team will never be an offensive juggernaut, but if they keep working hard (throw out Saturday's game), they will start to get rewarded.

[scpa0305]

19 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

Shaw was out recruiting- so I’m not sure why we’d talk about it?

Unless you know something we don't... if so feel free to share with the group 

Shaw was out recruiting (yes I too heard that Saturday evening)?  I have never once heard of a coach missing a game for a recruit.  It was a conference game.

[scpa0305]

14 minutes ago, AJS said:

I wish I wouldn't have included the part about this years freshman class, because overall it's night and day difference from the Junior class (based strictly on numbers) if nothing else. I still don't think that bringing in 50% of forwards you know won't produce offensively is a smart strategy, but also it's too early to really make a proper judgment.

As for the Junior class, although it's absolutely true, this wasn't meant to be a shot at any individual player. My frustration lies on the fact that over 1/2 that class was of the role player variety. I'll never understand it.

 

That all being said, I still have a good feeling about this year. This team will never be an offensive juggernaut, but if they keep working hard (throw out Saturday's game), they will start to get rewarded.

I don't have a great feeling this year, but I do think they'll beat some top teams here and there. Hopefully they get in the NCAAs.

[siouxforce19]

11 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Shaw was out recruiting (yes I too heard that Saturday evening)?  I have never once heard of a coach missing a game for a recruit.  It was a conference game.

It’s happened before during the Hakstol years, so I didn’t think anything of it, I guess. 

[Frozen4sioux]

What type of recruit are they after that can be landed with the attention of a coach of one of the worst power plays in recent college hockey memory and that is the obvious choice to be Rudy'd after this season.

[SIOUXELEVENS]

#28 should have been out with his dad on Sat. He was brutal.

[franchise]

11 hours ago, AJS said:

I said this starting last year, but I think the problem is squarely on one single recruiting class. I still would like it explained to me what the thought process was with the now Junior recruiting class. You had the "star" in Jost, Hoff was a solid recruit that hasn't panned out like they thought (which does happen), so no real fault for the coaching staff. Then you dig deeper and the forward class was rounded out by Bowen, Yon and Smith. You had 3 out of your 5 forward recruits that didn't produce at all in juniors, yes, every team has to have roll players, but under no circumstances should over half your forward recruits be of that variety. With the talent at defense, you move Johnson to forward (I know wasn't expected), but now you have 4 of 6 that fit that description. Hoff hasn't materialized like they thought, Jost is a one and done and you now sit with 5 forwards who have limited offensive ability on your roster for 3 years. You are now stuck for two more years with over a third of your forward roster with basically no offensive ability. You just cannot handcuff your roster like this. 

The bad news is, we are now in this situation. The good news is, it's a mistake that Berry will never make again(ish). I still question the forwards this year (mostly Keane). They basically brought in one guy who produced, another who's a solid player (Hain), everyone likes what they've seen from Senden, but then there's Keane. They should have probably tried for another guy that can actually put the puck in the net. 

Good news is there's help coming next year. They are stacking up on offensive high end talent.

 

Totally agree.  I've felt all along that we need to get thru that group before there's a chance at being a good offensive team again.  There's not even ONE actual scoring line.

[Blackheart]

Where have gone CBS line?  Sioux Nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you...

[Oxbow6]

3 minutes ago, franchise said:

Totally agree.  I've felt all along that we need to get thru that group before there's a chance at being a good offensive team again.  There's not even ONE actual scoring line.

This

[stoneySIOUX]

12 minutes ago, Blackheart said:

Where have gone CBS line?  Sioux Nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you...

The NHL.

How many of those come along? Let's be realistic. 

I get it... we need more scoring. But how often do those type of lines come along? Once every 10 years?

CBS, DOT and Money Line?

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, scpa0305 said:

Shaw was out recruiting (yes I too heard that Saturday evening)?  

Let's hope it was some 21 year old Canadian playing in Edmonton that's just decided he wants to be a pilot. That's what it would take to jump start some offense. 

[Walsh Hall]

Recruiting is so much harder today than it was 20 years ago.  Look at the current top 20.   I'd argue that only 3 teams in the top 20 are the old blue bloods of college hockey.  Denver 7, Michigan 14, UND 17, no Minnesota, BU, BC, Wisconsin...

With the depth of kids coming up, early recruiting, and a relatively static number of programs the old days of the other Minnesota programs truly being gopher rejects just isn't the case any more.  Minnesota used to essentially have their pick of the top five Minnesota HS players every year.

We still get a nice percentage of the kids we target, but the percent that pan out isn't the best.  That's really no different than the other top programs.  Good luck predicting the 14 or 15 year old  kid that will be able to pick a corner at an elite level when he's 20 or 21.  Or do you wait and see if 17-19 year old kids that develop are uncommitted and still hope they can produce at the college level?  Add in the young recruit that pans out is probably gone after 2 years.  If they don't pan out you're stuck with a below average player for 4 years.

I think the expectation of any program being elite year in and year old is flawed.

[UNDBIZ]

33 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

The NHL.

How many of those come along? Let's be realistic. 

I get it... we need more scoring. But how often do those type of lines come along? Once every 10 years?

CBS, DOT and Money Line?

I'd be happy with a Heavy Line right now.