University of North Dakota 2018-19 Season

[stoneySIOUX]

4 hours ago, tnt said:

I think you could say that of Saturday, but Friday was a pretty good effort, just need to put the puck in the net.  

And for the majority of the season, actually, we've played with energy and pace, IMO.

[SIOUXELEVENS]

For so just venting but why are we doing this two years in a row, is it coaching, systems they run or what. Less talented teams are scoring more goals per game then us and have a power play clicking around 20%. If we were we would be really tuff to beat IMHO.

[brianvf]

According to Schloss, Nick Jones won't play this weekend and Hoff is questionable.
Can UND win any games without Jones?

Really hope he's able to go the next week when they're back in NCHC play.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

18 minutes ago, brianvf said:

According to Schloss, Nick Jones won't play this weekend and Hoff is questionable.
Can UND win any games without Jones?

Really hope he's able to go the next week when they're back in NCHC play.

Against Anchorage? Maybe...

[stoneySIOUX]

1 hour ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

For so just venting but why are we doing this two years in a row, is it coaching, systems they run or what. Less talented teams are scoring more goals per game then us and have a power play clicking around 20%. If we were we would be really tuff to beat IMHO.

It's one season and 10 games. We've already had people jump off the bandwagon, back on and then now, back off again. Just let the year play out.

Last year was a lack of top end talent when Jost left early. They had a bunch of freshies coming in that were not immediate scorers, but could absolutely get there in their times here (think Mash, Guch, Adams) and were clearly fine with Jost carrying the water. When he bolted, we had last year happen.

This year... we've played 10 games and are at about 2.5 GPG, but 3.5 in wins. We have the ability to score and when we do, because we play good D and have good tending, we win. There's no real "solve" to this. These are our players. We have to play with pace and energy to win. That is the team that got us a 5-game winning steak. 

We haven't changed our systems much in years. It's a lack of pure scorers, at this time. By the end of the season, hopefully we can get someone from the Soph or Freshman class to step up. 

[Wilbur]

5 hours ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Against Anchorage? Maybe...

Their goalie is probably the greatest of all time.....and all the goalies after him too. 

[fightingsioux4life]

On 11/21/2018 at 9:34 PM, Wilbur said:

Their goalie is probably the greatest of all time.....and all the goalies after him too. 

If your goaltender is struggling, just book a weekend at Club REA and his save percentage will skyrocket.

[iluvdebbies]

22 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

If your goaltender is struggling, just book a weekend at Club REA and his save percentage will skyrocket.

Great use of the emojis!

[UNDBIZ]

[scpa0305]

41 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

F

[Sodbuster]

Didn't he miss a long stretch of games last year, too?

[siouxforce19]

13 minutes ago, Sodbuster said:

Didn't he miss a long stretch of games last year, too?

5 games. 

[franchise]

50 minutes ago, Sodbuster said:

Didn't he miss a long stretch of games last year, too?

 

Except this time the injury was from on ice contact.

[tnt]

Hopefully the weekend in Miami isn't going to cost us the NCAA tournament again, but if you can't fight through a few injuries, you might not make a splash in the tourney anyway.  

[GDPritch]

2 hours ago, tnt said:

Hopefully the weekend in Miami isn't going to cost us the NCAA tournament again, but if you can't fight through a few injuries, you might not make a splash in the tourney anyway.  

They probably "are who they are" by now but it would be nice if some of our upperclassmen forwards who hardly ever score could pick up some of the slack in Jones' absence.  It would sure help out.

[UNDBIZ]

 

[burd]

12 hours ago, tnt said:

Hopefully the weekend in Miami isn't going to cost us the NCAA tournament again, but if you can't fight through a few injuries, you might not make a splash in the tourney anyway.  

True.  All teams work through injuries, and it always seems like our own are more plentiful and more serious. 

[AJS]

Like any team in any league around the world, there's always going to be a talent discrepancy throughout the lineup. There's really no way to sugar coat it, the problem with this years team and injuries to this forward group when it happens like it is currently, is the talent depth at forward is non existent. When fully healthy, this can be an average offensive team. The Top 6 is respectable, the bottom 6 is below average. You take out Jones, Adams and JJ and I realize the last two aren't exactly offensive dynamos (either is Jones, but he is solid), but you are left with the line charts we saw last weekend. 

This team is solid in goal and in net, so if they get healthy at forward I do think they can play with any team in the country. Let's cross our fingers for a split next weekend and then hit the restart button in January with hopefully a full roster.

[scpa0305]

4 hours ago, AJS said:

Like any team in any league around the world, there's always going to be a talent discrepancy throughout the lineup. There's really no way to sugar coat it, the problem with this years team and injuries to this forward group when it happens like it is currently, is the talent depth at forward is non existent. When fully healthy, this can be an average offensive team. The Top 6 is respectable, the bottom 6 is below average. You take out Jones, Adams and JJ and I realize the last two aren't exactly offensive dynamos (either is Jones, but he is solid), but you are left with the line charts we saw last weekend. 

This team is solid in goal and in net, so if they get healthy at forward I do think they can play with any team in the country. Let's cross our fingers for a split next weekend and then hit the restart button in January with hopefully a full roster.

Have to figure out the special teams play soon, or it was cost us come March 

[brianvf]

3 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

Have to figure out the special teams play soon, or it was cost us come March 

If we play UAA in the postseason, our special teams will be fine. 

[AJS]

At the break UND is 9-7-1 (3-5-0 in conference) and 16th in the PWR.

Positives:

• Scheel: .913 SV%, but if you exclude one game against Western he's at a .923 SV%. If you take away own goals it would be even better. What has impressed me the most is his positioning, the guy always is in control. Being just a freshman, UND will be in great hands for years to come.
• Defensive Core: We knew they would be solid and deep going into the season and they are. Based on expectations, I would say Kierstad is the guy that has stuck out the most in a good way. He'll be an all-conference player before his time is done at UND. 
• Senden: This guy is the ideal 4th line player, love what he brings.

Negatives:

• Forwards: Overall, they've been the least effective group that UND has had in 20+ years. That being said, their injury situation has been ridiculous and when healthy, they will improve. 
• Special Teams: Again, probably the worst overall (PP / PK combined) that UND has had in 20+ years. The PP is already a lost cause, but I liked the way the PK played down the stretch. That will be better in the 2nd half, we just need to hope that it can play at the level where it ends out canceling the PP.

Overall, they realistically are only a game off of where I thought they'd be (10-6-1). Their non-conference record is solid and they played about even (- for Bemidji series, + going 3-0 against Big Ten). The Western Michigan series at home is only series you highlight on the conference portion. 

Looking ahead: You start with two crucial non-conference games against a bad Canisius team (on the road). Like UAA, those are the last truly "must sweep" weekends of the year. Their second have conference schedule opens and closes with two series against the two worst teams in the NCHC in Omaha and CC, which I like. You split the home / away weekends with the tough portion of you schedule (SCSU / UMD at home), (Denver / Western) on the road. If I were to hand pick those four series, the two I'd want at home would be SCSU / UMD, since I believe those are the two best teams. 

It's been a roller coaster first half, but believing two things (1) Special Teams can't be worse (2) Overall scoring can't be worse, I think this team has a great opportunity to have a better second half than first half and I think we'll see them in Fargo for the regionals. 

[stoneySIOUX]

Big, BIG stretch coming after the break. Run of winnable games, followed by a really tough stretch. Have to have, I'd think, 4 out of these 6, for sure, just to get some momentum. 

 

After that... 

 

We may need all 6 of those first ones in 2019. Yikes.

[franchise]

I miss the seasons when there was margin for error

[brianvf]

That is a brutal 8 game stretch. 
A split each weekend would be a good goal and probably put them in really good position if they can manage to get 4+ points each series in the CC/UNO series prior to that (plus sweep Canisius to maintain their good OOC record.

[franchise]

12 minutes ago, brianvf said:

That is a brutal 8 game stretch. 
A split each weekend would be a good goal and probably put them in really good position if they can manage to get 4+ points each series in the CC/UNO series prior to that (plus sweep Canisius to maintain their good OOC record.

I think I'd be ok with a 4-0 start and then splits the rest of the way.