Time to Boo Berry?

[nodak651]

6 hours ago, Kevin G said:

I have to wonder if the coaching staff is still trying to adjust to this new era of college hockey, in which the NCAA has largely removed physical play from the game.

I mean, UND has always been known for physicality. In fact, I'd argue that over the years no college team has been more associated with physical play than UND (maybe Wisco too, like, during the '70s and '80s). It was UND's identity and UND's reputation. Even when we didn't have a Hrkac or a Toews on the roster, every opposing team knew they'd be black and blue after a series against us. 

So now...what is our identity?

And can UND's current coaches reconstruct an identity that leads to success, wins, and championships?

This is exactly my thoughts. 

[dden3]

20 minutes ago, jk said:

When they scored the go-ahead goal in the second, they really poured it on right afterward, and I thought they were going to repeat the burst from last Sunday.  But they weren't able to build the lead, and paid for that.

Didn't the team recently go like 70 games in a row without a loss when leading after two?  They did that by being conservative, and I recall it drove us nuts.  But this year's team obviously was terrible at it.  That streak feels like ancient history.

Hak’s teams were way better at protecting a lead, at least that’s my recollection. I think they practiced a lot on trapping schemes and then used them when they had a lead.  I think Denver is good at this too.  They could score off their defensive system too when the other team made mistakes chasing the game. 
 

 

[rochsioux]

year, conference finish, nc$$ results
2015-16  1st  National Champs

2016-17  4th  lost* 4-3 ot BU first game

2017-18. 4th  Missed Tourney 

2018-19  5th  Missed Tourney 

2019-20  1st  Covid

2020-21  1st  lost 3-2 5ot UMD reg.final

2021-22  T-1st lost 2-1 ot ND first game

2022-23  6th  Missed Tourney 

Boom or bust as far as NCHC is concerned.  Won or shared four titles, finished 4th or lower four times.

In the past six years they won or shared the NCHC title three times but also missed the NC$$ tourney three times. 

Very mixed bag of results.  Conference titles are nice (and you could argue it is a better representation of the season than a single game elimination tournament) but it doesn’t mean much when they are quickly eliminated in the NC$$ tourney. The fact that 50% of the past six years we didn’t even qualify for a shot, along with quick elimination when they have qualified makes it hard to support Berry.  We may have been spoiled under Hakstol when they made 7 frozen fours in 11 seasons. Even though they didn’t get the big prize there was a lot of exciting games (seven regional championships).  Give me the Hakstol era over the Berry era, at least to this point. 

[bcblues]

In my mind, the Berry era teams (beyond the first that was Hak's legacy) lack discipline. It is not the "physical play" that is leading to the penalties as much as it is lazy or out-of-position plays that causes most of the offensive zone penalties (that we should never be taking) and many of the d-zone penalties as well. There are plenty of teams full of huge defensemen. They are not all getting punished like we are.

 

The portal needs to go away. Berry has become dependent on the portal to fill gaps caused by lack of planning, recruiting, and developing both individual player, and teams as a whole.

[dustnyou]

55 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

Just curious if you think Hubert Davis isn’t feeling a bit of pressure at North Carolina after missing all of ONE NCAA hoops tournament?  

I have no idea. I haven’t followed college bball in a loooong time. Tarheels aren’t in the show this year? 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

44 minutes ago, rochsioux said:

year, conference finish, nc$$ results
2015-16  1st  National Champs

2016-17  4th  lost* 4-3 ot BU first game

2017-18. 4th  Missed Tourney 

2018-19  5th  Missed Tourney 

2019-20  1st  Covid

2020-21  1st  lost 3-2 5ot UMD reg.final

2021-22  T-1st lost 2-1 ot ND first game

2022-23  6th  Missed Tourney 

Boom or bust as far as NCHC is concerned.  Won or shared four titles, finished 4th or lower four times.

In the past six years they won or shared the NCHC title three times but also missed the NC$$ tourney three times. 

Very mixed bag of results.  Conference titles are nice (and you could argue it is a better representation of the season than a single game elimination tournament) but it doesn’t mean much when they are quickly eliminated in the NC$$ tourney. The fact that 50% of the past six years we didn’t even qualify for a shot, along with quick elimination when they have qualified makes it hard to support Berry.  We may have been spoiled under Hakstol when they made 7 frozen fours in 11 seasons. Even though they didn’t get the big prize there was a lot of exciting games (seven regional championships).  Give me the Hakstol era over the Berry era, at least to this point. 

So Berry shines if it’s a season long battle but his teams fall short in one and done formats. 

[rochsioux]

6 minutes ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

So Berry shines if it’s a season long battle but his teams fall short in one and done formats. 

Half the time he shines in the regular season and half the time he sh1ts the bed. 

[rochsioux]

30 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

I have no idea. I haven’t followed college bball in a loooong time. Tarheels aren’t in the show this year? 

Went from runner ups last year and pre-season #1 this year to missing the tournament.  Had most of their starters from last season back I believe. 

[Blackheart]

36 minutes ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

So Berry shines if it’s a season long battle but his teams fall short in one and done formats. 

Wait, I thought that was Hakstol…

[SiouxFanSince1990]

Haks teams are different than Berrys. Hak had a disciplined and relentless forecheck. Berrys teams lack discipline, and the forecheck disappears throughout the game. Obviously this year the back checking and defense was the biggest issue. It’s also something we haven’t seen in years. There’s absolutely nothing to suggest these things will change next year. Enjoy the wild ride….

[brianvf]

9 minutes ago, SiouxFanSince1990 said:

Haks teams are different than Berrys. 

Same result though. A season-ending loss followed by a “Fire Coach X” thread started on here. Except one year, of course. 

[CarpeRemote]

2 hours ago, dustnyou said:

i just don’t think it’s fair to only list the negative part of someone’s record. Lots of positives there as well. I 100% believe Berry is the right man for the job and there’s more success to come very soon. I however wouldn’t be against making some changes to his staff  but that’s up to him. 

Part of being the man for the job is being the man to take a hard look at his staff. On the surface it looks as though we have person or persons performing roles they were never, and aren’t, qualified for. We might also have some qualified people who’ve become comfortable. 

All pro programs (that’s what this is) are either taking a constant hard look or they are getting worse. There’s lots of mid level programs with country club coaching and structure, and wine and cheese fanbases. But there’s almost zero winning programs where most involved are comfortable and safe, and the fan base is highly tolerant. 
 

I think coach can win if he really wants to, systems and technology probably haven’t passed him by, so it’s a matter of priorities and resources. He needs more resources but what’s the point if he isn’t maximizing the ones he has. 
 

 

[MafiaMan]

16 hours ago, tnt said:

 I would be curious to know Berry’s record in special events like destination games, Frozen Faceoffs and regionals after the Championship season. 

With all due respect, “destination game” records shouldn’t exactly be top-of-the-list criteria in determining a coach’s fate.  If your weekend in Nashville or Las Vegas was ruined because North Dakota lost, that’s on you, not Brad Berry.  

[Wilbur]

What I don't get is that Berry's teams play much much less physical than Hak's and take less penalties.  The physical play would get Hak's teams out of position at times, but we loved the huge hits that weren't majors like they are today and teams had to have their heads up at all times skating through neutral ice.

So outside of Kleven, we don't play that hockey anymore.  Why on earth did our d zone go to absolute hell throughout the season, and cost us again on a 3x3 rush to end the season?

We got off trying to blame the goaltending through most of it, but the 7-6 loss to Western rang the bell that it wasn't just the goaltending.  Save percentage gets owned by one guy but it's a team statistic.  

And now Brad has a huge reconstruction task on the defensive side of things....

Gonna be a long few months....

 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

I think one thing Berry needs to do better is set his lines and let them create some chemistry , new line mates every week has to be a little difficult to get used too. 

[johnsowe]

4 hours ago, Wilbur said:

What I don't get is that Berry's teams play much much less physical than Hak's and take less penalties.  The physical play would get Hak's teams out of position at times, but we loved the huge hits that weren't majors like they are today and teams had to have their heads up at all times skating through neutral ice.

So outside of Kleven, we don't play that hockey anymore.  Why on earth did our d zone go to absolute hell throughout the season, and cost us again on a 3x3 rush to end the season?

We got off trying to blame the goaltending through most of it, but the 7-6 loss to Western rang the bell that it wasn't just the goaltending.  Save percentage gets owned by one guy but it's a team statistic.  

And now Brad has a huge reconstruction task on the defensive side of things....

Gonna be a long few months....

 

It seems like when we hit its a penalty but when the other teams hit its not a penalty. 

[Kevin G]

2 hours ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

I think one thing Berry needs to do better is set his lines and let them create some chemistry , new line mates every week has to be a little difficult to get used too. 

Switch up lines or keep the same lines? Damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't.

[SIOUXFAN97]

i wonder if when berry was watching the gophers/wolverines game last night if the thinks promoting our "culture" in every interview will close the ever growing gap between our program and top 5 programs?

[jk]

I generally defer to the coaches' judgement on their lineup decisions, as I feel they are more qualified to make them.  However, if there was one I could ask them privately about to understand their thinking, it would be sitting DeRidder for a few weeks in early January.  I didn't understand it then, and it was costly.

[brianvf]

13 minutes ago, jk said:

I generally defer to the coaches' judgement on their lineup decisions, as I feel they are more qualified to make them.  However, if there was one I could ask them privately about to understand their thinking, it would be sitting DeRidder for a few weeks in early January.  I didn't understand it then, and it was costly.

Agreed.  If they would have played DeRidder in that Sat WMU home game, I feel that's easily turned into a W.  I get him starting Johnson just to try to give a jump to the team, but even if he put DeRidder in to start the 3rd in that game, it's a W IMO.

[cberkas]

Need to retire the black banner with “culture” on it, and never say the buzz word again. 

[iluvdebbies]

1 minute ago, cberkas said:

Need to retire the black banner with “culture” on it, and never say the buzz word again. 

Fans included.

[SIOUXELEVENS]

#culture 

[SIOUXFAN97]

5 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Need to retire the black banner with “culture” on it, and never say the buzz word again. 

 

do we still have a sign that says "speed kills" in the tunnel?  if not we need one

[Big A HG]

In a bit of irony I have been deemed hostile and abusive.  I've been observing, calculating, and maybe even more devious and dangerous than ever.