University of North Dakota Hockey 2019-20 Season

[90siouxfan]

What is the over/under on Michaud regressing next season?   will he adapt to the coaching staff's parameter or be crushed under it?

[Irish]

9 minutes ago, iluvdebbies said:

Great points. Why haven't you said any of this before?

Tell me how I'm wrong.

[brianvf]

3 minutes ago, Irish said:

Tell me how I'm wrong.

Not wrong, just repetitive. 

[Irish]

1 minute ago, brianvf said:

Not wrong, just repetitive. 

Fair enough -

[Godsmack]

18 minutes ago, Irish said:

We were on the road for the first round while Duluth and Denver were again in the Frozen 4 and St. Cloud (before their annual choke job) was the highest seeded team in hockey.  Our offense and power play were the worst most fans have seen.  I'm not sure that the fact that we had the puck a lot brings much optimism to me.  Our team was hard to watch this year and we need some serious changes starting with Shaw.  I'm not sure Berry has the will to do what is necessary.  I hope so.  We can't take much more of this as a fanbase and program.  We do have some talent coming in, but we've seen what Berry's program seems to do to scorers. 

I believe UND was the third heaviest team in the nation so by that, I gather we were also one of the slower teams as well. Will we get back to having smurf-like players (think 1997 team) with a few big bruisers mixed in (Commodore).  We were also one of the more penalized teams in the conference (a result of our bigger, slower players, perhaps?). I think we need to get smaller and faster. 

[siouxforce19]

4 minutes ago, Godsmack said:

I believe UND was the third heaviest team in the nation so by that, I gather we were also one of the slower teams as well. Will we get back to having smurf-like players (think 1997 team) with a few big bruisers mixed in (Commodore).  We were also one of the more penalized teams in the conference (a result of our bigger, slower players, perhaps?). I think we need to get smaller and faster. 

Well the incoming class has at least one player who fits that description. 

[AJS]

Things we know going into next year.

• UND will have a solid 3rd line - Hain / Senden / Smith
• 2 "proven" scorers at the NCAA level

The first line starts with Michaud centering Kawaguchi. Guys that have the talent to be contributors Top 6 Contributors next year outside of the two that are penciled into the first line.

• Mismash - 2nd round pick, a lot of talent. Had a solid Freshman campaign and then injuries last year. Injuries aside, he's easily a Top line guy
• Pinto - He'll be the 2nd line center. Great year in the USHL as a Senior. 2nd / 3rd round pick this summer.
• Blaisdell - Another definite Top 6 guy as a Freshman. Can really do it all. Most likely 3rd round pick this summer.
• Adams - We've seen the individual talent, can he actually take the next step? 
• Weatherby - We'll see if he can make the jump from his Freshman year

If we see the Top 6 as 

Kawaguchi - Michaud - Mismash - Solid D1 First Line

Blaisdell - Pinto - Adams - A lot of talent

I really do think next year they'll be able to mix and match a very solid Top 6 to go along with a good 3rd line. More importantly, there were 3 guys who played a lot last year that shouldn't see the ice on a good team. Even with some injuries, being that right now the Forward group is sitting +2 from last year, we won't see them nearly as much, much less all three of them on a nightly basis.

Side note: Honestly, I really like a 4th line of Caulfied / Hoff / Weatherby / Bowen

Offensively, there will be more talent (with the addition of Michaud / High end freshman) and more quality depth, which might be just as important.

 

[siouxforce19]

5 minutes ago, AJS said:

Things we know going into next year.

• UND will have a solid 3rd line - Hain / Senden / Smith
• 2 "proven" scorers at the NCAA level

The first line starts with Michaud centering Kawaguchi. Guys that have the talent to be contributors Top 6 Contributors next year outside of the two that are penciled into the first line.

• Mismash - 2nd round pick, a lot of talent. Had a solid Freshman campaign and then injuries last year. Injuries aside, he's easily a Top line guy
• Pinto - He'll be the 2nd line center. Great year in the USHL as a Senior. 2nd / 3rd round pick this summer.
• Blaisdell - Another definite Top 6 guy as a Freshman. Can really do it all. Most likely 3rd round pick this summer.
• Adams - We've seen the individual talent, can he actually take the next step? 
• Weatherby - We'll see if he can make the jump from his Freshman year

If we see the Top 6 as 

Kawaguchi - Michaud - Mismash - Solid D1 First Line

Blaisdell - Pinto - Adams - A lot of talent

I really do think next year they'll be able to mix and match a very solid Top 6 to go along with a good 3rd line. More importantly, there were 3 guys who played a lot last year that shouldn't see the ice on a good team. Even with some injuries, being that right now the Forward group is sitting +2 from last year, we won't see them nearly as much, much less all three of them on a nightly basis.

Side note: Honestly, I really like a 4th line of Caulfied / Hoff / Weatherby / Bowen

Offensively, there will be more talent (with the addition of Michaud / High end freshman) and more quality depth, which might be just as important.

 

I am curious if they would flip Michaud and Pinto so there’s not 2 freshmen on the same line to start the season. 

[jk]

Hain may be a top six guy.  And then see if you can find someone else to fit well with Senden and Smith. 

[tnt]

4 hours ago, Irish said:

We were on the road for the first round while Duluth and Denver were again in the Frozen 4 and St. Cloud (before their annual choke job) was the highest seeded team in hockey.  Our offense and power play were the worst most fans have seen.  I'm not sure that the fact that we had the puck a lot brings much optimism to me.  Our team was hard to watch this year and we need some serious changes starting with Shaw.  I'm not sure Berry has the will to do what is necessary.  I hope so.  We can't take much more of this as a fanbase and program.  We do have some talent coming in, but we've seen what Berry's program seems to do to scorers. 

I’m shocked that Mr. Pessimist can’t see any reason for optimism!  Of course you couldn’t see the bright side when we were making it to the Frozen Four every year either, so not sure anyone would be surprised.   

[UND1981]

Our situation is no different than the other traditional powers that haven't made the tournament the last 2 years.  Rodents, badgers, BC, BU, ugly helmets are on the same down cycle as UND.  I say this will change next year for us.  We will have home ice for the NCHC 1st round.  St.Cloud, Duluth, Denver all will be depleted with graduation and ED's. We will be better with no ED's and good talent coming in.  MM, Guchi, Hain, Weatherby will all be better next year.  If Yon, Bowen, Adams and Smith can score a bit more all the better.  Defense and goal tending will be very good.  Berry will get back some job security next year. 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

Not having Gardner in the top six will be a benefit,he was a perfect third line center.

[fsioux]

51 minutes ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

Not having Gardner in the top six will be a benefit,he was a perfect third line center.

I totally agree with this.  We have been pretty weak on our top line center since Jost left.

[AJS]

40 minutes ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

Not having Gardner in the top six will be a benefit,he was a perfect third line center.

Couldn't agree more, but what goes for Garnder can be said three fold for guys like Keane / Yon / Johnson who because of injuries and lack of depth had to play roles they weren't cut out for. Keane playing on the second line at times and Yon / Johnson playing on the power play. These are guys that cannot be playing anything outside of a 4th line role at best. I said it earlier today, but I can't emphasis enough how gaining a net 2 Forwards (as it stands today) will greatly impact the team. Especially the caliber of players they are adding.

I see the following, guys that were regulars at the end of the year:

Michaud / Jones - Neutral

Pinto / Garnder - From an offensive perspective a net gain, Pinto is a legitimate Top 6 talent, like @SIOUXELEVENS said, Garnder was made for the 3rd line Center Role

Blaisdell / Keane - Night and Day difference as far as talent

Caulfield / Johnson - Night and Day difference as far as talent

Albrecht / Yon - Can't be worse

If we think the Top 6 talent wise is (Michaud, Kawaguchi, Mismash, Pinto, Blaisdell, Adams), Top 9 include (Hain, Senden, Smith) -- you have a fourth line of a combination of Caulfield, Weatherby, Bowen, Hoff. You already have a one player buffer, before you have to get into Albrecht / Keane / Johnson / Yon. The last three playing big minutes last year. I think we're going to see a huge turnaround next year offensively.

 

 

[fsioux]

29 minutes ago, AJS said:

Couldn't agree more, but what goes for Garnder can be said three fold for guys like Keane / Yon / Johnson who because of injuries and lack of depth had to play roles they weren't cut out for. Keane playing on the second line at times and Yon / Johnson playing on the power play. These are guys that cannot be playing anything outside of a 4th line role at best. I said it earlier today, but I can't emphasis enough how gaining a net 2 Forwards (as it stands today) will greatly impact the team. Especially the caliber of players they are adding.

I see the following, guys that were regulars at the end of the year:

Michaud / Jones - Neutral

Pinto / Garnder - From an offensive perspective a net gain, Pinto is a legitimate Top 6 talent, like @SIOUXELEVENS said, Garnder was made for the 3rd line Center Role

Blaisdell / Keane - Night and Day difference as far as talent

Caulfield / Johnson - Night and Day difference as far as talent

Albrecht / Yon - Can't be worse

If we think the Top 6 talent wise is (Michaud, Kawaguchi, Mismash, Pinto, Blaisdell, Adams), Top 9 include (Hain, Senden, Smith) -- you have a fourth line of a combination of Caulfield, Weatherby, Bowen, Hoff. You already have a one player buffer, before you have to get into Albrecht / Keane / Johnson / Yon. The last three playing big minutes last year. I think we're going to see a huge turnaround next year offensively.

 

 

In addition, the D should be elite with the added experience and talent.  With Shaw the only deletion from the team and hopefully Scheel returning healthy, we should be exceptional on the back end.

[jk]

I'm pretty excited about next year, but I need to remember the siren song of the offseason line chart.  Top of a fan's mind for returning players are their flashes of brilliance, and forgotten is a month of diligent checking, up and down the rink, that amounted to little on the scoreboard.  And incoming players are certain to be even better.  We read what their junior coaches say about them, and it's a wonder they even bother with college before embarking on the long NHL career.  There's no way they'll need time to adjust to the pace and physicality of grown men in the best college league in the country.

The lines in my head have two legitimate Top Six scoring lines (maybe more like two seconds than a first and a second), a pretty awesome third energy line, and a fourth line of rotating characters including future scoring line players and seasoned veterans nearing the end of their competitive hockey careers.  Behind them may be the best group of defensemen in the country, depending on who UMD returns, and two solid goalies.  And a good coaching staff that I hope demonstrates its greatness.  

[Sodbuster]

6 minutes ago, jk said:

I'm pretty excited about next year, but I need to remember the siren song of the offseason line chart.  Top of a fan's mind for returning players are their flashes of brilliance, and forgotten is a month of diligent checking, up and down the rink, that amounted to little on the scoreboard.  And incoming players are certain to be even better.  We read what their junior coaches say about them, and it's a wonder they even bother with college before embarking on the long NHL career.  There's no way they'll need time to adjust to the pace and physicality of grown men in the best college league in the country.

The lines in my head have two legitimate Top Six scoring lines (maybe more like two seconds than a first and a second), a pretty awesome third energy line, and a fourth line of rotating characters including future scoring line players and seasoned veterans nearing the end of their competitive hockey careers.  Behind them may be the best group of defensemen in the country, depending on who UMD returns, and two solid goalies.  And a good coaching staff that I hope demonstrates its greatness.  

I have selected your thinking as the one I will be subscribing to in the off season.

[crb1]

UND will be looking for a new Assistant Coach, Matt Shaw out at UND.

[UNDBIZ]

7 minutes ago, crb1 said:

UND will be looking for a new Assistant Coach, Matt Shaw out at UND.

Good luck to him wherever he ends up.  Now let's get the team back where it belongs.

[sioux24/7]

I like the idea of Tony Gasparini. 

[Wilbur]

Throw a boat, a new home, a golf membership, membership in the GOBC, whatever it takes to get Jason Herter here.  

[crb1]

4 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Throw a boat, a new home, a golf membership, membership in the GOBC, whatever it takes to get Jason Herter here.  

I think I agree with that.

[siouxforce19]

33 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Throw a boat, a new home, a golf membership, membership in the GOBC, whatever it takes to get Jason Herter here.  

Might need to since it’d be a job demotion since he’s an Associate Head Coach at UMD. 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

Schnekloth (sp)

[Godsmack]

29 minutes ago, SIOUXELEVENS said:

Schnekloth (sp)

He was awfully successful with the Colorado Eagles, winning back-to-back Kelly Cup championships. Why he wasn’t retained once the Eagles were elevated to the AHL is beyond me but I guess he’s an assistant there.