ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Couple tweaks to UMD's lines for the series finale, as the Bulldogs look for their first sweep here since 1996. Justin Crandall is scratched, and the top two lines look like they did before the Tech debacling last week.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Basaraba
Herbert - Oleksuk - Brown
Flaherty - Hendrickson - Grun
DeLisle - Tardy - Krause
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - Johnson
Reiter - Crandall
UAA
Leinweber - Bailey - Bruijsten
Portwood - Naslund - Cameron
Scheid - Gellert - Crowell
Allen - Roy - Mellor
Docken - Gorham
Warner - Coldwell
Sproule - Karl
Gunderson - Kamal
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Shows Improvement in Win
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Before Friday's game, UMD head coach Scott Sandelin identified four areas he wanted to see his team improve in.
He noted that "battle level" was atop the list. The others -- execution, defensive zone play, and special teams -- partially relied on the first in order to see the necessary improvement.
Alaska Anchorage would be a great test for UMD's battle level. The Seawolves love to play the game along the wall, engaging in constant one-on-one and two-on-two puck battles. Win those battles, and create scoring chances. Lose them, and just get the puck on the wall to start battling again.
Friday night, UMD used a strong early forecheck to render that game plan fruitless in a 4-1 win over the Seawolves. Sophomore JT Brown had all four UMD goals, including one on his first shift just 2:30 into the game. The goal came after numerous clearing attempts by UAA failed, with Brown and Travis Oleksuk providing relentless pressure. Eventually, the puck came to Adam Krause left of the goal, and the freshman found a wide-open Brown in the slot.
Brown made it 2-0 later in the period, one-timing a puck by UAA goalie Chris Kamal after an Oleksuk faceoff win. He scored from a bad angle in the final minute of the period to make it 3-0 and complete the first natural hat trick by a Bulldog since Feb. 5 of last year (Mike Connolly vs. the Gophers).
The Bulldogs got a power play goal by Brown late in the second for his fourth goal of the game and answer UAA's only goal, which came on the power play.
UMD still has some issues with the penalty kill, especially when it loses faceoffs. That's how UAA scored its goal. The Bulldogs struggle with getting pressure up high on the kill, leaving people too much time and space. It's unlike previous UMD teams, really, and something that needs to be remedied, because a 78 percent penalty kill is not going to get the job done.
The power play looked really good, I thought. UMD tweaked it a bit, adding a fourth forward in Caleb Herbert and going with more of an umbrella look. The puck moved pretty well, and UMD had a more-than-respectable five shots in two power plays. It was a solid improvement after a scoreless drought that lasted 21 power plays.
UMD is just four for its last 35 power plays going back to Christmas. But things turned the right way on Friday in limited opportunities.
Brown had a special night. He's up to 15 goals and 36 points this season, and his plus-24 leads the country. He's a near-lock to leave after this season, but you can't really argue with the impact he's made, with 73 points in 69 career games.
Oleksuk celebrated his 23rd birthday with four assists.
UMD was pretty sound defensively, clearing pucks from the slot when necessary, and Kenny Reiter made a couple great saves among his 17 on the night.
It was a solid performance against a team that has now lost eight in a row. UMD needs to finish the job Saturday, completing its first sweep here since 1996. It's not a must in terms of the team's NCAA chances, but it is probably a must-win if UMD is serious about winning its first MacNaughton since 1993.
Elsewhere in the WCHA, St. Cloud State stomped Wisconsin 5-1. Ben Hanowski scored two goals, and Jared Festler had three points. There was also an interesting incident in the first period, as Wisconsin captain John Ramage got the boot for a hit on SCSU's Nick Oliver.
It was ruled contact to the head. At regular speed, it's hard to argue the call. On replay, it does look more like a clean hit, but it's not the kind of hit that officials are going to ignore in this day and age.
The head just didn't look like the principal point of contact to me. But again, you're going to see more and more officials err on the side of caution in these spots, as they should. It stinks for physical players like Ramage. There's little chance of being able to throw a clean hit in a situation like that, and Ramage can't just let the guy skate along. It's a part of the game we are all going to have to get used to.
With 20 seconds left, Brendan Woods was given a major and a game disqualification for a check from behind. I have not seen video of that hit, but Woods will not be eligible to play Saturday.
In Denver, Jaden Schwartz' power play goal in the first period was enough for Colorado College to beat Denver 2-0. The game included matching game DQs for fighting after CC's Aaron Harstad and Denver's Dustin Jackson. They will miss Saturday's game in Colorado Springs.
Matt Leitner's third period goal lifted Minnesota State past Michigan Tech 5-3. Also, Bemidji State and Nebraska Omaha played to a 1-1 draw.
He noted that "battle level" was atop the list. The others -- execution, defensive zone play, and special teams -- partially relied on the first in order to see the necessary improvement.
Alaska Anchorage would be a great test for UMD's battle level. The Seawolves love to play the game along the wall, engaging in constant one-on-one and two-on-two puck battles. Win those battles, and create scoring chances. Lose them, and just get the puck on the wall to start battling again.
Friday night, UMD used a strong early forecheck to render that game plan fruitless in a 4-1 win over the Seawolves. Sophomore JT Brown had all four UMD goals, including one on his first shift just 2:30 into the game. The goal came after numerous clearing attempts by UAA failed, with Brown and Travis Oleksuk providing relentless pressure. Eventually, the puck came to Adam Krause left of the goal, and the freshman found a wide-open Brown in the slot.
Brown made it 2-0 later in the period, one-timing a puck by UAA goalie Chris Kamal after an Oleksuk faceoff win. He scored from a bad angle in the final minute of the period to make it 3-0 and complete the first natural hat trick by a Bulldog since Feb. 5 of last year (Mike Connolly vs. the Gophers).
The Bulldogs got a power play goal by Brown late in the second for his fourth goal of the game and answer UAA's only goal, which came on the power play.
UMD still has some issues with the penalty kill, especially when it loses faceoffs. That's how UAA scored its goal. The Bulldogs struggle with getting pressure up high on the kill, leaving people too much time and space. It's unlike previous UMD teams, really, and something that needs to be remedied, because a 78 percent penalty kill is not going to get the job done.
The power play looked really good, I thought. UMD tweaked it a bit, adding a fourth forward in Caleb Herbert and going with more of an umbrella look. The puck moved pretty well, and UMD had a more-than-respectable five shots in two power plays. It was a solid improvement after a scoreless drought that lasted 21 power plays.
UMD is just four for its last 35 power plays going back to Christmas. But things turned the right way on Friday in limited opportunities.
Brown had a special night. He's up to 15 goals and 36 points this season, and his plus-24 leads the country. He's a near-lock to leave after this season, but you can't really argue with the impact he's made, with 73 points in 69 career games.
Oleksuk celebrated his 23rd birthday with four assists.
UMD was pretty sound defensively, clearing pucks from the slot when necessary, and Kenny Reiter made a couple great saves among his 17 on the night.
It was a solid performance against a team that has now lost eight in a row. UMD needs to finish the job Saturday, completing its first sweep here since 1996. It's not a must in terms of the team's NCAA chances, but it is probably a must-win if UMD is serious about winning its first MacNaughton since 1993.
******
Elsewhere in the WCHA, St. Cloud State stomped Wisconsin 5-1. Ben Hanowski scored two goals, and Jared Festler had three points. There was also an interesting incident in the first period, as Wisconsin captain John Ramage got the boot for a hit on SCSU's Nick Oliver.
It was ruled contact to the head. At regular speed, it's hard to argue the call. On replay, it does look more like a clean hit, but it's not the kind of hit that officials are going to ignore in this day and age.
The head just didn't look like the principal point of contact to me. But again, you're going to see more and more officials err on the side of caution in these spots, as they should. It stinks for physical players like Ramage. There's little chance of being able to throw a clean hit in a situation like that, and Ramage can't just let the guy skate along. It's a part of the game we are all going to have to get used to.
With 20 seconds left, Brendan Woods was given a major and a game disqualification for a check from behind. I have not seen video of that hit, but Woods will not be eligible to play Saturday.
In Denver, Jaden Schwartz' power play goal in the first period was enough for Colorado College to beat Denver 2-0. The game included matching game DQs for fighting after CC's Aaron Harstad and Denver's Dustin Jackson. They will miss Saturday's game in Colorado Springs.
Matt Leitner's third period goal lifted Minnesota State past Michigan Tech 5-3. Also, Bemidji State and Nebraska Omaha played to a 1-1 draw.
Friday, February 03, 2012
Game 27: UMD at Alaska Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Ready for a little late night hockey?
Well, late for most (all?) of you.
Here we go from Anchorage with the series opener.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Basaraba - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Krause - Tardy - Grun
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - Johnson
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron)
UAA
Pustin - Gellert - Crowell
Naslund - Bailey - Bruijsten
Leinweber - Scheid - Cameron
Portwood - Roy - Pettitt
Docken - Gorham
Warner - Coldwell
Sproule - Currier
Kamal - Gunderson
Well, late for most (all?) of you.
Here we go from Anchorage with the series opener.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Basaraba - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Krause - Tardy - Grun
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - Johnson
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron)
UAA
Pustin - Gellert - Crowell
Naslund - Bailey - Bruijsten
Leinweber - Scheid - Cameron
Portwood - Roy - Pettitt
Docken - Gorham
Warner - Coldwell
Sproule - Currier
Kamal - Gunderson
WCHA Needs to Step Up When It Comes to Illegal Hits
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In the wake of the hit that left Benilde-St. Margaret's hockey player Jack Jablonski paralyzed, hockey organizations started to look long and hard at the way they were policing the game.
Two prominent Minnesota groups -- the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey -- quickly announced stiffer penalties for hits from behind and boarding fouls, along with contact to the head.
College hockey has not made a move, largely because hits from behind along the boards and hits where the principal point of contact is the head are already supposed to be major penalties. No need for rules changes there.
However, as I've written in the past, and will probably write again, there is very much the need for a change in how the rules are enforced.
(I should note here that I've noticed -- and so have other observers around the WCHA -- players doing a better job avoiding many of the situations that can lead to dangerous hits. Guys are pulling up instead of plastering opponents into the boards from behind. They're doing better at avoiding contact to the head. It's been generally good.)
Last weekend, there were multiple examples of hits that should have been major penalties, but were not. The three I am going to discuss are the only three I'm aware of. There might be others. There will likely be more.
Why am I bringing this up? The weekend after Jack's Pledge was launched, and UMD became the first WCHA team to get involved in it, there was an egregious hit from behind in the Minnesota-North Dakota game by UND's Danny Kristo. I wrote at the time that my strong feeling was that Kristo should face a suspension for the hit. I felt the WCHA erred in not issuing a suspension, given the aggressive nature of the hit, his follow-through after the hit, and the blow-up on his way to the locker room.
There were two hits from behind in the UMD-Michigan Tech series. The first, on Michigan Tech's Tanner Kero, was not called. The second, on UMD forward JT Brown, was called a minor penalty. The hit on Brown was pretty blatant, a shot to the back that took him head-first into the boards.
On Saturday, there was a pretty bad hit in the Wisconsin-North Dakota series. Badger freshman defenseman Jake McCabe cross-checked UND forward Brock Nelson in the head after Nelson collided with Wisconsin's John Ramage behind the net. Nelson was on the ice when McCabe leaned over and delivered a deliberate cross-check to the head area.
All three of the hits could have been majors. I did not have access to replays on either hit in the UMD series, so I'm going to lay off a little bit on those. But I DVRed the Wisconsin-North Dakota game as part of my normal preparation for an upcoming UMD opponent (the Bulldogs play UND next weekend). The McCabe hit -- called a two-minute minor for cross-checking -- was not handled properly by the game officials, and there really isn't much of an excuse. The puck was there, there was an official nearby (but not so close as to cause him to not have a good vantage point), and the hit was clearly to the head.
It's the kind of play we don't need in this game, especially in light of the Jablonski play.
Basically, the onus should not only be on the players to take this contact out of the sport. With increased visibility comes increased responsibility. There is a need for more effective and more consistent enforcement. Without that enforcement, we will never get the game where we need it to go.
While I applaud the efforts of so many people to clean up the game, there is still work to be done. Based on the track record of inconsistent enforcement, maybe it's time for a MSHSL-esque crackdown on illegal hits in the WCHA. It might be the only way to make the officials feel empowered enough to actually enforce existing rules on hits from behind and to the head.
Two prominent Minnesota groups -- the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey -- quickly announced stiffer penalties for hits from behind and boarding fouls, along with contact to the head.
College hockey has not made a move, largely because hits from behind along the boards and hits where the principal point of contact is the head are already supposed to be major penalties. No need for rules changes there.
However, as I've written in the past, and will probably write again, there is very much the need for a change in how the rules are enforced.
(I should note here that I've noticed -- and so have other observers around the WCHA -- players doing a better job avoiding many of the situations that can lead to dangerous hits. Guys are pulling up instead of plastering opponents into the boards from behind. They're doing better at avoiding contact to the head. It's been generally good.)
Last weekend, there were multiple examples of hits that should have been major penalties, but were not. The three I am going to discuss are the only three I'm aware of. There might be others. There will likely be more.
Why am I bringing this up? The weekend after Jack's Pledge was launched, and UMD became the first WCHA team to get involved in it, there was an egregious hit from behind in the Minnesota-North Dakota game by UND's Danny Kristo. I wrote at the time that my strong feeling was that Kristo should face a suspension for the hit. I felt the WCHA erred in not issuing a suspension, given the aggressive nature of the hit, his follow-through after the hit, and the blow-up on his way to the locker room.
There were two hits from behind in the UMD-Michigan Tech series. The first, on Michigan Tech's Tanner Kero, was not called. The second, on UMD forward JT Brown, was called a minor penalty. The hit on Brown was pretty blatant, a shot to the back that took him head-first into the boards.
On Saturday, there was a pretty bad hit in the Wisconsin-North Dakota series. Badger freshman defenseman Jake McCabe cross-checked UND forward Brock Nelson in the head after Nelson collided with Wisconsin's John Ramage behind the net. Nelson was on the ice when McCabe leaned over and delivered a deliberate cross-check to the head area.
All three of the hits could have been majors. I did not have access to replays on either hit in the UMD series, so I'm going to lay off a little bit on those. But I DVRed the Wisconsin-North Dakota game as part of my normal preparation for an upcoming UMD opponent (the Bulldogs play UND next weekend). The McCabe hit -- called a two-minute minor for cross-checking -- was not handled properly by the game officials, and there really isn't much of an excuse. The puck was there, there was an official nearby (but not so close as to cause him to not have a good vantage point), and the hit was clearly to the head.
It's the kind of play we don't need in this game, especially in light of the Jablonski play.
Basically, the onus should not only be on the players to take this contact out of the sport. With increased visibility comes increased responsibility. There is a need for more effective and more consistent enforcement. Without that enforcement, we will never get the game where we need it to go.
While I applaud the efforts of so many people to clean up the game, there is still work to be done. Based on the track record of inconsistent enforcement, maybe it's time for a MSHSL-esque crackdown on illegal hits in the WCHA. It might be the only way to make the officials feel empowered enough to actually enforce existing rules on hits from behind and to the head.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
UMD Prepares for Desperate UAA
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Expectations were much higher than this.
Our good friend Jess Myers picked Alaska-Anchorage to earn a home ice position for the first round of the WCHA playoffs, something that hasn't happened once during UAA's time in the league.
I thought last year's finish was a real stretch in the right direction for UAA, one that could lead to bigger and better things this season. UAA beat Minnesota twice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs at Mariucci Arena, advancing to the second WCHA Final Five in school history. It was part of a 9-4 run near the end of the season before a loss to Colorado College in the Final Five.
It hasn't gone well, though.
UAA started this season 3-0-1, including championships in both their home tournament (Kendall Hockey Classic) and the tournament in Fairbanks (Brice Alaska Goal Rush). The Seawolves, though, have stumbled badly since, with separate losing streaks of six and seven games -- the seven-game skid is ongoing -- on the way to a 6-16-2 mark heading into this weekend's series here against Minnesota Duluth.
During the current losing streak, the Seawolves have scored 14 goals and only been shut out once. It's not the offense that's failing UAA right now, though it has to click at a better clip than 2.5 goals per game. Instead, defense and goaltending are the downfall. UAA has allowed 92 goals in 24 games, an average of 3.8 per game. Over the last seven, the total is 33, or nearly five goals per game. The team save percentage this season is a mediocre .865.
Once tough to handle in Anchorage, which is an insanely long flight for anyone in the league, especially compared to the other travel required, the Seawolves are a mere 2-7-1 at Sullivan Arena this season. UAA has lost five straight home games, and is 1-7 at home since the Kendall Hockey Classic in October.
When the blender -- or the league, I guess -- released the 2011-12 WCHA schedule, UAA had to think its chance to make hey would be in the second half of the season. The Seawolves are playing games three and four of a six-game homestand this weekend, and are in a stretch of eight out of the last ten WCHA games at home.
You read that correctly. UAA has played just six of its 18 league games this season at home. And you thought UMD's schedule was screwy (you'd be right on that).
Anyway, this is a key weekend for UMD, as we all know. The Bulldogs enter Friday having allowed nine straight goals, were probably lucky to get a point out of last weekend's home series with Michigan Tech, and haven't swept a series in Anchorage since 1996 (14-12-6 all-time in Anchorage, compared to 27-7-6 all-time against UAA in Duluth).
UMD needs four points here. Three is a minimum. Two is disappointing, especially if UMD doesn't deserve a better fate with its play. The Bulldogs had a tough day at practice Monday, with several players using Twitter to elude to a bag skate. If Tuesday's pace and intensity was any indication whatsoever, the message was clear. And received.
Standing and watching, it was tough not to wish that the Bulldogs could play a game Wednesday instead of waiting until Friday.
We'll see how a five-plus hour flight and a three-hour time change affects the Bulldogs' legs. It's not a terrible deal for athletes, because they're in such great shape to begin with. But it's a 7pm game that will feel like a 10pm game if you don't put in the work to adjust to the time change beforehand.
I've gotten used to making this trip over the years, but still have my moments, especially on the first full day spent in Alaska. I try to get around and do as much as I can to keep my brain engaged, because it's that down time that can really mess me up.
The start Friday will be a huge key. UAA is a team just grasping for any reason to think it can stay in a game. An early UMD goal and continued push might be enough to keep things positive for 60 minutes. But if UAA finds a way to score early, or even if the Seawolves get a big save early, this could be very interesting. The Seawolves have been outscored 33-17 and outshot 263-189 in first periods this season, so they haven't really been good at starting games.
One area UAA appears to have an edge is on special teams. The Seawolves are at 92 percent on the penalty kill since the holiday break, while UMD has scored just three times in 33 power play chances since Christmas, including no goals in 21 chances since the series at Western Michigan. Head coach Scott Sandelin insists he's not panicking, and he said last Saturday he wasn't ready to make any personnel changes on the power play. He said he felt the team had the right players on the ice, and it was simply a matter of execution.
UMD then got just two chances with the man advantage in that 5-0 disaster, and both came in the third period after it was already 5-0. Hard to judge based on those if they were getting any improved execution.
UMD has lost twice in the last 22 games. This is not panic time. But the Bulldogs need to play better from the outset, and that needs to start Friday night.
Here were the lines at practice this week:
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Basaraba - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Krause - Tardy - Grun
I wouldn't expect any significant changes on defense. Tim Smith and Derik Johnson are the players from that "sixth defenseman" rotation on this trip. Dan DeLisle is the 13th forward.
No major line changes from Saturday. I'm intrigued by Herbert on Connolly's line, and hopefully we see some good shifts out of that group on Friday.
Our good friend Jess Myers picked Alaska-Anchorage to earn a home ice position for the first round of the WCHA playoffs, something that hasn't happened once during UAA's time in the league.
I thought last year's finish was a real stretch in the right direction for UAA, one that could lead to bigger and better things this season. UAA beat Minnesota twice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs at Mariucci Arena, advancing to the second WCHA Final Five in school history. It was part of a 9-4 run near the end of the season before a loss to Colorado College in the Final Five.
It hasn't gone well, though.
UAA started this season 3-0-1, including championships in both their home tournament (Kendall Hockey Classic) and the tournament in Fairbanks (Brice Alaska Goal Rush). The Seawolves, though, have stumbled badly since, with separate losing streaks of six and seven games -- the seven-game skid is ongoing -- on the way to a 6-16-2 mark heading into this weekend's series here against Minnesota Duluth.
During the current losing streak, the Seawolves have scored 14 goals and only been shut out once. It's not the offense that's failing UAA right now, though it has to click at a better clip than 2.5 goals per game. Instead, defense and goaltending are the downfall. UAA has allowed 92 goals in 24 games, an average of 3.8 per game. Over the last seven, the total is 33, or nearly five goals per game. The team save percentage this season is a mediocre .865.
Once tough to handle in Anchorage, which is an insanely long flight for anyone in the league, especially compared to the other travel required, the Seawolves are a mere 2-7-1 at Sullivan Arena this season. UAA has lost five straight home games, and is 1-7 at home since the Kendall Hockey Classic in October.
When the blender -- or the league, I guess -- released the 2011-12 WCHA schedule, UAA had to think its chance to make hey would be in the second half of the season. The Seawolves are playing games three and four of a six-game homestand this weekend, and are in a stretch of eight out of the last ten WCHA games at home.
You read that correctly. UAA has played just six of its 18 league games this season at home. And you thought UMD's schedule was screwy (you'd be right on that).
Anyway, this is a key weekend for UMD, as we all know. The Bulldogs enter Friday having allowed nine straight goals, were probably lucky to get a point out of last weekend's home series with Michigan Tech, and haven't swept a series in Anchorage since 1996 (14-12-6 all-time in Anchorage, compared to 27-7-6 all-time against UAA in Duluth).
UMD needs four points here. Three is a minimum. Two is disappointing, especially if UMD doesn't deserve a better fate with its play. The Bulldogs had a tough day at practice Monday, with several players using Twitter to elude to a bag skate. If Tuesday's pace and intensity was any indication whatsoever, the message was clear. And received.
Standing and watching, it was tough not to wish that the Bulldogs could play a game Wednesday instead of waiting until Friday.
We'll see how a five-plus hour flight and a three-hour time change affects the Bulldogs' legs. It's not a terrible deal for athletes, because they're in such great shape to begin with. But it's a 7pm game that will feel like a 10pm game if you don't put in the work to adjust to the time change beforehand.
I've gotten used to making this trip over the years, but still have my moments, especially on the first full day spent in Alaska. I try to get around and do as much as I can to keep my brain engaged, because it's that down time that can really mess me up.
The start Friday will be a huge key. UAA is a team just grasping for any reason to think it can stay in a game. An early UMD goal and continued push might be enough to keep things positive for 60 minutes. But if UAA finds a way to score early, or even if the Seawolves get a big save early, this could be very interesting. The Seawolves have been outscored 33-17 and outshot 263-189 in first periods this season, so they haven't really been good at starting games.
One area UAA appears to have an edge is on special teams. The Seawolves are at 92 percent on the penalty kill since the holiday break, while UMD has scored just three times in 33 power play chances since Christmas, including no goals in 21 chances since the series at Western Michigan. Head coach Scott Sandelin insists he's not panicking, and he said last Saturday he wasn't ready to make any personnel changes on the power play. He said he felt the team had the right players on the ice, and it was simply a matter of execution.
UMD then got just two chances with the man advantage in that 5-0 disaster, and both came in the third period after it was already 5-0. Hard to judge based on those if they were getting any improved execution.
UMD has lost twice in the last 22 games. This is not panic time. But the Bulldogs need to play better from the outset, and that needs to start Friday night.
******
Here were the lines at practice this week:
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Basaraba - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Krause - Tardy - Grun
I wouldn't expect any significant changes on defense. Tim Smith and Derik Johnson are the players from that "sixth defenseman" rotation on this trip. Dan DeLisle is the 13th forward.
No major line changes from Saturday. I'm intrigued by Herbert on Connolly's line, and hopefully we see some good shifts out of that group on Friday.
Clock Issue Leads to NHL Controversy
Greetings from Anchorage. UMD-UAA coverage is on the way, with all of the usual stuff -- a preview piece, lines before both games, the ever-unpopular Saturday notes column, and more. In the meantime, check out what happened in Los Angeles Wednesday night.
Drew Doughty's goal in the final second gave the Kings a win over Columbus. At first glance, it appeared to be an incredible finish to a game that appeared destined for overtime.
However, it doesn't take long to figure out something was awry.
Of course, the biggest issue here is that the NHL is not acknowledging the obvious mistake -- or the potential that something nefarious may have happened.
Watch the clock stop with 1.8 seconds to go. For more than a second. Then watch Drew Doughty score the winner with 0.3 seconds left. Here's another look.
I get the bit here. Columbus isn't any good. Los Angeles kinda is.
But this is ridiculous. The league's failure to acknowledge the error and correct the correctable really stinks. I understand if they don't want to take the win away from the Kings, and why they maybe don't like the idea of replaying the ending of the game. But that's the right thing to do.
And if you're not going to do it, try using the many available platforms to explain what the hell happened.
Drew Doughty's goal in the final second gave the Kings a win over Columbus. At first glance, it appeared to be an incredible finish to a game that appeared destined for overtime.
However, it doesn't take long to figure out something was awry.
Of course, the biggest issue here is that the NHL is not acknowledging the obvious mistake -- or the potential that something nefarious may have happened.
Watch the clock stop with 1.8 seconds to go. For more than a second. Then watch Drew Doughty score the winner with 0.3 seconds left. Here's another look.
I get the bit here. Columbus isn't any good. Los Angeles kinda is.
But this is ridiculous. The league's failure to acknowledge the error and correct the correctable really stinks. I understand if they don't want to take the win away from the Kings, and why they maybe don't like the idea of replaying the ending of the game. But that's the right thing to do.
And if you're not going to do it, try using the many available platforms to explain what the hell happened.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
NCHC Inks Deal With CBS Sports Network
As expected for some time, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference -- which launches in 2013 and includes UMD -- has signed a multi-year deal with CBS Sports Network.
The press release is below.
The network isn't widely available like, say, ESPN, or even the Fox Sports regional networks. However, its hockey coverage, led by on-site talents like Matt McConnell, Ben Holden, Jim Paradise, and Dave Starman, is better than that of any other cable network currently airing college hockey. The broadcasts look good, and the talent are passionate and knowledgeable about the college game.
NBC Sports Network's production is probably a tick better, but its revolving door of announcers -- many of whom don't have a lot of familiarity with the college game -- brings the overall package down a bit.
From what I have seen so far, hockey coverage on Big Ten Network is almost laughable. The network didn't even bother to send game announcers to the UMD-Wisconsin game in Madison, having two guys instead call the game off TVs in Chicago, while a solo reporter handled intermission interviews in Madison. What I saw during the SCSU-Minnesota game Friday wasn't much more impressive, though at least the play-by-play guy and analyst were on site.
The press release is below.
CBS Sports Network has agreed to a multi-year agreement with the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference, beginning in the 2013-14 season. CBS Sports Network will be the exclusive national television partner for the conference, which will feature eight of the nation's top college hockey programs. The announcement was made today by Dan Weinberg, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports Network, and Jim Scherr, Commissioner of the National.
The agreement calls for a minimum of 18 conference games, including the National's semifinal and championship contests. Currently six teams that will be in the new conference are ranked in the USCHO.com Top 20 poll.
"With top teams and passionate fan bases, the National is poised to be an elite college hockey conference, and we're thrilled to be the national television partner," said Weinberg. "College hockey has been a staple of our programming and we're pleased to expand our coverage and further serve fans with compelling and competitive conference action."
"We are delighted to be associated with the preeminent national broadcaster of college hockey," said Scherr. "It is our goal to be the premier single-sport conference in intercollegiate athletics and the unmatched exposure and production quality that will be provided by CBS Sports Network will contribute significantly to realizing that vision."
Currently, CBS Sports Network's comprehensive college hockey coverage includes action from Hockey East, ECAC, CCHA, WCHA and Atlantic Hockey.
# # #
About CBS Sports Network:
CBS Sports Network, the cable channel of CBS Sports, features comprehensive sports programming. The Network covers more than 300 live games annually, showcasing 30 men's and women's sports, in addition to a variety of studio shows, documentaries and original programs. CBSSN's live programming is highlighted by college sports including, teams from the Mountain West, Conference USA, Atlantic 10, Patriot League, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy, as well as Major League Lacrosse and National Lacrosse League. The Network also airs the weekday "Tim Brando Show" and is the new home of Professional Bull Riders (PBR).
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
About National Collegiate Hockey Conference:
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference is the eight-school, Division I men's hockey conference that will start play in the 2013-14 season. The conference's member institutions are: Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University. Dating back to the year 2000, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference boasts four NCAA National Champions, 14 NCAA Frozen Four appearances, 12 conference regular-season championships and 10 conference tournament championships. All eight members were participants in the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship tournament in one or both of the last two seasons. Jim Scherr, former Chief Executive Officer of the United States Olympic Committee, is the conference's Commissioner.
The network isn't widely available like, say, ESPN, or even the Fox Sports regional networks. However, its hockey coverage, led by on-site talents like Matt McConnell, Ben Holden, Jim Paradise, and Dave Starman, is better than that of any other cable network currently airing college hockey. The broadcasts look good, and the talent are passionate and knowledgeable about the college game.
NBC Sports Network's production is probably a tick better, but its revolving door of announcers -- many of whom don't have a lot of familiarity with the college game -- brings the overall package down a bit.
From what I have seen so far, hockey coverage on Big Ten Network is almost laughable. The network didn't even bother to send game announcers to the UMD-Wisconsin game in Madison, having two guys instead call the game off TVs in Chicago, while a solo reporter handled intermission interviews in Madison. What I saw during the SCSU-Minnesota game Friday wasn't much more impressive, though at least the play-by-play guy and analyst were on site.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Mike Montgomery Involved in ECHL Line Brawl
Former UMD defenseman Mike Montgomery -- the captain of last season's national championship team -- has bounced between the ECHL and AHL this season. His time in the ECHL has been spent with the Ontario (Calif.) Reign, while he's had a couple cups of coffee in the AHL, including with the Wild affiliate in Houston.
Saturday night, Montgomery was involved in a line brawl that has gone viral on the YouTubes.
He's No. 6 in white, by the way.
Montgomery's Reign won 5-1. He had an assist on their last goal. By my count, the game featured close to 300 total penalty minutes.
Saturday night, Montgomery was involved in a line brawl that has gone viral on the YouTubes.
He's No. 6 in white, by the way.
Montgomery's Reign won 5-1. He had an assist on their last goal. By my count, the game featured close to 300 total penalty minutes.
UMD Back to Work
After a weekend that shocked many and was deemed unacceptable by most around the program, the UMD men's hockey team is back to work Monday in preparation for a weekend set against Alaska-Anchorage.
Saturday's 5-0 loss to Michigan Tech was UMD's first home loss since Oct. 15 to Minnesota, and the first time it had been shut out in a league game in over 100 games.
(Shutout losses to North Dakota at the 2010 Final Five and the Amsoil Arena opening game were officially non-conference games.)
There is no explanation from our standpoint for what happened. Honestly, I'd be surprised if the players could offer much. I'll be at the facility Tuesday, but don't expect to hear anyone say "Well, this is what really happened ..."
It's not that easy.
Add in the blown 4-0 lead on Friday, and Michigan Tech scored nine straight goals in the series to take three points.
These are tough times in Bulldog land. The best explanation I can come up with is the idea that a team that goes on the kind of run UMD went on (17 straight unbeaten, 20 of 21 without a loss before Saturday) is bound to struggle at some point.
No one in college hockey has been immune to it. Boston University -- No. 1 in the Pairwise entering the weekend -- was swept at home by Maine. Top six teams Notre Dame and Ohio State lost games over the weekend, too. The landscape is full of flawed teams who can't seem to find any consistency through this mid-season stretch.
Minnesota swept St. Cloud State, which is huge for the Gophers, but it's not like Minnesota was setting the world on fire prior to that.
Everyone has struggled, and now it's apparently UMD's turn.
The mindset now, though, has to be to stop the bleeding. UMD is still in a good position, but can ill afford a hiccup against Alaska-Anchorage this weekend. It's easier said than done, because the Bulldogs haven't swept a two-game series in Anchorage since 1996. Now'd be a good time to end that drought.
With North Dakota, Colorado College, and St. Cloud State on the schedule over the last four weekends, UMD needs four points here. It would be a huge step back in the right direction.
Saturday's 5-0 loss to Michigan Tech was UMD's first home loss since Oct. 15 to Minnesota, and the first time it had been shut out in a league game in over 100 games.
(Shutout losses to North Dakota at the 2010 Final Five and the Amsoil Arena opening game were officially non-conference games.)
There is no explanation from our standpoint for what happened. Honestly, I'd be surprised if the players could offer much. I'll be at the facility Tuesday, but don't expect to hear anyone say "Well, this is what really happened ..."
It's not that easy.
Add in the blown 4-0 lead on Friday, and Michigan Tech scored nine straight goals in the series to take three points.
These are tough times in Bulldog land. The best explanation I can come up with is the idea that a team that goes on the kind of run UMD went on (17 straight unbeaten, 20 of 21 without a loss before Saturday) is bound to struggle at some point.
No one in college hockey has been immune to it. Boston University -- No. 1 in the Pairwise entering the weekend -- was swept at home by Maine. Top six teams Notre Dame and Ohio State lost games over the weekend, too. The landscape is full of flawed teams who can't seem to find any consistency through this mid-season stretch.
Minnesota swept St. Cloud State, which is huge for the Gophers, but it's not like Minnesota was setting the world on fire prior to that.
Everyone has struggled, and now it's apparently UMD's turn.
The mindset now, though, has to be to stop the bleeding. UMD is still in a good position, but can ill afford a hiccup against Alaska-Anchorage this weekend. It's easier said than done, because the Bulldogs haven't swept a two-game series in Anchorage since 1996. Now'd be a good time to end that drought.
With North Dakota, Colorado College, and St. Cloud State on the schedule over the last four weekends, UMD needs four points here. It would be a huge step back in the right direction.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Game 26: Michigan Tech at UMD
No time for chit chat. Sorry.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Crandall (Justin) - Oleksuk - Brown
Flaherty - Hendrickson - Basaraba
Krause - Tardy - Grun
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - Smith
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron) - Gaffy
MTU
Pietila (Blake) - Olson - Baker
Johnston (David) - Johnstone (Jacob) - MacLeod
Furne - Kero - Gordic
Reddick - Rix - Pietila (Chad)
Stebner - Nielsen
Sova - Fillion
Seigo - Sweeney
Robinson - Genoe
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Herbert
Crandall (Justin) - Oleksuk - Brown
Flaherty - Hendrickson - Basaraba
Krause - Tardy - Grun
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - Smith
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron) - Gaffy
MTU
Pietila (Blake) - Olson - Baker
Johnston (David) - Johnstone (Jacob) - MacLeod
Furne - Kero - Gordic
Reddick - Rix - Pietila (Chad)
Stebner - Nielsen
Sova - Fillion
Seigo - Sweeney
Robinson - Genoe
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Now THAT'S a Bad Point
When UMD rallied from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to earn a 3-3 tie at Denver in November, it was deemed a good point by everyone on the UMD side.
When UMD rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to earn a 3-3 tie at Wisconsin in December, it was deemed a good point by everyone on the UMD side.
They were right.
Along the way, I got a couple questions from people asking what would constitute a "bad point," something I thought was somewhat clear along the way.
If it wasn't clear, UMD made it so Friday night.
The Bulldogs blew a 4-0 deficit by getting completely out-hustled and out-"want-to"ed for the better part of 40 minutes by Michigan Tech in a 4-4 tie. It marks -- unofficially, because I am hardly perfect in my research, no matter how hard I try -- the first time UMD blew a lead of at least three goals in a game it failed to win since 2006.
(That was the infamous "Teddy Bear Toss" game against Bemidji State, where the Bulldogs invited fans to throw teddy bears on the ice for charity after the team's first goal. The first goal came less than two minutes into the game, and when UMD scored a couple minutes later, some knuckleheads threw teddy bears on the ice. That prompted a warning from the officials. Any more of that, and UMD would be assessed a delay of game penalty. Sure enough, UMD scored to make it 3-0, and some idiot threw a teddy bear on the ice. Bemidji would score on the ensuing power play, and eventually complete the comeback in a 6-5 win.)
There was no fan-induced turning point in this game. Michigan Tech upped the physical, started chipping pucks down the rink instead of almost-willfully turning them over, and UMD had no response to either. Instead of keeping the foot on the gas, UMD practically slammed on its brakes, and this is what you get when you slam on the breaks.
The third period was much worse than the second. In the second, Jack Connolly, JT Brown, and Chris Casto had glorious scoring chances that Tech goalie Josh Robinson thwarted. It was a great rally for Robinson, who didn't get much help in the first, but also didn't make any of the tough saves. He made tough saves in the second, and his team responded.
UMD's only real mistake of the second period -- besides not burying chances -- was a pinch by defenseman Drew Olson in the neutral zone that led to a three-on-one. Olson is a fearless player, and he's vastly improved over his three years. His speed and puck skills are a huge factor on the blue line, but this was an ill-advised play given 1) the score, and 2) the fact that Tech had numbers coming up the rink. The goal made it a 4-1 game and set the stage for the disaster that was the third period.
(For the record, I thought Olson played pretty well Friday, and this is simply an example of how the smallest mistake can end up in the back of your net.)
UMD failed on a five-minute power play in the third, one on which Tech scored to pull within 4-3. Then David Johnstone tied it on a power play caused by a post-whistle hit by JT Brown.
That's all it takes in this league. You can't quit playing for any reason. And I guess it's a lesson UMD needed to learn.
We'll find out Saturday if it was learned quickly, or if the Bulldogs will need to have it beaten over their heads.
Lots of comments on the Facebook page and Twitter about the officiating. It was bad. UMD could have gone short-handed probably a half-dozen times in the first eight or so minutes, but nothing was called. On the flip side, Jack Connolly was either tripped or slew-footed on a play that led directly to Tech's shortie in the third.
Oh, and I have never seen a goalie called for diving in the nearly 250 UMD games I've called. That includes the career of Alex Stalock, who had the ability to make a slight brush by a guy the size of Ryan Lasch look like he got run over by something Lisa Kelly would drive to Coldfoot. If you're going to call someone for "charging the goalie" and then call the goalie for diving, you've lost me. That's a penalty that's either one or the other. It's not like we're talking about someone over-reacting to a stick in the skates or something. Either the Tech player ran Kenny Reiter over, or he didn't.
By the third period, neither team had to have a clue what a penalty was and what it wasn't. Picks were apparently legal, because both teams were guilty of them.
In the end, none of it excuses UMD's lack of effort for the majority of the game's second half, especially the third period.
There will be questions asked about the power play, which is last in the WCHA at under 20 percent, and also has scored just three times in 31 chances -- including three uninterrupted five-minute power plays -- since Christmas. Will there be changes? As I mentioned in the postgame Friday night, there is another personnel grouping that UMD has used and seen success with, and it involves using Brown at a point in place of Scott Kishel, with Mike Seidel in Brown's place on the half-wall. Another option might be something we saw briefly during the UAH series, with Connolly working a point and Brady Lamb going to the front of the net.
(It's pretty obvious Connolly is a focal point for the opposition when killing penalties. Moving him around a bit is not going to make anything worse. Yes, he's probably most effective on the half-wall. But he's not effective anywhere with the number of teams that are trying to take him out of the action. The issues have nothing to do with chemistry, in my opinion, but are instead all about execution. You don't need a massive personnel overhaul to fix execution. Sometimes a little tweak -- changing the look -- will do the trick.)
Outside of 21 shots over the six chances last weekend, there isn't much positive going on here, especially since the UNO series started two weeks ago.
Elsewhere, Minnesota held St. Cloud State to one shot in the third period in a 2-1 win. Mike Lee returned in goal for St. Cloud State, but Travis Novak was injured in the third period, and the tweets about him not putting weight on one leg because of a knee injury sure didn't look promising. The series shifts to St. Cloud for a Saturday affair.
North Dakota got two goals late to beat Wisconsin 5-3 in a back and forth game in Grand Forks. Brock Nelson had two points for UND, which went two-for-three on the power play. The Badgers trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before tying the score twice, but Stephane Pattyn got the winner late for UND, followed by a Nelson empty-netter.
Bemidji State got a third-period goal from Jordan George to beat Minnesota State 2-1 in Bemidji. Also, Denver won at Alaska-Anchorage 4-2.
When UMD rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to earn a 3-3 tie at Wisconsin in December, it was deemed a good point by everyone on the UMD side.
They were right.
Along the way, I got a couple questions from people asking what would constitute a "bad point," something I thought was somewhat clear along the way.
If it wasn't clear, UMD made it so Friday night.
The Bulldogs blew a 4-0 deficit by getting completely out-hustled and out-"want-to"ed for the better part of 40 minutes by Michigan Tech in a 4-4 tie. It marks -- unofficially, because I am hardly perfect in my research, no matter how hard I try -- the first time UMD blew a lead of at least three goals in a game it failed to win since 2006.
(That was the infamous "Teddy Bear Toss" game against Bemidji State, where the Bulldogs invited fans to throw teddy bears on the ice for charity after the team's first goal. The first goal came less than two minutes into the game, and when UMD scored a couple minutes later, some knuckleheads threw teddy bears on the ice. That prompted a warning from the officials. Any more of that, and UMD would be assessed a delay of game penalty. Sure enough, UMD scored to make it 3-0, and some idiot threw a teddy bear on the ice. Bemidji would score on the ensuing power play, and eventually complete the comeback in a 6-5 win.)
There was no fan-induced turning point in this game. Michigan Tech upped the physical, started chipping pucks down the rink instead of almost-willfully turning them over, and UMD had no response to either. Instead of keeping the foot on the gas, UMD practically slammed on its brakes, and this is what you get when you slam on the breaks.
The third period was much worse than the second. In the second, Jack Connolly, JT Brown, and Chris Casto had glorious scoring chances that Tech goalie Josh Robinson thwarted. It was a great rally for Robinson, who didn't get much help in the first, but also didn't make any of the tough saves. He made tough saves in the second, and his team responded.
UMD's only real mistake of the second period -- besides not burying chances -- was a pinch by defenseman Drew Olson in the neutral zone that led to a three-on-one. Olson is a fearless player, and he's vastly improved over his three years. His speed and puck skills are a huge factor on the blue line, but this was an ill-advised play given 1) the score, and 2) the fact that Tech had numbers coming up the rink. The goal made it a 4-1 game and set the stage for the disaster that was the third period.
(For the record, I thought Olson played pretty well Friday, and this is simply an example of how the smallest mistake can end up in the back of your net.)
UMD failed on a five-minute power play in the third, one on which Tech scored to pull within 4-3. Then David Johnstone tied it on a power play caused by a post-whistle hit by JT Brown.
That's all it takes in this league. You can't quit playing for any reason. And I guess it's a lesson UMD needed to learn.
We'll find out Saturday if it was learned quickly, or if the Bulldogs will need to have it beaten over their heads.
******
Lots of comments on the Facebook page and Twitter about the officiating. It was bad. UMD could have gone short-handed probably a half-dozen times in the first eight or so minutes, but nothing was called. On the flip side, Jack Connolly was either tripped or slew-footed on a play that led directly to Tech's shortie in the third.
Oh, and I have never seen a goalie called for diving in the nearly 250 UMD games I've called. That includes the career of Alex Stalock, who had the ability to make a slight brush by a guy the size of Ryan Lasch look like he got run over by something Lisa Kelly would drive to Coldfoot. If you're going to call someone for "charging the goalie" and then call the goalie for diving, you've lost me. That's a penalty that's either one or the other. It's not like we're talking about someone over-reacting to a stick in the skates or something. Either the Tech player ran Kenny Reiter over, or he didn't.
By the third period, neither team had to have a clue what a penalty was and what it wasn't. Picks were apparently legal, because both teams were guilty of them.
In the end, none of it excuses UMD's lack of effort for the majority of the game's second half, especially the third period.
There will be questions asked about the power play, which is last in the WCHA at under 20 percent, and also has scored just three times in 31 chances -- including three uninterrupted five-minute power plays -- since Christmas. Will there be changes? As I mentioned in the postgame Friday night, there is another personnel grouping that UMD has used and seen success with, and it involves using Brown at a point in place of Scott Kishel, with Mike Seidel in Brown's place on the half-wall. Another option might be something we saw briefly during the UAH series, with Connolly working a point and Brady Lamb going to the front of the net.
(It's pretty obvious Connolly is a focal point for the opposition when killing penalties. Moving him around a bit is not going to make anything worse. Yes, he's probably most effective on the half-wall. But he's not effective anywhere with the number of teams that are trying to take him out of the action. The issues have nothing to do with chemistry, in my opinion, but are instead all about execution. You don't need a massive personnel overhaul to fix execution. Sometimes a little tweak -- changing the look -- will do the trick.)
Outside of 21 shots over the six chances last weekend, there isn't much positive going on here, especially since the UNO series started two weeks ago.
******
Elsewhere, Minnesota held St. Cloud State to one shot in the third period in a 2-1 win. Mike Lee returned in goal for St. Cloud State, but Travis Novak was injured in the third period, and the tweets about him not putting weight on one leg because of a knee injury sure didn't look promising. The series shifts to St. Cloud for a Saturday affair.
North Dakota got two goals late to beat Wisconsin 5-3 in a back and forth game in Grand Forks. Brock Nelson had two points for UND, which went two-for-three on the power play. The Badgers trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before tying the score twice, but Stephane Pattyn got the winner late for UND, followed by a Nelson empty-netter.
Bemidji State got a third-period goal from Jordan George to beat Minnesota State 2-1 in Bemidji. Also, Denver won at Alaska-Anchorage 4-2.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Game 25: Michigan Tech at UMD
Roads around these parts are a tad greasy, so be cautious on your way to the rink. Arrive early if you can, because if this game isn't sold out already, it will at least end up being close.
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Basaraba
Herbert - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Grun
DeLisle - Tardy - Flaherty
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - McManus
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron) - Gaffy
MTU
Pietila (Blake) - Olson - Baker
Johnston (David) - Johnstone (Jacob) - MacLeod
Furne - Kero - Gordic
Reddick - Rix - Pietila (Chad)
Stebner - Nielsen
Sova - Fillion
Seigo - Sweeney
Robinson - Genoe
Lines.
UMD
Seidel - Connolly - Basaraba
Herbert - Oleksuk - Brown
Crandall (Justin) - Hendrickson - Grun
DeLisle - Tardy - Flaherty
Bergman - Lamb
Kishel - Casto
Olson - McManus
Reiter - Crandall (Aaron) - Gaffy
MTU
Pietila (Blake) - Olson - Baker
Johnston (David) - Johnstone (Jacob) - MacLeod
Furne - Kero - Gordic
Reddick - Rix - Pietila (Chad)
Stebner - Nielsen
Sova - Fillion
Seigo - Sweeney
Robinson - Genoe
UMD Wants To Go Streaking Again
Two weeks ago, UMD experienced the unfamiliar feeling of a loss. The Bulldogs hadn't lost in 18 games, and it doesn't sound like they enjoyed the feeling very much.
"It was pretty special," sophomore forward Joe Basaraba said of the streak. "We can't sit back now that we've started a new one. We got two here, we're looking for number three on Friday night."
I've mentioned this before, but the pride this team took in the streak was notable.
"We knew once we got up there in the early teens that we had the chance to something special that this program has never done before," Basaraba said. "It was a great opportunity for our team to bond together and create some special moments."
The opportunity to run this new streak to four comes this weekend, when Michigan Tech visits Amsoil Arena. It's the second week of a two-week homestand for the Bulldogs, who played in front of a near sellout last Friday and a sellout crowd Saturday. This weekend looks similar, with Friday's game showing only limited seats remaining, and Saturday's game sold out.
That right there isn't bad, considering UMD sold out just one of its first ten home games.
Michigan Tech is an interesting opponent, one that isn't the same as the last time it visited Duluth. This Tech team is much more skilled and plays a different system, one that is much easier on the eyes. Senior leaders Brett Olson (Superior native) and Jordan Baker are joined by skilled freshmen David Johnstone, Blake Pietila, and Tanner Kero. The latter three were recruited by former coach Jamie Russell, who was let go after last season's beyond-disaster and is now an assistant at Providence. It's a bit of a shame that Russell wasn't allowed to see these players develop in a Tech uniform, but Mel Pearson is a pretty good coach in his own right.
Pearson's in his first year at Tech, and the Huskies are one win -- one that could easily come this weekend -- away from tripling their win total from last year (four). He's leaned on his seniors a fair amount, but the freshman class is promising, too.
"I'm really pleased with their progress," Pearson said. "They're the future of our team. I would say those two guys (Johnstone and Pietila) have been really good."
Pearson knows his seniors are a huge key, though.
"This is their team. We're only going to go as far as they take us. They're key players who play in a lot of different situations. I just want them to have their best year and their best half year of hockey here, and have no regrets."
As UMD saw last weekend with Alabama-Huntsville, there is no gimme in Division I college hockey. Playing an 11-win Tech team itching to break a seven-game losing streak to UMD is not going to be a picnic, either.
"I think they're much improved," UMD coach Scott Sandelin says. "We had to have two good third periods to win at their place. They've got a healthy Olson, and Baker, and (Steven) Seigo, so they've got some depth.
"Every time we play them, it's always a battle. We expect the same thing. As you head down the stretch, every game's going to be tight."
In order for UMD to add two more notches to its new belt, the Bulldogs will have to be at their best. They weren't necessarily at their best last weekend, but the ability to grind out two wins is not lost on this team.
Neither is the need to keep playing better hockey as the playoffs approach.
"It was pretty special," sophomore forward Joe Basaraba said of the streak. "We can't sit back now that we've started a new one. We got two here, we're looking for number three on Friday night."
I've mentioned this before, but the pride this team took in the streak was notable.
"We knew once we got up there in the early teens that we had the chance to something special that this program has never done before," Basaraba said. "It was a great opportunity for our team to bond together and create some special moments."
The opportunity to run this new streak to four comes this weekend, when Michigan Tech visits Amsoil Arena. It's the second week of a two-week homestand for the Bulldogs, who played in front of a near sellout last Friday and a sellout crowd Saturday. This weekend looks similar, with Friday's game showing only limited seats remaining, and Saturday's game sold out.
That right there isn't bad, considering UMD sold out just one of its first ten home games.
Michigan Tech is an interesting opponent, one that isn't the same as the last time it visited Duluth. This Tech team is much more skilled and plays a different system, one that is much easier on the eyes. Senior leaders Brett Olson (Superior native) and Jordan Baker are joined by skilled freshmen David Johnstone, Blake Pietila, and Tanner Kero. The latter three were recruited by former coach Jamie Russell, who was let go after last season's beyond-disaster and is now an assistant at Providence. It's a bit of a shame that Russell wasn't allowed to see these players develop in a Tech uniform, but Mel Pearson is a pretty good coach in his own right.
Pearson's in his first year at Tech, and the Huskies are one win -- one that could easily come this weekend -- away from tripling their win total from last year (four). He's leaned on his seniors a fair amount, but the freshman class is promising, too.
"I'm really pleased with their progress," Pearson said. "They're the future of our team. I would say those two guys (Johnstone and Pietila) have been really good."
Pearson knows his seniors are a huge key, though.
"This is their team. We're only going to go as far as they take us. They're key players who play in a lot of different situations. I just want them to have their best year and their best half year of hockey here, and have no regrets."
As UMD saw last weekend with Alabama-Huntsville, there is no gimme in Division I college hockey. Playing an 11-win Tech team itching to break a seven-game losing streak to UMD is not going to be a picnic, either.
"I think they're much improved," UMD coach Scott Sandelin says. "We had to have two good third periods to win at their place. They've got a healthy Olson, and Baker, and (Steven) Seigo, so they've got some depth.
"Every time we play them, it's always a battle. We expect the same thing. As you head down the stretch, every game's going to be tight."
In order for UMD to add two more notches to its new belt, the Bulldogs will have to be at their best. They weren't necessarily at their best last weekend, but the ability to grind out two wins is not lost on this team.
Neither is the need to keep playing better hockey as the playoffs approach.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Jack Connolly Marches Toward History
Jack Connolly's season goes beyond his Hobey Baker candidacy, his point streak, his exemplary work as UMD's captain, or his march up UMD's all-time scoring list.
The UMD senior center had four points last weekend -- including three on Saturday -- in a non-conference sweep of Alabama-Huntsville. That lifted Connolly into sole possession of 12th place on UMD's all-time list with 177 points. It also ran his point scoring streak to 22 straight, tying a school single-season record.
Connolly is on the verge of being a three-time All American -- which would be a UMD first. He's also on pace to top 200 career points, assuming UMD plays in at least three postseason games (a virtual certainty between the WCHA and NCAA playoffs). To put that in perspective, TJ Hensick was the last college player to hit 200 career points. And that was a while ago. As Chris Dilks noted this week on Western College Hockey, it's not like there's a long line of guys behind Connolly who have a chance at the number.
Only six players in UMD's history have 200 career points. The last one to hit the milestone in a UMD uniform was Derek Plante in 1993 (219 points). Dan Lempe (222), Matt Christiansen (219), Bill Watson (210), Gregg Moore (206), and Scott Carlston (203) are the others.
In case you're wondering, it's not unrealistic for Connolly to reach 210 points if UMD plays more than one game at the Final Five and four games in the NCAA Tournament. That would tie Connolly for fourth all-time with Watson.
Reality suggests that Connolly's feats will be exceptionally difficult to duplicate. Most players who are talented enough to rack up this many points would be serious flight risks before they've played four years of college hockey. Any chance we have of seeing 200-point players in the future probably lie in undersized, undrafted players like Connolly.
Over the rest of the season, there will be a lot of chatter -- both in this space and in other places -- about Connolly's candidacy for the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player. Unlike some other awards, there are components to the award criteria that have little to do with hockey. However, you're not winning the Hobey if you roll up 15 points in 39 games on a team that goes 12-23-4, no matter what you do with your time away from the rink.
Connolly figures to be a strong possibility for the final ten that the Hobey folks will announce in mid-March, and there's a chance he'll make the Hobey Hat Trick, which is announced shortly after that. He leads the nation in points and points per game, he doesn't "fatten up" on power plays, he doesn't lack in goal-scoring ability (on pace to shatter his previous career high of 18 goals), and he plays in all key situations for UMD, including late in games where UMD is defending a lead. He's developed into a key penalty-killer over his career.
"Obviously, he's a heck of a player on a very good and a very deep team," Michigan Tech coach Mel Pearson says. "So sneaky, so smart. You have to be aware of when he's on the ice."
Pearson would know. For 40 minutes of each game of the teams' series in Houghton in December, Connolly was shut down. In the third period of each game, the Huskies couldn't stop him. Connolly had two goals and an assist in the third period of a 5-3 win Friday, then scored the game-winner in a 5-3 win Saturday.
"They have other parts, but he stirs the drink," Pearson said. "I thought we did an excellent job on him. You might be able to shut him down for 58 minutes, but those two minutes you don't, look out."
UMD coach Scott Sandelin thought Connolly's line -- he centers Mike Seidel and Joe Basaraba -- was out of synch and off its game in Friday's 2-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville. Last year, Connolly and his star linemates Mike Connolly and Justin Fontaine rarely put together a stretch of two sub-par games in a row.
Connolly wasn't going to let it happen this year, either.
"I thought he was outstanding from the drop of the puck," Sandelin said. "I thought he was at another level. It's hard to keep them down. Even those guys not having their best night is still good, but they were very good on Saturday."
UMD's balance is certainly a key to the team's success, but Connolly's ability to dominate in the clutch is what could take this group to another level. Focus too much on Connolly, and you risk getting torched by Travis Oleksuk and JT Brown. And even if you can contain both top lines, you still have to find a way to keep the third and fourth lines -- more than capable of contributing -- off the scoreboard.
Connolly is -- as Pearson says -- the straw stirring the drink. He's the most valuable player you'll find on any top team in college hockey, and he might be the best you'll see anywhere.
The Hobey debate is always an interesting one, because you get into a world where guys play different positions, different roles, and put up different statistics while playing on different teams in different leagues. Being on that committee is a hell of a responsibility, because it's your job to make sense if it all, even though there's a good chance you haven't seen all the candidates play in person.
When the dust clears and there are three guys sitting in the front row at the Hobey ceremony Apr. 6 in Tampa, you'll have a hard time convincing me Jack Connolly won't be one of them.
The only question that carries real intrigue, besides the obvious, is this:
Will he still have his Zac Brown-like playoff beard when he's sitting there?
It's a question we'll have a hard time answering until that day comes.
The UMD senior center had four points last weekend -- including three on Saturday -- in a non-conference sweep of Alabama-Huntsville. That lifted Connolly into sole possession of 12th place on UMD's all-time list with 177 points. It also ran his point scoring streak to 22 straight, tying a school single-season record.
Connolly is on the verge of being a three-time All American -- which would be a UMD first. He's also on pace to top 200 career points, assuming UMD plays in at least three postseason games (a virtual certainty between the WCHA and NCAA playoffs). To put that in perspective, TJ Hensick was the last college player to hit 200 career points. And that was a while ago. As Chris Dilks noted this week on Western College Hockey, it's not like there's a long line of guys behind Connolly who have a chance at the number.
Only six players in UMD's history have 200 career points. The last one to hit the milestone in a UMD uniform was Derek Plante in 1993 (219 points). Dan Lempe (222), Matt Christiansen (219), Bill Watson (210), Gregg Moore (206), and Scott Carlston (203) are the others.
In case you're wondering, it's not unrealistic for Connolly to reach 210 points if UMD plays more than one game at the Final Five and four games in the NCAA Tournament. That would tie Connolly for fourth all-time with Watson.
Reality suggests that Connolly's feats will be exceptionally difficult to duplicate. Most players who are talented enough to rack up this many points would be serious flight risks before they've played four years of college hockey. Any chance we have of seeing 200-point players in the future probably lie in undersized, undrafted players like Connolly.
Over the rest of the season, there will be a lot of chatter -- both in this space and in other places -- about Connolly's candidacy for the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player. Unlike some other awards, there are components to the award criteria that have little to do with hockey. However, you're not winning the Hobey if you roll up 15 points in 39 games on a team that goes 12-23-4, no matter what you do with your time away from the rink.
Connolly figures to be a strong possibility for the final ten that the Hobey folks will announce in mid-March, and there's a chance he'll make the Hobey Hat Trick, which is announced shortly after that. He leads the nation in points and points per game, he doesn't "fatten up" on power plays, he doesn't lack in goal-scoring ability (on pace to shatter his previous career high of 18 goals), and he plays in all key situations for UMD, including late in games where UMD is defending a lead. He's developed into a key penalty-killer over his career.
"Obviously, he's a heck of a player on a very good and a very deep team," Michigan Tech coach Mel Pearson says. "So sneaky, so smart. You have to be aware of when he's on the ice."
Pearson would know. For 40 minutes of each game of the teams' series in Houghton in December, Connolly was shut down. In the third period of each game, the Huskies couldn't stop him. Connolly had two goals and an assist in the third period of a 5-3 win Friday, then scored the game-winner in a 5-3 win Saturday.
"They have other parts, but he stirs the drink," Pearson said. "I thought we did an excellent job on him. You might be able to shut him down for 58 minutes, but those two minutes you don't, look out."
UMD coach Scott Sandelin thought Connolly's line -- he centers Mike Seidel and Joe Basaraba -- was out of synch and off its game in Friday's 2-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville. Last year, Connolly and his star linemates Mike Connolly and Justin Fontaine rarely put together a stretch of two sub-par games in a row.
Connolly wasn't going to let it happen this year, either.
"I thought he was outstanding from the drop of the puck," Sandelin said. "I thought he was at another level. It's hard to keep them down. Even those guys not having their best night is still good, but they were very good on Saturday."
UMD's balance is certainly a key to the team's success, but Connolly's ability to dominate in the clutch is what could take this group to another level. Focus too much on Connolly, and you risk getting torched by Travis Oleksuk and JT Brown. And even if you can contain both top lines, you still have to find a way to keep the third and fourth lines -- more than capable of contributing -- off the scoreboard.
Connolly is -- as Pearson says -- the straw stirring the drink. He's the most valuable player you'll find on any top team in college hockey, and he might be the best you'll see anywhere.
The Hobey debate is always an interesting one, because you get into a world where guys play different positions, different roles, and put up different statistics while playing on different teams in different leagues. Being on that committee is a hell of a responsibility, because it's your job to make sense if it all, even though there's a good chance you haven't seen all the candidates play in person.
When the dust clears and there are three guys sitting in the front row at the Hobey ceremony Apr. 6 in Tampa, you'll have a hard time convincing me Jack Connolly won't be one of them.
The only question that carries real intrigue, besides the obvious, is this:
Will he still have his Zac Brown-like playoff beard when he's sitting there?
It's a question we'll have a hard time answering until that day comes.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Jason Garrison Leads Successful Group of UMD Alumni in NHL
One of the prices you pay for success in college hockey is the risk of losing star players early to professional hockey. Sometimes, even losing teams can have players coveted by the pros.
Defenseman Jason Garrison played at UMD from 2005-2008, flashing his big slapshot at times and developing his game enough that he got noticed by pro scouts. Garrison signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers after the 2007-2008 season, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.
The move has paid off for Garrison, who is enjoying his best season -- by far -- in the NHL this year. As the league gets into the All-Star break, Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with a career-high 13 goals. He also has set a new career high with 21 points. The Panthers, under first-year coach Kevin Dineen, went into the break with 55 points, good for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and a tie for first place in the Southeast Division with Washington.
So what took the Panthers so long to figure out that Garrison could shoot?
"I guess it was just passed along from one of the assistant coaches who stayed after last season, and he let the new staff know about it," Garrison said this week. "They've used it to their advantage, and put me on the power play in a position to shoot the puck."
Garrison has 107 shots on goal this season in 48 games, compared to 113 last season. It's pretty clear that teams are adjusting their defensive zone coverages to account for Garrison, which doesn't mean the Panthers can't continue to utilize his offensive ability.
"You're gonna be a bit more of a focus," he said. "It will create more space somewhere else, so you can use that to your advantage."
Garrison spoke highly of Florida general manager Dale Tallon and the moves he made last summer to strengthen the team. Included in that were the acquisitions of former Blackhawks (Tallon was the GM in Chicago until 2009) like forwards Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kopecky and defenseman Brian Campbell, all players who were part of the 2010 team that won the Stanley Cup in Chicago.
"Dale's brought in the right guys," Garrison said, "guys that want to win and guys that have won. That's the biggest thing. These guys have won Stanley Cups, and know what it takes, and they pass it along."
Garrison is one of a growing group of UMD alumni playing in the NHL. Getting regular ice time are forwards Mason Raymond (Vancouver) and Tim Stapleton (Winnipeg), along with defensemen Justin Faulk (Carolina) and Matt Niskanen (Pittsburgh). Former Bulldog defensemen Dylan Olsen (Chicago) and Evan Oberg (Tampa Bay) have also seen time in the NHL this season, and forward Jay Rosehill is one of the tough guys employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Stapleton has set a career high with seven goals going into the break, Niskanen is enjoying a nice season in Pittsburgh after a rough go in Dallas for a couple years, Raymond came back from a scary back injury suffered during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, and Faulk is one of the top rookie defensemen in the league.
What's interesting about Garrison's situation is that he's doing this in a contract year. Garrison signed a two-year, one-way deal in 2010 (meaning he would have to pass through waivers to go the minors and be brought back to the NHL roster, and he would make his NHL salary no matter where he played), and he can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. While teammate Mike Weaver recently signed an extension with the club, Garrison doesn't sound like a guy in a hurry.
"It's something I'm just going to have to deal with at the end of the year," he told me. "We want to make the playoffs and put ourselves in a position to go far. It's a team game, and I don't want to do anything other than focus on the game."
I'm not an expert on NHL salaries, but I have to figure a 27-year-old defenseman with a huge shot and a great attitude could probably net himself a chunk of change on the open market, whether he chooses to re-sign in Florida or go elsewhere.
For now, though, the focus is on helping the Panthers secure their first playoff berth since 2000. The ten-season drought is the longest in the NHL.
Conventional wisdom is that sophomore forward JT Brown will join this alumni-turned-pro list after the season, but we have a ways to go before we get there. The Bulldogs have 12 games left in the regular season, and hopefully a bunch more in the playoffs.
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