This is a huge game, for a multitude of reasons.
I'm not so sure I'd go to the "gut check" terminology, but UMD has been lauded by observer after observer for its talent. A loss here leaves UMD 2-6 in the NCHC at break.
I don't have to tell you that it isn't good enough. Or that it is going to leave a rotten taste in a lot of mouths going into nearly three weeks away from games, and close to a month away from any games that count.
Western Michigan played very well Friday, and surely will try to make life miserable for UMD again in this game.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Osterberg - Cameranesi - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Herbert - Tardy - Basaraba
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - Molenaar
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
WMU
Cichy - Killip - Hadley
Hargrove - Balisy - LaPorte
Kessel - Dries - Novak
Berschbach - Pitt - Kovacs
Stewart - Morrison
Dienes - Fleming
Oesterle - Brown
Slubowski - Hafner
(This is how it was listed Friday, but Hafner started. We expect he will again.)
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Hits a Wall
Kraig and I said it on the air a couple times.
When the fourth line is the best line for UMD in a game, it isn't really a good thing.
Sure, it's good for the line. In this case, it was really nice to see Cal Decowski, Sammy Spurrell, and Charlie Sampair keep going the way they've been going. I'm sure this stretch has been good for their confidence, and their chemistry actually seems to be growing.
However ...
In no other way is it good. Guys who aren't used to big minutes are suddenly asked to play big minutes because, you know, they're the only ones really doing a whole lot. And while a line chart is nothing but a piece of paper, the fourth line is usually listed there for a reason.
(Unless you're Andy Murray, and you think you can fool people into thinking your top line is three guys who have zero points combined entering the game. But I digress.)
If the fourth line is your best line, it's because not enough guys on the top three lines are doing their part.
Throw in a suddenly leaky defense and shaky goaltending, and you have a recipe for a three-game losing streak. UMD has that after a 5-3 loss to Western Michigan Friday. Those three losses have all come at home, marking the second three-game home losing streak for UMD since Amsoil Arena opened. To put that in perspective, before October 2011, UMD hadn't had a three-game losing streak on home ice since the 2007-2008 season, the Season of No Goals. Now they've had a pair of them in barely two years.
How did we get here?
Defensive breakdowns. For whatever reason, teams have now found ways to exploit the UMD defense. St. Cloud got a number of -- via coaches' terminology -- easy goals by simply getting pucks and bodies to the net and beating Bulldogs to spots. Ugly rebounds, poorly-defended rushes, players sneaking behind defenders, we've had it all, and much of it hasn't been good.
Not enough offense. 12 shots over the last 40 minutes Friday. Not one player on this highly-touted roster is averaging a point per game. Andy Welinski, Tony Cameranesi, and Austin Farley combined for 86 points last season. They have combined for six goals and 20 points so far this season. The freshmen have been pretty good, but the older guys need to get going.
It's almost like we've hit a wall. It's the same concept, because that usually comes out of nowhere. I'll theorize that part of the problem is that this team has been largely carried in all phases by the freshmen. Young players are going to make mistakes when tasked with big minutes at this level. The older guys just haven't come around for the most part, though I'm pretty confident at least Farley isn't 100 percent healthy, and I'm not sure Cameranesi is, either.
(There isn't any intel that I'm privy to on either player. These are simply observations from watching them play this year versus last year. With Farley, for example, he will never be known for his breakaway speed, but he doesn't look right at times when skating. I could be reading too much into things, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
So we applaud the fourth line. We also applaud Kyle Osterberg, whose effort and doggedness stand out just about every time he hops the boards. I see a future captain-type here, I really do. He's a perfect penalty killer, because the PK is so much about effort and determination and a willingness to outwork the opponent. Osterberg is always willing to outwork the opponent, and you can never question his effort. Linemates Caleb Herbert and Justin Crandall had their moments Friday, but Osterberg was a constant, and it didn't matter who he was on the ice with.
Break begins after Saturday's game. The Bulldogs won't play again until Jan. 3, and the next regular season game won't be until Jan. 10, which is nearly a full month from now.
Point?
This is it. Empty the tank. Pull out all the stops, because there's no reason not to. Focus all day Saturday should be on ending the first half of the season on a good note. It won't wash away everything that has gone wrong, particularly in the last two games, but it will give everyone in the room a good feeling heading into the holidays. And the break should allow some people to get closer to 100 percent, so we're better in the second half of the season.
At this point, I'm not in favor of thinking of the alternative, so I won't. Time to go get a win and damn the alternatives.
When the fourth line is the best line for UMD in a game, it isn't really a good thing.
Sure, it's good for the line. In this case, it was really nice to see Cal Decowski, Sammy Spurrell, and Charlie Sampair keep going the way they've been going. I'm sure this stretch has been good for their confidence, and their chemistry actually seems to be growing.
However ...
In no other way is it good. Guys who aren't used to big minutes are suddenly asked to play big minutes because, you know, they're the only ones really doing a whole lot. And while a line chart is nothing but a piece of paper, the fourth line is usually listed there for a reason.
(Unless you're Andy Murray, and you think you can fool people into thinking your top line is three guys who have zero points combined entering the game. But I digress.)
If the fourth line is your best line, it's because not enough guys on the top three lines are doing their part.
Throw in a suddenly leaky defense and shaky goaltending, and you have a recipe for a three-game losing streak. UMD has that after a 5-3 loss to Western Michigan Friday. Those three losses have all come at home, marking the second three-game home losing streak for UMD since Amsoil Arena opened. To put that in perspective, before October 2011, UMD hadn't had a three-game losing streak on home ice since the 2007-2008 season, the Season of No Goals. Now they've had a pair of them in barely two years.
How did we get here?
Defensive breakdowns. For whatever reason, teams have now found ways to exploit the UMD defense. St. Cloud got a number of -- via coaches' terminology -- easy goals by simply getting pucks and bodies to the net and beating Bulldogs to spots. Ugly rebounds, poorly-defended rushes, players sneaking behind defenders, we've had it all, and much of it hasn't been good.
Not enough offense. 12 shots over the last 40 minutes Friday. Not one player on this highly-touted roster is averaging a point per game. Andy Welinski, Tony Cameranesi, and Austin Farley combined for 86 points last season. They have combined for six goals and 20 points so far this season. The freshmen have been pretty good, but the older guys need to get going.
It's almost like we've hit a wall. It's the same concept, because that usually comes out of nowhere. I'll theorize that part of the problem is that this team has been largely carried in all phases by the freshmen. Young players are going to make mistakes when tasked with big minutes at this level. The older guys just haven't come around for the most part, though I'm pretty confident at least Farley isn't 100 percent healthy, and I'm not sure Cameranesi is, either.
(There isn't any intel that I'm privy to on either player. These are simply observations from watching them play this year versus last year. With Farley, for example, he will never be known for his breakaway speed, but he doesn't look right at times when skating. I could be reading too much into things, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
So we applaud the fourth line. We also applaud Kyle Osterberg, whose effort and doggedness stand out just about every time he hops the boards. I see a future captain-type here, I really do. He's a perfect penalty killer, because the PK is so much about effort and determination and a willingness to outwork the opponent. Osterberg is always willing to outwork the opponent, and you can never question his effort. Linemates Caleb Herbert and Justin Crandall had their moments Friday, but Osterberg was a constant, and it didn't matter who he was on the ice with.
Break begins after Saturday's game. The Bulldogs won't play again until Jan. 3, and the next regular season game won't be until Jan. 10, which is nearly a full month from now.
Point?
This is it. Empty the tank. Pull out all the stops, because there's no reason not to. Focus all day Saturday should be on ending the first half of the season on a good note. It won't wash away everything that has gone wrong, particularly in the last two games, but it will give everyone in the room a good feeling heading into the holidays. And the break should allow some people to get closer to 100 percent, so we're better in the second half of the season.
At this point, I'm not in favor of thinking of the alternative, so I won't. Time to go get a win and damn the alternatives.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Game 15: Western Michigan at UMD
Greetings and salutations.
It's the final series before break. A chance to go out on a high note. And the local newspaper chooses to spotlight the fact that the loser will be in last place in the conference.
Grrrreat.
I know it's true. I hate that it was the best storyline found in the series. It's amazing how one fluke goal and a bad night can change the perception about a team.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - Molenaar
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
WMU
Cichy - Killip - Hadley
Hargrove - Balisy - LaPorte
Kessel - Dries - Novak
Berschbach - Pitt - Kovacs
Stewart - Morrison
Dienes - Fleming
Oesterle - Brown
Slubowski - Hafner
It's the final series before break. A chance to go out on a high note. And the local newspaper chooses to spotlight the fact that the loser will be in last place in the conference.
Grrrreat.
I know it's true. I hate that it was the best storyline found in the series. It's amazing how one fluke goal and a bad night can change the perception about a team.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - Molenaar
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
WMU
Cichy - Killip - Hadley
Hargrove - Balisy - LaPorte
Kessel - Dries - Novak
Berschbach - Pitt - Kovacs
Stewart - Morrison
Dienes - Fleming
Oesterle - Brown
Slubowski - Hafner
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Andy Murray Enjoying Time Back in School; Bulldogs and Broncos Both Desperate
Andy Murray is an NHL guy by trade, but he's coaching college hockey now, and he's embraced it.
"I thought it (coaching college hockey) would be a great experience, and it hasn't disappointed," the third-year coach told me this week. Murray worked in the NHL from 1988-1995 and again from 1998-2010. He was an assistant in Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Winnipeg before head-coaching stints with the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues.
When Jeff Blashill left after one extraordinary year at Western Michigan to join the Detroit Red Wings coaching staff, WMU hired Murray, who had been let go by the Blues during the 2009-10 season.
"It's different in the sense that you're in charge of these players 24 hours a day," he said. "There's lots of academic meetings and that type of thing you don't have at the pro level. But I enjoy it. I like the recruiting process, and the fact that you can really make an impact on the lives of these young people."
Even before Murray brings his Broncos to Duluth for a series this weekend, he has local ties. His daughter, Sarah, played her college hockey at UMD and was a part of two NCAA title teams under Shannon Miller, whom Andy Murray knew from their time coaching with Team Canada. Two years ago, when UMD played Western Michigan, Andy Murray spoke glowingly of Miller and his daughter's experience playing for UMD.
In two-plus years at Western Michigan, Murray has sure made his mark. The team plays a hard-nosed style, especially in its defensive zone. The message is simple: We want to be absolutely miserable to play against, and the players appear to be buying in.
It's not just making opponents absorb contact to make plays with the puck. They're hard on everyone, they defend well, and they are relentless when they establish a forecheck. WMU defends the transition game well, with defensemen that don't often get out of position, and forwards who work their tails off on the backcheck. There aren't a lot of odd-numbered chances to be had against the Broncos. When you do get one, your reward is having to beat Frank "The Big" Slubowski. Not the best goalie in the country, but a very good one with a hell of a nickname.
They just don't give up much off the rush. UND got a lot of goals from hard work and a tough forecheck last week.
Up front, Shane Berschbach is a point-per-game player having a very good season so far. Justin Kovacs is also off to a strong start, and team captain Chase Balisy is a quality pivot. But I believe Western's depth can be exposed by this UMD team. North Dakota won two one-goal games over Western Michigan last week, largely because UND just doesn't have the depth across its lineup that we're all used to seeing UND have.
(Insert "cab driver" joke here, if you're so inclined.)
The Bulldogs have four lines that can score. Murray agrees.
"When I look at UMD's lineup and their four units, and they're getting production from all of their four units," he said. "A bit of an issue for us is we're not getting a lot of scoring from two units. That puts a lot of pressure on certain players."
Don't be fooled by the standings. These are two good teams that are both capable of winning games this weekend. But I believe UMD has the upper hand, provided it can shake off what happened last week.
"I think the most frustrating part (Saturday) was getting away from our team structure," junior center Caleb Herbert said. "We didn't stick together."
UMD didn't look the same after that bad goal in Friday's loss, and while it's fair to say that such a play can be deflating, it's not fair to put everything that happened after that on the goal. At some point, the Bulldogs needed to regroup and recover, and even given 20 hours after the Friday game ended, UMD just couldn't get back to the way it was playing before SCSU used a fluke shot from center ice to tie the game 2-2.
The Bulldogs have the talent and depth to beat Western Michigan. They need to keep their heads and get quality goaltending to execute the plan and go into break on a high note. Both teams are going to be desperate for wins before taking some time off, and both teams want to get out of the NCHC cellar (tied for seventh with six points, though they are the only teams in the league who haven't played at least eight conference games).
I believe UMD can do well this weekend, but a lot will hinge on forgetting what happened last weekend.
"I thought it (coaching college hockey) would be a great experience, and it hasn't disappointed," the third-year coach told me this week. Murray worked in the NHL from 1988-1995 and again from 1998-2010. He was an assistant in Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Winnipeg before head-coaching stints with the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues.
When Jeff Blashill left after one extraordinary year at Western Michigan to join the Detroit Red Wings coaching staff, WMU hired Murray, who had been let go by the Blues during the 2009-10 season.
"It's different in the sense that you're in charge of these players 24 hours a day," he said. "There's lots of academic meetings and that type of thing you don't have at the pro level. But I enjoy it. I like the recruiting process, and the fact that you can really make an impact on the lives of these young people."
Even before Murray brings his Broncos to Duluth for a series this weekend, he has local ties. His daughter, Sarah, played her college hockey at UMD and was a part of two NCAA title teams under Shannon Miller, whom Andy Murray knew from their time coaching with Team Canada. Two years ago, when UMD played Western Michigan, Andy Murray spoke glowingly of Miller and his daughter's experience playing for UMD.
In two-plus years at Western Michigan, Murray has sure made his mark. The team plays a hard-nosed style, especially in its defensive zone. The message is simple: We want to be absolutely miserable to play against, and the players appear to be buying in.
It's not just making opponents absorb contact to make plays with the puck. They're hard on everyone, they defend well, and they are relentless when they establish a forecheck. WMU defends the transition game well, with defensemen that don't often get out of position, and forwards who work their tails off on the backcheck. There aren't a lot of odd-numbered chances to be had against the Broncos. When you do get one, your reward is having to beat Frank "The Big" Slubowski. Not the best goalie in the country, but a very good one with a hell of a nickname.
They just don't give up much off the rush. UND got a lot of goals from hard work and a tough forecheck last week.
Up front, Shane Berschbach is a point-per-game player having a very good season so far. Justin Kovacs is also off to a strong start, and team captain Chase Balisy is a quality pivot. But I believe Western's depth can be exposed by this UMD team. North Dakota won two one-goal games over Western Michigan last week, largely because UND just doesn't have the depth across its lineup that we're all used to seeing UND have.
(Insert "cab driver" joke here, if you're so inclined.)
The Bulldogs have four lines that can score. Murray agrees.
"When I look at UMD's lineup and their four units, and they're getting production from all of their four units," he said. "A bit of an issue for us is we're not getting a lot of scoring from two units. That puts a lot of pressure on certain players."
Don't be fooled by the standings. These are two good teams that are both capable of winning games this weekend. But I believe UMD has the upper hand, provided it can shake off what happened last week.
"I think the most frustrating part (Saturday) was getting away from our team structure," junior center Caleb Herbert said. "We didn't stick together."
UMD didn't look the same after that bad goal in Friday's loss, and while it's fair to say that such a play can be deflating, it's not fair to put everything that happened after that on the goal. At some point, the Bulldogs needed to regroup and recover, and even given 20 hours after the Friday game ended, UMD just couldn't get back to the way it was playing before SCSU used a fluke shot from center ice to tie the game 2-2.
The Bulldogs have the talent and depth to beat Western Michigan. They need to keep their heads and get quality goaltending to execute the plan and go into break on a high note. Both teams are going to be desperate for wins before taking some time off, and both teams want to get out of the NCHC cellar (tied for seventh with six points, though they are the only teams in the league who haven't played at least eight conference games).
I believe UMD can do well this weekend, but a lot will hinge on forgetting what happened last weekend.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Game 14: St. Cloud State at UMD
UPDATE: Freshman forward Dom(inic) Toninato is out (virus). Max Tardy takes his spot in the lineup.
This could go a couple different ways. Either UMD, bound and determined to get a win after having it snatched from them Friday, comes out like the proverbial gangbusters, takes the play to the No. 2 Huskies again, and finds a way to win a hard-fought game ...
... or St. Cloud plays as St. Cloud feels it's capable of playing, takes the play to UMD, and earns the full lot of six points for the weekend.
Honestly, could see it working either way.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo -Toninato Tardy - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
McManus - Johnson
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
SCSU
Benik - Dowd - Thorson
Brodzinski - Kossila - Murray
Oliver - Rehkamp - Bertsch
Tedesco - Morley - Papa
Prochno - Prow
Gravel - Nevalainen
Storm - Rabey
Faragher - Lindgren
This could go a couple different ways. Either UMD, bound and determined to get a win after having it snatched from them Friday, comes out like the proverbial gangbusters, takes the play to the No. 2 Huskies again, and finds a way to win a hard-fought game ...
... or St. Cloud plays as St. Cloud feels it's capable of playing, takes the play to UMD, and earns the full lot of six points for the weekend.
Honestly, could see it working either way.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo -
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
McManus - Johnson
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
SCSU
Benik - Dowd - Thorson
Brodzinski - Kossila - Murray
Oliver - Rehkamp - Bertsch
Tedesco - Morley - Papa
Prochno - Prow
Gravel - Nevalainen
Storm - Rabey
Faragher - Lindgren
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Sting
This will be quick.
Running errands and blogging on the phone. Excuse typos.
That one stung. Still does, actually. UMD snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Friday, dominating statistically but falling 4-2 on a pair of third period goals by Jonny Brodzinski.
The only areas the Huskies outplayed the Bulldogs were special teams and faceoffs. SCSU was 2 for 4 on the power play, held UMD to one goal in six chances, and won 44 of 71 faceoffs.
UMD owned in shots, possession, and chances, but St. Cloud goalie Ryan Faragher was sharp as a tack.
It wasn't Matt McNeely's best game in the Bulldog net. He allowed a goal from center ice after a bounce off defenseman Tim Smith high in the defensive zone. Hard top blame him solely for the other two he allowed, but he looked shaky at times, fumbling the puck a bit and seeming to struggle to control it.
Can't pin the loss on him totally, not that I ever do just blame the goalie. The Dogs lost too many faceoffs, didn't do enough on the power play, and need to be more consistent with getting traffic to the net.
Generally, they played well against a very good team. It'll take an even better performance Saturday, because you can bet SCSU won't be satisfied with the win considering it was outshot 38-19 and outplayed much of the game.
I believe UMD can win and split, but there's a part of me that thinks our best shot was Friday. Had them on the ropes and couldn't finish. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Running errands and blogging on the phone. Excuse typos.
That one stung. Still does, actually. UMD snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Friday, dominating statistically but falling 4-2 on a pair of third period goals by Jonny Brodzinski.
The only areas the Huskies outplayed the Bulldogs were special teams and faceoffs. SCSU was 2 for 4 on the power play, held UMD to one goal in six chances, and won 44 of 71 faceoffs.
UMD owned in shots, possession, and chances, but St. Cloud goalie Ryan Faragher was sharp as a tack.
It wasn't Matt McNeely's best game in the Bulldog net. He allowed a goal from center ice after a bounce off defenseman Tim Smith high in the defensive zone. Hard top blame him solely for the other two he allowed, but he looked shaky at times, fumbling the puck a bit and seeming to struggle to control it.
Can't pin the loss on him totally, not that I ever do just blame the goalie. The Dogs lost too many faceoffs, didn't do enough on the power play, and need to be more consistent with getting traffic to the net.
Generally, they played well against a very good team. It'll take an even better performance Saturday, because you can bet SCSU won't be satisfied with the win considering it was outshot 38-19 and outplayed much of the game.
I believe UMD can win and split, but there's a part of me that thinks our best shot was Friday. Had them on the ropes and couldn't finish. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Friday, December 06, 2013
Game 13: St. Cloud State at UMD
Home again.
Only took 38 minutes to get from the mansion in Proctor to the rink. Traffic sucks. Expected that going southbound, but apparently everyone and their mother wants to freeze their bum off at Bentleyville or something.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
McManus - Molenaar
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
SCSU
Thorson - Dowd - Benik
Murray - Kossila - Brodzinski
Oliver - Rehkamp - Bertsch
Tedesco - Morley - Papa
Prochno - Prow
Gravel - Nevalainen
Storm - Daly
Faragher - Lindgren
Only took 38 minutes to get from the mansion in Proctor to the rink. Traffic sucks. Expected that going southbound, but apparently everyone and their mother wants to freeze their bum off at Bentleyville or something.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
McManus - Molenaar
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
SCSU
Thorson - Dowd - Benik
Murray - Kossila - Brodzinski
Oliver - Rehkamp - Bertsch
Tedesco - Morley - Papa
Prochno - Prow
Gravel - Nevalainen
Storm - Daly
Faragher - Lindgren
UMD Takes Aim at Another High-Ranked Opponent
Frying pan, meet fire.
We knew going into the season that there were plenty of really good opponents on UMD's schedule. Reality has proven the theory correct.
For the third time this season, UMD will battle a team in the top two of the national rankings. So far, the Bulldogs have posted a 2-2 record in four games against such opponents (Minnesota and Notre Dame), winning by a combined 10-3 (4-1 over Notre Dame and 6-2 over Minnesota) while losing two games by a combined 9-3 (3-2 to Notre Dame and 6-1 to Minnesota).
This weekend, St. Cloud State invades Amsoil Arena, with a No. 2 national ranking in tow. The 20th-ranked Bulldogs are coming off a bye week, and while UMD wasn't as banged-up as it was after the Ohio State series (its last bye), the boys should be even healthier now.
SCSU isn't No. 2 by default. The Huskies just don't sport a lot of weaknesses right now. The forward depth is impressive. Guys like Jonny Brodzinski, Kalle Kossila, and Joey Benik are playing bigger roles because Hobey Baker winner Drew LeBlanc and Ben Hanowski graduated. Nic Dowd is off to a great start as well, and the Huskies have plenty of solid role players all over the lineup.
Defensively, you needn't look further than Andrew Prochno. The junior has developed into one of the better defensemen in the NCHC. He and his blue-line partner Ethan Prow were each plus-four in SCSU's 6-2 win over Colorado College Nov. 23, the Huskies' last game.
That isn't to say that UMD is full of slouches in the lineup.
The Bulldogs got some guys going in the Minnesota win, as Justin Crandall tallied four points, Caleb Herbert had three assists, and Tony Cameranesi was strong again. Crandall, Austin Farley, and Cameranesi combined for a great first-period goal in that win after Crandall came on in a line change for Adam Krause. Before Crandall's normal linemates -- Herbert and Kyle Osterberg -- could hop the boards, Crandall intercepted a clearing attempt, found Farley behind the net, and then Farley fed a wide-open Cameranesi in front. It was a great example of what can happen when you hem even a great team like Minnesota in its defensive zone for a long shift. The Gophers had no chance of making a change, they got tired from constantly chasing the puck, and UMD made them pay.
These teams are somewhat similar in that both coaches like the forward depth available, and yet the teams have struggled on the power play. They are both between 17 and 18 percent, with UMD's 17.2 percent vastly improved from what it was before a 4-for-7 performance against Minnesota two weekends ago.
UMD will be challenged to get pucks to (and then by) SCSU junior goalie Ryan Faragher. He carries an impressive .923 save percentage, and the Huskies allow only 24 shots per game. Of course, UMD permits just 25, and sophomore goalie Matt McNeely has a .927 save percentage.
Goals might be tough to come by for both teams, which sends us right back to the special teams bit I already brought up. The team that gets its power play going will be the one getting the money.
As for UMD, don't expect many lineup changes from the Minnesota win. Sophomore defenseman Willie Corrin (undisclosed injury) will likely be the only one out from that game. I believe we'll see junior Luke McManus draw in if that ends up being the case.
The way the forwards played against Minnesota, even in that loss, there really isn't any reason to change anything there. McNeely should get a second straight start in goal. He was sharp early on against Minnesota, and then played well while getting peppered with pucks as Minnesota tried and failed to generate a rally as UMD built a big lead.
These two series before Christmas should be entertaining, even if there isn't much scoring. These are teams that will test UMD's discipline -- in a "playing strong in its own zone" kind of way, and not in an "avoiding dumb penalties" way -- and patience while also pressuring the Bulldogs' generally-young defense.
We knew going into the season that there were plenty of really good opponents on UMD's schedule. Reality has proven the theory correct.
For the third time this season, UMD will battle a team in the top two of the national rankings. So far, the Bulldogs have posted a 2-2 record in four games against such opponents (Minnesota and Notre Dame), winning by a combined 10-3 (4-1 over Notre Dame and 6-2 over Minnesota) while losing two games by a combined 9-3 (3-2 to Notre Dame and 6-1 to Minnesota).
This weekend, St. Cloud State invades Amsoil Arena, with a No. 2 national ranking in tow. The 20th-ranked Bulldogs are coming off a bye week, and while UMD wasn't as banged-up as it was after the Ohio State series (its last bye), the boys should be even healthier now.
SCSU isn't No. 2 by default. The Huskies just don't sport a lot of weaknesses right now. The forward depth is impressive. Guys like Jonny Brodzinski, Kalle Kossila, and Joey Benik are playing bigger roles because Hobey Baker winner Drew LeBlanc and Ben Hanowski graduated. Nic Dowd is off to a great start as well, and the Huskies have plenty of solid role players all over the lineup.
Defensively, you needn't look further than Andrew Prochno. The junior has developed into one of the better defensemen in the NCHC. He and his blue-line partner Ethan Prow were each plus-four in SCSU's 6-2 win over Colorado College Nov. 23, the Huskies' last game.
That isn't to say that UMD is full of slouches in the lineup.
The Bulldogs got some guys going in the Minnesota win, as Justin Crandall tallied four points, Caleb Herbert had three assists, and Tony Cameranesi was strong again. Crandall, Austin Farley, and Cameranesi combined for a great first-period goal in that win after Crandall came on in a line change for Adam Krause. Before Crandall's normal linemates -- Herbert and Kyle Osterberg -- could hop the boards, Crandall intercepted a clearing attempt, found Farley behind the net, and then Farley fed a wide-open Cameranesi in front. It was a great example of what can happen when you hem even a great team like Minnesota in its defensive zone for a long shift. The Gophers had no chance of making a change, they got tired from constantly chasing the puck, and UMD made them pay.
These teams are somewhat similar in that both coaches like the forward depth available, and yet the teams have struggled on the power play. They are both between 17 and 18 percent, with UMD's 17.2 percent vastly improved from what it was before a 4-for-7 performance against Minnesota two weekends ago.
UMD will be challenged to get pucks to (and then by) SCSU junior goalie Ryan Faragher. He carries an impressive .923 save percentage, and the Huskies allow only 24 shots per game. Of course, UMD permits just 25, and sophomore goalie Matt McNeely has a .927 save percentage.
Goals might be tough to come by for both teams, which sends us right back to the special teams bit I already brought up. The team that gets its power play going will be the one getting the money.
As for UMD, don't expect many lineup changes from the Minnesota win. Sophomore defenseman Willie Corrin (undisclosed injury) will likely be the only one out from that game. I believe we'll see junior Luke McManus draw in if that ends up being the case.
The way the forwards played against Minnesota, even in that loss, there really isn't any reason to change anything there. McNeely should get a second straight start in goal. He was sharp early on against Minnesota, and then played well while getting peppered with pucks as Minnesota tried and failed to generate a rally as UMD built a big lead.
These two series before Christmas should be entertaining, even if there isn't much scoring. These are teams that will test UMD's discipline -- in a "playing strong in its own zone" kind of way, and not in an "avoiding dumb penalties" way -- and patience while also pressuring the Bulldogs' generally-young defense.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)