I wrote an article last week and kept it pretty clean so that my friends on the CC page would not get too made. I'll do the same today except that I will talk a little bit about the chances of the WCHA going back to the national championship and win it all.
As always, this post is subjective and I tend to lean towards the skilled teams.
Who can win it, and why:
1. Minnesota-Duluth: Honestly, Duluth caught me off guard last season making it as far as they did. I believe their first round loss in the WCHA Final Five was to Bemidji State. Kind of a rough way to start the post season and that really turned my attention away from them. This season is different. I don't see the super power team that I did last year. This does not appear to be the talent loaded team like last year, but a team that knows each other. I've always told my friends that a team with heart will always beat a team with skill. I believe this year's Duluth team is pure heart. However, I don't think Duluth will win it all. A giant hole in the defense left by Faulk is going to make the difference when the tournament comes a knockin'. My prediction: Second round loss in the NCAA tournament.
2. Minnesota: It appears that the type of team that lived in Duluth last year, now resides in Minneapolis. This team is 4 players short of an NHL team and they have the confidence of an all-star team. Nick Bjugstad has picked up the play and defense has played great. Problem with Minnesota is that they loaded up their beginning schedule with teams like Holy Cross and Sacred Heart. Being the power house that they are, it only seems like they were trying to get a head start on the good rankings. If Patterson can stay hot in net this team can go far. If he clunks out in the tourney, this team is toast. My prediction: Loss in the frozen four.
3. North Dakota: Injuries have plagued this team and made things downright horrible. The second half has proven to be good to the Sioux. If a dominant effort is maintained through the remainder of the season, UND just might make the tourney without having to win the Final Five. My prediction: 1st round lost in NCAA tourney.
4. Colorado College: I enjoy watching CC play. The fire, passion and emotion takes this team far. During the first part of the season, the defense played horrible and CC sunk. Now CC is in the bad position of having to play some good teams down the stretch to keep their tourney hopes alive. I'm not holding my breath for CC, so based on pure performance I don't think they will make the tourney. However, if the team plays like it has into the Final Five with Thorny in net I think this team is the 2012 bracket buster. My prediction with a bracket buster: Frozen four loss.
5. Nebraska-Omaha: Unless this team plans on winning some serious games in the next two months don't expect to see them in late March. My prediction: WCHA Playoff Loss.
6. Denver: I'm at odds with this team. Not because I am a CC fan but because Sam Brittain is returning. Sam is a good goalie but the team has made it's fortunes this season off of the work of Juho Olkinura. I just don't think that Sam will be able to gel with this team enough to make it far into the post season. Surely Juho is not capable of a national championship run. My prediction: WCHA Final Five Championship loss to CC.
7. Michigan Tech: Another team that will not go anywhere without a bracket buster. They played well in the beginning of the season and then lost some steam. They are not in an automatic pick for the tourney as it stands and I don't see them doing well in the WCHA playoffs. My prediction: Loss in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
8. Bemidji State: Bemidji just doesn't have it this year. Not a contender and nobody notable who can carry this team past the first line. My prediction: WCHA first round loss.
9. St. Cloud State: SCSU has done well this season in the second half. Taking out Minnesota for a game and sweeping UND. I think SCSU can get into the Final Five but that's about it. My prediction: Loss in the Final Five.
10. Minnesota State: My prediction: First round WCHA playoff loss
11. Wisconsin: Nothing note worthy about this team. They need to grow and reload before they can get past the horrors of this season. My prediction: First Round playoff loss.
12. Alaska Anchorage: Really tough year for these guys. My prediction: first round wcha playoff loss.
Results:
Final Five Participants
UMD
UM
CC
DU
UND
SCSU
Teams from WCHA in Tourney:
CC
UM
UMD
All other things held equal, National Championship game:
Boston University Vs. Minnesota
Friday, February 10, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
WCHA GOALIES: THE BEST OF THE BEST
About two months ago I wrote a blog about the Colorado College goaltending situation. Many people praised it as truth in action and a call for Owens to do something. Just about everyone in my CC facebook group called me some obnoxious name. I was even called, yes, a DU fan.
I'm not a DU fan, but I love watching goalies play. That's because I play goalie so I understand the position better than I do any of other other five spots. While two months ago I was heckling Owens for his defensive problems, I now praise him for figuring it out amidst a goaltending problem.
So without further ado, my "subjective" views of the WCHA goalies:
(Note: With the exception of a couple of teams, I am only including starting goalies)
My rankings:
1: Aaron Dell, UND: This guy is my favorite goalie in the NCAA. At 6 feet tall, Dell fills in as the "average" height for a goalie. College net minders have a range from 5'7 all the way to 6'6. Getting in anywhere in the 6's almost guarantee's success. Aside from Dell's height, I have quite a bit to like about him. First his stance. Dell plays a shallow stance on the dead angles and widens up out front. This is common of a goalie who lacks speed to go post to post when a guy like Nick Bjugstad or Jaden Schwartz is waiting on the other side. But the thing is, Dell carries speed..and a lot of it. Dell will usually wait on the side for the wrap around and bait the player into thinking they have a centering pass option. Then he will explode to the puck and pick off any attempt at a centering shot. His lateral movements are great and trying to score on this guy down low is almost impossible. Which is why his shallow upright stance presents a problem for anyone thinking about roofing for the peanut butter. A so-so team in front of him has UND as a middle of the pack team this year. If things were different, UND might be ranked #1 right now.
2: Sam Brittain, DU: At 6'3 I have a hard time not picking Sam over Aaron Dell. He explodes the same way Aaron Dell does but has the extra 3 inches of height to cover his posts. As a goalie, you have to use whatever means is available to get the save. I'm not a fan of DU because I like CC, but I really enjoy watching Brittain play. Like Dell, he plays with a shallow stance and explodes to the puck....sometimes. Brittain has tremendous speed, but spectators rarely get to see it because this guy is always in position. Instead of making flex saves or doing t-pushes to get from side to side, brittain shuffles. This is a sign that a player is at or near in line with the puck. I would rank Brittain tied with Dell, but he doesn't hold the same speed as Dell so this is why he get's #2.
3: Kent Patterson, UM: At 6'1, Patterson again makes a strong case for a good goalie. The difference between the first two goalies and the remaining ones is a landslide. Patterson is not my favorite goalie to watch by any means. In fact I doubt I would rank him this high if it wasn't for the fact that Minnesota is like 4 players away from a fully drafted team...including Patterson. I would say that Patterson's best area's belong to his puck tracking. Seeing a puck from the blue line is not a hard task, unless your name is Adam Murray. Seeing the puck through traffic can get difficult, but again positioning will save you on that. Seeing the puck from five feet away with a heavy handed sniper is a difficult task that separates the elite from the rest. Patterson's glove reaction time is second to none. He's not a body player like Howe, Faulkner and Reiter, but he puts himself in position to make body saves. A very good attribute. Ultimately Patterson starts the decline of netminders who start lacking. If anyone had the chance to watch CC play Minnesota you may have caught Dineen's goal against patty. Patterson left his five hole wide open and Dineen snagged him going from left to right. As a low playing shot, Patterson should have pushed off and followed Dineen with a closing-five hole slide. He didn't because he lacks the low shot play.
4. Dan Bakala, BSU: Dan is below the 6'0 mark which starts the disadvantage. It's not all bad news being shorter than six feet, the work required to make a casual save is more though. Dan is a puck reader like Patterson. He's also a positional guy like Brittain which makes him ever more dangerous. His downside is the rebounds he kicks out. If he was playing on a team like Minnesota or Minnesota-Duluth, these problems would disappear. But he's not. He's playing for bemidji where the goalie is not the last line, it's the defense.
5. Josh Thorimbert, CC: Another guy shorter than 6 feet, thorny has the slight disadvantage in this area. The defense in front of him has been non-existent for most of the year yet he has played strong. Thorny is not a guy who opens his stance much or applies a heavy amount of speed. He's a puck reader and a stand up style goalie. This is by no means a disadvantage, it just is the way thorny plays. Breakaways and odd man rushes are Thorny's specialty. He can handle just about anything coming his way. If not for a little bit more speed, thorny would be 1,2, or 3 on this list.
6. Mike Lee, SCSU: Mike is a guy who stands at 6'1 and really looks quite a bit bigger than that in the net. He plays a very wide stance and covers most of the net by playing in one spot. He's got the speed to come out of a wide stance and make critical saves. One of the marquee traits of a wide stance player is their flexibility. This is what mike lacks. It's because of this that he had troubles at the end of last year and prior to his injury this year. Maybe some flexibility training will improve his odds that he won't be the next guy to be cut when he show's up for his AHL assignment next fall.
7. Juho Olkinuora, DU: The fall of Sam Brittain and Adam Murray certainly left a big hole to fill in the DU net. Enter Juho. I don't understand Juho fully because he only has one season under his belt. From what I have seen, he looks like a set player. These are the garden variety goalies who come in their freshman year expecting the plays to be as slow as they were in high school or juniors. The wake up call comes quickly. Juho has broken out of that shell a bit, but he certainly showed that his comfort is a solid read and a hold when Alexander Krushelnyski came down on a penalty shot last December. He's got some work to do if he ever wants to be higher than the third goalie within DU's goalie corps.
8. Joe Howe, CC: Joe came into this season as the #1 goalie from the past two seasons. Joe has worked hard each off season to make himself better. His appearance in last years NCAA tournament against Michigan was great. Although he lost, he made some crucial saves that kept CC in the game. Joe plays a different type of game than any other goalie in the WCHA thus far. I grew up playing pond hockey and I see the image of Joe's style from the ponds in Minnesota. Ponds are much rougher and harder to slide on when playing goalie. The pads stick to the ice and often require the goalie to make flex saves or include a heavy dose of power. Joe has both of these. I would say he's the strongest positional goalie in the WCHA. When the puck gets into his zone, he locks on like a missle. He watches the puck for every square inch it moves. But unfortunately, the world arena is not a pond. This makes Joe's incredible power and high flexibility nearly useless. Joe can handle players in his zone, but when the puck comes one on one players tend to deke him into making a flex save and then they roof it on him. Without a stellar defense in hand, this type of tending is difficult to do in the WCHA. Hopefully Joe can rebound from this year and revert to his old self.
9. Kenny Reiter, UMD: Of all the goalies on this list, I dislike reiter the most. For his first two seasons, Reiter split time with his partner Aaron Crandall. Until last year, Crandall had the upper hand. And until last year, the Conolly pair had not developed into a forceful duo. Now that one conolly is gone, reiter still has a stellar defense in front of him. However, to be at this level is no coincidence. Reiter is another puck tracker. He can see all the pucks in his zone and stop them. It's the 1 on 1's and the odd man rushes that ruin his days.
10. John Faulkner, UNO: Justin is a great minder who has lost his thunder this season. Another above six foot tall net minder, Faulkner is an open stance type player similar to Mike Lee. His problem rests with his speed. He has too much of it to control. His C-cuts are often sliding stops and that is never good for a goalie. He reminds me of a raw Richard Bachman. Bachman had all of the fundamentals down that Faulkner seems to be missing.
11. Joel Rumpel, UW: For the pat three years, Wisconsin has been treated by Scott Gudmanson and Brian Bennett. Bennett won the World Juniors in net for team USA and Gudmanson took the badgers all the way to the national championship game. Now the game starts over and a new goalie is in. It's Rumpel. Rumpel is by no way fine tuned. He lacks in many area's and looks quite unrefined. I dare ask what Wisconsin's back up goalie looks like if Rumpel beat him out for the starting job.
I'm not a DU fan, but I love watching goalies play. That's because I play goalie so I understand the position better than I do any of other other five spots. While two months ago I was heckling Owens for his defensive problems, I now praise him for figuring it out amidst a goaltending problem.
So without further ado, my "subjective" views of the WCHA goalies:
(Note: With the exception of a couple of teams, I am only including starting goalies)
My rankings:
1: Aaron Dell, UND: This guy is my favorite goalie in the NCAA. At 6 feet tall, Dell fills in as the "average" height for a goalie. College net minders have a range from 5'7 all the way to 6'6. Getting in anywhere in the 6's almost guarantee's success. Aside from Dell's height, I have quite a bit to like about him. First his stance. Dell plays a shallow stance on the dead angles and widens up out front. This is common of a goalie who lacks speed to go post to post when a guy like Nick Bjugstad or Jaden Schwartz is waiting on the other side. But the thing is, Dell carries speed..and a lot of it. Dell will usually wait on the side for the wrap around and bait the player into thinking they have a centering pass option. Then he will explode to the puck and pick off any attempt at a centering shot. His lateral movements are great and trying to score on this guy down low is almost impossible. Which is why his shallow upright stance presents a problem for anyone thinking about roofing for the peanut butter. A so-so team in front of him has UND as a middle of the pack team this year. If things were different, UND might be ranked #1 right now.
2: Sam Brittain, DU: At 6'3 I have a hard time not picking Sam over Aaron Dell. He explodes the same way Aaron Dell does but has the extra 3 inches of height to cover his posts. As a goalie, you have to use whatever means is available to get the save. I'm not a fan of DU because I like CC, but I really enjoy watching Brittain play. Like Dell, he plays with a shallow stance and explodes to the puck....sometimes. Brittain has tremendous speed, but spectators rarely get to see it because this guy is always in position. Instead of making flex saves or doing t-pushes to get from side to side, brittain shuffles. This is a sign that a player is at or near in line with the puck. I would rank Brittain tied with Dell, but he doesn't hold the same speed as Dell so this is why he get's #2.
3: Kent Patterson, UM: At 6'1, Patterson again makes a strong case for a good goalie. The difference between the first two goalies and the remaining ones is a landslide. Patterson is not my favorite goalie to watch by any means. In fact I doubt I would rank him this high if it wasn't for the fact that Minnesota is like 4 players away from a fully drafted team...including Patterson. I would say that Patterson's best area's belong to his puck tracking. Seeing a puck from the blue line is not a hard task, unless your name is Adam Murray. Seeing the puck through traffic can get difficult, but again positioning will save you on that. Seeing the puck from five feet away with a heavy handed sniper is a difficult task that separates the elite from the rest. Patterson's glove reaction time is second to none. He's not a body player like Howe, Faulkner and Reiter, but he puts himself in position to make body saves. A very good attribute. Ultimately Patterson starts the decline of netminders who start lacking. If anyone had the chance to watch CC play Minnesota you may have caught Dineen's goal against patty. Patterson left his five hole wide open and Dineen snagged him going from left to right. As a low playing shot, Patterson should have pushed off and followed Dineen with a closing-five hole slide. He didn't because he lacks the low shot play.
4. Dan Bakala, BSU: Dan is below the 6'0 mark which starts the disadvantage. It's not all bad news being shorter than six feet, the work required to make a casual save is more though. Dan is a puck reader like Patterson. He's also a positional guy like Brittain which makes him ever more dangerous. His downside is the rebounds he kicks out. If he was playing on a team like Minnesota or Minnesota-Duluth, these problems would disappear. But he's not. He's playing for bemidji where the goalie is not the last line, it's the defense.
5. Josh Thorimbert, CC: Another guy shorter than 6 feet, thorny has the slight disadvantage in this area. The defense in front of him has been non-existent for most of the year yet he has played strong. Thorny is not a guy who opens his stance much or applies a heavy amount of speed. He's a puck reader and a stand up style goalie. This is by no means a disadvantage, it just is the way thorny plays. Breakaways and odd man rushes are Thorny's specialty. He can handle just about anything coming his way. If not for a little bit more speed, thorny would be 1,2, or 3 on this list.
6. Mike Lee, SCSU: Mike is a guy who stands at 6'1 and really looks quite a bit bigger than that in the net. He plays a very wide stance and covers most of the net by playing in one spot. He's got the speed to come out of a wide stance and make critical saves. One of the marquee traits of a wide stance player is their flexibility. This is what mike lacks. It's because of this that he had troubles at the end of last year and prior to his injury this year. Maybe some flexibility training will improve his odds that he won't be the next guy to be cut when he show's up for his AHL assignment next fall.
7. Juho Olkinuora, DU: The fall of Sam Brittain and Adam Murray certainly left a big hole to fill in the DU net. Enter Juho. I don't understand Juho fully because he only has one season under his belt. From what I have seen, he looks like a set player. These are the garden variety goalies who come in their freshman year expecting the plays to be as slow as they were in high school or juniors. The wake up call comes quickly. Juho has broken out of that shell a bit, but he certainly showed that his comfort is a solid read and a hold when Alexander Krushelnyski came down on a penalty shot last December. He's got some work to do if he ever wants to be higher than the third goalie within DU's goalie corps.
8. Joe Howe, CC: Joe came into this season as the #1 goalie from the past two seasons. Joe has worked hard each off season to make himself better. His appearance in last years NCAA tournament against Michigan was great. Although he lost, he made some crucial saves that kept CC in the game. Joe plays a different type of game than any other goalie in the WCHA thus far. I grew up playing pond hockey and I see the image of Joe's style from the ponds in Minnesota. Ponds are much rougher and harder to slide on when playing goalie. The pads stick to the ice and often require the goalie to make flex saves or include a heavy dose of power. Joe has both of these. I would say he's the strongest positional goalie in the WCHA. When the puck gets into his zone, he locks on like a missle. He watches the puck for every square inch it moves. But unfortunately, the world arena is not a pond. This makes Joe's incredible power and high flexibility nearly useless. Joe can handle players in his zone, but when the puck comes one on one players tend to deke him into making a flex save and then they roof it on him. Without a stellar defense in hand, this type of tending is difficult to do in the WCHA. Hopefully Joe can rebound from this year and revert to his old self.
9. Kenny Reiter, UMD: Of all the goalies on this list, I dislike reiter the most. For his first two seasons, Reiter split time with his partner Aaron Crandall. Until last year, Crandall had the upper hand. And until last year, the Conolly pair had not developed into a forceful duo. Now that one conolly is gone, reiter still has a stellar defense in front of him. However, to be at this level is no coincidence. Reiter is another puck tracker. He can see all the pucks in his zone and stop them. It's the 1 on 1's and the odd man rushes that ruin his days.
10. John Faulkner, UNO: Justin is a great minder who has lost his thunder this season. Another above six foot tall net minder, Faulkner is an open stance type player similar to Mike Lee. His problem rests with his speed. He has too much of it to control. His C-cuts are often sliding stops and that is never good for a goalie. He reminds me of a raw Richard Bachman. Bachman had all of the fundamentals down that Faulkner seems to be missing.
11. Joel Rumpel, UW: For the pat three years, Wisconsin has been treated by Scott Gudmanson and Brian Bennett. Bennett won the World Juniors in net for team USA and Gudmanson took the badgers all the way to the national championship game. Now the game starts over and a new goalie is in. It's Rumpel. Rumpel is by no way fine tuned. He lacks in many area's and looks quite unrefined. I dare ask what Wisconsin's back up goalie looks like if Rumpel beat him out for the starting job.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Has Owens Lost his touch?
I wrote about this subject last Spring. The topic has not changed nor has the coaching style. Colorado College holds a pedigree of players that have come through this system. They all are very smart off the ice, and they often put great numbers on the ice. This is a staunch launching platform for any NHL team. The character and discipline required by CC students is not something found at most schools. The problem is how CC runs their schedules. The block program is a set of 6 week time periods where students are shoveled information in and expected to regurgitate that same info on tests, reviews and the like. Not many coaches can handle this proposition, and most that do are often looking for a way out. One cannot possibly understand the complexity of the CC block plan unless they have been a part of it. Just ask Don Lucia, former CC skipper and current Minnesota shot caller.
Enter Scott Owens. The perfect coaching style with a Colorado College degree and a firm understanding of the block plan. He's got an awesome win percentage and has had over 500 games under his belt. The advantages to having someone so experienced at the helm are enormous. One cannot grasp the gravity of how difficult a coaching job is, never the less finding a reasonable coach who understands the school. Just ask the current Alabama-Huntsville coach. Although I cannot tell you his name off hand, he has often had troubles recruiting because of the lack of hockey anywhere in the state of Alabama.
However that is not the proposition of this blog, it's to gain answers from a man who this blogger feels has lost his touch. I have watched the tigers play some great games. One thinks back to the days of Bachman, Sweatt, and Testwuide to name a few. Staunch players who were gritty and good. All three are now in the NHL, all three can say the same thing: None of them brought home the broadmoor' trophy or the national championship. They did collectively win the McNaughton cup, but ask Alexander Ovechkin or the Sedin twins how much the regular seasons best team trophy(presidents) means to them in light of the towering stanley cup. They will probably not say too much about it. In fact, the last time I heard any talk about CC's last McNaughton cup was while picking up my souvenir cup at the concession stand. Had a picture of that glorious day right on it.
So what do all of these former CC players have to do with this season's roster? Simple: They were all destined to do something higher than college level and their seasons all ended with a disappointing loss. My records my not be correct, but I do not think that B. Sweatt, Bachman, or Testwuide ever touched playoff blood. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, CC was in the playoffs once over these players careers and the loss was to Michigan State on home ice while the National Championship was in Denver.
Most of the current roster tasted blood over the Boston College blowout from last season. One would think this would be plenty to keep the players motivated to dominate the league. This appears not, even as the WCHA's powerhouse teams, DU,UND,WI, falter under the midnight moon while Michigan Tech and other small unknown teams try and catch this seasons come from no where team: Minnesota. This was supposed to be the chance for CC to knock the conference out of the water and dominate every aspect of the game. Instead we are left with sweeping losses by sub .500 teams and blowout wins where our goaltenders get pulled in less than 45 minutes.
This problem reminds me of the final years of Bobby Bowdens career as head football coach at Florida State. He was a coach there for around 40 years and did remarkable things. Led the 'Noles to championships and conference glory in the early to mid 90's. Infact when I graduated from high school in 2001, one of my friends who went on to play D1 college ball had three choices for football: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida State. Then, as time passed, Bowden lost his touch and his teams began a downward spiral towards the lower ranks of college football. Recruiting was down and it didn't help that the ACC was crumbling itself. Four years ago, Bowden left. The transfer of power was nothing short of tragic and hopeless. Many seminoles fans found the game nights to be too much of a heartbreaking for them to attend. The this year the coach got them back on track and what do you know....a top 5 ranking midway through the season. A loss to the #1 ranked team in the nation changed that, but still this appears to be progress for them.
As the same was for bowden, I feel the same is for owens. He appears out of touch. This year's team never seems prepared for a game and it's not any individual's fault. Howe takes quite a load for the losses because his only job is to stop the puck. Well my friends, you can't stop rubber when you can't see it. He's worked hard but at this point I am convinced that no amount of goalie carousel will change the situation. This team lacks the motivation they had last season. I don't know why, but they do. It's a day in and out process that was only overshadowed by the DU overtime win.
I am nothing more than a writer who see's this team from my seat. I watch the game and I analyze the plays that are made. The players can work really hard and don't seem to try and use the elevation to their advantage(although the arena staff does....see the opening video board shots). The players work the puck and use solid coaching all around. However when the time get's tough, they make constant mental mistakes and breakdown. Our defense has been at the forefront of this onslaught and I think they have had enough coals thrown at them. It's time we take a look at the skipper and see if something is not correct with him. After all, we still have a winning record but we are not playing like a team that wants to win a national championship. And I for one do not want to see such a talented team be denied the best thing that could ever happen to this program: Another pretty white banner at the top of the CSWA.
My advice (take it how you want it):
Put Owens on notice. People pay prices to see these games. Anchorage is a junk team this year and we should have pounded them.
Get to know the goaltenders. As a former goalie, I would expect owens to understand each of his goaltenders very well. Develop a system set to them.
Create a faster defensive change system. 5 man changes rarely work anymore. The key will be to get control of the offense and defense so that they both change at separate times. This will keep any opponent off balance.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation: This is a very difficult subject to go out and say. It's like a boiler plate for anything that is going wrong. Every week Owens gets tapes and I am sure he spends quite a few hours in the evening watching them. Make your roster prominent upon what you see from the other teams end. Play to their disadvantages.
Break up the Schwartz connection : I know everyone will say I have written the worst, most disgusting and distasteful, yet disrespectful blog at some point on this. If they have not said so yet, this will finish them off. I feel this is improbable. Owens has to do it. I believe Rylan is such a good goal scorer than anyone could feed him for the goals. He can also "undress" the goalie pretty well to get his own peanut butter. Jaden is the best set up man I have ever seen. Yes a pure passer and a pure scorer equals a pure goal, but we have so many pure scorers. Guys like Jaden come once in a blue moon. My advice would be to put him on a line with players who are struggling to get the puck. Jaden can get the entire opposing team to cover him, zip a pass to a wide open guy and even Ken Landeau could score that.
What is working:
Owens building confidence in his young goaltenders. No amount of practice could ever prepare a goalie for the real deal. Keep this rotation going.
The constant insertion of young players. Does anyone have a guess at when the majority of last year's UMD and Michigan teams began to get their primary minutes? It was early on in their careers. Everyone got a chance to play and represent the product on the ice. Eventually those players culminated their respective programs into National Championship contenders last season. We have such a young team with a good amount of young players getting solid minutes. I feel sorry for the NCHC during it's first year of play. These young kids are going to be highly mature snipers who will destroy the best of those teams.
Making the world arena a difficult place to play. People are showing up in good numbers this year. Absolutely fundamental to the success of this program.
Players sticking up for their team mates.
CC playing an outstanding dump and chase game. Look for this to be a bi-product of their speed game.
I know this blog will make some people mad.
But for those who can read this objectively and take some of my thoughts away from them......GO TIGERS!!!!
Enter Scott Owens. The perfect coaching style with a Colorado College degree and a firm understanding of the block plan. He's got an awesome win percentage and has had over 500 games under his belt. The advantages to having someone so experienced at the helm are enormous. One cannot grasp the gravity of how difficult a coaching job is, never the less finding a reasonable coach who understands the school. Just ask the current Alabama-Huntsville coach. Although I cannot tell you his name off hand, he has often had troubles recruiting because of the lack of hockey anywhere in the state of Alabama.
However that is not the proposition of this blog, it's to gain answers from a man who this blogger feels has lost his touch. I have watched the tigers play some great games. One thinks back to the days of Bachman, Sweatt, and Testwuide to name a few. Staunch players who were gritty and good. All three are now in the NHL, all three can say the same thing: None of them brought home the broadmoor' trophy or the national championship. They did collectively win the McNaughton cup, but ask Alexander Ovechkin or the Sedin twins how much the regular seasons best team trophy(presidents) means to them in light of the towering stanley cup. They will probably not say too much about it. In fact, the last time I heard any talk about CC's last McNaughton cup was while picking up my souvenir cup at the concession stand. Had a picture of that glorious day right on it.
So what do all of these former CC players have to do with this season's roster? Simple: They were all destined to do something higher than college level and their seasons all ended with a disappointing loss. My records my not be correct, but I do not think that B. Sweatt, Bachman, or Testwuide ever touched playoff blood. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, CC was in the playoffs once over these players careers and the loss was to Michigan State on home ice while the National Championship was in Denver.
Most of the current roster tasted blood over the Boston College blowout from last season. One would think this would be plenty to keep the players motivated to dominate the league. This appears not, even as the WCHA's powerhouse teams, DU,UND,WI, falter under the midnight moon while Michigan Tech and other small unknown teams try and catch this seasons come from no where team: Minnesota. This was supposed to be the chance for CC to knock the conference out of the water and dominate every aspect of the game. Instead we are left with sweeping losses by sub .500 teams and blowout wins where our goaltenders get pulled in less than 45 minutes.
This problem reminds me of the final years of Bobby Bowdens career as head football coach at Florida State. He was a coach there for around 40 years and did remarkable things. Led the 'Noles to championships and conference glory in the early to mid 90's. Infact when I graduated from high school in 2001, one of my friends who went on to play D1 college ball had three choices for football: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida State. Then, as time passed, Bowden lost his touch and his teams began a downward spiral towards the lower ranks of college football. Recruiting was down and it didn't help that the ACC was crumbling itself. Four years ago, Bowden left. The transfer of power was nothing short of tragic and hopeless. Many seminoles fans found the game nights to be too much of a heartbreaking for them to attend. The this year the coach got them back on track and what do you know....a top 5 ranking midway through the season. A loss to the #1 ranked team in the nation changed that, but still this appears to be progress for them.
As the same was for bowden, I feel the same is for owens. He appears out of touch. This year's team never seems prepared for a game and it's not any individual's fault. Howe takes quite a load for the losses because his only job is to stop the puck. Well my friends, you can't stop rubber when you can't see it. He's worked hard but at this point I am convinced that no amount of goalie carousel will change the situation. This team lacks the motivation they had last season. I don't know why, but they do. It's a day in and out process that was only overshadowed by the DU overtime win.
I am nothing more than a writer who see's this team from my seat. I watch the game and I analyze the plays that are made. The players can work really hard and don't seem to try and use the elevation to their advantage(although the arena staff does....see the opening video board shots). The players work the puck and use solid coaching all around. However when the time get's tough, they make constant mental mistakes and breakdown. Our defense has been at the forefront of this onslaught and I think they have had enough coals thrown at them. It's time we take a look at the skipper and see if something is not correct with him. After all, we still have a winning record but we are not playing like a team that wants to win a national championship. And I for one do not want to see such a talented team be denied the best thing that could ever happen to this program: Another pretty white banner at the top of the CSWA.
My advice (take it how you want it):
Put Owens on notice. People pay prices to see these games. Anchorage is a junk team this year and we should have pounded them.
Get to know the goaltenders. As a former goalie, I would expect owens to understand each of his goaltenders very well. Develop a system set to them.
Create a faster defensive change system. 5 man changes rarely work anymore. The key will be to get control of the offense and defense so that they both change at separate times. This will keep any opponent off balance.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation: This is a very difficult subject to go out and say. It's like a boiler plate for anything that is going wrong. Every week Owens gets tapes and I am sure he spends quite a few hours in the evening watching them. Make your roster prominent upon what you see from the other teams end. Play to their disadvantages.
Break up the Schwartz connection : I know everyone will say I have written the worst, most disgusting and distasteful, yet disrespectful blog at some point on this. If they have not said so yet, this will finish them off. I feel this is improbable. Owens has to do it. I believe Rylan is such a good goal scorer than anyone could feed him for the goals. He can also "undress" the goalie pretty well to get his own peanut butter. Jaden is the best set up man I have ever seen. Yes a pure passer and a pure scorer equals a pure goal, but we have so many pure scorers. Guys like Jaden come once in a blue moon. My advice would be to put him on a line with players who are struggling to get the puck. Jaden can get the entire opposing team to cover him, zip a pass to a wide open guy and even Ken Landeau could score that.
What is working:
Owens building confidence in his young goaltenders. No amount of practice could ever prepare a goalie for the real deal. Keep this rotation going.
The constant insertion of young players. Does anyone have a guess at when the majority of last year's UMD and Michigan teams began to get their primary minutes? It was early on in their careers. Everyone got a chance to play and represent the product on the ice. Eventually those players culminated their respective programs into National Championship contenders last season. We have such a young team with a good amount of young players getting solid minutes. I feel sorry for the NCHC during it's first year of play. These young kids are going to be highly mature snipers who will destroy the best of those teams.
Making the world arena a difficult place to play. People are showing up in good numbers this year. Absolutely fundamental to the success of this program.
Players sticking up for their team mates.
CC playing an outstanding dump and chase game. Look for this to be a bi-product of their speed game.
I know this blog will make some people mad.
But for those who can read this objectively and take some of my thoughts away from them......GO TIGERS!!!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
What I am looking forward to on Friday.
Oh this one could be a doosie. For years I have thought of Michigan Tech as a lower tier team. They often finished last in the league and did nothing but lose on a consistent basis. I believe last season they finished with one win in the WCHA and 2 wins overall. Now they have a new coach and things are looking better. How does this tie in to a group for Colorado College?
Simple, CC plays Wisconsin who oh by the way got swept out of the opening weekend by Michigan Tech. Now all of a sudden that last home game(I think) of the season looks quite appealing.
Colorado College is a team full of heart and soul. Look at how they run the shop. You get to skate with the tigers twice a year. Try doing that with the gophers. We have a first round draft pick who someday will be making millions of dollars doing what he is right now: playing hockey, yet he will talk to you and sign autographs with a smile. That's not just Mr. Jaden Schwartz, that's the motto of the team and I like that.
But personally, I have a view of the WCHA that has changed this year. I see the WCHA in groups of top tier teams, mid tier teams, and lower tiered teams.
Here is my list:
Top Tier
North Dakota #1 -
They finish on top of the WCHA nearly every year. They get really good recruits and do good things with them. Of all their players, I really liked Matt Frattin. He got a DUI and rather than heading to the pro's he worked his way on to the team. A good character guy.
WISCONSIN #2
I am going to get shit for this one since I am from Wisconsin. I do not root for the badgers unless they are playing football or make it somewhere relatively close to the final four(basketball). In hockey I am a CC tiger fan. But Wisconsin has done well. They get decent recruits, but not the best. They have a national championship in 2005 and made it to the tournament 2 years ago. Good for second on my list.
DENVER #3
I will probably be never spoken to again for putting DU at #3, over CC. First off to everyone, I just want you to know that you can't spell dumb without DU. So there, DU sucks. Fuck YOU DU. But seriously, they get good recruits. Of all the teams in the top 3, Denver has the smallest following. They did win 2 natty's in the early 2000's, but since then have done nothing but flop. I give them #3 because of their recruiting power and wins they put up in the regular season. And let's just put this to rest, I am not a DU fan. See #4.
-------------------------
Mid-Level Teams
Colorado College #4
Why oh why would I do this to my beloved Tigers? Well CC is a powerhouse in the WCHA. Take away CC and you don't have a WCHA. Just think about it. Penrose trophy, Broadmoor trophy....kind of makes you think a little. CC has a very long history. Two natty's in years way back but solid teams since. Made it to the Frozen Four in 2005 and have been itching since. So why would I put CC at #4? Well I have been watching college hockey for years, and CC in general for the past 5. CC has not had the best recruiting in the past decade but they have done very, very well. Never in the past 10 years has CC had a losing season. Pretty damn good. But CC is on the rise. Getting better every year and promoting skilled drafted players. I would say CC is easily a high 4, low 3 all time for the WCHA.
Minnesota #5
The gophers are a team that separates themselves from the rest of the league. They live in Canada's version of the United States(although Massachusetts people will disagree), so they are expected to win every year yet they don't. Unless Minny wins a natty soon, I don't think they will rise. Recruits are up but other than their last natty, they have no idea what to do with them.......See Kyle Okposo.
Nebraska-Omaha #6
The mavericks are new to the WCHA and about to be out all in the same breath(like every other member of the future NCHC). The mavs posted great numbers in the CCHA and moved over only for the prospect of playing in a better conference with members closer to their location. Fan base is not strong as the school is more of a commuter school than anything. They will grow in the NCHC though.
Minnesota Duluth #7
I always tell my friends that there is Minny main and Minny north. These guys are Minny North and that is exactly where the most recent NCAA Division 1 championship trophy is, courtesy of the bulldogs. The bulldogs have only one championship and have not fielded the best teams over the past 10 years. Last year's natty bumped them from a mid-lower team to a mid team. Another strong showing could be a great benefit for this program.
St. Cloud State #8
The last of the mid teams. St. Cloud has not made too much noise. Like Denver, they get a crop of draft picks but seem to do more of the minnesota thing and chase them off after consistently bad years. Last year a team fight in the locker room left 3 draft picks signing pro contracts the next day. This team is my pick for the bottom feeder in the NCHC.
LOW TIER TEAMS
Alaska Anchorage #9
Alaska has a very difficult situation. I have never been up there, but I have always seen the games live against CC. It doesn't look good. My friends who do travel up there for games against the gophers and badgers often tell me that the lure of teams doing better in the season doesn't help either. Alaska should benefit from the WCHA adding another alaska team in. This will give solid competition and move the team upward.
Bemidji State #10
Bemidji has been a powerhouse division 2 league for years. Then some boosters came along and got them enough funds to come to division 1. They have not done much since. I think Bemidji has a strong future in the WCHA after the departing members go. They have strong recruiting and are adapting to a much stronger conference quicker.
Minnesota State #11
I applied to Minnesota State and got accepted(st cloud too). I went for a tour of the facilities for the hockey players(because I LOVE HOCKEY!) and I almost cried. They have nothing like what CC has. The gym is junk. I didn't get to see the inside of the arena but from pictures it doesn't look that good. Minnesota State is a victim of being in Minnesota. Out of all the Minny teams, I think State comes in last. The other teams recruit real well and personally I find Mankato to be a very boring town. Any player who wants to see something outside of the game will not like the surrounding area.
Michigan Tech #12
Tech has long been the butt of jokes regarding hockey status in the WCHA. Often Tech has been the slop of the league and an easy 4 points for any team visiting. Traditionally the school has not given the team much in the line of funding for their team. They often lack quality recruits and seem like more of a junior team. That looks to be changing though. Tech is off to a good start this year and could contend for a home playoff berth if they continue their ways.
It should be noted that this space below this line is reserved for the most junk team of all:
DU
Okay the space above this is reserved for the most junk team of all.
I am looking forward to this friday's game. I think CC will do well and rebound against tough losses. Early defensive problems will be taken care of and the youngsters should learn quite a bit. Hopefully Howe can get his game going. We need him and he's always been clutch for us.
GO TIGERS!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
CC vs DU: A lesson learned.
Every Colorado College fan has got to be kicking themselves right now over what was a very bad game by our Tigers. I did not attend the game in person, but I watched it on my iPhone while witnessing a similar defensive effort by the Avalanche. Nobody went home happy.
To analyze this game, we have to start from the bottom up to find the holes. It's easy to point at Guentzel, Howe, or Dineen for not stepping to the challenge or making mistakes. However, the truth is that our team is young and very inexperienced especially at the defensive positions. This year welcomes some newcomers in town: Aaron Harstad and Peter Stoykewych. Although there are more than just these two players who came in at defense, I focused on these two players because they both were in leadership positions on their last teams.
Of the current defensive players, only three players have enough experience to be considered "significant". Those players are, Guentzel, Boivin and Marciano. Until late last year, nobody saw Marciano as a two way defensive player. He has been an excellent stay at home defenseman who battles hard in the zone. He has been a little slow at times, but all of that was laid to rest during last years slaughter of Boston College. He showed excellent speed and great form, just what CC needs at this point. Boivin has been a work in progress. Due to a defensive core which included a captain from last year, Boivin was not considered a large go to guy. He, like Marciano, plays well but was often relegated to the last defensive line due to the depth of other players. When we did get to see Boivin, he often didn't play too much. This season will change all of that as Boivin looks to carry the team. Of the three players, Boivin has the the most potential as he really could benefit from being put in a leadership role next season.
That leaves us with Guentzel. Gabe is a great player and one of my personal favorites on the team. He plays well, leads well and earned the "A" on his sweater rightfully so. However, we can only expect one player to do so much before they show flaws. Colorado College has been blessed in the past decade with some outstanding forwards. Among them are Sweatt and J.Schwartz. Often players get compared to these two players and they don't hold up well. Sweatt grew really fast on the team and Schwartz is a certified all star. Comparing Gabe Guentzel to J.Schwartz is like comparing apples to oranges. Guentzel is a great player, but he's not the kind of player that Schwartz is. We have to remember that when our emotions run high after a rivalry loss like tonight. We have to focus on what is really the situation here.
Of our entire defense, only the three defensemen just described are seasoned enough to be considered vets. We have other seniors like bidwill and behrend who are great players, but bidwill was injured last year and like boivin, was not playing much do to the talent in the years before. Behrend has been all over the board and I honestly do not know that much about him.
This is why our defensive core did not hold up well tonight. We just cannot turn sharp corners without a flaw being exposed. Gabe cannot be on the ice every single minute, and he is going to make mistakes, especially when the entire team is looking for him to be the defensive leader.
GOALTENDING
I capitalized this because I play goalie. I love the position and I know everything about the mental effects that take place during a game. Getting pulled from a game is one of the worst things that can happen to you. You think you are doing well, but then as the game progresses you lose the ability to control your emotions, thoughts and actions. Soon instead of playing steadfast hockey, you are questioning yourself on every play. Wondering if it was your fault that the goal went in. In all likelihood, the play was just broken and you would not have stopped that anyways. Goaltending is about positioning. You either have it or you don't. Tonight, Howe did not. I really would not know what to say to him so that he could improve his game. His rebound control his good. His post to post work is excellent, and he carries himself well. The problem is the team in front of him is not giving him the breaks he needs. Howe is not a constant goalie. He needs help to finish off a game, just like 98% of the other college goalies. The 2% who don't need help usually leave for the NHL early anyways so they really don't count.
Unfortunately for Howe, this has been two straight games of lackluster performance. The time has come to sink or swim. Personally I think Owens will need to sit down tomorrow and evaluate what he saw from a netminders perspective. The question is: Should Howe continue as the starter? Howe is a great goalie. He plays well, but he's off his game right now. Last year Owens put Howe on a rotation with thorny and he picked his game up quick.
THE CONCLUSION:
CC is in a bad spot. The offense is taking off while the defense is learning. This is not a coaching error but a case of bad timing for recruiting. 2 1/2 years ago, CC had a defenseman named John Moore defect before the season started. To make up for the loss, Owens got Doug Leaverton quickly to fill the gap. Leaverton is now gone, which leaves that us a man down for experience. The point is: These kids will have to pick themselves up fast, or this will roll downhill quickly. But if they do pick themselves up, Tampa is not out of the question.
GO TIGERS!
To analyze this game, we have to start from the bottom up to find the holes. It's easy to point at Guentzel, Howe, or Dineen for not stepping to the challenge or making mistakes. However, the truth is that our team is young and very inexperienced especially at the defensive positions. This year welcomes some newcomers in town: Aaron Harstad and Peter Stoykewych. Although there are more than just these two players who came in at defense, I focused on these two players because they both were in leadership positions on their last teams.
Of the current defensive players, only three players have enough experience to be considered "significant". Those players are, Guentzel, Boivin and Marciano. Until late last year, nobody saw Marciano as a two way defensive player. He has been an excellent stay at home defenseman who battles hard in the zone. He has been a little slow at times, but all of that was laid to rest during last years slaughter of Boston College. He showed excellent speed and great form, just what CC needs at this point. Boivin has been a work in progress. Due to a defensive core which included a captain from last year, Boivin was not considered a large go to guy. He, like Marciano, plays well but was often relegated to the last defensive line due to the depth of other players. When we did get to see Boivin, he often didn't play too much. This season will change all of that as Boivin looks to carry the team. Of the three players, Boivin has the the most potential as he really could benefit from being put in a leadership role next season.
That leaves us with Guentzel. Gabe is a great player and one of my personal favorites on the team. He plays well, leads well and earned the "A" on his sweater rightfully so. However, we can only expect one player to do so much before they show flaws. Colorado College has been blessed in the past decade with some outstanding forwards. Among them are Sweatt and J.Schwartz. Often players get compared to these two players and they don't hold up well. Sweatt grew really fast on the team and Schwartz is a certified all star. Comparing Gabe Guentzel to J.Schwartz is like comparing apples to oranges. Guentzel is a great player, but he's not the kind of player that Schwartz is. We have to remember that when our emotions run high after a rivalry loss like tonight. We have to focus on what is really the situation here.
Of our entire defense, only the three defensemen just described are seasoned enough to be considered vets. We have other seniors like bidwill and behrend who are great players, but bidwill was injured last year and like boivin, was not playing much do to the talent in the years before. Behrend has been all over the board and I honestly do not know that much about him.
This is why our defensive core did not hold up well tonight. We just cannot turn sharp corners without a flaw being exposed. Gabe cannot be on the ice every single minute, and he is going to make mistakes, especially when the entire team is looking for him to be the defensive leader.
GOALTENDING
I capitalized this because I play goalie. I love the position and I know everything about the mental effects that take place during a game. Getting pulled from a game is one of the worst things that can happen to you. You think you are doing well, but then as the game progresses you lose the ability to control your emotions, thoughts and actions. Soon instead of playing steadfast hockey, you are questioning yourself on every play. Wondering if it was your fault that the goal went in. In all likelihood, the play was just broken and you would not have stopped that anyways. Goaltending is about positioning. You either have it or you don't. Tonight, Howe did not. I really would not know what to say to him so that he could improve his game. His rebound control his good. His post to post work is excellent, and he carries himself well. The problem is the team in front of him is not giving him the breaks he needs. Howe is not a constant goalie. He needs help to finish off a game, just like 98% of the other college goalies. The 2% who don't need help usually leave for the NHL early anyways so they really don't count.
Unfortunately for Howe, this has been two straight games of lackluster performance. The time has come to sink or swim. Personally I think Owens will need to sit down tomorrow and evaluate what he saw from a netminders perspective. The question is: Should Howe continue as the starter? Howe is a great goalie. He plays well, but he's off his game right now. Last year Owens put Howe on a rotation with thorny and he picked his game up quick.
THE CONCLUSION:
CC is in a bad spot. The offense is taking off while the defense is learning. This is not a coaching error but a case of bad timing for recruiting. 2 1/2 years ago, CC had a defenseman named John Moore defect before the season started. To make up for the loss, Owens got Doug Leaverton quickly to fill the gap. Leaverton is now gone, which leaves that us a man down for experience. The point is: These kids will have to pick themselves up fast, or this will roll downhill quickly. But if they do pick themselves up, Tampa is not out of the question.
GO TIGERS!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
SPOTLIGHT: NICK DINEEN
Today I wanted to take a little time out of my day to put a spotlight on a Colorado College player. I had three individuals, Nick Dineen, Jaden Schwartz and Joe Howe. After some careful consideration for the week I chose Dineen.
College hockey is quite a bit different from the NHL. Often the captain of an NHL team is amongst the top on the team in statistics(Crosby, Ovechkin, Sedin....etc.) In college hockey, not every team features the player who can score the most goals or do something statistical every game. If that were the case, Colorado College would have Jaden or Rylan Schwartz as their captain and last year Matt Frattin of UND would have been the captain.
No, college hockey presents something different. That element that is not in the NHL: school. Most captains in college hockey excel both on and off the ice. Our Colorado College blue liner is no different. In fact, you can thank him for last years playoff push and this years marketing run. During game 2 of the WCHA playoffs, Dineen scored a crucial goal in the 1st period of a very tight game against Wisconsin. That goal and celebration have been fodder for banners all over Colorado Springs.
So if a captain is not always a statistical leader on the ice, then what is he? Well, to keep it short, he is a leader. I never much about Dineen until I went to this year's captains practice. I watched as multiple players tried to get the team together for a simple drill. Four or five players tried everything they could, but never got the team to do one drill. Then Mr. Dineen stepped in with his take charge type attitude and in two words got the team doing basic drills. What were the two words? "LISTEN UP!"
You see, Nick does not need to even touch the puck to be a factor on the ice. His presence is far greater than any ability he has. If the play is going to fast and players are confused, Dineen will step in handle the puck a bit and pass it off slowing things down, even if he takes a hard licking for it. Dineen also has no problem with defending any of his rookies, as was evident against Bemidji when some trash talking took place and one of the players tried to upend Aaron Harstad. Although Harstad is a huge player, and didn't need the back up, Dineen stepped up and was ready to drop the gloves before some refs broke things up.
Nick's leadership is not just on the ice. He is a smart kid who shares his knowledge with other team mates. For his entire career at CC, Dineen often spent party nights helping players who were struggling with something. He is not only a leader, but a mentor to those around him. This is largely why he was chosen as captain. He's not a liability on the ice and he's a huge asset off.
Scott Owens once said that the best preparation for a game is done off the ice, well having someone like Dineen in the film room is a quality that no NHL team will ever understand.
In short, Dineen is a leader and he is why the team is where they are. He plays hard and he has earned his C the only way he knows how: Long, Hard work.
College hockey is quite a bit different from the NHL. Often the captain of an NHL team is amongst the top on the team in statistics(Crosby, Ovechkin, Sedin....etc.) In college hockey, not every team features the player who can score the most goals or do something statistical every game. If that were the case, Colorado College would have Jaden or Rylan Schwartz as their captain and last year Matt Frattin of UND would have been the captain.
No, college hockey presents something different. That element that is not in the NHL: school. Most captains in college hockey excel both on and off the ice. Our Colorado College blue liner is no different. In fact, you can thank him for last years playoff push and this years marketing run. During game 2 of the WCHA playoffs, Dineen scored a crucial goal in the 1st period of a very tight game against Wisconsin. That goal and celebration have been fodder for banners all over Colorado Springs.
So if a captain is not always a statistical leader on the ice, then what is he? Well, to keep it short, he is a leader. I never much about Dineen until I went to this year's captains practice. I watched as multiple players tried to get the team together for a simple drill. Four or five players tried everything they could, but never got the team to do one drill. Then Mr. Dineen stepped in with his take charge type attitude and in two words got the team doing basic drills. What were the two words? "LISTEN UP!"
You see, Nick does not need to even touch the puck to be a factor on the ice. His presence is far greater than any ability he has. If the play is going to fast and players are confused, Dineen will step in handle the puck a bit and pass it off slowing things down, even if he takes a hard licking for it. Dineen also has no problem with defending any of his rookies, as was evident against Bemidji when some trash talking took place and one of the players tried to upend Aaron Harstad. Although Harstad is a huge player, and didn't need the back up, Dineen stepped up and was ready to drop the gloves before some refs broke things up.
Nick's leadership is not just on the ice. He is a smart kid who shares his knowledge with other team mates. For his entire career at CC, Dineen often spent party nights helping players who were struggling with something. He is not only a leader, but a mentor to those around him. This is largely why he was chosen as captain. He's not a liability on the ice and he's a huge asset off.
Scott Owens once said that the best preparation for a game is done off the ice, well having someone like Dineen in the film room is a quality that no NHL team will ever understand.
In short, Dineen is a leader and he is why the team is where they are. He plays hard and he has earned his C the only way he knows how: Long, Hard work.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Best Arena's in the WCHA
I've written and read many articles regarding the highly touted WCHA and their buildings. Among some of the best places to watch a game are the Kohl Center: home of the Badgers, Marriucci Arena: Home of the Gophers, Ralph Englestad Arena: Home of the Sioux, Century Link Center: Home of the mavericks, and The World Arena: Home of the Tigers.
Before I get into the thick of this blog, I should put one caveat on here: I am a CC fan. I will try not to be biased.
Judging WCHA arena's can be a fun task, but reading what others have to say often is much more enjoyable. I once read a blog about WCHA arena's from a young man who judged them based on three points: Atmosphere, Physical Arena, and fan base. The gentleman was a Gopher fan who traveled on occasion to see his favorite team skate it out on enemy soil. His blog began by talking about how he admired certain Arena's over others. He gave the world arena a lower grade than magness simply by walking past it. If only he knew.
Anyways, to the topic.
For me, the best things about college hockey is not just the product on the ice. It's the building, the atmosphere, the fans and how the team shows itself off. I've been to quite a few arena's. In this one, the only arena that I will not have been to is the century link arena. I missed the fan trip because of the passing of my grandmother.
First up: Ralph Englestad. This arena is pretty nice considering every angle is carved with marble mascots of the Sioux logo. Statistically, the product on the ice has been second to none for the past five years. So any Sioux fan will be in for a big surprise when their team falters. The atmosphere in this building is electric. Although their sieve chant is a little annoying, the announcer does a great job of building things up.
Next is the kohl center. The kohl center and the ralph do not differ much. They both are premium arena's that offer outstanding views of the game. Both offer a circular upper bowl which helps the view quite a bit. In the case of the Kohl center, they offer three bowls. They sell out every game which is pretty good since the kohl center is the second largest venue behind Ohio State in college hockey. I am not much of a fan of bands because most of them are not very good and I can deal without the horns. Wisconsin is an exception to that rule. I love WI football, so the band is naturally awesome. There are only two college hockey bands that I enjoy hearing: Wisconsin and Michigan. The only real drawback to the badgers is their ticket problems. One cannot get season tickets to the same seat for Saturday and Sunday. You must two separate packages.
Now is Marriucci. I don't like this arena all that much. It's a straight up bowl similar to Lambeau Field in Green bay. there are no obstructed views, but the product on the ice is often not that great. I don't find any enjoyment in the fans spelling out their teams name. I love hockey, but watching a gopher game is pretty dull in my mind.
Back on track is the century link center. This is the one that I've only seen in pictures so I cannot do much of a review on it. I can say that UNO lucked out on their arena. The primary purpose of the arena was for city use, but UNO made it their home and it looks good from everything I have read.
Now for my favorite team, CC. The world arena is really hard to describe to someone who has not been there. It has a standard lower bowl, but a split upper bowl. The most similar comparison is the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, but quite a bit better. One would assume that the world arena offers bad sight lines with the upper deck blocks, however they would be wrong. The seats stop at the end of the ice on both sides, so all fans have an unobstructed view of the ice. There is no band, but plenty of fans take on rooting the tigers. A lady named Jill dances in the third period and an older gentleman roots the student section. CC has one of the best fan bases in college hockey. Unlike the big market teams like UND, MN, and WI, CC offers it's fans the chance to meet the players on a regular basis. Fans can skate with the tigers and get autographs from the players after each game. The atmosphere is really hard to beat, especially when playing DU. I have been to seven games against the pioneers and CC chants loud and proud. The place is guaranteed to be packed, and for good reason. The two teams have been Colorado's premier venue since the 50's.
My final vote:
World Arena-Tie. The tigers get a tie because they offer an incredible fan base and a great atmosphere. The tigers also have not had a losing record for over 10 years.
Ralph Englestad-Tie. The sioux get a tie because they offer a beautiful building, outstanding training facilities and almost always have a top level product on the ice.
Kohl Center
Marriucci Arena
Century Link center-No vote since I've never been there.
Before I get into the thick of this blog, I should put one caveat on here: I am a CC fan. I will try not to be biased.
Judging WCHA arena's can be a fun task, but reading what others have to say often is much more enjoyable. I once read a blog about WCHA arena's from a young man who judged them based on three points: Atmosphere, Physical Arena, and fan base. The gentleman was a Gopher fan who traveled on occasion to see his favorite team skate it out on enemy soil. His blog began by talking about how he admired certain Arena's over others. He gave the world arena a lower grade than magness simply by walking past it. If only he knew.
Anyways, to the topic.
For me, the best things about college hockey is not just the product on the ice. It's the building, the atmosphere, the fans and how the team shows itself off. I've been to quite a few arena's. In this one, the only arena that I will not have been to is the century link arena. I missed the fan trip because of the passing of my grandmother.
First up: Ralph Englestad. This arena is pretty nice considering every angle is carved with marble mascots of the Sioux logo. Statistically, the product on the ice has been second to none for the past five years. So any Sioux fan will be in for a big surprise when their team falters. The atmosphere in this building is electric. Although their sieve chant is a little annoying, the announcer does a great job of building things up.
Next is the kohl center. The kohl center and the ralph do not differ much. They both are premium arena's that offer outstanding views of the game. Both offer a circular upper bowl which helps the view quite a bit. In the case of the Kohl center, they offer three bowls. They sell out every game which is pretty good since the kohl center is the second largest venue behind Ohio State in college hockey. I am not much of a fan of bands because most of them are not very good and I can deal without the horns. Wisconsin is an exception to that rule. I love WI football, so the band is naturally awesome. There are only two college hockey bands that I enjoy hearing: Wisconsin and Michigan. The only real drawback to the badgers is their ticket problems. One cannot get season tickets to the same seat for Saturday and Sunday. You must two separate packages.
Now is Marriucci. I don't like this arena all that much. It's a straight up bowl similar to Lambeau Field in Green bay. there are no obstructed views, but the product on the ice is often not that great. I don't find any enjoyment in the fans spelling out their teams name. I love hockey, but watching a gopher game is pretty dull in my mind.
Back on track is the century link center. This is the one that I've only seen in pictures so I cannot do much of a review on it. I can say that UNO lucked out on their arena. The primary purpose of the arena was for city use, but UNO made it their home and it looks good from everything I have read.
Now for my favorite team, CC. The world arena is really hard to describe to someone who has not been there. It has a standard lower bowl, but a split upper bowl. The most similar comparison is the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, but quite a bit better. One would assume that the world arena offers bad sight lines with the upper deck blocks, however they would be wrong. The seats stop at the end of the ice on both sides, so all fans have an unobstructed view of the ice. There is no band, but plenty of fans take on rooting the tigers. A lady named Jill dances in the third period and an older gentleman roots the student section. CC has one of the best fan bases in college hockey. Unlike the big market teams like UND, MN, and WI, CC offers it's fans the chance to meet the players on a regular basis. Fans can skate with the tigers and get autographs from the players after each game. The atmosphere is really hard to beat, especially when playing DU. I have been to seven games against the pioneers and CC chants loud and proud. The place is guaranteed to be packed, and for good reason. The two teams have been Colorado's premier venue since the 50's.
My final vote:
World Arena-Tie. The tigers get a tie because they offer an incredible fan base and a great atmosphere. The tigers also have not had a losing record for over 10 years.
Ralph Englestad-Tie. The sioux get a tie because they offer a beautiful building, outstanding training facilities and almost always have a top level product on the ice.
Kohl Center
Marriucci Arena
Century Link center-No vote since I've never been there.
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