2019-20 Schedule

[Al DeFlorio]

OK, my apologies, we looked great Sunday and everything's perfect.  My bad.  Why again is a tougher schedule a bad idea?  It's hard to do?

Now you really are acting "silly."  No one said "we looked great on Sunday."  No one said "a tougher schedule is a bad idea."  People said--rather clearly, I might add--you can't just wish it and have it happen.  You need a Minnesota, or a Duluth, or a Denver, or a BC, or a Providence to fit you into their schedule and to agree to come to Lynah in a home-and-home.

And the team looked damn good Saturday against a team that had won eleven of its last twelve games against Hockey East teams, tied for second with Providence in the league's regular season standing, and won the league's year-end tournament.  Neither you nor I know what may have been behind the seemingly disappointing showing the following day against a team with a comparable season's record.

[Trotsky]

Six insults in three lines.  Pretty efficient.

When you get old you learn economy of motion.

[arugula]

I'm not suggesting that we wish it and it will magically happen. I'm just curious whether it's something the program seeks.  Not that long ago, we had Colorado College, when they were good, for a home and home.  That seems equivalent to a Denver.  Penn State seems like a good fit--easy trip, low cost.  The series in recent years with the Merrimacks and the Huntsvilles and even Michigan State or Miami makes me wonder if the program wants the tougher opponents.  And the complete dearth of HE opponents is just a head scratcher for me.  I obviously don't know what the thinking or the discussions or the logistics are.  Maybe the return of a holiday tournament remedies this a bit.  Mostly just frustrated.  I should've appreciated Niuewendyk more....

[Trotsky]

I'm not suggesting that we wish it and it will magically happen. I'm just curious whether it's something the program seeks.  Not that long ago, we had Colorado College, when they were good, for a home and home.  That seems equivalent to a Denver.  Penn State seems like a good fit--easy trip, low cost.  The series in recent years with the Merrimacks and the Huntsvilles and even Michigan State or Miami makes me wonder if the program wants the tougher opponents.  And the complete dearth of HE opponents is just a head scratcher for me.  I obviously don't know what the thinking or the discussions or the logistics are.  Maybe the return of a holiday tournament remedies this a bit.  Mostly just frustrated.  I should've appreciated Niuewendyk more....

These things seem to go in cycles.  Sucking for a few years in the mid teens probably didn't do our future scheduling any favors.  Now that we are top 10ish and look poised to remain there I would bet we'll be seeing some good teams.

I have no problem at all with Mike scheduling UAH.  That was an act of mercy when that program was so close to being snuffed out.  I think scheduling them was a helluva good deed and I'm proud of us for it.

[Beeeej]

I'm not suggesting that we wish it and it will magically happen. I'm just curious whether it's something the program seeks.  Not that long ago, we had Colorado College, when they were good, for a home and home.  That seems equivalent to a Denver.  Penn State seems like a good fit--easy trip, low cost.  The series in recent years with the Merrimacks and the Huntsvilles and even Michigan State or Miami makes me wonder if the program wants the tougher opponents.  And the complete dearth of HE opponents is just a head scratcher for me.  I obviously don't know what the thinking or the discussions or the logistics are.  Maybe the return of a holiday tournament remedies this a bit.  Mostly just frustrated.  I should've appreciated Niuewendyk more....

These things seem to go in cycles.  Sucking for a few years in the mid teens probably didn't do our future scheduling any favors.  Now that we are top 10ish and look poised to remain there I would bet we'll be seeing some good teams.

I have no problem at all with Mike scheduling UAH.  That was an act of mercy when that program was so close to being snuffed out.  I think scheduling them was a helluva good deed and I'm proud of us for it.

It's also been suggested that for Mike to insist the Minnesotas and Boston Colleges of the world have an obligation to schedule us, then turn around and diss UAH and Niagara, would be the height of arrogant hypocrisy.

[arugula]

I hear you about the UAH issue.  That would've been a shame if the program hadn't been saved.  Big Cam Talbot fan here.  You're right about the cycles--very few schools are good every single year anymore.  BC and BU and Minnesota and Wisconsin, etc. all out of the playoffs.  Ultimately, I'm mostly frustrated because I made two games this year--at Yale and at Providence.  

Think about it--Yale's seriously sort of good one year-National title; Union's seriously good one year-National title.  Don't even get me started on the Lacrosse close calls.  When I left Denver in March 1986 after the Red lost the two game total goal series, I never conceived we'd still be waiting.  OTOH, have we ever really been the best team?  Conversely, many of the champions are not the best team.  

Just want one damn title before I die!

[Trotsky]

Between 2002 and 2006 we were the best team at some point.  We were the overall 1 in 2003.

But as good as that team was the defensive system was still limiting when the NC$$ rolled around. The 2019 team's style, which is essentially the Leaman style that got Union a deserved title and now has Providence in Buffalo, has the sky as the limit: tight D with well-coordinated offensive strikes when the opportunity arises, and everybody playing two way.

It's also a lot more entertaining.

And it can readily accommodate the occasional spectacular talent (Gostisbehere) which gives me hope for the high ceiling guys in the super soph class and also the incoming class.

Our best days will always be 67-70, but perhaps our second-best days are still ahead.

[nshapiro]

...  I should've appreciated Niuewendyk more....

 Hopefully a few decades from now you can say that about Regush

[arugula]

You never know.  Joe was a skinny unimpressive looking teenager but sublime hands.

[Jim Hyla]

You never know.  Joe was a skinny unimpressive looking teenager but sublime hands.

That's the way that schools like Union and us will get the great player. Unlikely that we'll recruit the top player, we'll get the late bloomer.

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting. Since then, they've been okay, but not great.

[Trotsky]

You never know.  Joe was a skinny unimpressive looking teenager but sublime hands.

That's the way that schools like Union and us will get the great player. Unlikely that we'll recruit the top player, we'll get the late bloomer.

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting. Since then, they've been okay, but not great.

The new market inefficiency is skinny unimpressive looking guys.  Where was that market when I was 19?!

[arugula]

You never know.  Joe was a skinny unimpressive looking teenager but sublime hands.

That's the way that schools like Union and us will get the great player. Unlikely that we'll recruit the top player, we'll get the late bloomer.

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting. Since then, they've been okay, but not great.

The new market inefficiency is skinny unimpressive looking guys.  Where was that market when I was 19?!

The Rangers just signed the kid from St. Cloud Patrick Newell who apparently wasn't drafted because at the time of the draft he weighed.......139 pounds!  He's filled out a bit, to like 155

[Trotsky]

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting.

Same goes for Yale.  Those incredible forwards were almost all dark horses.  Meanwhile, the Harvard conveyor belt keeps churning through blue chippahs who lose in the NC$$ 1R.

[Jim Hyla]

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting.

Same goes for Yale.  Those incredible forwards were almost all dark horses.  Meanwhile, the Harvard conveyor belt keeps churning through blue chippahs who lose in the NC$$ 1R.

Coaching counts!

[ugarte]

You never know.  Joe was a skinny unimpressive looking teenager but sublime hands.

That's the way that schools like Union and us will get the great player. Unlikely that we'll recruit the top player, we'll get the late bloomer.

Look at Union. They didn't win the FF because they had recruited a bunch of hot prospects. They got "lucky" that a number of recruits turned out much better than what the general consensus was reporting. Since then, they've been okay, but not great.

They were also recruiting at the VFW hall.