Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

Show up in Mankato tonight, and find 11 of our players stuck in the elevator of the team hotel on game night.

Oof

[gfmorris]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

It beats getting to the rink two hours before the game.

GFM

[UAFHockeyFan314]

It beats getting to the rink two hours before the game.

GFM

Whaaaa? When did that happen?

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

Follow me on twitter - got some good stuff rolling throughout the weekend.

http://www.twitter.com/NanookHockey

[gfmorris]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

[Augh, why are the right half of the pages cut off for me?!]

UAFHockeyFan314: Valentine's Day, 2014: https://uahhockey.com/blog/2014/02/1...state-4-uah-0/

GFM

[Squarebanks]

Follow me on twitter - got some good stuff rolling throughout the weekend.

http://www.twitter.com/NanookHockey

How many Purple Cow grads did it take to get our team out of the elevator?

[gfmorris]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

How many Purple Cow grads did it take to get our team out of the elevator?

How many Trinity Lutheran kids got 1hr credit for the upcoming documentary: Trapped in an Elevator: Hockey Bear Saves the Day AGAIN

GFM

[Bar Down]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

"It's one of those games where you're not going to get a lot from them, you're going to have to earn everything," Ferguson continued. "We focused a lot on our checking and making sure we stayed on the right side of the puck but we needed to engage a little bit more offensively. There were some spurts there from Munson's line that saw two guys on the puck, they were winning battles and creating scoring chances, but we need a little bit more of that from everyone else."

Pretty much sums it up from what I saw. We weren't firing on all cylinders for the most part. For the most part, one and down in the O zone. Puck movement wasn't great, not crisp. That said, Mankato played well in their D zone. We couldn't sustain any time there. Yes we had a few shifts but not nearly enough. Credit to Mankato.

All that said, tonight's game will have a lot energy. I see the boys stepping up with a higher compete level in all three zones. Will be fun to watch

[UAFHockeyFan314]

"It's one of those games where you're not going to get a lot from them, you're going to have to earn everything," Ferguson continued. "We focused a lot on our checking and making sure we stayed on the right side of the puck but we needed to engage a little bit more offensively. There were some spurts there from Munson's line that saw two guys on the puck, they were winning battles and creating scoring chances, but we need a little bit more of that from everyone else."

Pretty much sums it up from what I saw. We weren't firing on all cylinders for the most part. For the most part, one and down in the O zone. Puck movement wasn't great, not crisp. That said, Mankato played well in their D zone. We couldn't sustain any time there. Yes we had a few shifts but not nearly enough. Credit to Mankato.

All that said, tonight's game will have a lot energy. I see the boys stepping up with a higher compete level in all three zones. Will be fun to watch

The biggest issue for the Nanooks is not getting second chance scoring opportunities. Their goalie has great rebound control, and their defense does the rest. Our offense has to break through that shell and get to those second opportunities.

Ferguson kind of challenged his team last night in my interview "We have a better game in us". There just wasn't a lot of fire to the game last night. And they're gonna have to crank it up to 11 if they want a chance to stay in this thing.

[mmf]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

Under Ferguson we have typically been a pretty good skating club. But what this team lacks and what has not been a hallmark of Ferguson teams is a presence around the net. We only provide token traffic in front of goalies, even on a pp. It is always one of the” talking points” for success, but we seldom follow through on actual game play.

No net presence also means few rebound opportunities. But we don’t exactly try to capitalize on rebound opportunities either. More often than not our guys shoot high glove or stick side (if not missing the net entirely), and the shot is gobbled up. Keep the shots low and work for the rebound. Quit trying to score pretty goals.

The Nooks skated pretty well last night, but there was just something lacking. We need more physical play and scrums in front of the MSU net. That also gives them pause about pressuring out top.

We got this.
Go Nooks!

[Squarebanks]

Under Ferguson we have typically been a pretty good skating club. But what this team lacks and what has not been a hallmark of Ferguson teams is a presence around the net. We only provide token traffic in front of goalies, even on a pp. It is always one of the” talking points” for success, but we seldom follow through on actual game play.

No net presence also means few rebound opportunities. But we don’t exactly try to capitalize on rebound opportunities either. More often than not our guys shoot high glove or stick side (if not missing the net entirely), and the shot is gobbled up. Keep the shots low and work for the rebound. Quit trying to score pretty goals.

The Nooks skated pretty well last night, but there was just something lacking. We need more physical play and scrums in front of the MSU net. That also gives them pause about pressuring out top.

We got this.
Go Nooks!

We've never been known for offense under this staff. Some years are better than others but I've noticed our offensive prowess depends in large part on our skill players, and this years team doesn't have a whole lot of skill (I mean that in a loving way!). We've won games and been competitive mostly with grit this season, and the nights we haven't had that are the nights we've been whipped, because the skill level isn't there to make it seem less bad.

I think they'll bounce back tonight, hopefully enough for a W. They've been better on Saturdays most of the season.

[mmf]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

Agreed. Even if we are good skating team, the difference between a mid pack team and a higher scoring and consistent top 3 team is higher end skilled finishers. That is not to say that in any given year any WCHA team couldn’t put together a team that can claim top spot. But only a few of the WCHA programs will consistently be at the top (such that it is). Such is the recruiting reality of many of the WCHA schools. We have had a few higher end skill guys (Taranto, Beck, Kunik, Parako, Morley), but even then we never really had net presence. We just don’t do it.

When you don’t have a stud or two it’s called scoring by committee. That’s our game right now, and with a little more effort I think we have a chance tonight. Nothing to lose. Get more shots on goal and go hard for rebounds. Really mix it up in front of Pawloski.

Go Nooks!

[gfmorris]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

When you don’t have a stud or two it’s called scoring by committee. That’s our game right now, and with a little more effort I think we have a chance tonight. Nothing to lose. Get more shots on goal and go hard for rebounds. Really mix it up in front of Pawloski.

Neither MSU goalie has been able to keep it going for a long stretch this season. Pillows could be terrible tonight.

GFM

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Agreed. Even if we are good skating team, the difference between a mid pack team and a higher scoring and consistent top 3 team is higher end skilled finishers. That is not to say that in any given year any WCHA team couldn’t put together a team that can claim top spot. But only a few of the WCHA programs will consistently be at the top (such that it is). Such is the recruiting reality of many of the WCHA schools. We have had a few higher end skill guys (Taranto, Beck, Kunik, Parako, Morley), but even then we never really had net presence. We just don’t do it.

When you don’t have a stud or two it’s called scoring by committee. That’s our game right now, and with a little more effort I think we have a chance tonight. Nothing to lose. Get more shots on goal and go hard for rebounds. Really mix it up in front of Pawloski.

Go Nooks!

We have similar thoughts
http://youtu.be/6B2VidhZmWg?a

[mmf]

Re: Alaska Nanooks: 2016-17 Season Thread

The MSU WCHA TV stream is terrible tonight so far.

Edit: After one period neither WCHA or CNN have any game stats, so the MSU feed must be really messed up.