Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringing?

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

My final thought is that the team was hurt more by the departure of Angus Redmond than the departure of Mel Pearson.

Agreed.

[Lost_Husky]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Just a few thoughts...

Coaching:
It's Joe's first year as HC at this level, a learning curve is expected. I like what he's doing. Are we seeing the results we'd like to see? Not yet but I think the long-term outlook for the program is good.

His assistants are new to the program, none of them have ever coached together and they are new to D1. They are also
coaching a bunch of kids they had no part in recruiting. Again, a learning curve is expected.

Players:
Although Joe had a part in recruiting some of these kids, they came to Tech to play for Mel. I'm guessing there had to be some thoughts in their heads when Mel bolted for Ann Arbor and left them behind. (I'm not saying they'd go with him but what message does Mel send when he'd rather coach a different group?)

I understand what some have said about Joes comments, but he has a room full of kids that were told for 1-4 years that their coach "liked this team" and tjen walked out on them.

Joe just has a different style than Mel. I don't know if he was the same way as an A.C. and the players know what to expect from him or if he changed his approach.

Bottom line, as I've said many times, I think this team is right where they deserve to be. I ask myself if they would be in a different situation if Mel, or anyone else for that matter, were behind the bench. I think there might be a couple more Ws but I don't think their spot in the WCHA or Pairwise would be much different.

My final thought is that the team was hurt more by the departure of Angus Redmond than the departure of Mel Pearson.

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I agree with you MTU. This group doesn't have that grit factor. There is no reason a player who is 6'+ and over 200lbs shouldn't be smacking other players around or having their nose in the middle of puck battles. If you are that size, you need to "like" contact and use your size to push the other team around. We can't expect our smaller guys to be our grit players. Everyone on the team should know what it takes to win. Case and point, the BGSU game. Tech was physically beaten down. BGSU made Tech physically earn every inch of ice. I don't think it is a conditioning issue. Some guys "like" contact and those games where they know they need to tighten the straps and be ready to hit someone. That attribute is next to impossible to teach and some guys never get it. I know this from personal experience.

The loss of Angus was a huge blow. A good/great goalie can steal a game when the team doesn't show up. There is a reason all 3 goalies are playing. Joe is throwing everything and the kitchen sink in net to see what works.

To magnify the problems, we lost (arguably) 4 of our top 6 D. I like Auk a lot, but his skill set is not what you want in a top 2 D-man.

I think Joe is frustrated because he sees a very skilled team that should be near the top of the WCHA. It makes it more frustrating when what is holding your team back is between their ears.

Joe and staff are doing a good job. We have a lot of very good freshmen and incoming recruits. They cleaned up the recruiting bloat and are in the middle of a re-building year, which we haven't had in a while.

Go Tech

[MTUHuskies]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Yeah, Mel really screwed the program up. Single digit wins in 6 of 8 seasons before his arrival. NCAA tournament 2 of the last 3 years. Really “****ed” the program up.

To quote Mel: "Leave the program better than you found it."

Did he do that? Yes.

Did he leave it as good as he led us all to believe? I don't think so. There are issues coming to the surface that I don't think a lot of us casual observers realized.

Joe was left with a mess to clean up. Not a bigger mess than Mel inherited, but still a mess.

I like what Joe is doing. I think we need to accept that this year would be somewhat of a rebuilding year with a new coaching staff, an unsettled goalie situation and, as Lost Husky pointed out, losing 4 of the top 6 D hurts a lot more than people talk about.

I've said that there is a lot of talent on this team and if they can put it together with solid - not even spectacular - goaltending they can be a tough out come playoff time. My only worry is that I haven't seen enough consistency to suggest they can put together a playoff-long streak.


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[rustedblades]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Looking at 2 key players stats I've got to ask what is going on?

Auk 8pts in first 6 games, 4 pts in the last 19 games
Lesperance 7pts in the first 6 games, 2 points in the last 19 games

What the heck is going on? Watching the video from Vegas shed some light for me at least in Auks case, not sure if Lesperance is feeling the same way. Look at Auks reaction and face in the one on one with Coach. He looks totally defeated. Does Auk turn the puck over a little more than he should, yes but at a point a game, can you live with a little of that? Is this a square peg scenario?

I do have to ask how others are excelling and these 2 guys, who I thought would be key factors, are not. Watching the games they both look pretty good.

Regarding former Coach Pearson, pretty tough to argue with his results despite what you may think of him. On another note, it was kind of funny when he got boo'd by Tech faithful when he was introduced in their GLI semi final game. A little uncalled for I thought.

[manurespreader]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Comparing our coaching situation to other teams, generally we are far ahead of the game. Far ahead. Are there things the coach could do better, for sure. As there are with any coach out there. I know a parent who's kid plays for Minnesota. I mentioned how I thought their coach wasn't the best in human relations ways. His response was, "we like tough coaches." So there's balance. But for sure, today coaches have to coach differently than they did 25 years ago.
I think we all underestimate the pressure environment the coach operates in.

[rustedblades]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

....as Lost Husky pointed out, losing 4 of the top 6 D hurts a lot more than people talk about.

The coach just said in his last show, scoring chances against are down from last season. This would indicate to me that the team is playing better defensively? A lot of reason to be positive and upbeat, "I like this team".

[MTUHuskies]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

"I like this team".

Good point. I think I will try to put this in the rest of my posts about the MTUHuskies this year.

I like this team.

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[rustedblades]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Good point. I think I will try to put this in the rest of my posts about the MTUHuskies this year.

I like this team.

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I guess I'm just trying to say the coach has a lot to be excited and positive about. I think it would help the players tremendously if he was more positive. In the video there was a lot of you're doing this wrong and that wrong. From my experience, you know when you F' up, you don't need the coach to reinforce that. Let's go guys, I know you can win this. We got this, keep skating hard! Not **** IT!!! or OHHHH! when the other team scores, most teams are gonna score. I even disagree with the compete level assessment. They've come back in a lot of games where, as Coach Pearson used to say, they could have packed it in and given up but they battled back.

He must be a good Coach because of all the positives I've mentioned, scoring chances for are up from last year, goals per game average is up from last year, less scoring chances against than last year, all without Matt Roy, Mike Neville, Reid Sturos............
Coach, you're doing a tremendous job and your team is doing a tremendous job. Say it, embrace it, be positive about it!!!!!!!!!!!!! The guys will probably love you for it!

Edit: Now you've got a Hobey Baker candidate to brag about too!!

[Scrum Bucket]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

I think the key phrase was "tech faithful" . He did a good job at tech, then he left, boo.

[rustedblades]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

I think the key phrase was "tech faithful" . He did a good job at tech, then he left, boo.

Understood

[Lost_Husky]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

I think the key phrase was "tech faithful" . He did a good job at tech, then he left, boo.

Mel did a great job at Tech. That can't be overstated. Most of us had a feeling he would go back to AA when Red retired. As much as we love Tech, we understand that a B1G school has more money/recruit appeal than our beloved MTU.

The part that stung for me is when he called AA his "dream job." If he wasn't a Tech alum, who cares. That comment earned him Booos until he retires from AA.

[MTUHuskies]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

That comment earned him Booos until he retires from AA.

Why stop when he retires?


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[RapidsCity]

I think the key phrase was "tech faithful" . He did a good job at tech, then he left, boo.

Can you send someone to the Soo the screw our program up like Mel did to Tech?

[MTUHuskies]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Can you send someone to the Soo the screw our program up like Mel did to Tech?

We sent you Damon Whitten. What more do you want?

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[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 17-18 Preseason - MacNaughton, Broadmoor... What's this year bringi

Can you send someone to the Soo the screw our program up like Mel did to Tech?

You can have mel after he effs up Michigan.