Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

[ZYanksRule]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

They have the talent, just can't seem to put it all together. Somehow, some way, they need to find secondary scoring. 50 shots on goal! It's not a lack of effort.

Petruzelli seems to have an issue adapting to the college game. Certainly not living up to his billing thus far. Some of that is on the D, but he just doesn't look comfortable out there.

I think Rand should just mix up the lines. They can't do any worse than this... maybe something will spark.

Short turn around to Tuesday at Hobey Baker rink. Big weekend coming up with the Crimson and Big Green. Need to find something positive and work on it.

Part of having talent is being able to finish. I don't accept that they have talent if they can't scores despite having the puck for the entire game. I'm glad this team has speed, but they don't have the vision to find the open man in the offensive zone, and they don't have the ability to put the puck in the net.

Hopefully I'm wrong -- I'd love to be wrong. But I can't call this a talented team if they can't score. They have a lot of potential, I'll grant you that. But potential isn't getting them very far right now.

[ZYanksRule]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

I don't accept that as an excuse. You can win without elite talent. This team has talent; they've shown glimpses of it. The problem has been consistency.

And let me remind everyone that we've been spoiled as fans. Five or six years ago we would have thought this was a good team. We've come to expect more and I think the team truly expects more. I'm sure they'll find it.

I know... I'm the eternal optimist when it comes to the Bobcats.

Mark I don't mean to be the contrarian tonight, but I don't think we'd have thought this was a good team 5-6 years ago. When was the last time we were 5-7-2 through 14 games? We're about to hit the halfway mark of the season as an under .500 team. I can't remember the last time QU looked this bad nearly halfway through the season.

Note: I just looked it up. The last time the club was under .500 this late into a season was 2010-2011, when they were 7-8-1 through 16 games after a 4-game losing streak.

Listen, I'm not mad about the way this season is going -- we were due one of these, and we've been due for a long time. Virtually no one in college hockey is a national power every year. But I think we can call a spade a spade. Right now, this is a bad hockey team. Maybe they'll be a good hockey team later in the season, but they're just a bad hockey team right now.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Mark I don't mean to be the contrarian tonight, but I don't think we'd have thought this was a good team 5-6 years ago. When was the last time we were 5-7-2 through 14 games? We're about to hit the halfway mark of the season as an under .500 team. I can't remember the last time QU looked this bad nearly halfway through the season.

Note: I just looked it up. The last time the club was under .500 this late into a season was 2010-2011, when they were 7-8-1 through 16 games after a 4-game losing streak.

Listen, I'm not mad about the way this season is going -- we were due one of these, and we've been due for a long time. Virtually no one in college hockey is a national power every year. But I think we can call a spade a spade. Right now, this is a bad hockey team. Maybe they'll be a good hockey team later in the season, but they're just a bad hockey team right now.

You couldn't be more right. This is a bad hockey team right now and its due to not having elite talent. UMass just kicked Quinnipiac's *** this weekend with a bunch of freshman and sophomores who are extremely talented.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Quinnipiac falls 6-3, gets swept by UMass

http://www.bobcatshockeyblog.com/201...-by-umass.html

[PPGuru]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

I don't know guys. I saw Q play at BC and twice at NU. Looked like a pretty good team to me. True that you didn't have a Superstar but looked like you had enough quality players to give most teams fits. Maybe these games against UMass are just a bad weekend?

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Right now, this is a bad hockey team.

I respectfully disagree. They're having some bad luck but this is not a bad team.

[QUAlum2004]

I respectfully disagree. They're having some bad luck but this is not a bad team.

As Bill Parcells used to say....You are what your record says you are.

[Turk]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

I don't know guys. I saw Q play at BC and twice at NU. Looked like a pretty good team to me. True that you didn't have a Superstar but looked like you had enough quality players to give most teams fits. Maybe these games against UMass are just a bad weekend?

I partly agree I thought they had a good start against BU, BC and Northeastern. But I don't know what happened since. This past weekend was painful. I was at last nights game and loosing 6-3 and having 50 shots on goal was bad enough but the fact that UMass had only 19 shots on goal and scored 6 times is horrible. Heck in the second period they only had 5 shots and scored twice.

Our goal tending has been good with Shortridge having a few good games shutting out Brown and Yale and the BU game where the puck came down from the rafters and landed behind him and trickled in was just a shame. But Petruzzelli last night just did not look confident. I hope he gets used to college hockey sooner rather than later

We may have some good players but they are not a good team. I'm not sure if its the players or the coaches but what they are doing is not working. At this point I think our only chance at the NCAA tournament would be winning the ECAC tournament but that's going to be a hard row to hoe. They need to try something I don't know shuffle the lines like someone previously said or put the freshman in. It cant be any worse a loss is a loss at least get some of the freshman and others some ice time.

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

As Bill Parcells used to say....You are what your record says you are.

C'mon... I know you're smarter than that. There's a big difference between professional sports and college athletics. You simply cannot compare the two. We can't go out and get a free-agent or sign the next Connor McDavid. We have to utilize what's on the bench, and live with what's in the recruiting pipeline and hope those young kids develop into the right players for our systems. It's also not all about wins and losses at this level.

But Petruzzelli last night just did not look confident. I hope he gets used to college hockey sooner rather than later

Petruzzelli does appear to have a huge confidence problem. The kid was lights out in Jr's and now is having all sorts of trouble stopping the puck. I'm not saying it's all his fault but there's definitely something wrong when he's in net. Shortridge has had a couple of bad games but has been stout between the pipes for the most part. He's been able to keep us in games (like Friday night) and give us a chance.

I'm not sure if its the players or the coaches but what they are doing is not working.

I'm usually not critical of the coaching staff but they share a large part of this burden. The systems aren't working with the personnel we have. So either the systems need to change or the lines need to be shuffled, or maybe some combination of the two. On the other hand, the kids need to buy in and I haven't seen where that's been sustained. Since none of us are privy to what goes on in practice or in the locker room it's hard to determine where the real problems lie.

I understand it's human nature, and I'm guilty of it myself at times, but I find it funny that after a win this team can't do anything wrong, yet after a loss they get ripped to shreds. At this point it is what it is. Lack of talent, poor coaching, bad luck... whatever it is there's nothing any of us can do about it except be supportive and hope for the best. I personally think this is a better team than their record and play has shown, and I think they'll get it figured out in time to make a strong run in the 2nd half.

[QUFan]

I partly agree I thought they had a good start against BU, BC and Northeastern. But I don't know what happened since. This past weekend was painful. I was at last nights game and loosing 6-3 and having 50 shots on goal was bad enough but the fact that UMass had only 19 shots on goal and scored 6 times is horrible. Heck in the second period they only had 5 shots and scored twice.

Our goal tending has been good with Shortridge having a few good games shutting out Brown and Yale and the BU game where the puck came down from the rafters and landed behind him and trickled in was just a shame. But Petruzzelli last night just did not look confident. I hope he gets used to college hockey sooner rather than later

We may have some good players but they are not a good team. I'm not sure if its the players or the coaches but what they are doing is not working. At this point I think our only chance at the NCAA tournament would be winning the ECAC tournament but that's going to be a hard row to hoe. They need to try something I don't know shuffle the lines like someone previously said or put the freshman in. It cant be any worse a loss is a loss at least get some of the freshman and others some ice time.

I agree with the Petruzelli comment. I think they had their first 4 goals on just Twelve shots. I was seated at the end Q defended in the second period and the kid looked liked he’s guessing rather than tracking the puck. It’s gotta be a head thing because the first few times he was out there this year I honestly thought Shortridge’s career was over. I’m sure Keith we’ll figure it out and get it back. On the flip side, if the scoring comes back, they can go a long way with Shortridge.

Maybe it’s a stretch of bad luck, but they just don’t seem to have the timing down. A lot of not being in the right place at the right time. Concentration seemed a bit off too, errant passes and more than a few pucks just falling off sticks either in flight or as they are in control and shooting. Hope they can pull it together to get at least 4 Points out of this next 3 games. Already in a bit of a hole in the ECAC, and can’t afford to dig any deeper.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

C'mon... I know you're smarter than that. There's a big difference between professional sports and college athletics. You simply cannot compare the two. We can't go out and get a free-agent or sign the next Connor McDavid. We have to utilize what's on the bench, and live with what's in the recruiting pipeline and hope those young kids develop into the right players for our systems. It's also not all about wins and losses at this level.



Petruzzelli does appear to have a huge confidence problem. The kid was lights out in Jr's and now is having all sorts of trouble stopping the puck. I'm not saying it's all his fault but there's definitely something wrong when he's in net. Shortridge has had a couple of bad games but has been stout between the pipes for the most part. He's been able to keep us in games (like Friday night) and give us a chance.

I'm usually not critical of the coaching staff but they share a large part of this burden. The systems aren't working with the personnel we have. So either the systems need to change or the lines need to be shuffled, or maybe some combination of the two. On the other hand, the kids need to buy in and I haven't seen where that's been sustained. Since none of us are privy to what goes on in practice or in the locker room it's hard to determine where the real problems lie.

I understand it's human nature, and I'm guilty of it myself at times, but I find it funny that after a win this team can't do anything wrong, yet after a loss they get ripped to shreds. At this point it is what it is. Lack of talent, poor coaching, bad luck... whatever it is there's nothing any of us can do about it except be supportive and hope for the best. I personally think this is a better team than their record and play has shown, and I think they'll get it figured out in time to make a strong run in the 2nd half.

Tell that to former men's basketball coach Tom Moore on the basketball side. Wins and losses at the Division I level mean something because if you don't win you find yourself on the unemployment line especially in money making sports like basketball and hockey.

Petruzzelli was not lights out in juniors. .918 save percentage with a 2.40 goals against is far from lights out. Let's remember he only played 1 year in the USHL after making a big jump for U18 Midget hockey. He possibly could have used another season of junior hockey.

I'm all for changing lines but this to me is more of a personnel issue which at this point in the season they can't really fix.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Scouting the Enemy: Princeton Tigers

http://www.bobcatshockeyblog.com/201...on-tigers.html

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

In the Pipeline 11/27/2017

http://www.bobcatshockeyblog.com/201...-11272017.html

[Turk]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Tell that to former men's basketball coach Tom Moore on the basketball side. Wins and losses at the Division I level mean something because if you don't win you find yourself on the unemployment line especially in money making sports like basketball and hockey.

Petruzzelli was not lights out in juniors. .918 save percentage with a 2.40 goals against is far from lights out. Let's remember he only played 1 year in the USHL after making a big jump for U18 Midget hockey. He possibly could have used another season of junior hockey.

I'm all for changing lines but this to me is more of a personnel issue which at this point in the season they can't really fix.

Between tonight and this weekend we will have a much better idea of weather they can turn things around. As you said this may not be something they can fix this season. I was thinking give some of the freshman some ice time to get them used to "college hockey" so they are prepared next year when they are called on to step up and fill some of the empty slots.

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Quinnipiac Bobcats 2017-18: Chase the dream...

Between tonight and this weekend we will have a much better idea of weather they can turn things around.

Agreed. Realistically we need to sweep all 6 points... I'll settle for 4. Anything less and the rest of the season becomes a struggle.

I certainly don't have the answers so I can only hope the staff does. For now I think we need to ride Shortridge because the truth is we've played better in front of him . Some of that may be him picking up the rest of the team but whatever the reason we're better with him in net.

I think the effort has been there but the results aren't anywhere close to where they need to be. Just keep digging and grinding it out. If it's merely a run a bad luck it should work itself out. If not, we're in for a long season.

Go Q!