UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

[Dan]

I have been reading the conversation about Gildon over the last couple of days. The basis of it is the two mistakes, that led to goals against, he made against Colorado College and Army. I think everybody should go back and watch the video of these two plays again. The turnover against Colorado College happened when he was trying to make a pass from his defensive blueline up to his forward at the right hand side of the offensive blueline. He fanned on the pass which led to turning the puck over to a Colorado College player. This was no way a situation of being too risky or being over confident with the puck. This is what happens every once and awhile to a player that plays with his head up.

The mistake Gildon made in the Army game occurred just a couple of seconds after a UNH turnover at the center red line. He was skating up ice around the top of the circle in the defensive zone when the puck came to him.

This whole conversation about Gildon is ridiculous. Watching UNH Men's hockey this season has been fun, in a large part because of Gildon.

.

[Dan]

That's interesting! Please give us a full report of the Big Green...are you going to both games?

Yes, I'll be at both games. Dartmouth is struggling at 2-7-1 and they're, as advertised, devoid of any offensive/scoring ability. Defensively, they're forechecking well but they quickly fall back to their zone and are collapsing to the slot to play a zone defense that resembles a five-man PK. They got good D and goaltending tonight, which they usually do not.

1-0 DU. Dartmouth will head into tomorrow's game winless in seven games, managing just six goals over that stretch...

[Ray Dorn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Ray Dorn great post come back more often...!

Thanks. To me a risky/over confident defenseman is one who is always trying to skate the puck through opposing players or forcing their passes through opponents. This has not been Gildon. I think he has just the right amount of confidence. Not too many 18 year old defensemen have had as much offensive success in their first month of Division I college hockey as Max Gildon did.

[Snively65]

Big Green = cupcake. Bentley beat them in their barn 5-1.

But, back to discussion about lines above. If Eiserman-Nazarian-Vela begin all three periods in a game, are not they the first line?

And, if composition of the fourth line does not matter, which line got the first two goals against Army?

Maybe Big Green no cupcake afterall? Or, maybe DU overrated and/or Bentley underrated? Anyway, hope that UNH not looking past Vlae, Dartmouth, and Brown Bears.

[Snively65]

I have been reading the conversation about Gildon over the last couple of days. The basis of it is the two mistakes, that led to goals against, he made against Colorado College and Army. I think everybody should go back and watch the video of these two plays again. I did earlier this evening. The turnover against Colorado College happened when he was trying to make a pass from his defensive blueline up to his forward at the right hand side of the offensive blueline. He fanned on the pass which led to turning the puck over to a Colorado College player. This was no way a situation of being too risky or being over confident with the puck. This is what happens every once and awhile to a player that plays with his head up. Gildon was able to get back into the play. The real mistake was how Gildon and his defense partner, Marks, played the resulting 3 on 2 against them. The game winning goal, shot, came from about five feet below the top of the circle. It appears to me Marks may have screened Tirone.

The mistake Gildon made in the Army game occurred just a couple of seconds after a UNH turnover at the center red line. He was skating up ice around the top of the circle in the defensive zone when the puck came to him. He seemed to be caught off guard that the puck came to him. He had about a second before the Colorado College player was on him. He tried to do his spin, escape maneuver, but was stripped of the puck before he could complete it. The mistake was trying to do this maneuver when moving forward. It is like trying to turn a boat when not having any movement. The escape maneuver only works well when moving backwards. If I was coaching him, I would have told him that he should have just flipped the puck high up in the air and turn it over to the opposing team around the far blue line.

This whole conversation about Gildon is ridiculous. Watching UNH Men's hockey this season has been fun, in a large part because of Gildon. As UNH hockey supporters we like to reminisce about when James Van Riemsdyk played for us. There has not been too many former UNH players that went on to have a prominent NHL career. Hopefully, some day we will be able to reminisce about when Max Gildon played for UNH!

I agree with HR; excellent post, RD. I have seen two games in person this season, neither the CC nor Army games, but rather PC and Mac. For me, Max Gildon has been as much fun to watch as TyK and JvR. These players do not come along very often at UNH these days, so you will not hear any bashing of Gildon, or Maass, from me. Without 'em, this team would be lucky to have five wins (see my earlier posts) so far this season.

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Maybe Big Green no cupcake afterall? Or, maybe DU overrated and/or Bentley underrated? Anyway, hope that UNH not looking past Vlae, Dartmouth, and Brown Bears.

Maybe players just want to get home for their break? Seriously good for Dartmouth. Tonight's another night. UNH can't afford to look past anybody; just like teams can't afford to look past them. "On any given night". I'd imagine Yale (where does Vlae come from? ) has a point to make with us. Come on 'Cats....beat those bad boy Ivy's!!

[Snively65]

Maybe players just want to get home for their break? Seriously good for Dartmouth. Tonight's another night. UNH can't afford to look past anybody; just like teams can't afford to look past them. "On any given night". I'd imagine Yale (where does Vlae come from? ) has a point to make with us. Come on 'Cats....beat those bad boy Ivy's!!

Maybe UNH needs to recruit some Finns, like DU, which I have posted in earlier threads.

I cannot remember where Vlae comes from, but definitely old timers here should be able to answer that. :-)

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

I cannot remember where Vlae comes from, but definitely old timers here should be able to answer that. :-)

mookie?

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

mookie?

Figures! kind of like the UHN stuff which I despise. Ha!

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

mookie?

Correct. Another of my favorites is "umlol"

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Correct. Another of my favorites is "umlol"

Yup one of my favs too...bahahaha!

[Aerman]

Correct. Another of my favorites is "umlol"

I think Vlae, uhn and Proviced[ are typos that have been embraced over the years, while umlolol was created with deliberateness.

[Dan]

Dartmouth beats DU 5-4 tonight and definitely didn't look like a cupcake this weekend. They played hard and tough all weekend, really matched DU five-on-five (4 of DUs 5 weekend goals came with a man advantage). They were really strong in net and defensively all weekend. They still struggled offensively, despite the five-spot. Two of their goals were blind centers from below the goal line that ricocheted in off Denver skates. Their empty netter - which turned out to be the game winner - was a DU centering pass that hit a body and deflected the length of the ice and into the net...

Something is wrong in Denver - they may be overrated. They've blown a ton of big leads this year, including 3-0 tonight.

If they play like they did in Denver - DC is no pushover for UNH two weeks from now on Hanover...

[Snively65]

Dartmouth beats DU 5-4 tonight and definitely didn't look like a cupcake this weekend. They played hard and tough all weekend, really matched DU five-on-five (4 of DUs 5 weekend goals came with a man advantage). They were really strong in net and defensively all weekend. They still struggled offensively, despite the five-spot. Two of their goals were blind centers from below the goal line that ricocheted in off Denver skates. Their empty netter - which turned out to be the game winner - was a DU centering pass that hit a body and deflected the length of the ice and into the net...

Something is wrong in Denver - they may be overrated. They've blown a ton of big leads this year, including 3-0 tonight.

If they play like they did in Denver - DC is no pushover for UNH two weeks from now on Hanover...

UNH must return to being SMT's in Hanover in two weeks!

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Dartmouth beats DU 5-4 tonight and definitely didn't look like a cupcake this weekend. They played hard and tough all weekend, really matched DU five-on-five (4 of DUs 5 weekend goals came with a man advantage). They were really strong in net and defensively all weekend. They still struggled offensively, despite the five-spot. Two of their goals were blind centers from below the goal line that ricocheted in off Denver skates. Their empty netter - which turned out to be the game winner - was a DU centering pass that hit a body and deflected the length of the ice and into the net...

Something is wrong in Denver - they may be overrated. They've blown a ton of big leads this year, including 3-0 tonight.

If they play like they did in Denver - DC is no pushover for UNH two weeks from now on Hanover...

Wow! Thanks for the report! It puts the 'Cats on notice for sure....great weekend for the Big Green; the plane ride home must've been a good one. See? That's my point...'any given night'. Things click for a team too; sounds like this could be the case along with the Pios underbelly being exposed. Whatever they have been struggling with came to full fruition. Go 'Cats!! Talk about being on a quest...