BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

[ericredaxe]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

I'd say the Bennett / Gillespie combo in 07/08 probably would have to go down as losing the most sleep over. To me that team felt like they should have been an NCAA team apart from the goalie situation. Heck people were calling on Parker to start the third string goalie midway through the season…when had we ever seen that before? I think Bennett was supposed to be a real recruiting win too…. boy was everyone wrong on that one.

[mookie1995]

DiPietro was not expected to be one and done. That weird rule meant he had to opt in and give up his eligibility, if he wanted to take advantage of the hype that built up over him and the fact that his draft year was otherwise weak on goalies, whereas the next season included two or three supposed gems (including Marc Andre-FLeury, if memory serves.

DiPietro leaving after one year, plus Bennett being much worse than expected, both of those did some damage. When was Sebastian LaPlante supposed to arrive before he changed his mind?

ricky's leaving also caused fields to come a year early.

[Rogie21]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

DiPietro was our best goalie because I've never seen anybody playing that position on any level affect the offense like he did. His ability to dig the puck out of the corner and pass it up ice made the entire team look good, from the poor defense to the no talent offense. IIRC the wheels fell off the year after he left as nobody was getting lead passes over the D at mid-ice to break in alone on the goalie.

For making saves, easily John Curry. That guy set the record for most "bullsh !t" saves I've ever seen, as in that's what you say after he makes a nearly impossible stop. I was at Harvard once where he made like 7 in the 1st period in what ended up as a tie game but should have been a 5 goal loss.

Tapp was the worst goalie, but in his defense I don't think he was ever meant to be a starter. Bennett gets that honor for biggest flameout in net.

I don't know if DiPietro was the best goalie, but certainly he was the best puckhandler. How many times did he wait for the opponents to be on a change, then headman a pass sending a forward, usually Corazzini, in on a breakaway?

Curry was not just a great goalie, but an unmatched competitor, too. Like Gilroy, a walk-on who became an All-American.

Tapp kicked around the low minors for about seven years, but since then has been a very successful goalie coach at Union.

[claver2010]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

I'm not sure it's fair to put Rollie on that "lose sleep over" list…. I think he got pulled in that penalty filled debacle at RPI… other than that I can't think of any particularly bad performances. It's just that he was here when Millan was here… in another situation he may have played more.

Was Rolheiser the one who got sent to the penalty box at Conte?

Outside of that one I don't think I've ever seen that.

[Rogie21]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

Invitees to final Junior National Team Camp: O'Regan, Grzelcyk, Eichel. Eichel was the only under-ager named.
Only 26 on full roster, which gets pared down to 3 goalies and 20 skaters.

[Parker Ranger]

Was Rolheiser the one who got sent to the penalty box at Conte?

Outside of that one I don't think I've ever seen that.

I think it was Gillespie

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

Invitees to final Junior National Team Camp: O'Regan, Grzelcyk, Eichel. Eichel was the only under-ager named.
Only 26 on full roster, which gets pared down to 3 goalies and 20 skaters.

Roster also includes Major Junior players Tony DeAngelo and Adam Erne, both of whom had verbally committed at age 15 to BU (and would've been part of this year's Freshman class) before choosing the MJ route in 2011.

[Terrance]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

In light of the Cornell game I decided to look at some stats related to games where BU gave up more shots on goal than they had and vice versa.

In games where BU gave up more shots on goal than they took:

Record 5-4-1

Goals For 27
Goals Against 26


In games where BU took more shots on goal than the opponent:

Record 2-1-0

Goals For 8
Goals Against 6


They had the same number of shots as Maine in the game where they lost 7-0

They also haven't lost a game where they score more than 1 goal.

Their shot differential in wins is -58 and in losses it's -52

I can't imagine that positive goal differential when giving up more shots on goal than you take will hold up very.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

In light of the Cornell game I decided to look at some stats related to games where BU gave up more shots on goal than they had and vice versa.

In games where BU gave up more shots on goal than they took:

Record 5-4-1

Goals For 27
Goals Against 26


In games where BU took more shots on goal than the opponent:

Record 2-1-0

Goals For 8
Goals Against 6


They had the same number of shots as Maine in the game where they lost 7-0

They also haven't lost a game where they score more than 1 goal.

Their shot differential in wins is -58 and in losses it's -52

I can't imagine that positive goal differential when giving up more shots on goal than you take will hold up very.

I don't think it's the shots attempted or shots on goal as much as the quality of shots generated. There's a thin margin of error between this team's ability to succeed. 5 of their 7 wins have been by 2 or fewer goals. Conversely, 4 of their 6 losses have been by 2 or fewer goals.

In BU's 6 losses they have only scored 5 goals (0.83 goals per game). In the 7 wins and 1 tie, they have scored 30 goals (3.75 goals/game). Take away the 7-goal outburst vs. Wisconsin and they're still averaging 3.29 goals/game scored in the games they won or tied.

Defensively, take away the BC and Maine losses, they've allowed 26 goals in 12 games (2.17 goals allowed/game). IMO they have had a chance to win 11 of the 14 games played (the RPI, BC and Maine games being the exceptions).

There's plenty of room for improvement and to play consistently well. Let's see how well they can finish off the remaining 3 games before break and come out of the gates in January.

[Agganis]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

Defensively, take away the BC and Maine losses, they've allowed 26 goals in 12 games (2.17 goals allowed/game).

Take away the Wisconsin and UConn wins and they've scored 24 goals in 12 games (2.00 goals scored/game).

Shot numbers speak to possession, getting beat by a large number means the opponent has a lot more offensive zone possession than you do, I think BU's play in the D zone has actually been fine and I am not worried about the amount of time teams have spent there because they are not giving up high percentage shots (except in the BC game). I have less confidence that the offense will consistently put up enough goals to win if the minimal amount of offensive zone time continues.

[Rover]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

I think BU's play in the D zone has actually been fine and I am not worried about the amount of time teams have spent there because they are not giving up high percentage shots (except in the BC game). I have less confidence that the offense will consistently put up enough goals to win if the minimal amount of offensive zone time continues.

BU's play in their own D zone has been godawful whenever they face any team with speed. They stand around like traffic cones and get weaved around with ease. Great if they lock it down against the Hellen Keller School for the Blind or the Sisters of the Poor, but beating those teams doesn't win you hardware.

[Agganis]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

BU's play in their own D zone has been godawful whenever they face any team with speed. They stand around like traffic cones and get weaved around with ease. Great if they lock it down against the Hellen Keller School for the Blind or the Sisters of the Poor, but beating those teams doesn't win you hardware.

Despite the increase in shots allowed this year they gave up more GPG last year. I don't think the way they are playing at either end of the ice right now is worthy of major hardware (good thing none is being awarded at the moment). I just am less worried about the D than O going forward, maybe what I know about Quinn from the past is clouding my judgement.

[Rover]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

Despite the increase in shots allowed this year they gave up more GPG last year. I don't think the way they are playing at either end of the ice right now is worthy of major hardware (good thing none is being awarded at the moment). I just am less worried about the D than O going forward, maybe what I know about Quinn from the past is clouding my judgement.

From my own observations I'd say the goalies particularly O'Connor are playing better hockey this year than last which is to be expected as they have another year in. This is making up for the poorer defense. As I told collegehockeyrinkguy or whatever his name is, goalies are the least of my concerns for the team going forward.

[PaulG]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

Eichel was the only under-ager named.

... and was named to possibly fill the role of "sniper" on a talented team albeit somewhat lacking in that one skill area.

Anyone see his goal in USA's win over Michigan last night?

[Rogie21]

Re: BU 2013-2014: Ready to Quinn

... and was named to possibly fill the role of "sniper" on a talented team albeit somewhat lacking in that one skill area.

Anyone see his goal in USA's win over Michigan last night?

Yes, he took a return pass on a give-and-go and muscled past two defenders before one-timing the puck top left corner. Eichel looked strong all night, generally skating against the Wolverines' top line. He perfectly screened the goalie on the game-winner in overtime. Watching last night, saw many similarities to Colin Wilson, but Eichel may be even better.

http://www.usahockey.com/news_articl...rrer_id=752796