RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

It's been a common problem for years at RPI despite changes in personnel both on and behind the bench. As ehf said, defenses are good at shutting down shooting lanes, but I wonder if some of it isn't somewhat institutionalized as well. One can draw a line down through the ages - D'Amigo played with Kerins, who played with MacDonald, who played with Graham, who played with Tapper, who played with Healey, who played with Richardson, who played with Majic, who played with Juneau, who played with Ferreira, who played with Hernberg, who played with Oates, and so on and so forth (kinda like the Bible and all the begats). So it's possible that little things that freshmen pick up on from seniors gets integrated into their game at RPI that can later get passed down when they're seniors. Small things like waiting, waiting, waiting for the perfect shot on the PP.

Now, of course, it's a coach's place to find issues and work specifically on those issues to alleviate them, but I'm just saying that institutionalized play isn't completely impossible.

So it is all Burton Clarkson's fault. I knew with that name he had to be a bad apple.

Seriously, there is some truth to that, even though there have been numerous coaches trying to instill different philosophies over the years.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

It's been a common problem for years at RPI despite changes in personnel both on and behind the bench. As ehf said, defenses are good at shutting down shooting lanes, but I wonder if some of it isn't somewhat institutionalized as well. One can draw a line down through the ages - D'Amigo played with Kerins, who played with MacDonald, who played with Graham, who played with Tapper, who played with Healey, who played with Richardson, who played with Majic, who played with Juneau, who played with Ferreira, who played with Hernberg, who played with Oates, and so on and so forth (kinda like the Bible and all the begats). So it's possible that little things that freshmen pick up on from seniors gets integrated into their game at RPI that can later get passed down when they're seniors. Small things like waiting, waiting, waiting for the perfect shot on the PP.

Now, of course, it's a coach's place to find issues and work specifically on those issues to alleviate them, but I'm just saying that institutionalized play isn't completely impossible.

You have a good point. E. Burgdörfer had a very high percentage shot in his first couple of years, but I would attribute that to the fact that he only shot the puck maybe once a month. I do remember during the U-18 game a moment where it almost looked like Brutlag was thinking, "S**** you guys and your tentativeness, I'll just take the puck myself," and scored. I think a lot of this mindfulness would be reason as to 1) he was moved up to forward, and 2) he was named to a motivating-the-team leadership position of alternate captain.

Defending shooting lanes is definitely different in the ECAC than in the other leagues, because there's a lot of sliding bodies to block shots. It's much like how the USA played defense for the first couple of periods in the WJC gold medal game against Canada. We may be the EZAC according to some, but I remember reading on here that the western teams still hate to play us because of the league's style.

[Jasma]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

I'm not good at analyzing the team but last year 2 areas seemed to stand out to me as requiring some tweaking...the power play and the tendency for the players to not 'pull the trigger' (actually the reason I mention the power play is [I]because[I] they would not pull the trigger). In the few games I watched live, there was an unselfishness that bordered on tentativeness. I don't know if you can practice that or if it was the group dynamic. What do you guys think?

Having said all that, I do like the offensive firepower we have...just want them shooting earlier and more often.

Good observation. I think you will see a little more agressive play on offense as this team has matured.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

I know what you are talking about, but power plays in general have been looking for shooting lanes. The defenses have been getting very good at closing those lanes and it just appears that the point men are not shooting when they have a chance. Many of our PP goals were scored on passes through the middle of the ice and one timed into the net.
After the three previous years, this was an exceptional power play and will only get better.
What I would like to see improved, is our play in our own zone.
Last year, there were too many blind passes in our zone leading to many goals against and many more opportunities.
We need to be more responsible in the defensive zone.
Cut down the goals against and play in the end of season tournaments.

We have been lacking a "heavy" shot from the point for some time, which removes one dimension from what opposing PKs must defend. I really hope that Bergin, Bailen and Dolan can solve this over the next few years.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

We have been lacking a "heavy" shot from the point for some time, which removes one dimension from what opposing PKs must defend. I really hope that Bergin, Bailen and Dolan can solve this over the next few years.

"Bergin, Bailen and Dolan"? That sounds like a law firm.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

"Bergin, Bailen and Dolan"? That sounds like a law firm.

Works for me! ...and it wouldn't offend me if Seth put them all out there on PP together....

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

Good observation. I think you will see a little more agressive play on offense as this team has matured.

Good point J. Its easy to forget that as good as they were, we had a lot of youth on the ice at forward last season...we should be the better for it this year.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

Nothing much different from Saturday http://www.standard-freeholder.com/A...aspx?e=2643951 but the soap opera continues.

Hambleton clearly has a phobia of actual reporting and/or hard work -- with an amazing unwillingness to unearth factual information...my guess is he's married to the publishers daughter.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

I was not talking about him but the other two, who were the only 2 on CSB at the beg of season

Exactly, both highly thought of before season started and looked whathappend after year in USHL, especially with an expansion team.


YOUNGSTOWN, OH (Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

With the number five overall pick in the first round, the Phantoms selected 1991-born, 6'3” 190 lb. defenseman Dan Senkbeil from the San Jose Jr. Sharks U18 AAA team. Senkbeil is currently one of the most talked-about amateur players in the country and looks to be a lock for the NHL Draft this June. He'll help anchor a strong, pro-look defense for next season. He is getting college interest from some of the top hockey programs in the country and can immediately step into the Phantoms’ top defense pair.

The Phantoms’ second choice, 18th overall, was 1991-born, 6'6” 220 lb. defenseman J.D. Carrabino from Millbrook Prep in New York. Carrabino hails from New Canaan, CT, and adds another impact defenseman to the Phantoms’ blue line. This is another defenseman who is getting many looks from big-time college programs and NHL teams for this summer’s NHL Draft. His stock has risen since great showings at the Beantown Classic in March and the Chicago High School Showcase in April.


These are the two I was talking about. After all this, here is the end results

Zero college deals
Zero NHL draft
# 77 Daniel Senkbeil 55 games 0 goals, 5 assists, a minus 10
# 71 J.D. Carrabino 28 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, minus 8, hardly dressd second half.
These 2 kids were 6'6" and 6'4" and higher touted and better skaters, by a wide margin there.

The league is tougher then a lot of people think. many big D have showed up and flopped big time and didnt develop for college.

Ahh, THOSE two -- love the revisionist history.

Newsflash from HD: defenseman struggle playing for a 1st year USHL team, that fired its coach in February and ended up among the lowest scoring teams in the league...WOW there's a shocker.

Perhaps you'll now jolt us with a report that more oil will enter gulf waters today?

[babo]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

We have been lacking a "heavy" shot from the point for some time, which removes one dimension from what opposing PKs must defend. I really hope that Bergin, Bailen and Dolan can solve this over the next few years.

You touched on something near and dear to my heart...the point. The power play is only as good as the puck movement to avoid the aforementioned defensive lanes. If forwards become myopic and forget their 'point guards' (my only way to follow the speed of the game is to equate is to basketball), they lose 40% of their scoring potential and have to work twice as hard. Not to mention the fact that using D in the power play gives the penalty killers a headache.

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

We have been lacking a "heavy" shot from the point for some time, which removes one dimension from what opposing PKs must defend. I really hope that Bergin, Bailen and Dolan can solve this over the next few years.

I understand where you are coming from, but my favorite point man on the power play is Brian Rafalski, and he doesn't have a heavy or powerful shot, he just gets it to the net and keeps it low so that it can be tipped.
We have had guys that could do that for years, but we rarely have a forward in front of the net, they always set up to the side.
These are just my observations, and I am sure that the coaching staff has their own methods for dealing with the power play.
The improved greatly last season, and I am sure they will be even better this year.
I still believe that our main concern for the coming year should be defense.
JMO

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

I understand where you are coming from, but my favorite point man on the power play is Brian Rafalski, and he doesn't have a heavy or powerful shot, he just gets it to the net and keeps it low so that it can be tipped.
We have had guys that could do that for years, but we rarely have a forward in front of the net, they always set up to the side.
These are just my observations, and I am sure that the coaching staff has their own methods for dealing with the power play.
The improved greatly last season, and I am sure they will be even better this year.
I still believe that our main concern for the coming year should be defense.
JMO

I agree with the need to bury more pucks down low.
Many of the shots from the point were often too deliberate, i.e. slappers that took too long to get to the net (which goes back to Babo's point) or shots missing the net altogether. I guess what I should have written is we need quicker releases and one timers...if we can get the PK skaters and the keeper moving, deliver some timely shots, then there's more opportunity and space to bury rebounds. I do agree with RB that last year's PP was a significant improvement over the painful units of years past...at least from a spectator's perspective (I don't know, but am willing to be that the numbers show it??)

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

...Not to mention the fact that using D in the power play gives the penalty killers a headache.

AND burning lungs...

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

It's been a common problem for years at RPI ....played with Tapper.... Small things like waiting, waiting, waiting for the perfect shot on the PP.

Now, of course, it's a coach's place to find issues and work specifically on those issues to alleviate them, but I'm just saying that institutionalized play isn't completely impossible.

I don't recall Tapper ever having trouble pulling the trigger....

[Hokydad]

Re: RPI 2010 Off-Season III -- How we learned to stop worrying and love the Class of '14

Ahh, THOSE two -- love the revisionist history.

Newsflash from HD: defenseman struggle playing for a 1st year USHL team, that fired its coach in February and ended up among the lowest scoring teams in the league...WOW there's a shocker.

Perhaps you'll now jolt us with a report that more oil will enter gulf waters today?

How is it revisionist? Those were the first two D drafted by Youngstown and the only two on central scouting.

Who else could it have been you dope?

They dont draft kids off winning teams, they draft players with upside that they can project out on.

Better tell Tampa they made a mistake with Stamkos because the Sting blew.

Didnt seem to hurth the other 15 kids on Youngstown who got D 1 deals.