Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

[Federal League]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

In this three way tie, BU wins the comparison for Western Michigan. Western Michigan wins the comparison for CC. Yet CC wins the comparison for BU. How that would get sorted out with an autobid coming from whoever wins Atlantic hockey is way too mind boggling for 4:30am.

Ties of three or more teams are also broken by RPI, so the teams tied would just be ranked in order of RPI.

Why would the '07 team need to win the regional as a 2 seed in order to be a top 10 team? Shouldn't the 1 seed be the favorite?

Seedings are based on end of season rankings and the NCAA saw fit through their objective ranking system to rank the '07 team high enough for a 2 seed which by all accounts is within the top 10 or the top 8 as you mention above.

Please refrain from using facts and logic on this board. Thank you.

[Bigus Paulus]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Please refrain from using facts and logic on this board. Thank you.

My apologies.

[defkit]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

This has turned into some serious entertainment. Two camps clearly forming. The usually over the top Jofa has several new friends, while slurpees and ericexe (?) are standing their ground...

I'll paraphrase Mr. Gentry from a few weeks ago, because he summed it up so well: Parker is no longer getting the most out of his players.

That is what it boils down to. And the symptom is one Frozen Four in 14 years (I sound like our old buddy eaglebunny). We can argue about where BU falls in the last decade, but the reality is that since our last FF team in 1997, the following have been the only teams that I would consider "elite" - which I would best define as "Should have been in the FF":

1998: OT loss to UNH in the regional final. Not saying they should have been in the FF, but you throw them in the mix with UNH, BC, Michigan, and who was it Ohio State?, and they would win as many as they would lose
2000: borderline FF. Lost in 4OT''s but to a team that BC handled pretty easily IIRC. Despite having DiPietro, I don't think they would have threatened
2006: If we didn't have to play BC, pretty sure we would have made it to the FF
2009: obviously.

For those that go to the FF every year, like Scarlet, they deserve better than getting to see their own team once in 14 years. I'm not asking for 7 FFs in 8 years like we had in the 90's. Or the kind of domination we experienced in the 70s. But I'd like BU to be "player" on a more regular basis. And unfortuantely, I don't see that returning with Parker.

[Bigus Paulus]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

...the following have been the only teams that I would consider "elite" - which I would best define as "Should have been in the FF":

1998: OT loss to UNH in the regional final. Not saying they should have been in the FF, but you throw them in the mix with UNH, BC, Michigan, and who was it Ohio State?, and they would win as many as they would lose
2000: borderline FF. Lost in 4OT''s but to a team that BC handled pretty easily IIRC. Despite having DiPietro, I don't think they would have threatened
2006: If we didn't have to play BC, pretty sure we would have made it to the FF
2009: obviously.

I would add the '02 team to this list, as well. If Maine wasn't on a mission to win it all for Shawn Walsh that season then BU could have made it to the FF. That Maine squad destroyed No. 1 UNH in the FF that year before falling to Minnesota in their own barn in OT. I would have loved to see DiPietro play on that team. Why couldn't his parents get jiggy with it a few days earlier.

[slurpees]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

For the record, I'm not really sure where my stance on Parker is right now. It's not in the "fire him this second!!!!!" camp, but he has made some head scratching moves over the past couple of seasons with regard to throwing guys off the team, and the constant russian roulette game of changing the lines. That said, you can't discount that he won a title with a dominant team two seasons ago. I think the best way to describe my feeling is first, let's see who's back next season. If we're not hit that hard by early departures, there should be a lot of not-young-anymore talent on our squad. I don't know anything about the incoming freshmen, but this appears to be a 11-12 team that should be a national competitor. I don't know that it's the juggernaut that the 09 team was, but then again, at this point in 2008, you would've been laughed off the board if you said next year's team would win 35 games and a banner. If the same problems repeat themselves next year with lack of effort, inconsistency in big games, wild roster/line changes at bad times, then I'll be moving over towards Jofa's side. With most of this year's team back next year, obviously barring injuries, there's no reason why we shouldn't be competing for the Hockey East title, and making a run in the tournament. There would no "team's too young" reasoning, or "national championship hangover and players with one foot out the door to the pros" excuses. Until then, I'm not going to make any judgments.

[jcarter7669]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Why would the '07 team need to win the regional as a 2 seed in order to be a top 10 team? Shouldn't the 1 seed be the favorite?

Seedings are based on end of season rankings and the NCAA saw fit through their objective ranking system to rank the '07 team high enough for a 2 seed which by all accounts is within the top 10 or the top 8 as you mention above.

My bad, I was trying to do several things as once, you are right of course that making the regional finals would put you as top 8 or better. Anyways, I was wrong on that aspect, but lets not lose sight of the forest through the trees here. While BU had a good first half of the decade, the second half outside of one year pretty much has sucked. Parker is the cause and it's time for him to step down, or to BU push him down. One NC, which is a huge accomplishment, no doubt, but the other 5 years are pretty low for BU standards.

As for the other thread I will take a look when I get a chance, but here's the deal, you can look at all the different rankings, polls, Krach, PWR etc and they will give you different fodder to make your own argument. Is BU a top ten program of the decade.... maybe, certainly not inarguably as was posted. Were they the a top ten program the last 7 years... doubtfull. The last 5 years definetly not, the last 2 years.... not even a top 15. The point is the program is going downhill.... top be considered a top 10 program in the decade is only based on the first half.... if BU wan't to rest on its past accomplishments so be it, but it soon will be making the NCAAs 2-3 times a decade...if you are happy with that by all means continue stroking Parker and praising him.

[srsterrier]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

This has turned into some serious entertainment. Two camps clearly forming. The usually over the top Jofa has several new friends, while slurpees and ericexe (?) are standing their ground...

I'll paraphrase Mr. Gentry from a few weeks ago, because he summed it up so well: Parker is no longer getting the most out of his players.

That is what it boils down to. And the symptom is one Frozen Four in 14 years (I sound like our old buddy eaglebunny). We can argue about where BU falls in the last decade, but the reality is that since our last FF team in 1997, the following have been the only teams that I would consider "elite" - which I would best define as "Should have been in the FF":

1998: OT loss to UNH in the regional final. Not saying they should have been in the FF, but you throw them in the mix with UNH, BC, Michigan, and who was it Ohio State?, and they would win as many as they would lose
2000: borderline FF. Lost in 4OT''s but to a team that BC handled pretty easily IIRC. Despite having DiPietro, I don't think they would have threatened
2006: If we didn't have to play BC, pretty sure we would have made it to the FF
2009: obviously.

For those that go to the FF every year, like Scarlet, they deserve better than getting to see their own team once in 14 years. I'm not asking for 7 FFs in 8 years like we had in the 90's. Or the kind of domination we experienced in the 70s. But I'd like BU to be "player" on a more regular basis. And unfortuantely, I don't see that returning with Parker.

Every year, there are about 6-8 teams that are in the conversation for the Frozen Four. Usually, the Frozen Four winds up consisting primarily of those 6-8 teams with an occasional interloper like RIT or Bemidji. Teams like BC, North Dakota, Denver and Michigan are usually on that list. Even if they do not actually make the Frozen Four, even if they don't win the championship, their team was good enough that their fans spent the season watching a team of that caliber and knew that it could be their year. How often has BU been in that group over the last dozen years or so? 3 or 4 times? Heck, as noted before, there have been as many times that they weren't even in the conversation to make the tournament at all. Not acceptable.

[Jofa]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

The usually over the top Jofa has several new friends, while slurpees and ericexe (?) are standing their ground...

I'll own that comment. Someone has to fight the good fight and sometimes that means putting yourself out on the fringes. There are too many on this Board that feel too cozy with or about Parker through either social or business reasons to ever suggest he is "part" of the problem and not the solution. If my rants get some serious discussion started and continuing over a sustained period then I think it will eventually lead to the correct result. If Scarlet is representative of the loyal BU rooters then its the "Scarlets' out there that are much more effected by the lack of leadership that we are seeing and should be leading the charge versus a cynical oldtimer like myself. For the ones that are starting to see the light, welcome and keep up the good fight.

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

.... I would have loved to see DiPietro play on that team. Why couldn't his parents get jiggy with it a few days earlier.

once again, mike milbury collectively ****s us in the ***!!!!

[SteveF]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

This is the same guy who won a NC 2 years ago and also has run an arguably top-5 and inarguably top-10 program in the NCAA over the past decade, right?

before i laugh hysterically, did you mean top 5 in hockey east?

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

We went through this excersize a few weeks ago. Try to name 10 programs better than BU since 2000 and you'll find you can't, objectively.

You'll find 4 easily, and then another 3 or 4 arguably.

This is awesome. First you talk about the decade, jcarter comes back talking about the last two years, and then you come back with the decade talk. Can you guys at least get on the same ***** page?

Does anyone really want to see them play another game this year anyway? I dont want to watch this crap show for one more minute. 8 losses versus Beanpot teams this year, nuff said.

I wouldn't mind seeing them play UND

2000: borderline FF. Lost in 4OT''s but to a team that BC handled pretty easily IIRC.

From what I remember SLU gave BC a good game and actually had a 2-1 lead at some point (possibly in the 3rd) before BC rallied to win 4-2

[ericredaxe]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

From what I remember SLU gave BC a good game and actually had a 2-1 lead at some point (possibly in the 3rd) before BC rallied to win 4-2

According to the box score... you are correct, SLU had a 2-1 lead until 3:04 of the third period. BC took the lead at 18:03 of the 3rd, then made it 4-2 on an empty netter...

http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey...s-st-lawrence/

[defkit]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

From what I remember SLU gave BC a good game and actually had a 2-1 lead at some point (possibly in the 3rd) before BC rallied to win 4-2

Sounds right. Pretty sure Farkas had a role in getting BC out in front. Not sure why I remember that, but I think I watched it on TV trying to see if the Saints could pull off the upset. Nevertheless, BU had some skill but was not a major force. I almost didn't put that team on my list. I think the 98 and 06 teams were better.

Edit: hey what do you know, my memory is pretty good - Farkas got the winner late. Thanks for posting the link ericredaxe (got your name right this time).

[ericredaxe]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Sounds right. Pretty sure Farkas had a role in getting BC out in front. Not sure why I remember that, but I think I watched it on TV trying to see if the Saints could pull off the upset. Nevertheless, BU had some skill but was not a major force. I almost didn't put that team on my list. I think the 98 and 06 teams were better.

Did you peek at my box score link?

Good memory... Farkas had the game winner...

Edit: I agree... the 98 and 06 teams were better than the 00 team IMO....

[SteveF]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

We went through this excersize a few weeks ago. Try to name 10 programs better than BU since 2000 and you'll find you can't, objectively.

You'll find 4 easily, and then another 3 or 4 arguably.

BC, North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Denver, Wisconsin, UNH, Miami, MSU, Maine.

I'll give BU the slight edge over cornell and colorado college