Re: Minnesota State Offseason Thread
Thoughts on the past season:
If it were not for a couple of strange bounces (Two shots that had they changed course by an inch or two would have gone in rather than hitting iron, and a shot that was the game winner except we have a player checked into the net and he inadvertently make the save) of the puck, we would be on top of the world for finally winning an NCAA game, and probably still practicing for the upcoming Frozen Four Rather, we are still complaining that the monkey is still on our back.
Did Daniel Brickley cost us the game. I don't know, but his play this season and certainly in Sioux Falls was not what you would expect for a player who most of the NHL teams want. Was he trying too hard to do too much? Or is he not that good. I'm going to guess he was trying to do too much.
Next, and this is by no means disrespect for the teams in the WCHA. We need to get into the NCHC. Simply put the caliber of play in the NCHC (Top to bottom) is much better than the WCHA. Much of the season in our league, we can put in a clunker of a period, or even a so so game and still win. Subconsciously, the players know that they don't always have to put in a Grade "A" effort to win games. Then come playoffs and the NCAA, we are over matched, because our strength of schedule is weaker than our opponents, and we are not used to putting in a full 60 minutes of hockey. Our non conference schedule was good (every non conference team we played was in the NCAA), and if those games were at the end of the season, we might have been better prepared.
Finally, why is our arena the most difficult to get into. Do they really have to ask me every time, I enter, if I have any guns on me (one particular security individual asks me every single time that I am unfortunate enough to go through his line)? This year, I went to games in Boston (a much larger city), Marquette, St. Cloud (a larger city), Bemidji, and Sioux Falls (another larger city). Every other facility was much easier to enter, and no long waiting lines.
All in all, I think that we really had a good year, but it is disappointing to lose our last game like we did, and that masks all the good of the season (more wins than any other team in the country).
What do I see next year. We will certainly be contenders for the WCHA. We had an excellent Freshman class and if the incoming class is half as good as this years, we should be able to score. My question is with the goaltending. Pawloski had every chance to win the job this year but couldn't. He seems to be hot and cold, and that won't get us far. Hopefully, one of the incoming goalies will step up and do the job. Without great goaltending, we cannot go far. Our best 2 years ever, we had goalies named Williams and LaCouvee. This is not a coincidence.
Travelling to many out of town games provided me the opportunity to meet many other fans, both Maverick and opposing team fans, and I had great times. Hopefully this will continue next year as I plan to go to North Dakota, Arizona, and a few other WCHA arenas.
Thoughts on the past season:
If it were not for a couple of strange bounces (Two shots that had they changed course by an inch or two would have gone in rather than hitting iron, and a shot that was the game winner except we have a player checked into the net and he inadvertently make the save) of the puck, we would be on top of the world for finally winning an NCAA game, and probably still practicing for the upcoming Frozen Four Rather, we are still complaining that the monkey is still on our back.
Did Daniel Brickley cost us the game. I don't know, but his play this season and certainly in Sioux Falls was not what you would expect for a player who most of the NHL teams want. Was he trying too hard to do too much? Or is he not that good. I'm going to guess he was trying to do too much.
Next, and this is by no means disrespect for the teams in the WCHA. We need to get into the NCHC. Simply put the caliber of play in the NCHC (Top to bottom) is much better than the WCHA. Much of the season in our league, we can put in a clunker of a period, or even a so so game and still win. Subconsciously, the players know that they don't always have to put in a Grade "A" effort to win games. Then come playoffs and the NCAA, we are over matched, because our strength of schedule is weaker than our opponents, and we are not used to putting in a full 60 minutes of hockey. Our non conference schedule was good (every non conference team we played was in the NCAA), and if those games were at the end of the season, we might have been better prepared.
Finally, why is our arena the most difficult to get into. Do they really have to ask me every time, I enter, if I have any guns on me (one particular security individual asks me every single time that I am unfortunate enough to go through his line)? This year, I went to games in Boston (a much larger city), Marquette, St. Cloud (a larger city), Bemidji, and Sioux Falls (another larger city). Every other facility was much easier to enter, and no long waiting lines.
All in all, I think that we really had a good year, but it is disappointing to lose our last game like we did, and that masks all the good of the season (more wins than any other team in the country).
What do I see next year. We will certainly be contenders for the WCHA. We had an excellent Freshman class and if the incoming class is half as good as this years, we should be able to score. My question is with the goaltending. Pawloski had every chance to win the job this year but couldn't. He seems to be hot and cold, and that won't get us far. Hopefully, one of the incoming goalies will step up and do the job. Without great goaltending, we cannot go far. Our best 2 years ever, we had goalies named Williams and LaCouvee. This is not a coincidence.
Travelling to many out of town games provided me the opportunity to meet many other fans, both Maverick and opposing team fans, and I had great times. Hopefully this will continue next year as I plan to go to North Dakota, Arizona, and a few other WCHA arenas.
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