Re: Dartmouth BIG Green Hockey: 2018-19 Season : Failure is NOT an Option...SUCCESS
I came up from RI to see this one last night. As usual, you make many very good points, and a couple I'd quibble with. I'll start w/ the latter:
-As you mentioned, I do think you're somewhat too harsh on Clark and expect him to be make NHL-type stops. That's not who he is--he isn't Oettinger, or his fellow Stars prospect Colton Point, or Matt Galajda, etc. He is, however, an excellent NCAA D-1 goalie and I fully believe we're more solid in goal that we were last year. And that's no knock on Buffalo, who I thought was a great backbone for this team all last season. I'd almost...almost....put him in Charles Grant territory, and in fact would say Clark is better when he's on, but Grant (his senior year anyway was more consistent). I don't blame him for any of the 3 goals he allowed, including the opener where his D hung him out to dry.
-O'Connor was flat-footed on one goal; he also saved one with a great defensive play knocking a puck off the goal line. I wouldn't mind seeing him play with Graber as a way to maybe energize both. Sellar is right now not able to do anything offensively: one goal since the opener, and that was playing with Hesler. Graber has one point in a month. Maybe give it a try with Graber and one or both of the freshmen, if they want to try Losurdo up there too. I don't know--the scoring doldrums we saw about this time last year are back again.
-Less will help the defense, but you're right: he was rusty last night (and his turnover showed it). He'll be an asset moving forward.
-One guy you didn't single out is Matt Baker, who is stone cold right now, and last night had a real hard time getting any opportunities. It stood out to me, so I looked it up--3 goals in his last 24 games. He has been a scratch a couple of times, and I have to think that's why--not lack of production (other guys aren't cashing in either) but lack of production from a guy who is looked at as one of the top 4 forwards on this team and has been an NHL camp invitee. He's not, and they need him to start being the sniper that he was for a stretch mid-season last year.
The break will be good for these guys. And if it's any consolation (it isn't much, but still) at least this funk has happened in non-conference games that don't impact their ECAC points.
I came up from RI to see this one last night. As usual, you make many very good points, and a couple I'd quibble with. I'll start w/ the latter:
-As you mentioned, I do think you're somewhat too harsh on Clark and expect him to be make NHL-type stops. That's not who he is--he isn't Oettinger, or his fellow Stars prospect Colton Point, or Matt Galajda, etc. He is, however, an excellent NCAA D-1 goalie and I fully believe we're more solid in goal that we were last year. And that's no knock on Buffalo, who I thought was a great backbone for this team all last season. I'd almost...almost....put him in Charles Grant territory, and in fact would say Clark is better when he's on, but Grant (his senior year anyway was more consistent). I don't blame him for any of the 3 goals he allowed, including the opener where his D hung him out to dry.
-O'Connor was flat-footed on one goal; he also saved one with a great defensive play knocking a puck off the goal line. I wouldn't mind seeing him play with Graber as a way to maybe energize both. Sellar is right now not able to do anything offensively: one goal since the opener, and that was playing with Hesler. Graber has one point in a month. Maybe give it a try with Graber and one or both of the freshmen, if they want to try Losurdo up there too. I don't know--the scoring doldrums we saw about this time last year are back again.
-Less will help the defense, but you're right: he was rusty last night (and his turnover showed it). He'll be an asset moving forward.
-One guy you didn't single out is Matt Baker, who is stone cold right now, and last night had a real hard time getting any opportunities. It stood out to me, so I looked it up--3 goals in his last 24 games. He has been a scratch a couple of times, and I have to think that's why--not lack of production (other guys aren't cashing in either) but lack of production from a guy who is looked at as one of the top 4 forwards on this team and has been an NHL camp invitee. He's not, and they need him to start being the sniper that he was for a stretch mid-season last year.
The break will be good for these guys. And if it's any consolation (it isn't much, but still) at least this funk has happened in non-conference games that don't impact their ECAC points.
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