NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

[SCSUBlackandRed]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Absolutely great game on Saturday night. I'd take another one of those with a slightly different outcome in a few weeks. Both teams look absolutely ready for the NCAAs. No distractions and there should be no excuses for the Huskies this time around. UMD's first round matchup might be tougher than the second round one.

[SCSU BlackandRed]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Congratulations to the 2019 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Champions, the Denver Pioneers. Key to winning? Finish in 3rd or 4th place in the toughest conference in hockey and play in the same region where SCSU is the #1 seed. Or maybe UMD gets a back to back?

Crap results again for the Huskies but we had a great time in Fargo.

[Biddco]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Congratulations to the 2019 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Champions, the Denver Pioneers. Key to winning? Finish in 3rd or 4th place in the toughest conference in hockey and play in the same region where SCSU is the #1 seed. Or maybe UMD gets a back to back?

Crap results again for the Huskies but we had a great time in Fargo.

They gotta get through UMass first which appears to be no small task.

[SCSU BlackandRed]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

And congrats to the Bulldogs on a return to the Frozen Four. Who needs a regular season title, right?

[dogs2012]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Where are you coming up with this stuff? There is zero basis to argue that UMD has more depth across all four lines. SCSU is scoring almost a full goal per game more than UMD in NCHC competition and if you look at the individual offensive stats for conference games, SCSU's forwards blow UMD's out of the water. Defensively, I might give UMD a slight edge, but you seem to be ignoring that your goalie has a .940 SV%. Hrenak's is .914. You could chalk that up to quality chances but Hrenak has been a bit shaky this year.

The race for the Penrose is over. St. Cloud is 9-1-2 in conference play and our next four series are against the bottom 4 teams in the conference. We might have it sewn up with two weekends to play.

Well...this sure aged well. I believe on the most recent podcast, it was something to the effect of, "UMD's consistency was a result of great goaltending, strong defense, and good depth across all four lines". I'm sure you'll have some crackpot excuse, but nothing I said here was wrong and in the end was proven accurate.

St. Cloud reminds me a lot of the Washington Capitals before they won their cup. A perennial powerhouse in the regular season because they've got quality talent across their top lines. They lack depth, strong defense, and strong goaltending though, and those things tend to come back to bite them in the playoffs. I'm guessing Larson will slowly correct that in the coming years.

[First Time, Long Time]

Well...this sure aged well. I believe on the most recent podcast, it was something to the effect of, "UMD's consistency was a result of great goaltending, strong defense, and good depth across all four lines". I'm sure you'll have some crackpot excuse, but nothing I said here was wrong and in the end was proven accurate.

St. Cloud reminds me a lot of the Washington Capitals before they won their cup. A perennial powerhouse in the regular season because they've got quality talent across their top lines. They lack depth, strong defense, and strong goaltending though, and those things tend to come back to bite them in the playoffs. I'm guessing Larson will slowly correct that in the coming years.

Nothing you said was right. We had depth in all areas and Hrenak was fine. This is mental. But hey...pat yourself on the back there fella.

[cetihcra]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Nothing you said was right. We had depth in all areas and Hrenak was fine. This is mental. But hey...pat yourself on the back there fella.

Agree, except maybe the goaltending. A .906 SV%, 47th in the nation, generally isn't going to get it done on the national stage. They're plenty deep, play good-enough defense....i agree that there seems to be a mental block or hurdle that they need to get over. Hopefully some new blood will push them over the hump next year.

r

[St. Clown]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Nothing you said was right. We had depth in all areas and Hrenak was fine. This is mental. But hey...pat yourself on the back there fella.

Hrenak has stretches of being really good, even making some flashy saves, but he's also been shaky at times. Really shaky at times, IMO. If we'd had a truly stable goalie in net, I think this could've been the season. As it was, it's like most seasons for SCSU lately - a lot of fun during the season, then frustration in the tournament.

[SCSUBlackandRed]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Agree, except maybe the goaltending. A .906 SV%, 47th in the nation, generally isn't going to get it done on the national stage. They're plenty deep, play good-enough defense....i agree that there seems to be a mental block or hurdle that they need to get over. Hopefully some new blood will push them over the hump next year.

r

Well, a .906 would have gotten it done against AIC. Unfortunately the Huskies didn't score like they normally do. Outshoot a team 34-13 and you will win a lot of games. Ran into a few of the players at the hotel after the game and they said as much. Not blaming this one on Hrenak at all. My thoughts on him, he's good enough with the talent around him but just can't think of too many games that he "stole" for the Huskies to this point.

To the other posters comment of lacking depth, that's just incredibly wrong. They got scoring and quality minutes all the way up and down this lineup. Lacking strong defense? How did they only give up 7 more goals than UMD this year in one less game?

The only thing he was right about was the comment on strong goaltending. And I only agree to a point as the statistics that really matter at the end of the day don't prove that out.

Good luck to both Denver and UMD in the Frozen Four. Both really good teams. Just wish one of these years SCSU could figure out a way to carry over what they do in the regular season to the NCAA's and join or take the place of one of them on the big stage/pond.

[dogs2012]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Nothing you said was right. We had depth in all areas and Hrenak was fine. This is mental. But hey...pat yourself on the back there fella.

Still a little hurt from the loss? Keep lying to yourself. I never said there wasn't a mental aspect to it, and would have pushed that point hard if the original post wasn't about winning the regular season title. It didn't apply.

I stated that UMD had a better goaltender, better defensemen, and more depth across all four lines. After the regionals, I feel even more strongly that we had a better goaltender, better defense, and more depth across all four lines. I'm not patting myself on the back. I'm finding it comical looking back on my post and the subsequent bashing of my post, when pretty much everybody now with hindsight is stating the same thing I said. You can lie to yourself and say it's all mental the same way I lie to myself and say the Vikings are an O-Lineman away from the Super Bowl. Doesn't do anybody any good, and ignores your real problems.

[First Time, Long Time]

Still a little hurt from the loss? Keep lying to yourself. I never said there wasn't a mental aspect to it, and would have pushed that point hard if the original post wasn't about winning the regular season title. It didn't apply.

I stated that UMD had a better goaltender, better defensemen, and more depth across all four lines. After the regionals, I feel even more strongly that we had a better goaltender, better defense, and more depth across all four lines. I'm not patting myself on the back. I'm finding it comical looking back on my post and the subsequent bashing of my post, when pretty much everybody now with hindsight is stating the same thing I said. You can lie to yourself and say it's all mental the same way I lie to myself and say the Vikings are an O-Lineman away from the Super Bowl. Doesn't do anybody any good, and ignores your real problems.

Again...good for you. You're still wrong.

[dogs2012]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Again...good for you. You're still wrong.

Okay, I'll bite. How so? How am I wrong? If you can't actually provide anything to prove me wrong, it's you that's wrong my friend.

[Biddco]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

And congrats to the Bulldogs on a return to the Frozen Four. Who needs a regular season title, right?

Haven't won a regular season title since 1993 and yet have made 5 Frozen Fours and won two national championships in that timespan. It's the "Golden Age of UMD Hockey" and we are lucky lucky lucky UMD fans.



As for SCSU depth or not they sure do have a "curse" on themselves. They're like the Red Sox pre-2004 or Cubs pre-2012 where doubt would creep in and they'd find a way to lose first round NCAA tournament games.

[First Time, Long Time]

Okay, I'll bite. How so? How am I wrong? If you can't actually provide anything to prove me wrong, it's you that's wrong my friend.

You actually think we were beaten by AIC because they somehow exposed our lack of depth...lack of strong D and lack of goaltending?
That isn't why we lost. We lost because they played tight knowing a loss meant 0-3. It's all in their heads not a lack of talent.
You have your opinion...but us losing doesn't make you right.

[cetihcra]

Re: NCHC 2018-2019 Season: Quest to put 4+ into Late March-April Dance

Well, a .906 would have gotten it done against AIC. Unfortunately the Huskies didn't score like they normally do. Outshoot a team 34-13 and you will win a lot of games. Ran into a few of the players at the hotel after the game and they said as much. Not blaming this one on Hrenak at all. My thoughts on him, he's good enough with the talent around him but just can't think of too many games that he "stole" for the Huskies to this point.

To the other posters comment of lacking depth, that's just incredibly wrong. They got scoring and quality minutes all the way up and down this lineup. Lacking strong defense? How did they only give up 7 more goals than UMD this year in one less game?

The only thing he was right about was the comment on strong goaltending. And I only agree to a point as the statistics that really matter at the end of the day don't prove that out.

Good luck to both Denver and UMD in the Frozen Four. Both really good teams. Just wish one of these years SCSU could figure out a way to carry over what they do in the regular season to the NCAA's and join or take the place of one of them on the big stage/pond.

Agreed, Hrenak was not the reason they lost. My statement was more about the entire team for this entire season.

r