2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

[e.cat]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I agree with chickod. Hockey East needs to change recruiting. We need cheerleaders in the stands too!

[joecct]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

UMD was/is "Been there, done that. Got the TShirt". Played like it.

UMass is/was "Wowsers!" Played like it.

[BlackI]

I agree with chickod. Hockey East needs to change recruiting. We need cheerleaders in the stands too!

I can only agree on the last sentence. 😀

[e.cat]

I can only agree on the last sentence. 😀

Haha! Glad you agree;-)
How could you not?

[5mn_Major]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

UMD put on an absolute clinic. Maybe a bit of a hot take, but is Sandelin the best North American head coach that isn't coaching in the NHL right now?

A great coach can take a good class and make it exceptional. UMD rarely has the top recruiting class in the country, but stays on top regardless.

It wouldn't surprise me if he stays at UMD to retirement. A top notch throwback in 2019.

[state of hockey]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Congrats to the Bulldogs once again. Consider yourselves lucky that the B1G refs couldn't find a way to hand it to Notre Dame.

[CanalPark]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

As someone who has been going to UMD games since the early 80's as a little kid, I don't know how we've gotten to where we are today. There were some dark years between 1986, 1993, and 2003-2004, until we finally got it going in 2009. Personally, first one was surreal and last year was really a validation for the program, but last night was just enjoying the ride. We are going to lose some guys early and Sandelin deserves a shot at the NHL, so who knows where it all goes from here. Back to my original question I've thought about how we went from being a second tier program and one described by my Gopher friends as their ugly stepchild, to now the best program in the nation and this is what I have as factors:
1. The obvious Sandelin figuring it out. There were some valleys in his tenure and I think the lowest was pulling scholarships from guys and still feel it was a bad look.
2. A shift towards Minnesota kids and not just older Canadian players who didn't develop much from their freshman year.
3. Amsoil Arena feels like a big time venue as opposed to the DECC.
4. The biggest factor in my opinion the development of the Hermantown program. That school has been the gift that has just kept on giving us top tier talent.

I hope St. Cloud and Mankato wins one soon!

[Bomber]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

BU needs to turn that Charlestown/Catholic Memorial pipeline back on. Throw in a few Thayer/St. Sebastian kids and make it a MA party.

[Kepler]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

BU needs to turn that Charlestown/Catholic Memorial pipeline back on. Throw in a few Thayer/St. Sebastian kids and make it a MA party.

What about Arlington?

[Biddco]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Don't know what people are talking about with the game...I thought it was terrific.


It's impossible to fathom where this program is. I never thought they'd win a title and now they've had one the best decades in the history of the sport. Sandelin, whose job was in jeopardy 10 years ago is now mentioned with the likes of Herb Brooks, John MacInnes, Jack Parker...I just shake my head thinking about it.

[Hoover]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Don't know what people are talking about with the game...I thought it was terrific.

I guess your view of the game might be relative to you being a fan/supporter of UMD.

I was there, and didn't think it was a very good Championship game. I went in hoping for a battle between the speed and skill of UMass and the discipline, defense, and physical play of UMD. Unfortunately for the impartial observer, we only saw one team play "their" game. I sensed that UMass was going to struggle to play to their strengths only minutes after the opening faceoff. UMD was more aggressive all over the ice, and played a defensive style/system that smothered the speed of UMass. I couldn't count how many times a UMass player started out deep in his own end and ended up being forced wide between the bluelines, allowing the UMD forwards to get back to help the defense. UMass was forced to play east-west, rather than north-south, and that is essentially what cost them a chance of competing last night. Good on UMD for sticking to a system - UMass didn't change their strategy and were turned back time and time again. I definitely think UMD was the better team last night, but part of what hurt UMass was their lack of adapting to another style when facing an opponent who was negating their strengths.

Congratulations to the Bulldogs for back-to-back National Championships. Three Frozen Four appearances in a row is quite an accomplishment.

[Biddco]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I guess your view of the game might be relative to you being a fan/supporter of UMD.

I was there, and didn't think it was a very good Championship game. I went in hoping for a battle between the speed and skill of UMass and the discipline, defense, and physical play of UMD. Unfortunately for the impartial observer, we only saw one team play "their" game. I sensed that UMass was going to struggle to play to their strengths only minutes after the opening faceoff. UMD was more aggressive all over the ice, and played a defensive style/system that smothered the speed of UMass. I couldn't count how many times a UMass player started out deep in his own end and ended up being forced wide between the bluelines, allowing the UMD forwards to get back to help the defense. UMass was forced to play east-west, rather than north-south, and that is essentially what cost them a chance of competing last night. Good on UMD for sticking to a system - UMass didn't change their strategy and were turned back time and time again. I definitely think UMD was the better team last night, but part of what hurt UMass was their lack of adapting to another style when facing an opponent who was negating their strengths.

Congratulation to the Bulldogs for back-to-back National Championships. Three Frozen Four appearances in a row is quite an accomplishment.

Exactly! Well written post and good analysis of the game.

[Fishman'81]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Of all the championship games that have been played, that was certainly one of them.

Yeah, that.

UMD has a plan: Lake State 2.0. Sandy has out-Jacksoned Jeff at this juncture, but with much more speed at the former's disposal.

It's effective -obviously- but mighty dull to witness, and we all will see more of the same for the foreseeable, probably.

The NHL is determined to bury college hockey, unwittingly or not, via the latest CBA, and that game is more evidence that it's working.

[Fishman'81]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I guess your view of the game might be relative to you being a fan/supporter of UMD.

I was there, and didn't think it was a very good Championship game. I went in hoping for a battle between the speed and skill of UMass and the discipline, defense, and physical play of UMD. Unfortunately for the impartial observer, we only saw one team play "their" game. I sensed that UMass was going to struggle to play to their strengths only minutes after the opening faceoff. UMD was more aggressive all over the ice, and played a defensive style/system that smothered the speed of UMass. I couldn't count how many times a UMass player started out deep in his own end and ended up being forced wide between the bluelines, allowing the UMD forwards to get back to help the defense. UMass was forced to play east-west, rather than north-south, and that is essentially what cost them a chance of competing last night. Good on UMD for sticking to a system - UMass didn't change their strategy and were turned back time and time again. I definitely think UMD was the better team last night, but part of what hurt UMass was their lack of adapting to another style when facing an opponent who was negating their strengths.

Congratulations to the Bulldogs for back-to-back National Championships. Three Frozen Four appearances in a row is quite an accomplishment.

Your take was a good one, IMO.

The only way that game could have been competitive was if UMass played as conservatively as UMD did. (But, then they'd both be in the 37th scoreless OT as we speak.)

The Warden and I are sooo delighted that we didn't drive 3-hours to see that snooze-fest. God knows, it was bad enough on TV.

[Hoover]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Your take was a good one, IMO.

The only way that game could have been competitive was if UMass played as conservatively as UMD did.

(But, then they'd both be in the 37th OT as we speak.)

I agree - we would have seen a game reminiscent of the NHL's "dead-puck era" of the late '90's when teams were playing conservatively and only tried to score on turnovers by the opposition (no offensive interest or creativity = boring hockey!).