UConn vs. Merrimack (Friday 11/1/19 @ Lawler @ 7p & Sunday 11/3/19 @ XL @ 2:05p) | Page 2 | The Boneyard

UConn vs. Merrimack (Friday 11/1/19 @ Lawler @ 7p & Sunday 11/3/19 @ XL @ 2:05p)

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Viet Vet said:
Was at the game last night. Final few minutes a great on-campus atmosphere. Once MC pulled the goaltender, their fans went nuts, particularly MC students and younger local kids. This is why UConn MUST get moving on the "promised" on-campus rink. Only 1700+ in attendance, but 3,500 at the XL Center can't generate the same juice. Until the first spade is in the ground, I'll believe nothing coming out of Storrs.

Let's see how much this great two-point road league victory impacts tomorrow's (Sunday afternoon, awful scheduling) attendance. Want to be wrong, but I predict less than 3,000 fannies-in-seats. Thankfully, the Patriots play at night.

Cavanaugh has done an admirable job, given the woeful on-campus facilities and scheduling hurdles behind the Wolfpack, Husky men's and women's hoops, and God knows what Disney on Ice/Circus performances. Give him the campus rink to enhance recruiting (women's team too).......................NOW!
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Need $$ to build the on campus arena. It’s in the works.
 
With BC, UML, and then PC, the month of Nov is probably the toughest stretch of the season

Let’s dominate and get another 2
 
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Caught the third period video stream - whatever offensive scheme they're running looks like it's stuck in a vat of peanut butter. Too much aimless stickhandling around in the offensive zone, no cycle, no flow. I can't tell if it's a talent problem and/or a coaching problem, but it looked awful.

Three shots generated in a third period when you're trailing is horrendous and unacceptable. At some point you have to start throwing pucks to the net.
 
Well at least they improved from Friday night when they had one shot on goal in the third period.

This coaching staff is inept when it comes to the on ice product. This program will never go anywhere with the staff they have now. There is plenty of talent on the team but the coaches have no clue how to maximize it.

The faster Freeman and Newpower graduate the better. They are so slow and just overall terrible but have to play because they are captains.
 
brasssbonanzaa said:
Caught the third period video stream - whatever offensive scheme they're running looks like it's stuck in a vat of peanut butter.
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The power play is just incredibly awful. Its spread out too wide, nobody goes to the front of the net and the overall puck movement is slow. Its a perfect mix of all the things you shouldn't do with a man advantage. Its scary because that's largely coaching.
 
zls44 said:
The power play is just incredibly awful. Its spread out too wide, nobody goes to the front of the net and the overall puck movement is slow. Its a perfect mix of all the things you shouldn't do with a man advantage. Its scary because that's largely coaching.
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The power play is 1 for whatever this season.There is no threat when all they do is pass it around 6 inches inside the blue line. No penetration at all. Patty caking it around does nothing. This is all on the coaching, because it's been going on for years.
 
Is it time time for Coach to go? I’ve been a big supporter, but we never seem to improve. We can’t lose to teams like Merrimack and expect to have a good year. Throw Army, RPI and Sacred Heart into that mix. We should be better than 2-3-1. This comes from a 4 year Season ticket holder and long time UConn, Whaler and Wolfpack fan. This level of mediocrity is not acceptable. Sorry if I’m repeating earlier frustration, but I’m just too tired to be original.
 
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ct06111 said:
I’ll be there Sun.

Didn’t watch the game, but read about it here. Much needed 2 points. I’ll take it
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Saw you. I just we could have repeated. I’m very disappointed with our start.
 
What role do assistant coaches play?

So we're successful recruiting, but not in actual coaching up the players. Do the asst coaches usually handle recruiting and head coach does the in-game stuff? Or vice versa?

Or is it all on the head coach?

I'd like to keep whoever is recruiting and upgrade the other spots.
 
Maybe they'd be better with real facilities. You aren't getting a better coach here until you do. You may even lose the one you have.
 
SubbaBub said:
Maybe they'd be better with real facilities. You aren't getting a better coach here until you do. You may even lose the one you have.
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I love this argument. When you say this, you mean bigger and better buildings will make players play better or coaches coach better. I don’t see it. The talent is here. The players know what they are getting into. The Players have to be coached better. Buildings don’t make that much of a difference. Does Merrimack have world class facilities? Not trying to be a Spartacus here, but help me out. Remember AIC last year?
 
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Bomber36 said:
I love this argument. When you say this, you mean bigger and better buildings will make players play better or coaches coach better. I don’t see it. The talent is here. The players know what they are getting into. The Players have to be coached better. Buildings don’t make that much of a difference. Does Merrimack have world class facilities? Not trying to be a Spartacus here, but help me out. Remember AIC last year?
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Keep the faith, 4 freshman starting on D, you need talent and experience to win at this level.
 
Bomber36 said:
I love this argument. When you say this, you mean bigger and better buildings will make players play better or coaches coach better. I don’t see it. The talent is here. The players know what they are getting into. The Players have to be coached better. Buildings don’t make that much of a difference. Does Merrimack have world class facilities? Not trying to be a Spartacus here, but help me out. Remember AIC last year?
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This isn't all true. Yes, it's true facilities won't make up for bad offensive scheming.

But I don't agree the talent is there. Cav is good at getting a few relatively top players on the roster, but the gaps are filled by guys who simply aren't talented. Consistently since they've joined the league, UConn's third and fourth line players are below standard for Hockey East players. That speaks to the ability to recruit, of which facilities play a major role. Cav clearly is able to get some quality players to come to his program, so you can't write it off as an inability to recruit that's causing the depth players to be so bad.

The program's success since joining HE is a combination of questionable coaching decisions and a very poor facility situation. The point a few posts above holds true, it'll be very difficult to attract a coach better than Cav with the current facility situation.
 
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Not sure I agree about attracting a coach. There are probably a bunch of guys out there who are where Cav was who would jump at a head job. There just aren’t that many. In hockey coaching seems like more of a crap shoot than any other sport though. UMass gets their 4th or 5 th choice for a job NOBODY wanted and they go to the national finals. And an above average goalie can carry mediocre talent a long way. But the bottom line is there are only about 50 d1 jobs and maybe 35 “big time” jobs. And lots of guys who are in positions like Cav was at BC. One of them might be better.
 
Do we have a list of recruiting class rankings for Cav over the last 5 years? I know a year or two ago his class got huge grades.
Its seems hes been bringing in more and more guys with NHL ties lately
 
Was at Sunday's contest. Agree that power play scheming was atrocious. No snipers at the point. Front liners don't go to the net fast or often enough. Too much time wasted off of the penalty clock looking for the one PERFECT shot.
On an entirely different note: Sunday's game jerseys were outstanding. I overheard more than one fan ask: "Why don't they sell THOSE? I'd buy one in a heartbeat."
 
coachcap said:
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On an entirely different note: Sunday's game jerseys were outstanding.
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I have a really good optometrist I can recommend you fyi
 
Said it before, saying it again: ugly, embarrassing, girlie-man jerseys.
 
Isn't it kind of powerplay 101 that if you have a big guy you have him camp out in front of the goalie to block his sight and get some tip-ins around the net? Was that not done on Sunday?
 
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