Hockey - Early Season Snowflakes

1. The erratic play has been really frustrating to watch, it's not even game to game - it's period to period. Case in point from Friday, they came quick and had a strong first period then played mediocre in the second and came back and finished strong. I heard Red had a stong talk with the players in practice last week about it.

2. I've been really excited by the Freshmen so far. Boo moved up to essentially the 1st line, Racine looking solid, Trouba being Trouba (more on that later), and even Copp cracking the lineup and playing well. This looks like a very deep class with a couple stars in the making.

3. Wow is all I can say, he started playing really well and the end of last year but I had figured that was about his peak. He has come out this year improved in almost every facet of the game. Obviously still scoring at nearly a goal per game pace, but I have been the most impressed by his defensive game, he really turned into a great all around player. Not to mention looking great working the point on the powerplay.

4. It's probably still to early to make any solid claims on the goalies, but I would like to see Red go back to splitting the weekend (Rutledge Friday and Racine Saturday) like he did Hogan's senior year. Rutledge looked great Friday, he was calm and controlled most noticably with his rebound control. From what I saw from Saturday's highlights it was almost a complete opposite. That seems to be how he gets in trouble, he gets skittish and sloppy with the rebounds/playing the puck in general. Racine has been solid from what I've seen - as Red puts it making the saves he's capable of making and even a few he probably shouldn't.

5. Trouba snowflakes could probably be their own thread. Obviously he is one of the most dynamic players that's been around here, scoring nearly a PPG and making spectacular hits. Maybe he's starting to get profiled by the refs a bit but ugh. We can't afford to have him taking misconducts/DQs, especially with Merrill out (any word on his return?). Regardless of my thoughts on the contact to the head rules, thems the rules and he has to play within them.

I have no idea why Chris Brown chose to leave, considering the NHL might be locked out for the entire season.

I don't think money is a major issue, I don't recall any other problems, and the college schedule and its perks have to be better than bussing everywhere from Portland, ME every day.

Chris has his same PPG pace, roughly, but it's still an AHL assignment in nowhere over a senior season where he'd be a beloved captain and potential award winner (not to mention the team goals).

Red was disappointed in the decision, and so was I.  To quote Red, around the time Chris left:

"Playing your senior year, look what it did for Steven Kampfer, look what it did for Matt Hunwick, look what it did for Carl Hagelin. I mean these guys are good examples of doing the right thing and how they grew in their senior year in that leadership role.  What about graduation? Why did you come to school to start with? Was it just to play hockey? If you did, you came to the wrong place. We graduate players here."

It was a stupid move to leave, and it looks even worse when the NHL isn't even an option.

Trouba has 2 game misconducts already. I believe that upon receiving a 3rd, the player is suspended for a game. So, yeah, he can't be taking any more this season. 

Penalty kill. Our kill was perfect until the Miami series, in all our losses since it's be powerplay goals that lost us the games.

They need to get things going very soon, because we are in for a long season if we don't figure it out before the road stretch.

if Hunwick, Hogan, or Sauer are in net. Given that we have wildy erratic freshman tandem in net instead, I'm concerned about us making the tournament at all

I can see the team being shaky until after the new year then finding their stride and getting hot when it counts, in CCHA Playoffs and Tourney season

Yeah this is scary. Red needs to go with the two-platoon, because these guys cleary aren't ready for two straight starts.

Rutledge held state to 1 friday, and gave up 7 saturday.

Racine gave up 4 but won the shootout against northern, and gave up 4 the next night as well in a loss.