Next round of Hockey BTT - Saturday vs OSU @ Yost (Single Game Playoff)
This was not ideal for us in terms of results from this weekend. OSU's style is just not a good matchup for our team and style. Holtz back will help with size to resist the aggressive forecheck, but it ain't like Owen Power is walking through that door for us this weekend. Will need a tremendous effort by Fantilli and Samo to keep scoring at a 4-5 goal per game clip. (Or Portillo to just figure out how to steal one).
Yeah, it's going to be a tough game for UM but they did sort of figure out OSU in that second home game earlier in the year. I don't take a ton away from that outdoor game given how awful the ice was; that's absolutely how a more-skilled team gets slowed down by a bigger, more aggressive one when the conditions aren't optimal.
I'd put UM a slight home underdog in this game but I also wouldn't be shocked if they bounced back from some rough weeks. They didn't play remotely well these past two games but still swept Wisconsin and maybe that's a shot in the arm to focus.
Hoping your optimism is correct. I went to the Friday game this weekend and that was Not Good Bob (TM) in terms of how we reacted to a team throwing their bodies at us on the forecheck with abandon. I would feel better if we had closed the door on Wisconsin after being up 4-1 on Saturday, but we didn't and that's a big cause of concern for me. Also am really worried about our propensity for majors and retaliation penalties. We win this weekend and we cash our ticket for a 1 seed. We lose this weekend and there's a decent chance we get passed by both BU and Harvard and are looking at being a 2 seed in a region with either Minnesota or Denver. So really need to see if Naurato can focus the team for one game this weekend with a lot on the line.
As an aside, after this weekend I am really hoping the Red Wings take a serious look at packaging draft picks to move up (if needed) and get Fantilli. His scoring ability combined with toughness would be a great compliment to Larkin.
Holtz's size doesn't help at all in regards to resisting an aggressive forecheck. What works against an aggressive forecheck is not defensemen with size, but defensemen who make smart, quick decisions and smart, quick passes with the puck. That is not Holtz.
This team is young and emotional. I feel they were just bored/tired of Wisconsin.
They'll be amped up and ready to go on Saturday. They know osu will be firing on all cylinders. Everything is high stakes from this point forward.
This young team turns the puck over in the d-zone with remarkable regularity. Naurato preaches puck possession and we too often try to make a pretty play rather than clear the zone. Key to the game will be getting the balance correct between gritty and pretty.
Hope you're right.
If Truscott hasn't played in like two months, why would he be brought back now in the playoffs? Maybe he's out for the year?
Was this ticket on the season ticket pack for students and the public? Not convinced there's going to be a rush to the ticket office to spend more money.
Tournament tickets are not part of season tickets. Season ticket holders have first option to buy if available, but it's supplemental.
Tickets sold out very quickly.
I knew hockey tournament scheduling was whack, but WTH is this? Open the BTT with a best of 3, and the next round is a single game? WTF? What do I have wrong here? I mean, I have to be missing something, right?
Don't worry. The BTT is just an appetizer for the abject stupidity of the NCAA tournament structure.
No, i actually think the format is reasonable. First round best of 3 removes some of the plinko effect and then single game beyond that just keeps the tournament moving. I guess you could do best of 3 thru the whole thing but I don’t know if anyone in the league really cares enough to play that many games right before tournament time
Agree. The CCHA did it the same way back in the day. If you’re going to let every team in, you have to reduce the randomness of one-game playoffs.
Take Wisconsin. Although they’re by far the worst team in the league, they still did beat U-M and Minnesota once each. You’ve got to make them do more than just win one game in order to knock out a far more accomplished team.
It isn't perfect but it is orders of magnitude better than the single weekend at a neutral site. Playing at the Joe or in St. Paul was like the COVID season without the cutouts of fans.
wtf, did ticket sell out in five minutes?
I got on around 9:05 because I was having trouble with one of the links and it was pretty much sold out except end zones.
I thought this was a 3 game series so I was a little confused when I only saw the Saturday game to pick from. On top of that I was put into a queue right at 9AM. They must have sold quick because I waited until almost 10 after until I had a chance to buy mine.
This one is all about effort and making smart plays. If we are fundamentally sound for 60 minutes, we should win. Problem is we've not shown much ability to play a game that way, so Plan B is to score 5 goals.
Five still makes me uncomfortable. Let's go for seven.
Seven would make me very comfortable. We've won only one game this year scoring twice (Sparty) while losing five and only one scoring three times (Lindenwood!), while losing three. So, four feels very much like an opening bid. 2-8 when scoring two or three goals. Yikes.
Is this on BTN actual?
Don't think I could handle another second of BTN-plus students. You better believe I let BTN-plus have it on the survey they sent me.