One on one with a goalie in a live game is different than having all the time in the world for some gimmicky approach (swinging really wide, slowing down, etc) in a shootout. Id like to see us better at shootouts so we could earn the points, but scoring on a penalty shot or shootout is a fundamentally different skillset than scoring on a breakaway during live action.
They don't score on either. Skill is skill.
I guess we just ignore the failures (which it seems like Motzko is doing and it seems as though you and the '92 grad seem to suggest), or you try and address it. You tell me what your solution is since you're asking me for mine. I never said I love the formats either. I'd rather go way back to a 20 minute overtime period and if tied, it's a tie, but these situations are a part of the game right now so you adapt. We have highly skilled players not performing in these situations. I certainly wouldn't go over board as your asinine suggestion would do, but let's see what you think smart guy.
He is way smarter about the game than you are.
They had one shootout the entirety of Cooley and Knies careers here. They clearly do shootouts frequently. It’s a classic thing at the end of practice. Bob has talked about it numerous times. He pretty classically picks someone who’s hot in the game (zeimer earlier this year when he had 2 goals, Wood who looked great last night, Snuggy who is one of better shooters but seems meh in the SO) and historically has gone with the guys he says score in practice (think Brodzinski was like 0/4 in his time here).
Why such an ass? You criticized, and I asked you for your solution. Which you didn't give. And, you seemed to be addressing a comment that was never made by 92. In other threads I have given my suggestions for the OT format (which I have criticized). I'm not the one criticizing the shootout and lack of scoring on breakaways. I really don't have a solution. Nor would I rate it in the top ten things I'd work on in practice. You apparently would. So I'm simply asking what you would do.
I know, that's why I said the shootout. Two of the best players to ever come through the program and you don't have them shoot. Just dumb
Countless great players are not great in the shootout. Alex Ovechkin is below 30% for his career, Marian Gaborik was notoriously bad in the shootout.
Well smart guy because you chose to be an ass and jump in with your asinine suggestion. Basically chiding me for wondering why it's not addressed in any way. Evidently you really don't think it's a problem and would continue to ignore. That's you, that wouldn't be what I'd do. I would create something in practice, no, not something that lasts the entire practice, but an attempt to try and address these problems and maybe make it a fun challenge to enhance these skills and attempt to make it more natural than what is happening now which seems to be creating anxiety and stress due to their non-performance in these situations. I'm not a coach, are you(?), so I don't have the answer but I'd at least discuss with the assistants and come up with something.. these guys are very skilled and it's been going on for so long I think something does need to be addressed. To me this is a coaching issue and again something that Motzko is not addressing, but I don't have an answer and who knows, maybe they have attempted to address, but I don't think so as I'm not enamored with our head coach and his abilities with these guys.
Thanks. Glad to hear what you'd do. Me? I have not coached beyond the upper youth levels. We used to end maybe every third practice with a shootout. Made it fun competitions. Did it work? Hard to tell. The best players at the youth level tended to be the best breakaway scorers as well. Would that work at D1 level? Don't know. And no... as I said, I don't think it's one of the top ten things I'd work on if I was Motzko. It is a concern though and I am not disputing that.
Against NHL goalies and compared to the best players in the world. Anyone that watched those two play knows their skills in tight and ability to finish would have allowed them to have success in shootouts against NCAA goalies given the chance. Those two were light years better at hockey than all the other forwards on that team (Snuggerud being raw still as that point).
top 10 goal scorers this year in shootouts
It's not random. Have you seen the attempts? They're brutal.
I’m just listing man. Calm down. Our shootout failures are brutal and what I’m meaning by random, as in a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile.
What’s funny is a couple years ago when we had a really good record in 3 v 3 OT bonin had posts about how those wins didn’t mean anything because there’s no 3 on 3 in the postseason (which I actually kind of agree with at least partially).
I'd settle for we play a full couple weekends of competitive, smart hockey. Both PSU and OSU are good enough you won't dominate the entirety of the games, but we are better than both of these teams. if they are locked in and effort is there these should be both sweeps, but both teams are good enough that at the end of the day to me it's not as much about running the table there. Right the ship and play good hockey the next two weekends and start peaking for playoffs. It's mid-February, they need to lock in. 3-1 (in regulation) clinches the 2 seed and it's very important that they have as few weekends off down the stretch as they can.
If they play 60 minutes at their potential this team sweeps the next four games, zero question. Can't give up the first goal like so often this year.
agreed. and you're spot on on the 1st goal thing. 12-2-2 when scoring first. 9-5-2 when not. Game is a hell of a lot easier when you're not chasing the game constantly.
Snuggerud needs to step it up the next few weeks if he wants to get on the mural. Fink is on fire.
Gotta get a 1 seed.
agree he does. As of now, Howard will essentially be a lock. The other 3 (as well as any ongoing later risers like Thompson, Hughes, Bump etc if they go crazy down the stretch) are competing for the last 2 spots and Snuggy currently is on the outside. Fink had a 0 point weekend against us last time. Would be real shocked if that's the case again but whoever has the better weekend between the 2 of them then probably makes the tournament. I'll be pretty surprised if MSU lets Fink run rampant on them this weekend
Kind of why I'm so interested to see what WMU is actually made of.
Gophers are
More just meaning I feel pretty comfortable knowing what the Gophers have as I watch them every single weekend and have watched a lot of B10 hockey and then some of the top flight teams (BC, BU, Denver, etc.). WMU the record looks pretty gaudy, but I don't see them every night because they're not on and the NCHC being really hard to read this year in terms of how down it is so it makes them harder to read.