Realization!/Rationalization?

[Falconfreak90]

I guess I could have added this thought to a more recent thread, nah, I just wanted to revive mine.

The Mrs. recently started attending Falcon hockey games (see salutation below - ) and she made a VERY interesting comment, question after the second period of last night's game. She looked at me and asked:

"Why doesn't the guy with the C on his jersey stand by the gate and give everybody an atta boy after every period? Why is it # 11 that always does it?"

I answered - "Leadership, my dear". That's all I could say. Hopefully, looking forward to next year, that's all that needs to be said.

Ps. Freak, she now knows that I am not alone in my passion for BGSU
sports. You too FF.
Ps.2 The games we have attended together - Falcons are 2-0-1. Anybody want to help with contributions for season tickets?

BC,
It was great seeing you and meeting the Mrs last night! And having a beer with RC in the lounge as well.
I would love to help in any way to spread this disease of Falconitis. I was 2-0-1 this year as well. Not too bad.

FF, thanx for the ticket!! The only problem now is I won't be back in BG until the spring game....ugh. 2 months away from Falcon Land.

[pdt1081]

"Why doesn't the guy with the C on his jersey stand by the gate and give everybody an atta boy after every period? Why is it # 11 that always does it?"

I answered - "Leadership, my dear". That's all I could say. Hopefully, looking forward to next year, that's all that needs to be said.

Another answer is superstition. Mastumoto is always the last BG player to leave the ice. After warmups, he hangs out at the bench until the entire other team has left. He also has a pre-period ritual with the goaltender and goal posts.

[BGFan]

For goodness sakes, can we get some damn speed on this team. I havn't seen us beat someone going down the ice once this year.

There's a differnence between having the speed and using it correctly. Watch Svendson, Morrison, and a few others. Constantly in high gear. When the whole team is playing at it's best (UM, OSU) nobody seems to complain about speed. Why is that? Because we're using the speed that we DO have correctly.

To me, it's perception. Give up too many odd man rushes and suddenly we have no speed. Speed isn't the problem on this team.....it's knowing how to use the speed we have. If a player is going balls to the wall down the ice with the puck along with his team mates and suddenly loses the puck what happens? Our momentum is carrying us in the same direction while the other team is on an odd man rush the other direction. Is that a lack of speed? Nope, it's a mishandling of the puck that makes it look like a lack of speed. Getting caught with too many men too deep in the offensive zone can do the same thing. The puck squirts out and the only ones back are the defensemen and you have an odd man rush. Try to catch somebody on the ice with a ten foot head start....it isn't easy no matter how fast you are.

The team isn't taught this......go to a practice and you'll see. Don't get caught with all of the forwards too deep in the zone.....yet it happens ALOT.

When we play the game right the perception of the lack of speed goes away.

[The Niz]

Even when we're winning, the 'sense' of the lack of spped is there. Every game since last year when I started attending that's all we've said down in our corner. Even at the scUM victory we were complaining about how we're always getting beat down the ice. I realize that being caught out of position can cause a problem as well, but when other teams consistently are pulling away from us I can't believe that its a situation of having it and not knowing how to use it. Look at when we have a breakaway, we never take it all the way down for one on one or two on one with the goalie, a defender ALWAYS catches up with out offense. I saw all of the games against OSU this year and I never saw us outskating them at any point. Its too bad I can't find a hockey equivalent to what football has for a 40 time so I can see if it really is just an illusion or if what most of us are seeing is actually true. If we actually do have as much speed as you say, then wtf are the coaches doing not training our players in how to use it?

[BGDrew]

You were comparing our speed to UM? I hate scUM with a passion but they got a hell of a hockey team.

[The Niz]

I was merely making an example of how even when we're handing it to other teams we still seem to be getting outskated.

[pdt1081]

Look at when we have a breakaway, we never take it all the way down for one on one or two on one with the goalie, a defender ALWAYS catches up with out offense.

I have yet to see us get the puck to a player with more than a sticks-length distance on the nearest defender and get caught. We have some of the best skaters in the CCHA. Very rarely do you see one of our players fall down after a weak hook or hit. Perception is everthing. A player being hooked from behind will be caught 99% of the time. If the player doesn't fall down, there will be a penalty called less than 50% of the time (see Lerg and penalty shot when we played at MSU). IF Lerg didn't fall, no penalty, no penalty shot, still a one-goal game. It's all about perception.

As for the hockey equivalent of a 40 time, lap time is probably the closest there is. Maybe blueline to blueline, but good luck finding any sort of stats like this. Individual teams will hold "skills competitions" (see Brown and Orange game), but as far as published stats, none exist.

[BGFan]

Granted, not every player on our team has wheels....but we have a lot more team speed than we used to. I'd put our top lines up against anyone, but not our 3rd and 4th line. Eventually, though, we'll have the overall speed that you're looking for.

You weren't here 3 or 4 years ago. It's a night and day difference between now and then. The fact that we're no longer getting outshot by 10 - 15 SOG every night is a good indicator of that.

[bgbill]

Several years ago I asked one of the coaches if there is an equivalent to the football 40. He said no. Essentially, a player's speed is judged relative to the other players on the ice.
I guess it's an Einstein thing.

[ziggityboom]

why ask thoroughbreds to play like clydesdales and that's the biggest problem. turnovers are simply a lack of skill in handling the puck and if you're a senior and still can't handle it, never gonna. Speed we got lots of, but being asked to hammer everything in sight, stooopid. ps, I tell all my friends in the great white north that BG's coach doesn't believe in changing goalies during a game, they either think I'm lying or the coach is brain dead. Anyway, that's what I heard.

[Bleeding Orange]

why ask thoroughbreds to play like clydesdales and that's the biggest problem. turnovers are simply a lack of skill in handling the puck and if you're a senior and still can't handle it, never gonna. Speed we got lots of, but being asked to hammer everything in sight, stooopid. ps, I tell all my friends in the great white north that BG's coach doesn't believe in changing goalies during a game, they either think I'm lying or the coach is brain dead. Anyway, that's what I heard.

Ummm...trash talking our coach in other countries? Yeah. Go f**k yourself.

[pdt1081]

why ask thoroughbreds to play like clydesdales and that's the biggest problem. turnovers are simply a lack of skill in handling the puck and if you're a senior and still can't handle it, never gonna. Speed we got lots of, but being asked to hammer everything in sight, stooopid. ps, I tell all my friends in the great white north that BG's coach doesn't believe in changing goalies during a game, they either think I'm lying or the coach is brain dead. Anyway, that's what I heard.

Ummm...trash talking our coach in other countries? Yeah. Go f**k yourself.

I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is that he said :shrug: