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Off-season 2025
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2025 8:31 pm
by TalonsUpPuckDown
2024-25 really was a fun season. It was frustrating seeing the growing pains, but we actually had growing pains! It seems everyone is excited for next season. So here’s the off-season thread where speculation can run amok.
One item that will get a lot of digital ink will be the roster and what 26 names will step on the ice next September.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:15 pm
by pdt1081
TalonsUpPuckDown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 8:31 pm
One item that will get a lot of digital ink will be the roster and what 26 names will step on the ice next September.
26? Is BG opting in to the House settlement that hasn't finalized yet?
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:27 pm
by TalonsUpPuckDown
pdt1081 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:15 pm
TalonsUpPuckDown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 8:31 pm
One item that will get a lot of digital ink will be the roster and what 26 names will step on the ice next September.
26? Is BG opting in to the House settlement that hasn't finalized yet?
I have heard nothing official and don’t know for sure, but threw that out as a topic to discuss for next years roster.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2025 10:44 pm
by pdt1081
TalonsUpPuckDown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:27 pm
I have heard nothing official and don’t know for sure, but threw that out as a topic to discuss for next years roster.
I thought last I had seen it wasn't going to be finalized until June. I'm not 100% on that. But if that's the case, I don't see how roster limits could be in effect for next season. Portal entry closes before then, so you'll have a bunch of players cut from teams and no chance of going anywhere.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 9:59 am
by mbenecke
I felt like we played a much more physical game this season than we did last year. Despite that, we were last in the league by a wide margin in blocks per game. Can someone explain that to me? And how we can address that moving forward?
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:13 am
by mbenecke
Stat comparison year over year:
This season:
Team SV% - .923
Face-offs - 52.8%
Goals Per Game - 2.50
Goals Allowed Per Game - 2.36
Shots on Goal Per Game - 33.81
PP% - 20.2%
PK% - 80.2%
Penalties Per Game - 4.56
Block Shots Per Game - 9.19
Record: 18-14-4 overall, 12-10-4 in CCHA play
Last season:
Team SV% - .902
Face-offs - 52.8%
Goals Per Game - 2.39
Goals Allowed Per Game - 3.22
Shots on Goal Per Game - 28.25
PP% - 18.6%
PK% - 80.5%
Penalties Per Game - 4.56
Block Shots Per Game - 12.11
Record: 13-22-1 overall, 11-12-1 in CCHA play
Things that stand out to me:
-Exact same face-off percentage and penalties per game number. So no improvement or regression there
-Almost 1 goal allowed less per game is a massive defensive improvement
-goals for with a slight uptick, but chances increased by almost 5 per game (which tells me the system is a success and will become more effective as we recruit more skilled players)
-blocked shots way down this year, but goals allowed also down = much better play between the pipes this year
-slight increase in PP success, while the PK was basically the same
-something random - 3 shorthanded goals last year, but 0 this season. I wonder why that is, whether we changed our approach or what.
-5 more wins (most since 20-21 season), 8 less losses than last year. Ties are up, but that tells me we were more competitive more often
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:32 am
by pdt1081
mbenecke wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:13 am
-blocked shots way down this year, but goals allowed also down = much better play between the pipes this year
Willy addressed this awhile back. His view is they do a better job defending inside, which forces the other team to look for another pass instead of shooting into a block. I don't know if Sportslogic delves more into "quality of blocks" or not, but a lot of nights it felt like the blocked shots number was low. Could be perception because of how "big" the blocks that did occur were. I.e. defenseman laying out to block a wide open back side of net on a rebound.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:35 am
by mbenecke
pdt1081 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:32 am
mbenecke wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:13 am
-blocked shots way down this year, but goals allowed also down = much better play between the pipes this year
Willy addressed this awhile back. His view is they do a better job defending inside, which forces the other team to look for another pass instead of shooting into a block. I don't know if Sportslogic delves more into "quality of blocks" or not, but a lot of nights it felt like the blocked shots number was low. Could be perception because of how "big" the blocks that did occur were. I.e. defenseman laying out to block a wide open back side of net on a rebound.
That’s logical. NMU was terrible this year but they led the league in blocked shots. When you’re giving up a ton of chances, you naturally end up with more blocks. I can buy into that.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 12:13 pm
by unfalconbelievable
mbenecke wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:13 am
Stat comparison year over year:
This season:
Team SV% - .923
Face-offs - 52.8%
Goals Per Game - 2.50
Goals Allowed Per Game - 2.36
Shots on Goal Per Game - 33.81
PP% - 20.2%
PK% - 80.2%
Penalties Per Game - 4.56
Block Shots Per Game - 9.19
Record: 18-14-4 overall, 12-10-4 in CCHA play
Last season:
Team SV% - .902
Face-offs - 52.8%
Goals Per Game - 2.39
Goals Allowed Per Game - 3.22
Shots on Goal Per Game - 28.25
PP% - 18.6%
PK% - 80.5%
Penalties Per Game - 4.56
Block Shots Per Game - 12.11
Record: 13-22-1 overall, 11-12-1 in CCHA play
Things that stand out to me:
-Exact same face-off percentage and penalties per game number. So no improvement or regression there
-Almost 1 goal allowed less per game is a massive defensive improvement
-goals for with a slight uptick, but chances increased by almost 5 per game (which tells me the system is a success and will become more effective as we recruit more skilled players)
-blocked shots way down this year, but goals allowed also down = much better play between the pipes this year
-slight increase in PP success, while the PK was basically the same
-something random - 3 shorthanded goals last year, but 0 this season. I wonder why that is, whether we changed our approach or what.
-5 more wins (most since 20-21 season), 8 less losses than last year. Ties are up, but that tells me we were more competitive more often
They were a-lot of positives this year. Put before I become the Debie Downer of the threads, I'm only going to speak in facts.
Team had 1 more win in conference then last year.......hmmmm. Chaos surrounded this team last year and the fact Eigdner got 11 should be praised and is forgotten about. No one left, new coach and only 1 more win......makes you wonder.
The 8 less losses are attributed to having 25% of the team and a head coach on suspension for allegation that turned up nothing. We were losing to awful teams early last year.
Let's not set up a parade yet, win some games before we start celebrating anything. Scoring has been a problem since Holzinger graduated and rumors that Waters is leaving isn't going to help when your top scoring might leave.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 2:16 pm
by pdt1081
unfalconbelievable wrote: ↑Tue Mar 18, 2025 12:13 pm
Let's not set up a parade yet, win some games before we start celebrating anything. Scoring has been a problem since Holzinger graduated and rumors that Waters is leaving isn't going to help when your top scoring might leave.
Every season is going to be the same thing with rumors of the top guys leaving. It is what it is. Looking at incoming recruits, a player like Waters is poised to have a great season. Bringing in the supposedly "better" CHL players, especially so many, will change how other teams defend. He scored 6 even strength goals facing the league's best defenders. That focus should presumably shift to the "better" players, allowing him more chances to score. It is what it is.
The reality is there's more of a chance the players who saw a large number of games from the stands are the ones who test the portal, especially if one or more assistant coaches end up elsewhere. Truthfully, the portal could be a real challenge this season with the recruitment of the CHL. There very well may not be a whole lot of opportunities there.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 3:13 pm
by TalonsUpPuckDown
As pdt says, with who we have coming in next year, Waters would be nuts to leave. But if he's getting looks from Nodak, Denver, Michigan, Michigan State, BC and/or BU (edit: add ASU), then he'd be nuts to stay regardless of who is coming in. And if he ends up in the portal, then this deal has been in the works for a while so nothing was going to keep him here anyway. It's the way things are.
It will take a leaguewide effort to keep this sort of thing from continuing to happen going forward (see last year's poster child Eric Pohlkamp). Talented players won't stick around until, well, until the collective talent across the entire league rises. That will require executive leadership from the league office*, commitment by individual schools and coaches, and a multi-year track record of winning OOC games against Nacho and B1G teams to convince agents that their progeny can get to the show from the CCHA.
*For instance, Lucia should be all over Marco Hunt to limit clutching and grabbing. Reward teams that are playing a more NHL-style game.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 4:45 pm
by pdt1081
TalonsUpPuckDown wrote: ↑Tue Mar 18, 2025 3:13 pm
*For instance, Lucia should be all over Marco Hunt to limit clutching and grabbing. Reward teams that are playing a more NHL-style game.
But if they do that, they don't have 3 of the top 8 goalies nationally (by statistics). And don't end up with 6 teams competing for 2 home ice spots the last weekend of the regular season. Need the drama to sell the league to new fans, because the streaming package is quite possibly the worst possible option available. I'd say that's sarcasm, but it's far too close to the truth.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2025 2:22 pm
by pdt1081
Current BGSU Hockey auction. They've added the puck from the OT game against Tech. Roughly 6 hours left.
https://desktop.livesourceapp.com/home; ... %20Auction
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2025 4:17 pm
by pdt1081
Toledo Regional update:
Michigan State plays Cornell at 5:30PM
Boston University plays Ohio State at 2PM.
Very favorable placings for attendance. Let's see if the T-Shirt alums will attend and support.
Re: Off-season 2025
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2025 4:22 pm
by mbenecke
pdt1081 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 4:17 pm
Toledo Regional update:
Michigan State plays Cornell at 5:30PM
Boston University plays Ohio State at 2PM.
Very favorable placings for attendance. Let's see if the T-Shirt alums will attend and support.
Great matchups and nice to have 2 relatively local teams, but having it on a Thursday with afternoon start times isn’t ideal. I’d bet on a good crowd Saturday if MSU and OSU both advance.
Shoulda been our Falcons, man. Maybe next time.