Coming into this season, there were a lot of questions around this Saints team. How could Kyle Flanagan be replaced? How could George Hughes be replaced? Would there be secondary scoring? Could the freshman step up? It's only half way through the year, but all these questions have been answered. Unfortunately, many more questions have arisen.
As far as replacing Kyle Flanagan goes, it could never be done. But, this is not taking away from the year that the new top center, Matt Carey, has been having. Eight in the country in scoring with 24 points, he trails Sam Anas by one point for the NCAA rookie point lead. The chemistry with his Greg has kept big brother in the race for the Hobey Baker for the second straight year, as Greg leads the ECAC and country in scoring with 36 points. Matt has done more than could be desired in taking Flanagan's role.
The answer for George Hughes came in the form of two players. Gavin Bayreuther, a freshman blueliner, currently leads all NHL draft eligible players in the NCAA in points with 17, and I guess he'll go somewhere between the fourth and sixth rounds in this June's selection. That's just a guess, so don't hold me to that. Senior Justin Baker, named an alternate captain before the start of ECAC play, ranks T-33 in the country with 18 points, and has been anchoring the Saints defense this year. This more than accounts for the lost point production as a result of Hughes graduation.
The secondary scoring has been more of an issue. The top line has sure been performing, with Greg and Matt scoring and more than a point per game, and Chris Martin chipping in with 10 points of his own. Jeremy Wick started the year on the first line, but has been moved to the third with captain Kyle Essery and Alex Hagen. Wick still has 19 points, and five goals on the power play. Other than those four, plus Baker and Bayreuther from the back end, scoring has been less than bountiful for the Saints. No other player, other than Pat Doherty with 5, has more than 3 goals, and that includes Gunnar Hughes, who will be relied on next year to produce. If the Saints are to make a push in the second half, players need to produce, especially the second line of Doherty, Hughes, and Brian Ward.
The freshman have performed admirably, all things considered. Eric Sweetman plays top pair minutes with Baker, and plays the point on the second power play. He also works well on the penalty kill, ad has a good stick in his defensive zone. Bayreuther skates on the second or third pair and even strength, but plays top power play time alongside Baker. Ben Masella and Mike Graham have rotated in and out on defense, playing well. Alex Dahl centers the checking line with fellow freshman Woody Hudson, and on occasion Trevor Hills. Dahl also works with several players on the penalty kill, like Essery and Hughes. Tyler Parks, a 6'6" goalie hasn't played a lot, but with exception of the UVM blowout, has done enough to get the team wins. The freshman have stepped into big roles, and have filled them well.
So, it's clear, even with the lack of secondary scoring, this Saints team is a deadly offense, with the top power play in the country, working at almost 30 percent. Why then, do they sit at 8-9-2, and currently have a four game losing streak? In college hockey, defense wins games, and that has been bad, and sometimes borderline nonexistent. Granted, the lack of a game on Friday the 13 was their first day off on the weekend since the start of the year. These guys are tired, especially the defensemen, and some well needed time off can be very helpful. Also, its a young defensive core, that will get better with time. Time is short though, and with just one non ECAC game left on the schedule, it's time to step up defensively. This is a Saint team that has not yet played Union, Quinnipiac or RPI, and still has one game against Cornell and Yale, in my opinion, the five better teams left for the Saints. All these teams boast solid offenses, and if the Scarlet and the Brown don't start shutting teams down, there will probably be no ECAC championship, and certainly not a berth in March's NCAA tournament. Its been a decent start to the season, and its time for team with a boatload of talent to perform. If they do, everyone else better watch out come February and March.
As far as replacing Kyle Flanagan goes, it could never be done. But, this is not taking away from the year that the new top center, Matt Carey, has been having. Eight in the country in scoring with 24 points, he trails Sam Anas by one point for the NCAA rookie point lead. The chemistry with his Greg has kept big brother in the race for the Hobey Baker for the second straight year, as Greg leads the ECAC and country in scoring with 36 points. Matt has done more than could be desired in taking Flanagan's role.
The answer for George Hughes came in the form of two players. Gavin Bayreuther, a freshman blueliner, currently leads all NHL draft eligible players in the NCAA in points with 17, and I guess he'll go somewhere between the fourth and sixth rounds in this June's selection. That's just a guess, so don't hold me to that. Senior Justin Baker, named an alternate captain before the start of ECAC play, ranks T-33 in the country with 18 points, and has been anchoring the Saints defense this year. This more than accounts for the lost point production as a result of Hughes graduation.
The secondary scoring has been more of an issue. The top line has sure been performing, with Greg and Matt scoring and more than a point per game, and Chris Martin chipping in with 10 points of his own. Jeremy Wick started the year on the first line, but has been moved to the third with captain Kyle Essery and Alex Hagen. Wick still has 19 points, and five goals on the power play. Other than those four, plus Baker and Bayreuther from the back end, scoring has been less than bountiful for the Saints. No other player, other than Pat Doherty with 5, has more than 3 goals, and that includes Gunnar Hughes, who will be relied on next year to produce. If the Saints are to make a push in the second half, players need to produce, especially the second line of Doherty, Hughes, and Brian Ward.
The freshman have performed admirably, all things considered. Eric Sweetman plays top pair minutes with Baker, and plays the point on the second power play. He also works well on the penalty kill, ad has a good stick in his defensive zone. Bayreuther skates on the second or third pair and even strength, but plays top power play time alongside Baker. Ben Masella and Mike Graham have rotated in and out on defense, playing well. Alex Dahl centers the checking line with fellow freshman Woody Hudson, and on occasion Trevor Hills. Dahl also works with several players on the penalty kill, like Essery and Hughes. Tyler Parks, a 6'6" goalie hasn't played a lot, but with exception of the UVM blowout, has done enough to get the team wins. The freshman have stepped into big roles, and have filled them well.
So, it's clear, even with the lack of secondary scoring, this Saints team is a deadly offense, with the top power play in the country, working at almost 30 percent. Why then, do they sit at 8-9-2, and currently have a four game losing streak? In college hockey, defense wins games, and that has been bad, and sometimes borderline nonexistent. Granted, the lack of a game on Friday the 13 was their first day off on the weekend since the start of the year. These guys are tired, especially the defensemen, and some well needed time off can be very helpful. Also, its a young defensive core, that will get better with time. Time is short though, and with just one non ECAC game left on the schedule, it's time to step up defensively. This is a Saint team that has not yet played Union, Quinnipiac or RPI, and still has one game against Cornell and Yale, in my opinion, the five better teams left for the Saints. All these teams boast solid offenses, and if the Scarlet and the Brown don't start shutting teams down, there will probably be no ECAC championship, and certainly not a berth in March's NCAA tournament. Its been a decent start to the season, and its time for team with a boatload of talent to perform. If they do, everyone else better watch out come February and March.
Comments
Post a Comment