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BU Men’s Hockey’s New Year’s Resolutions

Welcome to 2019, hockey fans! As people often do upon embarking on a new year, I am putting together a collection of New Year’s resolutions, but not for myself. Instead, I will be compiling a list of potential improvements that could bring the BU Men’s Hockey team a successful 2019. These ideas are all my own, so if you have any additional thoughts or responses to my resolutions, please feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section or on Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!

Resolution 1: Tighten up on defense

The Terrier defense has been uncharacteristically inconsistent throughout the first half of the season, allowing the fourth most shots on goal of any team in the league thus far (543). Worse, BU has allowed the second most shots on goal per game (33.94), only better than Vermont, who sit at the bottom of the division. To their credit, BU’s blueliners have been heavily involved in the offense this season, but if the Terriers want to make a run for the league title, the defensive side of the game must be improved.

Resolution 2: Take pressure off of Jake Oettinger

This resolution is closely related to the first, but one cannot consider improvements for BU in 2019 without mentioning the goaltender. At third-worst in the Hockey East in the terms of goals against, Jake Oettinger has conceded 40 goals thus far, a total driven by the number of shots he has faced. The Dallas Stars prospect has single-handedly kept BU in games at times, but such performances can take a toll on a keeper over the course of a season. For Oettinger to still be sharp come March, BU must find a way to lessen the workload on their standout keeper.

Resolution 3: Get the most out of attacking talent

BU has great talent at the offensive positions, but cold stretches from certain forwards have prevented the BU attack from finding their rhythm as an entire unit. As we know, hockey can be a game of streaks, and within a matter of games, we could see previously-quiet Terriers emerge as consistent producers and threats to opposing defenses. As points become more and more crucial with the season nearing its close, BU will need these potential contributors to step up, especially if team defense continues to be an issue.

Resolution 4: Spread the wealth on offense

In the first half of the season, BU has relied on the likes of Bobo Carpenter, Dante Fabbro, and Joel Farabee to lead the way on offense. While getting production out of those who are expected to produce is certainly a positive, BU must develop depth in scoring if they aim to become a real offensive danger in Hockey East. The Terriers are already progressing towards acquiring this depth, as four of the team’s top 10 leading scorers are defensemen, but for success in both 2019 and beyond, BU will need to get goals out of players further down the offensive depth chart.

There is a lot of hockey left to be played in BU’s season this year. Will the Terriers make the necessary adjustments to become true contenders for the Hockey East tournament? Only time will tell.

13 Comments

  1. sonofcaesarcarlaci

    Well thought out , Brady. I believe Fabbro must go to forward as we are simply short of quality top nine O men. He can play on one of the two power play units also. We can not go into the rest of the year and not score goals with better quantity. And getting work for the new goalie is a must. Maybe he can be a catalyst for the team.Jake just average as his metrics show. Very overrated. We shall see. GO BU!!!

  2. I can’t see moving an elite d-man out of position. It worked with Ahti but his game as a d-man was not nearly as balanced as Dante’s. I am sure he would do well but no reason to think he is going to fill the nets. I think whatever improvement he would create for our offense would be more then offset by a more porous Terrier defense. Maybe do that experiment with Blixt.

  3. SOCC, why would you want to move Fabbro? He is fine where he is and he’s not part of the problem. I agree that Oettinger is overrated. The 2nd half schedule is very tough. We’ll soon see just what this team is made of.

  4. I look forward to a great second half of the season. Jake is so much more then mediocre he is one of the best goalies bu has produced. He has the attitude and work ethic of John Bradley and the talent of a All American. It’s easy to place blame on him for a less then stellar start but Jake has carried this teams for many games. This article is well written and thought out and it is true we need to do a better job at limiting opposing teams chances and give jake some room to breathe. As to Dante he can do it all he is best defenseman in college hockey but moving him to forward I don’t see the Benefit in the long run. I’m looking to see curry and Amonte to continue to lead us up front they may not be projected to lead this team but I like what I have seen so far. Also Krys is healthy and guys will be coming back from world juniors with confidence all which will help us second half.🐾🚨

  5. After an extremely disappointing and frustrating I am cautiously optimistic that the team will have a different attitude the second half of the year. Clearly the most under achieving, over rated team in the country Too many passengers and not enough drivers during many games. As talented as most teams in college hockey unfortunately play more at times like a the B. U. figure skating team rather than a hockey team with no grit or jam in their game. A refusal to go into dirty areas for rebounds or knock opposing forwards away from rebounds in the defensive zones occur too often.
    Clearly quitting in certain games when things are not working out. Specifically the Providence , Merrimack and after the second period of the Beagles game. Not only giving up with little or no fight in the third period but doing it at the only sellout of the year, against one of the worst Beagle teams in decades.
    Extremely poor leadership by seniors , juniors and some sophomores who are more interested in holiday tournaments and themselves than the fortunes of the team.
    The recruiting of only young talented players has been an abject failure. I believe a mixture is a better alternative. It is time for Albie to put his finger prints on the program. Especially with interest and attendance in a free fall.
    It will be a real challenge to earn home ice in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. Which of the four top teams do you think B.U. will beat out? Currently they should not be considered in the national picture as based on results the team at best is mediocre and that is being generous.

  6. Frozen out once again I have to disagree with much of what you are saying. My disagreement stems with the fact you place total blame on our players lack of interest and careless attitudes towards our program for our less then stellar record. I don’t subscribe to this view I see players on this team that work hard every day to make themselves better and the program better. I don’t know every kid on the team but I would be shocked if there was one kid who had the attitude you describe and I can assure you this if there was a guy with that attitude his bags would be packed by his teammates. Bu is not out of the running for home ice. There positioned to make a run for home ice. If they don’t get it oh well the good thing about ice is it’s frozen water. If it’s frozen in providence or Boston it’s still just ice. Our guys tie our skates the same here as they would at northeastern. Wherever this team plays they can win. I think you are correct we need to make it tougher for opposing goalies by getting traffic to the net again I don’t subscribe to your logic if we don’t want or choose not to get there. Hockey is to fast a game to generalize aspects as a whole like you do. I give credit to our opposition we have played good teams. Bu will make a run as for the future I’m sure coach has a great blue print of where this program is going. I have faith in this coaching staff best in the country.

  7. Even on this rainy, gloomy day in Boston, Colin has managed to find the sunshine on Comm Ave. I commend you for your optimism even if it is misguided. I’m afraid this year’s team won’t get home ice for playoffs. Their upcoming schedule is very tough and we’ve seen how they’ve fared when faced with a challenge. TK out!

  8. Good morning! Perhaps the difference between a successful D1 team and an average one, is ‘Team’ defense. At any level, no matter how talented, there appears to be no goaltender or defenceman, able to produce good results, when he has an opponent on him at the moment he acquires the puck. Might I suggest that a formidable backcheck from the forwards is an essential ingredient. The successful teams’ forwards perform this sedulous but, alas, often thankless effort unremittingly.

    Might I also suggest that this method has been the mainstay of every successful B.U. team since Jack Kelly insisted on it. Coach O’ Connell was raised in the B.U. tradition of forwards thinking defence 1st. The trick is getting young players from different style youth programs to buy in.
    Regards,
    Leith

  9. Colin,
    Happy and healthy New Year. Unfortunately I disagree with you’re analysis concerning the players effort. As echoed by the coaches conference after too many games about a lack of engagement and focus that directly led to opponents goals which eventually cost them the game. No reason not to defend in your on end or to blow coverages that lead to odd man rushes and pucks in the back of the B.U net. A power play that waste time with meaning less passes , few shots and a refusal to go into the dirty areas or block the vision of the opposing goaltenders A 6-8-2 record. As team they are clearly an underachieving , overrated bunch of crybabies and excuse makers. I refer you to the CHN article by Mike McMahon for an unbiased opinion on the first half results.
    The good news is the Beagles continue their winless streak out side Hockey East of 0-21-4, quite an accomplishment. The bad news is that B. U. could not take advantage of them. (Even the other B.U. defeated them.)

  10. sonofcaesarcarlaci

    I wanted Fabbro up front because we lack depth of skill there for the rest of the season. I did not realize at the time that Vidoli had left the team. Yes the Fabbro move would make us too short on the back line.By the way, why is it that we have so many defections from this team in recent year ? What is the matter ?

  11. Hi SoCC. Do we really have that many defections? Who else besides Vidoli? I am curious how we compare to other Hockey East programs as far as defections. Is there any objective listing somewhere online to be found? Now when you say “defections” … do you include players who have left early to play pro hockey? If so, that would not be fair to compare other schools to BU because we recruit more players with NHL potential. Anyway, I would consider a “defection” as someone who had been playing for BU and then decided to either transfer or play junior hockey instead.

  12. sonofcaesarcarlaci

    Glenn, a defection is someone who leaves the program early. Do you really want me to look them all up for you ? I know I am an old timer and such “defections” were almost unheard of a few years ago. Maybe we should go in another direction as far as high draft choices are concerned. Out last championship was about ten years ago, Of late we can not beat BC to championships which was not true in the past. Something is wrong.

  13. Huh? Of late that’s all we did is beat BC to championships. Did you forget about last March? If you regularly look at the site USCHO.com, you will routinely see articles about players leaving their schools early … and they are from every possible D1 school out there. And no, moving on to the NHL is not a defection. I whole heartedly agree that we need to move in a different direction as far as recruiting, and that direction is mixing the elite first-round types with solid recruits who will stay three or four years. Add to the mix guys who might be undersized and uber-talented and will not be NHL ready for a while … like 2019 recruit Fensore. I think that modification of recruiting strategy is what we are now seeing with Albie.