NTDP 2017-18 Season Thread

[LeafChief]

So many players in the USNTDP that I'm hoping the Leafs grab in this draft. Love the way they develop players.

 

[LeafChief]

Whaddup boys!

Happy to hear you're doing well.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Yeah true and the 5 nations which will be drawing closer

We have been out of town for the past couple of 5 Nations tournaments held here, but should be around for most of the one coming up in February. I plan on attending most of the games if life doesn't get in the way.

 

[NTDP]

Little preview of this weeks games. Sorry this post is a little late

 

[NTDP]

U17's beat the Fargo Force 6-3. Pretty hard fought game that had good pace to it. Michael Gildon played well especially in the 1st period. Had a goal off of a nice feed from Trevor Zegras to bury in the open net. But also had a nice setup where he retrieved the puck behind the net and centered a pass out in front. Jack Hughes has such deceptiveness with his head fakes and how he can fake a pass or shot one way and then quickly throw the puck to the open man on the wing. That's what he did on Alex Vlasic's goal. Vlasic let a quick wrister go that went top shelf. That was a really nice shot, something we should keep an eye on going forward. Just how he gets pucks to the net and the velocity on his shot. Marshall Warren is such a battler, he does whatever it takes to win a 50/50 puck and that pays dividends for a team, especially when you have the skill he does to break the puck out of the D zone. Cameron Rowe played really really well tonight. He made 3 great saves back to back in the 1st that really set the tone. His glove was for sure noticeable in this win tonight as he had to come up large a few times.

On Fargo I liked Ty Farmer on D. He played for the Youngstown Phantoms the last few years and he has a good all around game. Was a play where he got on his horse to break up a pass in front of the net from the U17 offense. Grant Hebert was also good for Fargo on offense. Showed good vision and awareness on the ice. Going to Robert Morris to play D-1. Looking forward to how they stack up against the U-18's tonight. U-17's are in Youngstown. Wooo!!

 

[Whalers Fan]

Cameron Rowe played a great game in goal for the U17's last night. He made numerous key saves that kept Fargo from running away with it. The U17's had a strong first and early 2nd period, but then Fargo took over for the next 20 minutes or so. I think at one point the Force outshot the NTDP 20-4 during that stretch, and turned a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 game. A really bad double minor penalty by Fargo's Guy Hebert halfway through the 3rd period turned the momentum back to the NTDP, who took full advantage with two power play goals to lock up the win. Overall, it was a very entertaining game.

It will be interesting to see how the U18's fare against the same opponent tonight. Also, the Saturday evening game versus the University of Michigan is expected to be a sellout. It will be nice to see the arena filled with fans again.

 

[NTDP]

Very true, that 3rd period Fargo made a push, I didn't even notice the shots were that lopsided at that point. By the way Whalers Fan you ever thought about changing your name to NTDP Fan?. That's great to hear it will be a great crowd. It shows that people are aware of when the big games are, like the international tournaments when they come into town. Wonder why they don't show up on a thursday or friday night to see a regular season game. Still great hockey and their watching potentially the next wave of studs every year. The Whalers had some very good teams too, but every single year there are at least 3 potential first round picks on the U-18 team.

 

[Whalers Fan]

By the way Whalers Fan you ever thought about changing your name to NTDP Fan?

I have thought about a name change, but this is the moniker I've had since joining the board so I've just kept it. We old folks resist change.

I am going to have a little rant now, so please excuse me. After watching last night's U18 debacle against Fargo, I am convinced that most of the team's struggles are due to coaching. The team continues to give up way too many breakaways and odd man rushes, and it seems to be getting worse instead of better. Last night I spent most of the game focusing on the defensive positioning. I saw defensemen just floating below the face off circle in the offensive end numerous times -- they weren't even engaged in the play. I also noticed defenseman actually rushing Fargo players carrying the puck out of their defensive zone in a forechecking role as the play went by them down the ice. It appears that there are no defensemen on this team -- everyone is playing forward!

I do not recall this same team playing this type of undisciplined pond hockey last year as the U17 squad under Danton Cole's coaching. I can only conclude the fault lies with new coach Seth Appert. While he did spend the last nine seasons coaching at RPI, Appert's record was a very mediocre 152-221-48, including a 2016-17 record of 8-28-1 which got him fired.

Since the NTDP arrived here in Plymouth, I have been continually impressed with the coaching of the two teams. While the players did not always execute well, they were almost always in the correct positions and attempting to make the proper play. I am not seeing that with this U18 team, though. They have too much talent to be getting blown out like the past couple of games.

 

[wisssh]

I agree 100%

 

[NTDP]

I agree with you Whalers Fan, I wouldn't put a ton of stock into Apperts record at RPI though. He didn't always have the best players in the cupboard to work with in an ECAC conference that has become one of the premier ones in college hockey. Anyway I agree with your take on the D, just watched the game and I see what you mean, lots of them have been sloppy. Bode Wilde had a few turnovers in the game as well. K'Andre Miller used to play forward until about 4 years ago and while I've liked his shutdown game he gets a little to offensive minded. Tell ya what I really like Ty Farmer on D for Fargo, former Phantom that is so hard to get around and wins 50/50 puck battles all the time. Griffin Loughran had a good two games and scores a lot. Had a really nice goal on his breakaway last night.

The 17's lost 2-0 to Youngstown in a pretty boring game. It was back and forth and both teams blocked a ton of shots and had good sticks to deflect pucks/passes in their respective D zones. Drew Helleson played the best out of the D last night. Had a few good takaways in the corner, made good breakout passes and had 5 shots on goal alone. Johnny Beecher was the best forward for the team last night, had some good chances and created good space for himself in tight areas to get a few chances. Max Ellis reminds me of Will Bitten. Both smaller players with good speed and hands. He had a goal where he blew by a defender and wristed one top shelf. I'll say Spender Knight didn't cover the corner well but he made a good play. He could be invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase in a few years time, maybe Curtis Hall as well. I'll be watching the Michigan game tomorrow morning as I'm heading out for the night but look forward to talking about that one. The D better be ready.

 

[Whalers Fan]

I wouldn't put a ton of stock into Apperts record at RPI though. He didn't always have the best players in the cupboard to work with in an ECAC conference that has become one of the premier ones in college hockey.

Yeah, I do not know anything about Appert's tenure at RPI except for his record. However, if he lacked the talent to compete in that conference, that is also on him, since recruiting is the job of the head coach in the NCAA. I have never seen a RPI game under his coaching, though, so do not know if they were as undisciplined as what we are seeing with this U18 team. I just know that the team did not play this way last season as the U17 squad under Danton Cole.

Last night's Michigan game was fun, although the U18's once again were beaten convincingly. They played an awful first period, but showed some spunk in the 2nd period to turn a 4-0 deficit into a close 4-3 game. Things quickly fell apart in the 3rd period, though. I wasn't watching this game as closely for mistakes, as we had four friends at the game as our guests, so we were talking a lot.

It was nice to see a big crowd at the game. They were selling standing room tickets, and the announced attendance was over 3,700. And we had a celebrity sitting right in front of us -- Steve Yzerman. He showed up in the 2nd period with his wife and daughter, and left part way through the 3rd period. I was surprised he was sitting in the stands and not in the press box right behind us. I'm not sure how many people recognized him, but the crowd did leave him alone, which was nice. We didn't bother him, either.

The big crowd helped make the annual Teddy Bear Toss a better event, as well. There were a lot more stuffed animals on the ice after the first NTDP goal than we saw the past couple of year. The night reminded me a lot of some of the old Whalers game, with lots of energy in the arena -- although in this case an even larger percentage of the crowd was rooting for the visiting team. There were lots of people walking around in Michigan garb last night. I'm a U of M fan, too, but had to support the home team with one of my USA Hockey hoodies.

 

[NTDP]

Yeah I noticed a lot of Michigan attire in the stands when the camera would pan around. Seems like it was a fun atmosphere to take a game in. Glad you guys had fun. I expected a loss against them but thought they faired okay in the first 40. I thought the score wasn't as indicative at the end of the 1st. We had some chances and Michigan scored two of those goals off of bounces that just got by DeRidder. I thought in the first 10 minutes we put a few shots on and made their goalie make some saves and had a little bit of zone time. I think Luke Martin played well on D for the Wolverines, I'm rooting for him to make the World Junior squad but he has to really show he can shut down the best players on the opposing team. Patrick Giles seems to just pop around at the right time you know? Don't notice his game a whole lot until he scores a big goal for us. Looking forward to the Michigan St. game in a few weeks.

 

[NTDP]

Jake Goldowski has left the NTDP to commit to the Saginaw Spirit. That team has been slowly building through the OHL Priority Selection with good american talent. They also chose Bode Wilde whom I still think will end up at Michigan next year but who knows. With how good Saginaw has been playing and the likes of Blade Jenkins, Caleb Everett and company...that could be a really good team next year.

 

[Whalers Fan]

That's too bad about Goldowski leaving the program. I hope he does well at Saginaw.

FYI, the 3,715 attendance for the Michigan game last weekend set a record for the NTDP. That record may be in jeopardy this coming Saturday when Michigan State visits USA Hockey Arena.

The U18 team looked better defensively last night versus Central Illinois. I do not recall any breakaways given up, nor many (if any) odd man rushes. I'm not sure how much of it was due to improvement from the U18 team and how much was just poor play by Central Illinois, though. The Flying Aces played a very lackluster game, and the game wasn't nearly as close as the 4-2 final score.

 

[NTDP]

Was in Harpers Ferry WV with my girlfriend's family this past weekend. Really cool little town with a ton of history. Built right into the mountains, but anyway I just watched the game from Saturday. Yeah Central Illinois had a lackluster performance but they have some kids with speed. I thought the U18's gap control looked good as well as our transition game. Spencer Statsney played a really good game. He stripped players of pucks in the corners, angled players off the puck well, also gets the puck up the ice to the forwards quickly. He'll be on the World Junior radar next year. K'Andre Miller is really fun to watch on D. Was impactful in two of our goals. Really quick on moving towards the center of the ice and getting the puck towards the net for Farabee's tip in. Best one was his break down the wing and cut to the net to deke the puck past the netminder. Kind of reminded me of JD Greenway's goal at the IIHF U-18's two years ago.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Was in Harpers Ferry WV with my girlfriend's family this past weekend. Really cool little town with a ton of history. Built right into the mountains, but anyway I just watched the game from Saturday.

I haven't been to that part of the state, but have spent a lot of time in the area around Charleston & Beckley in West Virginia, as we used to go on an annual white water rafting trip on the Gulley River in the autumn with a group of friends (we went for 7 or 8 years). It's a beautiful state. We still drive through the area a few times per year on our way to/from South Carolina.

I'm looking forward to the game and another big crowd versus Michigan State this Saturday. We will not be entertaining guests this time, so I should be able to watch the game closer. I may wear a Michigan hat along with a USA Hockey sweatshirt to give the Sparties a double shot.

 

[NTDP]

Haha more power to ya Whalers Fan!! Be interesting to see how we do against them. You're going to watch the World Juniors right?

 

[Whalers Fan]

NTDP, we should be in town over the holidays, so I will try to catch some of the World Juniors games on the NHL Network. It's always great hockey. I got a friend of mine sucked into it last year, and he cursed me for him being tired at work after the long gold medal game between Team USA and Team Canada last year.

 

[NTDP]

That was one of the best games over the last 7 years I've been watching the wjc. My top 5 games are the U.S. gold medal OT goal by John Carlson in 2010. Last years gold medal shootout. Russia's comeback over Canada in 2011. And the Finland over Sweden final in 2014. Some fantastic hockey, my favorite tournament of the year hands down.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Last night's game versus Michigan State turned out to be pretty boring. The U18's struggled to generate any offense in their 3-0 loss. On the bright side, the defense once again looked better, and DeRidder was solid in goal, as he has been all season. This team has struggled all season to score goals, as most of their top end talent is on the blue line. Farabee and Wahlstrom are pretty much their entire offense at the forward spots.

The crowd was noticeably smaller than two weeks ago versus Michigan. The announced attendance was 3,244, which was almost 500 less than against the Wolverines. I'm sure holiday parties and the Lions being at home had something to do with that.

 

[Whalers Fan]

The U18's were back to their old ways in yesterday's game versus Muskegon, giving up numerous breakaways and odd-man rushes. Jonathan Mor did not hold up well under the barrage in goal, giving up 4 first period goals and getting pulled for the final two periods for Drew DeRidder, who held up much better under the poor defense and made several nice saves. This U18 team has been a huge disappointment.

Former NTDP goalie Keegan Karki, who was dismissed from the U17 team last season, played in goal for Muskegon. According to the lineup sheet, he's played about half the Lumberjacks games. He wasn't tested much yesterday, so it was difficult to tell if he's playing as well as he did in the first half of last season before getting suspended.

It was an interesting day at USA Hockey Arena. Yesterday's game was a 10:30am start, with about 1,500 grade school and middle school kids attending the game as part of school field trips. The Whalers used to participate in a similar event at Saginaw each year, but this is the first time this has been done in Plymouth. The kids all appeared to have a good time -- they weren't in school, so that alone probably made them happy. The staff was trying to keep all the kids in one half of the arena, so our section was filled with screaming youngsters. Fortunately the staff thought ahead and invited us to use one of the private suites for the game. It was much quieter in there.

 

[NTDP]

Little video talking about the WJC thus far and some NTDP players that can be there next year.

 

[NTDP]

Will be interesting to see how these guys pan out the rest of the year (U18's). Thanks for the updates Whalers Fan. Haven't been the biggest fan of Mor this year. Been a bit of an underwhelming year for goalies.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Thanks for your thoughts on the WJC, NTDP. I do agree with you that it's nice to see some non-NTDP players on Team USA. I remember enjoying watching former Whalers A.J. Jenks and Alex Nedeljkovic when they played on the team. It's been a treat this year seeing Casey Mittelstadt and Ryan Poehling (a Canadiens first round pick) playing for Team USA.

The U17 team was in action last night at USA Hockey Arena. We have not seen them much the past couple of months, so it was a treat to watch a team that positions themselves well and has solid fundamentals after watching the disorganized U18 team for the past two months. The U17's played a terrific game, beating first place Youngstown 4-1. Team USA only had a single defensive breakdown, which resulted in a late goal by the Phantoms. Spencer Knight played a solid game in net, and the entire team was skating well and really moving the puck. This squad looks so much better than the older team.

Jack Hughes did not play in last night's game. He's been moved up to the U18 squad. Hopefully he doesn't pick up bad habits playing under head coach Seth Appert for the remainder of the season. He at least should add some much needed offense to a team that has been struggling to score. I'm looking forward to seeing him play on Tuesday evening versus Ferris State.

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

Anyone going to the game tonight in Plymouth? They are doing a poster series give away and was wondering if anyone would be willing to sell theirs? It's a giveaway to first 500. Any help would be appreciated.