Big10 Play

F

Frank Lee

Well-known member
I hope Coach Gadowsky's "we like to play fast" isn't the hockey version of looking for the explosive plays. As with football, greater balance is needed. Penalty kill, power play, clearing out the crease, working the boards, and goaltending are all issues right now. It's muscle and positioning IMO right now. Not so much speed.
 
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Start working on the goaltending with the defense being next. The team is playing on its heels right now and is porous.
 
Good news. Because the opponent is OSU, Penn State hockey games will be covered by BTN on back to back nights!
 
McKenna coming into form. Seven assists and a goal on Friday, and and assist and highlight game winning goal in OT on Saturday. Maybe his future NHL bosses will allow him to stay at PSU for another year.
 
Two ways people are currently looking at the team. The first is the positioning for the playoff seed. That is, what teams must win and lose. The second concern is the team's sometimes over-committing, out of position defensive play.
Both are valid and mutually exclusive of the other. It's possible that PSU gain a higher seed but gets shut down by a tight checking "inferior" opponent that shadows McKenna. How does the team fix or adjust?
 
With NIL, the arms race is on. All teams will be getting bigger, stronger, and faster. Guy will need to start at goal and work his way out, and not the other way around.
 
So, now that the regular season is over with the team sliding at the end, my summary of events is...
1. Gavin McKenna has been great. A kid with great skills who sees things developing three seconds beforehand. Gretzky-esque
2. Goaltending. Last year's goaltender may have been the explanation for last year's push into the Frozen Four. He was talented and rose to the occasion.
3. Size & Toughness. I'm not sure if these need to be given up if playing "fast" is the strategy.
4. Defense. Definitely needs a plan, recruits, and training for this in 2026-27.
 
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