Throughout the years, there have been players that have been designated as enforcers. Their overall job was to be a deterrence to the other teamsí players, so that they would not take any liberties with the star players of their team: essentially the policeman. If another teamís player took a cheap shot on their star player, the enforcer would go after that player. 

For example, Wayne Gretzky (ìThe Great Oneî), was said to be so smart that no one could hit him. However, over the years, linemates such as Dave Semenko and later Marty McSorley were there to be his bodyguard to deter anyone who might try. No one would dare touch him with these two hockey mercenaries at his side. This has been the argument for having such a player in the lineup for decades. However,  in todayís game we are seeing that this may not be entirely true anymore.

A prime example of this is the Toronto Maple Leafs. For years, the Leafs would employ an enforcer in the lineup to either bully or act as deterrence for the oppositionís players. Brian Burke, the former general manager (GM) of the Toronto-based team, once bluntly proclaimed, ìReduced to its simplest truth, fighting is one of the mechanisms that regulates the level of violence in our game […] Players who break the rules are held accountable by other players.î Players such as Colton Orr (119 career NHL fights) and Frazer McLaren (37 career NHL fights) were regularly employed in the Leafs lineup to serve such a role under the realm of belligerent advocates like Brian Burke, Dave Nonis, and Randy Carlyle. They came from an older school of thought that believed that this role was necessary to have in a lineup on a nightly basis. The Leafs underwent a major philosophical change right before this season, hiring managers like Kyle Dubas who took a more analytical and statistical approach. Tellingly, Orr and McLaren are no longer on the Leafs roster, echoing a league -wide sentiment that the role of the enforcer is dying.. 

Important to this shift from traditional hockey to analytic stats-based hockey is the Corsi Number. In short, a Corsi Number measures the shot attempt differential of a player while on the ice, including shots on goal, missed shots, and blocked shots for and against. Players are now being analyzed in terms of their effectiveness on the ice, and how they help their team, while not just looking at point totals. With this philosophy, cap space is of utter importance. Teams are now trying to fill a roster of 24 players under a salary cap, and will be looking closely at which players will be most efficient and effective in terms of economic considerations and their production of play on the ice. 

This is the intrinsic reason as to why the role of the enforcer is dying. Teams are deciding with this new information that it actually has adverse effects to use the limited cap space on a full- time player who is only capable of fighting. Teams have referred to the four-line scoring models of the LA Kings and Boston Bruins, who have both won Stanley Cups in recent years.

Fighting will always be a part of the NHL brand of hockey. Fans love it, the players respect it, and simply put, it helps sell tickets. However, teams are now shifting away from having a guy whose only job is to fight. They are starting to realize that it is inefficient and uneconomical in terms of fitting a roster under the salary cap. Teams will start resorting to ëteam toughness,í where the whole roster will need to take on the responsibilities of protecting themselves and one another. This will entail that even the great players, like Wayne Gretzky was in the past, are going to need to be able to respond to a potential or evident threat from an opposing player. A teamís overall toughness module might lead for the catalyst of the demise of the disciplinarian. Generally speaking, the days of the bodyguard or enforcer are coming to a slow close.

The post The demise of the enforcer appeared first on The McGill Daily.

After clinching back-to-back sweeps against Concordia and UQTR to qualify for the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East finals, the Redmen faced their first test. The Redmen dropped their first game 5-2 to first-seeded Carleton. Game two, back on home ice, was a slim 3-2 victory for the Redmen. Finally, the Redmen claimed the East title in game 3 with a nail- biting 2-1 win. However, the Redmen eventually lost 3-2 to Windsor in the OUA Queen’s Cup Championship Game. Before this season, players such as 6’3” ft Neal Prokop were brought in to give size and a scoring punch. Prokop finished with 28 points in 44 games. Coach Kelly Nobes also brought in goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard to solidify the goaltending duo alongside incumbent Andrew Fleming. Gervais-Chouniard stole the job with a a marvelous season, posting a 20-8-1 record along with a 2.37 goals against average (GAA) and .923 save percentage. Ryan McKiernan lead the Redmen in points as a defencemen in the regular season, posting 37 points in 28 games.

One of the big changes that paid off in tremendous fashion was the improvement of the offence. After a year that saw the Redmen score a mere 88 goals, this season the Redmen potted 126 in the back of the net. This was good enough to tie them for third in team scoring in the CIS. Leading scorer from last year Patrick Delisle-Houde improved on his totals from 24 points in 26 games at an over point-per-game pace to finish with 30 points in 28 games. Look for the second-year sniper to continue to improve in the following years as he gets acclimated to his surroundings. He has the potential to be a top- tier goal scorer in this league.

There are many positives to take from this year. Offensively, the Redmen were a dominating force to be reckoned with, as they were second in the league in team scoring. Goaltending was a wall, as Gervais-Chouinard led the way, backed up by the formidable Fleming. The squad was defensively sound, even getting a good amount of offence from the defensive core, particularly McKiernan.

Overall, the team improved drastically from the year before. However, at the end of the day, the glorious taste of redemption was not to be found. As retired football coach Herm Edwards once emphatically said, “You play to win the game!” The Redmen will be looking to bring Edwards’ words to life as they search for that final redemption they so desperately desire in the 2014-15 season: a championship.

The post Seeing red appeared first on The McGill Daily.

One of the key factors of the Redmen’s success has been their ability to light the lamp at a much higher frequency this year compared to the previous year. So far, the Redmen have potted 73 goals in 18 games, which averages a remarkable 4.05 goals per game. They are poised to eclipse the previous year’s mark of 89 goals in 28 games (3.18 goals per game) and are second in the OUA for overall team offence. This increased offence was one of the promises made by Coach Nobes at the beginning of the year that the team has actualized.

Defenceman Ryan McKiernan has led the attack this year from the blue line, accruing 20 points in only 18 games. Getting that type of high powered offence from the defence is a rarity in hockey, and to have that threat from the back end gives the forwards more room to get open, creating more offensive opportunities. Neal Prokop, a newcomer to the team, leads the forward regiment with 16 points in 18 games. He is followed by Cedric McNicoll, who has 15 points in only 13 games played. Last year’s leading scorer, Patrick Delisle-Houde, has managed only 15 points in 18 games, but has been invaluable to the power play and penalty-kill units. Look for him to start heating up as the season approaches its climax, and into the team’s playoff run.

One of the most important strategies in hockey is that a great defence makes a great offence. This is one of the fundamental reasons that the offence has had great success: a good defensive corps. Other than McKiernan, with his offensive prowess, the defence has been pretty boring – a positive adjective when referring to a team’s defence. The ability to make smart plays in the defensive zone without any flashiness is something that the Redmen’s back end should be proud of. It is rare to see such poise and maturity from the whole blue line, especially with such a young group. The defence has done a great job of extricating the opposing forwards from the front of the net, which has allowed the goalies to do their job: keep the puck out of the net.

The goaltending tandem of Jacob Gervais-Chouinard and Andrew Flemming has been very solid to say the least. Flemming, the incumbent goalie from last year’s team, has posted a respectable 5-2 record with a 2.67 goals against average and .909 save percentage. Newcomer Gervais-Chouinard, however, has really stood out with his excellent play, as displayed by his 7-3 record, 1.96 goals against average, and .928 save percentage. Currently both netminders have played an equal amount of games. However, it will be interesting to watch what will happen as the games gain more importance toward the end of the season. Nobes will have to decide whether Chouinard will earn more games based on his recent superiority in the net. Come playoff time, one of the goalies will emerge as the clear starter, and will play the majority of games, and it seems as though Chouinard is well on his way to getting the final nod in net.

Overall, the coaching staff, led by Nobes, have backed up their words with actions. They believed in changing the losing culture of last year’s team during the off-season by adding size, depth, and improving the goaltending. This has led to a revitalization of the hockey club, while giving them the added swagger that we last saw in their 2012 championship season. The Redmen are once again a powerhouse in the OUA, with a high throttle offence and a rock-solid goaltending tandem.

Look for the Redmen to shred through the rest of the regular season with ease, and make a strong run into the playoffs. The Redmen are striving to regain their former glory as champions, which is more than a pipe dream; it’s an expectation. As the famous football coach Vince Lombardi once noted, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

The post McGill Redmen hockey mid-season report appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On Friday, the Redmen defeated the now 5-5 Guelph Gryphons 3-2, improving to 8-4-2 for the season. The goalies were Jacob-Gervais Chouinard for McGill and Andrew Loverock for Guelph.

After a scoreless first period, goals from Cedric McNicoll (3rd goal of the season) and Patrick Delisle-Houde (3) gave McGill a comfortable lead heading into the third period. McGill looked to close it out quietly in the third; however, this did not come to fruition.

Halfway through the final frame, Guelph potted two goals of their own, less than a minute apart. Stunned by this quick turn around, McGill quickly refocused and looked for the winning goal. With just over a minute left in the game, Guelph took an undisciplined slashing penalty, their seventh penalty of the game. McGill’s power play had been ineffective to this point, but, off a feed from Carrier, none other than last year’s leading scorer Patrick Delisle-Houde (4) buried it where mom likes to keep the cookie jar, with his second goal of the game.

McGill outshot the Gryphons 46-23.

Patrick Delisle-Houde was named the first star of the game. Delisle-Houde has started where he finished off last year, recording 11 points in 9 games.

***

On Saturday, the Redmen ground out a 5-4 victory over the Western Mustangs.

This game had its ups and downs for the Redmen. Throughout the game there were three blown leads. Western got on the board first, firing a shot past starting goalie Andrew Fleming. Later in the period McGill’s big man Neil Prokop (3) snapped one into the back of the net, past goaltender Josh Unice, to tie the game. After the ‘Stangs’ got another one off of an unbelievable tip from Western’s Zach Harnden, the first period ended with the Redmen trailing by one.

The Redmen seemed to come out with a jump in the second as they scored two in the first five minutes of the period. David Rose scored his fourth of the year and Ryan McKiernan added his own sixth to give McGill a 3-2 lead. However this would not last as Western quickly struck back to tie the game, and ended the second period with a power play goal from Matt Clarke. Once again McGill trailed at the end of the period.

After starting the period with an unorthodox change in goal, with Jacob-Gervais Chouinard replacing Fleming, the Redmen came out flying in the third and struck early. Rookie Carl Gelinas scored his second of the season, three minutes into the period on the power play. As the period went on, the physicality, which had been building all game, kept increasing. But finally Cedric McNicoll scored to give the Redmen their second lead of the game. It was his second goal in consecutive nights, and it would end up being the game-winning goal.

Cedric McNicoll was named the first star of the game. The Redmen improved to 9-4-2 on the season with the win. The Redmen travel to Brock and York next weekend, looking to extend their four game winning streak.

Analysis:

Once again McGill had no problems finding the back of the net, and their offense is certainly clicking much better than last year, as Coach Kelly Nobes said it would before the season. They are getting a steady balance of offense as five players have a point per game rate thus far, with defenseman Ryan McKiernan leading the way with 12 points in 9 games played.

The defense has been solid, with not too many lapses. Other than McKiernan’s splurge of offense from the blue line, the D-corps hasn’t been something to talk about: this is usually a good thing. The steady, boring blue line is certainly getting the job done, and allowing the goalies to see shots, with steady lane clearing abilities.

Goaltending has been quite solid with both goalies getting their fair share of work.

Negatives:

Once again McGill has been quite undisciplined, and it almost cost them in the game against Western, as they allowed two goals on the ten power plays given to Western. This must change, or it will come back to haunt the Redmen.

Grades:

Offense: A (lead the league with 38 goals for)

Defense: A- (Very steady; efficient is a good way to describe them)

Goaltending: A- (Goalies lead the league with a combined 17 goals against)

Player to watch: David Rose, number 7

Rose already has eight points in eight games played. Not only does he bring an offensive punch to his game, but also he brings that ‘nasty’ element that teams love to hate. He is the type of player that wears his heart on sleeve, and finishes every check with the ‘oomph’ that will get you out of your seat.

The post Redmen Hockey Weekend Roundup: Nov 8th to 10th appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On Friday, after splitting two away games over Thanksgiving weekend, the McGill Redmen opened their first game at home with a bang; a 6-0 victory over the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. This was the second straight shutout for goaltender Andrew Flemming, who made 28 saves for the clean sheet after recording a 37-save shutout against the University of Toronto on October 12.

It took a while for McGill to find the back of the net, but, in the last minute of the first period Jonathan Brunelle buried the leftovers of a scramble around the net to get the game’s first goal. Patrick Delisle-Houde, last year’s leading goal scorer, also contributed a goal to the winning effort alongside Neil Prokop, Mathieu Pompei, Guillaume Langelier-Parent, and Max Le Sieur.

Strengths:

The Redmen presented the physical style that they promised to deliver this season with some thunderous hits, and all-around solid defensive play. They skated well in transition, and used their speed to control the pace of play throughout the game. Andrew Flemming was easily McGill’s top player as he devoured all the pucks that were thrown his way. It was a very positionally sound game from McGill as the team always seemed to be in the right places at the right time. The penalty kill unit was outstanding as they were a perfect 10 for 10 including two 5-on-3 penalty kill situations. Andrew Flemming was especially good on the penalty kill, as the keeper stopped everything thrown his way in tough circumstances.

Weaknesses:

The Redmen got themselves out of trouble with their tremendous penalty killing, but if they continue to give up the same high number of penalties every game, their fortune will take a turn for the worse. McGill must be more disciplined if they hope to regain the former glory of their 2012 championship team.

Saturday:

On Saturday, the McGill goaltending position once again did not fail to impress. However, this time it was Jacob Gervais-Chouinard shutting the door on the UQTR Patriotes with a 41-save performance in a 3-0 Redmen victory, their third shutout victory in a row.

Jan Kaminsky, David Rose, and Ryan McKiernan netted the goals for the Redmen. The Redmen improved in the discipline area as they only took three penalties throughout the game.

Goalie Controversy?

With the outstanding play of both goalies, Andrew Flemming and Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, one must be wondering what type of goalie tandem McGill will have for this upcoming year. At press time, Flemming has posted a 0.98 Goals Against Average and a .968 save percentage in three games while Chouinard has his lone shutout victory. Although it’s early in the season, we can see that the duo has great potential to be a force in the Ontario University Athletics conference this year. If the Redmen can bank on having two legitimate starting goaltenders, that strength and their newly equipped offence should give them an added boost over last year’s struggles.

The Redmen continue their season on Friday with an away game on Friday at Carleton.

The post Redmen hockey recap: home opener weekend appeared first on The McGill Daily.