Bob Gaskins wrote, in response to my "analysis" of the LSSU/MSU matchup:
>> While Buzak was on the All-Tournament Team as the
>> goaltender, he made two key errors in the third that cost
>> MSU the game.
>Come on, Gary! Buzak's errors are NOT what cost MSU the game. MSU lost the
>game in the second period when the team failed to show up.
OK, maybe I was a bit too strong in laying the blame totally on Mike's
shoulders. I do believe, as I wrote before (though Bob didn't quote it) that
MSU, as it did against Bowling Green in the semis and has done way too many
times for my taste this season, went into a shell in the second period. Despitethat, the Spartans had a lead in the third and were unable to protect it. It
is very possible that LSSU's ability to dominate MSU in the second gave them theconfidence (yeah, like they need any more) that they could come back from the
3-2 deficit in the third. Mike, as he has done all season, faced too many
shots again, and (not to try to give him an excuse) had to be exhausted from
playing 75 minutes on Saturday and then having to come back 18 hours later and
face 32 shots. MSU's lack of offense in the second and a good deal of the
third put Mike in the position where he has to come up big. On Sunday, he
didn't.
>If the same team that had played the first period had taken the ice for the
>second, or even just the third period, the game might have been won, if not in
>the third, then probably in an overtime.
If the same team wearing Green and White shows up in the second and/or the
third, the game would have been over. I don't care what people think about the
"Laker mystique," but if MSU comes out strong in the second and puts pressure
on the Laker net, MSU carries the trophy around JLA, no question. Unfor-
tunately, as Bob noted, we didn't, and let LSSU back in the game, just as
we did BG the night before.
>As I noted early in the season, MSUs biggest problem has been moving the puck
into the opponent's zone. They did a GREAT job of it in Sunday's first period.
They didn't do too bad of a job early in Saturday's game either.
> But that team didn't return to the ice again for the rest of the game. Where
>was the offense? Where were the almighty seniors?
Face it, they stopped working. When MSU stops crashing the net, as has happenedmany times this season, they're in trouble. While the Spartans have some great
individual talent at the forward spot (Guolla [even though he has some trouble
on breakaways], Carter, Murray, Keyes, Berens [the guys who IMHO are the true
breakaway threats]), too often you'll see them go in 1-on-3 or 1-on-2 (esp.
Keyes). When they get the 2-on-1's, you'll often see hesitation as to whether
to take it to the net or pass it off. While a breakaway won the semifinal game,too often they don't work and you have a number of guys caught up ice. That
puts extra pressure on your goaltender. It also may make your number of shots
on net look artificially low.
I've most likely talked about this before, but even great goaltenders (and
Buzak is either at this level or near it) are still only going to have save
percentages in the 90% range. That mean 1 out of 10 is going in. If you're
giving up 32-35 shots a night, your team most likely will have to put 4 to
5 pucks in to balance that out. When you're only making the opposing goal-
tender make 20 saves, you're not going to win unless he's got a save percentage
around 80%. Top teams are not going to keep goaltenders between the pipes
long who only stop 4 shots out of 5. Sunday was a classic example. MSU had
20 shots on net and put 3 in. 85% saves. LSSU had 31 on Buzak (I'm not coun-
ting the EN) and put 4 in. Roughly 87%.
All this leads to one point: If MSU has any shot in the NCAA's, they must,
ABSOLUTELY MUST, put more pressure on the opposing net and try to avoid
getting caught in their own zone for extended periods of time. The number of
shots on net must come up. That may mean reining in some people like Keyes,
such that they set up more of a "half-ice" offense (for lack of a better term
at the moment) and get better scoring chances. Breakaways may look nice if
they work, but when they don't, watch out.
>(Not to mention reading that "Buzak ... cost MSU the game" sent me ballistic.
I had to look at the signature twice to be sure Matt Shegos hadn't written it.)
Now, I don't mind if you go ballistic (keeps you healthy) occasionally, but if
you're going to start insulting me, I may just have to roll my sleeves up and
really start typing. :-)
(BTW, did anybody check to see if Venky broke the all-time smiley-face record
on that last post? I thought I saw at least 10, and not all in the same
place.)
G. M. Finniss
Voice at 80% level and climbing
Michigan State University 17-7-3, 25-11-3
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?
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