Latest / Coaches Corner / MHOC Coach Mike Cavanaugh Weekly Zoom Nov 5

Transcript

MHOC Coach Mike Cavanaugh Weekly Zoom Nov 5 · Coaches Corner

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Why don't you just get a started, coach with some
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: thoughts on the coming weekend home and home here with Providence.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's gonna be a big league weekend
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: for US.
• 0:08
  Speaker 3: Uh.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: I know they're coming off a split with Lowell, but
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: I think it's been a always a highly contested, you know,
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: physical battle whenever we play Providence.
• 0:21
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: You know, over the over the years, I think they've
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: been really entertaining games.
• 0:27
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: I have that most respect for Nate and how he
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: builds and runs his program. A year in and year out,
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: they're always uh an n C Double A contender, and
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: this year, you know, they've got experience and net with swedback.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: I think they've got some really dynamic players up front.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: They have some size, you know, the McQueen kid is
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: six six I think as a center, and Malinowski is
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: a really good player and Mustard.
• 0:56
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: They've brought in some you know, talented freshman. And on
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the back end, uh, you know, Centrella I think is
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: a really skilled defenseman and they've got some size back
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: there too. So it's going to be a really I think,
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: hard fought battle both Friday and Saturday night.
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: Okay, I'll turn it over to you guys.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: John Doyle you can go first, and then Joe and
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Randy you can come in after that. Yeah, good, okay,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: I didn't know if I was unmuted there. Sorry about that, coach.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: This isn't about this weekend. Actually, I'm working on a
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: story on Hockey East state schools attracting players from in state,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: and I wanted to talk to you just.
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: John. I think you muted yourself by accident.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, shoot, there you go.
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: All right?
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Hello, yeah, okay, sorry, So you know, I'm working on
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: a story on state kids go to state schools. I
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: wanted to ask about Jake Percival. He's your more senior
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: member of the core from Connecticut. He's from Avon. First
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: of all, you know, Hockey East is a little bit different.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: You guys have to recruit nationally and internationally obviously, unlike
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: schools like Minnesota, which has you know, twenty three Minnesota kids.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: I'm just wondering if there's anything special you do to
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: maybe attract kids from in state, how you keep your
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: ear to the ground that way. And then I'll follow up,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: you know, with the question about Persval specifically.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, well, obviously we're certainly cognizant of players
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: in the state that we think can help our program,
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: and we certainly don't want them driving by our school
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: to go to another one if we think that they're
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: a good fit for Yukon. So, you know, we've had
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: some really good players here in state players over my
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: thirteen years, and you know, we're still recruiting them as
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: we speak. You know, if there's like I said, if
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: there's a really good player in the state like them,
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: keep them here at home.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, is selling you know, Connecticut pride maybe apart, like
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: maybe be a tiebreaker if a kid's you know, kid
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: from Connecticut, is you know, between you and maybe Maine
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: or something like that, just saying hey, you get a
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: chance to representing your home state here.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: I think so, I think that's always a recruiting pitch
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: from us. But a lot of times a kid that
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: grows up in the state certainly knows about the University
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: of Connecticut, and I think where you know, if they're
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: coming watching our games and the growing up watching our games,
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: then they're gonna have an interest in coming here. So yeah,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: it's something like I said that, you know, and you
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: brought it up earlier. We do have to recruit globally,
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: and now that they've opened up, you know, the Canadian
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: junior leagues a lot of those players. You just have
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: a much bigger pool to choose from it comes to
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: picking players.
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: But you know.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: When I when I was at BC, we had kids
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: like Cam mackinson and Ben Smith, you know, Tommy Cross,
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Pat Mullane. You know, those type of players are available
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: in this state. I'd love to get him here at
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: the University of Connecticut.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: And then in the case of Percival, you know he
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: went to high school I mean physically right over the
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: state line in New York. But I'm wondering if you
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: know him personally selling in that he could come home
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: play for his home state. Was that part of the
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: recruiting process.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: I think a little bit. I think it's more, you know,
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: it gives your parents an opportunity to drive, you know,
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: a half hour up the road to watch you play
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: most of your game, So I think that was certainly
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: a selling point. And yeah, Jake, we saw him out
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: at Cedar Rapids when he was playing in the USHL
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: and you know his dad had a longtime coach at
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: Avon as well. So I think that to your point,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: I think it was important for him to come play
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: for the state school.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: All right, thanks to sure, Joan, Randy. Thanks Bill, Good morning, coach.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: How are you? Good morning, Joan. Good things.
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: We talk about this a lot, but I figured i'd
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: bring it up again. Do you think you're closer to
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: settling on lines? Do you do you have combinations now
• 5:17
  Speaker 4: that you think are going to be fit for.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: The long run. I don't know, Joe, they're fit for
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: this weekend. I think you know they're changing all the time.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: But you know, you certainly like to try to get
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: into a groove with lines and players getting comfortable playing
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: with each other. But I have a feeling that what
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: you see this weekend probably won't be what you see
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: later in the year. It's just, you know, I hope
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: it is because that means that you're playing pretty consistent
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: and you're being successful. But you know, it's not something
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: that we put a premium on. It's just it usually
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: happens organically.
• 5:58
  Speaker 4: It's a lot of it done by the matchup or
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: by the week in practice.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: No, I think it's more about the chemistry between the players. Uh.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: That's kind of how we try to put our lines together.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: Jake Richard's done such a good job since he's been
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: here of being not just a goal scorer but a
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: great setup man. What makes him such a good guy
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: as far as getting Assistan is concerned.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: Well, he's got an elite stick. You know, he wins
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: a lot of stick battles. He's got great skill and
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: his hockey IQ is might might be the best on
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: the team. Uh, he just really he sees plays before
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: they happen.
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: How have you liked the way that Alex Blay has developed?
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: What's the what's the area that you've seen him improve
• 6:50
  Speaker 4: the most? Calf from the start of preseason until you
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: know week five Now.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Well I always knew he was skilled and that
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: wasn't gonna be an issue I was. I have been
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: pleasantly surprised by how strong he is on the puck
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: for a kid that's not that big. He doesn't lose
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: a lot of puck battles, so that's been a pleasant surprise.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: And also his physicality. He's not afraid to go in
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: and mix it up. So he's a kid that I'm
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: really excited about watching him grow as a hockey player
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: here at Yukon.
• 7:25
  Speaker 4: How is Tray Scott Will he be able to be
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: available this weekend.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: He did practice Monday and Tuesday. We'll probably know more
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: today to see if he can go through a practice physically.
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: And last question for me, because I know Randy's chopping
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: at the bits because he's got to get back to
• 7:43
  Speaker 4: sell him chicken nuggets. Other than his size, what makes
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: Fedback such a good goaltender?
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Well, I think he reads plays pretty well, he competes,
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: he's pretty elite down low. It's really hard to beat
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: him down low. And he controls rebounds pretty well, so
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: you know, And I said he's experienced in the net.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: You know, I think this is what is he a
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: third fourth year here now fourth year, fourth year? So, uh,
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: he's played a lot of hockey and you know he's
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: comfortable playing in big games.
• 8:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he's second nationally active in games and wins. So
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: he's been around for yeah forever. Thanks, cap, appreciate it.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: All right, I guess I'm up, Joe. Joe got a
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: lot of it, so that's good.
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: I'll ask you just to fallow up on something I
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: asked your postgame about going to the hard areas and
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: when when you succeed like you did on Saturday night,
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: A couple of rebound goals, you know, some some opportunities
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: that didn't go, but you've got traffic there. That's something
• 8:55
  Speaker 3: you really point to, you know, in the days after
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: when you do face the goalie likes fed back, and
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: really anybody in hockey East.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Ah, yeah, I think you know, we're always trying to
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: score greasy goals because if you're going to rely on
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: on pretty ones like you know, two on one goals
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: or breakaway goals, you don't get many of them in
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: a game, especially against good teams. So you have to
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: rely on taking the goalies' eyes, away deflections, rebound, second
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: and third chance opportunities, and against good goaltenders, that's really
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: the only way you can beat them consistently.
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: Your defense like all one thing. You know, tell me
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: if I'm wrong or right, but it looks like they've
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: when they retrieve pucks on their sticking off their sticks,
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: especially Viking. As far as stretching the ice creating opportunities
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: for your forward to use speed, is that something that
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: you see is maybe even better from that core this year?
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: And are you pleased with it right now? The way
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: they stretch the ice.
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, it's certainly a point of emphasis for us
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: we want to play fast. We don't want to you know,
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: hold the puck and regroup and slow the game down.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: We want to play at a fast pace. Uh And
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: and part of that is our defenseman not holding on
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: the pucks, you know, move it quickly if this guy
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: opened had manned the puck and join the play. So
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: that's kind of, you know, part of our m O
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: as a team.
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: Viking in particular. And he's making these stretch cross ice
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: passes tape to tape. I mean he is that something
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: that he's developed in his time here? Is it something
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: he's always had that we're just maybe seeing more of
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: this year.
• 10:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: I think he's always had the ability. I just think
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: the fact that we're preaching it day in and day
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: out is why he's doing it consistently now that that
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: you know, but he's always had that ability to do it.
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: And then I guess final one for me, Witcomb in
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: the middle of Muldowney and Rashard.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: What you know, we always know Joey and Jake have.
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: The chemistry and you're looking for the great compliment to
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: those those two at the center position. What do you
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: like about Whitcomb with those guys, what is his How
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: does his his skill set compliment those two?
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: Well?
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: I think he uh, you know it's one, he's big,
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: he can protect pucks. Ah, he sees the ice very well. Uh,
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: he wins a lot of puck battles. So it's not
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: just uh it allows maybe those two at times to
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: hide in the weeds, you know, and not have to
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: be the one hunting the puck all the time. So
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: he just I think, plays really well off them and uh,
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: he's able to kind of see the game the same
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: way that they do. Great, thank you.
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: Last one for me. You always talk cav about the
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: highs are not too high and loads not to lows.
• 11:59
  Speaker 4: But when you have a comeback like you did in
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: the third against Mirrymac, does that carry over to practice
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: Monday and Tuesday?
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: No, we weren't very good Monday, so it didn't really
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: carry over. I mean, I say that it wasn't a
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: bad practice, but it certainly wasn't one of our best.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: Now yesterday it was very was pretty good. So you know,
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: it all depends. I don't think necessarily, you're we've been
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: pretty good if we've had I don't know how many
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: practices we've had, maybe thirty five. You know, there's probably
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: been a handful that have been to me average, but
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: the majority of them have been pretty good. And a
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: lot of that's just driven by our captains, Like we're
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: fortunate to have seven seniors on the team that are
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: leading the way. I was talking with Jim Penders yesterday
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: and he says he's got nineteen returners and twenty four
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: new guys, you know, and he's just wondering how that
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: how that's going to go. And we're fortunate this year
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: where we have a good portion of our team back
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: and they know what the expectations are and they lead
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: by example, so our younger guys jump right in and follow. Shit.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: Providence is one senior, one grand student.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: That's unbelievable. Yeah, well, I think you got to see
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: more and more of that, just the way our sport's going,
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: whether it transfers. I mean, our senior class started with twelve,
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: you know, and Tyler transferred in, but you know a
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: number of them that came here and started in that
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: class have either transferred out or left, you know. So
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: I just think that's what you're going to see in
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: college sports going forward, and in our sport in particular,
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: where kids are turning pro after the junior year. A
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: lot of kids and you know, some kids are transferring it.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: It's going to be hard. I don't know how many
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: more senior classes we will have with seven players in it.
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: Strange range. Bill, I think you get Rookie of the Year.
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: You did a tremendous job moderating.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I really clicked that button in a timely fashion.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: You are the moderator of all moderators. I gotta figure
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: how to get Tyler Helton's name off of this thing now.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 14:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, good luck.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: I had my daughter Emma's on mine for like a
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: year and a half.
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: I think she was the one who actually fixed it.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: At the end of the day, I just did it.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: I think here you go. All right, boys, all right,
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: all right, okay, see you guys.
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: Thanks, thank you, thanks appreciate it.