2025-26 PSU Men's Ice Hockey Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Meanwhile, MSU beat #1 BU tonight on the road 4-2, while PSU had to go to OT to beat LIU at home.
So far, these Canadian Junior players, including McKenna, haven’t done a whole lot. In fact, Van Olm, who led the WHL in goals last season, doesn’t even have a point this whole season. One line has accounted for almost two thirds of all of the goals. I don’t expect that to continue, but this team has a long way to go to approach the level at which last season’s team played from February onward.
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I’m a bit concerned about this team’s defense when conference play starts. Not sure yet if the goaltending has been consistent enough yet to make up for some of the issues at the blue line.
The top line guys also need to start finding their way offensively as well.
The top line guys also need to start finding their way offensively as well.
PSU plays like the 80s Oilers; it seems like they have to outscore teams to win, which they usually can. However, you have to be able to win some games 3-2 or 2-1 and this team seems to be incapable of doing that.
The Russian goalie covered up for poor defensive play last season, and the new goalies are going to have to do that this season. Hopefully, the big defenseman who’s out at least until Xmas does return.
I expect this team to play better as a team as the season progresses. Right now, most of this team just consists of a lot of talented individuals who haven’t played together. It’s no coincidence that the line that’s accounted for almost two thirds of the goals this season played together last season.
Sample size is still small, and we don’t know how good the opponents are yet as well.
What has jumped out to me are the bad turnovers and the faceoff percentages. The last few games we’ve seen turnovers by Cerrato and McKenna near the blue line in the high offensive zone. While that’s bad, it wasn’t defensemen making those mistakes. That’s probably a byproduct of our offense-first philosophy. Let’s not discount the loss of Christenson here either, and I hope we get him back in the new year.
The faceoff losses are cascading into fewer offensive opportunities. If you’ll recall, Dzhaniyev and Keaton Peters were studs at the dot last season. This season, we are not winning faceoffs at the same clip. Cerrato has fallen from 58 to 53, Dowiak and Laubach are down as well. Chin-Degraves is doing better, but the loss of Peters is being felt.
The good news is clearly the offense. So far they are averaging about seven shots more than last year, and the best news is they are getting stronger as the game goes on, scoring 11 goals in the third period. (Conversely, the slow starts … yeah.)
Let’s also not forget that while the Oilers were a scoring machine, they also had a HoF goalie in Grant Fuhr. I’ll be curious to see if Fleming starts tonight since that’s what Guy did last week. I think close watcher of the team realize that we will need an solid goalie to get to the NCAAs, and then that goalie will need to reach the next level to get to Vegas and win twice there.
It’s still early and they are still tinkering with lines and lineups. We should enjoy the next three games, because conference play starts Oct. 30 in C-bus.
They are holding back not to show too much so the conference teams cannot prepare.
Guy again splits the goalie duties as Fleming gets the start.
JJ Wiebusch opens to scoring by winning a scrum in front of the net!!! 1-0 for a rare early lead.
End first. Two breakaways for LIU in that period but each shot wide. Play has been very chippy thus far.
GOOoOoAAAALLlLl!! Cerrato from Wiebusch and DiMarsico. 22 seconds into the second.
Five minute major game misconduct boarding on LIU, will be two minutes 4on4 due to Smith retaliation. Three minutes AYCE after that. Couple good chances, but no goals.
4on4 for a couple minutes. Fleming has turned away two breakaways this period. Another review now for a major penalty. Game has slowed to a crawl with three reviews in the past few minutes and a long one earlier this period. Still 2-0. No major or any penalty on DiMarsico.
Wiebusch in the box for hooking. Penalty killed and puck practically came onto Wiebusch’s stick as he exited. Unfortunately he could not bury the breakaway but drew a penalty.No goals there, but now another ugly hit drew another penalty. Now another hit after the PP starts results in penalty on Wiebusch. Refs have lost control of this game. That no call at the end was the most classic definition of boarding I’ve seen.
Lowest scoring second period for PSU at home this season. For all the man advantages, no PP goals in the period.
Early Pp for too many men. Hopefully Lions can start to pull away. No joy on the PP, but another scrum at the goal means another PP for PSU. For future reference, refs 21, 51, 61 and 23 are terrible.
GOoOoOoOoaAAaaLLlL!!! Laubach from Fink and DiMarsico. 3-0!
Another dirty hit on Katzin into the boards results in another scrum. Sin bins are packed with three Sharks and two Lions.
All Pp killed, and now a Fascia penalty is compounded by a Laubach penalty. 5on3 has been killed, and second penalty has been killed as well.
late interference call, a weird one at that, putting the shutout at risk. And Fleming just stoned an LIU loner in the low slot doorstep.
Try to contain your surprise, but a couple fights have broken out with 13 seconds left. Fleming also stoned another grade A chance.
JJ Wiebusch opens to scoring by winning a scrum in front of the net!!! 1-0 for a rare early lead.
End first. Two breakaways for LIU in that period but each shot wide. Play has been very chippy thus far.
GOOoOoAAAALLlLl!! Cerrato from Wiebusch and DiMarsico. 22 seconds into the second.
Five minute major game misconduct boarding on LIU, will be two minutes 4on4 due to Smith retaliation. Three minutes AYCE after that. Couple good chances, but no goals.
4on4 for a couple minutes. Fleming has turned away two breakaways this period. Another review now for a major penalty. Game has slowed to a crawl with three reviews in the past few minutes and a long one earlier this period. Still 2-0. No major or any penalty on DiMarsico.
Wiebusch in the box for hooking. Penalty killed and puck practically came onto Wiebusch’s stick as he exited. Unfortunately he could not bury the breakaway but drew a penalty.No goals there, but now another ugly hit drew another penalty. Now another hit after the PP starts results in penalty on Wiebusch. Refs have lost control of this game. That no call at the end was the most classic definition of boarding I’ve seen.
Lowest scoring second period for PSU at home this season. For all the man advantages, no PP goals in the period.
Early Pp for too many men. Hopefully Lions can start to pull away. No joy on the PP, but another scrum at the goal means another PP for PSU. For future reference, refs 21, 51, 61 and 23 are terrible.
GOoOoOoOoaAAaaLLlL!!! Laubach from Fink and DiMarsico. 3-0!
Another dirty hit on Katzin into the boards results in another scrum. Sin bins are packed with three Sharks and two Lions.
All Pp killed, and now a Fascia penalty is compounded by a Laubach penalty. 5on3 has been killed, and second penalty has been killed as well.
late interference call, a weird one at that, putting the shutout at risk. And Fleming just stoned an LIU loner in the low slot doorstep.
Try to contain your surprise, but a couple fights have broken out with 13 seconds left. Fleming also stoned another grade A chance.
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Don’t forget “last” years team had a long way to go until “they” played like they played in February….
I’ll say this. McKenna is skilled. But seeing him in person he doesn’t scream #1 overall pick skilled to me. He’s very slight of build and even though he’ll be drafted high, he’ll need at least at least another year in college just to bulk up so he doesn't get killed in the NHL.
I agree with your assessment. Was at the game last Friday and my reaction was he is super talented but plays a little soft. 50-50 pucks were more like 60-40 against. Not to be unexpected as he's 17 playing against players more experienced and stronger than him.
I assumed he was a 1-year rental, but maybe his agent / trusted advisors tell him he needs another year before he's ready to move up.
Unless he experiences an Epiphany, he won’t be ready to play pro hockey next season at any level; as it is, he’s struggling playing against college players on lesser teams.
I know that on average, Canadian Junior teams are much younger than college teams, but obviously the average college team now appears to be much better than the average Junior team just based on how our Junior players are playing.
Team that drafts him will determine where he goes. Would love to see him come back next season, but imagine a team may want him in professional ranks, even if AHL.
Right now, he’s simply not as good as Bedard and Celebrini were the seasons before they were drafted, and those are the two players with whom he’s being compared, and Crosby was at a whole other level than any of them. I say this by acknowledging that he’s only 17, but he needs to mature physically in a dramatic way if he hopes to play in the AHL next season or he’ll be overwhelmed.
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The team does have like 26-28 more games this season. Don’t be so quick to judge where he may be at end of season. Personally, I think some of the problem is he is trying so hard to be a good teammate, it is taking him of his game.
Maybe McKenna should try something other than hockey. Penn State has a lot of clubs and social groups.
I agree with you, and I’ve said in this thread that I expect this team in general and his line in particular to get better as they play more games. I was at the game last Friday and have watched most of the other ones, and there is a lot of deference happening on his line.