Season 6 Episode 20 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide; Hockey Is A Stupid Game. This week, Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath and Matt Cavender raw-dogged the podcast and did the entire episode without a guest. In this episode they discussed Michigan Tech’s series last week against Minnesota State, Michigan Tech’s goaltending situation and Matt meeting a big boy Zamboni driver.
Minnesota State series review
The bulk of this week’s episode was the guys reviewing Tech’s series against Mankato. Tim thought that, for the most part, Tech’s players had nothing to be disappointed about their play. Rob talked about Tech carrying the majority of the play during the series but not getting the goals to show for it. Tim brought up the fact that Mankato goalie Alex Tracy is statistically one of the best college hockey players and thought that Tech would probably have swept the weekend against an average goaltender. Matt talked about Friday’s game being one of the best college hockey games he’s watched in a long time but being frustrated at the loss after Tech played so well.
The guys talked about Joe Shawhan’s post-game comments from Friday. Matt thought the comments were wild and Tim talked about Joe trying to take the blame for the loss. Tim also talked about how demoralizing Joe’s comments were to players and fans and couldn’t understand how Joe could say his recruits aren’t good enough when he’s been the head coach for so long. Matt was baffled how Joe could make comments like that after how well Tech played on Friday, despite the loss. Rob brought up that Chase Pietila didn’t have a good weekend and pointed out that he was, to some degree, responsible for three of the Mankato goals. Later in the show the guys revisited Joe’s comments and Tim reiterated that it was hard to hear Joe make the comments he did after the way Tech played. Tim speculated that maybe Joe made the comments in an attempt to be motivational towards the players.
The guys also talked about Pietila averaging 27 minutes a night this season, which Matt thought was absurd. Tim talked about wanting Pietila to be closer to 22-24 minutes a game. The guys talked about Tech’s coaches making Saturday’s line pairings on the fly and how, for the most part, it seemed to work. Matt was worried that Tech might not play another great game like Friday and that Mankato won’t take their foot off the gas for the rest of the season.
Overall, the guys had a hard time pinning down what the series against Mankato meant for Tech. Tim and Rob both commented that Tech is firmly in the middle of the league having beaten the worst and lost to the best teams. Matt thought the upcoming series against Bowling Green would be another good measuring stick for Tech. Matt predicted a Tech sweep, but said he would start looking in the direction of the alarm bells if Tech splits or gets swept by Bowling Green. Tim agreed that Bowling Green is better than in the past and hoped that Tech would reverse their fortune this weekend.
It’s your job now, kid
The guys gave props to Derek Mullahy for his recent play and how well he’s stepped up into the starting role. The guys discussed Max Vayrynen being injured and the tough goaltending situation that puts Tech in for the time being. Tim wasn’t sure that Mullahy was a player who could play every minute of the games and Matt talked about not wanting another “project” goalie on the team. The guys talked about Tech having a true freshman, with no junior hockey experience, as the backup goalie and how worrying of a situation that is.
I want to drive the Zamboni
At the end of the episode, Matt talked about getting a “behind the scenes” tour of the Zamboni at Little Caesar’s Arena (LCA) where the Detroit Red Wings play. Apparently, Isaac, the guy who drives the Zamboni for the Wings is a former Mitch’s Misfit and Matt used that shared connection to his advantage. Matt talked about Isaac’s career trajectory and how he landed the gig of driving for the Wings. Matt also talked about how much ice gets shaved off during an NHL game, as well as some of the other challenges that present themselves in a multi-use venue like the LCA.
Cut for time
This week’s cut time for Patrons is approximately 18 minutes long. There was a conversation on running ad blockers and browsing the internet and Tim looked up some possible transfer portal goalies for Tech. There was extended conversation on Tech’s goalie situation and what solutions may be moving forward. The guys talked about the Arizona State/Denver matchup from this past weekend. Tim laid out why he’s quitting fantasy football. There was a discussion on football conference re-alignment.
Learn More
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EXTENDED AUDIO: This post is for patrons at the Black Level ($5/mo) or above which includes extended audio content and usually drops the night after or 2nd morning after the podcast is recorded.
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Unbelievable. You guys are absolutely ridiculous or you are giggling and cracking jokes, but want people to financially support you. The Podcast was disgustingly foolish.
We have an extraordinarily young team and are having people step up into roles they are absolutely playing way over their head and doing very well. But you want to talk about Joe, or talk about who did this, or how many minutes a guy has played and how that is a bad thing.
I’ve been to all but six games, in person in the last eight years. That includes home and away and the NCAA tournament games. I’ve seen the mistakes, the things both good and bad, and in today’s hockey world, with this year’s VERY young team, we are doing very well. Yet you make jokes and deliver your foolish impressions on who should be doing what and what the coaches should be doing. You accentuate the negative and denigrate the players and anything said by the coaches without knowing anything about why people are doing what they are doing, or why this player has “played too many minutes”. I suggest you strap on some gear and go back and play or become a coach and spend a few months in their shoes.
You have little or NO idea. This team has accomplished more than I ever expected and I’m a much better judge than you are. I study the team, who is coming, what the shortcomings are and what the positives are. YOU want to laugh and act silly and put the comments of coaches down without a shred of experience in their shoes.
This team is doing so well. They are playing without important pieces and guys have stepped up and done very well. VERY WELL. And they get more confident every single game. I would remind you that last year at this time we had just reached .500. With a much more experienced and “talented” team.
The way you talk about the team and the coaches and situations in such a negative way has gone on far too long. For YEARS. But you just keep on keeping on. Your actions last year regarding a ludicrous situation, and your failure to retract every negative statement or inuendo or opinion makes you a disgrace. So this year, with an exceedingly young and or inexperienced team, a team that lost two important cogs in the experience wheel to the portal, a team that has a winning record to this point, you want to take potshots at. How ridiculous.
But, you go on and make kid jokes and laugh and take up time and beg for people to financially support your antics. It won’t be coming from me. The misfits? They get tons of support from me and will continue to. The team and coaches will continue to get my moral support. If I see something wrong in that vain, I will be the first to say so. But I will know what I’m talking about. And I won’t make accusations or innuendo without knowing all the facts. But if I did, and was wrong, I’d say so. Not make some shoddy statement and crawl away into the bushes and hide.
I will continue to support this team, and these coaches and these misfits and fans in every way I can. Because, you see, I am a fan. I am an HONEST critic when that is due as well. But I have my facts in line.
I suggest you either get behind this team, and these coaches unless you see something concrete to cry about or shut up.