Well, many folks thought the we hit a turning point when we swept the College Hockey Showcase, too.  But we could never fully turn the corner.  As you said, too Jekyl and Hyde, too much inconsistency all around.

Looks like all the years of early departures and a few recruiting years without a top end high scoring forward (i.e. a Hensick or Tambellini type who stepped right in and led the team as a freshman) finally caught up to us.  That's not to diss any of our current players, but this team is sorely lacking the elite level forward(s) that can make an average team good and a good team great.

I think the biggest disappointments have to be the defense and goaltending this season.  There were a lot of questionmarks surrounding the offense coming into the season and I wasn't expecting a high output like we've been used to.  But with a full returning blue line, one which played almost the entire season last year without Mark Mitera, to see them give up bad turnovers, commit bad/dumb penalties, etc., etc… there's no excuse for that.  Combine that with a reduced offensive output—Burlon had 15 points in 33 games as a freshman, just 10 points in 33 games this season; Langlais has half as many points as last year; and so on—if nothing else the blue line should have been out strong suit this season but it hasn't been.

Same deal with goaltending.  Hogan was coming off a 1.97 GAA year and with the blue line returning in front of him, I guess we all had reasonable expectations for a repeat.  I'm kind of surprised his GAA this season is only 2.29, but the save percentage at .902 is rough.  Kind of like the Sauer years again where he's only as good as the defense in front of him.  Not always his fault because the defense has left him out to dry at times (like this past weekend), but he's given up his fair share of big rebounds and soft goals, too.

Next season I'm already a bit worried about.  We bring in three good defensemen, but the offensive end of the ice is going to need more help than just Luke Moffatt and Jacob Fallon.  Moffatt, after all the hype he received in years past, has only been a middle of the pack scorer with the NTDP, and Fallon, after all his issues and finally landing in Indiana (USHL), has just three assists in eight games.  I keep holding out hope that Moffatt reaches that next level and lives up to the hype he had previously received.  We need help up front.

Goaltending, I still wonder if they're going to take a chance on one of the few remaining goalies for next fall, otherwise Hogan is it again.  Bob Miller of The Wolverine had an article on his new college hockey recruiting website on USHL goalie Jeff Teglia, who I mentioned way back when Jack Campbell decommitted.  He's #4 amongst USHL goalies with a 2.41 GAA/.916% and said in the article his dream school would be Notre Dame (being from Chicago, they were his favorite growing up) but would jump at the chance to go to Michigan or another midwest school.  Steve Summerhays, who is a year older, leads the USHL with a 24-2-1 record, 2.16 GAA, .911% and is also uncommitted.

I realize that stats don't always tell the whole story and perhaps there's a reason why they haven't been offered by schools, but (something I'm working on) a lot of the top goalies in the USHL have landed in top D-I programs over the past few years with varying success.  Just look up the road at MSU with Drew Palmisano (one of the top USHL goalies his last season there) and Jeff Lerg, IIRC, was the league MVP or something.  So it may well be worth taking a chance on one of them.  And if it doesn't work out, well, Hogan graduates after next season, so his schollie opens up for another freshman to come in.