ASU Hockey: 2017-18 Season Recap Roundtable

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: The Arizona State Sun Devils mascot 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: The Arizona State Sun Devils mascot 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

ASU hockey finished the season with an 8-21-5 record. Our hockey beat reporters discuss the season and preview next season.

ASU hockey put a wrap on its second full NCAA Division I season as the Sun Devils finished with a 8-21-5 record.

The 2017-18 season was not the kindest to ASU, but the program found much improvement. It was a year full of firsts, from playing new teams to the first-ever tournament win in the young program’s history.

Our Devils in Detail coverage team sat down to discuss key points and takeaways from the season and also took a look ahead to next year.

2017-18 Season MVP

Ethan Schmidt: ASU sophomore goaltender Joey Daccord was undoubtedly the 2017-18 season MVP for the Sun Devils. Daccord was a brick wall in net all season long and stood tall in big moments. Despite facing many shots every game and being on the penalty kill more often than not, the Ottawa Senators draft pick really did have a breakout year. The go-to netminder improved his numbers across the board. In 32 games played, Daccord saved at least 30 shots in 24 of those games. His 1,064 saves was the most among NCAA D-1 goalies which is remarkable.

Josh Schaefer: This is kind of a toss-up, but I’ve decided to stray away from the crease when choosing this season’s MVP. Freshman forward Johnny Walker was ASU’s best offensive player this season. The Phoenix-native was ASU’s leading goal-scorer, finding the back of the net 17 times, and was a huge reason why the power play unit found any success at all. Additionally, he was voted as the NCAA’s most valuable player from the state of Arizona, and it was a no-brainer. It’s going to be extremely entertaining watching Walker develop as a hockey player and a leader at ASU.

Carson Roberts: While it could be between Daccord and Walker, I’m going to make the case for Brett Gruber as this year’s Most Valuable Player. Gruber was second on the team in scoring, with five goals and 20 assists, and provided a nice two-way presence as a center. He finished the season second on the team rating with a -1, trailing only defenseman Joey Raats. Not only was he strong statistically, but centering a line with Walker and Garcia helped the two freshman settle in and find their way in the college game.

Michael Gutnick: It’s a tough choice between Johnny Walker and Joey Daccord, but I’ll go with the guy in goal. In his second season dawning maroon and gold, the Senators draft pick posted a 3.51 goals against average and a .909 save percentage in 32 games. Daccord recorded 1,064 saves, which was the most among any D-1 goalie. The Sun Devils struggled to find the back of the net frequently, however Daccord gave ASU a chance to fight in many close contests this year. Outside of games, Daccord always presented a positive attitude at practices and gave morale support to his teammates in the locker room.

Biggest improvement in second full Division I season

Ethan: Arizona State’s biggest improvement this season was the team’s physicality as a whole. While the program is still very new, the young players weren’t afraid to get after top teams in NCAA Division I hockey. Playing teams like Boston University, Michigan and Quinnipiac with grit and toughness showed the Sun Devils are ready to compete at this high level. They just need a few more pieces to fall in place along with that tough mentality to find more success.

Josh: ASU’s penalty kill unit improved its effectiveness by about six percent in 2017-18. It finished the season with an effectiveness rating of about 82 percent and ranked 26th in the country. At the height of the season, ASU’s penalty kill was ranked in the top 12. Sun Devil fans didn’t have to be nervous when the team was short-handed this season.

Carson: While the penalty kill was obviously a strong facet of the game for the Sun Devils this season, the defense and goaltending improved this season. The team allowed six fewer goals than last season while playing in four more games. Joey Daccord made very big strides in his first full season as the starter, often times keeping the team in games against overmatched opponents. What’s more impressive is that the team’s defense improved while handing freshmen Jacob Wilson and Gvido Jansons starting spots and giving Max Balinson, another freshman, 26 starts.

Michael: The biggest improvement was the penalty kill. Going from 75 percent to 82 percent in just their second full D-1 season was a big boost for the Sun Devils who struggled to score an abundance of goals. ASU maintained one of the top penalty kills in the nation throughout the entire season. Thanks to the indomitable goaltending of Joey Daccord and the shot-blocking abilities from their sizable blueline, the Sun Devils stopped 131 of 160 opponent’s power play opportunities.

2017-18 season’s biggest strength

Ethan: The Sun Devils’ biggest strength was their penalty kill. ASU finished in the NCAA D-I top 25 in penalty kill percentage at 81.9 percent. The Sun Devils also earned three short-handed goals this season. However, it is important for a team to stay out of the penalty box to have a better chance at winning. But penalties will be called and that’s just the way hockey goes. Having a quality penalty kill unit goes a long way and a big kill provides momentum. ASU found success after kills this season with momentum swings that helped ignite offense.

Josh: Joey Daccord’s goaltending was ASU’s best strength in 2017-18 and I can’t say that enough times. The sophomore goaltender faced more shots than any other goalie in D-I. When ASU struggled to put shots on net and generate scoring chances, Daccord gave ASU a chance to win games. Coach Greg Powers had said that Daccord needed to be ASU’s best penalty killer, and he was. Daccord is a talented player and I am confident that he could be a starting goaltender in any other D-I ice hockey program in the NCAA.

Carson: Arizona State’s biggest strength was Brinson Pasichnuk’s evolution into a leader. Not only did he lead the team in points, but he improved as a leader for the team as well. He was arguably the most consistent defenseman on the team, as well as the most consistent point scorer throughout the season. Of his 26 points on the season, 17 of those came after the start of the New Year. Pasichnuk ended the season on a five-game point streak that included two goals and three helpers, which could be a sign for big things in the 2018-19 season.

Michael: The biggest strength for the Sun Devils was the high level of intensity from their freshmen class and at the forefront was Johnny Walker. Phoenix-native Walker led the Sun Devils with 17 goals, breaking the record of most goals set by a first-year player at ASU. Walker also recorded the second-most goals among freshman in the nation. The young blueline also was a dominant feature for the Sun Devils. Freshmen Gvido Jansons, Jacob Wilson, and Max Balinson all played big minutes and collected their first collegiate goals this season.

ASU’s biggest weakness

Ethan: ASU hockey’s biggest weakness this season was inconsistency. The team came out fast and tough in one game of a weekend series, then underperformed in the other game. ASU has to find a way to be ready both Friday and Saturday night during series. Also, it really comes down to the simple things. The Sun Devils had some bad turnovers in their own zone that cost them goals in critical moments. For example, ASU gave up three goals off of turnovers in the series against Yale and lost both games in overtime. The inability to generate offense consistently at full strength and on the power play did not help either.

Josh: The Sun Devils’ power play was extremely disappointing during the 2017-18 season. ASU’s lackluster power play unit was effective on about 13 percent of its chances, ranking 55th out of 60 teams in D-I. Although the power play unit had a few bright moments throughout the season, it was clearly the biggest setback for ASU.

Carson: The team’s weakness this season was consistency. They would come out strong against teams one night and get blown out the next. One of the best stretches in program history, a 3-1-1 start to 2018 that included the Ice Vegas Invitational title, was followed by a 1-8 stretch to end the season. Many people have seen how good this team can be when they’re feeling it. Now, the Sun Devils need to put it all together more often.

Michael: One of the biggest weaknesses was scoring. The Sun Devils notched 77 goals, averaging 2.26 goals per game, which was lower than both totals in their first full D-1 season. This also comes at the weakness of their power play that scored on approximately 13 percent of their man-advantages.

Most improved player

Ethan: Arizona State’s most improved player this season was Brinson Pasichnuk. The sophomore defenseman bettered himself both on and off the ice. Pasichnuk finished the season with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points, the most on the team. He more than surpassed his 14 total points from last season. But Pasichnuk also changed off the ice. He became much more of a leader this season after rediscovering his faith. Coach Powers awarded him a letter as an assistant captain halfway through the season. Teammates now look up to Pasichnuk.

Josh: Brett Gruber scored five goals and had nine assists in 32 games as a freshman last season. Although his stats did not drastically improve during his sophomore campaign (four goals and 11 assists in 24 games), I thought his overall play improved. He’s remained a constant in the ASU lineup and has done a great job of staying out of the penalty box. He’s become a player that can generate scoring chances for ASU while flying under opposing team’s radars.

Carson: Although he didn’t finish the season very strong, Joey Daccord was still miles ahead of where he was when he finished his freshman season. In his sophomore campaign, Daccord lowered his GAA from 4.03 to 3.51, improved his save percentage from .892 to .909, and earned five more wins. Not to mention, he was in net when the Sun Devils completed their first Division 1 shutout. If he plays like he did for much of the season, then he can possibly see another major improvement statistically in his junior season.

Michael: Brinson Pasichnuk transformed into one of the leaders for the Sun Devils. Pasichnuk racked up seven goals and seven assists during his freshman season. This year, he nearly doubled his point total to 26, the most on the on the team. Pasichnuk possessed a heavy shot from the point on the power play, blocked 57 shot attempts, and remained healthy as a part of the top line of defense. Pasichnuk continues to be a cornerstone at the blueline for the Sun Devils foundation.

Expectations for 2018-19 season

Ethan: Arizona State will be heading into its third full NCAA D-I season in 2018-19. The pieces are there for the program after the solid recruiting class that came in for the 2017-18 season. Players like Johnny Walker, Dominic Garcia and Jacob Wilson had phenomenal seasons as freshmen and now have a year of experience under their belt. The team will lose only two seniors and will still have a youthful roster for years to come. ASU has more recruits coming in to join a strong core group of players. The Sun Devils’ captains return in Dylan Hollman, Anthony Croston, Louie Rowe and B. Pasichnuk. Daccord will be the starting goaltender again looking to improve yet again. If ASU has a strong offseason, I see a lot of those ties from this season turning into wins next season. It is very possible for this team to finish near the .500 mark in 2018-19. Next season will likely be the last one played in Oceanside Ice Arena with the announcement of a new facility being built for ASU hockey.

Josh: It’s only a matter of time until ASU’s top-ten recruiting class makes a massive impact. I think ASU will hover around the .500 mark next season, which might not sound like a successful season, but it shows drastic improvement from this season’s 8-21-5 record. The Sun Devils will most likely be returning all but two players next season. Core players like Anthony Croston, Joey Daccord, Dylan Hollman, Brinson Pasichnuk and Louie Rowe will be returning for another season. Also, ASU’s young studs like Max Balinson, Dominic Garcia, Johnny Walker and Jacob Wilson will have more experience after a full season of D-I collegiate hockey. Furthermore, I think the addition of redshirt freshman Austin Lemieux will boost the Devils’ offensive production. I think ASU fans will be happy with the Sun Devils’ results in 2018-19.

Carson: A large majority of the team should return next season, which means the team should improve on their win total after two seasons with eight Division I wins. Daccord, Pasichnuk and Gruber will enter their junior year and hopefully form a deadly trio on all three levels. While Walker, Garcia, Wilson, Ballinson and the rest of the stellar freshman class will use the major minutes in their freshman year to come out strong next season. With another strong recruiting class arriving, the future looks bright for the young program.

Next: ASU Hockey: Sun Devils finish season with 5-3 loss to Michigan

Michael: There’s no doubt that the ASU will continue to thrive off the budding talent that’s emerging in the system. Redshirt freshman Austin Lemieux will join Johnny Walker, Gage Mackie, Dominic Garcia and Jacob Wilson, which will significantly increase the scoring threat for this team. The Sun Devils seek to establish more success and build off of ASU’s first championship in program history at the Ice Vegas Invitational. I think the main expectations for the Sun Devils in their 2018-2019 campaign is to strive for that .500 record as well as maintain their dominant netminding and penalty kill.