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S8E6 Not Enough Medication with Harrison Watt

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Season 8 Episode 6 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast: Not Enough Medication. This week, Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, and Nathan Cima were joined by Harrison Watt. In this episode they discussed Michigan Tech's series against Ferris State, Ferris State's rebuilding under head coach Brett Riley, the Ferris State broadcast, and a look around the CCHA.


The Split


Tim introduces the episode with the series split at Ferris State. Harrison joins as the "resident troll" to break down the weekend. He immediately compares himself and Nathan in the Discord to the last scene of the movie "Glory." 


Tech - Ferris State Series Recap


Harrison breaks down the weekend series.


The good: Ferris used their off week well, dramatically cutting penalty minutes (13.5/game down to 5/game) and improving D-zone coverage. Their second-night adjustments have been consistently strong all season.


The bad: Michigan Tech's power play is stuck at 10% and looks too static, particularly in Ferris's narrow rink where space is at a premium. Tech is missing a key piece in Trembecky, with no clear timeline for his return from injury. There is hope in that a social media video showed him without a sling.


Harrison goes on a tangent and notes Western Michigan dressed half their roster and still looked like the best team in the country and possibly better than their national championship year.


Ferris State's Rebuild Under Brett Riley


Harrison describes Ferris State's aggressive new approach under head coach Brett Riley, including the school’s openness about NIL strategy and not hiding behind small market excuses, taking game checks from road trips to Michigan to fund the program, and bringing in a higher caliber of recruits. Harrison also talks about how the rink isn't a dealbreaker for players pointing out that they care about the weight room, the ice, and ice time priority, and not fan sightlines. 


The Fan Experience Debate


Tim and Harrison discuss the gap between what fans care about (seats, concessions, parking) versus what players care about (facilities, ice quality). Rob asks when hockey crowds will start to get larger at Ferris and Harrison says it takes until winter sets in. Tim admits he told Bill Muckalt he's still in softball/baseball mode with the Milwaukee Brewers still alive in the World Series.


Camera & Production Rant


Rob goes on a long rant about CCHA broadcast quality. He talks about the cameras zooming in too much and how he just wants to see the full zone from the high angle. He talks about getting "seasick" from excessive camera swinging and how the white balance issues made him feel like he'd go blind. Rob goes on a tangent about his broomball venue's new ceiling that rains water on players when balls hit it. 


CCHA Around the League


Lake Superior State: Nathan talks about Damon Whitten's teams being talented but underperforming. In 13 seasons, Whitten has the lowest win percentage in Lake State history. The group debates who would even want the job.


Augustana: Off to a 5-0-1 start with wins over Duluth, Omaha, and Ohio State. Goaltending was the only question mark going into the season, and Langevin has answered it with a .930 save percentage against NCHC and Big Ten opponents.


Minnesota State: Swept St. Thomas and "goalied" their way to both wins despite being outplayed.


St. Thomas: Nathan thinks they might be the worst team in the NCHC this year given their poor portal work and an underwhelming freshman class. Tim's relieved they didn't win the league on their way out. 


Coaching Trivia & Greg Powers Roast


Harrison drops trivia that Damon Whitten will soon be the longest-tenured Lake State coach and already has the worst win percentage in school history. This leads to a roast of Greg Powers and a broader discussion about donors.

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