Obviously opening this up for healthy debate, but is Yale the best team in the country?
Here is the argument on my end...
Last year, as everyone knows Yale lost 9-7 to BC (who steamrolled two other teams to win the title) to get within a game of the frozen four, and everyone could tell that goaltending was their Achilles heel. Not saying that is fixed, but through three games Rondeau is 3-0 with 2.34GAA and a .919 save percentage. Yale has won their first 4 games (obviously not against the very best in the nation...but six goals a game is six goals a game) by 3.25 games and currently has three players (and three Hobey Baker candidates) in Denny Kearney, Broc Little and Brian O'Neill averaging over two points per game. By comparison, only 14 teams are averaging as many goals in a game as Yale is winning by! Yale scored 7 times twice and 5 times twice in four games, while averaging 21.8 minutes in penalties. Basically, they have averaged 6 goals a game while spending 1/3 of the game in the penalty box! On top of the time they have spent in the penalty box, their PK is at 74% and 7 of the 11 total goals they have given up are shorthanded. At even strength, Yale is outscoring their opponents 18-4 through 4 games.
I have no qualms with BU at number 1 in this week's poll, but is it time the Bulldogs get a little more respect?
Here is the argument on my end...
Last year, as everyone knows Yale lost 9-7 to BC (who steamrolled two other teams to win the title) to get within a game of the frozen four, and everyone could tell that goaltending was their Achilles heel. Not saying that is fixed, but through three games Rondeau is 3-0 with 2.34GAA and a .919 save percentage. Yale has won their first 4 games (obviously not against the very best in the nation...but six goals a game is six goals a game) by 3.25 games and currently has three players (and three Hobey Baker candidates) in Denny Kearney, Broc Little and Brian O'Neill averaging over two points per game. By comparison, only 14 teams are averaging as many goals in a game as Yale is winning by! Yale scored 7 times twice and 5 times twice in four games, while averaging 21.8 minutes in penalties. Basically, they have averaged 6 goals a game while spending 1/3 of the game in the penalty box! On top of the time they have spent in the penalty box, their PK is at 74% and 7 of the 11 total goals they have given up are shorthanded. At even strength, Yale is outscoring their opponents 18-4 through 4 games.
I have no qualms with BU at number 1 in this week's poll, but is it time the Bulldogs get a little more respect?
Comment