Harvard Crimson 2022-2023

[Lynah Rink]

i disagree about the 3x3. I've seen several ECAC games this season outside of Harvard that have gone to OT, and it has produced some great hockey. Yes, it's wide open and not the traditional 5x5 but it still should count as a W or L (and I think when they made this change, the point reduction from 3 to 2 reflects the acknowledgement that it isn't a traditional OT). What I can't stand are the shootouts. That has zero to do with team competition and I wish they would eliminate it.

It’s fine to award more points for winning 3x3 than losing 3x3. Thus, the 2 points for the winner, 1 for the loser. But it’s not fine to count a 3x3 OT win the same as a regulation win. Cornell won more games in regulation, and thus they win the Ivy. I tend to agree with you that 3x3 is exciting and the shootout is dumb. 3x3 is more exciting when Harvard is involved, with their level of skill, than it is when most other teams are involved, though.

[Skate79]

It’s fine to award more points for winning 3x3 than losing 3x3. Thus, the 2 points for the winner, 1 for the loser. But it’s not fine to count a 3x3 OT win the same as a regulation win. Cornell won more games in regulation, and thus they win the Ivy. I tend to agree with you that 3x3 is exciting and the shootout is dumb. 3x3 is more exciting when Harvard is involved, with their level of skill, than it is when most other teams are involved, though.

OT has been around for decades and a win in OT under the old format of 5x5 was the same as a win in regulation. OT is viewed as an extension of regulation, and I believe that the move to 3x3 was made when teams such as Harvard had a ridiculous number of ties (11) in the 2011-2012 season. 3x3 gives you a bit more flexibility in terms of the combination of players you use to take advantage of a defenseman's offensive capabilities. I still want 5x5 for the playoffs and hope they never change that rule.

[buoldtimer]

Thoughts about San Jose trading for rights to Henry Thrun?

[DLG]

Thoughts about San Jose trading for rights to Henry Thrun?

When I saw this I was wondering if there is a relationship with either Grier or Quinn. Stated he was going to test market but now San Jose has exclusive rights to sign him before August 15th

[Skate79]

Thoughts about San Jose trading for rights to Henry Thrun?

Henry might do what Jimmy Vesey did when his rights were traded to Buffalo. Wait to see if he gets an offer he likes and jump.

[HUJFKLINE]

Henry might do what Jimmy Vesey did when his rights were traded to Buffalo. Wait to see if he gets an offer he likes and jump.

Like several recent NHL draft picks including Adam Fox, John Marino, and Jimmy Vesey, Henry Thrun could be angling to play closer to home (Mass) rather than sign with a west coast team. It's interesting to see how Anaheim was able to get something as tangible as San Jose's 2024 3rd-round pick in return for Thrun's signing rights with no guarantee he will ever sign.

[bothman]

Looking forward to tonight and prior to, when the lineup gets posted. Be interesting to see if Miller, Karpa, and Severo are all healthy.

[Skate79]

Looking forward to tonight and prior to, when the lineup gets posted. Be interesting to see if Miller, Karpa, and Severo are all healthy.

Well Miller and Karpa played, Severo sat. I think that was in part due to Drukulac's play recently and how well the third line has come together.

[Skate79]

Some thoughts on last night's game.

1. The chippiness surprised me. Seemed like after every whistle, players were shoving or hitting each other and getting in each other's grill. My guess is that Fogarty probably felt with good reason that to try and skate with Harvard was futile. Better to get physical and try and mess with their minds to throw them off. In the second period, it more or less worked until Laferriere's PP goal. Then Harvard got back to what they do really well, and it was all she wrote for the Tigers.

2. Teddy broke up the lines with Karpa centering for Farrell and Coronato, Miller playing with Farinacci and Laferriere and Gaffney dropped to the fourth line. It worked well for the fourth line, not so much for the other lines. But I understand the thinking behind the moves. Puts real pressure on the Tigers to defend and in the third period, Harvard's depth showed up big time.

3. Have to acknowledge the save of the year by Princeton's goalie on Marek Hejduk's close in chance. That should make ESPN's top ten any day of the week. Ten bell save. It swung the momentum briefly when Princeton scored shortly thereafter.

4. Nice touch by Henry Thrun late in the game when he broke in alone on Porter and instead of deking and shooting, dropped a perfect pass for Hejduk for an easy goal. Thrun had to be thinking about that save on Hejduk in the second period and it was a classy move by the senior. You could tell Hejduk appreciated the gift.

5. We still need to clean up our D zone coverage. Too many lapses again, especially in the second period. Princeton came at Harvard knowing they had nothing to lose and after going up 2-0, the Crimson took their foot off the gas. Can't do that in the playoffs. Hopefully the coaching staff will address this today.

Onwards and upwards!!

[Skate79]

Okay, so it's on to Lake Placid. Not much suspense in last night's game. Much like Friday night, the Crimson got the jump on the Tigers but unlike Friday night, they made sure there would be no doubt by scoring twice in the second period to put the game away.

And much like Friday night, the game was physical with the same pushing and shoving after the whistle. Only last night, Harvard lost its cool taking two stupid major penalties and a handful of other infractions. Princeton's successfully got under Harvard's skin and cause the Crimson to take a rash of penalties. Seemed like the Tigers were on the power play for much of the third period. Harvard cannot play this way next Friday against Cornell, or they will lose. The coaching staff must impart to the team the need to be under control and focus on their game plan.

Alex Gaffney did not play last night as Casey Severo was put into the lineup. Also, Jace Foskey replaced Christian Jiminez who replaced Kyle Aucoin who didn't play at all. Not sure why and hoping he isn't hurt. The D again last night had several lapses in the second and third period forcing Gibson to make some tough saves. None better than the one he made in the third period stick side. Almost as good as Porter's thievery of Marek Hejduk on Friday.

I put some of the blame for the rough stuff on the officials who had a bad weekend. They could have put a stop to the nonsense by calling more penalties on the Tigers but kept their whistles in their pockets until it was too late.

[Skate79]

As we prepare for Cornell in a little while (or perhaps longer given the tightness of the Colgate/Quinny game), one stat jumped out at me this week. Matthew Coronato has only one goal in his last six games. Not that it matters or is reason for panic but I found it unusual that he has been shut down so effectively. Hoping it changes tonight!

[ROMD]

Last night was the best defensive effort of the year. Tonight may look more like the two regular season Harvard Colgate tilts with a few more goals. Colgate seemed to match up well in the season split but Harvard has gotten better over the last month, especially on defense. It is tough to know what to expect tonight but it should be a good game.

[Skate79]

Last night was the best defensive effort of the year. Tonight may look more like the two regular season Harvard Colgate tilts with a few more goals. Colgate seemed to match up well in the season split but Harvard has gotten better over the last month, especially on defense. It is tough to know what to expect tonight but it should be a good game.

Agree. It was the Crimson's best defensive performance by a country mile. Colgate did a number on Quinnipiac defensively so we may be in for another one goal game, be it 2-1 or 3-2.

[Skate79]

True to form, Mike Schaefer decided he didn't want to skate with Harvard, so he turned the game into a tractor pull. And for the better part of regulation, it worked. The problem with that strategy is that you need the other team to be careless with the puck in their own end to generate scoring chances to give your team a shot to win. Harvard was very careful with the puck (only one glaring turnover - Bar's coughing up the puck in front of Gibson) and played their best defensive game of the year. And it was only a matter of time before they broke down Cornell's neutral zone trap and forced the Big Red to abandon their defensive scheme. You could see it coming in the latter stages of the third period and definitely in OT.

Baker Shore's pass was a thing of beauty. Great fake to freeze Shane and feed Laferriere for the winner. If Alex scores again tonight and the Crimson finish the job, he should get tournament MVP.

Cornell now plays the waiting game. They caught a break when BU beat Providence. I see them heading west if they get in.

Harvard has most assuredly wrapped up a second seed and should be in Bridgeport or Manchester. First things first, let's bring home the Whitelaw.

Did anyone else notice that Alex Gaffney was wearing #11?? What happened to his jersey #8? Forget to pack it? I was scanning the Crimson roster trying to find out who this new player was suiting up in the most important game of the season.

[Lynah Rink]

True to form, Mike Schaefer decided he didn't want to skate with Harvard, so he turned the game into a tractor pull. And for the better part of regulation, it worked. The problem with that strategy is that you need the other team to be careless with the puck in their own end to generate scoring chances to give your team a shot to win. Harvard was very careful with the puck (only one glaring turnover - Bar's coughing up the puck in front of Gibson) and played their best defensive game of the year. And it was only a matter of time before they broke down Cornell's neutral zone trap and forced the Big Red to abandon their defensive scheme. You could see it coming in the latter stages of the third period and definitely in OT.

Baker Shore's pass was a thing of beauty. Great fake to freeze Shane and feed Laferriere for the winner. If Alex scores again tonight and the Crimson finish the job, he should get tournament MVP.

Cornell now plays the waiting game. They caught a break when BU beat Providence. I see them heading west if they get in.

Harvard has most assuredly wrapped up a second seed and should be in Bridgeport or Manchester. First things first, let's bring home the Whitelaw.

Did anyone else notice that Alex Gaffney was wearing #11?? What happened to his jersey #8? Forget to pack it? I was scanning the Crimson roster trying to find out who this new player was suiting up in the most important game of the season.

Not this again. Schafer (not “Schaefer”) found a way to shut down the most talented offensive team on the entire East Coast. I’m very sorry for you that he reduced Harvard’s graceful form of hockey to a pejorative “tractor pull.” Also, Harvard never “broke down Cornell's neutral zone trap and forced the Big Red to abandon their defensive scheme.” What actually happened on the winning goal is that a Cornell defender fell over, giving Harvard numbers in transition.

Harvard deserved the win. They have the most talented team in the ECAC by far. You can talk all you want about draft picks not mattering, but they do matter—they are an imperfect signal of talent but still strongly correlated with talent. The best six teams in hockey this year include Minnesota, Denver, Michigan, BU, and Harvard for a reason—they are loaded with future NHL talent. (The exception is Quinnipiac with seven graduate students.) For a team like Cornell to ever compete with Harvard’s talent, Cornell is going to have to have to take away time and space and slow Harvard down in the neutral zone. Sorry if that strategy offends you.