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ECAC Playoffs

P

PrincetonFan

Baker Rink Irregular
Binnyrus creating a thread for the WCHA makes me think it would be a good idea to have a thread for the ECAC. Predictions? Analysis? If I could watch any series (other than Princeton's) I'd like to see Quinnipiac/RPI--that should be a good one. I kind of like the way Quinnipiac is playing, and think they could get to the final game.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

I think the RPI-QPac series could the a good one. While RPI had a tough weekend, they will be a difficult opponent. Can't figure out Q-Pac although unlike their men's team, they've been hot since December.

Still think Princeton-Harvard will be the closest in terms of goal scoring. The other two series should be two and out with Cornell and Clarkson winning although I'd love to see SLU upset Clarkson to give Harvard home ice for the semis.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

Skate79 said:
I think the RPI-QPac series could the a good one. While RPI had a tough weekend, they will be a difficult opponent. Can't figure out Q-Pac although unlike their men's team, they've been hot since December.

Still think Princeton-Harvard will be the closest in terms of goal scoring. The other two series should be two and out with Cornell and Clarkson winning although I'd love to see SLU upset Clarkson to give Harvard home ice for the semis.
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I think Clarkson goes into the playoffs vulnerable, and St. Lawrence could steal a win. Cornell would seem to be an easy winner over Colgate.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

Might catch game two of the North Country battle seeing as I'll be in those parts anyway. Hoping it'll be a good battle- SLU at least has the advantage of not having to travel far to Clarkson.
 
ECAC Playoffs

Cornell amazing to me with those two freshmen seeming to all of a sudden (this year) comprise-as to their impact, more than half a winning team. May come down to Harvard-Cornell, I haven't projected/reviewed where they might meet. Wherever and whenever, I gotta go with the Big Red.

RPI didn't prepare well for Quinnipiac by losing to Colgate! I'll go with the up and coming Bobcats. And perhaps the same could be said for Clarkson vis a vis Dartmouth's smack down but then St Lawrence jumps right on Dartmouth and gets up by three goals the next afternoon. So who knew (anything...) when it comes right down to it?

But I'll go with the Big Red to take the tournament.

You, however, as always, have to like Harvard of the ECAC teams in the NCAA playoffs-wherever they are placed, especially this Olympic year when one hears (and sees) so much of such great Harvard players as Ruggiero, Chu, Vaillancourt, etc. Lends, perhaps, to a certain 'swagger' sometimes for players from this most well known of our American universities..
 
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Re: ECAC Playoffs

I'll Stick with the Big Red Machine (visions of the 70's).

In round one the biggest contest/upset chance will be the one up North.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

This isn't a knock on Cornell specifically, but I have a hard time making any team the favorite to win a tournament if they don't have anyone on their team that has won a single tournament game at that level. Maybe it helps them that rather than having a real tournament feel at one site, the ECAC will play the semis at two locations. Then it becomes more like any other game. Playoff speed and intensity is usually greater, and that should be an adjustment.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

Cornell is the only team that I have no doubt will win their quarterfinal match up. But the other 3 match ups seem kind of up for grabs to me...

Clarkson v. SLU- Clarkson has not played well as of late. If they get it together then they will win, but if they can't then an upset by SLU could likely happen.

Harvard v. Princeton- I don't think it will be as simple as an easy quarterfinal for Harvard. You can never sleep on Princeton, and they surely want to redeem their playoff performance from last season. Should be competitive games

Quinni v. RPI- Quinni has proven to be tough all around this season. RPI did not have a good final weekend of ecac play, but they have been playing very well otherwise in the 2nd half of the season. Quinni has home ice and RPI has road quarterfinal expirence. No idea how this one will shake down(hoping for RPI though).

The thing I like about this format is the 3 game series usually ensures the better team will come out on top, having to win 2 games instead of just 1
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

mattj711 said:
I think of all the teams in the play offs Quinnipiac scares me the most. :cool:
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Quinny could be this year's RPI. And if the top four seeds win their quarterfinal matchups Matt, I'd be very, very scared if I were you. Being the top seed guarantees you nothing at this point in the season and we all know what happened last year in the semis. I still get sick thinking about it.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

A few thoughts on the ECAC playoff possibilities for NCAAs --

-- RPI is right on the cusp of finishing the year with a .500 RPI (ratings percentage index ;) ). If RPI gets swept, I think they fall out. This is good news for Harvard 0-2 vs. RPI, bad news for Cornell 2-0 vs. RPI. Harvard's record against such opponents would improve to 7-3-4. Cornell's would fall to 3-8-4.
But Cornell probably has to win the ECAC autobid anyway. Their 1-6 nonconference record (all teams with RPI > .500) means they lose every comparison to other bubble teams, even if they finish with a top RPI.

-- Harvard, UNH, and Clarkson are in contention for the last home ice quarterfinal. It may be possible for Harvard to lose to Clarkson in the ECAC semis and still hold on to 4th, but of course that'd require neither UNH or Clarkson winning their conference titles.
Anyway, I hope at least one of those teams really WINS the last home ice spot rather than backing into it, and having it be decided by games from before Christmas. Looks like Clarkson finally showed up last night.
One other random thought. Harvard played all 7 of its nonconference games at home this year, going 5-0-2. They then went 6-3-2 on the road in ECAC play, their six wins coming against the teams that finished 7th through 12th in the league.

-- There's some chance the ECAC could get 4 teams in NCAAs. It'd take Cornell winning the league, UNH winning Hockey East, Minnesota or UMD winning the WCHA, and Quinnipiac finishing ahead of Connecticut and Providence in the PWR. UConn would have to lose to Northeastern, and in that scenario Quinnipiac probably beats RPI and then loses to Cornell. Quinnipiac I think then wins the comparison with UConn by a hair. This is not a farfetched scenario.

-- The ECAC is guaranteed at least two teams in NCAAs. Clarkson and Harvard did so well against Hockey East there's no way they can fall behind those teams. The only way Clarkson doesn't make NCAAs is if there are upsets in all three conferences.
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

Skate79 said:
Quinny could be this year's RPI. And if the top four seeds win their quarterfinal matchups Matt, I'd be very, very scared if I were you. Being the top seed guarantees you nothing at this point in the season and we all know what happened last year in the semis. I still get sick thinking about it.
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Or RPI could be this year's RPI ;)
 
Re: ECAC Playoffs

RPI winning this one helps Cornell in the bigger picture (probably not enough to prevent Cornell from needing to win the championship) but they will remain a TUC. Correct?
 
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