Harvard Crimson 2014-15

[Skate79]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

As openers go, this one was more like a scrimmage than a true contest. Not to say that both teams didn't play hard - they did. But there were stretches of sloppy play and ebbs and flows that made it hard to watch. Most of that was due to RPI packing it in near their goalie to prevent Harvard from getting any decent close in chances. For the most part, it worked. The Crimson had problems creating space and drawing the RPI defenders away from the front of the net. The Engineers did a good job negating Harvard's speed.

The two exceptions were goals from Miye D'Oench and Mary Parker. Both were on breakaways and in each case, Piper was faked out of her skates giving Parker and D'Oench room to tuck in forehand finishes. Check them out on YouTube. You won't be disappointed unless you root for RPI.

Everyone played tonight with some notable exceptions; Dylan Crugnale, Natasha Rachlin and Emmerance Mashmeyer did not dress. Imagine having the luxury of not dressing those players and still being able to win going away.

Harvard has some work to do to raise their game. They didn't play especially well and made some mental and physical mistakes that will need to be corrected before they face the iron of the league and HE. The freshmen did a good job; Lexie Laing got her first collegiate goal on a tip in from a point drive by Sarah Edney and Karly Heffernan looks like she can skate and play physical as well. Our third line is going to beat up something awful on other teams' third lines. Armstrong, Reber and Daniels. Extremely tough to match up against that kind of size and speed.

Bright Landry looks amazing. They did a great job with the renovations. Worth waiting for. Tomorrow night comes the official dedication before the men play Dartmouth.

 

[wwhyte]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Everyone played tonight with some notable exceptions; Dylan Crugnale, Natasha Rachlin and Emmerance Mashmeyer did not dress. Imagine having the luxury of not dressing those players and still being able to win going away.

Maschmeyer is with Team Canada this weekend and next.

Harvard has some work to do to raise their game. They didn't play especially well and made some mental and physical mistakes that will need to be corrected before they face the iron of the league and HE.

This is consistent with what I saw last weekend. A lot of good individual skating but no sense of a system.

 

[driventoit]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

wwhyte: ditto

Skate79: I think Mullins, who I was worried about after a McGill hit two weeks ago, skated more with Daniels and Reber than did Armstrong, who saw limited shifts, and she looked good. Also, don't hope for this line to "beat up something awful on other teams' third lines" if that means Daniels getting two penalties per game!

The D'Oench, Heffernan, Laing line looks like it could jell quickly. And keep an eye on #24: Ziadie seems very poised for a freshman D, even with more limited ice time tonight.

I imagine that Stone is hoping this weekend plays out as an added exhibition season (though I wouldn't call this win a "going away" one, if never really in doubt), allowing for more mix and match time, pending the middleweight bouts coming up in two weeks' time.

So, agreed: a lot of talent . . . and a lot of work to do.

(P.S. Someone should tell whoever prints Harvard's game program that #9, Lyndsey Fry, is back on the roster this year.)

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Exam question: compare and contrast the lines and D pairings in the RPI game versus the McGill scrimmage.

My random thoughts (although at times I wasn't sure who was on the ice because those **** jerseys don't show the numbers as well as they might):

The McGill structure was a "play everybody (i.e. play four lines and three D pairings, with a few spares thrown in) but don't take chances" scenario and the RPI structure seemed to be a bit of "be experimental with new lines" and a lot of "back to Katey's way of doing things." Against McGill, last year's tried and true first line of Reber, Crowe and D'Oench was kept intact and Gedman was dropped to the third D pairing so that each D pairing included an upperclassman and they got fairly equal ice time. Against RPI, the line combinations were all new but otherwise I think they reverted to Katey's way of doing things, including the Olympic format of 7 D and 11 F meaning no fourth line. The top four D (now including Gedman) played together and got a lot more ice time than the third D pairing (who were on the ice for the lone RPI goal). The third line/spares situation was very fluid, with Mullins also figuring prominently in the PK rotation; the box score says that Reber and Armstrong split the third-line draws, as you might suspect since they are L and R shots, respectively, but that doesn't necessarily tell you how many minutes each of them played as a center or wing. I wish they box score did show ice times.

It will be very interesting to see how the line up and structure of today's game differs, if at all, from last night's. Perhaps all the lines will be juggled. Since injury reports are never issued, there's no telling how illness and injuries are affecting the situation. One post on another thread says that Picard will miss the game due to her Team USA obligations. We'll just have to see.

 

[driventoit]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Two nice firsts, at least in my recollection, this afternoon: Tissenbaum starting in goal, and a real fourth line (Harvey, Armstrong, Friesen). (I don't think it likely that we'll see either one of these again soon.) The first three lines seem set for the foreseeable future: Laing, Heffernan, D'Oench; Crowe, Fry, Parker; Mullins, Reber, Daniels. With Picard gone, and dressing 6 Ds, Rachlin and White saw some ice time. Hard to know D pairings at this point, but surely Edney/Mastel will be one. Everyone looked a bit sharper today. (Speaking of firsts, I wonder when Harvard last had 2 freshmen skating on the first line?)

 

[Ted Knight]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Two nice firsts, at least in my recollection, this afternoon: Tissenbaum starting in goal, and a real fourth line (Harvey, Armstrong, Friesen). (I don't think it likely that we'll see either one of these again soon.) The first three lines seem set for the foreseeable future: Laing, Heffernan, D'Oench; Crowe, Fry, Parker; Mullins, Reber, Daniels. With Picard gone, and dressing 6 Ds, Rachlin and White saw some ice time. Hard to know D pairings at this point, but surely Edney/Mastel will be one. Everyone looked a bit sharper today. (Speaking of firsts, I wonder when Harvard last had 2 freshmen skating on the first line?)

looks like Harvard chickened out with the schedule...not playing any games during the 4 Nations. c'mon...
you're plenty deep enough. what's up with that?

 

[ARM]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

looks like Harvard chickened out with the schedule...not playing any games during the 4 Nations. c'mon...
you're plenty deep enough. what's up with that?

Harvard played today minus players.

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

looks like Harvard chickened out with the schedule...not playing any games during the 4 Nations. c'mon...
you're plenty deep enough. what's up with that?

Wwhyte put this canard into perspective over a month ago by posting about next weekend: "Meanwhile, the other strong teams at serious risk of losing players (Minny, Wisco, Clarkson, Cornell, Harvard) haven't scheduled any games for that weekend. How did BC let this happen?"

So while BC deserves commendation for playing next weekend several players down, it's not just Harvard that has opted for a bye week

 

[driventoit]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

I forgot another first (I think) at yesterday's game---- the Belmont High School Band! Any live band rendition of the National Anthem sure trumps the quavering, quarter-time, melismatic, solo wailing of the standard that has become so prevalent today. Whatever Super Bowl, World Series or NASCAR event that first got this musical practice started will prove to have been the true beginning of the end times. So thanks, Belmont High, for this welcome reprieve.

(File under "topics to while away the Four Nations hiatus")

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Two nice firsts, at least in my recollection, this afternoon: Tissenbaum starting in goal, and a real fourth line (Harvey, Armstrong, Friesen). (I don't think it likely that we'll see either one of these again soon.) The first three lines seem set for the foreseeable future: Laing, Heffernan, D'Oench; Crowe, Fry, Parker; Mullins, Reber, Daniels. With Picard gone, and dressing 6 Ds, Rachlin and White saw some ice time. Hard to know D pairings at this point, but surely Edney/Mastel will be one. Everyone looked a bit sharper today. (Speaking of firsts, I wonder when Harvard last had 2 freshmen skating on the first line?)

Interesting questions. Yes, it was good to see each of the top three lines on the score sheet yesterday and having a real fourth line was both fun and also a good reward for players who will be squeezed for ice time this year but are working hard to be contributors next year after the graduations that will be taking place. But the coach may prefer her Olympic 7D/11F format with Armstrong (whose minutes may be limited due to post-concussion concerns) playing the Julie Chu role as an ace penalty killer/defensive specialist and Mullins (who has looked impressive on the PK) as the second spare, with all the other forwards vying for a place on the third line. Once Picard is back, the choice will be between (1) three D pairings, each with a Picard, Edney or Gedman, playing alongside a younger player, Mastel or any two of the other four Ds who have been rotating recently, versus(2) two very strong pairings with a less frequently seen third pairing drawn from the rotating four. Last year, you'll recall they initially split up Edney and Gedman so as to have a veteran on each pairing, but after Mastel and Rachlin (and after she recovered from her injury, Frazer) proved they could handle the pressure they put Edney and Gedman together and went with an all-rookie second pairing. Time will tell.

 

[driventoit]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Interesting questions. Yes, it was good to see each of the top three lines on the score sheet yesterday and having a real fourth line was both fun and also a good reward for players who will be squeezed for ice time this year but are working hard to be contributors next year after the graduations that will be taking place. But the coach may prefer her Olympic 7D/11F format with Armstrong (whose minutes may be limited due to post-concussion concerns) playing the Julie Chu role as an ace penalty killer/defensive specialist and Mullins (who has looked impressive on the PK) as the second spare, with all the other forwards vying for a place on the third line. Once Picard is back, the choice will be between (1) three D pairings, each with a Picard, Edney or Gedman, playing alongside a younger player, Mastel or any two of the other four Ds who have been rotating recently, versus(2) two very strong pairings with a less frequently seen third pairing drawn from the rotating four. Last year, you'll recall they initially split up Edney and Gedman so as to have a veteran on each pairing, but after Mastel and Rachlin (and after she recovered from her injury, Frazer) proved they could handle the pressure they put Edney and Gedman together and went with an all-rookie second pairing. Time will tell.

I don't think anybody's going to pry Mullins off that third line. My guess is that Harvey (or a healthy Crugnale) sits with Armstrong as an extra F. I'm also hoping to see option #1 for D pairings. They certainly have the talent.

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

I'm also hoping to see option #1 for D pairings. They certainly have the talent.

Two further arguments in favor of option #1 are less wear and tear on the top four D and little drop off in quality in the third pairing. Much as I admire Claude Julien in general, I cringe at his habit of sending out his third D pairing with his fourth line: too many AHLers on the ice!

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

I don't think anybody's going to pry Mullins off that third line.QUOTE]

I loved it when both Mullins and Daniels drove hard to the net and Mullins drew the defender, leaving Daniels wide open at point blank range. Mullins didn't get a mention in the post-game press release, but she sure set up the score.

 

[Ted Knight]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Wwhyte put this canard into perspective over a month ago by posting about next weekend: "Meanwhile, the other strong teams at serious risk of losing players (Minny, Wisco, Clarkson, Cornell, Harvard) haven't scheduled any games for that weekend. How did BC let this happen?"

So while BC deserves commendation for playing next weekend several players down, it's not just Harvard that has opted for a bye week

BC doesn't deserve anything. They're playing hockey while others sit and wait for their best players to come back. Did coaches forget that it's all about hockey? BC lost 5 players...more than anyone but still believes playing hockey is the best thing for the team.

Can you tell me why, with that lineup and the fact they started games late, that they'd choose to sit and wait? That tells me a lot about the coaches confidence in the players....which is a joke to me knowing how good the remaining players that are not in Canada are.

it's a real head-scratcher

 

[Just a Spectator!]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Two nice firsts, at least in my recollection, this afternoon: Tissenbaum starting in goal, and a real fourth line (Harvey, Armstrong, Friesen). (I don't think it likely that we'll see either one of these again soon.) The first three lines seem set for the foreseeable future: Laing, Heffernan, D'Oench; Crowe, Fry, Parker; Mullins, Reber, Daniels. With Picard gone, and dressing 6 Ds, Rachlin and White saw some ice time. Hard to know D pairings at this point, but surely Edney/Mastel will be one. Everyone looked a bit sharper today. (Speaking of firsts, I wonder when Harvard last had 2 freshmen skating on the first line?)

I don't know the answer to when Harvard last had 2 freshman skating on the first line, but that line has been on the ice for 7 of the 9 goals Harvard has scored in the first 2 games. Works for me!

 

[Hux]

BC doesn't deserve anything. They're playing hockey while others sit and wait for their best players to come back. Did coaches forget that it's all about hockey? BC lost 5 players...more than anyone but still believes playing hockey is the best thing for the team.

Can you tell me why, with that lineup and the fact they started games late, that they'd choose to sit and wait? That tells me a lot about the coaches confidence in the players....which is a joke to me knowing how good the remaining players that are not in Canada are.

it's a real head-scratcher

You have become this board's resident tool. Shut the F up already. Who cares?

Go back and look at previous years schedules and you will see it is common practice to take the bye.

 

[Watson Rink]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

You have become this board's resident tool. Shut the F up already. Who cares?

Go back and look at previous years schedules and you will see it is common practice to take the bye.

Well put, that should clap a stopper on his antics....

 

[Ted Knight]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

You have become this board's resident tool. Shut the F up already. Who cares?

Go back and look at previous years schedules and you will see it is common practice to take the bye.

OK Mr Hux...whatever you say.

 

[Ted Knight]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

Well put, that should clap a stopper on his antics....

Bu is paying
Northeastern is playing
Vermont is playing
Minnesota played 2

looks like Quinny is hiding too.

 

[Trillium]

Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-15

You have become this board's resident tool. Shut the F up already. Who cares?

Who peed in YOUR corn flakes?

I guess you probably gave him the reaction he was looking for though....

I do think it's a fair question why any team would choose to start late and then also opt to take a couple more weeks off for 4 Nations too.
Especially with a large and deep roster. Does the long break actually help them in November? Does it help or hurt any in February with a heavy load of games back-ended?