Re: Harvard Crimson 2014-2015: Restoring the Karma
Some leftover thoughts while basking in the afterglow of last night's triumph.
1. How fitting was it to have Colin Blackwell ice the game with his empty netter? With all that the kid has been through these past two years, watching him scoot up and down the ice is sheer pleasure. He has been a major catalyst during our run. Just hope that he stays healthy well beyond graduation and has a full and productive life. Really great kid when you meet and talk with him.
2. With apologies to Ted Drury and Dominic Moore, there is no question that Jimmy "Hobey" Vesey is the best player we have had since another #19 graced the Bright Center. There are so many similarities between the two. Laney's vision, his hands and ability to maneuver and create space for scoring opportunities was second to none. Vesey does the same for Harvard along with some grit and nastiness. It may be too much to ask at this point to have him come back for one more year but if Harvard comes up short for the national title, it may spur him to return. I hope he does because watching him and that first line is pure joy. Yeah I know Eichel is probably going to win the Hobey but Vesey is playing on another level. This tournament run has been historic in some respects.
3. You can tell that Patrick McNally is favoring his leg and is only really at maybe 80%. He has done a very good job of protecting himself against potentially damaging hits. At 80%, I'd take McNally over most any other D in the ECAC right now. He is a horse and his presence is one big reason why we're dancing next weekend.
4. The big ice sheet gave Harvard plenty of room through the neutral zone and it was puzzling to me why Quinnipiac and Colgate allowed the Crimson so much space. Yes our speed created a lot of that but you still had to wonder why those teams didn't adjust. The Crimson's neutral zone trap was so effective against Colgate. They had almost nothing going on for them except for those two face-off wins which resulted in their goals.
5. Expect that some school will come knocking on Paul Pearl's door after the season. You can't help but notice the influence he has had on the team and surely, somebody out there will want him. Will he want to stay as an associate head coach? I know that for family reasons, the move to Harvard made sense but at some point, he is going to want to run his own program again.