I guess the best thing you can say about tonight's game was that we won. It wasn't pretty and for stretches Brown actually cycled in our zone and got some chances especially in the second period. We were sloppy, a bit lazy and not exactly playing as a team. Too much individual play - sort of "I want to be like Ryan" and try and do it individually. Not a recipe for success.
When they did pass the puck efficiently, it was mostly on the PP where Reilly Walsh got his first two collegiate goals. First one early in the second on a nice feed from Donato where Reilly roofed it over Nieto (who had a good game for the Bears). The second came a little more than midway through the third on a blast from the top of the left circle. Nathan Krushko finished off the scoring with a wrister that deflected off the shoulder of the Brown defenseman past Neito.
Harvard is most definitely not the #3 ranked team in the country. Not even close. The team needs to play harder on the puck and do a much better job transitioning from their D zone to the offensive zone. Some of it has to do with talent issues up front. Our skill level isn't what it was last season and it is noticeable. Hopefully more practice time will translate into better finish and more goals.
Baughman hardly played tonight although some of that had to do with PK and PP time. Still I wonder why he dressed if Teddy was only going to go with five guys. We can't do that for an entire season. Is there a confidence problem with some of the players? Why doesn't Dumbrovsky dress? Maybe the coaches don't trust some of these players? Puzzling.
Big trip out west looming and right now, I don't have a whole lot of confidence going forward.
Agreed.
Still very sloppy, selfish, and no cohesion. No real chemistry on offense which led to no sustained cycling time.
Madsen was good and face offs were much better.
I would like Donato to mix up lines (2-4) to try sndunearth some more chemistry. I expect more from Badini and there is not much chemistry there. The 4th Line is a mess.
Tough weekend upcoming but perhaps the travel will help bring the team together. 2pts is probably what can be hoped for
I actually think the Horton line could evolve into something if Floodstrand were more of an offensive presence. I'd actually consider putting Krushko on that line with Lloyd and Horton and see what happens. Badini doesn't look like the player I saw this summer in Plymouth, Michigan. At times he looks overwhelmed or lost. Or both. He has too much skill to remain this way.
One thought is to move Badini between Ryan Donato (LW) and Zerter-Gossage and drop Pelton-Byce to the third line back to center between Bowlby and Floodstrand. Keep Krushko on a line with Horton and Lloyd. Fourth line is strictly an energy line at this point although Solin looks like he is a smooth skater with good instincts.
New rankings have Crimson at #5 - which seems a little optimistic after last weekend, to be honest.
New rankings have Crimson at #5 - which seems a little optimistic after last weekend, to be honest.
So last night Jimmy Vesey scores two goals, the second when he outmaneuvered Yalie Rob O'Gara to push the puck past Rask for the eventual game winner. Sort of like 2015 ECAC quarters redux. Never gets old.
Colgate game:
- Donato needs to PASS THE PUCK
- Floodstrand and Ellis need to bury easy tap ins. Both had deer in headlights moments and made the Colgate goalie look good
- The 2nd line (Lloyd, Horton, and Floodstrand) has zero mojo. Needs to be broken up. No goal scorer on that line which is a huge problem
- Masdsen still way too deep in crease (1st Colgate goal)
This has a very good chance of being a 0 point weekend. Harvard had no business losing that game. Ugh!
Harvard should play the game under protest. Just an antriciously refereed. Giving the coach a bench minor with 2 mins left?
An embarrassing night for the ECAC
Harvard should play the game under protest. Just an antriciously refereed. Giving the coach a bench minor with 2 mins left?
An embarrassing night for the ECAC
Watched the end of the game and I have to agree, he was warned multiple times and I get that but Donato was arguing plays that were clearly bad calls and the fact that there was some one-sided officiating down the stretch, the Cornell goalie made the most of the GI call and then Cornell gets away with something pretty similar, Donato also gets a break and is hooked, if it's not a penalty shot then it's at least 2 minutes. I didn't even see the Sherman trip so I can't comment on that but Graber and Lynch are two of the worst refs in D1 hockey and they should never get games that are obviously going to be heated like that.
Way too early for any ECAC or Harvard fan to worry. I remember back in 2012 a certain ECAC team from Cambridge, Massachusetts that was picked to finish last in the ECAC but made a late season run and was 10 minutes away from winning it all in Jersey City.With the emotions subsided, some more thoughts:
Have not seen Clarkson this year (may be the class of the ECAC), but other than that, this is definitely a down year in the ECAC (and from the looks of it, the East Coast). Cornell is always a well-coached team with a good system, but they are not a dominant team and either is Colgate. I think Harvard will be better than both of those teams when playoff hockey comes around.
