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Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Not here to chirp about it - sincerely wish you had beaten BC. I would rather see Harvard win 10 national titles before BC wins another!

From what I’ve read (and the little I’ve seen) of Harvard, I don’t think you will have too much trouble with BU. Don’t get lazy on defense and give them free opportunities- they do have enough individual talent to make you pay, but not enough team chemistry to create something out of nothing.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

LynahFan said:
Not here to chirp about it - sincerely wish you had beaten BC. I would rather see Harvard win 10 national titles before BC wins another!

From what I’ve read (and the little I’ve seen) of Harvard, I don’t think you will have too much trouble with BU. Don’t get lazy on defense and give them free opportunities- they do have enough individual talent to make you pay, but not enough team chemistry to create something out of nothing.
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Thanks for the update. BU has been shut out twice now in the past week so they won't be in a great mood come Tuesday. Still, I like our chances if we do what you suggest.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Skate79 said:
Hope the Terriers beat the Red tonight so we don't have to hear the insufferable Cornell fans screaming about how they held up their end of the undefeated showdown.
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Hearing fans screaming would be unnerving for Harvard.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

sterlippo1 said:
Excellent early season game at a packed Bright between two very good teams .
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It was nice to see Bright packed.

BU is pretty vulnerable having dropped 2 of their last 3 games. Harvard has broader talent and more depth.

I’d say Teddy and Albie are not two of the stronger head coaches in college hockey. So it’ll be interesting to see if the former student can out-coach the master in this one. I doubt it. I’m giving the slight advantage to Teddy.

But I'm still not sure what Teddy was thinking in the last 2-3 minutes of the BC game by not pulling Gornet for the extra attacker only down by 2. Goal differential? Maybe a weak concession to some element of the RPI formula? Play was down in the BC in the last few minutes a number of times, giving ample opportunity for Harvard to add the extra attacker. Harvard was still getting good looks 5 on 5 towards the end of the game. With Harvard’s speed and talent I’m sure an extra attacker would have gotten them some very good looks with the chaos they could create in BC's zone. Why concede the game with minutes still remaining in a close game?!? It would have at least been good experience for future games. I feel we missed an opportunity.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Gutless effort that was unwatchable. 14 SOG thru 2 periods?

Should be a fun practice tomorrow.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

bothman said:
Gutless effort that was unwatchable. 14 SOG thru 2 periods?

Should be a fun practice tomorrow.
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Ugh. I was hoping you'd come complacently into Friday's game...not going to be the case!
 
LynahFan said:
Ugh. I was hoping you'd come complacently into Friday's game...not going to be the case!
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Wow, HockeyEast teams ar beating on ECAC clubs. Wow, after watching route of Quinnipiac, thought this was the year. This is a very very good hockey club, they will rebound, have an amazing 2nd half and year.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Tough game last night. I thought Harvard ultimately adjusted and started to play their game and tilt the ice. The 1st period was very tough to watch. Cornell had its way and it felt like a Cornell PP throughout. Cornell is a very good team and it will be interesting to see if they have the high end horses (they have the depth) to compete with the big boys.

This is a very young team (Harvard). The top players are all freshman and sophomores, with the exception of Reilly Walsh who was -2 last night and had a tough game. This team will continue to get better. I think they will make the NCAAs and finish in Top 3 in the league, and while the 6-0 start was exciting, this was never expected to be a strong Harvard team. I believe that Harvard was projected to be 4th in the league and as mentioned before, I think they will overachieve relative to that barometer.

Some things to feel good about:
- Gibson is very, very good. Harvard has found its guy in the net (with another very heralded goalie coming in next year)
- Abruzesse is the real deal; He is going to be a great one (and likely the frosh of the year this year) by the time he heads to the NHL
- Harvard is very young; They start 3 frosh on D who will get much better over the course of the year
- With Beniers, Kuntar, Farrell, and Gaffney coming in next year - Harvard will roll 4 lines that can all put the puck in the net; I think Harvard and Cornell will be #1 and #2 or vice versa next year...before Harvard rises above (Cornell loses a ton after next year with a very strong Junior class)

Harvard needs to take care of business tonight and head into the break on a good feeling. They have 2 tough ones at Arizona State in late December which will be key for the PWR (ASU just beat Denver 4-1).
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

On the recruiting front (barring any folks that can't get through admissions or decide to go elsewhere), Harvard is likely done recruiting for the next two years and will likely focus on guys who will matriculate for the 2022-2023 season. Updated tracker below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...8tF9rB8WtU6njO6IiZ2bIDiEGk/edit#gid=174036134

For 2022-2023, I expect Harvard to recruit 5 Forwards and 1 Goalie. This is way out there, but I would expect Harvard to take a very good look at the following guys:
- Dylan Silverstein (Goalie out of Dexter); Dylan is considered one of top goalies in his birth year
- Adam Fantilli (Forward out of Kimball Union); Harvard is also recruiting his brother Luca who is a D and they could matriculate together if Luca spends a year in the USHL. Adam is considered a top player and is expected to be the #1 pick in the OHL draft so he may very well opt for MJ
- Ben MacDonald - Frosh LW at Nobles who is the son of Lane MacDonald who played at Harvard
- Matt Biotti - Frosh D (6'4'' 180lbs)at Belmont Hill is the nephew of Chris Biotti who played at Harvard
 
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Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

bothman said:
Tough game last night. I thought Harvard ultimately adjusted and started to play their game and tilt the ice. The 1st period was very tough to watch. Cornell had its way and it felt like a Cornell PP throughout. Cornell is a very good team and it will be interesting to see if they have the high end horses (they have the depth) to compete with the big boys.

This is a very young team (Harvard). The top players are all freshman and sophomores, with the exception of Reilly Walsh who was -2 last night and had a tough game. This team will continue to get better. I think they will make the NCAAs and finish in Top 3 in the league, and while the 6-0 start was exciting, this was never expected to be a strong Harvard team. I believe that Harvard was projected to be 4th in the league and as mentioned before, I think they will overachieve relative to that barometer.

Some things to feel good about:
- Gibson is very, very good. Harvard has found its guy in the net (with another very heralded goalie coming in next year)
- Abruzesse is the real deal; He is going to be a great one (and likely the frosh of the year this year) by the time he heads to the NHL
- Harvard is very young; They start 3 frosh on D who will get much better over the course of the year
- With Beniers, Kuntar, Farrell, and Gaffney coming in next year - Harvard will roll 4 lines that can all put the puck in the net; I think Harvard and Cornell will be #1 and #2 or vice versa next year...before Harvard rises above (Cornell loses a ton after next year with a very strong Junior class)

Harvard needs to take care of business tonight and head into the break on a good feeling. They have 2 tough ones at Arizona State in late December which will be key for the PWR (ASU just beat Denver 4-1).
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Someone forgot to tell the boys that the game started at 7pm, not 8pm. That said, agree with your assessment. They got better as the game went along but that first period was brutal. Can't do that tonight. Colgate is starting to find their scoring mojo.

Not sure I agree about the PWR. We only have games left against Cornell and ASU and unless we see BC again in the Beanpot, we won't have a chance to really improve our standing. I'm afraid we'll be on the outside looking in but hopeful we can sneak in via winning the ECAC tournament. The team is young and this experience will help them over the course of the season. And yes, Gibson is the real deal. We'll be strong in goal for the next few years.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Gibson was solid. He kept us from blowing Harvard out with a few more goals.

I was impressed by Abruzzese and also liked the look of Rathbone. We kept Dornach and Walsh locked up all night but those other two guys... they have vision.

I'm sure the Crimson will be fine. They have the talent, it's just a question of playing system and subverting all those egos to the team. Good coaching will make that happen.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

one thing you did do Crimson, is to give Cornell a good gm last night, take their legs out a bit because Dartmouth just upset 'em. delayed payback ;)
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

LynahFan said:
Now, now, Kepler. We just beat them - no need to be so snarky. :D
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For one of the few times in my life, I actually agree with a Big Red fan. Not about being snarky, rather the coaching angle. We need better coaching especially after last night. We're just not getting the job done from that perspective.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

northeastern said:
one thing you did do Crimson, is to give Cornell a good gm last night, take their legs out a bit because Dartmouth just upset 'em. delayed payback ;)
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Oh swell. Like that just made my Christmas holiday complete.

At the beginning of the season, I picked the Crimson to finish seventh because I felt the combination of youth and experience with Marino and Fox jumping ship would be too much to handle. Then the Crimson got off to that hot start and I was about to change my mind. Until the last four games. We simply haven't done the little things that good teams do to win games. Like avoiding stupid penalties after gaining momentum. Or giving up a lead only a minute or so after taking that lead. Yes, these are all signs of inexperience but at the same time, when your most experienced defensman gets turnstiled for the winning goal in OT, it points to bigger problems. There's enough talent on this team to do better. How much remains to be seen. The coaches bear some of the responsibility here. A lousy way to go into Christmas break. Sorry I couldn't be more cheerful and upbeat but four game losing streaks tend to make me want to imbibe more spiked eggnog.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Skate79 said:
Oh swell. Like that just made my Christmas holiday complete.

At the beginning of the season, I picked the Crimson to finish seventh because I felt the combination of youth and experience with Marino and Fox jumping ship would be too much to handle. Then the Crimson got off to that hot start and I was about to change my mind. Until the last four games. We simply haven't done the little things that good teams do to win games. Like avoiding stupid penalties after gaining momentum. Or giving up a lead only a minute or so after taking that lead. Yes, these are all signs of inexperience but at the same time, when your most experienced defensman gets turnstiled for the winning goal in OT, it points to bigger problems. There's enough talent on this team to do better. How much remains to be seen. The coaches bear some of the responsibility here. A lousy way to go into Christmas break. Sorry I couldn't be more cheerful and upbeat but four game losing streaks tend to make me want to imbibe more spiked eggnog.
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Yup and Yup.

- Walsh lets a guy go in for the GWG without even breathing on him (would Donato consider moving him to wing and let Foley get a regular shift on D since I'm not sure that Walsh enjoys playing D?)
- Rifai takes an offensive zone stupid penalty
- Badini with a stupid boarding penalty
- Bowlby continues to take lazy penalties (offensive zone last night) and turns the puck over again and again and again (like to see him moved down to 3rd line and let 2nd line comprise Murphy, Badini, and Farinacci)
- Gregoire takes a dumb penalty
- Thrun is playing like a deer in headlights these last 3-4 games

As for the coaching staff:
- Need to work on breaking the puck out with an aggressive forecheck
- Need to transform the D so that they (outside of Foley and Rathbone) are actually willing to take the body
- Need to see more unselfish play (Rathbone)

The break could not come at a better time, but it doesn't get any easier with 2 at ASU after the 3 weeks off. ASU just beat Denver in two straight.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Walsh fell asleep letting the guy go around him for the score, but you had to feel sorry for him, he looked devastated.
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

bothman said:
Yup and Yup.

- Walsh lets a guy go in for the GWG without even breathing on him (would Donato consider moving him to wing and let Foley get a regular shift on D since I'm not sure that Walsh enjoys playing D?)
- Rifai takes an offensive zone stupid penalty
- Badini with a stupid boarding penalty
- Bowlby continues to take lazy penalties (offensive zone last night) and turns the puck over again and again and again (like to see him moved down to 3rd line and let 2nd line comprise Murphy, Badini, and Farinacci)
- Gregoire takes a dumb penalty
- Thrun is playing like a deer in headlights these last 3-4 games

As for the coaching staff:
- Need to work on breaking the puck out with an aggressive forecheck
- Need to transform the D so that they (outside of Foley and Rathbone) are actually willing to take the body
- Need to see more unselfish play (Rathbone)

The break could not come at a better time, but it doesn't get any easier with 2 at ASU after the 3 weeks off. ASU just beat Denver in two straight.
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Interesting thought on Walsh. Why not try him up front since he clearly doesn't like the 'defensive' part of being a defenseman? It might also help his chances with NJ next year if he jumps ship. His offensive skill would really help the second line and I agree, put him with Badini and RJ Murphy and see what happens.

I'm not sure what's up with Bowlby. Dropping him to the third line might just be the wake-up call he needs. He is taking some really dumb penalties.

I'd give Foley more D time and maybe bring up Foskey or Azur? I think we're stuck with Rifai for now.

I've noticed some kids added to the roster in recent weeks - are they club team players that are spares? John Murray from Dorchester and Noble and Greenough and Jackson Hartje from Detroit Country Day. Both left shot D. Any info on them? Is Hartje the son of Tod Hartje?
 
Re: Harvard Crimson 2019-2020 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Skate79 said:
I've noticed some kids added to the roster in recent weeks - are they club team players that are spares? John Murray from Dorchester and Noble and Greenough and Jackson Hartje from Detroit Country Day. Both left shot D. Any info on them? Is Hartje the son of Tod Hartje?
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Hartje is a three year club player and son of Tod:

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/350904/jackson-hartje

Murray appears to be a walk-on:

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/443740/john-murray

Doubtful they are anything more than practice players.
 
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