Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

[lugnut92]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

A quick whistle prevented a goal a few minutes before the game ended, but we had a pair of PPs in 2OT. The major was as far from me as is possible in Ingalls, so I won't offer an opinion on whether it should have been five or not. In regulation, we were definitely sitting back waiting for the 60 to be up. All in all, there were chances we needed to bury that we didn't. Someone on the team needs to by Lyon a beer or twelve for the long week of scoreboard watching. This season isn't necessarily over yet, but we'll need some help.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

This season isn't necessarily over yet, but we'll need some help.

Yale's 18 in PWR with at least one auto-bid leap-frogging them. The season's over. As a fan of the other ECAC team with zero offense, we feel your pain.

 

[Yale86]

Yale's 18 in PWR with at least one auto-bid leap-frogging them. The season's over. As a fan of the other ECAC team with zero offense, we feel your pain.

Yes - the season is over. 5 min major was totally ridiculous. Not even sure it was 2. Kid from Harvard acted like he was on Queer Street - never even saw the hit & it was right in front of me. Then after all the acting etc, he's on point first shift - no joke. Kids played their guts out to kill it off. Funny thing was tying goal looked just like what Saunders did in bball game. Blackwell backed everyone down into low slot and shoveled it back to McNally for the wrister. Yale carried play for much of this and had their chances - just couldn't quite finish. Last goal by Vesey, Lyon had no chance. They were living in the edge and needed to get to 20 wins. Oh well. But it was a good winter and future looks bright.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

The Killian tripping was stupid at that point in the game. Should it have been a fiver? Not IMO, he basically tripped the kid, six feet from the boards. It was a dangerous play, and I can see the other side as well. Yale's lack of a true sniper is still haunting the team. Harvards goalie made some **** good saves in OT as well and kept them in the game. According to the pairwise predictor there is a 6% chance of a postseason, not going to happen.

 

[ZamboniDude]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

According to the pairwise predictor there is a 6% chance of a postseason, not going to happen.

For those of you who holding onto the slim chance that Yale makes it anyway, there seem to be a few key elements that comprise all of the scenarios that make up that 6% chance. After some Pairwise Predictor fun (is anything a bigger time sink than "PWR Predictor Monday"?), here is a summary of those elements:

1) Most importantly: Harvard wins the ECAC tournament. Every good scenario for Yale that I have seen involves Harvard winning out, likely because Yale has beaten them four times. I think this might be non-negotiable. If there is a scenario out there with Qpac winning and Yale still getting in, I haven't found it. Translation: All Yale fans should be rooting for Harvard with every fiber of their being.

2) Second most importantly: BU wins Hockey East. This is because BU is already ahead of Yale in PWR, but nobody else left in HE is. I think this is non-negotiable too. So, make it Harvard and BU at all costs.

As for the less rigid conferences, as long as these first two events happen:

3) Big 10: Minnesota (top seed) winning is great. Michigan winning seems OK. Mich St winning makes it dicey. Everyone else is trouble.
4) WCHA: Minny St, Mich Tech, and Bowling Green (top 3 seeds) can all win and Yale has life, because they're all ahead of Yale today. Predictor seems to validate this theory. Ferris St winning is trouble (leapfrog effect).
5) NCHC: Almost doesn't matter because all 4 teams left are ahead of Yale in PWR. I tried a few scenarios here, and as long as you have Harvard and BU in the can, and a top 2 seed in B10 and WCHA, you're good.
6) AHA: Doesn't matter, because the winner will be a 16 seed anyway in any scenario that is good for Yale. However, RIT winning the AHA (in the scenarios where Yale is in) seems to help, since Yale beat RIT. For example, the vast majority of Yale friendly scenarios put them at 14 or 15 if Robert Morris wins the AHA, but Yale jumps to 12 in those same scenarios if RIT wins AHA.

Have fun with the predictor and you can see many of these scenarios. Your mileage may vary.

 

[cornellgradyalefan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

I was disappointed but not upset at the ending. Yale squeezed every last drop of effort out of a team that never established an offensive identity. If not for Harvard's slew of mid-season injuries, we likely wouldn't have had a first round bye and expectations for the playoffs would have been less.

The Killian penalty was a joke. Two minutes for tripping certainly but there was no intent to injure so to give him 5 was based entirely on the Harvard player going head first into the boards. And as yale86 said, he was on the point for the subsequent PP so he clearly was not injured. The officiating continues to be sub-par in the ECAC. It didn't affect the outcome but Harvard paid no price for the series long runs at Lyon and the constant shoving and jawing after the whistle. It's easy to call a penalty on a play like Killian's. It's harder and takes much more skill and judgement to penalize the less obvious stuff that Harvard was engaging in all series.

 

[ZamboniDude]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

If there is a scenario out there with Qpac winning and Yale still getting in, I haven't found it.

I stand corrected, a poster in another forum found this:

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-predictor/pwp_550655ecb5cfe/

In this scenario, Qpac wins ECAC, nearly every other favorite wins, and Yale squeaks in. The two caveats seem to be: UVM beats UML in HE semis and then BU beats UVM, and Miami wins NCHC (not Denver).

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

I stand corrected, a poster in another forum found this:

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-predictor/pwp_550655ecb5cfe/

In this scenario, Qpac wins ECAC, nearly every other favorite wins, and Yale squeaks in. The two caveats seem to be: UVM beats UML in HE semis and then BU beats UVM, and Miami wins NCHC (not Denver).

Thanks for the insight, as I do not have the patience or the time for the simulators.

 

[lugnut92]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

Thanks for the insight, as I do not have the patience or the time for the simulators.

You guys need an RHamilton to set up the thing he did for RPI in 2011 and 2013.

 

[marty74]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

You guys need an RHamilton to set up the thing he did for RPI in 2011 and 2013.

What did he set up? A golf outing?

Sorry that the Bulldogs lost. I watched in hopes that the Crimson would flame out. Now I have the unenviable task of rooting for them against QPac in hopes that a second ECAC team makes the NCAAs. So sad.

 

[Skate79]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

I was disappointed but not upset at the ending. Yale squeezed every last drop of effort out of a team that never established an offensive identity. If not for Harvard's slew of mid-season injuries, we likely wouldn't have had a first round bye and expectations for the playoffs would have been less.

The Killian penalty was a joke. Two minutes for tripping certainly but there was no intent to injure so to give him 5 was based entirely on the Harvard player going head first into the boards. And as yale86 said, he was on the point for the subsequent PP so he clearly was not injured. The officiating continues to be sub-par in the ECAC. It didn't affect the outcome but Harvard paid no price for the series long runs at Lyon and the constant shoving and jawing after the whistle. It's easy to call a penalty on a play like Killian's. It's harder and takes much more skill and judgement to penalize the less obvious stuff that Harvard was engaging in all series.

There was a lot of stuff going both ways so I don't agree about the skill and judgement part of officiating. You're not going to get those calls for either team. Live and let live.

However, I do agree that five minutes was over the top. Two minutes, yes I could see it. But five was a shock. And I'm a Harvard fan who doesn't like to see OTs decided by a PP, especially in a one and done situation.

You guys had your chances both on the PP and five on five. On the tying goal by McNally, one of your guys dropped his stick and essentially stood there while McNally took his shot. If you are going to stand in front of the goalie, you have to block it by any means possible. And on the winner, no one picked up Vesey and if you leave him alone in front, you're asking for it. Just sayin'.

It was a terrific series and both teams deserved to win. You've had our number in recent seasons and beat us four straight. We were due. And look, you have a better shot of making the NCAAs than we do. We have to win the tournament to get in.

 

[cornellgradyalefan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

There was a lot of stuff going both ways so I don't agree about the skill and judgement part of officiating. You're not going to get those calls for either team. Live and let live.

However, I do agree that five minutes was over the top. Two minutes, yes I could see it. But five was a shock. And I'm a Harvard fan who doesn't like to see OTs decided by a PP, especially in a one and done situation.

You guys had your chances both on the PP and five on five. On the tying goal by McNally, one of your guys dropped his stick and essentially stood there while McNally took his shot. If you are going to stand in front of the goalie, you have to block it by any means possible. And on the winner, no one picked up Vesey and if you leave him alone in front, you're asking for it. Just sayin'.

It was a terrific series and both teams deserved to win. You've had our number in recent seasons and beat us four straight. We were due. And look, you have a better shot of making the NCAAs than we do. We have to win the tournament to get in.

You guys won on merit so I am not saying that the officiating had anything to do with the outcome but from my vantage point there was an obvious strategy on the part of Harvard to initiate contact after the whistle both to rattle Lyon, which isn't possible, and to draw Yale players into a situation that would lead to a penalty. I did not see a similar strategy employed by Yale against Michalek.

The problem with officiating in the ECAC is that it's not consistent. In this game they could have lost control because of the accumulation of hits after the whistle that weren't called and then they essentially shoot a guy for committing a misdemeanor. It's good for both teams that the game wasn't decided by the major penalty.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

However, I do agree that five minutes was over the top. Two minutes, yes I could see it. But five was a shock.

Listening to the Harvard audio feed, they said it was a hitting from behind penalty and that the Harvard player was cut above the nose and bleeding pretty good. They subsequently mentioned he was in the tunnel getting liquid bandage applied so that he could return to the ice. I'm not exactly sure what the rule is but if there clearly was an injury that might be why Killian was given the 5.

 

[Crimson Faced]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

The player was cut above the nose, we were sitting behind the bench in Aisle 9 and you could see the blood running down his face. A Yale fan in back of us yelled "embellishment!"( referring to the earlier call against Yale) which gave us a laugh, but as far as intent was concerned, although we were sitting at a bad angle from the play, it looked like it was unintentional. Unless the blood made it a 5 minute penalty, I would have disagreed with making it a major.

Glad for the win and when it occurred because it was a long drive home at that hour, but it was a well-played game by both teams, and the goalies were outstanding.
Also was impressed by the Yale fans who are more intense than the usual Harvard crowd.

 

[Crimson on the Glass]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

Also was impressed by the Yale fans who are more intense than the usual Harvard crowd.

Yes, the home fans at Ingalls were great this weekend, as I suspect they typically are.

 

[Skate79]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

The player was cut above the nose, we were sitting behind the bench in Aisle 9 and you could see the blood running down his face. A Yale fan in back of us yelled "embellishment!"( referring to the earlier call against Yale) which gave us a laugh, but as far as intent was concerned, although we were sitting at a bad angle from the play, it looked like it was unintentional. Unless the blood made it a 5 minute penalty, I would have disagreed with making it a major.

Glad for the win and when it occurred because it was a long drive home at that hour, but it was a well-played game by both teams, and the goalies were outstanding.
Also was impressed by the Yale fans who are more intense than the usual Harvard crowd.

Whenever you draw blood, you run the risk of a major. Just the way it is in college or the pros.

Harvard fans are docile because of the constant reminders at B-L about fan behavior. We used to have raucous crowds back in the eighties especially with the students and the band getting into it but that all changed after the '89 championship. And when the program started on a downward spiral, the "enthusiasm" went with it.

 

[Skate79]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

You guys won on merit so I am not saying that the officiating had anything to do with the outcome but from my vantage point there was an obvious strategy on the part of Harvard to initiate contact after the whistle both to rattle Lyon, which isn't possible, and to draw Yale players into a situation that would lead to a penalty. I did not see a similar strategy employed by Yale against Michalek.

The problem with officiating in the ECAC is that it's not consistent. In this game they could have lost control because of the accumulation of hits after the whistle that weren't called and then they essentially shoot a guy for committing a misdemeanor. It's good for both teams that the game wasn't decided by the major penalty.

If you want to see a team that tries to incite, look no further than Cornell. No other school in the East IMHO does more to rattle goalies and opposing players than Cornell. We get more than our fair share from them and rarely get the calls to go our way.

Agree on officiating in the ECAC. In a word, brutal. The inconsistency is so blatant I wonder why Steve Hagswell doesn't demand more stringent reviews and a merit system to kick out the worst offenders. Not like they should get tenure.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

If you want to see a team that tries to incite, look no further than Cornell. No other school in the East IMHO does more to rattle goalies and opposing players than Cornell. We get more than our fair share from them and rarely get the calls to go our way.

Agree on officiating in the ECAC. In a word, brutal. The inconsistency is so blatant I wonder why Steve Hagswell doesn't demand more stringent reviews and a merit system to kick out the worst offenders. Not like they should get tenure.

If they were to kick out the worst offenders, would they still have the bodies and experience to fill the NCAA-mandated four-referee system, also considering that some of these refs are working other leagues, both collegiate and professional? Hagwell always responds to stuff like that by saying tryouts are in August; makes me wonder if he's still looking for people.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

After all the talk about officiating, it was quite ironic how McDonald actually called a good game at QU yesterday, couldn't believe it.

 

[Skate79]

Re: Yale Hockey 2014-2015. 138 miles to the ultimate goal.

If they were to kick out the worst offenders, would they still have the bodies and experience to fill the NCAA-mandated four-referee system, also considering that some of these refs are working other leagues, both collegiate and professional? Hagwell always responds to stuff like that by saying tryouts are in August; makes me wonder if he's still looking for people.

Probably not but you have to begin somewhere. I'm sure the coaches would be in favor of a system that monitors and rewards the best performers while either trying to improve less than stellar performance or ask the non-performers to leave and replace through tryouts or training programs.