OSU vs. Cornell Stats & Facts

I was just looking over the team rankings on USCHO and found the following information on OSU:

They are a heavily penalized team, 2nd in the nation at 24.66 PIM per game (I think Cornell averages around 14 PIM per game).

That said, OSU is tie (with us) for 6th in the nation in Short Handed Goals with 8.

Also, OSU special teams are pretty good. OSU is ranked in a tie for 5th in penalty killing with 86.9% and 8th in power play with 22.0% (Cornell ranks first in the nation in both categories).

In Team Offense, OSU ranks in a tie for 7th at 3.41 goals per game, while Cornell is 12th at 3.27 goals per game. In Team Defense, is tie for 9th at 2.27 goals per game, and Cornell is 1st at 1.24 goals per game!!

Here is a comparison of Dave McKee and OSU goalie Dave Caruso:

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Rk Name GP W-L-T MIN GA SV SV% GAA
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1 David McKee, So, COR 33 26-4-3 2000:35 40 712 .947 1.20
13 Dave Caruso, Jr, OSU 37 25-8-4 2213:17 78 883 .919 2.11
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Here are the top scorers for Cornell:
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## Player POS YR GP G A PTS PEN/MIN PP SH GW GT
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24 Matt Moulson (PIT) F JR 32 22 18 40 11/ 33 12 0 4 0
28 Shane Hynes (ANA) F JR 31 7 21 28 19/ 38 4 0 0 0
27 Mike Knoepfli (TOR) F SR 33 12 13 25 9/ 18 5 2 4 0
26 Topher Scott F FR 33 5 18 23 3/ 6 3 0 3 0
7 Charlie Cook D SR 33 9 13 22 14/ 28 6 0 3 0

Here are the top scorers for OSU:
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## Player POS YR GP G A PTS PEN/MIN PP SH GW GT
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11 Tom Fritsche F FR 41 10 33 43 19/ 38 4 0 0 0
19 Rod Pelley F JR 40 22 19 41 23/ 54 13 0 3 1
12 Dan Knapp F JR 40 12 23 35 25/ 50 8 1 0 0
26 Matt Beaudoin F SO 39 23 11 34 20/ 48 14 3 4 0
23 Domenic Maiani F FR 38 11 22 33 31/ 73 5 0 2 0

OSU plays a similar offensive style in that they like to play along the boards and use their strength to wear teams defenseman down. Hopefully we can get the better of them.

Does anyone else have any scouting reports on OSU?

They are the second most penalized team in college hockey, but are top 10 in PK. They also have a very good powerplay. They are one of two teams in the top 10 for offense and for defense. They're deep and like to play a physical game but obviously take a lot of penalties playing that style. They are very young, but still very experienced going to the NCAA's the last two seasons.
Also, Matt Bueduoin chose Ohio State over Cornell.

The CCHA seems to be heavily penalized. OSU is still highly penalized, but I noticed they also have a lot more PP opportunities than the average team. That suggests at least some of their PIM excess is due to officiating, not dumb play. So, not too telling.

Folks on USCHO have pointed out that the CCHA seems to have stuck to the NCAA mandate on eliminating interference more so than any other league. Thus the higher number of penalties. OSU is still the most highly penalized team in the CCHA, so it's not like they're a bunch of angels who are just victims of the nasty CCHA refs though.

Also note, High PK% times High PIM still equals many Big Red PP goals

There has been talk all year on USCHO that the CCHA refs have a more restrictive standard on obstruction, and that they are going to drive fans nuts when they do games (not involving CCHA teams obviously).

Since we do not get a CCHA ref for the OSU game, we may not be getting the full benefit of their high PIM.

We see stuff like this every year and every year it's a tempest in tea cup. It's something to talk about between selection and the game.

[Q]Trotsky Wrote:
There has been talk all year on USCHO that the CCHA refs have a more restrictive standard on obstruction, and that they are going to drive fans nuts when they do games (not involving CCHA teams obviously).

Since we do not get a CCHA ref for the OSU game, we may not be getting the full benefit of their high PIM.[/q]Well, if we do beat OSU, then here's hoping that we see a CCHA ref against Minnesota or Maine.

We have the only bracket that houses a representative from each of the major conferences. I think it would be good to make Ref assignments that avoid having a Ref call a game of a team in his conference where possible. Take the best Refs, but then try to assign them in this way. Anyone know how they do assign the refs? In our region, with all 4 teams represented, they could have say a Hockey East ref do our game and a CCHA ref do the other game. ref do the Minny game. That way, unless the final is #4 Maine against #3 OSU, ref stays entirely out of his conference.

I for one hope to avoid Adam from the WCHA. Still haven't watched the replay of the 2003 Palahicky no goal.

Conventional Wisdom says Cornell's defense will be hurt by the Olympic surface. OTOH, we are pretty darn good moving the puck around on PP so maybe we'll run (T)OSU ragged trying to catch Topher and Matt.

In any one game, 25% PP vs 22% PP effectiveness isn't as meaningful as say 80% vs. 70% free throw shooting. SHGs are so uncommon as to be not fully meaningful (one every 3-4 games for the very best teams) in any one-game series. In recent games we have a higher percentage of one unnamed defenseman losing control of the puck in front of our goal in the first period (like twice in the last four games?).

That unnamed defenseman is less of a concern to me than another unnamed 6'5 defenseman.

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote:

That unnamed defenseman is less of a concern to me than another unnamed 6'5 defenseman.[/q]

I still think the second unnamed defenseman may look markedly different after another week of skating/practice. Does anyone know how long he was back skating before playing friday night?

I think two weeks, but just one week of full bore practicing. I partially agree with you that he will be better next weekend, but I have always been a bit concerned with foot speed and his decision making coming out of the zone and I am concerned that OSU and whoever else may key on him, Krantz, and O'Byrne.

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote:

That unnamed defenseman is less of a concern to me than another unnamed 6'5 defenseman.[/q]

Bigger ice surface might make it easier to just carry the puck out of the defensive zone. Not so easy to trap or clog center ice.

Watching a bit of the CC-Denver game, it seemed to me much more like an ECAC game (less end-to-end freewheeling) than the games I've seen on the bigger surface at Mariucci.

"It's a tough draw [Cornell], but I don't think there are any easy draws out there," said Buckeyes head coach John Markell. "I certainly didn't want to be matched up with anybody from the CCHA. [The fact that we're not] is a good thing, because it gives the opportunity for the CCHA to get two teams in [the Frozen Four]. We're looking forward to league representation." [www.uscho.com]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

"It's a tough draw , but I don't think there are any easy draws out there," said Buckeyes head coach John Markell. "I certainly didn't want to be matched up with anybody from the CCHA. is a good thing, because it gives the opportunity for the CCHA to get two teams in . We're looking forward to league representation." [/q]

The many CCHA teams that made the tournament are certainly the cream of the crop. It's a wonder how the Committee avoided any first round CCHA matchups.

He did say we were a tough draw. It's hard for me to sense any lack of sincerity or any sarcasm without my sarcasm detector.

Can't really find the slight in that statement. He can't possibly be inferring that the CCHA is the strongest conference in college hockey.

And even if he is, I would consider that less of a dis on us than a case of insanity in their coach.