Ottawa Postgame

So, that was a little better than Friday.

Beeeej
So, that was a little better than Friday.

How do you mean?

Anybody catch the announcers' 3 stars of the game?

#3 - Davenport
#2 - Greening
#1 - Barlow

I think.

It's difficult to differentiate between whether Cornell played better, or whether Ottawa was so much worse because this was by far the worst hockey team I have ever seen (much worse than York).

I thought Cornell played pretty well, but there are definitely still some glaring deficiencies on this team. It lacks a defenseman who can skate with the puck and make breakout plays. It also lacks someone who can quarterback the powerplay. While this didn't come back to bite Cornell, it certainly will next week against a much improved RIT Tigers. If the Red hadn't won this game by at least an 8-0 margin, it would be easy to say we were in store for a long season, but since they won, I can sleep a little more soundly tonight. Unfortunately, knowing that UQTR tied Onion 2-2 doesn't help.

Mugford and Barlow I thought both had great games, while the Greening/Nash/Sawada line finally cashed in when Greening just exploded past the defense. Sawada still has been mostly silent, save for a few hits. I love the Kennedy's line, even if Mike had his pocket picked in the defensive zone tonight. Otherwise, Scott/Gallagher/Roeszler all had solid games.

The question mark throughout the season is obviously going to be the defense, where Cornell has little depth. Nash's return will be a boost, but Cornell lacks a defensive play maker and puck carrier. Yes, they surrendered 0 goals this weekend, but our club team can skate faster than Ottawa.

I'm anxious to see how they do at the Blue Cross Arena.

This was a bad team, and Cornell should have and did blow them out.

Greening and Barlow played great. In the 3rd, Cornell had a 2 on 1 rush, and then Barlow hustled down the ice to join the breakaway and got a nice pass for his second goal of the game. It was already something like 5-0, but he put in the extra effort for the goal.

I was really pleased with a couple things. First, we had much more of a presence in the slot, especially on the PP, than I remember us having last year. Sawada and Greening were doing a great job of muscling their way down low, and this led to Greening's first goal.

Second, our D looked solid. I know Ottawa was a shitty team, but our guys kept forcing them to the outside, where they'd lose it in the corner or launch a bad shot. It looked like "traditional" "Schafer-era" Cornell hockey -- forwards got back to challenge rushes and we won battles in the corner -- but also featured the exciting breakaways and nice stick work we've been anticipating with the new classes of smaller, quicker players. It was the best of both worlds.

Davenport wasn't challenged consistently but made a couple nice saves late in the game. The first Ottawa sieve wasn't bad, and it was a little puzzling when he got removed. The safety sieve looked to be in his 30s and lumbered around the crease like an old man. Most of the goals he gave up were due to his inability to shift from side to side or keep track of where the puck was.

Crowd attendance was horrible. I know it was a day game, but there was a poor turnout in both Townie and student sections. O was less than half full, and there were gaping holes throughout the rink. I don't think some of the people who sit in front of me in B have made it to either game so far.

I'd appreciate the thoughts of some older fans on this: We've blown out Canadian teams in the past, but have any other games featured as much shoving or roughing as we've seen against UQTR and Ottawa? These Canadian teams have nothing to lose, and it's understandable to be frustrated when you're down big, but Cornell players have seemed surprisingly eager to scuffle. We've had lots of size in past years, but I have the impression that our players were a little better disciplined.

Glad to see that Mugford finally got a goal that wasn't an empty-netter, and on the pp no less! Too bad it doesn't count for the stats, but hopefully he'll put a few more in the back of the net this season...he certainly works hard enough for it.

amerks127
It also lacks someone who can quarterback the powerplay.

Mike Devin spent most of his time on the ice poised at the point with his stick cocked back, waiting to unleash a one-timer through the four guys standing between him and the goal. I'd love to see us work the down low option more.

Will anyone be taking over column-writing duties with Ari gone? As it stands, I don't think the Weekly Cowbell show on slope radio is coming back.

ebilmes
I'd appreciate the thoughts of some older fans on this: We've blown out Canadian teams in the past, but have any other games featured as much shoving or roughing as we've seen against UQTR and Ottawa? These Canadian teams have nothing to lose, and it's understandable to be frustrated when you're down big, but Cornell players have seemed surprisingly eager to scuffle. We've had lots of size in past years, but I have the impression that our players were a little better disciplined.

I don't remember a Canadian exhibition game where the theme wasn't "older Canadian players push and shove and we just hope no one gets hurt." How many years did Denis Ladouceur get hurt in these games? It felt like every year.

I nominate Doug to write the column.

Attendence was awful BEFORE the game and for most of the opening frame, but by the middle of the second period sections A and B were tightly packed. I just wish people would get there on time, or, at least, those who show up 45 minutes late don't make a big deal about not getting their seat. I know they've paid to have it reserved, but come on....Come on.

Ottawa's goalies ("Jo?n" and "Safety Jon" made some spectacular saves in the first and third period that warranted a polite applause...I didn't think their team was especially worse than UQTR, and I do think that we played better tonight than we did on Friday.

The difference, I believe, was passing. Friday, the Red tended to hog the puck, taking weak shots that had little chance of finding their way through. Today, the passing was much more crisp through the point, trying to get the Sieves to move laterally, setting up some rockets from the blue line - Charlie Cook style shots from Seminoff, especially.

It's likely that Schafer made them practice this Saturday. The teamwork component was the largest difference.

That said, Barlow's first goal was a hogging situation, but everyone in the building thought he was going to pass to the top, and because he didn't he scored. It was purdy.

I'll say this much about the Ushers: They've been fair so far. I was given a polite warning not to focus on individual players ("For lack of better information I shall call you John" and a guy near me was ejected 10 seconds into the Referee's warmup skate for an uncalled for POS scream. So the lesson is this: If you're going to say mean things, say them broadly, and do your best to keep colorful language in the classroom.

I'm workin on bring back a 1 hour weekly cowbell show. Just give me a couple weeks...

I was able to make it to the game today though I didn't see Red-White or the Friday game. This team is much different than last year's. There seems to be a lot more emphasis on roles with this group than last year which is evident but the crash and bang momentum line of Nichols-Mugford-Devin. That line started every period and went on after every goal for and against. I didn't think I would like them but I did a lot. Nichols and Devin are extremely physical while Mugford is the smart, responsible one. I think we may see that line go up against opposing top lines which will be interesting. I don't know if Devin and Nichols have the skating or hockey sense to do well against good teams' top lines.

Davenport didn't look comfortable but today is not a good sample because he would go several minutes between action so was not feeling the puck and was clearly losing focus. That happens with a lot of goalies. He did make a couple good stops while he looked clueless on others.

The blueline is concerning. The biggest issue last year was that they were brutal at moving the puck and the team really lacked a transition game as a result. This issue appears to remain especially with the best puck-mover (Nash) on the shelf for several weeks. Berk to me looks a lot like Seminoff which is a good thing. Devin looks to have a very mature game for a freshman and I would imagine he will play quite a bit and in all situations. It has the makings of a pretty solid group back there but puck moving and transition game remains a significant issue. Johnston will be the 7th defenseman to start the season.

Up front, the best line was clearly the Barlow-Kennedy-Kennedy group. They scored a couple goals but looked really good off the cycle and were able to create off the rush as well. Barlow looked pretty explosive throughout though he has always looked dominant against brutal competition IMO. Patrick Kennedy clearly has a better skillset than Mike and is pretty smart with the puck. He needs to fill out because he is going to get banged around pretty good.

I was no particularly impressed with the Roezsler-Scott-Gallagher line. Scott was not really creating much out there though he was definitely playing with a high level of intensity. Gallagher looked decent and more confident - he was also stronger on the puck and looked to have improved on his skating.

The Greening-Nash-Sawada line had some good shifts and entirely ineffective shifts. They just started together but it is a little concerning when a group with that much skill cannot dominate against a horrible team. Greening figured it out as the game went along and was just skating around their guys like they were cones by the third period. Sawada may be playing on a skill line but he needs to be just as physical as he has ever been, otherwise that line is not gonna produce. He needs to be the one that opens up space for Nash. Nash loves to slow the play down and get things to his pace. He clearly has very good hockey sense and vision, well above what you would see for most college players. He is going to need to figure out the speed of this level before he makes a significant impact because that is where he ran into trouble today. The comparison the Salmon Arm coach made to Zajac was a good one though. Once Nash fills out a little bit, he'll have that size as well. He did not really play with the intensity and edge that the scouting reports all said he displays but it was an exhibition game.

There is not much depth on this team so there are guys who are going to have to step up and stay there if there is going to be any success in this season. Like last year, I am unclear as to what the identity of this team is and I have a feeling the players are as well. I think that the coaching staff wants to move back in the direction of the defensive responsibility and punishing physical style while still blending a little bit of skill and finesse. The lack of a transition game will be a huge issue I think as it was last year. The blueline lacks a high impact player and that could ultimately be costly. The goaltending is also an area of concern though we cannot really judge until we see them against a real team.

It should also be noted that the officiating today was horrendous. I don't care about the refs at all, but I was shocked at how the game was called. It looked like a game from five years ago in that there was tons of hooking, holding, clutching, and grabbing. Every one of their blueliners had their hands up and around the Cornell forwards. Cornell players were hooking and slashing Ottawa players all night with no calls. Maybe I have been watching too much NHL, but if you even tap a guy on his gloves with your stick it gets called now. That's how it was in college last year as well. I sure hope today was not some new lowered standard for that crap because is significant detracts from the quality of play.

This team has a fair amount of growing to do but to me, they look like a 5-8 ECAC team. The only way they have success this year is if Barlow, Mike Kennedy, Scott, Sawada, Krantz, and Taylor Davenport can elevate their games and sustain it. Plus the goaltenders obviously. We know Greening and Seminoff will deliver top notch performances every night - every one of those other guys will need to if there is to be any success this year. Beyond that, the Mugford line is going to have to be a factor in every game.

LaJollaRed
I'll say this much about the Ushers: They've been fair so far. I was given a polite warning not to focus on individual players ("For lack of better information I shall call you John" and a guy near me was ejected 10 seconds into the Referee's warmup skate for an uncalled for POS scream. So the lesson is this: If you're going to say mean things, say them broadly, and do your best to keep colorful language in the classroom.

So, "You're a sieve, J.R." is off limits now too because it focuses on one player?

First off, while this is certainly a feel good win for our team, it’s tough to critically evaluate play when the opposition is that bad. Not only were they slow and unskilled, but as a whole they had terrible hockey sense and didn’t have the faintest clue how to play defense.

That being said, I think our top line played well although Sawada needs to get more involved, ideally he should be banging bodies around and opening space for Nash and Greening although he seemed awfully passive this weekend. I was somewhat surprised to see virtually the same lines as last game, although the defensive pairings changed constantly, even throughout the game. It looks like Berk and Johnston may be battling for a roster spot.

The line of Scott-Gallagher-Roeszler was absolutely awful this weekend, I hope they can get it together or get broken up soon. I agree that I really like Devin (Mike) on the point of the power play, this guy is continuing to impress me. He was paired with Krantz for most of the weekend, which is definitely a good sign.

The biggest hole I see right now is with our defensemen. They seem to be having a tough time moving the puck in transition, between the blue lines. I am really hoping Krantz can work on this part of his game as I think he could be a major X-factor for this team. The return of Nash should definitely help here as well.

Davenport looked confused for most of the game and was caught badly out of position on a couple of occasions. That being said, it’s tough to keep your focus when you only touch the puck once every 8 minutes so it will be interesting to see who is in net on Saturday.

Regarding the weekly cowbell, Slope Radio actually contacted me in August regarding the show. I will be at every game this year and would be excited to continue the show Ari and Karl started with a friend of mine Sebas (doesn’t post here often although goes to all the games). Apparently it was one of their most popular shows last year and they really wanted to bring it back, and even expand it this year. They wanted to diversify the show a little bit, add in other sports and such, which I was agreeable to, and everything was all set in stone, or so it appeared. Right before Sebas and I were scheduled to be “trained”, they mysteriously stopped responding to emails and all I got was a brief response of their funding difficulties. After investigating further, I was told that there might not be a slope radio at all this year…

I am humbled by the nomination to do a column and would love to contribute to this site in whatever way possible. Although I certainly don’t want to deceive anyone here, while I will be at all the games and consider myself a passionate, educated, and insightful fan, I can’t promises to provide the same level of analysis that Ari did, he seems to have a much deeper understanding of the game than I do (perhaps all of us?), not to mention I think he only missed 7 games in 4 years.

Slope Radio is hands down the worst student-run organization at Cornell. I wouldn't count on them for much of anything. It's a complete train wreck. I can't see the Weekly Cowbell happening this year, unfortunately.

Karl said he would at least advise me in getting the show up and running again this year, but he wouldn't be able to continue with the show every week. Elie, I know you had all your troubles, but I think we should at least try to get the show back on track.

Could the show just be recorded as a podcast and hosted by elynah if the sloperadio thing falls through? (Actually, with all the podcast trouble last year, this would probably be a good idea in any case)

imafrshmn
Could the show just be recorded as a podcast and hosted by elynah if the sloperadio thing falls through? (Actually, with all the podcast trouble last year, this would probably be a good idea in any case)

Yeah, that's easy enough to do. It might be tricky, though, if you want multiple hosts or guests. And podcast would mean no live call-ins/IMs/etc. That would be the one benefit of working through Slope.

I haven't seen any games this season, but it seems from hearing Ari's analysis, that the team's success will depend significantly on Sawada. Sawada is a big, powerful guy. In my opinion, he should be (and should've been for the last two years) in front of the net literally every time the puck is in the offensive zone (a la Ryan Smyth). It would really open up tremendous space, and Greening/Nash should be guys who could use that to convert.

Also, along those lines, college goalies just don't have the vision to work through the screen, and the defensemen don't have the size to clear someone like Sawada out (without one of Hansen's obstruction interference calls). You get someone in front and you're gonna score, esp. on the powerplay.

I may be stating the obvious here, but after watching the dreadful powerplay cycling endlessly the past couple of years, and the even strength lines racing up the boards to no ends, it would seem time to buckle down and play old-time hockey. No one's ever in front!

Doug '08
First off, while this is certainly a feel good win for our team, it’s tough to critically evaluate play when the opposition is that bad. Not only were they slow and unskilled, but as a whole they had terrible hockey sense and didn’t have the faintest clue how to play defense.

Right on...clearly a warm-up contest, an entertaining sparring session. I'm trying my best to avoid any expectations out of fear of greater disappointment when the real competition begins!

Chris '03

LaJollaRed
I'll say this much about the Ushers: They've been fair so far. I was given a polite warning not to focus on individual players ("For lack of better information I shall call you John" and a guy near me was ejected 10 seconds into the Referee's warmup skate for an uncalled for POS scream. So the lesson is this: If you're going to say mean things, say them broadly, and do your best to keep colorful language in the classroom.

So, "You're a sieve, J.R." is off limits now too because it focuses on one player?

Well shit, I guess I'm going to get ejected if I ever make it up to Lynah this year.

ebilmes

imafrshmn
Could the show just be recorded as a podcast and hosted by elynah if the sloperadio thing falls through? (Actually, with all the podcast trouble last year, this would probably be a good idea in any case)

Yeah, that's easy enough to do. It might be tricky, though, if you want multiple hosts or guests. And podcast would mean no live call-ins/IMs/etc. That would be the one benefit of working through Slope.

I'd certainly be happy to host it. I've been pretty inundated with stuff lately so I haven't had much time to think about it, but ELynah is definitely in need of content for the upcoming year. If anyone would like to contribute or has any ideas, let me know.

I wasn't at the game, but noticed in today's IJ with photos from yesterday that we were wearing our visiting reds. Any explanation for this? Are the home uniforms not ready yet?
EDIT: Nevermind...perhaps I should read all the way down to the bottom of the IJ article where it mentions that Ottawa forgot to bring their home jerseys.

P.S. The "Gee Gees" must have been pretty tiny...Greening looks like freakin' Godzilla here

Ignore erroneous reply.

wow... that picture is absolutely absurd

From the shadows, Greening appears to be nearly a foot in the air.

since when does greening wear an A?

Since he was named assistant captain in May.

*Alternate Captain

evilnaturedrobot
since when does greening wear an A?

[elf.elynah.com]

Wow, I must have just completely missed that. I knew Topher and Sawada had been named co-captains, but I didn't realize that A's had been handed out. Surprising that one went to a sophomore. Anyway, on that note of embarrassing ignorance, I will bid this thread good day.

Eh, they did the same thing at the beginning of last season- LaJolla and I have sat in A for the last 3 years, and they ask us to not focus on anyone in particular. A few weekends in they stop caring.

It's an important part of our game- "I hate you, Wainegarth! I hate yoooooou!" etc.