Saturday: UNO 2 Cornell 1

Nobody wants to comment on this one, eh?

Maybe it's best to just pretend it didn't happen...

I thoroughly enjoyed the game - both teams came out and played hard. We missed Ryan a lot. Although power play moved the puck around well we could not finish well. UNO played two penalty killers out fairly high on our points and we then tended to play 3 players high with MacDonald or Willcox in the center where Ryan would normally be. We seldom got any one open in high slot just below the top 2 penalty killers. Also UNO senior keeper played outstandingly all weekend. Freshman Trevor Yates got his first full game in and had his first goal. Our passing did leave a lot to be desired - we gave away puck too many times in our own zone. I am optimistic that with time and coming together as a team it will improve! Kubiak's move in setting up our goal was worthy of season highlight reel feature spot.

I though Stewart played well in the loss. In the very early going I do like Gillam a touch better just because I thought he controlled the rebounds better.

The D really missed Ryan but they accounted for themselves well. I like Bliss so far for a freshman. For the most part he seems to have confidence that is above his experience and is playing up to it. Wedman has looked tenative. It seems like everyone wants to rag on MacDonald, but I thought he's played acceptable so far. Wilcox has done well along with McCarron.

The offense has been typical for CU of late...unimpressive for the most part. They are getting some chances but just not enough or the shooting accuracy has been suspect. I liked moving Bardreau off of a line with Lowry & McCarron. I though his play doesn't compliment their's very well. I liked Weidner better there but it was only one game. I thought the Yates/Kubiak/Buckles line played well when they gained the offensive zone and it seemed to me they should have gotten more playing time than they did. It was interesting to see the Hilbirch/Knisley/Bardreau line. I like the speed of Knisley and Bardreau on a line together, but Hilbrich didn't fit in my opinion. He's too slow and too weak on the puck (or anywhere) for that line. If two small guys are going to play together they need someone who plays stronger. Hilbrich looks to me like the smallest big man I have seen in a long time.

For once, I thought the PP passing was acceptable and this includes Friday's game. It was much better than the past few seasons as the passes were actually crisp and had some speed to them. However, the setup for Bardreau to take every shot was pathetic. I realize Ryan's absence forced the PP to adapt some, but good grief everyone in Lynah and probably back in Omaha could read what was going to happen.

MattS
It was interesting to see the Hilbirch/Knisley/Bardreau line. I like the speed of Knisley and Bardreau on a line together, but Hilbrich didn't fit in my opinion. He's too slow and too weak on the puck (or anywhere) for that line.

Bardreau and Hilbrich had a beautiful series of passes in the third period that resulted in a great opportunity for Bardreau. It happened at the opposite end of the ice from me, so I didn't have a great look at it, but Bardreau passed to Hilbrich on the left wing and somehow wound up getting the puck back from Hilbrich in a way that made me think "how the heck did that happen" and had some open ice allowing him to get a good shot off. If Schafer keeps playing them together and they keep putting together passes like those, I think we'll see some goals.

andyw2100

MattS
It was interesting to see the Hilbirch/Knisley/Bardreau line. I like the speed of Knisley and Bardreau on a line together, but Hilbrich didn't fit in my opinion. He's too slow and too weak on the puck (or anywhere) for that line.

Bardreau and Hilbrich had a beautiful series of passes in the third period that resulted in a great opportunity for Bardreau. It happened at the opposite end of the ice from me, so I didn't have a great look at it, but Bardreau passed to Hilbrich on the left wing and somehow wound up getting the puck back from Hilbrich in a way that made me think "how the heck did that happen" and had some open ice allowing him to get a good shot off. If Schafer keeps playing them together and they keep putting together passes like those, I think we'll see some goals.

I think keeping Knisley and Bardreau together is a good idea, I'm just not sold on Hilbrich regardless of one great play. I will admit that I don't particularly like Hilbrich's game no matter who his linemates are. I think for a man his size he plays small. He never seems to open up any ice for the other players and with his size he should. Also his willingness to deliver and take a hit is lacking. I would try Buckles with them, but that just me.

We've been watching different Hilbrichs. He seems like a typical oak tree to me, with slightly better hands. He's also logging a ton of time so Mike seems to like him.

John McCarron is a bigger worry to me -- I swear he's all but disappeared lately, whereas he used to be all hustle and aggressiveness. (Having said that, I look at the stats and he's far and away tops in SOG. Maybe it's just me?)

I'm not sure where the goals are going to come from. Buckles and Fiegl are promising for finding the net but so far it feels like the guys who ought to be stepping up (Lowry, McCarron, Bardreau) have taken a step backwards.

I don't know what happened to Weidner over the summer but he's a different player. He's not just improved; he's got a whole new set of gears. Maybe he was injured last year? He went away as Tim Vanini and came back as Peter Natyshak.

And I love Kubes. He seems like a great combination of size, jump, and ornariness.

I think Hilbrich has decent hands for a big man. I just think he plays small. Meh, maybe it is just me having too high expectations for him.

And Mike likes anyone who is huge.

I agree with J. McCarron and especially Lowry. I thought McCarron was going to be a huge force out on the ice, but for the most part he's just a (sometimes) hitting and a (mostly) penalty machine. I really thought Lowry based upon his Freshman year was going to develop into a nasty power forward. But that hasn't happened so I guess I was wrong. I don't think offensively he has improved that much at all. Although in Saturday's (I think) game he pulled some moves much like Ferlin use to in the corners with the puck. Unfortunately it came with the same 0 result, but maybe it shows confidence and will develop for later in the season.

You basically read my mind on Lowry. I had him penciled in as a "glue" player who would make the offense click when he was on the ice with good skating, passing, and vision. That hasn't happened. People were suggesting last year that he wasn't skating hard enough or his head wasn't in it. I have no idea about that, but he's D'Agostino 2.0 to me -- so much potential but so little progress.

From today's Ithaca Journal:

Tom Fleischman
Cornell hits the road for its ECAC Hockey opening weekend, at Princeton and Quinnipiac, and will do so with top senior defenseman Joakim Ryan, who was hurt last weekend against Nebraska Omaha.

For full article see: With top defenseman out, Cornell hockey hits the road