"The Twin Towers"

This week's column, "The Twin Towers" about O'Byrne and Pokuluk is up. Hopefully the former will be playing this weekend.


[www.elynah.com]

Your predicition is a four point weekend?

>>> Upcoming Weekend Outlook
The most anticipated weekend of last season again turns out that way this season. It does not get any better than this with the top two teams in the conference battling it out - two teams that mirror each other in stingy defensive play and superb coaching. First place will be on the line but things are tighter at the top as a result of Cornell tying Yale. It is important not to forget that both of these teams still have to play St. Lawrence again and that will have a huge impact on the final standings. As great as it would be to take over first place, it will be more important for the Big Red to get some quality wins under their belts as they approach the playoffs. Colgate is a high quality team that appears to be extremely close to Cornell in almost every area. The games will be hotly contested, but this will be the turning-point in Cornell's season. They have played a lot better the last couple weeks, but the time has come to shift into the highest gear for the stretch drive. Last year, the three-point weekend against the Red Raiders proved to be the ultimate sling shot for the Big Red.

Colgate 1 - Cornell 2
Cornell 2 - Colgate 1

Yeah, but only if O'Byrne plays...

Cornell has been playing to the level of the competition to some degree all season. There is no reason why this weekend vs. a skilled Colgate team shouldn't be Cornell's best yet.

calgARI '07
Yeah, but only if O'Byrne plays...

I think they get three points if he doesn't.

My specific predictions:

Crowd will be the best it has been all season tomorrow night and it will really push Cornell. They'll go up 2-0 in the first period and Colgate will get one in the second period. Cornell will hang on for the 2-1 win.
On Saturday, the drunk Colgate crowd will be going nuts and the team will come out much harder. They'll carry that and take a 1-0 lead in the first period. Cornell will tie it late in the second period and get a late third period goal and win again on Saturday.

"A year ago, the National Hockey League seemed a galaxy away for O'Byrne. Now, all of a sudden, it is very realistic. The hope for Cornell fans is that he stays around for his final year before undoubtedly signing with the Montreal Canadiens."

I would be surprised if O'Byrne is back with Cornell next season. The Montreal Canadiens blue-line prospect depth is extremely weak, especially after Ron Hainsey was picked up from waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this year.

The Canadiens really only have four d-man prospects in the system now:

1. O'Byrne
2. Oskari Korpikari - may be a bust
3. Konstantin Korneev - development is stagnant
4. Alexei Emelin - real deal. awesome world juniors.

2tkCornell
"A year ago, the National Hockey League seemed a galaxy away for O'Byrne. Now, all of a sudden, it is very realistic. The hope for Cornell fans is that he stays around for his final year before undoubtedly signing with the Montreal Canadiens."

I would be surprised if O'Byrne is back with Cornell next season. The Montreal Canadiens blue-line prospect depth is extremely weak, especially after Ron Hainsey was picked up from waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this year.

The Canadiens really only have four d-man prospects in the system now:

1. O'Byrne
2. Oskari Korpikari - may be a bust
3. Konstantin Korneev - development is stagnant
4. Alexei Emelin - real deal. awesome world juniors.

Well Komisarek may be up in Montreal but he is young enough to count him as a prospect still.

Sorry to be picky, Ari, but making analogies to "the Twin Towers" after 9/11 is kinda politically incorrect. For the same reason David Robinson and Tim Duncan were not referred to as the Twin Towers, you should try to refrain from calling our D-men the twin towers. I had a relative pass away in the North Tower, and to see only brings back more bad memories from that day. Just asking for a little courtesy.

John

To be honest with you, I never even thought about it when making that as the headline. Certainly, I certainly had no intention of offending anybody. The twin towers existed and they were really tall. O'Byrne and Pokuluk are also very tall.

No offense taken. Just wanted to mention it. Don't feel bad about it.

this weekend is all about goaltending. cornell and toothpaste are equaly matched except in that regard. if dave mckee plays as he has in the past (to his max potential), sweep cornell. anything less than pefection and sweep/2 point weekend for 'gate. of course mckee has not had a good record against colgate in his career... 1-2-1 if i am correct.

I'm going to try to put this in a way that won't turn this into a whole other, umm, thing. 9/11 affected me as much as most, though clearly not as much as someone who lost a loved one or friend. I'm not trying to belittle it in any way, shape, or form, but are you suggesting the appropriate response is to never reference them again in any way? It seems a bit much to me.

I would agree with you... somewhat. To not reference them again would be just plain stupid. However, I do think that they should be mentioned in an appropriate context. To compare the towers to two Cornell defensemen just seemed a little... weird (that's probably the best word). I'm not against it, though, it just seemed to rub me the wrong way.

Please. The twin towers, in sportsland, are those two Houston Rockets (Olajawon and Sampson). Until Ari writes, "The Harvard forward picked up the puck and jetted into Pokulok, whose explosive check could be heard from Manhattan to Riyahd," please do us a favor and don't go there.

calgARI '07
My specific predictions:

Crowd will be the best it has been all season tomorrow night and it will really push Cornell. They'll go up 2-0 in the first period and Colgate will get one in the second period. Cornell will hang on for the 2-1 win.
On Saturday, the drunk Colgate crowd will be going nuts and the team will come out much harder. They'll carry that and take a 1-0 lead in the first period. Cornell will tie it late in the second period and get a late third period goal and win again on Saturday.

Could you tell us the time of the goals and who will score them as well?

Yes, and could you also tell us the time at which the first fan fight will occur? And will that be before or after the first Colgate fan pukes from alcohol consumption?
Man, I can't wait for these games...

oooooook
let's drop this before someone gets really, really offended/upset/pissed off...
please.

Man, it was so insensitive of that Peter Jackson guy to make a movie titled "The Two Towers". How inappropriate!

Solution- They will be changed from "twin" to "Petronas" towers and Ari will be forced to attend sensitivity meetings... hahaha

cmon people... you can't honestly find this so offensive

Please, please, please do not turn this into a thread where (a) people get self-righteous about saying what they please and (b) people get self-righteous about having their sensitivities respected. It is clear that feelings on this, particularly with respect to 9/11 cover the whole spectrum.

For the record, I prefer to do my offending on purpose and hope that we destroy Colgate like a Bamiyan Buddha this weekend.

Since it has already been said, I can't be blamed...

Looks like Ari is doing well through 2 periods!

On a different note, I have to point out this quote:[q]It is getting painful as a Cornell fan to see Cornell overrated every week.[/q]It is? I don't find it painful at all. I'll take all the positive publicity the program can get, deserved or not.

Do the woofing gods apply to column titles? O'Byrne down, now Pokoluk.

The copy desk should have changed it to "Twin Pillars"

atb9
Since it has already been said, I can't be blamed...

Looks like Ari is doing well through 2 periods!

By the way, Ari was way off. 4-1.

atb9

atb9
Since it has already been said, I can't be blamed...

Looks like Ari is doing well through 2 periods!

By the way, Ari was way off. 4-1.

I think I was pretty close actually. I said 2-1 and it was 3-1 with an empty netter. Was also right about Cornell going up 2-0.

And the headline on USCHO is RedHawk Down.