ELynah Forum

Quote from: Beeeej on Today at 09:38:19 AM

Quote from: BearLover on September 30, 2025, 10:59:28 PM

Quote from: The Rancor on September 30, 2025, 10:26:50 PMFirst time in a while that we had a single Captain and two Alternates?

First time since 2023-24.

I remember hearing the news over my Victrola.

Ok, but like, it has been a long 21 months.

First time in a while that we had a single Captain and two Alternates?

Quote from: Will on September 30, 2025, 09:10:22 AM

Quote from: BearLover on September 29, 2025, 04:46:58 PMRemoving the .500 threshold is weird. Has that ever even been relevant?

As I recall, there was one season when Wisconsin made it into the NCAAs as an at-large with a sub-.500 record, to the complaint of many.  I want to say it was 2007-2008 (https://www.collegehockeynews.com/schedules/team/Wisconsin/58/20072008) but I'm not 100% certain.  I think the win percentage rule came about as a result of that originally.
 

It strikes me as strange, too. I suppose an exception could be made if somehow the math for their SOS and QL maths- but it seems unlikely. If 30-2-2 University of Forgotten Prophets doesn't get in because Big Money State University is 11-23-4 with a million dollar NIL investment, and likely playing in a stronger conference, it's going to be just as bullshit as football.

I had a slight depressive episode when faced with yesterday's outage- Thank you, Age, for getting the new board up so fast and with all the features intact (plus more!)

Quote from: stereax

Quote from: The Rancor

Quote from: Beeeej

Quote from: Tom Lento

Quote from: BearLoverI'm not even convinced yet he's a great coach—I mean, he probably is a good coach, but what basis do we have? A slightly over .500 record in 12 years at Clarkson?

I admit I don't understand how to evaluate college hockey records with all the OT/SOL point BS from the past several seasons, but FWIW Casey's record on CHN is listed as 234-185-56 for a .552 win percentage.

Keith Allain was 282-254-54 (.524) at Yale.
Schafer was 561-300-117 (.633) at Cornell.

I think there's really no doubt that Casey Jones is at least a good coach, and probably an excellent one. I'm also inclined to think that if Allain was capable of leading a team to a national title Jones is too, although for a good coach in the Ivies I suspect that's mostly a function of luck.

That's the wonderful and yet horrible thing about the NCAA tournament - anything can happen over the course of four single-elimination games. Allain was capable of leading that Yale team to a third-place finish in the ECAC with a reasonably decent 18-12-3 record, yet a loss in the conference tourney semifinals. They were literally the last at-large team into the NCAA tourney. But once you're in, you just have to win four in a row (two of which they did win handily, the other two in overtime). They deserved the championship because they won the four games they had to win, but it was definitely closer to the fluke end of the scale - stepping up in a big moment - than Quinnipiac's title was in 2023. Of course you have to be a good coach to get those four wins out of your team especially when they're not favored - but that win was all the more frustrating to many of us because of the sheer number of regional finals we've been to with Schafer as coach, with only one Frozen Four and no titles to show for it.

All of which is beside the point - Trotsky started this thread to suggest what Casey's aims should be compared to what Schafer's were thirty years ago, not to make predictions for Casey. I think they're perfectly reasonable, and I hope he achieves all three, and soon.

100% this. It is at this point baseline for Coach Jones to make the NCAAs, and go to the Frozen Four. We all want a Championship, and not the Whitelaw. Expectation is excellence in the ECAC. Goals are to win the big one, fill Lynah and beat Quinny and Harvard. And Clarkson. And RPI...

"Baseline: be a top four team in the country in a landscape stacked against us"

Just win the ECACs and it's a good year. Kick the shit out of Harvard and Q, great year.

If, in a 30-year span, Schafer, who by all accounts is an excellent coach, made the Frozen Four only once... well, I don't see how that can be a reasonable expectation for a new head coach with a large graduating class. Especially in a landscape where we historically have never been able to attract top top talent that has just been made worse with the advent of NIL and the subsequent rise of teams like Penn State.

Our biggest benefit was our "system" - playing as a TEAM and not as individuals. But I worry that teamwork just isn't enough in the face of sheer individual talent like some of these teams are amassing.

In either case, with such a massive shift, we need to ride out a few years and see how things go before passing any real judgment. It's entirely possible we just don't ever make the Frozen Four again, with how things are stacked. It's also entirely possible we win the Frozen Four next year. Who the hell knows?

As I think I've said before - you make the playoff dance, whether by winning Whitelaw or by ranking. Doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is winning four games in a row at that point. The regular season can go as badly as 24-25. Just need to win Whitelaw to get in and then four more games.

...In overtime against BU, it felt like the "magic" had run out. The team was just too exhausted, couldn't keep up. I had that sinking feeling in my gut minutes before the OT goal was scored.

I don't know. Winning the natty would obviously be great. I just don't think it's a realistic goal for Casey as a coach to set his benchmark at. (Obviously, that's the ultimate goal every year. But if he doesn't win it all in the next five years, I don't think that's necessarily a strike against him.)

I just want some good ass hockey, man. And hope. And I think Casey should give us both.

Being a top 4 team every year, I admit is unrealistic- perhaps I should have put that as a 'goal'

What I meant is that making the Frozen Four again is the next ratchet up in success. We've been a goal, an OT, a dang triple OT away from tasting that and I felt so deeply we deserved to be there. Alas- I am an emotional fan. And I love me some good ass hockey, win (mostly) or lose. Being so close so many years has been a blessing, I know. Drop the puck, I'm ready!

Quote from: Beeeej

Quote from: Tom Lento

Quote from: BearLoverI'm not even convinced yet he's a great coach—I mean, he probably is a good coach, but what basis do we have? A slightly over .500 record in 12 years at Clarkson?

I admit I don't understand how to evaluate college hockey records with all the OT/SOL point BS from the past several seasons, but FWIW Casey's record on CHN is listed as 234-185-56 for a .552 win percentage.

Keith Allain was 282-254-54 (.524) at Yale.
Schafer was 561-300-117 (.633) at Cornell.

I think there's really no doubt that Casey Jones is at least a good coach, and probably an excellent one. I'm also inclined to think that if Allain was capable of leading a team to a national title Jones is too, although for a good coach in the Ivies I suspect that's mostly a function of luck.

That's the wonderful and yet horrible thing about the NCAA tournament - anything can happen over the course of four single-elimination games. Allain was capable of leading that Yale team to a third-place finish in the ECAC with a reasonably decent 18-12-3 record, yet a loss in the conference tourney semifinals. They were literally the last at-large team into the NCAA tourney. But once you're in, you just have to win four in a row (two of which they did win handily, the other two in overtime). They deserved the championship because they won the four games they had to win, but it was definitely closer to the fluke end of the scale - stepping up in a big moment - than Quinnipiac's title was in 2023. Of course you have to be a good coach to get those four wins out of your team especially when they're not favored - but that win was all the more frustrating to many of us because of the sheer number of regional finals we've been to with Schafer as coach, with only one Frozen Four and no titles to show for it.

All of which is beside the point - Trotsky started this thread to suggest what Casey's aims should be compared to what Schafer's were thirty years ago, not to make predictions for Casey. I think they're perfectly reasonable, and I hope he achieves all three, and soon.

100% this. It is at this point baseline for Coach Jones to make the NCAAs, and go to the Frozen Four. We all want a Championship, and not the Whitelaw. Expectation is excellence in the ECAC. Goals are to win the big one, fill Lynah and beat Quinny and Harvard. And Clarkson. And RPI...

Quote from: adamw

Quote from: BearLoverI'm not even convinced yet he's a great coach—I mean, he probably is a good coach, but what basis do we have? A slightly over .500 record in 12 years at Clarkson? Let's have a good season or two before we start talking about national championships.  

The college hockey landscape has completely changed the last few years. ASU just signed a kid straight out of the AHL. Casey is going to need to revamp how Cornell recruits if we want to compete nationally.

This is a stretch (go figure), and no one should be worried about what ASU or Bemidji (and now Quinnipiac) has done. It's hyperbole to say "straight out of the AHL" ... The kid was in the ECHL - which is where players go after major junior when they've aged out and have nowhere else to go. The ECHL is filled with players barely as good - if at all - than what is currently in college.  The fact that he was "called up" to the AHL and played a few games, is commonplace for Double-A players and means pretty much nothing.  He played half a season in the ECHL after aging out of MJ. That's about it.

As for Casey, I've said it a thousand times - but let's do it again. He's a top shelf recruiter, and certainly a good to great coach. Equaling Schafer is a high bar. Casey is right there. He basically coached the Ohio State team that went to a Frozen Four - in addition to recruiting 3 first rounders. If you know the history there, you know what I mean when I say he basically was the head coach of that team.  What he did at Clarkson, in and out of the pandemic, was very good, given they have less to work with than Cornell does when it comes to recruiting in this landscape. He lost 2 All-American goalies at the last minute when they bailed out to go to "bigger" schools.  Goaltending was their biggest problem in the last few years, and they still knocked on the door of the NCAAs.

I'm not going to bother arguing about this - but that's it in a nutshell.

Mike Schafer also didn't pluck Casey Jones out of a hat. They've known each other for 30 years. If anyone is concerned about the Legacy and Future of Cornell Hockey, it's Coach Schafer. And if anyone knows what it's like to be a student athlete at Cornell, its Casey Jones. I like our odds.

My point wasn't the blovating, it was that you're the living embodiment of the type of prick that goes to Cornell for 4 years and spends a lifetime looking down their nose at the very people that provided your education. Prices be damned, we all know the economy sucks. What people do with their entertainment dollars is no matter to you. $400 is the price of a TV or a couple of video games. Locals certainly can't be expected to afford such luxuries. Who do they think they are, the Kennedys?

Quote from: BearLover

Quote from: upprdeckTickets are cheap, I dont think selling them for $10 vs $20 makes a difference. Its not like lowering the price is going to bring in twice as many people.

$400 season tickets is a lot for most locals.

Ah yes. The local poors from down the hill. If only we had cake to eat.

Quote from: TrotskyWell, need some time for Charlie to lie in state.

Those bozos are going to name streets after him.

Quote from: dbilmesThe NY Times published its obituary on Dryden today. I loved the anecdote about how pissed off Phil Esposito was after Dryden stoned him during the Stanley Cup finals.

 "You thieving giraffe!"

Quote from: jkahnInteresting tribute to Ken Dryden from a Penn State perspective:

statecollege.com/articles/columns/rip-ken-dryden-penn-state-hockey-thanks-you/

What a nice remembrance. Thank you for sharing.

NHL dot com Ken Dryden tribute.

Quote from: ugarteall that and a rare undefeated season

Who could ever forget?

RIP to the GOAT of 70's goaltending, an absolute legend at Cornell and in the NHL.

All-ECAC First Team   1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69   
AHCA East All-American   1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69   
ECAC Hockey All-Tournament First Team   1967, 1968, 1969   
NCAA All-Tournament First Team   1967   
NCAA All-Tournament Second Team   1968, 1969
Conn Smythe Trophy winner   1971   
Calder Memorial Trophy winner   1972   
Vezina Trophy winner   1973, 1976, 1977*, 1978*, 1979*   * Shared with Michel Larocque.
Stanley Cup champion   1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979   
Playing NHL All-Star Games   1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978   
Selected to NHL First All-Star Team   1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979.   
Selected to NHL Second All-Star Team   1972   
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame   1983   
Number 26 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players   1998   
His Number 29 retired by the Montreal Canadiens   January 29, 2007   
His number 1 retired by the Cornell   February 25, 2010   
Recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada