Some new Schafer comments (USCHO weekly column)

[sah67]

From Sullivan's weekly ECACHL column at USCHO:

"Cornell's identity crisis

Cornell's program is in the unique position of being young, inexperienced, and fighting for a first-round bye in the league playoffs.

But this pack of Big Red hopes to outlast the competition with some hot young stars and a positively adherent sense of chemistry and attitude.

"We're up and down, it's been frustrating," said 12th-year head coach Mike Schafer. "We've played well and we've played poorly. Our special teams were great against Clarkson (six for six on the penalty kill, and scored a power-play goal) but couldn't keep anything out of the net [the previous night] against St. Lawrence (allowing two PPGs, 0-11 on the power-play)."

Schafer said that the key to consistency for this team is to develop solid special-teams units.

The Big Red rank second to last in the league in both penalty-kill and power-play efficiency (11.8 and 79.7 percent, respectively), and Schafer has had his charges spend a lot of time in the video room during their extended winter break.

"The penalty-kill has come a long way in just the last two weeks," he said.

One area of the game that the coach was not terribly concerned with was the defense.

"It's not bad, just look at the opposition we've played against. Clarkson and St. Lawrence, I think we held UNH to under 20 shots (19), and Sacred Heart has some of the best players in the country if you look at the numbers."

Excluding Sacred Heart, the average ranking of Cornell's other four opponents in their last five games — Maine, Clarkson, SLU and UNH — is roughly ninth in this week's USCHO.com/CSTV poll.

Troy Davenport has played most of the minutes 'tween the twine for the Red, with a goals-against under 2.5 but a save percentage that is sub-.900 as well.

"Yeah, it concerns me," said Schafer. "It's no secret that we've pulled the goalie three or four times this year, but it's reflective of the team, how we've played. Sometimes Troy plays, sometimes not. We've given Ben (Scrivens) a chance with some minutes, and he's played well."

Overall, this season poses "a unique challenge," said Schafer. "We have a lot of young guys in positions with an awful lot of responsibilities."

With five of the next six games at home, the coach is looking forward to playing for points in a comfortable and supportive environment.

"It's great to be at home with a younger team, for the familiarity," he said, "even though that means we have a lot of road games later on."

Watch for Mitch Carefoot. The senior winger scored both of Cornell's goals last weekend, "which I guess makes him our hottest player," laughed Schafer. Carefoot has four goals in his last six games.-- "

[calgARI '07]

They have may have scored a powerplay goal against Clarkson, but the powerplay still sucked.  It blew several chances including a couple in the third period that could have gotten Cornell that game.  The powerplay at the end of regulation failed to even get set up.  

I really hope Schafer makes some changes both to the personnel and the system of the unit and I don't mean putting McLeod on the point.  

Greening-Scott-Sawada
Seminoff-Milo

Carefoot-Kennedy-Romano
Nash-Barlow

[imafrshmn]

[quote calgARI '07]They have may have scored a powerplay goal against Clarkson, but the powerplay still sucked.  It blew several chances including a couple in the third period that could have gotten Cornell that game.  The powerplay at the end of regulation failed to even get set up.  

I really hope Schafer makes some changes both to the personnel and the system of the unit and I don't mean putting McLeod on the point.  

Greening-Scott-Sawada
Seminoff-Milo

Carefoot-Kennedy-Romano
Nash-Barlow[/quote]

You mean you would take McCutcheon out of the pp with his dangerous one timer option!?!?!? :-|

[calgARI '07]

[quote imafrshmn][quote calgARI '07]They have may have scored a powerplay goal against Clarkson, but the powerplay still sucked.  It blew several chances including a couple in the third period that could have gotten Cornell that game.  The powerplay at the end of regulation failed to even get set up.  

I really hope Schafer makes some changes both to the personnel and the system of the unit and I don't mean putting McLeod on the point.  

Greening-Scott-Sawada
Seminoff-Milo

Carefoot-Kennedy-Romano
Nash-Barlow[/quote]

You mean you would take McCutcheon out of the pp with his dangerous one timer option!?!?!? :-|[/quote]

He was great earlier in the season but it has become very clear that neither he nor the unit itself are capable making the proper adjustments to teams keying on his one-timer.  To me, it is a no-brainer to take Bitz and McCutcheon off the powerplay all together because neither has contributed a thing to it over the last dozen games.  I think those two have been holding it back.  

Guys like Milo, Barlow, Nash, and Greening make things happen offensively and only Greening has been on the powerplay regularly this season while others who have contributed nothing hop over the boards every time.  They are creative but they also get the puck to the net with a sense of urgency.  I know McCutcheon and Bitz both have the capability to do the same things but they simply have not illustrated it for the majority of the season.  I don't care if they're seniors.  If they aren't producing and contributing, then you give somebody else an opportunity.  Every coach I have ever seen does that except for Schafer.  Hopefully he changes it up this weekend or I don't see the powerplay breaking out of this slump.

[Trotsky]

I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.

[Harrier]

I would like to see him let Greening run in Bitz's spot for a game and see what happens.  Seems like the guys on the ice (not the bench) try and run too much of the PP through the Captain - which is understandable being that they are young and relatively inexperienced.  Greening can be a beast down low and play Bitzy's puck control game along the boards - but may also be a bit more dynamic offensively, and the young guys might not force it to that spot just for the comfort of having the play on Bitzy's stick.

[calgARI '07]

[quote Trotsky]I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.[/quote]

You can never have too much leadership on a powerplay.  Who cares if it is in the bottom ten of the country as long as it has leadership and authority.

[Trotsky]

[quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky]I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.[/quote]

You can never have too much leadership on a powerplay.  Who cares if it is in the bottom ten of the country as long as it has leadership and authority.[/quote]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you had 230 career coaching wins.

[calgARI '07]

[quote Trotsky][quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky]I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.[/quote]

You can never have too much leadership on a powerplay.  Who cares if it is in the bottom ten of the country as long as it has leadership and authority.[/quote]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you had 230 career coaching wins.[/quote]

And that makes him capable of no wrong?

[Harrier]

Some of the identity crisis comes from the players on the ice, not from behind the bench.  Safe to say that the execution or at times lack thereof may not be wholly Schaf's design or personnel flaw - but partly poor execution on the ice by the players.  He has obviously demonstrated both the abitity to have great special teams, teach, and correct chemistry problems.  Let's hope we see evidence before the playoff push.

[KeithK]

[quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky][quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky]I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.[/quote]

You can never have too much leadership on a powerplay.  Who cares if it is in the bottom ten of the country as long as it has leadership and authority.[/quote]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you had 230 career coaching wins.[/quote]

And that makes him capable of no wrong?[/quote]No, Greg is just more willing to give Schafer the benefit of the doubt on this based on his track record of success. He probably deserves some, although as fans we have every right to question his decisions.

[calgARI '07]

[quote KeithK][quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky][quote calgARI '07][quote Trotsky]I'm guessing that if Schafer is keeping guys out on powerplay despite a lack of production, it is for reasons that go beyond the situational aspect: leadership, authority, internal dynamics of the team, mentoring of youth, etc.  If there is one thing Mike has shown himself to be over the years, it's adaptable.[/quote]

You can never have too much leadership on a powerplay.  Who cares if it is in the bottom ten of the country as long as it has leadership and authority.[/quote]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you had 230 career coaching wins.[/quote]

And that makes him capable of no wrong?[/quote]No, Greg is just more willing to give Schafer the benefit of the doubt on this based on his track record of success. He probably deserves some, although as fans we have every right to question his decisions.[/quote]

Certainly I can understand that.  He has accomplished a ton in his time as coach.  He still makes mistakes though.  

He isn't leaving Bitz and McCutcheon on the powerplay for leadership and authority - I have never heard of any coach doing that before.  He really thinks they can be contributors.  I don't doubt that they can but the fact is they haven't been and there are other guys who don't see any powerplay time that have the talent to at least be given a chance.

[Trotsky]

[quote calgARI '07]I don't doubt that they can but the fact is they haven't been and there are other guys who don't see any powerplay time that have the talent to at least be given a chance.[/quote]

Ari, my point is that he obviously sees this because you do, I do, and everybody else does.  So, use Occam's Razor.  Schafer isn't doing so because:

1) The guys we think ought to get time aren't showing him all that much in practice, or
2) Wheels within wheels -- whether you call it leadership and authority or whatever, there are internal dramas going on outsiders know nothing about it, or
3) He's suddenly become an idiot.

I just don't find it parsimonious to jump immediately to 3).