Playoff early line - CU vs. Harvard, Clarkson, SLU?

[billhoward]

[quote (Parsed from Trotsky and Jim Hyla posts)]

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Standings heading into final 2 weekends:
 1  27 SLU   RPI     Union   @Quin   @Prin
 2  25 Clk   Union   RPI     @Prin   @Quin
 3  22 Qpc   @CU     @gate   SLU     Clk
[b] 4  20 Cor   Quin    Prin    @Dmth   @Hvd[/b]
 5  19 Drt   @Brwn   @Yale   CU      gate
T6  17 Col   Prin    Quin    @Hvd    @Dmth
T7  17 Hvd   @Yale   @Brwn   gate    CU
 8  16 Prn   @gate   @CU     Clk     SLU
 9  14 RPI   @SLU    @Clk    Brwn    Yale
T10 13 Brn   Dmth    Hvd     @RPI    @Union
T10 13 UC    @Clk    @SLU    Yale    Brwn
T10 13 Yal   Hvd     Dmth    @Union  @RPI[/quote]

Can you see us and RichS at opposite corners of Pepsi now AlbanyTimesUnionArena yelling at each other Friday of the ECAC semis as we face off yet again? Givens (if such are possible in this league):

1 St. Lawrence and 2 Clarkson are not going to be dislodged from the top spots. They'll go 4-0 or 3-1 the rest of the way most likely.
3 Quinnipiac has the toughest remaining schedule. 3-1 2-2 or 1-3 are all possible ways to play out against Cornell, Colgate, SLU and Clarkson. An 0-4 choke would not be impossible.
4 Cornell has only one allegedly easy game left (Princeton) and has proven it has the ability to lose to or tie any team in the nation no matter how poor their record. Or beat any team. Cornell needs a home sweep heading into the final weekend at Harvard and at Dartmouth.

The most delicious possibility for the playoffs would be for T6 Harvard to finish alone in 6th while Cornell climbs to 3. Or for Harvard to climb to 5 if Cornell stays at 4. Assuming the first-round play-in games go more or less according to form (the quarters are reseeded so No. 1 plays the low surviving team, not the 8-9 winner), then in a 3-6 or 4-5 series we'd get Harvard in Ithaca for the quarterfinal, best two-of-three series. Ithaca doesn't have enough fresh seafood to support that contest, but we can hope for the pairing. If so, the only sure thing is that CSTV will lose the feed repeatedly while the webcast of the JV wrestling match will come across 5-by-5.

Then (if we're #3) on to Albany and Clarkson Friday, before a title match against St. Lawrence Saturday. Or if we stay in fourth and the seeds play and win according to form (hah!), we'd get St. Lawrence on Friday and assuming a win Friday Clarkson on Saturday. David Leggio could then play the heroic but ultimately unsuccessful Bruce Bullock in goal to Scrivens/Davenport playing Brian Cropper (the assumed name Ken Dryden played under in 1970) in the title match. Question is who'd play the role of defenseman Dan Lodboa, who scored three third period goals (do I have my history lesson correct?) in knocking off Clarkson 6-4 (actually that was the following week, but never mind)?

If I recall correctly, playoffs are first round 5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9 with byes for 1-2-3-4 and an extra week to recuperate. In the quarters, 1 plays low survivor, 2 plays second-low survivor, etcetera. I'm trying to recall how standings-ties are handled for seeding purposes and if the teams are reseeded again for the quarterfinals in Albany.

[Will]

Bill, your post is dangerously too close to woofing for my tastes.

That said, Harvard coming back to Lynah would be awesome...and fitting, since in the previous 11 seasons of Schafer's tenure, Cornell and Harvard have met in the postseason 8 times.  This includes 6 times in the last 7 years.

[jtwcornell91]

[quote billhoward]If I recall correctly, playoffs are first round 5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9 with byes for 1-2-3-4 and an extra week to recuperate. In the quarters, 1 plays low survivor, 2 plays second-low survivor, etcetera. I'm trying to recall how standings-ties are handled for seeding purposes and if the teams are reseeded again for the quarterfinals in Albany.[/quote]

-- Head-to-head record
-- Record vs top 4
-- Record vs top 8
-- Head-to-head goals
-- Net goals vs top 4
-- Net goals vs top 8
-- Coin flip

Lots of complicated and fun things happen if three or more teams are tied, or if there are ties involving 4th/5th and/or 8th/9th place.

Note that wins are never used as a tie-breaker.  For all ECAC seeding purposes, two ties are as good as a win and a loss.

[Rich S]

I do hope to be there on Friday evening regardless of the foe.  But cannot attend on Saturday.

Leggio as Bullock and Scrivens/Davenport?  Wow, you have a vivid imagination son.  :-D

My vivid recollection of their duel in Potsdam on 2/2/71 is forever etched in my brain.  Sorry but I wasn't there for the two playoff games in March, 1970.  I'm not THAT old.

[Trotsky]

The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.

[Chris '03]

[quote Trotsky]The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure that game was in Lake Placid, not Albany.

[Josh '99]

[quote Will]Bill, your post is dangerously too close to woofing for my tastes.[/quote]I don't so much care about woofing, but it does seem to be getting ahead of things.

[Josh '99]

[quote Chris '03][quote Trotsky]The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure that game was in Lake Placid, not Albany.[/quote]It definitely was.

[Robb]

[quote Chris '03][quote Trotsky]The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure that game was in Lake Placid, not Albany.[/quote]
No question.  

"Where is Vermont?"
"Princeton beat you!"
"The Fat Guy Sucks!"

Good times...

[KeithK]

[quote Trotsky]The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.[/quote]Not exciting?  The last few minutes of the game were about as nerve wracking/exciting as any I can remember.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone.  Ice the puck.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone.  Ice the puck.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone... Rinse and repeat like 20 times...

[Trotsky]

[quote KeithK][quote Trotsky]The 97 final is one of the gutsiest upset wins in program history.  Not the most exciting hockey in the storied Clarkson rivalry, but one of the most satisfying results.[/quote]Not exciting?  The last few minutes of the game were about as nerve wracking/exciting as any I can remember.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone.  Ice the puck.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone.  Ice the puck.  Faceoff in the Cornell zone... Rinse and repeat like 20 times...[/quote]

Absolutely it was nerve wracking.  But to be fair the entire game was Cornell scraping the puck along the boards and Clarkson frantically trying to free up space and actually do stuff like pass and shoot.  Cornell was in way over thei heads in talent, knew it, and Mike had A Plan.  And it worked.  It was vintage New Jersey Devils -- bore/frustrate the opposition into making mistakes, capitalize once or twice, then hold on with bleeding fingernails.

I'm not about to return the trophy.  ::banana::

It was in Lake Placid.  I have the bruises from the party at Mud Puddles to prove it.