Cornell #4 USCHO Rankings

[lynah80]

[quote Oat]I think we are right around where we should be. If we can stay in the top four and earn a #1 seed in the NCAA regional, we will most likely make the Frozen Four. But if we slip to #6 or #7 and have to face BU or Notre Dame, it will be a coin flip.[/quote]

I think I would rather skate against Notre Dame.  BU has a more potent offense and the best power play in the nation (24%).  They don't play as consistently as Notre Dame and they have had some injury issues but if they are healthy in March/April, they will be very tough to beat.  

Notre Dame really hasn't proven themselves against a highly ranked opponent.  They have not yet beaten a top 10 ranked team.  I bet they lose at least one to Michigan this weekend.  I guess we'll see.

[marty]

[quote KeithK][quote billhoward]Are we suffering from inverted schadenfreude here? Finding displeasure and sorry in our good fortune?[/quote]
What we need is to step away from the rankings a bit and enjoy the hockey. A dozen years ago, before the PWR was widely circulated, Cornell fans would have looked at this team and thought "this is great! We're 14-2-3 and have a three point lead in the ECAC." A little more of that and a little stress about the PWR effect of each game might make things a bit more enjoyable.[/quote]

I agree.  I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Troy and Schenectady.

[Trotsky]

Just win, baby.  Cornell has swept in the North Country a whopping 4 times in the 24 years of the traveling partnerships.  No member of the current team has ever won a game in either building (unless Punches did).

[RichH]

[quote Trotsky]  No member of the current team has ever won a game in either building (unless Punches did).[/quote]

Lucky you made the disclaimer!

[BMac]

Oat, I believe!

Conditionally.

If they stay like this, improving at the same rate, we make the tourney and probably stop at the second game. That would be great. Maybe they even make the FF (it will take a couple of real good games- they've got in in them).

But if they break out and actually reach their full potential, we've got a shot at a title. Seriously, look out- if they're firing on all cylinders, lockdown defense, scoring with 3 lines, and Scrivens on his game... bring on BU.

Either way, I suspect that if all the non-seniors stay (a somewhat big if), next year they absolutely shoot for another title.

They bought into coach's system 100%, which is the difference from last year. They just need to execute. I'm really hopeful that they'll make a leap somewhere around the away games at Yale/Brown, blow through the second round and really rise above in Albany.