Big Line-up Changes for Brown Game

[Rosey]

6. Coaching - The coaching staff isn't reaching the players or effectively instilling in them the spirit of Cornell hockey.

I'm not saying this is a problem, only that not including it in a list of potential problems is missing (or deliberately excluding) one of the more obvious inputs to a successful team.

In terms of coaching, I'm not ready to suggest that Schafer be fired, but maybe it's time to hire an offensive-minded assistant. According to the stats Ithacat posted above (as well as the eyes of anyone who has seen the team play), the problem is offense (or more accurately the lack thereof). Whatever offensive strategy Schafer is using isn't working, and maybe a fresh perspective would help.

It's possible the undisciplined play and bad penalties result mostly from frustration rather than from a genetic disposition toward douchebaggery, so there is at least some logical support for your viewpoint.

Edit: I meant that to sound more supportive than it did. IAWYASYN.

[marty]

[Towerroad]

6. Coaching - The coaching staff isn't reaching the players or effectively instilling in them the spirit of Cornell hockey.

I'm not saying this is a problem, only that not including it in a list of potential problems is missing (or deliberately excluding) one of the more obvious inputs to a successful team.

A lot of folks here are dodging the issue of accountability.At the beginning of the season, the pundits and many on this page were praising the depth of potential on he team. We have gone from a place where no one would be surprised if we made the frozen four to making the NCAA tournament would be a surprise.

The coach is accountable here. He is paid (presumably quite well) to find the talent with potential and turn that potential into results. That clearly is not happening.

I for one am seeing the same thing we have been seeing for the past 5 years. A team that struggles with an aggressive forecheck. Trouble moving the puck through the nuetral zone, a dump and chase offense, and a powerplay that relies on shots from the point with hopes for a rebound. I think the rest of the ECAC has our number and is playing accordingly and it does not appear that we are adapting.

The coach has been here for 18 years with a solid record of success. He deserves the benefit of the doubt but there should be doubt at this point and he should be held accountable.

[BearLover]

6. Coaching - The coaching staff isn't reaching the players or effectively instilling in them the spirit of Cornell hockey.

I'm not saying this is a problem, only that not including it in a list of potential problems is missing (or deliberately excluding) one of the more obvious inputs to a successful team.

A lot of folks here are dodging the issue of accountability.At the beginning of the season, the pundits and many on this page were praising the depth of potential on he team. We have gone from a place where no one would be surprised if we made the frozen four to making the NCAA tournament would be a surprise.

The coach is accountable here. He is paid (presumably quite well) to find the talent with potential and turn that potential into results. That clearly is not happening.

I for one am seeing the same thing we have been seeing for the past 5 years. A team that struggles with an aggressive forecheck. Trouble moving the puck through the nuetral zone, a dump and chase offense, and a powerplay that relies on shots from the point with hopes for a rebound. I think the rest of the ECAC has our number and is playing accordingly and it does not appear that we are adapting.

The coach has been here for 18 years with a solid record of success. He deserves the benefit of the doubt but there should be doubt at this point and he should be held accountable.

This is a really good post and basically sums everything up.  Our conference success has diminished over recent years, but our national success hasn't.  And that's probably why: when you're a system team that wins nearly every year, the other programs in your conference take notice and build themselves to beat you.

[Dafatone]

6. Coaching - The coaching staff isn't reaching the players or effectively instilling in them the spirit of Cornell hockey.

I'm not saying this is a problem, only that not including it in a list of potential problems is missing (or deliberately excluding) one of the more obvious inputs to a successful team.

A lot of folks here are dodging the issue of accountability.At the beginning of the season, the pundits and many on this page were praising the depth of potential on he team. We have gone from a place where no one would be surprised if we made the frozen four to making the NCAA tournament would be a surprise.

The coach is accountable here. He is paid (presumably quite well) to find the talent with potential and turn that potential into results. That clearly is not happening.

I for one am seeing the same thing we have been seeing for the past 5 years. A team that struggles with an aggressive forecheck. Trouble moving the puck through the nuetral zone, a dump and chase offense, and a powerplay that relies on shots from the point with hopes for a rebound. I think the rest of the ECAC has our number and is playing accordingly and it does not appear that we are adapting.

The coach has been here for 18 years with a solid record of success. He deserves the benefit of the doubt but there should be doubt at this point and he should be held accountable.

This is a really good post and basically sums everything up.  Our conference success has diminished over recent years, but our national success hasn't.  And that's probably why: when you're a system team that wins nearly every year, the other programs in your conference take notice and build themselves to beat you.

Very good point.  And up until the Denver mess, this was a pretty great out of conference season.  Well, kind of great.  Diminished by all the teams we played falling apart, perhaps.

[RatushnyFan]

How come nobody gets on Ryan's case?  I see Gotovets basically willing to risk major injury blocking a shot at the end of regulation and then a few minutes later Ryan reacts sssslllllloooowwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy on a somewhat analogous play in front of the net in OT.  He may have had less time to react but there was little urgency.

[billhoward]

My guess is they're [Quinnipiac] academically better than most of the non-Ivies in the ECAC.

Q has certainly come up but better than who besides St. Lawrence? Clarkson? The ECAC is pretty solid academically. US News has Quinnipiac ranked below Ithaca College in its grouping. The Q campus is definitely getting better, there are more academic offerings, and the arena is the qualified best (best = most modern, most comfortable) in the ECAC. It wouldn't hurt if the buildings had mature trees around them. It's hard to compare the quality of an engineering degree in cold particle studies from Clarkson with a Quinnipiac degree from the Ed McMahon school of communications. It's safe to say players' parents would feel comfortable that a student-athlete could get a decent education at Q.

Colgate #18 national liberal arts colleges (per US News)
Union #41 national liberal arts colleges
St. Lawrence #56 national liberal arts colleges

RPI #41 national universities (Ivies are 1-2-3-4-8-10-T15-T15 (Cornell is 15))
Clarkson #115 national universities

Quinnipiac #15 regional universities north (Villanova #1, Ithaca #10)

[billhoward]

Quinnipiac is the hardest to explain. I know little about them academically -- I don't think that I have ever met a graduate.

Listen for the diction. He's the one who says, "You want this for here or to go?"

[Johnny 5]

Quinnipiac is the hardest to explain. I know little about them academically -- I don't think that I have ever met a graduate.

Listen for the diction. He's the one who says, "You want this for here or to go?"

Hey, they have a great Pole!!



::doh::

[Trotsky]

How come nobody gets on Ryan's case?  I see Gotovets basically willing to risk major injury blocking a shot at the end of regulation and then a few minutes later Ryan reacts sssslllllloooowwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy on a somewhat analogous play in front of the net in OT.  He may have had less time to react but there was little urgency.

People here have been on Ryan's case from time to time, though it has been about turnovers in the D zone.  I've never really seen that as a severe problem and more a consequence of the fact that he seems to be on the ice about 40 minutes a night.  The only real problem I have with him is that it seems like the sparkling play he showed the first two thirds of his freshman year has dimmed significantly.  That may be by design (He Has Been Assimilated Into The System) or it may be another consequences of playing every other shift for 2 years.

If Gotovets was at Kentucky he'd have gotten hazard pay for his play last weekend.  The last guy I remember completely risking his life like that on the ice is the guy behind the bench.

[BMac]

Is there a replay of Gotovets jumping on this grenade?? It sounds so good...

[margolism]

I didn't include coaching in my list because the coaching staff has not changed from last season to this season.  I would also expect the coaching staff to remain fairly consistent in appraoch and motivation, especially if there were no personnel changes. I don't think (but I could be wrong) that, with two Cornell alums on the coaching staff, they aren't doing all they can to instill a sense of Cornell hockey pride, motivate the team and coach as well as possible.  

The other five items I identified are more variable in nature, and is more measurable.  Having said that, this could just be an unlucky year.

Look at Yale's record the last few seasons:

2009-2010 21-10-3
2010-2011 28-7-1
2011-2012 16-16-3 - their "down" year, which included losses to some weaker teams (like a home loss to RPI)
2012-2013 12-5-3 in progress

Looks like we are having a season similar to Yale's 2011-2012 season.  If we finish one game above 500, we will have a near-identical record to their 2011-2012 team.

[marty]

Is there a replay of Gotovets jumping on this grenade?? It sounds so good...

More like he jumped in front of a mortar round than on a hand grenade.

[Jim Hyla]

Did anyone hear the pre-game where coach talked about why he was making the changes? He talked about the fact that he should have done it sooner.  It sounds a lot like bringing up your child, the sooner you try to set up the rules the easier it gets.  He took full responsibility for the fact that he has not been able to get things to turn around. It didn't sound like he did it because it was Brown and we could win anyway.  Rather that if he doesn't do it now, the season will be lost.  

If it does get some players to turn around and play smarter, then we might have a reasonable chance of winning 4 out of the next 6 games.

[MattS]

I look at the scratching of some players doesn't necessarily have an immediate or great effect but (hopefully) will have a bigger impact in the games to come after said players earn their way back onto the lineup.