11/9 Union

[unionhockeynews]

I just got back from Schafer's postgamer, and here's what he had to say:

http://youtu.be/9LOuIgwVQkI

Union reacton:
Bennett: http://t.co/fCFRmsRDgT
Gostisbehere, Ikkala: http://t.co/linPEr87Nr

[scoop85]

I just got back from Schafer's postgamer, and here's what he had to say:

http://youtu.be/9LOuIgwVQkI

Union reacton:
Bennett: http://t.co/fCFRmsRDgT
Gostisbehere, Ikkala: http://t.co/linPEr87Nr

Schafer was obviously ticked-off at his team's effort, and who can blame him.  The boys are in for a tough week ahead.

[BearLover]

It's one thing to lose (poorly,) but it's an entirely different thing to lose like this.  They aren't as talented as the other players in the league, that much has been clear for some time, but to not even try?  These kids are an embarrassment.

This, on the other hand, is a troll post.

[BearLover]

I just got back from Schafer's postgamer, and here's what he had to say:

http://youtu.be/9LOuIgwVQkI

Union reacton:
Bennett: http://t.co/fCFRmsRDgT
Gostisbehere, Ikkala: http://t.co/linPEr87Nr

Schafer was obviously ticked-off at his team's effort, and who can blame him.  The boys are in for a tough week ahead.

How many times are we going to fall for the effort being the problem?  At this point it has to be something else.

[Trotsky]

How many times are we going to fall for the effort being the problem?  At this point it has to be something else.

Not sure what you are referring to.  Talent?  There are 7 NHL draft picks on the roster.  Coaching ability?  Schafer is the most successful active ECAC coach.  Inflexibility?  That seems to be the gist of a lot of the comments for the last few seasons.  Maybe it is a genuine problem.

This was an awful weekend, though going into it I would have taken a point given that it might be the 1-2 teams in the conference.  Despite Clarkson (edit: and, it turns out, SLU too) playing well to start the year, next weekend there is no such excuse.  Those are teams we ought to beat, even on the road.

[Trotsky]

Does anyone actually think this team is good?  This team is 0-6 or 1-5 without Iles.

EDIT: Sorry, will expand so this isn't dismissed as a troll post.  Cornell gets badly outshot almost every game.  They show no semblance of offensive skill except on the top line or two, but the top lines of other teams are faster and more coordinated.  The PP looks awful, especially when you consider it's the five best players we have.  It is absurd that a team with so much talent has been outshot this season 2-to-1.  And people here thought it was good that Yale won last year?  Cornell isn't even a top team in its conference; it can forget about competing nationally.

I won't dismiss this as a troll post.  It's warranted to ask if we're a good team given the bad start.

We've been outshot 177-114 through 6 games, or 29.5 - 19.0.  That is astoundingly poor.  To lend perspective, last year's squad was outshot 995-939 in 34 games, or 29.3 - 27.6.

There is offensive skill on the squad: Ferlin of course, Mowrey, Ryan, Lowry, and Bardreau when he's available.  McCarron's production is a pleasant shock (which may not last), but there is little chemistry (again, not to beat an injured horse, except for Bardreau, who has instant chemistry with nearly everyone).

The three areas we identified at the beginning of the season most in need of improvement were: cutting down on the dumb penalties, improving the special teams, and holding leads in the third.  The penalties are down (the UNO series had a lot of PIM, but they weren't the head-in-rectum stuff they were doing last year).  The special teams suck, no improvement there.  The third period lead protection actually has been there -- in fact, twice they have come back to rescue points.

On the other hand, the evaporation of the offense (really, of the entire puck possession part of the game) swamps all the improvements and leaves them just as bad or worse off.  They are tracking exactly like last season thus far.

[BearLover]

How many times are we going to fall for the effort being the problem?  At this point it has to be something else.

Not sure what you are referring to.  Talent?  There are 7 NHL draft picks on the roster.  Coaching ability?  Schafer is the most successful active ECAC coach.  Inflexibility?  That seems to be the gist of a lot of the comments for the last few seasons.  Maybe it is a genuine problem.

This was an awful weekend, though going into it I would have taken a point given that it might be the 1-2 teams in the conference.  Despite Clarkson (edit: and, it turns out, SLU too) playing well to start the year, next weekend there is no such excuse.  Those are teams we ought to beat, even on the road.

I don't know what I'm referring to either.  But I'm confident effort is not the problem.  Talent isn't the problem either.  Schafer is the most successful ECAC coach...but no one is successful forever.  This goes hand-in-hand with Cornell's inflexibility and inability to adapt to a league that won't sit back and let Cornell push them around anymore.  Further, I've never seen a team where the 3rd and 4th lines generate literally zero offense. But it's the defense, too, that leads to so few goals; other than Ryan, does anyone on defense ever show up on the score sheet?  Like, EVER?

[css228]

Does anyone actually think this team is good?

I most definitely don't

[CowbellGuy]

It's a good team that's very thin up the middle, and Bardreau being out really throws a wrench in the works. When RPI runs away with the regular season at least, that tie will look a bit more impressive. The Union game, however, was a mess, and hopefully not the start of a trend.

[css228]

It's a good team that's very thin up the middle, and Bardreau being out really throws a wrench in the works. When RPI runs away with the regular season at least, that tie will look a bit more impressive. The Union game, however, was a mess, and hopefully not the start of a trend.

Good teams don't get outshot as badly as we do even strength. Unless they get super lucky like the Maple Leafs. Possible over the course of 40ish games? Sure. Likely? Nope. I doubt we're going to win a ton this year.

[Dafatone]

It's November 10th.

Also, as we learned last year, Bardreau is a really, really important piece of this team.

But mostly, it's November 10th.

[carpy85]

It's November 10th.

Also, as we learned last year, Bardreau is a really, really important piece of this team.

But mostly, it's November 10th.

Agreed; the team is still finding is stride and chemistry. This year we have a large freshman class who isn't used to playing a game one night and turn around and play another game the next night. Bardreau has been out again which I am sure puts a psychological toll on the returning group after a season like the last.
There is a spark of hope for a decent season; once Bardreau is back and healthy and the freshman are a bit more accustomed to the NCAA level I believe that we may see something like the classic Cornell Hockey we missed last season.

[Towerroad]

I just got back from Schafer's postgamer, and here's what he had to say:

http://youtu.be/9LOuIgwVQkI

Union reacton:
Bennett: http://t.co/fCFRmsRDgT
Gostisbehere, Ikkala: http://t.co/linPEr87Nr

"A good carpenter does not blame his tools"

[TimV]

I'm confident effort is not the problem.  Talent isn't the problem either.  Schafer is the most successful ECAC coach...but no one is successful forever.  This goes hand-in-hand with Cornell's inflexibility and inability to adapt to a league that won't sit back and let Cornell push them around anymore.

One of the quickest ways to get flame roasted around here is to doubt a coach, one of our own, with such a successful history. But what BearLover says has an eerie deja-vu vibe that I remember from Richie Moran's last few years. His last teams had a similar pattern.  It's worth thinking about.

Watching Union's ascent, and seeing the press conferences, I really like Rick Bennett.  He reminds me a lot of another coach from the Capital District that holds a special place in our hearts.

[Jim Hyla]

How many times are we going to fall for the effort being the problem?  At this point it has to be something else.

Not sure what you are referring to.  Talent?  There are 7 NHL draft picks on the roster.  Coaching ability?  Schafer is the most successful active ECAC coach.  Inflexibility?  That seems to be the gist of a lot of the comments for the last few seasons.  Maybe it is a genuine problem.

This was an awful weekend, though going into it I would have taken a point given that it might be the 1-2 teams in the conference.  Despite Clarkson (edit: and, it turns out, SLU too) playing well to start the year, next weekend there is no such excuse.  Those are teams we ought to beat, even on the road.

With Clarkson at 11, and SLU at 17 (USCHO), these aren't gimme games. Especially on the road, with no band.::panic::