Game 2: Cornell 1, Clarkson 4

[ugarte]

I apologize everyone I started listening an 1-0 and then the wheels kind of came off right away.

[Trotsky]

It's all your fault.

We drop to 16 in PWR, so probably no NC$$ without reaching the ECAC final.  Which is fine, since the whole point of the season to win the ECACs.  

[BearLover]

It's all your fault.

We drop to 16 in PWR, so probably no NC$$ without reaching the ECAC final.  Which is fine, since the whole point of the season to win the ECACs.  

Except it's not fine because Cornell is quite unlikely to do so.

[Dafatone]

It's all your fault.

We drop to 16 in PWR, so probably no NC$$ without reaching the ECAC final.  Which is fine, since the whole point of the season to win the ECACs.  

Except it's not fine because Cornell is quite unlikely to do so.

If our goal is to win it all, or the ECAC, or whatever, we have to go through Union to do so.  I don't mind an early shot at them (and there's a first step to take care of tomorrow).

But, you know, keep on being all pessimistic.  That works too.

[Swampy]

It's all your fault.

We drop to 16 in PWR, so probably no NC$$ without reaching the ECAC final.  Which is fine, since the whole point of the season to win the ECACs.  

Except it's not fine because Cornell is quite unlikely to do so.

I want this team to play at least one NCAA Game, not for this year but for next. With this year's junior class, next year will be our best chance in some time. The experience will be valuable.

[BearLover]

It's all your fault.

We drop to 16 in PWR, so probably no NC$$ without reaching the ECAC final.  Which is fine, since the whole point of the season to win the ECACs.  

Except it's not fine because Cornell is quite unlikely to do so.

If our goal is to win it all, or the ECAC, or whatever, we have to go through Union to do so.  I don't mind an early shot at them (and there's a first step to take care of tomorrow).

But, you know, keep on being all pessimistic.  That works too.

I'm not being pessimistic, I'm being realistic: Cornell is a major underdog to beat Clarkson AND Union.  I'd say probably around 20%?

[MattS]

Well that was a pretty bad game. Not much positive to take away. I guess for some stretches CU controlled play and got some OK chances, but right from the start they were not playing nearly as hard as Clarkson was. Well, that's not quite true the penalty kill on the 5 x 3 was good. Those boys worked hard!

The "ref" Baker was making some interesting calls. I'm not sure what game he was watching but I believe it was a different one from the one I was. The Ryan penalty was a very bad call in my opinion. 5 years ago that was a good clean open ice check. But I understand with today's worry about concussions it gets called more often than not. But the 5 minutes surprised me as did the ejection. But maybe that is automatic with a major contact to the head penalty? And Prusak was the one who convince the refs to make the Ryan penalty a major. That guy sucks.

Schafer baffles me again and again. In the third period the line of Freschi, Dias, and Craig were playing the best. Granted they are not a scoring line but damn at least they were keeping it in the Clarkson end unlike the first two lines. I think they got three shifts. Of course maybe this says more about they rest of the team than it does about Schafer.

For as good as Andy look last night to me he looked bad tonight. It felt to me like he was fighting the puck. Although the first goal there wasn't much he could do on it. And maybe the second he was screened. I couldn't really tell but I thought that was the case. But even so at other times he looked very shaky to me.

I'm glad Buckles was sat. I assume he was sat for his bone headed penalty last night late in the game and was not hurt.

At least we get another game tomorrow. I just hope they guys come our and play hard for 60 minutes. Otherwise its going to be a long night again.

[Trotsky]

I'm glad Buckles was sat. I assume he was sat for his bone headed penalty last night late in the game and was not hurt.

In the pre-game Schafer indicated that Buckles was a healthy scratch because of the retaliation.  He did defend Matt by saying Clarkson was hassling him with stick play all night, but the main lesson is you can't take the penalty in that situation regardless of provocation.  Hopefully it's a lesson learned because we do need guys out there who can generate chances.

[MattS]

I'm glad Buckles was sat. I assume he was sat for his bone headed penalty last night late in the game and was not hurt.

In the pre-game Schafer indicated that Buckles was a healthy scratch because of the retaliation.  He did defend Matt by saying Clarkson was hassling him with stick play all night, but the main lesson is you can't take the penalty in that situation regardless of provocation.  Hopefully it's a lesson learned because we do need guys out there who can generate chances.

Thanks. I agree with you and Schafer on this account. I'd do the same as Schafer did and then play him tomorrow.

[Scersk '97]

In the third period the line of Freschi, Dias, and Craig were playing the best. Granted they are not a scoring line...

Not to be harsh, but you've undermined your own quibble with Schafer. Craig's history of timely goal scoring notwithstanding, there is about a .042% chance that 2/3rds of that line will make the score sheet, and I'm leaving Freschi out of it only because he's a freshman. Indeed, if you wish to consider why it is that this team is more than offensively challenged, you might want to look at the points differential between our "3rd" and "checking" lines—hint, it ain't much. (What I wouldn't give for Abbott, Abbott, Hornby, as a third line for this team.)

When you're behind, you need to score goals; thus, you need to have lines on the ice that can score goals.

[upprdeck]

i cant fault the effort.. we outshot them 12-1 in the 3rd after starting it with 4 min left on the major. easily had 15-20 solid scoring chances in the 3rd alone. the cross bar late hurt, rebound after rebound sitting in the crease. we need to put a couple of them home.. hard to fault andy so far.  a penalty shot that was a bad call, 2 power goals, an empty net goal. one goal tonight was because the lineman was in a bad spot and the easy clear turned into an extended pp chance and a goal.  thats probably 4-5 times in this series the refs have been in a bad spot and cost us possession

clarkson isnt allowing goals but so many pucks are missing . 2 tonight the goalie misplayed off his glove that went high or wide

[MattS]

In the third period the line of Freschi, Dias, and Craig were playing the best. Granted they are not a scoring line...

Not to be harsh, but you've undermined your own quibble with Schafer. Craig's history of timely goal scoring notwithstanding, there is about a .042% chance that 2/3rds of that line will make the score sheet, and I'm leaving Freschi out of it only because he's a freshman. Indeed, if you wish to consider why it is that this team is more than offensively challenged, you might want to look at the points differential between our "3rd" and "checking" lines—hint, it ain't much. (What I wouldn't give for Abbott, Abbott, Hornby, as a third line for this team.)

When you're behind, you need to score goals; thus, you need to have lines on the ice that can score goals.

Yeah I understand. The point I was trying to make (badly) was while that line is not a scoring line at least the we're dominating Clarkson while they were out there which was way more than the top 2 lines were. I'm pretty sure that the chances of Ferlin, Lowry, and co scoring from the defensive zone is a heck of a lot less than the 3rd line playing hard in the offensive zone.

[Scersk '97]

I'm pretty sure that the chances of Ferlin, Lowry, and co scoring from the defensive zone is a heck of a lot less than the 3rd line playing hard in the offensive zone.

Agreed there. Gotta say, whereas Lowry and Bardreau were all over the ice, Ferlin had a pretty quiet game five on five... Tomorrow, one of those top two lines needs to pop in an early one. Get it to the net, boys!

[Trotsky]

The point I was trying to make (badly) was while that line is not a scoring line at least the we're dominating Clarkson while they were out there which was way more than the top 2 lines were. I'm pretty sure that the chances of Ferlin, Lowry, and co scoring from the defensive zone is a heck of a lot less than the 3rd line playing hard in the offensive zone.

For most of this series it's seemed like our most powerful offensive threat has been MacDonald.

Also, did I hear right that Sexton won 14 of his 15 faceoffs?  Yikes.

[MattS]

The point I was trying to make (badly) was while that line is not a scoring line at least the we're dominating Clarkson while they were out there which was way more than the top 2 lines were. I'm pretty sure that the chances of Ferlin, Lowry, and co scoring from the defensive zone is a heck of a lot less than the 3rd line playing hard in the offensive zone.

For most of this series it's seemed like our most powerful offensive threat has been MacDonald.

Also, did I hear right that Sexton won 14 of his 15 faceoffs?  Yikes.

MacDonald's play has been excellent. He's come a long way recently.

Wouldn't surprise me if he won that many faceoffs. We were joking in my section about how badly the play went right after CU called timeout was because Bardreau actually won a faceoff and the play Schafer drew up was based off a faceoff loss.