Future Coaching?

[Dafatone]

I still don't understand how people can still imply that Schafer hasn't changed. The way the team tries to play now is nothing like when he came in the mid-90s. Nor is it like the glory days of 2003. He is playing a much more uptempo game and when he finds a line that can do it, the "JAM" line, he keeps them together and lets them go. He has been mixing and matching other players, mainly because he can't find a good combo. If we had 3 lines like them, don't you think our "style" and flow would be much different? Kubiak has blossomed this year. He had 1 goal in each of his first 2 years. Don't you think that the new line-mates allowed his talent to show?

Have you watched McCrea play? He's a great D'man with terrific offensive talent.

No, there's no doubt in my mind that Schafer wants to play a more uptempo game. We just need to give some time to assemble more of the right kind of players. I'm sure that he thought he had them with last years seniors, but he didn't. As I posted on the Awards Thread, "Along the Boards" rates CU's freshmen class #1 in the ECAC. It's not surprising that 3 of our top 4 scorers, the fourth is Kubiak, are freshmen. I hope we can get more like those.

With talented freshmen like that the AD would be crazy to not extend Schafer's contract and see what a few more years would bring.

I was going to make it a separate post, but it's okay here. For all those who feel we can get a better coach, what coaches in the ECAC have show the kind of consistent, long term (at least 5 years) success that you think we're lacking? Yale, yes. Q, yes, but I wouldn't take him. SLU, maybe, but it's still too early to tell. Do you think there are other coaches that you'd trade for? Not I.

Schafer literally stated after last season ended that he tried new things, they failed, and that he's reverting to his old system.  I don't know how generally he was speaking or if he was only speaking about one strategy in particular (forechecking, perhaps).  And if you listen to the player interviews, it's all about "being strong on D" and "sticking to the system."  Again, I don't know if that system is the same system Schafer employed in 2002, but at the very least it's facially similar, and the players he has are almost carbon copies of those of Schafer's entire tenure.  Sure, there's the occasional Vanderlaan; there's also the occasional Roezler, Gallager, Vesce, etc.  

The closest thing we've had to an up-tempo style of play was last year's senior class, and that ended in complete disaster.

I'm not sure what the precise change was (I think this was discussed at some point), but I don't think it was necessarily one of tempo.  Something with the forecheck, maybe?

This year, we seem to be playing a balanced game.  We're putting enough shots on net most games.  There are definite issues, sure.  We're too passive towards the end of games, especially with a lead.  I think this has more to do with young players tiring than the system, but it's both.  We kinda suck at clearing the zone and effectively breaking out, which is keeping us pinned in our own end.  And we seem to be a little lost on how to get shots on net from the point, especially on the power play.  There's a LOT of holding on to the puck, waiting, then deciding to shoot and firing off defenders' ankles.  We need to be making more quick decisions and one timed shots and passes, rather than waiting for an open lane that never comes.

But we're an okay young team.  That always bodes well.  No one's happy with 8th in the ECAC, but the ECAC's been weird this season.  We finished at 22 points in 22 games.  That's a .500 season.  Obviously, we'd like to do better.  But it could be a lot worse.

Of course, it could also be a lot better.  I say Schafer gets at least one more year to see what he can do developing the young talent.

It's really, really, REALLY weird to see people excited about how small incoming players are.  Not wrong.  Just weird.

[marty]

I still don't understand how people can still imply that Schafer hasn't changed. The way the team tries to play now is nothing like when he came in the mid-90s. Nor is it like the glory days of 2003. He is playing a much more uptempo game and when he finds a line that can do it, the "JAM" line, he keeps them together and lets them go. He has been mixing and matching other players, mainly because he can't find a good combo. If we had 3 lines like them, don't you think our "style" and flow would be much different? Kubiak has blossomed this year. He had 1 goal in each of his first 2 years. Don't you think that the new line-mates allowed his talent to show?

Have you watched McCrea play? He's a great D'man with terrific offensive talent.

No, there's no doubt in my mind that Schafer wants to play a more uptempo game. We just need to give some time to assemble more of the right kind of players. I'm sure that he thought he had them with last years seniors, but he didn't. As I posted on the Awards Thread, "Along the Boards" rates CU's freshmen class #1 in the ECAC. It's not surprising that 3 of our top 4 scorers, the fourth is Kubiak, are freshmen. I hope we can get more like those.

With talented freshmen like that the AD would be crazy to not extend Schafer's contract and see what a few more years would bring.

I was going to make it a separate post, but it's okay here. For all those who feel we can get a better coach, what coaches in the ECAC have show the kind of consistent, long term (at least 5 years) success that you think we're lacking? Yale, yes. Q, yes, but I wouldn't take him. SLU, maybe, but it's still too early to tell. Do you think there are other coaches that you'd trade for? Not I.

I say hire Mike Eaves. He won it all.::whistle::::bolt::

[Swampy]

It's really, really, REALLY weird to see people excited about how small incoming players are.  Not wrong.  Just weird.

Well, they're using size as a proxy for speed, quickness, and stick handling. Of course, the new crop of small players may be just as slow, lethargic, and unable to stick handle. Time will tell.

[cuhockey93]

The lack of development of last years senior class was much more discouraging than anything Schafer has done this year. The fact that a team mostly composed of Freshman got within a goal of the Frozen Four only to see the players perform no better 3 seasons later was unacceptable (see Capt. John McCarron). Also as others have said Cornell hockey is boring. Look at what Ghost is doing at the next level, just like he did against us. That is the style of play that current students are accustomed to. Most students don't even remember the 90s devils teams...

[marty]

The lack of development of last years senior class was much more discouraging than anything Schafer has done this year. The fact that a team mostly composed of Freshman got within a goal of the Frozen Four only to see the players perform no better 3 seasons later was unacceptable (see Capt. John McCarron). Also as others have said Cornell hockey is boring. Look at what Ghost is doing at the next level, just like he did against us. That is the style of play that current students are accustomed to. Most students don't even remember the 90s devils teams...

And look how Union had fallen since Ghost flew.  They were fortunate to grab him.  I think I remember reading that he was under the radar of most division one programs.  Good recruiting can find overlooked gems. Let us pray.

[Scersk '97]

The lack of development of last years senior class was much more discouraging than anything Schafer has done this year. The fact that a team mostly composed of Freshman got within a goal of the Frozen Four only to see the players perform no better 3 seasons later was unacceptable (see Capt. John Mccarran).

Just complete fiction.  Let's see who was on that "team composed of freshmen" that wasn't there three seasons later:

Goalie:
Andy Iles (SO)

Three top scorers:
Greg Miller (Jr)
Sean Collins (Sr)
Dustin Mowrey (So)

Two freshmen (effectively, in the first case):
Joel Lowry (who scored more than Ferlin that year)
Brian Ferlin

Defensemen:
Nick D'Agostino (Jr)
Keri Ross (Sr)
Braden Birch (Jr)

Only Joki Ryan saw significant time at D as a frosh.

Don't get me wrong: last year's team was enormously disappointing. But I attribute some of that to losing their top scorer to "moving on" and the only other "game changer" on the team to injury a third of the way through the season. The other part of that I attribute to a team that wasn't able to pull together and realize that they were going to have to win ugly to go anywhere. That sits at the feet of that year's senior leadership.

Whether that will sit at the feet of this year's senior leadership remains to be seen.

[cuhockey93]

I meant from a total number of players perspective. It was an exaggeration, but after hearing the broadcasters practically guaranteeing that Cornell would make a frozen four over the next 3 seasons following the strong post season from the freshman, it was incredibly frustrating. In terms of Senior leadership, I think making John McCarron captain after leading college hockey in penalty minutes may have had something to do with that.

[Trotsky]

That was an extremely talented team.  I understand why they didn't win titles, because they happened along when Yale and Union were lights out.  But I think they did seriously underperform.  And they were the group that ended the feeling that we were impervious if we had a third period lead.  They were the group that blew leads and lost games late -- something we just didn't do before.

The current team does it too, but this team is probably in the middle of the pack in talent.  Gillam's good but not great, and the better teams find a way to come back on us just like we used to when we were the best team.  While frustrating, it is understandable now.  And I actually don't think the solution is a different system because we're already in transition to a faster more aggressive style, it's a lot simpler than that: better players.  We're deep and our fourth liners and third pairs are actually probably better than before, but we don't have those killer players who force the other team into retreat and panic and mistakes.  That's what I would like to see come back to Ithaca.

[Scersk '97]

We're deep and our fourth liners and third pairs are actually probably better than before, but we don't have those killer players who force the other team into retreat and panic and mistakes.  That's what I would like to see come back to Ithaca.

Angello and Vanderlaan (maybe Yates) are at least two (three?) big steps in the right direction, e.g., I don't cringe when I see one of them has a breakaway or is part of a 2-on-1.

Joki was a dangerous offensive D-man, but he didn't exactly work out, and we haven't had a dangerous center since Riley Nash, or maybe Iggulden and Vesce. McCrea is quite promising, and I hope the aforementioned Yates really develops in his junior and senior years. I also miss having a lights-out outside shooter like Charlie Cook, who knew enough not to blast it into opposing forwards' skates.

[Trotsky]

We're deep and our fourth liners and third pairs are actually probably better than before, but we don't have those killer players who force the other team into retreat and panic and mistakes.  That's what I would like to see come back to Ithaca.

Angello and Vanderlaan (maybe Yates) are at least two (three?) big steps in the right direction, e.g., I don't cringe when I see one of them has a breakaway or is part of a 2-on-1.

Joki was a dangerous offensive D-man, but he didn't exactly work out, and we haven't had a dangerous center since Riley Nash, or maybe Iggulden and Vesce. McCrea is quite promising, and I hope the aforementioned Yates really develops in his junior and senior years. I also miss having a lights-out outside shooter like Charlie Cook, who knew enough not to blast it into opposing forwards' skates.

I always thought that was going to be Patrick McCarron, whose lack of development is disappointing.

McCrea is amazing, and isn't he also a big surprise?  I don't recall any hype about him as a recruit.

Lalor was hurt in the Fall and I've been impressed by what little I've seen, and apparently so has Schafer since he's put him into a lot of clutch situation.

Starrett seems awkward and may be the classic case of a guy growing into his body.  I think he is likely to develop into a Hilbrich type guy looking for table scraps up front.

The Mitch and Anthony Show is a lot of fun.  Jeff's explosion might be due to pairing, but he certainly has looked much improved.  Maybe it's because the opponent has so much to worry about from his linemates that he gets a lot of freedom, but he seems to be able to go north-south more than before.  (Really, so does the whole team.)

Somebody (CHN maybe) just picked us as having the best freshman class in the conference.  I'm not sure how next year's incoming class looks.  I assume it could be small with just 4 guys graduating, though at one point I think I counted 9 guys as at least possible incomings, before we lost 3 or maybe 4 to decommit.

[BearLover]

I always thought that was going to be Patrick McCarron, whose lack of development is disappointing.

Yeah, I really don't know what's happened to McCarron.  He looked like the best freshman on the team two years ago...

[marty]

We're deep and our fourth liners and third pairs are actually probably better than before, but we don't have those killer players who force the other team into retreat and panic and mistakes.  That's what I would like to see come back to Ithaca.

I also miss having a lights-out outside shooter like Charlie Cook, who knew enough not to blast it into opposing forwards' skates.

I remember a blast vs Sucks in Albany. :-)

[Scersk '97]

Lalor was hurt in the Fall and I've been impressed by what little I've seen, and apparently so has Schafer since he's put him into a lot of clutch situation.

Agreed. At first, I thought, "What the hell? Why are we playing this freshman every week who is just back off injury over [player X]?" But, yeah, Lalor looks like the real thing.

Starrett seems awkward and may be the classic case of a guy growing into his body.  I think he is likely to develop into a Hilbrich type guy looking for table scraps up front.

Definitely awkward, and he seems a bit slow. His shot choice hasn't impressed me either. I think upside is a (last season) Hilbrich.

The Mitch and Anthony Show is a lot of fun.  Jeff's explosion might be due to pairing, but he certainly has looked much improved.  Maybe it's because the opponent has so much to worry about from his linemates that he gets a lot of freedom, but he seems to be able to go north-south more than before.  (Really, so does the whole team.)

Kubiak is definitely benefitting hugely from that pairing. He has always had some skills and was kind of wasted on the third and fourth lines, but... he's the J.C. Ruid of the JAM line. That being said, I hope that line keeps going in the exact same direction it has been. First line this year; first line next year.

[imafrshmn]

I remember a blast vs Sucks in Albany. :-)

A real blast from the past

[Trotsky]

I'd love to see another bona fide scoring line emerge (I mean, who wouldn't?) to complement JAM.  Call me crazy but I'd like to see Yates center for Rauter and Tschantz, if only to see what a line with absolutely no defensive ability or inclination looks like.  But it would probably give Mike an aneurysm.