What's going on with this year's team?

[Tom Lento]

I've spent the last few years listening to a lot more games than I've watched, but from what I can tell, we were REALLY bad at finishing our chances the last two years.  I was a huge Bardreau fan, but he was constantly getting to the doorstep and not scoring.

This year, we're scoring on a lot of our chances.  I wonder if some of it is luck (in that we're scoring on chances at a higher rate than we probably will be for the rest of the year), but mostly I'm willing to buy that last year's seniors were just sort of an unpleasant group or something.

I liked the intensity that Mccarron brought, but he could get very, very chippy.  In one of the threads about expectations for this year, I said that an underperforming team + losing a bunch of players = opportunity for unexpected success.

Still WAY too early to draw any conclusions, but it's nice to see (or hear) some goals.

If the advanced stats available are to be believed they have been, on average, outplaying their competition so the game outcomes are probably not an egregious lucky run. On the other hand, they have also scored on 12% of their shots. This is very high, so I'd expect goal scoring to fall off somewhat.

They're super young and at least 3 of their games came against pretty bad teams with 2 others coming against a team which has been struggling so far. Maybe the team has a ton of talent and these early results are indicative of things to come for the next few years, or maybe they're a middle of the pack team which happened to take care of business against bottom feeders (but if that's the case, hey, that's a positive change from the recent past).

It's so early I'm not sure any of this means anything, but it's at least more fun to follow along than the past couple of seasons.

[Jim Hyla]

I've spent the last few years listening to a lot more games than I've watched, but from what I can tell, we were REALLY bad at finishing our chances the last two years.  I was a huge Bardreau fan, but he was constantly getting to the doorstep and not scoring.

This year, we're scoring on a lot of our chances.  I wonder if some of it is luck (in that we're scoring on chances at a higher rate than we probably will be for the rest of the year), but mostly I'm willing to buy that last year's seniors were just sort of an unpleasant group or something.

I liked the intensity that Mccarron brought, but he could get very, very chippy.  In one of the threads about expectations for this year, I said that an underperforming team + losing a bunch of players = opportunity for unexpected success.

Still WAY too early to draw any conclusions, but it's nice to see (or hear) some goals.

If the advanced stats available are to be believed they have been, on average, outplaying their competition so the game outcomes are probably not an egregious lucky run. On the other hand, they have also scored on 12% of their shots. This is very high, so I'd expect goal scoring to fall off somewhat.

They're super young and at least 3 of their games came against pretty bad teams with 2 others coming against a team which has been struggling so far. Maybe the team has a ton of talent and these early results are indicative of things to come for the next few years, or maybe they're a middle of the pack team which happened to take care of business against bottom feeders (but if that's the case, hey, that's a positive change from the recent past).

It's so early I'm not sure any of this means anything, but it's at least more fun to follow along than the past couple of seasons.

To me that is the key. I want this team to continue beating those that we should, and be competitive against the rest. That will make watching fun, carry us into the post-season, and build for the future. And with a little luck, we could win a crown.

[Johnny 5]

Last year a co-worker from Syracuse mentioned to me a big, hockey playing kid from Manlius that had declared for Cornell.
He asked if I had heard this. I said I hadn't. He said the kid was someone to watch.
I guess he wasn't kidding!?

Go, Angello! Go, CU!!

::cheer::

[tominvb]

Watching the video clip, Angelo's OT shot was an absolute thing of skill and beauty.  Very much looking forward to seeing this team here in Florida.  Go Big Red.
Tom ILR '74

[Trotsky]

One thing going on with this year's team is the hottest start (6-1-1) after 8 games since 2003 (7-1-0).

[BearLover]

We have so many injuries now that, I think, last year's team (with a smaller roster than this one) wouldn't have even had enough players to fill out a lineup.

[Trotsky]

Great to see that we have guys who can jump into the lineup and not be blatant weaknesses.  I didn't see much of Shore out there tonight (does anybody track TOI?), but I was impressed by McCrae, Rauter, and Fiegl, and of course Angello and Vanderlaan won't surprise anybody at this point.  Anderson is dependable (and creative) enough as a forward that I wonder whether Schafer might consider keeping him there and pulling Stoick back to D (where IMHO he belongs).

[KeithK]

We have so many injuries now that, I think, last year's team (with a smaller roster than this one) wouldn't have even had enough players to fill out a lineup.

There are always enough players to fill out the lineup even if you have to call on Damian Rocke.

[cbuckser]

We have so many injuries now that, I think, last year's team (with a smaller roster than this one) wouldn't have even had enough players to fill out a lineup.

There are always enough players to fill out the lineup even if you have to call on Damian Rocke.

As long as the Canton Pizza Hut doesn't take out a third of the team.

[Johnny 5]

Anybody have a tally of the players that are currently out of action.

::help::

[Al DeFlorio]

Anybody have a tally of the players that are currently out of action.

::help::

Scratches last night were Hilbrich, Starrett, Knisley, Tschantz, Otterman, Lalor, Smith and Nuttle.  First four, at least, are "out of action."  Can't speak to the last four.

[upprdeck]

2 weeks until next league game, hopefully we get a couple back.

[Scersk '97]

What is going on with this year's team? This is a stat I pay attention to on the team statistics page at collegehockeystats.net.

Code Select Expand


 Conference Only
      MINS
----------------
 +: 137:18 37.4%
 -:  35:34  9.7%
 E: 194:44 53.0%


We're not playing catch-up often. When we do, we answer back quickly.

(And, the league is strong this year. To be clear: the numbers above are not '03,'05, or '10 numbers, but they're getting there. Impressive vs. this competition.)

[Johnny 5]

2 weeks until next league game, hopefully we get a couple back.

Any word on the issue with Hilbrich?

::worry::

[Al DeFlorio]

Anybody have a tally of the players that are currently out of action.

::help::

From College Hockey News article on weekend games:

"Cornell played again without six injured forwards, and some defensemen moving up to the wing."