Cornell vs Harvard, ECAC QF Game 1, 3/13/26

[marty]

Somebody needs to splice together footage of all of our transition opportunities this season. Comically bad execution. With all the stumbling and bumbling, hesitating, misfired passes, shots into the goalie's chest, shots over the net, and above all the WRONG DECISIONS, it's like a Keystone Cops-style parody of actual hockey.

Yes. We can all benefit from this. It will be time well spent. However I'm spackling the den, Stimpy, and unavailable.

[ugarte]

Somebody needs to splice together footage of all of our transition opportunities this season. Comically bad execution. With all the stumbling and bumbling, hesitating, misfired passes, shots into the goalie's chest, shots over the net, and above all the WRONG DECISIONS, it's like a Keystone Cops-style parody of actual hockey.

I do think there's something to be said for having a talented but young team. a lot of players are going to come in as The Man at a prior level, generally better than their teammates and the level. You have to adjust and develop a better sense of when to pass since you aren't the obvious best option all the time anymore. imo that habit leads to a lot of skating into traffic and/or slow decisions on when to pass which means the pass will not be as crisp.

it *can* be tough to watch, especially when you see the perfect pass from Fegaras to set up or only goal. immediate and precise. the skill is there.

[VIEWfromK]

This game wasn't hard to break down.  Cornell was very rusty from the too many men on.  The game had little flow and that was just how Harvard needed it to be played to win.  There were three whistles in the first forty five seconds of the game and Harvard must have iced it over a dozen times.  Cornell took advantage of that once with a set play on the Ashton goal but didn't truly capitalize with all of the extra zone starts.

It's been mentioned already but very few passes stuck to their mark.  Very little hitting and almost zero physical engagement after whistles.

The first Harvard goal was one of the few times this year that a puck off those end boards died and didn't come rocketing off harder than it went in.  That play was slow motion the way it sat there and only the Harvard guy could get to it.  It wasn't even a hard shot.

There was some hesitation that I didn't like seeing.  Fegaras had a chance at a safe pinch in the second on a lofted puck but he backed off and ultimately dumped it back in while Cornell went for a line change and it became a turnover.  I wasn't a fan of Ryan taking a reset on the four on four.  They were already in the zone.  Just try to find a play.  Then on that same shift Ryan had a chance to push the pace but instead he slowed the entry, DiGiulian was moving at a higher speed and the pass to him was behind him.  He tried to adjust but it was too late and it went the other way for the go ahead goal. 

I agree that except for that extended shift to start the third they didn't get any cycle going.  The shot lanes were rarely open and some of the plays that have worked to the front of the net throughout the season were snuffed out by the stacked house.  That goalie was so shaky but few of the rebounds were there to be had.

I don't agree that their transition game has been poor throughout the season.  I have seen a better transition game this season than in recent years.  The past couple of weeks the finish hasn't been there but early on it was.  That game last night didn't involve enough open space for it to matter.  Harvard did a pretty good job of staying back.  They have to figure out how to get in and win the zone battles to even this series.  I believe they'll find a way.

[Trotsky]

When we lose, people remember the bad plays.

When we win, people remember the good plays.  Well.  Most people.

It's all selective perception.

[ugarte]

It's all selective perception.

it is not all selective perception! we still win a lot because we are significantly better than a lot of the opposition and good enough to hang with anyone.

[marty]

It's all selective perception.

it is not all selective perception! we still win a lot because we are significantly better than a lot of the opposition and good enough to hang with anyone.

In many ways it's hockey.  And it's the reason we watch. The randomness plus the skill plus the intangibles that we dream we understand... thank God for it.

[ugarte]

It's all selective perception.

it is not all selective perception! we still win a lot because we are significantly better than a lot of the opposition and good enough to hang with anyone.

In many ways it's hockey.  And it's the reason we watch. The randomness plus the skill plus the intangibles that we dream we understand... thank God for it.

of course but there is often a reflexive hostility to unflattering critique. I get that one guy is specifically triggering to a lot of the forum so hegets a lot of blowback.

BUT I also think the "get em next time champ" attitude after a rough game undersells the level of play we all actually expect.

[VIEWfromK]

I forgot to mention that I thought the crowd and band were excellent last night.  "Let's Go Red" chants were popping up all over the rink.  The band carried through most of the stoppages.  The place was deafening during the "it's all your fault" chant.  Only a couple of dull moments and only a couple of the one ignorant chant.  Bring it again tonight folks!

[The Rancor]

This game wasn't hard to break down.  Cornell was very rusty from the too many men on.  The game had little flow and that was just how Harvard needed it to be played to win.  There were three whistles in the first forty five seconds of the game and Harvard must have iced it over a dozen times.  Cornell took advantage of that once with a set play on the Ashton goal but didn't truly capitalize with all of the extra zone starts.

It's been mentioned already but very few passes stuck to their mark.  Very little hitting and almost zero physical engagement after whistles.

The first Harvard goal was one of the few times this year that a puck off those end boards died and didn't come rocketing off harder than it went in.  That play was slow motion the way it sat there and only the Harvard guy could get to it.  It wasn't even a hard shot.

There was some hesitation that I didn't like seeing.  Fegaras had a chance at a safe pinch in the second on a lofted puck but he backed off and ultimately dumped it back in while Cornell went for a line change and it became a turnover.  I wasn't a fan of Ryan taking a reset on the four on four.  They were already in the zone.  Just try to find a play.  Then on that same shift Ryan had a chance to push the pace but instead he slowed the entry, DiGiulian was moving at a higher speed and the pass to him was behind him.  He tried to adjust but it was too late and it went the other way for the go ahead goal. 

I agree that except for that extended shift to start the third they didn't get any cycle going.  The shot lanes were rarely open and some of the plays that have worked to the front of the net throughout the season were snuffed out by the stacked house.  That goalie was so shaky but few of the rebounds were there to be had.

I don't agree that their transition game has been poor throughout the season.  I have seen a better transition game this season than in recent years.  The past couple of weeks the finish hasn't been there but early on it was.  That game last night didn't involve enough open space for it to matter.  Harvard did a pretty good job of staying back.  They have to figure out how to get in and win the zone battles to even this series.  I believe they'll find a way.

As always, a great take. The only thing I'd add is (from TV) Cornell didn't bring that jump, that killer hell or Highwater intensity. It wasn't 'boring' hockey, but they never really found that high gear, to me.

[BearLover]

This game wasn't hard to break down.  Cornell was very rusty from the too many men on.  The game had little flow and that was just how Harvard needed it to be played to win.  There were three whistles in the first forty five seconds of the game and Harvard must have iced it over a dozen times.  Cornell took advantage of that once with a set play on the Ashton goal but didn't truly capitalize with all of the extra zone starts.

It's been mentioned already but very few passes stuck to their mark.  Very little hitting and almost zero physical engagement after whistles.

The first Harvard goal was one of the few times this year that a puck off those end boards died and didn't come rocketing off harder than it went in.  That play was slow motion the way it sat there and only the Harvard guy could get to it.  It wasn't even a hard shot.

There was some hesitation that I didn't like seeing.  Fegaras had a chance at a safe pinch in the second on a lofted puck but he backed off and ultimately dumped it back in while Cornell went for a line change and it became a turnover.  I wasn't a fan of Ryan taking a reset on the four on four.  They were already in the zone.  Just try to find a play.  Then on that same shift Ryan had a chance to push the pace but instead he slowed the entry, DiGiulian was moving at a higher speed and the pass to him was behind him.  He tried to adjust but it was too late and it went the other way for the go ahead goal. 

I agree that except for that extended shift to start the third they didn't get any cycle going.  The shot lanes were rarely open and some of the plays that have worked to the front of the net throughout the season were snuffed out by the stacked house.  That goalie was so shaky but few of the rebounds were there to be had.

I don't agree that their transition game has been poor throughout the season.  I have seen a better transition game this season than in recent years.  The past couple of weeks the finish hasn't been there but early on it was.  That game last night didn't involve enough open space for it to matter.  Harvard did a pretty good job of staying back.  They have to figure out how to get in and win the zone battles to even this series.  I believe they'll find a way.

The passes were off and to the wrong guy but also the players without the puck did a very poor job at getting to soft parts of the ice.

[stereax]

I forgot to mention that I thought the crowd and band were excellent last night.  "Let's Go Red" chants were popping up all over the rink.  The band carried through most of the stoppages.  The place was deafening during the "it's all your fault" chant.  Only a couple of dull moments and only a couple of the one ignorant chant.  Bring it again tonight folks!

C was bumping. Which is crazy to say. A bunch of the guys around me were harping on single guys. (If you remember the dudes yelling at Norlin vs Colgate? Same ones.) I don't partake in that but I find it funny as hell.

One of the girls near me, at the beginning of the game, was like "oh, he's really cute!"
Me, peering at the scoreboard to see which players are on it: who?
Her: the old guy that gives out the papers!
(She ended up catching three Snickers, too!)

Overall, crazy atmosphere. I think we got a Boston Rejects? It was something like that. Couple of the usual heckles too. Would love a UMass Cambridge tonight.

[Jim Hyla]

One of the girls near me, at the beginning of the game, was like "oh, he's really cute!"
Me, peering at the scoreboard to see which players are on it: who?
Her: the old guy that gives out the papers!
(She ended up catching three Snickers, too!)

Thanks for the post. It makes me feel 5 years younger already.

I guess I'd better watch who catches the Snickers.

Hey, you never know!

[fastforward]

I forgot to mention that I thought the crowd and band were excellent last night.  "Let's Go Red" chants were popping up all over the rink.  The band carried through most of the stoppages.  The place was deafening during the "it's all your fault" chant.  Only a couple of dull moments and only a couple of the one ignorant chant.  Bring it again tonight folks!

I rewatched some of it today to catch a few shifts I missed and it the crowd noise really wasn't coming through on the broadcast from what I could determine

[stereax]

One of the girls near me, at the beginning of the game, was like "oh, he's really cute!"
Me, peering at the scoreboard to see which players are on it: who?
Her: the old guy that gives out the papers!
(She ended up catching three Snickers, too!)

Thanks for the post. It makes me feel 5 years younger already.

I guess I'd better watch who catches the Snickers.

Hey, you never know!

She shared one with me (and was trying to give away the third as well), it's all good 💜 I thought you'd get a kick out of that!