Cornell vs Denver, NC$$ First Round, 3/27/26

[Beeeej]

It's usually weeks after our playoff exit before I can bring myself to read the game threads, Monday morning quarterbacking, and other post-mortemes, much less post my own thoughts. But something about getting definitively whupped by a much better team really does seem to make the end of the season easier to handle than when we instead come oh so agonizingly close to the promised land again and again. I even felt absolutely no qualms about walking away from the third period in progress to go pick up Isaac from daycare.

Since Isaac cares so much about the Cornell hockeyball team, dss28 paused the game with about a minute left so he could get home in time to watch "the players say night-night" as we've taught him is tradition, and he was sad to hear that it was night-night for the season and they wouldn't be back for about seven months. He does seem to understand that the hockey we're going to see in Las Vegas is still hockeyball, just not Cornell hockeyball, so we care more about the experience and seeing old friends than we do about the outcome.

I agree that with all the turnover, youth, and other uncertainty, if at the beginning of the season you'd offered me 22 wins with a regional semi appearance I'd have taken it. Now, last season - if at the end of January after a chaotic and disappointing first two months you'd offered me a sixth place finish followed by an opening round home win followed by an upset QF sweep on the road followed by an absurd upset semifinal win followed by an upset ECAC title game victory followed by upsetting the #2 overall seed in the regional semi followed by yet another OT loss in the regional final - I'd have said you need to stop smoking crack, but I'd have taken it. That doesn't mean it's not tough to handle the eventual exit after nearly forty years of figuring the next natty's gotta happen one of these days. Just this time, it was like, Okay, I would've taken the miracle, but I sure wasn't expecting it.

I fully believe Jonathan Castagna will be a Calgary Flame within 48 hours. I hope Ryan Walsh stays but I won't be shocked if he doesn't. I won't begrudge either one their decision, as it's not my life, and I don't believe either or both making a different choice gives us a drastically higher shot at a national title. I believe Casey will settle in as head coach, this year's first-years and sophomores will grow and develop as next year's sophomores and juniors, and I believe we'll have an enjoyable 2026-27 season. I also believe that more than the details of any one Cornell hockey game this season, I will remember my son's joy and laughter as he tore around the living room with a dustpan and a plastic ball, dss28 and me at either end of the room playing goalie. If the same is true of next season I will be a happy member of the Lynah Faithful indeed.

[stereax]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

[Dafatone]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

[jtwcornell91]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Hey, County Cricket starts next weekend!

[stereax]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball sucks, that's why I watch fake baseball (banana ball) because it's at least entertaining

[Dafatone]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball sucks, that's why I watch fake baseball (banana ball) because it's at least entertaining

I'll just say that baseball trains you to overcome failure.

Especially if you're a Mets fan.

[stereax]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball sucks, that's why I watch fake baseball (banana ball) because it's at least entertaining

I'll just say that baseball trains you to overcome failure.

Especially if you're a Mets fan.

but it's BORING i can just watch the devils to see failure in action

[Dafatone]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball sucks, that's why I watch fake baseball (banana ball) because it's at least entertaining

I'll just say that baseball trains you to overcome failure.

Especially if you're a Mets fan.

but it's BORING i can just watch the devils to see failure in action

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball sucks, that's why I watch fake baseball (banana ball) because it's at least entertaining

I'll just say that baseball trains you to overcome failure.

Especially if you're a Mets fan.

but it's BORING i can just watch the devils to see failure in action

I was going to say that the Devils were great not that long ago, then I realized you were probably a small child then.

[stereax]

but it's BORING i can just watch the devils to see failure in action

I was going to say that the Devils were great not that long ago, then I realized you were probably a small child then.

I wasn't alive for the Devils' last cup win (plus I only started following hockey in 2017), so all I know is misery and failure.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

There's still a few months of Lacrosse left.

[stereax]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

There's still a few months of Lacrosse left.

Yeah, but that'll last me until June/July. What do I do over the summer??? (Besides fail at finding an internship.)

[Trotsky]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

That's what baseball is for.

Baseball.  So your pain doesn't atrophy for the next hockey season.

[adamw]

Yeah, there were a ton of Denver fans. They would get somewhat stirred up when Denver would have an opportunity. And during play there was the occasional "Let's go Pios" chant. We did some "Let's  go Red" for our guys.
But with the incessant piped-in music at stoppages, there didn't seem to be any dynamic of the DU supporters doing any cheers. Maybe it's different for games in their own arena?

Lots of Denver fans.  Probably 8:1 or 10:1.  I'm surprised that Denver doesn't have a pep band. They did have cheerleaders though which was annoying.

I know the place was almost all Denver fans, but I was surprised by the lack of atmosphere on the broadcast. No crowd noise except after goals. Not sure what it was like in person. The rink itself was heavily mic'd—-you heard very loudly the sounds on the ice like the sticks, the boards, the saves—-and maybe that masked the crowd noise.

Early Friday - ridiculous game time. Sunday, the arena was full with 98.72% Denver fans - and loud.

[abmarks]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

There's still a few months of Lacrosse left.

Yeah, but that'll last me until June/July. What do I do over the summer??? (Besides fail at finding an internship.)

World Cup?

[stereax]

Beeeej, you gotta stop making me cry with "night-night for the season".

Fuck, I'm gonna think about that during the salute next year and cry more.

But yeah, agreed - getting trounced like that is way easier psychically than the overtime losses. And you can't expect constant miracles. Just gotta keep going. One step at a time.

...man, what the hell am I gonna do with seven whole months without Cornell hockey? Cup playoffs, draft, free agency... Banana Ball until September???

There's still a few months of Lacrosse left.

Yeah, but that'll last me until June/July. What do I do over the summer??? (Besides fail at finding an internship.)

World Cup?

Soccer? [Gags]