St. Lawrence at Cornell postgame thread (1/20/06)

[jtwcornell91]

[quote Rich S]Closing your hand on the puck is different than a hand pass.   The first calls for a penalty whereas the second is a violation that calls for a face-off if the offending team touches the puck next.[/quote]

Actually, there are three different things:

• batting or deflecting the puck with your (open) hand, which is a hand pass if a teammate touches it next.  Catching the puck and immediately dropping it usually falls into this category as well
• catching the puck and not letting go quickly enough.  This is an infraction that leads to a whistle and a faceoff
• catching the puck and carrying or throwing it.  This is a minor penaly for delay of game.  (Just ask Tim Kotyra and that Denver guy.)

Anyone have the initiative to look the rule up on line?

[Dpperk29]

now that I think about it and read the rules, I realize I am wrong. The NCAA rule is alittle different than the USA hockey rule I am used to calling, but I screwed up either way.

-perk

[Dpperk29]

I heard from a fairly reliable source-reliable in the sense he is often right- that OB got a concussion in practice.

[Trotsky]

Outstanding game, tonight.  Hopefully, Ryan will return, soon, but even when he does, I believe Sasha's pp instincts are worthy of him being at the point.

[billhoward]

When O'Byrne plays, he gets dinged for losing the puck in front of McKee. When he's out, we lament his all-round skills and point control on the power play. Sounds like there's a country song in there except the number of country & western songs about hockey are probably few.

[jtwcornell91]

[quote billhoward]the number of country & western songs about hockey are probably few.[/quote]

http://www.stompintom.com/

[Will]

[quote billhoward]When O'Byrne plays, he gets dinged for losing the puck in front of McKee. When he's out, we lament his all-round skills and point control on the power play. Sounds like there's a country song in there except the number of country & western songs about hockey are probably few.[/quote]

To be fair, I feel like O'Byrne's done that a lot less this season relative to the prior two seasons.  So, right now, yes, I do feel like his absence is a loss.  Hopefully Pokulok can continue to do well to compensate.

[redGrinch]

[quote calgARI '07]
Definitely the latter.  As a first round pick in a conference that doesn't have many first round picks, you are expected to dominate games like Pokuluk did tonight and last Friday against Quinnipiac.  At this rate, very little chance he'll be back next year.  If he begins to exceed potential, then there is no way in hell he'll be back next year.  Either way, I wouldn't be totally shocked to see Washington sign him at the conclusion of Cornell's season if it were in mid to late March (hopefully not that early) and have him play the last few games with the Caps.  That is not at all uncommon for teams eliminated from playoff contention to do in the last couple weeks of the season, particularly with college players.[/quote]
While the Caps would sign him if Sasha wants out of his current situation (a la Chris Borque), I don't think they'll be in a hurry if they think he's making progress here.  College players often sign right out - but usually when they're seniors and have no more eligibility.  

Caps have been showing patience with bringing up their D-men to the NHL - and they have quite a few in the queue now.  Only this year has Morrison and Eminger established themselves as legitimate players in the NHL and they're draft class of 2001 and 2002 respectively.  Mike Green, from 2004, didn't sign this year until he absolutely wowed the coaches at the summer prospect camp.  They even didn't rush Eric Fehr (a forward from 2003) until he was out of major junior eligibility even though he was tearing up the WHL.  Sasha wouldn't make the NHL roster now and it's even a question if he'd make the Hershey roster now.... so then the question is whether from a development standpoint, he's better off in Ithaca or in the ECHL.  I'm also not sure how signing him early (and being in the minors) affects his free agency status downstream.  My guess is that McPhee holds off on anything until after the summer prospect camp and then there if he looks ready for the AHL, they might sign him, otherwise they'll send him back to Ithaca with a list of things they want him to work on.

[Chris \'03]

[quote redGrinch]
While the Caps would sign him if Sasha wants out of his current situation (a la Chris Borque), I don't think they'll be in a hurry if they think he's making progress here.  College players often sign right out - but usually when they're seniors and have no more eligibility. [/quote]

That all changed with the new CBA. NHL teams used to have the rights of draft picks for (I'm pretty sure) a year after they finished college. That's been changed to 60 or 90 days. It gives the recently graduated player a LOT more leverage in negotiations and thus pro teams the incentive to get kids out early while they have the leverage. Expect more and more draft picks to leave early than before-- especially first and second rounders.

[calgARI '07]

O'Byrne has been far and away this team's MVP and best player.  Nobody comes close.  The guy has played 30 minutes a night, played against opposing top players most of those minutes, and led the defense in scoring.

[redhair34]

[quote calgARI '07]O'Byrne has been far and away this team's MVP and best player.  Nobody comes close.  The guy has played 30 minutes a night, played against opposing top players most of those minutes, and led the defense in scoring.[/quote]

Exactly...A few dominating nights from Pokulok shouldn't gloss over O'Byrne's value to this team.

[calgARI '07]

And we also shouldn't forget that Gleed and Glover have been injured for large parts of the season while Pokuluk didn't really show up until last week while Krantz was the best player on whichever team Cornell happened to be playing that night for the first few weeks and Seminoff was adjusting to the college games (still is for sure).  O'Byrne was carrying this team on his back.

[ninian '72]

Agreed!  To amplify on redGrinch's comments, the Caps have already retooled and have a number of project players on board already.  Not as if they're looking to unload a lot of expensive contracts and make wholesale roster changes.  Did that two years ago. There's a lot of young, raw talent already in the organization, and Sasha's at the end of the queue.

[billhoward]

There are two kinds of MVPs - the one who does the most for your team when he's playing, and the one you miss most when he's out. ROB could be the first type. OTOH, we've won without O'Byrne, could win without Matt Moulson, won with Sasha off at the Juniors ... but where would we be with David McKee on crutches?

[calgARI '07]

[quote billhoward]There are two kinds of MVPs - the one who does the most for your team when he's playing, and the one you miss most when he's out. ROB could be the first type. OTOH, we've won without O'Byrne, could win without Matt Moulson, won with Sasha off at the Juniors ... but where would we be with David McKee on crutches?[/quote]

Well certainly McKee is the team's Most Valuable Player in that exactly what you said, he would be missed the most if he were gone.  But O'Byrne has been the team's Most Valuable Player so far this year in that he has contributed far and away the most to the team's performance.  McKee has been much better the last month, but he's been very average this season as a whole.