Yale Hockey 2010

[licwinko]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

Usually I try to avoid needless speculation, but I gotta figure Backman is lock for ECAC Player of the week--2 gwgs and 5 pts. Quite a weekend for him and the Bulldogs.

Hope they can keep it up next weekend.

[klumpmypants]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

Usually I try to avoid needless speculation, but I gotta figure Backman is lock for ECAC Player of the week--2 gwgs and 5 pts. Quite a weekend for him and the Bulldogs.

Hope they can keep it up next weekend.

I think he only had 4 points, 2-1-3 on friday and the ot goal saturday. I don't put much stock in the gwg statistic either, especially when the one against colgate was to make it a 4-1 game.

Brian O'Neill actually was the one with five points, 1-3-4 on friday and assisting Backman's goal in ot. Also, Chase Polacek scored five goals for RPI this weekend, including a natural hat trick in the loss to Dartmouth.

So actually some good competition for him on that one. You gotta think the sweep gives the Yale guys an edge, but they might split the vote which could give it to Polacek. How's that for needless speculation?

As to keeping it up next weekend, I think it is time that we need to expect this from Yale, rather than question how they can possibly do it consistently. Against their toughest competition this year (Cornell, FSU, Wisconsin) Yale has played like a championship contending team (I'm talking national championship, not ECAC). As someone who went to Wisconsin and saw them win it all in 2006, Yale is now on that level. There is no question they are the best team in the country outside of the WCHA and maybe Miami. And consistency of excellence week in and week out is what characterizes those teams. With four wins in a row now, they are getting hot at the right time and they are forcing their opponent to play their style. With this being the last year for Backman, Arco, and the gang, this could be the ECAC's best chance at a national title in the last 20 years.

Someone before mentioned hoping Yale stays east for the national tourney. If they can take care of business and win the reg season and tourney for the second straight year, they have a shot at a #1 seed. If they got that, they would be assured of staying east because the other three top seeds will certainly be from the west.

[yalehockeyfan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

Look for Yale to climb back into top 5 in national polls this week. Not going to crack top 3, but if they can keep it up, I agree that a #1 seed in NCAAs in not out of the question. Then again my PWR math is not the best

[Red Cloud]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

Someone before mentioned hoping Yale stays east for the national tourney. If they can take care of business and win the reg season and tourney for the second straight year, they have a shot at a #1 seed. If they got that, they would be assured of staying east because the other three top seeds will certainly be from the west.

Hate to burst the bubble, but the chances of Yale becoming a #1 seed are very, very slim.

[yhforlife]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

Hate to burst the bubble, but the chances of Yale becoming a #1 seed are very, very slim.

they are 8 in the PWR right now. so all they need to do is move up 4. They have the potential to become a number 1 seed. If they continue to win they will.

[Red Cloud]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

they are 8 in the PWR right now. so all they need to do is move up 4. They have the potential to become a number 1 seed. If they continue to win they will.

It really isn't as simple as you make it sound. Trust me. A #1 seed is a longshot, even if they continue to win.

[yaledoc]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

I hate to nit-pick here,RC, but a #1 seed is NOT that far-fetched. We are now #4 in the Inside College Hockey (INCH) poll. Given the mixed,albeit net-negative weekend results for St. Cloud and Bemidji, it's not unreasonable to think a #4 ranking is possible later today in both the USCHO AND the USA TODAY polls. Yale has not lost two in-a-row all year, and their only "bad" stretch was way back 11/6 thru 11/19 when they were a palindromic L/T/W/T/L vs. some pretty decent teams. Since 11/19, they are 14-4-1. It's difficult to imagine cracking the sacred triumvirate (Miami, Denver,Wisconsin) prior to the NCAA tourney, but I, for one, would absolutely love another shot at the Badgers...... this time on neutral ice.

[BigDEli]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

It's next to impossible for them to get to a #1 seed. There's a huge gap btwn the top 3 in the PWR (Miami, Denver, Wisc.), and Yale at #8. Furthermore, the 3 teams tied for fourth in the PWR have a sizable PWR lead on Yale as well. With their strength of schedule in the mid 30's, and none of their next 6 games against teams in the RPI top 25, closing that gap is really unlikely even if they win out.

But having said that, they have some factors in their favor for staying East anyway. Yale is one of only 2 teams from the east in the top 8 of the PWR (BC is the other, and UNH and Vermont are tied for 9th), so if Yale keeps winning and gets some modest help from the teams ahead of them, it's certainly possible that they get up to 6 in the PWR, in which case they would likely stay east as a 2 seed.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

I hate to nit-pick here,RC, but a #1 seed is NOT that far-fetched. We are now #4 in the Inside College Hockey (INCH) poll. Given the mixed,albeit net-negative weekend results for St. Cloud and Bemidji, it's not unreasonable to think a #4 ranking is possible later today in both the USCHO AND the USA TODAY polls. Yale has not lost two in-a-row all year, and their only "bad" stretch was way back 11/6 thru 11/19 when they were a palindromic L/T/W/T/L vs. some pretty decent teams. Since 11/19, they are 14-4-1. It's difficult to imagine cracking the sacred triumvirate (Miami, Denver,Wisconsin) prior to the NCAA tourney, but I, for one, would absolutely love another shot at the Badgers...... this time on neutral ice.

There is a lot of difference between receiving a top-four ranking in a poll and in the PWR. RC was referring the PWR, not the polls.

[Red Cloud]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

But having said that, they have some factors in their favor for staying East anyway. Yale is one of only 2 teams from the east in the top 8 of the PWR (BC is the other, and UNH and Vermont are tied for 9th), so if Yale keeps winning and gets some modest help from the teams ahead of them, it's certainly possible that they get up to 6 in the PWR, in which case they would likely stay east as a 2 seed.

The only way you really have much control over where you get sent is as a #1 seed. Other than that, you get slotted into the brackets to make them even. If you're the 8th, 9th, or 16th overall seed, you get placed with the #1 overall seed. 7th, 10th, and 15th go with #2. 6th, 11th, and 14th go with #3. 5th, 12th, and 13th go with #4. Some teams are moved around to avoid first round intra-conference matchups.

So unless, realistically, you're in the top 3, you don't have any control over where you get sent. The only real caveat to this is that some teams will draw exceptionally well in certain venues and the committee may move an entire bracket to that venue if they can get away with it to maximize revenue. Yale is not one of those teams.

[BigDEli]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

RC, i understand that as a #2 seed Yale has no control over where they play... my point was that as the 5 or 6 seed overall, they'd be paired as a #2 in a region with either the third or fourth #1 seed. And since the top two #1 seeds (2 out of Miami, Denver, Wisc.) are all but assured to be from the west, the third and fourth #1 seed will be sent east by default. As such, Yale would likely stay east. It's a bit speculative I admit, but it's hard to envision a situation where the 1 or 2 overall seed gets shipped to the east.

[biggd]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet but congrats to the Kearney family. Dennys sister won a gold medal in the womens mogul event Saturday. The Americans first Gold.

[Red Cloud]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

RC, i understand that as a #2 seed Yale has no control over where they play... my point was that as the 5 or 6 seed overall, they'd be paired as a #2 in a region with either the third or fourth #1 seed. And since the top two #1 seeds (2 out of Miami, Denver, Wisc.) are all but assured to be from the west, the third and fourth #1 seed will be sent east by default. As such, Yale would likely stay east. It's a bit speculative I admit, but it's hard to envision a situation where the 1 or 2 overall seed gets shipped to the east.

That isn't necessarily true. The committee is likely to send a #1 seed Denver out east since they will have to fly no matter where they go. A flight is a flight to the NCAA, whether it's to St. Paul or Worcester. That would put a #3 or #4 overall seed of Wisconsin, St. Cloud, or Bemidji in St. Paul since they would not have to fly there, minimizing the total number of #1 seeds who have to fly. Thus, if Yale were the #6 seed overall and were seeded with #3 Wisconsin, they would more than likely end up in St. Paul. This just underscores how non top 3 teams have zero control over where they end up.

[BigDEli]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

That isn't necessarily true. The committee is likely to send a #1 seed Denver out east since they will have to fly no matter where they go. A flight is a flight to the NCAA, whether it's to St. Paul or Worcester. That would put a #3 or #4 overall seed of Wisconsin, St. Cloud, or Bemidji in St. Paul since they would not have to fly there, minimizing the total number of #1 seeds who have to fly. Thus, if Yale were the #6 seed overall and were seeded with #3 Wisconsin, they would more than likely end up in St. Paul. This just underscores how non top 3 teams have zero control over where they end up.

...or how little regard the NCAA has for rewarding excellence .

Very good point....I guess I underestimated the flight priority there. anyway, it will be interesting to watch how it all plays out...

[klumpmypants]

Re: Yale Hockey 2010

That isn't necessarily true. The committee is likely to send a #1 seed Denver out east since they will have to fly no matter where they go. A flight is a flight to the NCAA, whether it's to St. Paul or Worcester. That would put a #3 or #4 overall seed of Wisconsin, St. Cloud, or Bemidji in St. Paul since they would not have to fly there, minimizing the total number of #1 seeds who have to fly. Thus, if Yale were the #6 seed overall and were seeded with #3 Wisconsin, they would more than likely end up in St. Paul. This just underscores how non top 3 teams have zero control over where they end up.

Do you have an example of when this has happened before? I'm willing to believe it has, but can't remember one.

Would it not make more sense for the committee to minimize the total number of teams flying as opposed to the total of #1 seeds flying?