Another weekend, another mixed bag of results in non-conference play for the ECAC. Harvard has taken the nation by storm in recent weeks. Last week was its best yet, as it not only knocked off a red hot Boston University on the road but it followed it up with a roadie against Lowell on Saturday night. Cornell picked up a huge non-conference win on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden against Penn State, which marked the first game between the programs. Clarkson’s offensive woes continued against Merrimack and they were swept accordingly on the road. Dartmouth also defeated Boston University on Sunday at home, another huge win for the league.

ECAC’s dominance this season of Hockey East foes has continued, but not on the level that the early season saw. Last weekend the league went 4-4-0 against the other conference that usually claims supremacy in the east, but on the season the ECAC is still 16-9-2 against Hockey East opponents. Overall, the conference is 35-27-4 in non-conference, which sets it up as the second best record of all the conferences. Only the NCHC has a better record in non-league play. The only alarming prospect of non-conference play so far is that it only has a winning record against Hockey East and Atlantic Hockey. The sample sizes, however, with the western conferences are really small. So take solace in knowing the best teams in the ECAC are actually doing better against top competition in than in previous years. Harvard’s wins against the Hockey East elite are certainly helping, I must say.

Next week will feature the last weekend of conference play before the winter and exam breaks that usually last near three weeks. It has been a fun half of hockey for ECAC fans and I am sure next weekend will be much of the same. Teams will be looking for positioning and there will be a potential first place matchup, featuring Harvard at Quinipiac next Saturday. All in all the league race couldn’t be any closer heading into the break.

Harvard’s Big Week Proves What I Have Thought From their First Game

What else can we say about Harvard, as an ECAC fan? It seems as though they have not only turned the corner but they are ready to take the nation by storm, if they already haven’t. Last week, was by far the best week in a long time for the Crimson. I thought early in the year, Harvard was pretty good but what they have exhibited in the last week has shown they are a contender not a pretender. On Tuesday, it traveled to Boston University’s Agganis Arena to take a on a red hot team that entered the night 8-1-1 on the year. Despite being outshot 42-24, the Crimson took a second period lead, allowed BU to tie it and won the game in overtime. Getting outshot is not new, because Harvard has allowed a ton of shots this season to the tune of 30 shots per game. It has actually averages the same number of shots per game, than it takes.

The game was a microcosm of its season in all respects, as Harvard has showed it does not panic in any contest. It gets down, but it continues to win. When it gets up it may relinquish it but it comes back with a vengeance. Against Lowell on Saturday night, the Crimson scored first and UML tied it, but it came back and scored to take the lead back. The Crimson scored to take a 2-1 lead, but Lowell came back again. The Crimson, again, scored to take the lead, which was the one they never relinquished. It just seems as though, Harvard’s will to win and compete is as high as it has been in the last few seasons. The two games, folllowed a different pattern but showed the same resilience to fight back and get the next goal. In Hockey, the next goal is always a huge one. Harvard, while still young in some key areas, is a lot better this year in those situations that it was last season.

During the Lowell game I had the pleasure of sitting next to Olympic gold medalist, Aj Mlezcko who does work for NBCSN. One of the things that we talked about was how confident and nonchalantly Harvard goes about its business this year. No matter the situation, the Crimson are in control of the game. Panic has not set in its game, yet, one should think that continues into the stretch run of the ECAC.

The confidence of the Crimson and its coach, Ted Donato, is unlike anything I have seen since covering the league for College Hockey News, which I am now in my third full year of doing so. I live near Harvard so I see them a lot. It is doing everything, it hasn’t for the past three seasons.  To say Donato is relieved is an understatement. As a fan of the league, a good Harvard means good things. It couldn’t be coming together a better guy, as there are few better than Ted.

Dartmouth Is Better than its Record Shows, its win against BU Proves it

Dartmouth attempts a ton of shots, but many of them miss the net. Entering Sunday’s game against BU, it had a three-game streak of more than 90 attempts going and against BU it had 87. Granted one of those games was against AIC, but it is still an impressive streak as most teams struggle to hit 70 or 80 in a game. What is concerning about the streak is the number of shots that Dartmouth actually sees hit the net, only against Brown did it eclipse 40 shots in a game. It means that only 40 or so percent of the shots it attempts are actually hitting the net.

In the games I have seen Dartmouth, it has possessed the puck more than its opponents by a wide margin. Against a really good Harvard squad, it had 90 shot attempts on net but only had 29 shots on goal, while over 50 percent of Crimson shot attempts hit the net in that game. What has been most concerning to to me, is the fact that how many of its quality chances end up going wide or high. I saw it in both Harvard games and I saw it against Yale two weeks ago. In the shots that hit the net, Dartmouth is 39th in the nation in shooting percentage.

I think Dartmouth is one of those teams that is better than its record, its possession and shot attempts prove as such. Seems as though the drills in practice need to focus on hitting the net with chances. Shots that don’t hit the net cannot produce rebounds and thus second chance opportunities are not going to happen. Most goals in college hockey are scored off second chance, not producing those rebounds hinder scoring. Dartmouth’s offense is in a sense is sputtering, it scored three against AIC and averages a paltry 2.5 per game. That would increase with more shots on goal. Look for Dartmouth to improve rapidly if it can find the goaltender with its shots. Its game against BU was a clear example, as 37 hit the net and both of its goals were off of rebounds. The Green need more of that, and it seems as though it is heading in the right direction. I see Dartmouth as a top four ECAC team right now, it just doesn’t have the record to show of it.

Note: I wrote most of this before Dartmouth’s 2-0 win against BU on Sunday

Union’s Struggles are mind-boggling

Union defeated Notre Dame on Friday and everything looked to be rosy in Schenectady but it wasn’t. On Saturday night, the Dutchmen received an egg from its goaltending , as it lost 8-2 to Western Michigan. Union outplayed and outshot the Broncos for much of the contest, as it sent 42 shots but eight of the 32 shots its opponent took ended up in the back of the net.

The night was forgettable for Union’s two goaltenders. Colin Stevens came into the season as the arguably one of the best in the country, but has struggled lately this season. In his last six starts, he is 2-4-0 and has given up 17 goals. Stevens gave up four goals, on 12 shots against Western Michigan and he was yanked after playing just 16 minutes, and 33 seconds of the first period.

After a strong start Union has struggled to find consistency in recent weeks. The Dutchmen started the season 5-0-0, but have since proceeded 2-6-1 since. The main difference has been a less than stellar defense and goaltending that has been inconsistent. For Union, this is all new as it has come back to earth after all those streaks they had were shattered against St Cloud on October, 25th. For a team that looked so good to begin the season, its demise in recent weeks has been mind boggling.

Monday, December 1st, 2014 - 9:00 am | Blogs, ECAC, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings