You know, I've never been a huge fan of the NCAA's trophies - they kind of bore me, and I wish they'd give something at the Frozen Four that was a bit more unique - but at least the damn thing doesn't fall apart.
(Seriously, you know my take on major junior: different routes are best for different people. I just want everyone to have all the information they need to make the right decision.)
Speaking of championships, I haven't seen a lick of the Stanley Cup Finals so far. I work nights now, and the office doesn't get Versus. Thankfully, with the series moving to NBC tonight, I'll have my eye on things.
The best news so far, from where I sit, is that the ratings are up. Isn't it amazing what happens when the matchup isn't Secondary Canadian Market vs. Warm Weather City Where No One Cares? Seriously, as the Penguins finished off the Flyers in the last game I saw, I couldn't help but think of the sign above the entrance to the Penguins' locker room at Mellon Arena bearing Badger Bob Johnson's immortal "It's a great day for hockey!" quote.
The NHL is clearly getting what it wants here, and if NBC can spend some time with members of Chris Chelios' Malibu Mob - getting past the fact that Scrubs and John C. McGinley are moving to ABC - so much the better.
By the way, the Malibu Mob has to be one of the coolest things I've heard of all year, if only because my favorite movie actor (Cusack) and favorite TV actor (McGinley...although he was also in Office Space, which is awesome) are part of it, and I'm also a big fan of Kid Rock, who appears to be on the verge of joining. I think I officially have something to dream about: get rich, buy a place in Malibu, and join them.
However, on the more immediate - and real - horizon, I'm starting to look at what I'm going to be able to see in person next season. At the moment, I'm working a Thursday-Monday week, so as the schedules come out, I'm looking to see who's playing Tuesday night games that I can get to easily. UMass at RPI, RPI at Harvard, Holy Cross at BU, Providence at BU, Providence at Brown, Harvard at Brown...you get the idea. In other words, if you thought I was an "East Coast tool" or an "East Coast homer" before (holla if you hear me, SiouxSports.com message board), well, it's about to get worse.
Actually, since I plan on keeping up my Hobey Baker blogging with USCHO (among other things), I will probably take the plunge on a sports package to watch the FSN-North and FSN Detroit games (and maybe even the Big Ten Network, although I'm not sure if that's included). Heretofore, I'd never seen the point, because:
1) CSTV was not included in the package.
2) I was never home on game nights anyway.
3) It involved giving more money to Cablevision.
I have serious issues with Cablevision, and while they largely stem from the fact that they don't carry my former employer, I also have more general issues with Jim Dolan, a card-carrying member of the Lucky Sperm Club who has managed to screw up everything he touches, most notably the New York Knicks, although includes the Rangers, which needed the lockout and resulting salary cap to change the organization's philosophy on developing talent. Moreover, I have a feeling that Dolan does untoward things with farm animals, because the only possible explanation I can think of for Isiah Thomas' continued employment is that Zeke has photographs of such activiites taking place.
In fact, I actually considered not getting cable service at all when I moved out of the parents' place, and getting by with online streaming and iTunes and such, but then I realized I was going to be buying Rangers tickets anyway, so it was really kind of a stupid and futile gesture. Besides, as my financial future is no longer tied to a network that Cablevision may or may not choose to carry, I don't really see the point anymore (except for the whole farm animal thing).
Finally, bringing it back to hockey, I bought a copy of the Hockey News' draft preview, and I haven't finished with it yet, but at the moment, I have one main question: when did Steven Stamkos become a Greek god? I thought depth was the big thing this year, not a Crosby or an Ovechkin at the top, and that Stamkos would be a distant No. 2 in this draft if John Tavares had been born a week later. Guess I haven't been paying as close attention as I ought.
On the bright side, there aren't nearly as many disparaging comments about the college track this year as I saw in last year's issue, which may well mean they stopped using the scout who was saying such nasty things, although there is one shot at the USHL in their blurb on John Carlson (and even that had more to do with perception than reality). Nothing really major to report, except that BU's Colin Wilson is ranked No. 7 and Wisconsin's Cody Goloubef is No. 42, those two being the only current collegians in the Top 100.
Oh, and one last thing: Lee Stempniak was listed as the Blues' shrewdest pick of the last 10 years. Hell Yeah!
Showing posts with label Dartmouth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dartmouth. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Good Night For Green
Quick thought on the Rangers: was it just me, or did they look better defensively against the Sabres on Monday night without Marek MaWeak in the lineup? Next question: think the Islanders can take him off the Rangers' hands sometime soon the way they did Tom Poti?
But that was Monday night. From Tuesday night, kudos go to David Jones, who scored his first NHL goal and handed out two assists as the Avalanche beat Atlanta, 5-2. I don't know Dave personally, just professionally, but it's another proud moment for the Dartmouth program.
Lee Stempniak, meanwhile, scored a third-period goal for the Blues Tuesday night, to help send their game in Edmonton to overtime. However, Andrew Cogliano is apparently Mr. Overtime these days, with his third OT goal in as many games to win it for the Oilers. I really had high hopes for the Blues this year, so seeing them basically playing out the string at this point is unfortunate. Of course, since my real team is on a 13-game point streak, I'm not going to spend too much time complaining.
In women's hockey news, congrats to the Dartmouth women on making the NCAA tournament. They managed to sneak in, and they draw Harvard in the first round. I can't say I have terribly high hopes for this one, given how good Harvard is this season, but the Big Green does have Carli Clemis, and as the Big Green learned in painful fashion last season, a career performance by a goaltender can make a world of difference in the NCAA tournament.
As for me, though, I'm actually taking the weekend off from hockey, at least Friday. Dartmouth tied for the Ivy League women's basketball title, and is in a three-way playoff with Harvard and Cornell this weekend for the right to advance to the NCAA tournament. It's being held at Columbia's Levien Gymnasium - aka The Bargain Basement (it is literally in the basement of Columbia's athletic center) - so I get to stay close to home this weekend.
I know I should be at a hockey game somewhere this weekend, but there are a couple of things here. First, no one is paying me to travel, so I may as well support the alma mater...especially since I get to be fully unbridled as a fan when I go to this game (as opposed to having to behave somewhat professionally). Second, I've seen Dartmouth at two Women's Frozen Fours (2004 and 2005). I have never been in the building for Dartmouth at an NCAA women's basketball tournament game. This is notable since every four-year Dartmouth women's basketball player since 1980 has won at least one Ivy League title except for two...those two were my classmates in the Dartmouth Class of 2004. I was working at CSTV when Dartmouth made the NCAAs in 2005 (when the Big Green got crushed by UConn) and 2006 (when Angie Soriaga gave Rutgers one hell of a scare), but this is a time when I plan on watching the Big Green dance. It starts Friday against Harvard.
Oh, one last New York thought, going back to the Rangers: the question of a game at Yankee Stadium. There seem to be two issues at the moment:
Should it Be Played? I have two minds about this. The venue is a major part of an outdoor game, as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I covered the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic in 2006, and I can tell you that the venue of Lambeau Field made the game truly special. Obviously, it can be special without a storied venue - with all due respect to Spartan Stadium and Ralph Wilson Stadium - but it would be wonderful for the sport to play at Yankee Stadium.
There are also the people who insist - understandably and justifiably - that a baseball game should be the final event at The House That Ruth Built. It is worth noting, of course, that some serious college football games have been played in the Bronx over the years as well - the "Win One For The Gipper" speech was made there at halftime of an Army-Notre Dame game, for one - but it is a baseball stadium, the most famous one on the planet. If the Yankees want baseball to be the last event there, then so be it (I do understand, however, that Yankees management is on board).
I can see both sides here, but if the Yankees are on board, then I say go ahead. The Yankees were concerned in the past about the effects of building a rink on the field, so this is really the only time they could do this, with the stadium on its way out. The building is being torn down...is anyone really going to be offended in five years that hockey was the last event at the stadium?
Whom Should They Play? Original plans called for the Islanders. Now, word is that the league and NBC want a different market represented, preferably one from the Western Conference and/or an Original Six team. Obviously, if you're talking Original Six and Western Conference, you mean either Detroit or Chicago. Detroit is a perennial powerhouse, of course, and Chicago certainly does have two of the NHL's stars of the future in Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews. However, I would actually stay away from either of those teams.
If New Year's Day is going to be the day for this game, I'd rather pick a market where minds are less likely to be on a bowl game. Do the names Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame ring a bell?
Staying with the Original Six, though, I like the idea of the Boston Bruins (since BC football isn't likely to play on New Year's Day). If a Yankees game isn't going to close the House That Ruth Built, I do like the idea of a New York-Boston game being the final event. This, of course, leads to talk of a return engagement at Fenway, but I'd want another team involved. Bruins-Canadiens would be my choice for Fenway, since bowl games aren't much of a thought up there, either.
Save that game for 2011, though. 2010: Wings-Blackhawks at Wrigley. It's their time.
But that was Monday night. From Tuesday night, kudos go to David Jones, who scored his first NHL goal and handed out two assists as the Avalanche beat Atlanta, 5-2. I don't know Dave personally, just professionally, but it's another proud moment for the Dartmouth program.
Lee Stempniak, meanwhile, scored a third-period goal for the Blues Tuesday night, to help send their game in Edmonton to overtime. However, Andrew Cogliano is apparently Mr. Overtime these days, with his third OT goal in as many games to win it for the Oilers. I really had high hopes for the Blues this year, so seeing them basically playing out the string at this point is unfortunate. Of course, since my real team is on a 13-game point streak, I'm not going to spend too much time complaining.
In women's hockey news, congrats to the Dartmouth women on making the NCAA tournament. They managed to sneak in, and they draw Harvard in the first round. I can't say I have terribly high hopes for this one, given how good Harvard is this season, but the Big Green does have Carli Clemis, and as the Big Green learned in painful fashion last season, a career performance by a goaltender can make a world of difference in the NCAA tournament.
As for me, though, I'm actually taking the weekend off from hockey, at least Friday. Dartmouth tied for the Ivy League women's basketball title, and is in a three-way playoff with Harvard and Cornell this weekend for the right to advance to the NCAA tournament. It's being held at Columbia's Levien Gymnasium - aka The Bargain Basement (it is literally in the basement of Columbia's athletic center) - so I get to stay close to home this weekend.
I know I should be at a hockey game somewhere this weekend, but there are a couple of things here. First, no one is paying me to travel, so I may as well support the alma mater...especially since I get to be fully unbridled as a fan when I go to this game (as opposed to having to behave somewhat professionally). Second, I've seen Dartmouth at two Women's Frozen Fours (2004 and 2005). I have never been in the building for Dartmouth at an NCAA women's basketball tournament game. This is notable since every four-year Dartmouth women's basketball player since 1980 has won at least one Ivy League title except for two...those two were my classmates in the Dartmouth Class of 2004. I was working at CSTV when Dartmouth made the NCAAs in 2005 (when the Big Green got crushed by UConn) and 2006 (when Angie Soriaga gave Rutgers one hell of a scare), but this is a time when I plan on watching the Big Green dance. It starts Friday against Harvard.
Oh, one last New York thought, going back to the Rangers: the question of a game at Yankee Stadium. There seem to be two issues at the moment:
There are also the people who insist - understandably and justifiably - that a baseball game should be the final event at The House That Ruth Built. It is worth noting, of course, that some serious college football games have been played in the Bronx over the years as well - the "Win One For The Gipper" speech was made there at halftime of an Army-Notre Dame game, for one - but it is a baseball stadium, the most famous one on the planet. If the Yankees want baseball to be the last event there, then so be it (I do understand, however, that Yankees management is on board).
I can see both sides here, but if the Yankees are on board, then I say go ahead. The Yankees were concerned in the past about the effects of building a rink on the field, so this is really the only time they could do this, with the stadium on its way out. The building is being torn down...is anyone really going to be offended in five years that hockey was the last event at the stadium?
If New Year's Day is going to be the day for this game, I'd rather pick a market where minds are less likely to be on a bowl game. Do the names Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame ring a bell?
Staying with the Original Six, though, I like the idea of the Boston Bruins (since BC football isn't likely to play on New Year's Day). If a Yankees game isn't going to close the House That Ruth Built, I do like the idea of a New York-Boston game being the final event. This, of course, leads to talk of a return engagement at Fenway, but I'd want another team involved. Bruins-Canadiens would be my choice for Fenway, since bowl games aren't much of a thought up there, either.
Save that game for 2011, though. 2010: Wings-Blackhawks at Wrigley. It's their time.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Memo To The Mouse
OK, here's a thought for the folks at ESPN, specifically the ones responsible for the ticker on ESPNews: if an NHL game is 0-0 after regulation and OT, and the shootout is won by a 1-0 score, maybe you should say who scored the goal on the ticker.
I was at a friend's birthday celebration during the Rangers-Bruins game, and I went to the gym afterwards. I watched ESPNews while on the elliptical (it was a non-lift day), and they kept showing:
BRUINS 0
RANGERS 1 NYR wins shootout, 1-0
and then
BRUINS 0 OTL Auld 35 svs
RANGERS 1 W Lundqvist 29 svs
It wasn't until I went to a bar later that I found out that Nigel Dawes was the shootout hero for the Rangers. I haven't said much about Dawes this season, but I love the Rangers' young talent in general: Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan. The energy they bring to the team - in addition to being fine players - is one of the biggest factors in the way the team is playing right now (10-0-3 in the last 13 games, heading into tonight's game with the Sabres).
That's an exciting game, but I'm still amazed at how exciting the Army-American International game on Saturday was. The Black Knights' 5-2 series-clinching win included the following:
a disputed goal
a power outage immediately following the disputed goal
the underdog leading 2-1 after the first
a penalty shot
two goals (including the penalty shot) on the same penalty kill in the last 45 seconds of the second period
The power outage was a pain, as West Point hosted the Patriot League women's tournament this past weekend in addition to the Army-AIC playoff series. It lasted about half an hour, and affected the entire post, not to mention the neighboring village of Highland Falls. During the break, I shared stories with the Yellow Jackets' SID, including the North Dakota-BC fiasco from the fall, and a multiple-overtime classic from 2002 between Dartmouth and Colgate. Then, the announcement was made over a barely-functioning bullhorn that the power would be restored in 15 minutes (listening to the megaphone, I couldn't help but think, "Our tax dollars at work.").
When the lights came back on, AIC led after the first, and was actually in pretty good position until the last minute of the second, when Owen Meyer scored on a penalty shot and Ken Rowe followed with a true shorthanded goal. Meyer almost added yet another shorthanded tally in the last few seconds, and AIC was just about done at that point.
I will say that AIC was much better this season than in the past. Gary Wright's coaching job this year was not reflected by the record, and Dan Ramirez in goal will give AIC an opportunity to move up in Atlantic Hockey in the next couple of years. Of course, there may not be much room to move up in the conference between Army, Air Force, RIT, Sacred Heart, Mercyhurst and Holy Cross. Those are six quality programs that will have staying power at the top, but they'll find themselves having more and more trouble with AIC in coming years.
Finally, Dartmouth's season ended last night in ugly fashion, in a 6-0 loss to Cornell that clinched the ECAC Hockey first-round series for the Big Red. It was an ugly year in confernece for my alma mater - although, oddly enough, the Big Green beat the top three teams in the Hockey East standings - owing largely to the graduation of Grant Lewis, Ben Lovejoy and Mike Hartwick, which left Dartmouth with a very young defensive corps. Of course, the departures of David Jones to the Colorado Avalanche and T.J. Galiardi to my favorite major junior team, the Calgary Hitmen, didn't help matters. (And yes, I do have a favorite major junior team, owing largely to the Hitmen's namesake, Bret Hart). Dartmouth will be back, though. You can count on that.
I was at a friend's birthday celebration during the Rangers-Bruins game, and I went to the gym afterwards. I watched ESPNews while on the elliptical (it was a non-lift day), and they kept showing:
BRUINS 0
RANGERS 1 NYR wins shootout, 1-0
and then
BRUINS 0 OTL Auld 35 svs
RANGERS 1 W Lundqvist 29 svs
It wasn't until I went to a bar later that I found out that Nigel Dawes was the shootout hero for the Rangers. I haven't said much about Dawes this season, but I love the Rangers' young talent in general: Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan. The energy they bring to the team - in addition to being fine players - is one of the biggest factors in the way the team is playing right now (10-0-3 in the last 13 games, heading into tonight's game with the Sabres).
That's an exciting game, but I'm still amazed at how exciting the Army-American International game on Saturday was. The Black Knights' 5-2 series-clinching win included the following:
The power outage was a pain, as West Point hosted the Patriot League women's tournament this past weekend in addition to the Army-AIC playoff series. It lasted about half an hour, and affected the entire post, not to mention the neighboring village of Highland Falls. During the break, I shared stories with the Yellow Jackets' SID, including the North Dakota-BC fiasco from the fall, and a multiple-overtime classic from 2002 between Dartmouth and Colgate. Then, the announcement was made over a barely-functioning bullhorn that the power would be restored in 15 minutes (listening to the megaphone, I couldn't help but think, "Our tax dollars at work.").
When the lights came back on, AIC led after the first, and was actually in pretty good position until the last minute of the second, when Owen Meyer scored on a penalty shot and Ken Rowe followed with a true shorthanded goal. Meyer almost added yet another shorthanded tally in the last few seconds, and AIC was just about done at that point.
I will say that AIC was much better this season than in the past. Gary Wright's coaching job this year was not reflected by the record, and Dan Ramirez in goal will give AIC an opportunity to move up in Atlantic Hockey in the next couple of years. Of course, there may not be much room to move up in the conference between Army, Air Force, RIT, Sacred Heart, Mercyhurst and Holy Cross. Those are six quality programs that will have staying power at the top, but they'll find themselves having more and more trouble with AIC in coming years.
Finally, Dartmouth's season ended last night in ugly fashion, in a 6-0 loss to Cornell that clinched the ECAC Hockey first-round series for the Big Red. It was an ugly year in confernece for my alma mater - although, oddly enough, the Big Green beat the top three teams in the Hockey East standings - owing largely to the graduation of Grant Lewis, Ben Lovejoy and Mike Hartwick, which left Dartmouth with a very young defensive corps. Of course, the departures of David Jones to the Colorado Avalanche and T.J. Galiardi to my favorite major junior team, the Calgary Hitmen, didn't help matters. (And yes, I do have a favorite major junior team, owing largely to the Hitmen's namesake, Bret Hart). Dartmouth will be back, though. You can count on that.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tanner, Gold and Green...Tanner, Gold and GREEN!
For Anyone Who Cares: the aforementioned interview went well...thanks again to Tanner for "getting involved" and making it happen!
For Anyone Who Cares II: The title of this post is a play on "Karma Chameleon." Feel free to insult my taste in music.
Speaking of Tanner, he had his first NHL assist last night in the Panthers' 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs...good to see him still playing for the Panthers despite their trade deadline acquisitions. He also survived the first post-deadline round of AHL demotions - Rob Globke is headed up/down to Rochester - which is a good sign. Of course, with my luck, he'll get sent down after the game against the Isles on Sunday, which I plan on attending if he's playing.
I know that sounds good, in that I'd get to see Tanner play, but his first stint with the Panthers ended after I first dared him to fight Sean Avery, and his second ended after I went to see him in New Jersey on Jan. 2. He survived the game in Boston where the above photo was taken, despite the fact that he got burned by Glen Murray in that game, but if he gets sent down after I see his game against the Isles, then I may never go to see him again. Would it be my fault? Of course not, but we all know hockey players and their superstitions, right?
Actually, Dartmouth lost the first five men's hockey games I covered of theirs for CSTV.com, including the stunning 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac in October 2004, which saw the Big Green outshoot the Bobcats something like 44-13 (actually, it was 43-11, I just looked it up). Former Valley News beat writer Greg Fennel nearly convinced me that it was my fault, but then I was in Hanover when Bob Norton helped call a 5-1 win over Harvard in December 2005 (Billy Jaffe's flight was delayed, so Bob was called in on short notice). Once it became clear that Dartmouth was going to win, I wrote down "IT IS NO LONGER MY FAULT" on a sheet of paper, and shoved it in Greg's face about a second after the buzzer.
In other Ivy League news, I finished writing my feature on Princeton today. It's significantly longer than the 1,000 words I was asked for, but you don't get involved in this business if you don't have some affection for the sound of your own voice (in the literary sense), anyhow. I will say this. You know that line attributed to Chris Rock that goes on about all the ways in which the world has gone crazy? You know, "The best golfer is black, the best rapper is white, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss have the Americas Cup, etc.?" Let's add "Princeton is the Ivy League hockey champion and Cornell is going to be the Ivy League basketball champion" to the list.
Finally, a thought on the subject of the NCAA tournament. One of the suggestions I made at CSTV.com that was not taken was to show what the NCAA tournament would look like if KRACH was used instead of the Pairwise (I'm stunned that noted champion of KRACH Adam Wodon has never thought of this).
Well, I don't work for them anymore, and I can do whatever I damn well please here.
So, let's compare a KRACH-based bracket, using all the other rules employed by the NCAA, to the bracket from this week's Bracketology column by Jason Moy at USCHO.
PAIRWISE BRACKET
Albany
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Army
No. 8 Boston College vs. No. 9 Minnesota State
Madison
No. 4 North Dakota vs. No. 13 Wisconsin
No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Minnesota Duluth
Colorado Springs
No. 3 Colorado College vs. No. 14 Notre Dame
No. 6 Denver vs. No. 11 Clarkson
Worcester
No. 2 New Hampshire vs. No. 15 Bemidji State
No. 7. Michigan State vs. No. 10 St. Cloud State
KRACH Bracket
Albany
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Army
No. 8 St. Cloud State vs. No. 10 Minnesota State
Worcester
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 13 Minnesota Duluth
No. 5 New Hampshire vs. No. 12 Notre Dame
Colorado Springs
No. 3 Colorado College vs. No. 14 Minnesota
No. 6 Denver vs. No. 11 Boston College
Madison
No. 2 North Dakota vs. No. 15 Bemidji State
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 9 Wisconsin
The quick impressions from me:
- I love how the supposedly more fair KRACH system rates Miami higher than the PairWise does, given all the flak they've taken from certain WCHA folks.
- It's also kind of funny how New Hampshire goes from second to fifth when you switch to KRACH, but still winds up it Worcester when you bracket the tournament. It's also kind of cool that Denver and CC both wind up in the Springs under either system. I'd love that to be a regional final.
- Of course, no matter how you slice it, eight WCHA teams wind up in the tournament going by the current records. This is, of course, likely to change, especially once they start beating up on each other in the WCHA playoffs. However, I finally identified my discomfort with the concept of Minnesota making the NCAA tournament this season, which also applies to Minnesota Duluth.
The Gophers are currently 7-11-6 in WCHA play, and the Bulldogs are 8-11-5. Given that they play on the last weekend of the regular season, at least one of those teams will wind up with a sub-.500 conference record.
Some time ago, my former colleague Eric Mirlis - who edited a fantastic book called
Being There: 100 Sports Pros Talk About the Best Sporting Events They Ever Witnessed Firsthand - wrote a column for CSTV.com on the subject of the NCAA basketball tournament, and suggested a rule that no team with a conference record below .500 should be allowed to receive an at-large bid.
I thought it was a great idea for the 65-team basketball tournament. It's an even better idea for the 16-team hockey tournament.
Look, I know the WCHA is great. Yes, it is the best conference, top to bottom in the entire country. I don't doubt that. Alaska-Anchorage is the best last-place team you'll find in the country, and while CC may not be the best firs-place team - remember, Hockey East leader UNH swept them - they're close enough. There's no denying the strength of the conference.
However, if you finish under .500 in your conference, you don't deserve to play in the NCAA tournament...unless, of course, you can win the conference tournament (love that 2006-07 Alabama-Huntsville team).
Leaving aside the question of Minnesota Duluth - which improbably lost its two best players over the summer and got better this season - Minnesota has underachieved this season, and underachievement should not be rewarded with an NCAA tournament berth.
There. Rant over.
For Anyone Who Cares II: The title of this post is a play on "Karma Chameleon." Feel free to insult my taste in music.
Speaking of Tanner, he had his first NHL assist last night in the Panthers' 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs...good to see him still playing for the Panthers despite their trade deadline acquisitions. He also survived the first post-deadline round of AHL demotions - Rob Globke is headed up/down to Rochester - which is a good sign. Of course, with my luck, he'll get sent down after the game against the Isles on Sunday, which I plan on attending if he's playing.
I know that sounds good, in that I'd get to see Tanner play, but his first stint with the Panthers ended after I first dared him to fight Sean Avery, and his second ended after I went to see him in New Jersey on Jan. 2. He survived the game in Boston where the above photo was taken, despite the fact that he got burned by Glen Murray in that game, but if he gets sent down after I see his game against the Isles, then I may never go to see him again. Would it be my fault? Of course not, but we all know hockey players and their superstitions, right?
Actually, Dartmouth lost the first five men's hockey games I covered of theirs for CSTV.com, including the stunning 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac in October 2004, which saw the Big Green outshoot the Bobcats something like 44-13 (actually, it was 43-11, I just looked it up). Former Valley News beat writer Greg Fennel nearly convinced me that it was my fault, but then I was in Hanover when Bob Norton helped call a 5-1 win over Harvard in December 2005 (Billy Jaffe's flight was delayed, so Bob was called in on short notice). Once it became clear that Dartmouth was going to win, I wrote down "IT IS NO LONGER MY FAULT" on a sheet of paper, and shoved it in Greg's face about a second after the buzzer.
In other Ivy League news, I finished writing my feature on Princeton today. It's significantly longer than the 1,000 words I was asked for, but you don't get involved in this business if you don't have some affection for the sound of your own voice (in the literary sense), anyhow. I will say this. You know that line attributed to Chris Rock that goes on about all the ways in which the world has gone crazy? You know, "The best golfer is black, the best rapper is white, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss have the Americas Cup, etc.?" Let's add "Princeton is the Ivy League hockey champion and Cornell is going to be the Ivy League basketball champion" to the list.
Finally, a thought on the subject of the NCAA tournament. One of the suggestions I made at CSTV.com that was not taken was to show what the NCAA tournament would look like if KRACH was used instead of the Pairwise (I'm stunned that noted champion of KRACH Adam Wodon has never thought of this).
Well, I don't work for them anymore, and I can do whatever I damn well please here.
So, let's compare a KRACH-based bracket, using all the other rules employed by the NCAA, to the bracket from this week's Bracketology column by Jason Moy at USCHO.
PAIRWISE BRACKET
Albany
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Army
No. 8 Boston College vs. No. 9 Minnesota State
Madison
No. 4 North Dakota vs. No. 13 Wisconsin
No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Minnesota Duluth
Colorado Springs
No. 3 Colorado College vs. No. 14 Notre Dame
No. 6 Denver vs. No. 11 Clarkson
Worcester
No. 2 New Hampshire vs. No. 15 Bemidji State
No. 7. Michigan State vs. No. 10 St. Cloud State
KRACH Bracket
Albany
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Army
No. 8 St. Cloud State vs. No. 10 Minnesota State
Worcester
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 13 Minnesota Duluth
No. 5 New Hampshire vs. No. 12 Notre Dame
Colorado Springs
No. 3 Colorado College vs. No. 14 Minnesota
No. 6 Denver vs. No. 11 Boston College
Madison
No. 2 North Dakota vs. No. 15 Bemidji State
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 9 Wisconsin
The quick impressions from me:
- I love how the supposedly more fair KRACH system rates Miami higher than the PairWise does, given all the flak they've taken from certain WCHA folks.
- It's also kind of funny how New Hampshire goes from second to fifth when you switch to KRACH, but still winds up it Worcester when you bracket the tournament. It's also kind of cool that Denver and CC both wind up in the Springs under either system. I'd love that to be a regional final.
- Of course, no matter how you slice it, eight WCHA teams wind up in the tournament going by the current records. This is, of course, likely to change, especially once they start beating up on each other in the WCHA playoffs. However, I finally identified my discomfort with the concept of Minnesota making the NCAA tournament this season, which also applies to Minnesota Duluth.
The Gophers are currently 7-11-6 in WCHA play, and the Bulldogs are 8-11-5. Given that they play on the last weekend of the regular season, at least one of those teams will wind up with a sub-.500 conference record.
Some time ago, my former colleague Eric Mirlis - who edited a fantastic book called
Being There: 100 Sports Pros Talk About the Best Sporting Events They Ever Witnessed Firsthand - wrote a column for CSTV.com on the subject of the NCAA basketball tournament, and suggested a rule that no team with a conference record below .500 should be allowed to receive an at-large bid.
I thought it was a great idea for the 65-team basketball tournament. It's an even better idea for the 16-team hockey tournament.
Look, I know the WCHA is great. Yes, it is the best conference, top to bottom in the entire country. I don't doubt that. Alaska-Anchorage is the best last-place team you'll find in the country, and while CC may not be the best firs-place team - remember, Hockey East leader UNH swept them - they're close enough. There's no denying the strength of the conference.
However, if you finish under .500 in your conference, you don't deserve to play in the NCAA tournament...unless, of course, you can win the conference tournament (love that 2006-07 Alabama-Huntsville team).
Leaving aside the question of Minnesota Duluth - which improbably lost its two best players over the summer and got better this season - Minnesota has underachieved this season, and underachievement should not be rewarded with an NCAA tournament berth.
There. Rant over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)