OUA Playoffs

[Drop the Puck]

Good road game last night Purple!

 

[Drummer]

Has to be a disappointment for both #1 seeds. Ottawa was on a roll this year and with such a strong team - losing at home in game 3 must sting. The 1st period did them in - Hunt gives up 3 goals on 10 shots in 15min. Looks like they were not sure who to play. Brodeur loses game 1, then go with Hunt in game two and get the win. Come back with Hunt in game 3 then swap for Brodeur and almost pull it out.

Ryerson falls asleep for the first 10min of the 2nd period and watch a 1 goal lead turn into a 3 goal deficit. They save some face with 2 goals in the last half of the period, but can't get the equalizer in the 3rd. Ryerson had 15 shots after 2 while Guelph had 17 in the period. Tough loss for the top offence in the OUA that averaged 4.75 GF (5.0 GF at home), but their GAA was 3.75 (at home) which has to be lower to win in the playoffs.

 

[MiamiHockey]

Gotta think this year goes down as a massive disappointment for McGill...all that talent and finish 3rd in the regular season and ousted in round 2.

It also means we will get three new OUA teams at the University Cup, although all four teams left have gone in recent memory.

McGill clearly underachieved this season. Very surprising, but sometimes the mix of players is just not quite right.

I think we'll see Queens, Carleton, and Guelph at the University Cup.

Queen's is the most talented OUA team remaining, but I'm not confident in their intensity. This is a team that got rolled 5-1 by RMC in front of 3800 fans. Biggest game of the year and they were awful. They've got the skill, but will they be able to handle the intensity of AUS opponents? Not likely.

 

[Drummer]

Queen's is the most talented OUA team remaining,...

I just don't see these teams as competitive vs the East & West. I was hoping Ottawa and Ryerson could stay on the roll into Lethbridge and possible upset someone. I don't see that with any of the remaining four teams.

 

[AdamMcg83]

I just don't see these teams as competitive vs the East & West. I was hoping Ottawa and Ryerson could stay on the roll into Lethbridge and possible upset someone. I don't see that with any of the remaining four teams.

I would hesitate to put Ryerson in that category - the feeling I get from around the league is that they're not particularly hard to play against. IMO, a team like Western is more equipped for a UCup upset: rounded roster, enough top-end talent to grab a couple PP goals, solid goaltending, and really well-coached. I'm not trying to disparage Ryerson, but I don't think they check many of those same boxes.

 

[FreddyFoyle]

Carleton plays a very physical game, and are hard to play against. If they stay out the box (i.e. "let the boys play") I feel they could go the distance in the OUA.

 

[MiamiHockey]

I just don't see these teams as competitive vs the East & West. I was hoping Ottawa and Ryerson could stay on the roll into Lethbridge and possible upset someone. I don't see that with any of the remaining four teams.

McGill was clearly the most talented team, and most capable of success in Lethbridge. Ottawa was not as talented as McGill, and would have struggled against CW & AUS teams.

IF Queen's gets goaltending, they are the best bet for an upset at the UCup. I've just never seen any Queen's team that plays with the hunger and intensity needed to win.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Queen’s in 3
Guelph in 2

 

[hockeyinsiderusports]

Western 2
Queens 2

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Ridiculous goal by Bethune.

 

[KKWG11]

Ridiculous goal by Bethune.

Unreal goal to see live... Justin Fazio was star of the series... He stole both games as Carelton was by far the better team

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Happy to see the OUA is putting the two games this weekend on different nights...I thought they both might be scheduled for the same time on Saturday night.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

Is the bronze game televised? Can't find it.

 

[Rob]

Is the bronze game televised? Can't find it.

Yes. Go to OUA.TV under Live Events

 

[Rob]

Queen's wins their first OUA title since 1981. You could tell that this game meant a lot to them. Even if they go out quickly at the Nationals they will have this banner to hang

Nice to see the stands packed. So used to empty rinks for OUA games.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

I feel like the Queen’s Cup means more than the AUS/CW championship...that game always seems to get a massive spike in attendance and feels more important. Not sure if it is because of the history, the fact that there is more parity/teams in the league so hosting the game is a rarer occurrence, or what...

 

[AdamMcg83]

I feel like the Queen’s Cup means more than the AUS/CW championship...that game always seems to get a massive spike in attendance and feels more important. Not sure if it is because of the history, the fact that there is more parity/teams in the league so hosting the game is a rarer occurrence, or what...

IMO, likely all of the above. The parity issue has to play a big role; teams like UNB, Alberta, and Sask have so many banners that the expectation is different. I'd also suggest that the one-game format plays a real part too; it feels like a bigger event than a best-of-three.

 

[Hollywood3]

IMO, likely all of the above. The parity issue has to play a big role; teams like UNB, Alberta, and Sask have so many banners that the expectation is different. I'd also suggest that the one-game format plays a real part too; it feels like a bigger event than a best-of-three.

IMO the conference playoffs should be sudden death games everywhere. Uhockey needs to distinguish its brand from junior. Final four style conference tournaments could draw tv as well.

 

[AdamMcg83]

IMO the conference playoffs should be sudden death games everywhere. Uhockey needs to distinguish its brand from junior. Final four style conference tournaments could draw tv as well.

The OUA had a final four tournament up until the late 90s or early 2000s, I believe. The problem is hosting; it's likely tough for some schools to secure enough ice time to host a final four on short notice, and an awarded host event would fall flat if the host wasn't part of a final four.

 

[MiamiHockey]

IMO the conference playoffs should be sudden death games everywhere. Uhockey needs to distinguish its brand from junior. Final four style conference tournaments could draw tv as well.

Too expensive, with no chance of breaking even.

 

[Hollywood3]

Too expensive, with no chance of breaking even.

It would be no more costly than a best-of-3.

 

[MiamiHockey]

It would be no more costly than a best-of-3.

It's not the cost, it's the lack of revenue.
At least a best-of-3 will get fans there supporting their own team. Nobody will attend a Final Four - that's been proven with the old Queen's Cup format.

 

[Hollywood3]

It's not the cost, it's the lack of revenue.
At least a best-of-3 will get fans there supporting their own team. Nobody will attend a Final Four - that's been proven with the old Queen's Cup format.

If it were at a neutral site.
In CW tournaments the highest seed hosted and drew well.

 

[MiamiHockey]

If it were at a neutral site.
In CW tournaments the highest seed hosted and drew well.

Yes ... but that's not a Final Four, is it? In CW Hockey, the higher seed hosts a best-of-3. That's almost precisely what the OUA does now, except that in the OUA the higher seed only gets two of the games, not all three.
You can't put together a Final Four tournament for hockey at the last minute. You'd need to know the host well in advance to ensure accommodations, etc.. And that precludes the Best-on-Best we have now.
And, as I said before, the OUA used to do a Final Four, and stopped doing it because it lost money. And that was when the host team (Western) was in it.
Let's say (for argument's sake) that Western hosts a Final Four with McGill, Carleton, Western, and Laurier. They'll attract decent crowds for any games involving Western ... but what's the point in paying for McGill and Carleton to travel 9 hours to London to play a single game in front of family and friends, when they could travel 1.5 hours to play in front of a packed house in Ottawa / Montreal? It's foolish, and does nothing to differentiate OUA hockey. In fact, all it does is make it less relevant by taking games away from the people who might care about it the most.

 

[Hollywood3]

Yes ... but that's not a Final Four, is it? In CW Hockey, the higher seed hosts a best-of-3. That's almost precisely what the OUA does now, except that in the OUA the higher seed only gets two of the games, not all three.
You can't put together a Final Four tournament for hockey at the last minute. You'd need to know the host well in advance to ensure accommodations, etc.. And that precludes the Best-on-Best we have now.
And, as I said before, the OUA used to do a Final Four, and stopped doing it because it lost money. And that was when the host team (Western) was in it.
Let's say (for argument's sake) that Western hosts a Final Four with McGill, Carleton, Western, and Laurier. They'll attract decent crowds for any games involving Western ... but what's the point in paying for McGill and Carleton to travel 9 hours to London to play a single game in front of family and friends, when they could travel 1.5 hours to play in front of a packed house in Ottawa / Montreal? It's foolish, and does nothing to differentiate OUA hockey. In fact, all it does is make it less relevant by taking games away from the people who might care about it the most.

It is a final four. The highest seeded team hosts. 1 v 4 and 2v 3 on Friday, losers play for 3rd and winners for 1st on Saturday.