Some semi-random thoughts on what I have seen so far this season:
 
1) Tom Poti skates better than any freshman defenseman I've ever seen, and
better than 99% of the other defensemen out there - better even than most
figure skaters, I suspect.
 
2) If every star worked as hard as Chris Drury does, we would never be
disappointed by inconsistent performances.
 
3) Who needs Sean Matile? Brian LaRochelle looks great to me.
 
4) I am thoroughly convinced that Eric Perrin and Martin St. Louis are
sound defensive players. Maybe they take a few chances that put them out of
defensive position, but it would be lunacy for them to do otherwise given
their offensive skills.
 
5) Chris Warner was right -- Ryan Moynihan is the real thing. Who would have
thought that he, not Kyle Knopp, Ryan Smart, Vinnie Auger or Matt Cooney,
would be Cornell's top scorer?
 
6) Speaking of Augers, Prineton's Dominique is the best offensive defenseman
to come into the ECAC in a LONG time. There have been good ones, but he is a
great one. Brad Dexter earned All-America honors last year for doing what
Auger does.
 
7) Speaking of ECAC freshman, if Moynihan or D. Auger isn't Rookie of the
Year, my choice would be JR Prestifilippo. Talk about pressure -- allow more
than two goals a night and you lose. He has been great as he embarks on a
Dan Murphy-like consecutive game streak.
 
8) I don't know what Tim Taylor is telling his players, but it sure is
working.
 
9) Boy, I love that Hobey Baker candidate from Michigan -- John Madden.
 
10) The best passer in college hockey? I'd like to see a head-to-head
competition between Martin St. Louis and Brian Swanson.
 
11) I tuned into the Ferris State/Bowling Green game one night and thought
"man, can't these schools come up with more interesting jerseys?" Then I
saw Princeton's commemorative unis and thought of Yale's attrocities by
Starter. Maybe Curtis Fry, Andy Roach and friends are better off...
 
12) Speaking of new jersies, how about the kids from New Jersey? Everyone
seems to have a good one. Princeton has two, not surprisingly, in J.P. and
Michael Acosta. Prestifilippo is another. Jeff Brow is scoring goals for
Yale. Then look at all the Lawrenceville kids, including Erik Johnson at UNH.
Hockey in the Garden State has come a long way in the last 10 years.
 
13) Brown has to be the best one-win team in NCAA history. Sooner or later
the Bears will get it going, but it is fun to watch Adrian Smith regardless
of the outcome.
 
14) When was the last time that Harvard was an underdog at home to Princeton?
Probably when Hobey Baker was in the lineup for the Tigers.
 
15) I haven't seen as much body contact going on this year, particularly in
the east, but one Erik Rasmussen shift makes up for all the other no-hitters.
 
Geoff Howell
 
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