Patrick McNally | D

[avelanch]

Is there a freshman of the year trophy for the NCAA? if there is, so far McNally's got it locked down. How's his defensive game? Anybody know?

at -3, 4 d-men on his team have a better +/- than him, but 2 of them have only played a single game, so they are not comparable. there are only 6 players on the team with a positive +/-, 4 if you remove the 2 players with a single game played. the problem is, 17 of their 35 goals scored were on the powerplay, so there's not a whole lot of opportunity to boost their stats. they have the #1 PP in the nation though, so that's a good thing I guess. he hasn't been burnt in any of the highlights I've watched, so I guess there's that. the problem is the reports don't really talk about someone's defensive prowess, just their offensive results.

[avelanch]

looking at the WJC roster today for team USA, I've got to say, if Patrick hadn't just turned 20 on saturday, he probably would have made the team. it's a shame he was held back a year in school, as he might have made the team last year if he would have had more exposure.

[Salmonberries]

He looks like one hell of a player at this point doesn't he. His production has been way beyond anything I would have expected.

[Get real canuck fans]

Patrick McNally Named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week

McNally's 12 points have all come in the last seven games (photo courtesy Thom Kendall).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Defenseman Patrick McNally of the Harvard men’s hockey team has been named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

The freshman from Glen Head, N.Y., had a hand in three of Harvard’s goals in the Crimson’s 4-3 win at Princeton Saturday. McNally gave Harvard the lead in the game’s first two minutes and helped the Crimson double its advantage with an assist on Marshall Everson’s second-period goal. In the third period, he assisted on Danny Biega’s goal, the eventual game-winner.

It was the second straight three-point game for McNally, who has totaled three goals and nine assists in 10 games. He ranks third nationally among defensemen, first out of freshman defensemen, in scoring at 1.2 points per game. He is also a key part of a Crimson power-play unit that leads the nation with a 32.1-percent conversion rate.

McNally is the third Crimson player to earn an ECAC Hockey weekly this season. Alex Killorn was named Player of the Week and Colin Blackwell was selected as Rookie of the Week Nov. 29.

[Devoted]

Mcnally is producing at a fantastic rate! Regardless of being a 20 year old freshman, this is still his first season against men, and he is proving quite capable of the higher skill level.

He could be argued as one of the Canucks biggest boom prospects. His ceiling could be very high

[avelanch]

Patrick McNally Named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week

McNally's 12 points have all come in the last seven games (photo courtesy Thom Kendall).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Defenseman Patrick McNally of the Harvard men’s hockey team has been named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

The freshman from Glen Head, N.Y., had a hand in three of Harvard’s goals in the Crimson’s 4-3 win at Princeton Saturday. McNally gave Harvard the lead in the game’s first two minutes and helped the Crimson double its advantage with an assist on Marshall Everson’s second-period goal. In the third period, he assisted on Danny Biega’s goal, the eventual game-winner.

It was the second straight three-point game for McNally, who has totaled three goals and nine assists in 10 games. He ranks third nationally among defensemen, first out of freshman defensemen, in scoring at 1.2 points per game. He is also a key part of a Crimson power-play unit that leads the nation with a 32.1-percent conversion rate.

McNally is the third Crimson player to earn an ECAC Hockey weekly this season. Alex Killorn was named Player of the Week and Colin Blackwell was selected as Rookie of the Week Nov. 29.

that was SO last page...

[Guest Dasein]

91 december means the school prevented him from joining school with the rest of the 91 kids (cutoff for school is usually beginning of the school year) then he might have been held back one year for any number of reasons causing him to have to finish one extra year of high school before joining university last season. and again, he's not 2 years older than the rest of the rookie class, he's 1 year (he should have been with the 92 born kids, school-wise), and even despite that, he's getting points at a torrid pace, espescially for the NCAA.

The only d-men with more points than him in his conference are Nick D'Agostino (junior), Mat Bodie (sophmore; same original school year as mcnally) and Danny Biega (sophmore; same school year), and he's played less games than both Bodie and D'Agostino, and they are only up on him by a single point. Biega is on McNally's team, and leads the conference in d-man points and is only leading by 2 points, and McNally is gaining on him.

why can't you be happy for him instead of trying to discount his accomplishments and bring down the whole thread?

I did say that his production is still impressive despite the fact that he's 2 years older than most rookies in comparison to the league overall. He's producing at a great pace even in comparison to his fellow '91-born players who started school normal.

I'm just saying my standards for McNally are way higher than yours. I just don't see the point in drooling over this guy by comparing him to other rookies who are 2 years younger than him...I expected him to be the best rookie. That was a given considering his age. Now, all I was saying is compare him to someone his OWN age and size.

To which I answered that he's doing well EVEN when considered against guys his own age in the league (in my original post). So what's this accusation of me bringing him down? I just have higher expectations. To compare McNally to other rookies is almost disrespectful to him. This kid needs to be compared to talents that are equivalent to him in age rather than his rookie class. That's all I was saying.

[avelanch]

ECAC Hockey Journal: Crimson have turned on the power

by Dan Guttenplan

As ECAC Hockey teams head into their winter breaks, coaching staffs will undoubtedly use the time between games to regroup and scout conference foes. One unit that will undoubtedly be scrutinized, and then potentially emulated, is the Harvard power play.

The Crimson (4-3-3, 3-3-2 ECAC) have the nation's most efficient power play, converting at a rate of 32.1 percent. To put that in perspective, 14 of the team's 24 goals in ECAC play have come in power-play situations.

The conclusion most coaches will draw: If you want to beat the Crimson, stay out of the penalty box.

"We're excited about coming back from Christmas break," Harvard coach Ted Donato (Dedham, Mass.) said. "League standings and winning percentage can be tough to measure in the first semester due to the unbalanced number of games. We do know, though, we have the best power play in the nation."

The source of the power-play production stems from a pair of offensive-minded defensemen, junior Danny Biega (three goals, 11 assists) and freshman Patrick McNally (3-9-12). Biega and McNally rank second and third in the nation, respectively, in points per game for defensemen.

Last week, McNally earned ECAC Rookie of the Week after having a hand in three power-play goals in a 4-3 win at Princeton Saturday. Biega scored the game's third goal, the eventual game-winner.

"They're both very good, offensive defensemen," Donato said. "Throw (forward) Alex Killorn in the mix, and they're all in the top 25 in the nation in scoring. I think that first semester can be a real sampling of how things will play out, but there's a lot of hockey to be played."

For those teams preparing to match up with Harvard in the second semester, it would be wise to do so at even strength.

http://www.hockeyjournal.com/news/2011/12/14_ecac_hockey_journal_crimson.php

Harvard sees Bright prospects

By John Connolly / College Hockey

Friday, December 16, 2011 - Updated 9 hours ago

There’s more than just a fancy paint job, new light bulbs and other cosmetic improvements putting the bright back in Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center this season. The newest edition of Crimson skaters is showing similar characteristics of prior Harvard teams, who for years routinely challenged for top billing in the ECAC and in the national.

“It’s kind of the glass half-empty and half-full, I guess,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato about his team’s resurgence. “On one side of it, we’ve won four out of 10 games. The other side, after losing two of the first three games, we’ve only lost once in the last eight.”

Harvard (4-3-3, 3-3-2 ECAC), which is picking up steam off its 4-2-1 record in the last six outings, has been bolstered by a nice blend of old and new. Veterans including senior forward Alex Killorn (6-6-12), a Tampa Bay draft pick, senior forward Eric Kroshus and juniors wingers Marshall Everson, Conor Morrison (1-1-2) and Bruins [team stats] prospect Alex Fallstrom (3-6-9), have been pushed by talented freshmen forwards Colin Blackwell of North Andover and St. John’s Prep, Tommy O’Regan of Needham and St. Sebastian’s, and defensemen Max Everson (Marshall’s younger sibling), and the dazzling Patrick McNally, who played at Milton Academy.

“It’s the first time in my four years that we’ve gone into the break with an over .500 record,” said senior captain and defenseman Ryan Grimshaw. “Right now, it’s a full team effort. The freshmen have really bought into the system and are pushing us (older players).”

Blackwell, a San Jose (NHL) draft choice last spring, earned ECAC Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 29 while McNally received the same recognition this past week after posting consecutive three-point games. McNally, a fourth-round pick of Vancouver in 2010, ranks third nationally among defensemen for scoring.

“I think we felt that some of the players that had been here were on the verge of stepping up and making strides, especially after what they did in the last third of last season,” Donato said. “They’ve picked up this season where they left off last year.”

While the Crimson struggled to a 12-21-1 (7-14-1 ECAC) record a year ago, they went 8-3-1 in the last 12 games and came within a overtime goal of advancing to the ECAC semifinals.

This year, the line of Everson-Killorn-Fallstrom has been terrific, combining to register 13 goals, while McNally (3-9-12) and Blackwell (3-3-6) have stepped in to help upgrade the power play, which currently leads the nation at 32 percent (17-of-53). Harvard ranks seventh nationally in goals scored with 35.

Kroshus, whose best season came as a junior when he posted 3-4-7 numbers, already has 3-2-5 totals, including two power-play goals on just 17 shots on net. The elder Everson (4-3-7) has equaled his previous high for goals (four) set last season (4-7-11).

“They’ve been excellent,” Donato said about the Everson-Killorn-Fallstrom trio. “Night in, night, they’ve given us a dynamic first line. They really taken huge strides forward and raised the standards for the entire team. (The freshmen) have been put in positions of responsibility and have responded well, too.”

“(McNally) has come in right away and certainly played a lot of minutes. He’s a playmaker. He gives us a real offensive presence on the blue line with Danny Biega. Tommy O’Regan has stepped up and helped our offense and Max Everson has solidified the defensive corps. Blackwell is just going to be a great player. Colin has a real good compete level and is one of those guys when the game is on the line you know he’s going to be out there and making plays.”

Harvard is off until a road trip to North Dakota on Dec. 30-31.

http://bostonherald.com/sports/college/hockey/view.bg?articleid=1388843&srvc=sports&position=4

[gnarbot]

Who is he comparable to. Would he be all offense like a mike green or does he have a good all around game like edler

[avelanch]

Who is he comparable to. Would he be all offense like a mike green or does he have a good all around game like edler

it's hard to tell, since he's only had 11 NCAA games and is only a -3 despite the vast majority of his team's points coming from the powerplay. I haven't heard or seen any replay's that showed Patrick directly at fault for any goals against, so he's not horrible at defense, like Green. there will be a couple nationally broadcast games in the new year that will allow us to judge for ourselves (at least for those of us in the US). Right now we just have write-ups and replays to go by, and last season he played against high-schoolers, so it's not a good comparison.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Who is he comparable to. Would he be all offense like a mike green or does he have a good all around game like edler

I've heard by some other fans, that his playing style is Drew Doughty. Offensive mobile defencemen that skates real good with the puck, has good shooting skills etc etc.

[Guest Dasein]

it's hard to tell, since he's only had 11 NCAA games and is only a -3 despite the vast majority of his team's points coming from the powerplay. I haven't heard or seen any replay's that showed Patrick directly at fault for any goals against, so he's not horrible at defense, like Green. there will be a couple nationally broadcast games in the new year that will allow us to judge for ourselves (at least for those of us in the US). Right now we just have write-ups and replays to go by, and last season he played against high-schoolers, so it's not a good comparison.

Any offensive defenseman automatically gets compared to Mike Green these days But like you say, if he turns out to be that poor man's Green (around 50 points), then that is a very successful 4th round pick.

I've heard by some other fans, that his playing style is Drew Doughty. Offensive mobile defencemen that skates real good with the puck, has good shooting skills etc etc.

Doughty's more than a offensive mobile defenseman--he's physical, big and capable of playing the shutdown role. He did that as a 19 year old, but has now regressed since...

I'd compare him to Kaberle. Realistically, he doesn't have the high end offensive skills like Green, nor is he a physical presence like Doughty. Tomas Kaberle IMO who wasn't a slouch himself during his prime. Not physical, not great defensively, pretty good PP quarterback and tends to get the job done.

[Rey]

Why does anyone even bother to make comparisons? Especially, when they don't seem to know anything and are just reading reports.

All, anyone should do, is hope he continues putting up points, decide hockey is priority, and give up Harvard and join the AHL. Louis Leblanc route. Than, start analyzing him.

How the hell, is there a guy saying that McNally isn't physical, doesn't have high offensive talents, or not great defensively. Where is this coming from? It's all coming out of a random guy's ass. Absolutely, garbage.

You can't tell if he's physical, because he's a 20 year lanky kid that needs to bulk up. That alone, won't tell you how bad or great defensively he is.

One thing for sure, is he was drafted because of hockey sense. He's not a stupid kid, he goes to Harvard. That's what sets him apart from Kevin Connauton, who lacks brains. I wouldn't worry about McNally's defensive game..

Anyways, for a 4th round pick. He's already exceeded all expectation. Definitely, him and Lebate are the two, most interesting prospects at the moment because they are turning into real prospect. Not like, that Rai guy, who was never good at anything to begin with.

This is why, you draft college players in late rounds. You get interesting prospects. It's not like the CHL, where they play so many games, that you know what you're going to get most of the time.

PS - Mike Green is dumb like Kevin Connauton. I guarantee you, that McNally won't be nor Mike Green or Poor mans Mike Green. If you watch hockey enough, you can clearly tell the thinkers of the game, from the guys who stay in the league just based on skill. If, only Mike Green had a brain....just like, if only Jay Bouwmeester had a personality. Those small things make a player from being good to great.

[bluesy_shoes]

Why does anyone even bother to make comparisons? Especially, when they don't seem to know anything and are just reading reports.

All, anyone should do, is hope he continues putting up points, decide hockey is priority, and give up Harvard and join the AHL. Louis Leblanc route. Than, start analyzing him.

How the hell, is there a guy saying that McNally isn't physical, doesn't have high offensive talents, or not great defensively. Where is this coming from? It's all coming out of a random guy's ass. Absolutely, garbage.

You can't tell if he's physical, because he's a 20 year lanky kid that needs to bulk up. That alone, won't tell you how bad or great defensively he is.

One thing for sure, is he was drafted because of hockey sense. He's not a stupid kid, he goes to Harvard. That's what sets him apart from Kevin Connauton, who lacks brains. I wouldn't worry about McNally's defensive game..

Anyways, for a 4th round pick. He's already exceeded all expectation. Definitely, him and Lebate are the two, most interesting prospects at the moment because they are turning into real prospect. Not like, that Rai guy, who was never good at anything to begin with.

This is why, you draft college players in late rounds. You get interesting prospects. It's not like the CHL, where they play so many games, that you know what you're going to get most of the time.

PS - Mike Green is dumb like Kevin Connauton. I guarantee you, that McNally won't be nor Mike Green or Poor mans Mike Green. If you watch hockey enough, you can clearly tell the thinkers of the game, from the guys who stay in the league just based on skill. If, only Mike Green had a brain....just like, if only Jay Bouwmeester had a personality. Those small things make a player from being good to great.

I agree with all this, but you're missing the point that there's not much to talk about, and drawing comparisons to players is easy and something to argue about. If we did as you say, this thread would be empty. Nobody really cares if they end up right or not, its just about winning an argument. If it does end up panning out, then one of us will go back to this thread and be like "SEE! CARBON COPY OF DUNCAN KEITH!" That is my optimistic comparison by the way, and I'll defend it to the grave.

What makes you think Connauton is stupid? I'm not disagreeing with you, just curious.

Anyone know how McNally is as a skater?

[avelanch]

when I met nauts he seemed genuinely nice and well spoken. i don't see how anyone could call him "dumb" especially Rey who clearly needs to go back to school with that post. oh, and Rey, in case you didn't know... we drafted nauts out of the NCAA (Western Michigan Broncos), which he left to play for the Giants after the draft.

[HomeBrew]

I agree with all this, but you're missing the point that there's not much to talk about, and drawing comparisons to players is easy and something to argue about. If we did as you say, this thread would be empty. Nobody really cares if they end up right or not, its just about winning an argument. If it does end up panning out, then one of us will go back to this thread and be like "SEE! CARBON COPY OF DUNCAN KEITH!" That is my optimistic comparison by the way, and I'll defend it to the grave.

What makes you think Connauton is stupid? I'm not disagreeing with you, just curious.

Anyone know how McNally is as a skater?

I have to agree with you. Regardless if what we are saying is based on anything in "reality" or not, the point is to talk/argue about something to keep our interest going. If all we did was hope for the best and wait and see... then it would be boring to come onto a board just look at stats that you could of looked up yourself.

My comparison: Kris Letang

Thinks the game very well, can move the puck quickly out of the zone and can quarterback the powerplay, but he isn't overly physical and does not possess a overly powerful shot.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

I agree with all this, but you're missing the point that there's not much to talk about, and drawing comparisons to players is easy and something to argue about. If we did as you say, this thread would be empty. Nobody really cares if they end up right or not, its just about winning an argument. If it does end up panning out, then one of us will go back to this thread and be like "SEE! CARBON COPY OF DUNCAN KEITH!" That is my optimistic comparison by the way, and I'll defend it to the grave.

What makes you think Connauton is stupid? I'm not disagreeing with you, just curious.

Anyone know how McNally is as a skater?

Very good skater. Check out his highlites. Maybe a Ehrhoff or Jovo type? He is in 6'2, so I wouldn't call him a small player at all.

[Rey]

when I met nauts he seemed genuinely nice and well spoken. i don't see how anyone could call him "dumb" especially Rey who clearly needs to go back to school with that post. oh, and Rey, in case you didn't know... we drafted nauts out of the NCAA (Western Michigan Broncos), which he left to play for the Giants after the draft.

What does being genuinely nice and well spoken, have to do with brains? Unless your a high school dropout, there isn't anyone that can "seem" genuinely nice and well spoken. You really wanna compare Harvard, the 2nd ranked University in the world, to Western Michigan, the 181th? Come on.

And just because you go to University, doesn't make a person smart. It's like saying people that go to SFU for art is smart. No.

[Rey]

What makes you think Connauton is stupid? I'm not disagreeing with you, just curious.

Anyone know how McNally is as a skater?

It's the way he is thinking the game, is the reason why he won't be in the NHL for another few years. He's improved a little at a time, but still needs to work on his defensive game, takes bad penalties, and makes dumb plays.

He's much like Bieksa. When, his mind is in the right place. He'll do fine. When he isn't thinking, he makes bad pinches, takes stupid penalties, and is god awful. That's your concern.

Where, you have a brighter Salo, who you don't have to worry about at all. That, is what you're going to expect with McNally. Anyone who is using +/- to see if a player is good or bad defensively, does not know anything about hockey. Completely useless stat. You could put a broom on the ice, and it'll have a even plus/minus against players who can't score to begin with. It's always about the match ups.

[Get real canuck fans]

Why does anyone even bother to make comparisons? Especially, when they don't seem to know anything and are just reading reports.

All, anyone should do, is hope he continues putting up points, decide hockey is priority, and give up Harvard and join the AHL. Louis Leblanc route. Than, start analyzing him.

How the hell, is there a guy saying that McNally isn't physical, doesn't have high offensive talents, or not great defensively. Where is this coming from? It's all coming out of a random guy's ass. Absolutely, garbage.

You can't tell if he's physical, because he's a 20 year lanky kid that needs to bulk up. That alone, won't tell you how bad or great defensively he is.

One thing for sure, is he was drafted because of hockey sense. He's not a stupid kid, he goes to Harvard. That's what sets him apart from Kevin Connauton, who lacks brains. I wouldn't worry about McNally's defensive game..

Anyways, for a 4th round pick. He's already exceeded all expectation. Definitely, him and Lebate are the two, most interesting prospects at the moment because they are turning into real prospect. Not like, that Rai guy, who was never good at anything to begin with.

This is why, you draft college players in late rounds. You get interesting prospects. It's not like the CHL, where they play so many games, that you know what you're going to get most of the time.

PS - Mike Green is dumb like Kevin Connauton. I guarantee you, that McNally won't be nor Mike Green or Poor mans Mike Green. If you watch hockey enough, you can clearly tell the thinkers of the game, from the guys who stay in the league just based on skill. If, only Mike Green had a brain....just like, if only Jay Bouwmeester had a personality. Those small things make a player from being good to great.

Odd how you rant about just reading reports and knowing what type of player is, yet how do you know Labate and McNally are "real prospects", are you using the same logic you used for Patrick White, whom you probably still think will be an NHL stud.

One thing for sure,,I am sure K-Con is smarter than you,,,anyone that makes several judgements about why someone was drafted,,how smart they are,,,,anything to back that up besides what school they went too, and I doubt Gretzky would have made it to Harvard,,did he have any hockey sense?well,,,seen enough garbage out of your keyboard to think you got about as much sense as George W Bush, and you will grab a brain when your beloved Patrick White wins the Art Ross.