Yale's Two Hockey Masters

Coach T

As many insiders and Yale hockey lovers know, legendary coach Tim Taylor is suffering these days. In what many fear might be his final hockey act, he helped lead Team USA World Juniors to the Gold Medal in January in his role as director of Player Presonnell, the second time in 5 years he has captured WJC gold. He is currently listed in the same role for Sweden 2014. He could use everyone's thoughts and prayers that he returns to the rink in that familiar back corner, studying players and team trends.  Yale assistant coach Dan Muse was his scouting partner in Ufa, Russia; they were inseparable.  Coach Taylor was the last on the ice to join his American mates on the victorious blue line in Russia to sing the Star Spangled Banner. You should be able to see and hear Tim at the :30 second mark of this video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPdcS1o_yzk

You know how teams who have tilted the ice in their favor in late games and OT (i.e. Yale vs Lowell) sometimes get burned on the odd chance given up in their own end on a cold goalie?  Yale avoided that @ 2 minutes before captain Andrew Miller cashed in.  Two Grade-A chances by Lowell were thwarted before they reached fruition: 1) Malcolm anticipated a pass from the side of the net and deflected it safely away; and 2) intense back checking by Yale broke up a pass to a Lowell sniper at the bottom of the circle.  Alert kids, well-coached kids. Might have to credit Coach Allain for that.

The Elis were at rock bottom when they busted out of Atlantic City with no goals scored in two forgettable games in march, blowing off the mandatory press conference.  EVERYONE thought their season was done.  Somehow in 6 days Allain had them prepped, pumped and believing for their Indiana Jones-like run through the NCAA west regional.  Most coaches would have lost their kids after that ugly spell in A.C.  This was reminiscent of the Allain effect when he was coaching Team USA at the 2011 Buffalo World Juniors.  The Yanks had just been demolished by Canada 5-1 in the semis in a game that was not that close.  Two days later they were scheduled to face a brilliant Sweden club in the consolation.  Consensus in the press box was that USA would merely go through the motions after their miserable performance on the big stage.  Yet Team USA got off the mat and beat what was arguably the best team in the tourney to salvage a medal.  Allain comes across as brusque, and occasionally haughty to the working press, and has never let a TV crew anywhere near the sanctity of his team's locker room, but he has never lost the ear of any of his teams. This year's Yale squad is the shining example. His victory leap off the Yale bench after their thrilling overtime victory Thursday was one for the ages.  Most astute Yale hockey observers have yet to see him smile, let alone launch himself.

Highlights of The Allain "Launch" 6:18 into this video