Expectations are a funny thing. ECAC preseason polls picked Cornell and Harvard to finish second and third, respectively. The two squads now sit at the bottom of the conference.

Harvard’s underachievement has made this regular season one of the most painful in program history. Can Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91 possibly gain absolution for this year’s circus? If Harvard continues to improve and builds off of its recent postseason surprises, I think he can.

Fans will not remember Harvard’s 2010-11 campaign for the Crimson’s lackluster 7-14-1 regular season record. They will remember that Harvard fought within an overtime goal of advancing to the ECAC semis. The 2011-12 season isn’t memorable for Harvard’s record-setting frustration in the “ties” department during the regular season. Fans will remember the Crimson’s run to the ECAC finals.

It’s going to take a lot to erase the memory of this regular season, but Harvard has to take comfort in the fact that there remains something to play for next month. At this point, the ECAC Tournament is the light at the end of a long, dark, and rather meaningless tunnel.

—Staff Writer Michael D. Ledecky can be reached at mledecky@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @mdledecky.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: Feb. 20, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the date on which the Harvard men's hockey team tied Cornell, 2-2. In fact, that game occurred on Saturday, not Friday.