UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

[cavbim]

Surprised no one has taken a shot at the trivia question from the post-UVM update ...

Your forgotten assistant

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Bad news last night for the 'Cats, as BU comes up short to Harvard in the Beanpot Finals ...

IF BU LOSES BEANPOT

Friday (Feb. 17th): UNH 1 @ BU 7
Saturday (Feb. 18th): @ UNH 2 BU 4

... so UNH isn't going to get the "fat & happy" Terriers this weekend - it'll be the P.O.'ed and focused ones instead.

Not good for home ice in the MBPBEGAM round. And not good for The Quest either.

Surprised no one has taken a shot at the trivia question from the post-UVM update ...

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

'Cats hoping for a good weekend...

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...form=hootsuite

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

I would be amiss if I didn't extend my condolences to the family of DRW owner Mike Ilitch, who passed away late last week at age 87.

Well said...

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Of course, if the Ivy Leaguers win their first 'Pot since the new building opened (I think; that's a guess?)

Correct...Harvard last won the Beanpot in 1993.

Predictions:

IF BU WINS BEANPOT

Friday (Feb. 17th): UNH 3 @ BU 2
Saturday (Feb. 18th): @ UNH 1 BU 5

IF BU LOSES BEANPOT

Friday (Feb. 17th): UNH 1 @ BU 7
Saturday (Feb. 18th): @ UNH 2 BU 4

BU's goals scored in their last ten games:
2
3
1
3
1
1
4
3
3
2

If we score 7 goals against anyone they should call off school for a week!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

I would be amiss if I didn't extend my condolences to the family of DRW owner Mike Ilitch, who passed away late last week at age 87. He transformed my favorite NHL team from the "Dead Wings" when he purchased them 35 years ago now, and as his beloved 'Wings and their much-ballyhooed 25 year playoff streak circle the drain this season, his influence on the team - and the downtown's renaissance - continues unabated with the looming completion of the new arena, as well as the new Little Caesar's HQ and the surrounding neighborhood projects he had committed to developing around these projects. Mitch Albom knocks it out of the park with his "Say Goodbye to Mr. I" eulogy in yesterday's edition of the Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/co...gers/97787182/

His life was a true rags to riches tale, and I'll always be grateful for what he did for the team. I'm also called to remember that my first and fondest memories of posting on-line at message boards revolved around the heady days of DRW's run-up to their dynasty years in the mid-to-late '90's at the old Freep Red Wings message boards, which were even more "Wild West" than the early days of USCHO (so much so the Freep terminated their boards before the turn of the century). The '97 SCF and the creative back-and-forth between the Red Wings' fans and the Flyers' interlopers hooked me on this medium for life. But as crazy as those forums would get, there was never an "Ilitch Must Sell" thread, as he was even then revered by the DRW fanbase. So indirectly, I'm grateful to Mr. I for forging this path to a really fun hobby, too.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Back on schedule, WIS Productions brings you the latest edition of "Umile's Last Stand - The _____ for 600"

"Umile's Last Stand - The Quest for 600"

Coach Umile's current career wins total: 583
Wins Remaining to the next round number: 17
*Games Remaining (Next 2 Seasons - Min.): 42
Win Pct. Required to Hit Target: 40.5%
WIS Estimated Likelihood of Success: 65%
2016/2017 Cupcake Conversion Ratio (CCR): 9/15 (60%)

* - minimum games remaining assumes 34 regular season games, and at least 2 games in the MBPBEGAM "playoffs"

The good news is UNH's 7 game winless streak went by the boards this past Friday night with a 4-2 win over the "other" 'Cats, which got the boys back within a game of the .500 mark. But with "The Gauntlet" nearing its end, and with it UNH's fading (now dashed) hopes of a top 4 seed that would have seen the program skip the silly MBPBEGAM first round of the "playoffs", an improbable sweep of slumping UVM proved to be just a bridge too far. One win in these last three games feels about right, though, and certainly allays fears that perhaps a double-digit winless streak through to the end of the season might have signaled an earlier-than-expected end to Coach Umile's tenure.

So now that we're down to the final two weekends of the HE regular season ... things have come into sharp focus, as UNH bobs around at or near the top of the lower half of the Hockey East standings. The question we'd been asking for so long has now been definitively answered, and to almost no one's surprise, UNH remains a mediocre hockey program when cupcakes and inflated win totals are put aside (although in some very obvious foreshadowing, even that plan didn't work out as hoped/planned). There is a "bright line" drawn right in the middle of the Hockey East standings, with 6 "haves" and 6 "have nots", and your Wildcats are at least frontrunners in the "Wannabe Division" of the group lingering below said "bright line". One win and one tie to date against the top 6 teams does not suggest UNH is on the cusp of being upwardly mobile any time soon. It only solidifies the status quo that Coach Umile is pretty good winning games at his level. Unfortunately for UNH, the bar for that level isn't the same as it was a decade ago.

The Big Picture - right now, the only realistic goals of relevance are (1) earning some home "post-season" games, and (2) finding a way to make sure Coach Umile's career ends successfully around this time next season with a happy ending to The Quest. Losing a pair to UVM this past weekend would have been a real setback, but WIS prognosticators (who bizarrely picked the exact scores in both UVM games this weekend - but in true FUBAR fashion picked them on the wrong dates ) won't be downgrading the outlook now that UNH has exceeded last year's win total, with at least 6-7 more games remaining this season. And with the UConn Luce Canaans arriving to finish up the regular season - now trending into "cupcake" territory themselves - realistic opportunities for more W's aren't that far off any longer.

And wouldn't you know it ... the schedule also throws UNH what might be a nice break this coming weekend, with a home-and-home series set for Beanpot Finalists BU. I'll be rooting for BU Monday night, as a win over the ultimate Ivy sham frauds from across the Charles River could give UNH a chance to catch the Terriers in a very classic letdown scenario. Of course, if the Ivy Leaguers win their first 'Pot since the new building opened (I think; that's a guess?), then BU could be P.O.'ed and out for Kitty blood next weekend. So hence, WIS presents its bifurcated predictions for the coming weekend's games ...

Predictions:

IF BU WINS BEANPOT

Friday (Feb. 17th): UNH 3 @ BU 2
Saturday (Feb. 18th): @ UNH 1 BU 5

IF BU LOSES BEANPOT

Friday (Feb. 17th): UNH 1 @ BU 7
Saturday (Feb. 18th): @ UNH 2 BU 4

NEXT CUPCAKE ON THE SHELF (UPDATED): UConn (2/24/17); @ UConn (2/25/17)

UConn has won only one (1) of its last eight (8), and two (2) of its last ten (10) games

WIS BRAIN-BUSTING TRIVIA QUESTION: Which former UNH skater scored 218 goals in a 4 year span with the Quad City Mallards?

IS BS35+4 PAYING ATTENTION YET?

Yes. Even with an elusive W stopping the winless streak and moving Coach a step closer to the next round number, the success of The Quest remains very much in the balance, and it's almost essential that Coach gets to 14-15 wins this season so that a similar haul next season will do the trick. The question is ... are you going to be able to find those 2-3 wins? Next weekend would be a happy bonus to get one (and WIS has outlined its suspected path towards one above), and then against UConn there will have to be at least one win, if not an outright sweep. After that ... let's say UNH somehow finds a way not to win these next two weekends ... to even get to 14 wins, it means UNH would have to win their MBPBEGAM "playoff" first round series. And at that point, it would be a UNH team with one (1) lone win in its last dozen-plus games. That would be swimming against the tide, for sure.

Optimistically, a surprise W this weekend against BU, and a pair of W's against UConn the following weekend, and UNH is at 15 wins with a favorable home match-up against one of the dregs of HE in the MBPBEGAM round. So that could move the total up to 17 games, and let's say the boys eke out an extra win in a best-of-three losing QF road series to the likes of Lowell or Providence. 18 wins would leave only 11 W's left to the next round number, and a successful end to The Quest with a team returning all but T. Kelleher, Cleland, Maller and Hill looks pretty darned good (almost certain, actually). So this next month of hockey is absolutely pivotal, and BS35+4 is watching closely.

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Yep not a stellar night...Jamie Hill gets one at least (think he had 2 points on the nite). UVM on the puck we weren't. And agree woof on the unis. At least we got the split and my tix were free. Q: if the season ended today who would we play?

Northeastern at home. But Merrimack has played one less game than NE. If Mack lost that game in hand then it would be them.

[HockeyRef]

Bad game for the team overall but how is Tirone still in the game after the soft goals he has let in tonight. Getting beat on clean shots, on his back half the game. Mr Hyde is back!

Yep not a stellar night...Jamie Hill gets one at least (think he had 2 points on the nite). UVM on the puck we weren't. And agree woof on the unis. At least we got the split and my tix were free. Q: if the season ended today who would we play?

[Dan]

Just note these were one game only jerseys that they are auctioning off for their breast cancer fundraiser. Does not help them look any better but they are not the normal UVM jerseys.

I understand - UVMs normal uniforms are among the best in the league, IMO. While for a great cause, pink does not really jibe with green and yellow either. Good luck finding auction customers for those...

If I was a UVM fan, I'd rather just make a donation...

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Just note these were one game only jerseys that they are auctioning off for their breast cancer fundraiser. Does not help them look any better but they are not the normal UVM jerseys.

[Dan]

Ever see the Dartmouth throwbacks? They look like green convicts.

edit:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...86951971812798

edit part 2: didn't realize I was linking to a story, this worked even better than expected

Yeah, I don't care for those DC jerseys either, but these UVM outfits (the jerseys also boast no names and tiny numbers) look like cheap, ugly practice uniforms. I'll try to find pictures later...

[UML Puck Hawk]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Vermont's uniforms, woof. Cheap beer league jerseys with vertical side stripes and a horrible logo. More side stripes on socks that also feature logos and numbers on the front. Quite possibly the worst uniforms to ever see a DI game...

Ever see the Dartmouth throwbacks? They look like green convicts.

edit:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...86951971812798

edit part 2: didn't realize I was linking to a story, this worked even better than expected

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Vermont's uniforms, woof. Cheap beer league jerseys with vertical side stripes and a horrible logo. More side stripes on socks that also feature logos and numbers on the front. Quite possibly the worst uniforms to ever see a DI game...

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Bad game for the team overall but how is Tirone still in the game after the soft goals he has let in tonight. Getting beat on clean shots, on his back half the game. Mr Hyde is back!