The Barr Has Been Raised at UMaine

[Drew S.]

Just think had Maine won in Minnesota and Boston, Tim Whitehead would have hung on past his firing date in April of 2013 and that could have prevented a Red Gendron era[error]...as for Friday night's win over BC, Maine came out hungry/aggressive and played with a so called chip on their shoulder...they had confidence from the opening face-off to the end...nice to see an all out 60 minute effort. Should be interesting to see when year 2 comes in and a whole sale roster change.

I don’t think it would have changed much. Tim not being able to find assistant coaches really set the recruiting back and winning a couple national championships wouldn’t have changed that.

[Fishman'81]

I was a few rows behind the net on the goal which was disallowed and at the end of the game with a 6x3...Maine had no plan/no idea and everything was in disarray.

The only goal that was disallowed was in the 1st, when Damon was just barely in the crease, and well off to the side.

Does my memory fail me again? IDTS, on this one.

I don't recall anything disallowed during the 6x3.

I DO remember Timmy calling a TO just as it was called, and trying to devise a plan...

Again, there were three Maine sticks ready for a tap-in, and it just didn't happen.

[walrus]

I don’t think it would have changed much. Tim not being able to find assistant coaches really set the recruiting back and winning a couple national championships wouldn’t have changed that.

My understanding is Asst. coaches didn't like Tim too much so maybe his reputation preceded him??

Nothing happened on the 6 on 3 except hitting post or crossbar

[Ma#1ne Hky]

I don’t think it would have changed much. Tim not being able to find assistant coaches really set the recruiting back and winning a couple national championships wouldn’t have changed that.

Had he won 2 NC, his tenure would have lasted longer by "MAYBE" a few seasons and may have spared us all of the Gendron era{error}.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

The only goal that was disallowed was in the 1st, when Damon was just barely in the crease, and well off to the side.

Does my memory fail me again? IDTS, on this one.

I don't recall anything disallowed during the 6x3.

I DO remember Timmy calling a TO just as it was called, and trying to devise a plan...

Again, there were three Maine sticks ready for a tap-in, and it just didn't happen.

Where did I say there was a disallowed goal during the 6x3? I didn't...I said the 6x3 was in TOTAL disarray...

[Ma#1ne Hky]

My understanding is Asst. coaches didn't like Tim too much so maybe his reputation preceded him??

Nothing happened on the 6 on 3 except hitting post or crossbar

When TW was fired it was time...his shelve life at Maine had ended...and during the 6x3 Maine fired away and away missing the net most of the time and having the puck come out of the zone thru the blueline with nobody at either point as time ran out.

[NorthMike]

The only goal that was disallowed was in the 1st, when Damon was just barely in the crease, and well off to the side.

Hamilton no. 22 had skate in crease. Damon tucked in the goal.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Hamilton no. 22 had skate in crease. Damon tucked in the goal.

Yes indeed, you are correct...I still have the photo of that play on my frig...a painful reminder that in time hopefully I can burn it "IF" or when they win another NC...

[NorthMike]

Yes indeed, you are correct...I still have the photo of that play on my frig...a painful reminder that in time hopefully I can burn it "IF" or when they win another NC...

Those were great! Playoff games that year though. It just wasn't meant to be. Maine had lots of scoring chances the whole game.

[Chuck Murray]

I don't think it would have changed much. Tim not being able to find assistant coaches really set the recruiting back and winning a couple national championships wouldn't have changed that.

Respectfully disagree. People (recruits, advisors, assistants) will tolerate a lot of junk so long as they think their wagon is hitched to a winner. Had Whitehead gotten over the hump in St. Paul or in Boston in either of those two finals, he would be viewed entirely differently. Had UMaine won both, TW would have been a second "Walshy", except without the personality.

Instead, he came up short, folks gradually started to lose faith in his abilities, and his shortcomings were exposed. Much the same as could be said about the guy who was in charge at the time at UNH.

Jack Parker could rub people the wrong way (ditto Walshy outside the UMaine bubble), but they both had big self-confidence that allowed them to sell big dreams to a lot of talented players. And they both won the big prize enough times to be able to back up that self-confidence, and had long lists of alums playing in The Show to demonstrate the worth and value of their programs. And Whitehead still had GS doing the recruiting work for him early in his tenure.

Had TW won one NC in the early '00's I very much doubt there would have been a Red Gendron era. And if he'd won both of those, TW might very well still be behind the UMaine bench right now, possibly with another title or two on top of those.

Winning begets winning. It's only when folks think you aren't capable of winning, when the end comes. Unless of course if you have a lifetime contract, but that's another story for another day ...

[Chuck Murray]

Further on my point about TW's long-term outlook at UMaine had he gotten over the hump against Minnesota and/or Denver, look at how things played out for the two HC's he lost to in those games. Don Lucia was winning the first of his two in a row and those would be his only title wins at Minnesota, but he lasted for almost two more decades before stepping down, and later becoming commish of the CCHA (?). George Gwozdecky was also winning the first of his two in a row at Denver, but despite being pretty successful after, he was eventually fired less than a decade after his biggest wins, with a combination of a contract dispute and a string of early postseason losses in more recent seasons to blame.

If you're saying that losing GS to retirement (for good) in '08 - and him being off the road for a couple of years before that - caused TW's ultimate downfall, I'm not going to disagree with you. But the guy was already in his early 70's, so losing him at that point was to be expected, and Whitehead did have the opportunity to win a WC or two before then. And if he had, then I have every reason to believe his stay in Orono would have been extended to a point to eliminate the Gendron Era as we know it entirely. You don't just dump a NC pedigree HC. There's even an outside longshot chance TW's tenure could have made it far enough to the point where he handed the program off in recent years to Carvel, or to Barr, or to another guy like them.

As they say, timing in life can be everything. There are lots of "what if's" out there, surrounding guys like Walsh, Whitehead, Umile, York, etc. Sometimes fate steps in and has a different take ...

[Runsub5]

Respectfully disagree. People (recruits, advisors, assistants) will tolerate a lot of junk so long as they think their wagon is hitched to a winner. Had Whitehead gotten over the hump in St. Paul or in Boston in either of those two finals, he would be viewed entirely differently. Had UMaine won both, TW would have been a second "Walshy", except without the personality.

Instead, he came up short, folks gradually started to lose faith in his abilities, and his shortcomings were exposed. Much the same as could be said about the guy who was in charge at the time at UNH.

Jack Parker could rub people the wrong way (ditto Walshy outside the UMaine bubble), but they both had big self-confidence that allowed them to sell big dreams to a lot of talented players. And they both won the big prize enough times to be able to back up that self-confidence, and had long lists of alums playing in The Show to demonstrate the worth and value of their programs. And Whitehead still had GS doing the recruiting work for him early in his tenure.

Had TW won one NC in the early '00's I very much doubt there would have been a Red Gendron era. And if he'd won both of those, TW might very well still be behind the UMaine bench right now, possibly with another title or two on top of those.

Winning begets winning. It's only when folks think you aren't capable of winning, when the end comes. Unless of course if you have a lifetime contract, but that's another story for another day ...

+1

[Fishman'81]

Where did I say there was a disallowed goal during the 6x3? I didn't...I said the 6x3 was in TOTAL disarray...

Nobody has a plan for a 6x3. That almost never happens. TW had three guys go to the net after
winning the faceoff.

What else you gonna do?

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Nobody has a plan for a 6x3. That almost never happens. TW had three guys go to the net after
winning the faceoff.

What else you gonna do?

EZ, ez buddy...hang onto your reel...don't have the big one on us...just a general statement on the play...period.

[Wayuphere]

We were right behind the goal, exciting to watch the scrambling, but like what’s been said, shots were everywhere, except not on goal. Good memories regardless of outcome.