UNH Wildcats 2021/2022 - Return of the Champions of October?

[HockeyRef]

Couldn't agree more. Yet just 24 hours earlier we heard that the new coach up there had already changed the culture. I just didn't realize what that culture had become and that the Maine Black Bears had morphed into the Charlestown Chiefs. A major penalty and game misconduct each night. Nice disciplined play. Could have been two majors on Friday had the review on the Jensen hit gone UNH's way. I noticed he was out last night.

Speaking of flawed teams, this season UNH surrendered 8 points out of a possible 15 points in its league games vs Maine (PWR 52) and Vermont (PWR 58.) Get even half of those 8 points and the 'Cats wouldn't be sweating out that last home ice spot for the preliminary round of the playoffs. (Although as deltabravo correctly points out that speaks to how low the bar is nowadays.)

Speaks entirely to being ready to play, and playing with a sense of urgency, every single time on the ice, esp. against teams you KNOW you have a decent shot at. This seems to be the story of UNH hockey in recent years, at least, from me/husbands view. He says "how do they do so well, beat so and so and then, just not show up for 5 more games" has been the lament. I don't know how you get a team up every single night, but, seems to me the preparation / readiness is sorely lacking somewhere, gee...

[Sean Pickett]

From the box score it looks like UNH played a good game last night.

From 2002-2003 season through 2020-2021:
Jan 12 2005 vs Dartmouth in Manchester
UNH up 7-3, lost 8-9
http://collegehockeystats.net/0405/boxes/mdarunh1.j12

Dec 11 2008 vs Holy Cross
UNH up 4-0, Holy Cross ties it 4-4, UNH scores 5 goals to win 9-4
http://collegehockeystats.net/0809/boxes/mhcrunh1.d11

Nov 22 2011 vs Harvard
UNH up 4-0, lost 6-7
http://collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/mharunh1.n22

Nov 23 2012 vs Colorado College
UNH up 4-0, tied 4-4
http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/mcc_unh1.n23

**BLOWN 5 GOAL LEAD**
Oct 23 2015 vs UMass
UNH up 6-1, tied 6-6
http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/mumaunh1.o23

Jan 6 2018 vs Brown
UNH up 4-0, tied 4-4
http://collegehockeystats.net/1718/boxes/mbrnunh1.j06

Jan 5 2019 vs Yale
Yale up 4-0, UNH ties 5-5
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/18...s/munhyal1.j05

Feb 13 2021 vs NU
NU up 4-0, UNH ties it 4-4, NU wins 5-4
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/20...s/mnoeunh1.f13

I already had the information for the 2019 and 2021 games. The NU win was the only other game in the past four seasons a team lost a 4 goal lead, a total of 5 times out of 878 games (another 5 teams had 4 goal leads in yesterday's games).

For the earlier games, I hope to eventually research and compile information on those seasons, but if you have already done so please let me know if you would be willing to share your data with me. It could probably save me a lot of time.

I do have game results already entered from the 2012-13 season forward and between 2012-18 1,152 games ended with a goal differential of 4 or more goals vs the 3 UNH games you have from that timeframe. I'm sure that there are more games in which a team had a 4 goal lead before it was narrowed and that there are more games than you have listed in which a team lost a 4 goal lead. However, I don't think it likely that there are very many blown 4 goal games overall.

That said, it seems UNH has possibly played in a large percentage of them, including 2 of the 5 games in the past 4 seasons. It also appears that they have flipped it from losing 4 goal leads to coming back from being 4 goals down, although I'm not sure if being behind by 4 and coming back is really better as most teams behind by 4 end up losing.

UNH's real problem the past 4 seasons is that when they get the lead they haven't done a good job of protecting and increasing it. The Wildcats are 46-23-13, 0.640 in games in which they have taken the lead at any point, which puts them 47th out of 62 teams and well below the combined 0.725 winning percentage of all teams. Furthermore, UNH has failed to maintain the lead 50 time over the past 4 seasons, tied for 15th out of 62 teams (some teams have played fewer seasons/games and some teams have taken the lead fewer times than others, so this is not a completely level comparison). The average is 43 blown leads and the median is 45 blown leads, so what a team does after failing to hold the lead is critical. UNH is 14-23-13, 0.410 in those games, 45th out of 62 and well below the average of 0.494. Not surprisingly Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud, Massachusetts and North Dakota, Cornell and Denver are among the top ten (perhaps surprisingly Lake Superior, AIC and Northern Michigan are also in the top ten).

By the way, UNH has improved this season:
13-5-1, 0.711 with lead (0.727 all teams)
10 blown leads (average and median 11)
4-5-1, 0.451 after losing lead (0.471 all teams)

Sean

[Felger]

How in holy he11 did UNH dig a pair of 4 goal holes to this UMaine team last night?

Two deeply flawed teams for sure, I guess it's not surprising they'll be splitting the weekend ...

Couldn't agree more. Yet just 24 hours earlier we heard that the new coach up there had already changed the culture. I just didn't realize what that culture had become and that the Maine Black Bears had morphed into the Charlestown Chiefs. A major penalty and game misconduct each night. Nice disciplined play. Could have been two majors on Friday had the review on the Jensen hit gone UNH's way. I noticed he was out last night.

Speaking of flawed teams, this season UNH surrendered 8 points out of a possible 15 points in its league games vs Maine (PWR 52) and Vermont (PWR 58.) Get even half of those 8 points and the 'Cats wouldn't be sweating out that last home ice spot for the preliminary round of the playoffs. (Although as deltabravo correctly points out that speaks to how low the bar is nowadays.)

[HockeyRef]

Hey Ref:-)

Agree it will be interesting to see how it all plays out with the remaining three games. I see a 1-1-1 in the cards!

I like your odds! Given the nature of our 'up and down' game prep that will take some consistent, ready to play from the 'get go'. That...is the task at hand.

[e.cat]

Hi there e....ya well we will take it. I think just the fact that we had a better outing counts no matter who it is. 3 games left wint be easy but will be interesting to see what they do with them...MC playing very well UML is always tough.

Liking what our younger group is doing...Cafarelli esp along with Huard. Gagne has shown alot of promise and was rewarded with that beauty of a snipe last night.

Like you said we will take the win out of the Alfond house of horrors!

If ya wanna read about it

Hey Ref:-)

Agree it will be interesting to see how it all plays out with the remaining three games. I see a 1-1-1 in the cards!

[HockeyRef]

UMO is not a world beater but a nice bounce back win at the Alfond house of horrors.

Hi there e....ya well we will take it. I think just the fact that we had a better outing counts no matter who it is. 3 games left wint be easy but will be interesting to see what they do with them...MC playing very well UML is always tough.

Liking what our younger group is doing...Cafarelli esp along with Huard. Gagne has shown alot of promise and was rewarded with that beauty of a snipe last night.

Like you said we will take the win out of the Alfond house of horrors!

If ya wanna read about it

[e.cat]

UMO is not a world beater but a nice bounce back win at the Alfond house of horrors.

[HockeyRef]

Nice turn around UNH...bus ride won't be so long! Wow we get 3 PP goals for the first time in who knows...

[HockeyRef]

That was a great RIP by Gagne

Sure was a great first goal for him!

[Chuck Murray]

How in holy he11 did UNH dig a pair of 4 goal holes to this UMaine team last night?

Two deeply flawed teams for sure, I guess it's not surprising they'll be splitting the weekend ...

[teez]

That was a great RIP by Gagne

[HockeyRef]

Devlin gives the 'Cats a 3-2 lead early in the 3rd period.

New drinking game: drink whenever the announcer says "catch and release" ... :-)

Lol....Gagne...BEAUTIFUL

[Chuck Murray]

Devlin gives the 'Cats a 3-2 lead early in the 3rd period.

New drinking game: drink whenever the announcer says "catch and release" ... :-)

[Chuck Murray]

Game is there for the taking ...

[HockeyRef]

As if Maine needed any help. We knock our own goaltender into the net, puck and all.

You hate to see it!