Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

[KnowItAll]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Get serious. The coaching staff actually communicate with players? Yeah, right. Obviously the only solution for Oullette and Sirman is to transfer. Nothing says "I'm a winner" like quitting on your team.

I am not sure I would consider it "quitting on one's own team" if the "quitter" was never asked to play for that team.

The NFL has practice squad guys and they know that that is what they are when they come on board. I betcha a nickel that Ouelette was not told that he was going to be a practice squad guy. ... just like Marshall, when he was recruited, was not told what he was going to have to go through, year after year.

but you already knew that... as close to the team and to the NCAA as you are.

[Howitz-ah]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

On Hockey East conference call:

Whitehead: “(Dan) Sullivan has taken the front spot for now, but he’s getting pushed by (Shawn) Sirman.”.

Total coach-speak bluff and I'm calling him out on this one.

If this held weight, there would have been no reason not to give Shawn a rep this past weekend. If you're going to start your #1 in consecutive games, you put your best foot forward against stronger competition.

And if he does play Shawn THIS weekend...why do you not start him for a month, then throw him in a fire?

It's just bewildering how the goaltending is being handled right now.

[Maineiak]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

What did you do, change your seats from years past or someone new showed up?

I think it was a guest of a regular ticket holder behind us. Recognized who he was with, but not the individual making the comments.

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

On Hockey East conference call:

Whitehead: “(Dan) Sullivan has taken the front spot for now, but he’s getting pushed by (Shawn) Sirman.”

York "anticipates" facing Sullivan this weekend.

[Runsub5]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

WIllie would have won a NC with that team backing him

I think its safe to say at this point Sully is the man, I'd just like to see others play to keep them game ready in case of injury or whatever. There is no way 3 guys play in a rotation, pick one and get them in once and awhile.

As far as Tims ability to communicate with his goalies., Matty Lundin comes to mind

In regard to Matt Lundin, I thought at the time he should have been in the rotation also. But in looking back on the situation, I wonder if he really had the talent to play in a rotation. He transferred to Murcyhurst, sat out a year and then was injured at the beginning of the season. That was the year Murcyhurst came to the Alfond and we would have been able to see him play. I don't think he had a lot of success that year.

[Runsub5]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Now, I know a lot of stuff on here is said tongue-in-cheek, but on Friday night I had THE most miserable Maine fan sitting behind me I've ever experienced at Alfond in my 20-ish years of going to games there.

I knew it was going to be a long night when he started complaining about how the starting lineups were announced for Northeastern. They were too "harsh". The announcer didn't give them the same "excitement" he gave Maine players. "It wasn't fair."

Then he moved on to chastising the Maine fans and students during the Sieve chant. About how ignorant everyone was because Rawlings is a great goalie and the kid deserves to be treated better than that. About how the fans obviously couldn't tell a talented goalie when they saw one.

Finally, the icing on the cake was how all game long he railed on Diamond and about how the coaching staff really needed to get him off the ice because he was a "liability" to the team. I didn't hear much from him about that after the Hockey East Player of the Week scored the GWG goal...

So, which one of you posters was this?!?!? But in all seriousness, wow...that was painful to listen to all night long. I'm sure he's the type of guy that would like to do away with all 2nd place finishes and below and just give everyone a trophy since they all did such a good job. Wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, afterall.

He went on and on with more, but the three examples above were the most glaring to me.

What did you do, change your seats from years past or someone new showed up?

[Erix_The_Red]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

@Maineiak
Are you sure he was a Maine fan? Sounds like a NEU Slowberian to me.

My experiences this weekend were awesome. I was in the visitors section Friday and was very pleased with the Mutts. They displayed the appropriate amount of fandom when surrounded by enemies. They stayed respectful but were comfortable enough to jump up and cheer on a goal or start a small chant to show their support. I think that this also says something about the Maine fans. The Alfond is just a good place for hockey all around.

My second night I was among some season ticket holders under the Maine-iaks. I never realized what a good view you can still have when under the balcony. And for anyone who has ever complained in the past about how loud the stomping is under there, you're crazy. The people were very knowledgeable and fun. There were even a couple young children in front of me who really seemed into the game. Always good to see.

[Howitz-ah]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

good coaches do not win games in November at the expense of games in March and April.

exactly

Excessive goal scoring...blissfully dominant regular season...content giving up goals as long as we usually score more...

Let's just get whistlin' dick behind the bench and we'll complete the ensemble!

....Which is cool cuz UNH hasn't been much of a rotate-the-goalie school either, and it's paid off, right?!

You know what? That was out of line. Afterall, Umile is brand new to this. Let's give him some time to figure this stuff out.

Tim has ONE championship to his name and despite having a goalie on the roster who put up the best single season numbers in NCAA history....he still played a rotation because it was in the best interest for the team and it paid off in the long run! Frank Doyle or not...if there was ever a hot hand to crush on...it was that year.

EUREKA! I think I've figured it out...

Maybe playing 1 goalie is Tim's post traumatic stress disorder reaction. Had we only been playing 1 goalie in 03/04...we wouldn't have had a ready-for-action goalie on the bench when we needed to shake things up and spark a 3rd period comeback against Harvard in regionals. We leave Jimmy in that situation, we get bounced by a lower seed (again, not unlike a Umile team), and we never have to put up with a skate in the crease debate/heartbreak. It's really emotionally safer this way.

As long as you're stacking your regular season win/loss, the lingering chance of winning something stays consistent and that is job security baby! Again, ask Dick!

But seriously, how have things worked out for him since he started man-crushing on one guy per season?

We walked away empty handed when JIMMY HOWARD became our sole starter on a team (Moore, Damon, Leveille, etc) with no shortage of talent. Shawn almost exclusively played a rotation, but what did that guy know about winning?

I like Danny a lot...but let's get real.

[Howitz-ah]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

I agree with the experts here. Give Ouellette both games at Conte this weekend to keep him from running. It would be in the best interest of Maine hockey.

Clearly someone took away the point, here!... hah

[Howitz-ah]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Excuse me, but I beg to differ. While I agree that all three Maine goalies appear to be equally excellent and (perhaps almost) ready to play, one goes with the "hot" goalie. You seem to suggest that NU was a cakewalk. But I assure you they are a fast talented deadly Hockey East team (in spite of their temporarily snake-bitten luck and record). Maine was VERY FORTUNATE to come away with the sweep against NU. I have read about the game and have listened to others. With less "puck luck" Maine might have been swept, or at least alternated wins. I believe in the old adage ... when the coaches make a decision and the team wins, their decision was the right one. Mr. Sullivan may have played an important role in that weekend sweep. Two months from now after NU begins winning big, you might then appreciate the sweep more than you appear to do so now. I say ... ride Mr. Sullivan as far as his 2 goals per game take you or you may wish you had. Just my opinion of course. Nice post otherwise. I appreciated it.

Thanks, but I do need a response here!....

OK, but Sullivan isn't exactly going on a Tim Thomas run of shutouts here....nor a Ben Bishop run of 1-goal/game 'shutouts'

He's been fantastic, but you can't take what I said and use the games last weekend as a counterpoint, because that's just playing Monday quarterback. The decision of who to start comes before we know for sure what the guy does. Is the assumption that if Sullivan gave up 2 goals per game the others would have given up 5? Who's to say one of the other guys doesn't come into one of those nights a pitch a shutout? Where does the conversation go if that happens? We don't even know because the conversation hasn't presented itself. I'm just saying that I haven't seen enough of this race to call it already, as definitively as Tim seems to be doing.

Ride Mr. Sullivan for as far as 2 goals/game takes him? What if we do, he takes us to January, and Mr. Sullivan blows his knee? Now, in the heat of the season, we have to rely on guys that haven't seen action in 3 months.

[Maineiak]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Now, I know a lot of stuff on here is said tongue-in-cheek, but on Friday night I had THE most miserable Maine fan sitting behind me I've ever experienced at Alfond in my 20-ish years of going to games there.

I knew it was going to be a long night when he started complaining about how the starting lineups were announced for Northeastern. They were too "harsh". The announcer didn't give them the same "excitement" he gave Maine players. "It wasn't fair."

Then he moved on to chastising the Maine fans and students during the Sieve chant. About how ignorant everyone was because Rawlings is a great goalie and the kid deserves to be treated better than that. About how the fans obviously couldn't tell a talented goalie when they saw one.

Finally, the icing on the cake was how all game long he railed on Diamond and about how the coaching staff really needed to get him off the ice because he was a "liability" to the team. I didn't hear much from him about that after the Hockey East Player of the Week scored the GWG goal...

So, which one of you posters was this?!?!? But in all seriousness, wow...that was painful to listen to all night long. I'm sure he's the type of guy that would like to do away with all 2nd place finishes and below and just give everyone a trophy since they all did such a good job. Wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, afterall.

He went on and on with more, but the three examples above were the most glaring to me.

[walrus]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Good point. Absolutely no way one guy could play every minute of every game and lead his team anywhere, especially a frosh.

WIllie would have won a NC with that team backing him

I think its safe to say at this point Sully is the man, I'd just like to see others play to keep them game ready in case of injury or whatever. There is no way 3 guys play in a rotation, pick one and get them in once and awhile.

As far as Tims ability to communicate with his goalies., Matty Lundin comes to mind

[MaineMan]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Nothing says "you're a part of the team" like sitting you the entire season. If Ouellette doesn't get some type of opportunity to play this season then I wouldn't blame him for transferring.

He will play. Sullivan won't win games forever. If he somehow does then Maine will go undefeated from here on out anyways so win/win. I think Sullivan should continue to play until he loses unless its a 1-0 loss or something similar.

I think we could see Ouellette Sunday if Sullivan loses Friday. But I'm certainly not hoping for that situation. As long as the team is winning with Sullivan I see no reason. York plays Milner so much because Muse is gone next year.

[fiqure8]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Throw ouelltte out there. Sink or swim babeee !!!! Replace him with sirman !!!! Quelch the critics !!!! :d:d:d:d

yeah...colon d, colon d, colon d !!!

Pussifiers !

who cares........put up a sheet of plywood...........

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine Black Bears 2010 - 2011

Get serious. The coaching staff actually communicate with players? Yeah, right. Obviously the only solution for Oullette and Sirman is to transfer. Nothing says "I'm a winner" like quitting on your team.

Nothing says "you're a part of the team" like sitting you the entire season. If Ouellette doesn't get some type of opportunity to play this season then I wouldn't blame him for transferring.