Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

[BobF]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

The goal tending crew will also have more experience and should be improved.

God I hope so! Certainly can't be worse in terms of number of soft goals!

[GoBlackBears]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

I doubt Abbott comes back. He's one of the more desirable college free agents out there and has been scouted a ton this year he'll be gone.

I don't think Abbott will be back either. He might as well start getting paid to play hockey.

[GoBlackBears]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

God I hope so! Certainly can't be worse in terms of number of soft goals!

They couldn't get any fng worse.

[walrus]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

A rational approach. Every college hockey team has turnover of players every year. That's one of the reasons college hockey is so exciting. The goal tending crew will also have more experience and should be improved.

Goaltending is the only thing that has a chance to be better, D and Forwards are going to have less depth.

[BlackBear8]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

not sure the deal with the captain this year. after a strong junior season, he seems to have fallen off, completely really. i know he is up there among the leaders in scoring, but I definitely expected more. seems like his play this year sums up the maine season. greg moore was the last captain that i felt confident with and knew could will a team to victory. house seems to have lost it since scoring the ot winner last march.

[BlackBear8]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

just so frusterated with the season. don't really know what to say. crappy weekend after crappy weekend. even with the little streak they were on, i have zero confidence. as the year moved along, was just hoping to win and not expecting to win. wow do i miss those days. think that was the feeling in the dressing room? if that is the case, all falls on the person in charge, i believe.

[rufus]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

Break out the golf clubs boys, it's TIMMAY TIME!!!!!

[BobF]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

We're 3 posts away from starting the offseason post!!!!!

[carltonbarrett]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

I don't doubt this at all. Hopefully you are wrong, but if it does come true, I retract everything about next year's team being at least competitive. Losing Abbott and Nyquist next year, Maine will be worse off than a one legged man is an ### kicking contest.

Perhaps more infuriating will be a certain coach who will use them both leaving early as an excuse until 2014.

Keep in mind that without Nyquist setting them up with easy tap ins, some of those guys' numbers are likely to go down. Maine may have one good line next year, but the next 3 lines are going to be pretty weak in my estimation. Throw in shaky goaltending & D and a "challenged" coach and you may be in trouble. Keep in mind as well that a lot of Maine's wins this year were against some teams who were really rebuilding this year and those W's are likely not going to be as easy to come by next year.

[BobF]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

Keep in mind that without Nyquist setting them up with easy tap ins, some of those guys' numbers are likely to go down. Maine may have one good line next year, but the next 3 lines are going to be pretty weak in my estimation. Throw in shaky goaltending & D and a "challenged" coach and you may be in trouble. Keep in mind as well that a lot of Maine's wins this year were against some teams who were really rebuilding this year and those W's are likely not going to be as easy to come by next year.

All good points. If Abbott and Flynn leave we're battling for 6th at best!

However I expect the Mack to lose considerable numbers and if they lose Cannata they will be chasing 6th as well. UNH is losing key players too! As someone else posted it is what makes each season a bit more fun as you look for different players to step up.

If we have Abbott, Flynn, Diamond, Beattie, Mangene we'll be okay as I have liked what I have seen from Swavely and Anthoine. And I think our defense will be as strong next year as the biggest d-loss in terms of stay at home guy is Van Dyk. Not gonna lose sleep over next year, and don't expect to see this team in Tampa or at any Frozen Four until we find a #1 'tender!

Not lock this baby up!

[KnowItAll]

Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......

I wish the best for Gus as well. He has been great to watch.

All that being said, I am far less confident that next year's team will have any chance of getting to Boston or the NCAAs. That is depressing. Hopefully Maine wins the next two games but I would not place any money on it.

just plain... "none of that matters, if Tim cannot allow someone to coach defense
the ONLY defender who hit anyone last night got called for interference... (his first hip check of his career and he does it to a guy who never had the puck).

Merrimack hit harder, cross checked anyone near the crease or near the puck in the corners, TOOK MORE PENALTIES for it, and allowed fewer goals than they scored.
very often penalties that put fear into the opponent or prevent goals are GOOD penalties... and besides, the dam officials are gonna call almost exactly as many on one team as the other, so Maine might as well interfere, hit and hook.

A wise white-haired Orono hockey mind told me about 5 years ago that it was an end of an era and that the ship was sinking and I held out hope.... the era ended back then, not this weekend.