The Barr Has Been Raised at UMaine

[BlackBearFan19]

For me this weekend was a big step back from last weekend. I know they got a win last night but there was so much bad hockey. Maine only got shutout once last year and has already been shutout three(four if you count the exhibition game) times this year.

My biggest takeaway from the weekend was when they scored the overtime goal all the players skated away from the bench and I didn’t see one congratulate Barr. Maybe someone at the game had a better angle but to me that is a huge red flag. It just seems like something is seriously wrong.

Maine had everything go against them last year and played much better than they have so far this year. I know Barr has been brought into recruit, and that is obviously very important, but you need to be able to coach as well and we haven’t seen much of that so far. I want to be optimistic, it’s hard to be at the minute though.

I was almost excited to read Drew’s next post after a bad loss. I had Red’s back when everyone piled on and I’ll have Barr’s back as he tries to find his footing. Talent wise, this program is very far behind and that was extremely evident last night. Maine got skated out of the rink by Merrimack. (Merrimack looks vastly improved, Borek has brought in some really solid players and their forecheck was relentless.)

Anyone who had expectations of this team competing this year was dreaming. They are slow, they lack goal scorers and the defense has one good pairing. The goaltending is pretty solid. The play style/effort this year has been drastically improved compared to last year.

The “not congratulating Barr after his first win”. Maybe it’s cause they won in overtime and they all poured off the bench to celebrate with the team? I guess this is your saying the players don’t like him. Cale Makar and Shayne Gostisbehere have had nothing but nice things to say about him, so no offense to the players on this team but I can deal with them not liking him if it means we have a player of makar’s or Gostisbehere‘s caliber coming through the door.

I get it that Barr wasn’t “your” guy when he was hired but he’s “our” guy now. Would I love to have more than 1 win right now? Of course but they’ve played a pretty tough schedule and the effort level has been great for all but 2 games. Give the man some time, it will get better, I promise.

 

[umhockey91]

Too many players with the Gendron stamp of approval still left on the team.

 

[Drew S.]

I was almost excited to read Drew’s next post after a bad loss. I had Red’s back when everyone piled on and I’ll have Barr’s back as he tries to find his footing. Talent wise, this program is very far behind and that was extremely evident last night. Maine got skated out of the rink by Merrimack. (Merrimack looks vastly improved, Borek has brought in some really solid players and their forecheck was relentless.)

Anyone who had expectations of this team competing this year was dreaming. They are slow, they lack goal scorers and the defense has one good pairing. The goaltending is pretty solid. The play style/effort this year has been drastically improved compared to last year.

The “not congratulating Barr after his first win”. Maybe it’s cause they won in overtime and they all poured off the bench to celebrate with the team? I guess this is your saying the players don’t like him. Cale Makar and Shayne Gostisbehere have had nothing but nice things to say about him, so no offense to the players on this team but I can deal with them not liking him if it means we have a player of makar’s or Gostisbehere‘s caliber coming through the door.

I get it that Barr wasn’t “your” guy when he was hired but he’s “our” guy now. Would I love to have more than 1 win right now? Of course but they’ve played a pretty tough schedule and the effort level has been great for all but 2 games. Give the man some time, it will get better, I promise.

A tough schedule? Maine has played the number 20, 24, 25, 28, and 48 teams in pairwise right now, and six of the games have been at home.

The effort is nowehere close to last year. Maine went on the road and split series with UConn and Providence who just missed the NCAA tourney. They ‘beat’ the national champions in their rink after being down by a couple goals with 10 minutes left.

I appreciate you and others being positive on Barr but I don’t think there is much you can feel good about so far.

 

[umhockey91]

A tough schedule? Maine has played the number 20, 24, 25, 28, and 48 teams in pairwise right now, and six of the games have been at home.

The effort is nowehere close to last year. Maine went on the road and split series with UConn and Providence who just missed the NCAA tourney. They ‘beat’ the national champions in their rink after being down by a couple goals with 10 minutes left.

I appreciate you and others being positive on Barr but I don’t think there is much you can feel good about so far.

Funny how you conveniently forget #6.

 

[amkirby10]

Barr is trying to fit square pegs into round holes. He's abandoning the hard-hitting, dump and chase centered system in place around them, and the players at his disposal were nearly all brought in to play in the prior mold. Again, not a coincidence that most of the top performers so far are players recently brought in, or a guy that was clearly always different than the rest of the team and more skilled (Sirota). Penalties, the most important tangible improvement we could see on the ice, have also dramatically improved, with Maine's PIM/G sitting at 6.60 minutes per game, 3rd best in the entire nation. Obviously a better record than 1-8-1 would be nice, but judging solely, or even significantly, by W-L-T this season is foolish and shortsighted. They have growing to do, but like everything else, that comes with time. There's really very little reason to worry.

 

[BlackBearFan19]

A tough schedule? Maine has played the number 20, 24, 25, 28, and 48 teams in pairwise right now, and six of the games have been at home.

The effort is nowehere close to last year. Maine went on the road and split series with UConn and Providence who just missed the NCAA tourney. They ‘beat’ the national champions in their rink after being down by a couple goals with 10 minutes left.

I appreciate you and others being positive on Barr but I don’t think there is much you can feel good about so far.

I think it's been a fairly tough schedule, they've played one team outside of the top half of the country and they've been in every game except Friday night at Northeastern. Barr is implementing an entirely new style of play with arguably the least talented roster in Hockey East. Maine is the only team in the conference without a drafted skater. Maine has one drafted player, a 7th round goalie. I completely disagree on the effort, they're working much harder and they're not giving up like they did much of last year, 6 goals against UNH, 9 against Lowell, 7 against UNH. Say what you will about Maine's lack of scoring but they have yet to give up more than 5. (Not counting exhibition against Quinnipiac). If they only win 8 games in year 3, I'll sound the alarms.

 

[Bradz]

You had to go and be a knucklehead and bring that dipship in.

Even the disadvantaged have to be brought in out of the cold occasionally so they don’t completely freeze from head to toe or toe to head.

 

[NorthMike]

Clearly Merrimack played very well saturday and had a great forecheck, but something was off with Maine as compared to the previous weekend or Friday. Breen moved the puck fairly well so it could be done. I noticed a couple times Fortier's face was beat red and he was not having a pleasant conversation with players, hadnt seen that before.

Not complaining nor digging on the coach staff, just observations having seen all the home games so far.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I do hope all of you folks can admit, Drew S. makes this thread a more interesting read. Sure, some of his takes appear to be bat crap crazy, but when you push back on him, there is always some reason and thought process behind it. We may all disagree on its validity sometimes, but he does want UMaine to win, and maybe he is just less patient or less trusting on how things will turn out with Barr?

I do agree 100% BTW that sometimes even the greatest assistants can't cut it as an HC, and that's probably the biggest concern you have to have with Barr. But his biggest plus is that he's proven multiple times with multiple programs that he can recruit elite level D-1 talent, or at least close enough to elite talent with character that has allowed those various programs to reach heights they've never reached before.

There should be ample evidence of a turnaround by Year Three, and by Year Five you'll know everything you need to know about whether Coach Barr is the real deal or not as an HC. Note, however, the Hockey East landscape is currently littered with current HC's who were former AC's in the recent and not-so-recent past - Barr. Keefe, Woodcroft, Souza, Borek, Albie & Luce. Some are new, while others have been around nearly as long as (or longer than) Red was. Their various outcomes will be fascinating to watch as things play out over the next several years. Stay tuned ...

 

[ticapnews]

The effort has to be there every night, even if the talent isn't. Tonight's game they had neither (maybe they did party too hard after that win last night as others have suggested).

Settle down. You can't expect to sweep a juggernaut like Merrimack. Did you know they beat BU? That's a huge accomplishment when the Terriers have won almost 35% of their games. The Warriors are a lock for the Hockey East championship. Sure it's disappointing to get shut out at home, but after scoring six the night before the players were exhausted. Besides, that's an average of three goals which is massive in college hockey. On to bigger and better things! After going 1-3 at home against traditional powers UConn and Merrimack this weekend on Chestnut Hill should be a piece of cake.

 

[amkirby10]

Settle down. You can't expect to sweep a juggernaut like Merrimack. Did you know they beat BU? That's a huge accomplishment when the Terriers have won almost 35% of their games. The Warriors are a lock for the Hockey East championship. Sure it's disappointing to get shut out at home, but after scoring six the night before the players were exhausted. Besides, that's an average of three goals which is massive in college hockey. On to bigger and better things! After going 1-3 at home against traditional powers UConn and Merrimack this weekend on Chestnut Hill should be a piece of cake.

"Heh. Maine is bad. I am very smart."

 

[Fishman'81]

If they kick the crap out of UMass again in teo weeks it’ll make my year in Black Bear sports

I had to dig a little for your quote, BoSox, but football did indeed hammer UMass, and that made me feel warm and toasty in my soul... You, too, I'm guessing.

Yeah yeah yeah, most hockey fans on here would prefer that football be shit-canned, and the budget re-directed to hockey, but I'm not among them. Maine football has been pretty effing good for a while now, and with Fagnano healthy, this season might not be a washout.

Our Super Bowl is on Saturday, albeit against a team with quite the 7-game streak going. I forget who it is, but maybe a win will drive a few trolls back into their holes. (I'm even going to pay to see THAT one.)

GOOOOOOOOOOOO BLUE!!!

 

[BoSox3066]

Yeah Maine FB’s had some tough luck in the QB injury dept the last couple years, beating UMass more times while UMass is in the FBS (2) than they did in the more recent CAA games is fun. Hope they can get the musket next week

Far as Barr goes, he’s clearly the guy, no one with a brain disagrees and there’s no point in really paying attention to criticize him for the next 14 months. Sorry those are the facts.

 

[Fishman'81]

Yeah Maine FB’s had some tough luck in the QB injury dept the last couple years, beating UMass more times while UMass is in the FBS (2) than they did in the more recent CAA games is fun. Hope they can get the musket next week

Far as Barr goes, he’s clearly the guy, no one with a brain disagrees and there’s no point in really paying attention to criticize him for the next 14 months. Sorry those are the facts.

Robertson wasn't bad at all, but Fagnano is a pretty special talent at this level. (Still, Robertson, at this point, is a very capable back-up, at the very least.)

Hockey-wise, even 14 months isn't anywhere near enough time to see if Barr will pan-out... I'm thinking 3 years, anyway.

 

[Runsub5]

........ I noticed a couple times Fortier's face was beat red and he was not having a pleasant conversation with players, hadnt seen that before.

It wasn't just Fortier. I was sitting behind the Maine bench on Saturday and on two occasions Barr was also very animated. Raising his voice and pointing to the ice when talking to a couple of players.

 

[BoSox3066]

Umass got close to .500 in Carvel’s second year….. second half next season I’ll want to see signs of momentum, playing the right way and things of that nature.

Right now? Its pointless

 

[AMC]

Umass got close to .500 in Carvel’s second year….. second half next season I’ll want to see signs of momentum, playing the right way and things of that nature.

Right now? Its pointless

Exactly. Maine is still in the "demolish the old house and strip everything down to the studs" part of the process. The rebuild starts next season with Barr's recruits on campus.

 

[Blackbear96]

I think there's a fine line between drinking the kool aid and being encouraged by what we've seen. You see W/L, Drew S, I think others see a young coach that has been willing to make adjustments every night by mixing up lines, as well as even fixing the PP (as said on the broadcast). Is it because the overall talent isn't there? Perhaps, but he wasn't encouraged by that win on Friday night. This year is going to be brutal and he knows that. There are so few even passable-level players that were left to him.

I find it to be no coincidence that the majority of the solid play we've seen are from guys he brought in essentially at the last minute. Sirota & Breen have been solid, but there have been very few individual players that stand out. In short, this looks like a Red Gendron-recruited team minus the best goaltender in the country. They're bad. Barr will continue to bring in his guys. Anyone calling for his head, or going with the "same old, same old" BS is full of it.

 

[ticapnews]

Recent coaching changes at state schools in Hockey East.

Carvel
Year -1: 8-24-4 .278
Year 1: 5-29-2 .167
Year 2: 17-20-2 .462

Bazin
Year -1: 5-25-4 .206
Year 1: 24-13-1 .645
Year 2: 28-11-2 .707

Souza
Year -1: 10-20-6 .361
Year 1: 12-15-9 .458
Year 2: 15-15-4 .500

I'm not counting Vermont because Woodcroft is only beginning his second year at the helm and the team only played 13 games in his debut season. UConn was still a member of the AHA when Cavanaugh was hired.

 

[Jackcurtis23]

I think there's a fine line between drinking the kool aid and being encouraged by what we've seen. You see W/L, Drew S, I think others see a young coach that has been willing to make adjustments every night by mixing up lines, as well as even fixing the PP (as said on the broadcast). Is it because the overall talent isn't there? Perhaps, but he wasn't encouraged by that win on Friday night. This year is going to be brutal and he knows that. There are so few even passable-level players that were left to him.

I find it to be no coincidence that the majority of the solid play we've seen are from guys he brought in essentially at the last minute. Sirota & Breen have been solid, but there have been very few individual players that stand out. In short, this looks like a Red Gendron-recruited team minus the best goaltender in the country. They're bad. Barr will continue to bring in his guys. Anyone calling for his head, or going with the "same old, same old" BS is full of it.

Yes all.