TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
The game was sloppy early, which seemed to make the officiating inconsistent. What stood out most was UNH's size and strength. This team is clearly bigger and more physical than recent UNH squads and should wear teams down as the season progresses.
As Adam Nightingale said, both games were "rock fights." The difference was that UNH gave up a little too much space through the middle, whether by defensive lapses or because MSU forced it. While the lack of 5-on-5 scoring is worth monitoring, I'm encouraged by the quality chances UNH generated and the effectiveness of the power play, two areas that have been lacking in recent years. That goalie we faced is dam good.
It's still early, but this group has made a strong first impression. The biggest concern is Fitzy's injury, which appeared serious and would be a significant loss if he's out for any length of time.
As for the rankings, I still think cracking the Top 20 may be a stretch this week. BC and Northeastern could slide out, but Maine and Miami will likely move up after strong weekends. That said, I'd be surprised if UNH doesn't at least triple its vote total. (Cautiously Optimistic).
This is a good analysis. Size certainly stood out as a net positive and a fundamental shift from UNH's adherence to waterbug hockey on an Olympic sheet. I was worried that with the size increase we'd see conditioning issues but I was pleasantly surprised the normal mid 2nd period fade with minimal at best.
Also, UNH started throwing more and more pucks towards the net rather than always looking for the "perfect" shot. Manufacturing opportunity.