#6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

['MackFan]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Question to the UNH fans: has DeSimone ever struck anyone as a "cheap" player?


Be careful, or you'll be accused of "thinking all the players are gods and never doing anything wrong".

Didnt say Desimone was a cheap player. The question was why would a player do that? And my resposne was that cheap players do it all the time. It happens more than once a season in the nhl and other levels of hockey. Even in high school. Could be a first and one time incident for Desimone but lets not act like players never stick their leg out to make contact with another player. thats just sticking your head in the sand

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Didnt say Desimone was a cheap player. The question was why would a player do that? And my resposne was that cheap players do it all the time.

Thus, my question, "is DeSimone that type of player"?

Could be a first and one time incident for Desimone but lets not act like players never stick their leg out to make contact with another player. thats just sticking your head in the sand

True, and already noted earlier in one (all?) of these threads.

[Yuppie Scum]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

And Matt, you're right . . . Merrimack is FAST.

Rhett Bly could give Appollo Ono a run for his money, kid is a lightning bolt

[Darius]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Merrimack has won their season series vs., BC, BU, UML, NU, UVM. If they win tonight they add UNH to the list. They have 2 games remaining vs. ME, UMA in series they lead 1- 0 and PC in which they trail 0 -1. If they win tonight it is very realistic that they could win all their HE regular season series.

['MackFan]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Rhett Bly could give Appollo Ono a run for his money, kid is a lightning bolt

I love Captain Bly! (anyone get that reference??) Bates is even faster. he was playing a lot earlier, no clue why he isnt now. kid is good too

[i'zonprize]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Thus, my question, "is DeSimone that type of player"?

I don't beleive so, and have never seen him do anything close to this- but IF he did it, it wouldn't be the first time a frustrated player did something completely stupid. Wasn't this shortly after Phil hit the post behind a sprawled out Cannata, near empty net?

We may soon find out who would a replacement for Phil at center, should the league come down on him.

['MackFan]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

I don't beleive so, and have never seen him do anything close to this- but IF he did it, it wouldn't be the first time a frustrated player did something completely stupid. Wasn't this shortly after Phil hit the post behind a sprawled out Cannata, near empty net?

We may soon find out who would a replacement for Phil at center, should the league come down on him.

It was definitely after that play where he almost scored. not sure how long after it was. maybe 3:00 or 4:00???

[WildShawn]

I really hope it wasn't an intentional leg check, and if its deemed that way, he should sit, no question. Desimone has never struck me as anyone who wants to get involved physically. I don't know if it was frustration built up from missing the empty net earlier (I think like 10 min earlier) or getting drilled from behind with no call in the first (when he skated off gingerly), but there's no excuse for a knee to knee hit.... after seeing orpik's leg check on abbott in 01, ive always cringed at that kind of play.... from my angle (sec 102) there was no way to tell what happened but if it looked intentional, sit him down a few games...

[WildShawn]

AND most importantly, I hope dacosta is ok, and not out a long time. I will echo some thoughts from earlier but Merrimack was really good last night, from the net out.... anyone that says they're dacosta and cannata and a bunch of also rans is an idiot. They are stacked and the type of team that can make noise in the post season... id put them at 2nd best in the league behind bc.... after watching unh the last few weeks, I'm not sure they're in the same conversation.... after getting bown out at home by lowly vermont, I'm not sure the wins over maine are that impressive...

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Knee to knee... why would anyone do that intentionally? You stand just as much of a chance of blowing out YOUR OWN KNEE.

FWIW, I have to agree with you. Additionally, it's a totally reactionary type of play. It's one your taught over and over again but sometimes that natural instinct to get the leg out there gets the best of you.

[John_Fuller]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

You know folks, it really doesn't matter if DeSimone is "a dirty player" or not. A leg check is a leg check no matter which hockey player throws the knee. I wasn't there or have seen a replay but if reputable UNH fans are saying it was a leg check, I have to go with that view. Knee on knee hits will never go away in hockey because sometimes the moment gets the best of the individual. In the end you hope no one gets hurt. It really is a shame that DaCosta will probably not play tonight judging by the comments. That does taint the game a little bit. Let's hope for both teams that DaCosta injury doesn't cost him the rest of the season or the playoffs. One thing is for certain...we really are going to see how good Merrimack is tonight. I will be heading over there to take in tonight's festivities. Regardless of the DaCosta saga a win by Merrimack puts them in the HE regular season title hunt by holding the tiebreakers against UNH, BC, and BU. Of course, it's very early with six games left and the outcome of DaCosta's injury will have a significant impact on where Merrimack winds up at the end of the season three weeks from tonight.

One last point...if DaCosta's injury is significant which costs Merrimack in the end, I guarantee you all that kneeing and/or leg checking will become a point of emphasis in the 2011-2012 calendar year.

[walrus]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

The only reason I wanted to go to Maine Merrimack was to see Decosta, now he's history? If he played for BU half the UNH team would be suspended by now

[WildShawn]

It should already be a point of emphasis..though that just means its called an absurd amount in october and november and ignored the rest of the season...

[WildShawn]

The only reason I wanted to go to Maine Merrimack was to see Decosta, now he's history? If he played for BU half the UNH team would be suspended by now

While dacosta is a superstar player, merrimack has a lot more worth watching than him...i didn't notice him nearly as much as barton or even collins last night, and stollery is great on the blue line..solid all around game..

[JB]

Re: #6 UNH, Home and Home with #12 Merrimack, Fri 2/11 Sat 2/12

Admittedly my view is skewed as a sit in a corner and the play was at center ice, and the motion of the skaters was essentially parallel to the lines. However I was watching the area of the play - even though off the puck. From my angle there was a bunch of traffic and it didn't seem like either player had time to setup a leg check. Generally leg checks happen when a player has the puck and has the other guy beat and a leg is stuck out to trip up the player, most times to stop a scoring chance. This didn't look to be that style of play. A guy near me seemed to think DeSimone was pushed-squeezed toward DeCosta, didn’t look that way to me. From my angle a leg could have been "stuck out" and it would have been tough to tell. Seems a weird spot for an intentional leg check and my first impression was it was just a crappy play where to players got tangled.

Hope DeCosta is OK; unfortunately he was completely non-weight bearing even at the end of the game - never a good sign.

As for the game: Congrats MC, they played an excellent game a deserved to win. UNH clanged 2 posts with Canata down and out but MC scored once for UNH. I will however state I hate MC game. Like watching paint dry. They are very good at what they do, completely trapping the neutral zone. Against a trap as solid as MC's you need to be patient but still bring emotion. You need to dump and chase and win board battles, UNH was too passive. When UNH got the puck in zone they did have some chances but too often they couldn't get in, credit to MC. In all too little passion from the Cats hope tonight is different.

As for the refs thankfully there incompetence didn’t affect the outcome. The Linesmen were particularly horrible. With four refs on the ice how can a linesman repeatedly be so out of position? Icings seemed to be coin flips several waved off that should have been called and even more called that should have been waved off. Thankfully they were so bad it seemed to come out even in the end. Finally MC first goal, they review then the guy comes out and conferences with the other 3 refs for what seemed like 5 minutes. Dude you just watched the video was it a goal or not? Pathetic!