HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

[CenMEBlackBearFan]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

What a great series. I am glad MC stopped the instigating stuff and just played hockey in the 3rd period. Cannatta is a stud goalie woudln't doubt we see him playing for Vancouver sometime. I like our chances w/ BU, assume we get the 2nd game as BC will take the first game.
GO BLUE!!!!!

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

What a great series. I am glad MC stopped the instigating stuff and just played hockey in the 3rd period. Cannatta is a stud goalie woudln't doubt we see him playing for Vancouver sometime. I like our chances w/ BU, assume we get the 2nd game as BC will take the first game.
GO BLUE!!!!!

BU-Maine is the second game.

 

[RENCEB]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Well, congrats to the Black Bears. to all the classy Maine fans, ACS, Walrus, sandi.....ooops best of luck and enjoy your trip to the Gahden. I suppose now I have to root for you guys since Merrimack only chance to continue on is to get some pwr benefit from more Maine wins. Otherwise, MC's consecutive string of NCAA appearances will be snapped at one in a row.

Hey Claver, just found a picture of a new MC recruit, He plays for the Guelph Geezers, leads the league in penalty minutes!

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=old+...tart=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=38&ty=96

 

[blackbearsfan45]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

oh yes I am the piece of crap, is this really what most Maine fans are like??? Getting heated over an internet discussion and then calling other people pieces of excrement?

I have the utmost respect for the majority of college hockey fans in HE and across the country. You call us classless and then your fans taunt a player in obvious pain on the ice. You know, I used to try to not judge Maine fans' insides by how they looked on the outside...but now I know they're just as ugly on the in as they are on the out.

Hard fought series, Maine deserved the win.

Look, a lot of things were said both ways, and as a proud Maine fan, I don't condone our fans taunting Cannata. That was bad. I know I was happy to see him get up and be able to continue. But just as much as your student section shouldn't have been labeled classless, don't judge our entire fanbase by that one thing. It was one helluva series. It'll be remembered for a long time.

 

[Salvo1017]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Look, a lot of things were said both ways, and as a proud Maine fan, I don't condone our fans taunting Cannata. That was bad. I know I was happy to see him get up and be able to continue. But just as much as your student section shouldn't have been labeled classless, don't judge our entire fanbase by that one thing. It was one helluva series. It'll be remembered for a long time.

Amen, good luck against BU...God knows I can't stand them I'll be pulling for Providence all the way though...set myself up for some more heartache I'm sure

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

I suppose now I have to root for you guys since Merrimack only chance to continue on is to get some pwr benefit from more Maine wins. Otherwise, MC's consecutive string of NCAA appearances will be snapped at one in a row.

Most of the math experts seem to think MC is already out with no chance of making the tourney.

 

[Stevo1091]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Cannata goes down pounding the ice in pain and the first thing Maine fans shout is "embellishment"...ya we're the classless ones.....

Not sure where you heard people calling for embellishment, the student section was extremely respectfull except for a few stray fans that were quickly shut up by everyone around them. Hell, we even started chanting Cannata's name when he got up on one knee...

 

[Priceless]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Clearly he brought it up so he could impress people by saying he knows people that work at Alfond. I wish I knew such important people like the lady that sweeps the arena floors at Alfond!

Clearly. Everyone I knew who worked at the arena left ages ago.

--

Even the Merrimack reporter was talking on Twitter about how classy the Maine fans were for chanting Cannata's name when he got up. There were a few knuckleheads who jeered him, but these were the same yahoos who said they were going to shoot Benedetto in the face and got into a shouting match with the MC student section. Maine fans can ride opposing players pretty hard, and I'm sure some of them thought Cannata was faking (or "embellishing") but the vast majority of fans don't want to see a player get hurt. This isn't Philadelphia.

 

[J.D.]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

I am not sure why they would have targeted Abbot, he's the least one you would expect to react the way MC wanted, and would have gone on playing unintimidated. THAT was classic MC hockey.

Come on, it ain't that hard to understand. He's Maine's leading scorer. You do what you can to try and throw him off his game and perhaps get him to take the bait as well.

Cannatta is a stud goalie woudln't doubt we see him playing for Vancouver sometime.

Looking at their current depth chart...I would.

 

[staind86]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Looking at their current depth chart...I would.

A depth chart led by Luongo and his "brilliant" playoff goaltending

 

[walrus]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Come on, it ain't that hard to understand. He's Maine's leading scorer. You do what you can to try and throw him off his game and perhaps get him to take the bait as well.

.

It wasn't just Abbott but the whole first line, Flynn is the only one who didn't take the bait. Abbott and Joey did a much better job on Sunday though.

 

[rdurk86]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Just a few thoughts after reading through the thread (Might be a bit long, bear with me).......

I respect the fact that Maine has a huge fun base with diehards of all ages, understandable with the limited local sports options. However, after sitting in a Maine fan section for Games 1 and 2, it felt like Alfond is Montreal South. The constant whining and booing of the refs after every call that doesn't go Maine's way, literally booing the refs at every available moment, 3 or 4 embelleshment calls (the fans loved that). On the matching penalties, the fans would go bonkers when the MC guys would skate into the box, but then go ballistic when the Maine guy follows. It's a pushing match, you're guy was involved too, don't be so shocked, HEA refs do it all the time. Cheering for Cannata being down, claiming he was embellishing, is just idiotic, if you think he wasn't actually hurt then you need to take the blue, light blue, and white sunglasses off.

It's pretty bad when you have grown men and women having a complete nutty after every check or collision, slamming the glass around the arena. I think what the students do before the period with the Enzyte music and the ref doll is pretty hilarious, that's in good fun. But when you have a guy yelling at Benedetto, telling him that he has a shotgun in his truck and asking him if he wants to see it (how's that for a family atmosphere????), that's pretty crazy (I know it's one person). I had a guy put his elbow right in my face after a clean hip check along the boards, claiming the MC player elbowed the Maine player after the hip check along the boards. I know Maine people will say it's isolated, and maybe it is, that's just the impression I got from my section. It's the insufferable honkyness of some of the fans that gets me. Just sit down and watch the hockey game, get excited when good plays happen, feel free to question things and be vocal, but don't make a spectacle on every single questionable/borderline incident.

Pretty hypocritical Alfond staff, where they ban the MC fans from bringing in the drum, but a whole section of Maine fans can have these obnoxious party horns that add nothing to the experience and just **** off a lot of people, mostly Maine fans.

The Swavely hit on Bates was blindside in the head. Anybody who claims to know whether it was intentional or not is a joke, you have no idea, so just stop. It's clearly a type of hit that is being taken out of the game at all levels, regardless of intent or where the victim is positioned. The latest rule changes put a ton of new language stating that it's the checking player's responsibility to avoid the head. I thought the league could have disciplined it, but I guess Whitehead doing it was good enough.

Maine's forechecking pressure in games 1 and 3 were the difference from what I could tell. Merrimack had no speed through the neutral zone and it hurt them. The few times that Toomey skated it through, the Maine defense had a lot of trouble and MC got to the net for some chances. I though Sullivan left a ton of rebounds that MC just couldn't take advantage of in 1 and 3.

By the letter of the law Diamond should have gotten a DQ for the facemasking, at least the first one. Rule book clearly states if you grab with 2 hands and tug on the facemask, which he did, he nearly pulled Bly's helmet off his head right in front of the ref, then you get a DQ. There are levels to the facemasking which are stated, but that one could have easily been the DQ version IMO.

All in all, thought it was a good effort from MC, just couldn't generate enough chances. It looks like we have to root for Maine now. They'll need to improve the 2 GPG from this weekend if they want to beat BU.

 

[Priceless]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

A depth chart led by Luongo and his "brilliant" playoff goaltending

7uong8?

 

[J.D.]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

A depth chart led by Luongo and his "brilliant" playoff goaltending

That has nothing to do with it. Just look at his contract. It can't be traded. So, unless you think they'll eventually bite the bullet and send Luongo to the minors while still paying that salary...

 

[Priceless]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

That has nothing to do with it. Just look at his contract. It can't be traded. So, unless you think they'll eventually bite the bullet and send Luongo to the minors while still paying that salary...

He just needs someone to pump his tires and he'll be fine.

 

[RENCEB]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Most of the math experts seem to think MC is already out with no chance of making the tourney.

I did come up with one scenario, but it involves the Mayan calendar and solar eruptions so it is kinda unlikely.

Seriously, if Cornell and Western Michigan lose out, and Maine wins out, I believe MC would be right on the knife edge of in/out. A huge amount of "ifs", but IIRC, Wisconsin had a similar situation a few years ago, and everything they needed fell right for them.

 

[acs64]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

... in your opinion, was it the right call?

To be honest even to MC fanz (as much as that is painful), the only one who can answer that is Hobey Abbott.

 

[rdurk86]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

I didn't see it, but that sounds like the very definition of embellishment under the rule... doing somethign to draw the attention of the referee after an infraction... embellishment is not "diving" or faking a trip, it is simply calling attention to an infraction.

that said... REALLY??? after this weekend you cannot understand WHY some Maine fans might want MC called for embellishment? REALLY?
the Mangene embellishment when he was skating 37 mph and got hooked... REALLY?
and I have read a ton about the Abbott embellishemnt call in the second on Sunday... in your opinion, was it the right call?

So.....you didn't see it, but you're judging it as embellishment? Solid reserach on that one. He wasn't trying to draw a penalty, he was sprawing out to stop Shemansky on the back door and hurt himself. There was no contact whatsoever with a Maine player so there's no penalty to even try and draw. You could tell he was slow going into the butterfly for the rest of the game. It could have easily been a cramp or charlie horse which could hurt like hell initially then die down.

On the embellishments, I really thought some were decent calls. I don't understand why every time someone gets their stick lifted, or hit on the forearms or wrists, they have to superman it down to the ice. Mangene's was pretty blatant, he got hit on the arm and went horizontal. Just play the game, probably would get a second or third chance if you stay on your feet.

The Abbott one I didn't get a great look at, looked like they were jousting and he went down. Tough to tell.

Why are Maine reporters, bloggers, or commenters even talking about the embellishment calls??? MAINE WON, how about some coverage on the best line in college hockey, or maybe a trip to the Garden, or an NCAA berth rather than matching minor penalties in a series that Maine won anyways.

 

[CenMEBlackBearFan]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

Just a few thoughts after reading through the thread (Might be a bit long, bear with me).......

I respect the fact that Maine has a huge fun base with diehards of all ages, understandable with the limited local sports options. However, after sitting in a Maine fan section for Games 1 and 2, it felt like Alfond is Montreal South. The constant whining and booing of the refs after every call that doesn't go Maine's way, literally booing the refs at every available moment, 3 or 4 embelleshment calls (the fans loved that). On the matching penalties, the fans would go bonkers when the MC guys would skate into the box, but then go ballistic when the Maine guy follows. It's a pushing match, you're guy was involved too, don't be so shocked, HEA refs do it all the time. Cheering for Cannata being down, claiming he was embellishing, is just idiotic, if you think he wasn't actually hurt then you need to take the blue, light blue, and white sunglasses off.

It's pretty bad when you have grown men and women having a complete nutty after every check or collision, slamming the glass around the arena. I think what the students do before the period with the Enzyte music and the ref doll is pretty hilarious, that's in good fun. But when you have a guy yelling at Benedetto, telling him that he has a shotgun in his truck and asking him if he wants to see it (how's that for a family atmosphere????), that's pretty crazy (I know it's one person). I had a guy put his elbow right in my face after a clean hip check along the boards, claiming the MC player elbowed the Maine player after the hip check along the boards. I know Maine people will say it's isolated, and maybe it is, that's just the impression I got from my section. It's the insufferable honkyness of some of the fans that gets me. Just sit down and watch the hockey game, get excited when good plays happen, feel free to question things and be vocal, but don't make a spectacle on every single questionable/borderline incident.

Pretty hypocritical Alfond staff, where they ban the MC fans from bringing in the drum, but a whole section of Maine fans can have these obnoxious party horns that add nothing to the experience and just **** off a lot of people, mostly Maine fans.

The Swavely hit on Bates was blindside in the head. Anybody who claims to know whether it was intentional or not is a joke, you have no idea, so just stop. It's clearly a type of hit that is being taken out of the game at all levels, regardless of intent or where the victim is positioned. The latest rule changes put a ton of new language stating that it's the checking player's responsibility to avoid the head. I thought the league could have disciplined it, but I guess Whitehead doing it was good enough.

Maine's forechecking pressure in games 1 and 3 were the difference from what I could tell. Merrimack had no speed through the neutral zone and it hurt them. The few times that Toomey skated it through, the Maine defense had a lot of trouble and MC got to the net for some chances. I though Sullivan left a ton of rebounds that MC just couldn't take advantage of in 1 and 3.

By the letter of the law Diamond should have gotten a DQ for the facemasking, at least the first one. Rule book clearly states if you grab with 2 hands and tug on the facemask, which he did, he nearly pulled Bly's helmet off his head right in front of the ref, then you get a DQ. There are levels to the facemasking which are stated, but that one could have easily been the DQ version IMO.

All in all, thought it was a good effort from MC, just couldn't generate enough chances. It looks like we have to root for Maine now. They'll need to improve the 2 GPG from this weekend if they want to beat BU.

rdurk86,
You bring up some good points about our fans. I won't say all of our fans are exactly knowledgeable on all the fine details of the game such as yelling shoot, shoot on a power play when there is a defenseman in front of them and the puck is going to be blocked for certain. Patience is a virtue on a power play. Some of our fans don't understand that you are not going to score a goal on every rush and turning the puck over is going to occurr and not every pass is going to stay on the stick.

What we do have is only one D-1 school in the state so the University and team is embraced by the entire state. The passion for our team is far more reaching than a small Catholic college like MC.
MY nephew skates for UConn and I visited your rink this past fall and was impressed with the College but when visiting the rink I could not beleive the size of it. I thought for sure as small and as confined the atmosphere would be quite intimidating. Unfortunately it was anything but, it was more like attending a funeral as the only reaction from the crowd and students was when a goal was scored. The 6 piece band might as well stay at home. It was a more of a social event than a crowd there to support it's team. Not that the game didn't have some excitement as UConn had 2 players DQ'd for hitting from behind and MC was not going to be denied as they too loss 2 players for DQ's of which Bigos was one, I think.

Bottom line I agree with some of what you are refferring to but I would much rather have the passion of our fans and especially the student section which I think may be the best in all of college hockey. And this is not a program that has been winning. I surely think their will be bandwagon jumpers if we start to head in the direction we are use to going in. I also know our students do not swear or curse in any of their cheers. You will not hear us do the "you suck" cheer after a goal is scored unlike your student section did, although it was quite limited except for Saturday nite.

As far as the horns go they were not present Friday nite and I didn't see them on the TV broadcast the other 2 nites so I don't know what that is all about???

Just one more area of dicussion. I have only had season tickets for 17 years, a relative newbie compared to many, but I cannot ever recall a team instigating like yours did Saturday and Sunday. I can't say your guys were dirty with hits but you certainly insitgating on faceoffs especially to the first line and on Saturday it worked and we retaliated, shame on us. On Sunday it didn't work and good for us.
When that is your strategy, and it was, if you don't think fans are going to be a little vocal over this strategy I think you are mistaken. No school is perfect but I'll take the Alfond for it's liveliness yet respectfullness anytime! Your players had nothing but high marks as to what it is like to skate at the Alfond, just pure fun and exhilaration.

Anyways just my thoughts and I still beleive the Alfond is one of the top rinks for college hockey in the country!!!
GO BLUE!!!

 

[rdurk86]

Re: HEA QF's: #5 'Mack @ #4 Maine

As far as the horns go they were not present Friday nite and I didn't see them on the TV broadcast the other 2 nites so I don't know what that is all about???

Just one more area of dicussion. I have only had season tickets for 17 years, a relative newbie compared to many, but I cannot ever recall a team instigating like yours did Saturday and Sunday. I can't say your guys were dirty with hits but you certainly insitgating on faceoffs especially to the first line and on Saturday it worked and we retaliated, shame on us. On Sunday it didn't work and good for us.
When that is your strategy, and it was, if you don't think fans are going to be a little vocal over this strategy I think you are mistaken. No school is perfect but I'll take the Alfond for it's liveliness yet respectfullness anytime! Your players had nothing but high marks as to what is like to skate at the Alfond, just pure fun and exhilaration.
GO BLUE!!!

The horns weren't a big thing, they were in the back of section F I think? Just a bunch of older people blowing these little horns all at the same time. You probably wouldn't have noticed it unless you were in the near sections. Maine fans in my section actually asked the arena staff to get them to stop, since there's no artificial noise makers. The people got mad and started blowing them in the direction of my section. It's not really a big deal at all, I just thought it was a little hypocritical to make the MC fan section get rid of the drum, which can be used for chants and stuff, and didn't make these people get rid of these annoying high pitched horns.

Maine did a good job in game 3 of getting in the scrums, letting the MC players retaliate, then backing off and looking at the refs for calls. Toomey got shoved into the side of the net by 2 Maine players after a whistle, pushed O'Neill back, he snapped his head back, looked right at the ref and drew the call. Smart move compared to game 2, but don't make it sound like the Maine players were choir boys out there too.