Who will not be satisfied with a 17 or 18 win season?
Of course, we can expect commentary/whining that the team beat lousy teams and lost games it should/could have won, but 17 or 18 wins will be fine, won't it?
Now, that level of success will require pretty good goaltending, so we'll see how Darling builds on his freshman year experience and how Timmay handles the goalies. We'll witness the effect of the hand that guides the goalies.
That level of success will require continued excellence of the team's star, Gustav Nyquist. I believe him to be a self-motivated player, so we will see what level of effort he shows. The shots may or may not go in, but we should be able to tell if he is playing with his characteristic drive. If there is any noticable difference in Nyquist's effort, or that of freshman surprise Brian Flynn, it will be natural to blame the environment. Which is created by the coach.
That level of success will require good leadership. Tanner House is being tabbed to provide it. If Tanner provides impactful leadership and keeps growing into the player he was supposed to be, that will be a testament to Timmay for having nurtured Tanner back from an inauspicious and tumultuous freshman year. If not.... The same is true, to an extent, with Will O'Neill, a "son of a coach gone astray" reclamation project. If he continues on the right path and builds on a solid freshman year, kudos to Timmay. If not.... And what becomes of Kevin Swallow?
That level of success will require the growth and emergence of upperclassmen like Robby Dee and Keif Orsini, credentialed recruits that have brought little and grown only slightly in Orono. The right environment should foster continued growth and improvement; a failure to grow and improve as juniors might point to a poor environment. Which is created by the coach.
That level of success will require a spark from some of the newcomers. Joey Diamond has made a name for himself in Orono already, but we'll see if he exhibits his desire to score goals on a consistent and impactful basis and learns from his early "teachable moment." How he goes will reflect on the coach.
So, I think it will be hard to credibly whine and denigrate a 17 or 18 win season. Those of us who don't only watch our team play to see them win watch because we love to see what happens. How the 2009-10 Maine Black Bears perform will reveal a lot about the environment. Which is created by the coach.
But still, no trip to the gahdin.