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Maine

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Re: Maine

Maine is probably going to get home ice in the hockey east playoffs and has a realistic shot to sneak in the NCAA tournament. For the first time in forever, Maine has players that can be relied on and that will be huge down the stretch. This team obviously does it a different way but the season reminds me a lot of the 2011-2012 season where we had a couple of great seniors who carried us. Similar to Abbott and Flynn, Fossier and Doherty have gotten better each year and seem to come through when you need them. Swayman has been next level all year and I can't imagine he doesn't leave early. But with 6 of the next 9 opponents being cupcakes, it's hard to think they don't win all 6 with Swayman in net and being on home ice in 8 of them.

As fans we should all enjoy these next two months because next year is likely going to be super ugly. If we lose Swayman and Tralmaks early, which I have to assume we will with how well they've both played this year, this team probably doesn't win 10 games.

Anyways, what a weekend, most fun I've had watching games in a long time, it looked like they actually had a gameplan and executed it. I thought Joey Diamond was wearing Pat Shea's uniform there for a minute. 3 straight penalties and a game winning goal, the Joey Diamond special.
 
Re: Maine

Maine is probably going to get home ice? Not saying they can't but how did you determine probably?
 
Re: Maine

Granted theres 4 points between 8 teams right now but going from out to home ice might be a stretch
 
Re: Maine

BlackBearFan19 said:
Maine is probably going to get home ice in the hockey east playoffs and has a realistic shot to sneak in the NCAA tournament. For the first time in forever, Maine has players that can be relied on and that will be huge down the stretch. This team obviously does it a different way but the season reminds me a lot of the 2011-2012 season where we had a couple of great seniors who carried us. Similar to Abbott and Flynn, Fossier and Doherty have gotten better each year and seem to come through when you need them. Swayman has been next level all year and I can't imagine he doesn't leave early. But with 6 of the next 9 opponents being cupcakes, it's hard to think they don't win all 6 with Swayman in net and being on home ice in 8 of them.

As fans we should all enjoy these next two months because next year is likely going to be super ugly. If we lose Swayman and Tralmaks early, which I have to assume we will with how well they've both played this year, this team probably doesn't win 10 games.

Anyways, what a weekend, most fun I've had watching games in a long time, it looked like they actually had a gameplan and executed it. I thought Joey Diamond was wearing Pat Shea's uniform there for a minute. 3 straight penalties and a game winning goal, the Joey Diamond special.
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Enjoy the weekend...home ice is still in the rear view mirror...7th or 8th, with a possible 6th if they go on a winning streak and teams in front of them go down.
 
Re: Maine

I wouldn't call home ice "probable", but it definitely is possible, I could see them grabbing the 4 seed. I would bet UMass, BC, and PC will have the top 3 spots to themselves, but the 4 is open for probably any of the other playoff teams, with NU or Lowell the betting favorites.

All this being said, they absolutely need to execute coming up, though this goes without saying. Alfond has been kind to Maine this year, but Maine strikes me as the kind of team that plays up or down to competition. The Connecticut games scare me especially due to the recent history between them and Maine. Those games coming up have to be wins, you cannot be settling for ties against teams like these at home. I would say that of the 8 remaining home games, 7-1-0 needs to be the ground floor for any chances at going somewhere this year. They could do it, I think, but now its time to see if they will.
 
Re: Maine

J.D. said:
Maine is probably going to get home ice? Not saying they can't but how did you determine probably?
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Perhaps probably was too strong a word. But prior to saying it I did do my due diligence. 4th place points wise the last 4 seasons has been 2019-29 2018-28 2017-28 2016-28. So by my logic, the sweet spot is 28 points. Maine has 18 points remaining on the schedule. 12 of those points are vs UConn, Merrimack, and UVM, maybe I'm an optimist but I expect Maine to take all 12 points on home ice against those teams. UConn may be trouble but Maine should sweep UVM and Merrimack. To get to 28 points, we're asking Maine to take 2 points from 3 games against Providence and Northeastern, 2 games on home ice. Also to be honest, I don't think there's a truly dominant team in hockey east which makes me think 4th place may go to someone with even less points.
 
Re: Maine

amkirby10 said:
I wouldn't call home ice "probable", but it definitely is possible, I could see them grabbing the 4 seed. I would bet UMass, BC, and PC will have the top 3 spots to themselves, but the 4 is open for probably any of the other playoff teams, with NU or Lowell the betting favorites.

All this being said, they absolutely need to execute coming up, though this goes without saying. Alfond has been kind to Maine this year, but Maine strikes me as the kind of team that plays up or down to competition. The Connecticut games scare me especially due to the recent history between them and Maine. Those games coming up have to be wins, you cannot be settling for ties against teams like these at home. I would say that of the 8 remaining home games, 7-1-0 needs to be the ground floor for any chances at going somewhere this year. They could do it, I think, but now its time to see if they will.
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I agree the two wins this weekend upped the ante to get closer to home ice, but as you said...they tend to play to the competition...with 8 of 9 at home they should have a advantage...but my thinking is the teams in front of them now have to fizzle out or play .500 hockey...still think 6th would be gravy and 7th or 8th most likely...that's if they continue to win.
 
Re: Maine

While Maine has six very winnable games against #8, #10 and #11 in Hockey East, other teams in the mix also play them. BU plays four games against them, and eight of nine against teams lower than them in the standings (BC is the lone exception). Lowell plays six of nine against lower teams, UNH has series against both UConn and Vermont. Maine needs to sweep UVM, MC and UC and then hope those teams pull major upsets against other teams. I still have Maine around sixth when the season ends. Then it's a matter of matchups for the Quarters.

Nationally, if Maine wins all home games remaining but loses at PC, they will be around 11 or 12 in the pairwise. If they lose either home game against NU or PC they will be squarely on the bubble. Anything worse and they'll realistically need the autobid. It's still highly unlikely, but the fact that we are even discussing the possibility at this point of the season is something. And UNH is in the mix nationally too. It's time to party like it's 1999.
 
Re: Maine

ticapnews said:
While Maine has six very winnable games against #8, #10 and #11 in Hockey East, other teams in the mix also play them. BU plays four games against them, and eight of nine against teams lower than them in the standings (BC is the lone exception). Lowell plays six of nine against lower teams, UNH has series against both UConn and Vermont. Maine needs to sweep UVM, MC and UC and then hope those teams pull major upsets against other teams. I still have Maine around sixth when the season ends. Then it's a matter of matchups for the Quarters.

Nationally, if Maine wins all home games remaining but loses at PC, they will be around 11 or 12 in the pairwise. If they lose either home game against NU or PC they will be squarely on the bubble. Anything worse and they'll realistically need the autobid. It's still highly unlikely, but the fact that we are even discussing the possibility at this point of the season is something. And UNH is in the mix nationally too. It's time to party like it's 1999.
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The voice of reason.

There's a chance on the table, which is the first time that we can say that in a long while in late January vis-a-vis Maine hockey.

Not betting the farm, but at least there's a reason to pay attention.
 
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Re: Maine

BoSox3066 said:
We still cant and the fact that a team capable of sweeping BC on the road sits in 9th place ought to confirm as much
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Reality bites. Lose to UConn on road, beat BC twice. Red isn't the coach for UMaine whether he beat BC twice or not. The team is still in 9th place and may not get into HE playoffs? Would anyone be shocked if they missed the playoffs? I wouldn't
 
Re: Maine

walrus said:
Reality bites. Lose to UConn on road, beat BC twice. Red isn't the coach for UMaine whether he beat BC twice or not. The team is still in 9th place and may not get into HE playoffs? Would anyone be shocked if they missed the playoffs? I wouldn't
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No and that's the scary part...funny thing now is there is pressure to win if they want to make the playoffs...they can't stumble versus Merrimack this weekend, with that said...can't take any game's lightly...ask BC this past weekend.
 
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