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UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

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Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Fishman'81 said:
UMass used to be an auto-win, but when I went there a few years ago and saw a decent Maine team get swept via their own lousy goaltending (Wilson), it wasn't so much fun.

If Swayman stays a while, Red might hold onto his job. If not, this team is bound for mediocrity for any span of the reasonable future.
Click to expand...

Any team without adequate goaltending is doomed. Even without Swayman Maine has improved its depth. No doubt he is the reason they are winning more than they are losing . Just enjoy the season, they are better than the last few years. UHN is coming up, hopefully Maine can get some points out of the weekend. The kid and his girlfriend are coming in this weekend. The girlfriend goes to RIT and has been to some hockey games there. Hopefully the place is Rocking Saturday night so she can see what a real college hockey arena is like :)
 
Fishman'81 said:
UMass used to be an auto-win, but when I went there a few years ago and saw a decent Maine team get swept via their own lousy goaltending (Wilson), it wasn't so much fun.

If Swayman stays a while, Red might hold onto his job. If not, this team is bound for mediocrity for any span of the reasonable future.
Click to expand...

Why can’t Maine bring in other goalies who are as good if not better than Swayman? I think each year the team in front of the goalie will improve which will help as well. I’m not saying this in a nasty way but you and quite a few others have been way off the mark as far as Red and the direction of the program.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

BDN: Freshman goalie carries Umaine to win

UMaine coach Red Gendron was happy to get the victory but felt his team was “mentally tired” and said he wasn’t satisfied with its performance.
Click to expand...

Not a good time to get mentally tired heading into a match with the rival. Hopefully they get back to hard working crew that got them the wins on the road.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Drew S. said:
Why can’t Maine bring in other goalies who are as good if not better than Swayman? I think each year the team in front of the goalie will improve which will help as well. I’m not saying this in a nasty way but you and quite a few others have been way off the mark as far as Red and the direction of the program.
Click to expand...

Maine is 45-76 over the past 3+ seasons, when Red had at least some of his own recruits on board. That's the verifiable direction of this program.

Having said that, this team has improved and is a lot of fun to watch at times. But 12-9 vs. a very pedestrian SOS fails to impress much. If they can somehow
shore-up the D, and play Swayman every night, *maybe* they can go on a tear and flirt with an NCAA bid... (At least that's what I keep telling myself.:p)
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Fishman'81 said:
Maine is 45-76 over the past 3+ seasons, when Red had at least some of his own recruits on board. That's the verifiable direction of this program.

Having said that, this team has improved and is a lot of fun to watch at times. But 12-9 vs. a very pedestrian SOS fails to impress much. If they can somehow
shore-up the D, and play Swayman every night, *maybe* they can go on a tear and flirt with an NCAA bid... (At least that's what I keep telling myself.:p)
Click to expand...

How does the overall record over the last three years show the direction? Its nonsense and you know it. Maine went from eight wins in 15-16 to 12 last year and should get at least 16 this year. That is progress. Next year I don't see any reason they won't get to 20(assuming there aren't mass defections in the offseason).
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Plenty of hockey action this weekend @ Alfond Arena....Women play 2 games versus Merrimack on Friday and Saturday @ 2pm...and of course the Border War on Friday @ 7pm and Saturday @ 7:30pm...UNH/Maine.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Drew S. said:
How does the overall record over the last three years show the direction? Its nonsense and you know it. Maine went from eight wins in 15-16 to 12 last year and should get at least 16 this year. That is progress. Next year I don't see any reason they won't get to 20(assuming there aren't mass defections in the offseason).
Click to expand...


8 wins, 12 wins... What's the realistic distinction there? Both were awful seasons by anyone's standards.

I can easily see 16 wins this year -very possibly more- but it's a major stretch to imagine an NCAA bid is in the offing... And isn't a shot at the national tournament the very point? (It is for me.)

"Mass defections" ? Maine has 4 drafted players on their roster, IIRC. Vesey is going to graduate and none of the others are even remotely likely to be early departures.

I'm a major Swayman fanboy right now, because he's Maine's only real hope.
 
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Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Playing with the pairwise predictor, even if the team wins all the games left except one of the BC games and the game at Providence they're still a bubble team. They would still need at least one win in Boston to secure a bid. Lose anything else along the way and it might take an automatic bid.

Making the NCAA is a pipe dream. Brown, UConn and Vermont saw to that. Just focus on UHN this weekend.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

It's pretty unrealistic to think a team that's been as bad as Maine has for the last few years would turn around in 1 season and make NCAAs. I wouldn't have bet a dollar preseason that they would get home ice in HE.
To me they are better than expected so I'm enjoying what wins they get.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
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walrus said:
It's pretty unrealistic to think a team that's been as bad as Maine has for the last few years would turn around in 1 season and make NCAAs. I wouldn't have bet a dollar preseason that they would get home ice in HE.
To me they are better than expected so I'm enjoying what wins they get.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Couldn’t agree more. Slow, steady, and sustainable improvement is what counts.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Should be a good weekend crowd at alfond. Saturdays game has few open tickets. Tonite is a bit more open.
Hopefully there's enough students around to fill the balcony. Semester starts Monday.
 
walrus said:
It's pretty unrealistic to think a team that's been as bad as Maine has for the last few years would turn around in 1 season and make NCAAs. I wouldn't have bet a dollar preseason that they would get home ice in HE.
To me they are better than expected so I'm enjoying what wins they get.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I wouldnt have bet much they would win on the road as they have.
 
Drew S. said:
Why can’t Maine bring in other goalies who are as good if not better than Swayman? I think each year the team in front of the goalie will improve which will help as well. I’m not saying this in a nasty way but you and quite a few others have been way off the mark as far as Red and the direction of the program.
Click to expand...

Im not saying Reds done a good job, but recruiting goalies isnt as easy ss this. Sway made world jrs....theres 3 of those and 60 teams, so you’re just not going to get those all the time.

Marty Ouelette was really good but wasn’t ready as a freshman....Matt Morris was USHL playoff MVP and then just not that good in college....sometimes kids at 22 arent what they appear to be at 18....you cabt snap your fingers and get the best goalie in the country even though Grant made it seem that way in the 90s thru Bish.

They gotta build a team that doesnt NEED the best goalie in the country to scratch out 17 wins. Then if the goalies elite its gravy.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

BoSox3066 said:
They gotta build a team that doesnt NEED the best goalie in the country to scratch out 17 wins. Then if the goalies elite its gravy.
Click to expand...

This a very good point, but having a goaltender that can steal as many games as possible isn't a bad thing to fall back on.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Drew S. said:
Couldn’t agree more. Slow, steady, and sustainable improvement is what counts.
Click to expand...

So, by your calculus, Maine should win 21 games next year and very possibly earn a bid..? Sign me up! ;)

(Truly, I'd love to see that happen, and if the recruits pan-out, maybe it will.)
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Hamilton back in the line up. Good to get top shot blocker on the team back. This combined with Michel being back should strengthen the defense.

Doherty is still out. Fossier centering second line.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018, reds last stand part 2

Drew S. said:
It’s sad to see so many empty seats.
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During break. Never looked at the lower bowl, but the upper bowl only had 240 tickets left at 11AM. Section OO was sold out and MM&NN were close. Most of the seats available were in AA. Upper bowl had sold almost 80% of the seats.
 
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