UNH 2024/2025 Goldberg Edition

[norbert]

What are the realistic expectations for the rest of the season?

UConn home and away
Maine away x 2
BU home and away x2
Lowell home and away
BC home x2 and away
Umass home and away
Merrimack home
VT home 2x


I see 5 wins. UConn, VT twice, BU home, and MC at home. Mix in a couple ties and it’s 5-10-2 in HE for an overall 15-14-5 record.

 

[Sparkee]

What are the realistic expectations for the rest of the season?

UConn home and away
Maine away x 2
BU home and away x2
Lowell home and away
BC home x2 and away
Umass home and away
Merrimack home
VT home 2x


I see 5 wins. UConn, VT twice, BU home, and MC at home. Mix in a couple ties and it’s 5-10-2 in HE for an overall 15-14-5 record.

UConn 1-1-0
Maine 1-0-1
BU 1-1-1
Lowell 1-1-0
BC 1-2-0
UMass 1-1-0
Merrimack 1-0-0
Vermont 2-0-0

puts UNH at 19-10-5

they win the play-in game and then lose against Lowell on the road for the hockey East quarterfinal resulting in UNH at 20-11-5

Souza gets a big raise

 

[Dan]

I’ll peg UNH as 7-8-2 down the stretch. That would give them a 17-12-5 overall record and a 9-11-4 mark in HE play heading into the post-season.

At first glance that number doesn’t look great, and you’d think they may need to get to Boston/20 wins to make the tournament, but…

They sit 11th in the PWR presently and their opposing PWR numbers are currently 15 (2), 6 (2), 13 (3), 8 (2), 1 (3), 22 (2), 37 (1), 26 (2). That’s all but one game versus the top half of the PWR, all but three games against the top-third of college hockey and all but five against NCAA Tournament teams if the playoffs started today. It’s been a good year for HE and .500ish down the stretch might be good enough to get in, even more so with a couple post season wins…

As I said earlier this week - turning those ties into wins at Merrimack and Northeastern would help A LOT! But, water under the bridge.

Huge weekend against #15 UConn - a split is likely, a sweep would be a massive boost. So, grab that home win on Friday and get the stretch run started on the right foot…

If they beat my prediction, I think they’re a lock for the NCAAs - and how nice is it to say that…

 

[norbert]

UConn 1-1-0
Maine 1-0-1
BU 1-1-1
Lowell 1-1-0
BC 1-2-0
UMass 1-1-0
Merrimack 1-0-0
Vermont 2-0-0

puts UNH at 19-10-5

they win the play-in game and then lose against Lowell on the road for the hockey East quarterfinal resulting in UNH at 20-11-5

Souza gets a big raise

I can’t see them winning a game in Maine. They got manhandled at home and let’s not forget last years playoff game. Maybe a surprised BC or Lowell win but this is not the 11th place team in the country.

 

[Sparkee]

I can’t see them winning a game in Maine. They got manhandled at home and let’s not forget last years playoff game. Maybe a surprised BC or Lowell win but this is not the 11th place team in the country.

Good call, I meant to say 0-1-1 vs. Maine. Still though, it makes UNH get to 18-11-5, then win a play in game to go to 19-11-5, then lose on the road in quarterfinal to finish 19-12-5. Souza gets a raise.

 

[Snively65]

I am thinking that we need to sweep Yukon, UMass-Flagship, and UVM, beat Mac, and win one against Maine, BC, BU, or UML, most likely one of the latter two, to get us to 18 wins and sixth in HEA. Then we get our 19th win against No. 11 in HEA first round, and then lose to No. 3 and miss the Garden once again. But the 19-14-3 record and PWR gets us a fourth tier in the Manchvegas NCAA regional, sending the Chestnut Hillbillies to Allentown. Heh, heh, heh.

 

[norbert]

Good call, I meant to say 0-1-1 vs. Maine. Still though, it makes UNH get to 18-11-5, then win a play in game to go to 19-11-5, then lose on the road in quarterfinal to finish 19-12-5. Souza gets a raise.

Win total still isn’t there. I’d say 500 is best case. Plus MS7 already got his raise and we are stuck for 2 more years.

 

[acs64]

Not to rain on ur parade here but I see UNH going 0-16 down the stretch but finally getting what you want....a new HC jk of course.

 

[d.gerry]

Win total still isn’t there. I’d say 500 is best case. Plus MS7 already got his raise and we are stuck for 2 more years.

I agree with you on this, norbert. I just don't see them with a winning record the rest of the way—.500 is the best case. There are tough teams ahead. IMO, UNH just isn't up to the task; talent eventually wins out. There is no clear path to 19 or 20 wins, or 17 or 18 for that matter.

 

[e.cat]

I am thinking that we need to sweep Yukon, UMass-Flagship, and UVM, beat Mac, and win one against Maine, BC, BU, or UML, most likely one of the latter two, to get us to 18 wins and sixth in HEA. Then we get our 19th win against No. 11 in HEA first round, and then lose to No. 3 and miss the Garden once again. But the 19-14-3 record and PWR gets us a fourth tier in the Manchvegas NCAA regional, sending the Chestnut Hillbillies to Allentown. Heh, heh, heh.

Sweeping any HEA team is a tall order.

 

[e.cat]

Splits the rest of the way with UConn, BU, UVM, ME, UMASS, BC and UML together with ties with BU and BC and win with Mc puts us at 18-11-5 overall and 10-10-4 in HEA.

 

[Snively65]

Splits the rest of the way with UConn, BU, UVM, ME, UMASS, BC and UML together with ties with BU and BC and win with Mc puts us at 18-11-5 overall and 10-10-4 in HEA.

Essentially what I am predicting, just different way getting there, without the two ties.

 

[Jellsville USA]

I can’t see them winning a game in Maine. They got manhandled at home and let’s not forget last years playoff game. Maybe a surprised BC or Lowell win but this is not the 11th place team in the country.

Sorry but I have to disagree about being manhandled by Maine. I was at the game and it was a 2-1 game- Boija stood on his head and stopped multiple great opportunities. Maine's 2 goals came because of turnovers in our defensive end. Consider this- 10-7 the rest of the way and we win 20 games. Trust me when I say this- UNH will compete in every game in HE the rest of the way. I think it is reasonable to think we go 10-5-2 and finish as high as 3rd in HE/top 8 pairwise. These boys are playing great hockey right now, let's get behind them (forever optimistic)!!

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

I miss the days when we could "predict" the annual March/April Umiliation (TM SteveF) months in advance.

 

[Snively65]

Sorry but I have to disagree about being manhandled by Maine. I was at the game and it was a 2-1 game- Boija stood on his head and stopped multiple great opportunities. Maine's 2 goals came because of turnovers in our defensive end. Consider this- 10-7 the rest of the way and we win 20 games. Trust me when I say this- UNH will compete in every game in HE the rest of the way. I think it is reasonable to think we go 10-5-2 and finish as high as 3rd in HE/top 8 pairwise. These boys are playing great hockey right now, let's get behind them (forever optimistic)!!

Love the optimism, Jellsville, but we have played only three games against good teams (PC and Maine), and we lost all three. Moreover, we settled for ties against two mediocre HEA teams (Mac and NU), which Dan has lamented twice now. Fortunately, we won most of our games against the plethora of OOC cupcakes this season. For UNH to reach 18 regular season wins, I think that they will need to play much better than they did during the first half of the season. Disclaimer: I have not seen a game in person this season, but I have watched the 7 or 8 games televised on NESN so far.

 

[e.cat]

Essentially what I am predicting, just different way getting there, without the two ties.

Maybe they'll surprise us on the upside. Who knows? If they stay healthy they'll get there.

 

[Jellsville USA]

Love the optimism, Jellsville, but we have played only three games against good teams (PC and Maine), and we lost all three. Moreover, we settled for ties against two mediocre HEA teams (Mac and NU), which Dan has lamented twice now. Fortunately, we won most of our games against the plethora of OOC cupcakes this season. For UNH to reach 18 regular season wins, I think that they will need to play much better than they did during the first half of the season. Disclaimer: I have not seen a game in person this season, but I have watched the 7 or 8 games televised on NESN so far.

Couple of points Snivs, with all due respect. They are winning the games they should. They went 2-0-1 with NU. They are 8-1-2 since the Providence losses (without N. Jenson who has been arguably their best defenseman since returning). They have improved significantly since the start of the season and the only cupcake OOC has been RPI, all others have winning records. Sweep UConn and look out for the Cats

 

[Ferrrao1994]

Compared to last year, it seems like the team is in better shape than last year. Wouldn't everyone agree?

 

[d.gerry]

Compared to last year, it seems like the team is in better shape than last year. Wouldn't everyone agree?

I think we are in about the same shape as last year, with a very similar record, maybe even a bit worse off, IMO. This year we are in the cellar of Hockey East (albeit with games in hand) compared to 4 Hockey East wins last year to date. Last year you could argue we were equal with Maine, but have been leap-frogged. BU, BC are in a different class, Providence is solidly better, and UML a tick better. Trying to be optimistic, but UNH has a huge hill to climb if they want to make the NCAAs.

 

[TwoStep93]

More of what Ferrrao and Jellsy are pitching and less of whatever the rest of you smelly curmudgeons are stewing in around here. Agreed that that the real season begins now but this team is playing great hockey and has only played two less conference games than the likes of Maine, BU, Lowell, etc.