My two cents ... what were the UNH defensemen doing in front of DeSmith for most of the goals? Certainly they weren't clearing space around the crease, and allowing him time to corral the rebounds/loose pucks. It seemed like any time NU got the puck to the front, NU players outnumbered the UNH players, and they kept on grinding at it until the puck ended up in the back of the net. "Dirty" goals is a term you see bandied around on forums like this, or in analysts's commentary. NU wrote the definitive "how to" guide during last night's game, and the UNH defensemen were their unwitting accomplices. I would put last night's loss on them as a complete unit. Not the officials, not on DeSmith, and not even on the "Ghost of UNH March Gackfests Past". UNH scored four (4) goals and had a two (2) goal lead AT HOME in a playoff game ... and with a trip to the Garden, and a potential invite to the D-1 tourney on the line ... this.
If I'm Coach Tortorella ... I've got all the defensemen in early today, and I'm forcing them to watch the train wreck of an effort (or lack thereof) they put in, with NU players all infesting the UNH crease like rabid termites. Why were these NU players not forcibly placed on their backsides? Not putting them down early and often ... you might as well send them an invitation, ferchrissakes.
"Your attendance is requested at the home of C. DeSmith on the occasion of Game 2 of the HockeyEast quarterfinals at The Whittemore Center in Durham NH, open bar, bring lots of friends and feel free to make yourselves at home, RSVP".
It's still there for the taking, though. Question in my mind is ... "Is UNH willing to pay the price?" NU answered that in the affirmative last night, so now the ball is back in the 'Cats' court tonight.
