Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Three) - Living in Interesting Times
The overtime's were unkind to UNH last night, but I don't think that's the case. As much as Merrimack has outshot UNH, they're far from a dynamic offensive team - they've taken 70 more shots than UNH this season and scored 20 less goals. They chuck the puck on net from all over the ice - off angles, well outside the scoring areas, etc. As much as I hated the shots on goal debate, they are the definition of your argument, Chuck...
They are a challenged offensive team, without much finishing ability, which masks the weakness UNH has had all season keeping pucks out of the net. This gives the Wildcats a chance to keep the goals against down and lean on their superior offensive talent. So, I'll say there's a 60% chance UNH pulls it out on Sunday. The Mack will manage a pair of goals on 40+ shots (likely blowing a few more chances) because they're all Swedish..., but UNH's top line has a big night and the Wildcats win 4-2...
Unfortunately, the other two overtimes in HE last night will be their demise. With both BU and Northeastern coming back to win their respective game ones, UNH is that much more unlikely to draw Providence in round two. As long as the odds would have been against the Friars, that was their only chance to advance to the Garden based on the match ups. They weren't beating Notre Dame (if both BU and NU lost) and there is no way they're beating BC (since both BU and NU appear on the verge of advancing).
So you're six days off - UNH's season ends (mercifully!) on Saturday, March 12 in Chestnut Hill, Mass...
OK I'll respond here ... overall, though, I've decided to hold my fire after last night's abysmal late game performance. In short, one team needed to win last night, and the other one didn't. And that's how both teams played the 3rd period and overtime. No huge surprises there, but I'm still very disappointed that UNH was gift-wrapped a great opportunity to advance into the real first round of the HE tourney and basically p!$$ed it down the drain. But they win tomorrow night, and it doesn't matter. Putting aside the simple fact that UNH isn't a good enough team with any significant recent postseason pedigree, though ... they don't have the luxury of p!$$ing away games like that.
And you're right, this is NOT about SOG's. I'm not commenting on the first two periods because I wasn't there ... but the sheer workrate in the 3rd period and OT was there in spades for Merrimack, and was shockingly absent from UNH's play. Other than the first 2 minutes when UNH p!$$ed away a gift PP opportunity and a chance to really put some pressure on the 'Mack ... the rest of the 3rd period felt like Merrimack was on the PP themselves despite playing even strength throughout. To use a soccer term ... UNH "parked the bus" in front of Tirone for most of the 3rd period. Forwards (including centers) were routinely below the circles and even the dots when the puck was up at the points. And this was a repeating pattern involving more than one line, and more than one paring. Against Merrimack. Merrimack.
Were there dumb/stupid plays from the usual suspects? He11 yeah. But we knew that would happen. Was Coach hands-off during the breaks and even during their TO late in regulation, while Dennehy & Co. were visibly interacting with their players. Again, yes but hardly surprising. Been there, done that, seen the movie, know how that ends, etc.
But what really bothered me - and I mean REALLY REALLY bothered me - is that the Would-Be Hobey and the Actual Hobey nominees were not engaged in the contest the way that true leaders NEED to be engaged. I didn't see his goal, but Would-Be was spending more time running his mouth at Bahe (sp?) and others than he was playing anything remotely close to a complete all-around game ... while the Actual Hobey nominee allowed himself to be taken off his game, and spent whatever time he wasn't pinned up against the glass or letting the opposing players chip at him to annoy him, floating around puck-watching and not even pretending to defend. As HR pointed out, he was out there for the final PK, let his stick get hacked out of his hands as they tried (unsuccessfully) for about the dozenth time in 30 minutes to clear their zone in a key juncture, and then stood by while MC played tic-tac-toe on the GWG. Soft, weak, like you read about.
I saw Merrimack basically out-physical and out-work a UNH team that had a chance to close the series, but decided they weren't willing to pay the price to do it. Merrimack continually smacked them around, and UNH stood there and took it. Their compete factor was missing.
I would be playing the tape of that game to the entire team tonight, and pointing out exactly where they lost at least 80% of the puck battles, and really just backed down and capitulated.
I really, really hope I'm wrong about this. *Maybe* knowing tomorrow night's game is the must-win game, they will find the cojones they were so obviously missing at the end of last night's capitulation. But those things aren't usually switch-on, switch-off qualities ... you've either got them or you don't. And I'm sorry to say, I didn't see that in their play last night ... and I don't think they're suddenly going to discover it tomorrow night. Merrimack 4, UNH 1 ... drive home safely.
