Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues
First of all, a happy and healthy New Year 2018 to all of you and your families. To say your perennial former "Champions of December" spit the proverbial bit down the stretch during Cupcake-a-Palooza on both sides of the winter break would be an understatement, and the rampant enthusiasm that had gripped this thread (and the UNH Hockey universe beyond USCHO) has virtually evaporated, as our weary fan base turns its lonely eyes towards Head Coach In Waiting Mike Souza. The
March has officially returned to the uncertainty of a
Quest, which was probably fitting all along. The Long Goodbye Tour lurches forward again this weekend, but the bandwagon that was forming a few short weeks ago has emptied quickly, as WIS presents its latest prognostications in this latest "We Can't Really Lose to Brown This Weekend - Can We?" edition of "Umile's Last Stand - The _____ for 600".
"Umile's Last Stand - The Quest for 600"
Coach Umile's current career wins total: 595
Wins Remaining to NRN (Next Round Number): 5
Games Remaining (plus 2 min. MBPBEGAM games): 17
Win Pct. Required to Hit Target: 29.4%
WIS Estimated Likelihood of Success: 70%
2017/2018 Cupcake Conversion Ratio (CCR): 5/11 (45.5%)
To describe this past weekend in UNH Hockey as anything but a full-blown flustercuck would be disingenuous and naïve. Maybe we can try to create some arguments about how "unlucky" UNH was to be facing an in-state rival on their home ice after they'd toppled the D-1 defending champs before the break (as did recent cupcake slip-up Merrimack this past weekend, I believe). I'm thinking back over my decades of fandom of the UNH program, and I can't ever remember a UNH squad losing four straight to such a weak collection of teams. And now, with the historically creamiest of the crème-filled confections on their way to Durham for this coming weekend, it suddenly seems that even shoe-ins like this one can't be taken for granted. And with Coach Souza apparently attempting to revive the Axis powers with his recent recruiting strategy, WIS must point out that at least a couple of Souza's former Brownie recruits are likely still skating for his former program. So the possibility that these kids might find some extra motivation won't make things any easier for Souza's mentor and current boss this weekend, who has now suddenly and unexpectedly been tossed back into a white-knuckle thrill ride to reach the NRN.
Looking at the big picture ... WIS' panel of experts projected in the preseason that Coach Umile's Wildcats would amass at least 10 wins in the opening 19 game stretch of the season through completion of the Ledyard Bank Classic, before we turn the calendar into 2018. That prediction - which seemed to be a lead pipe cinch just four games ago - now lies in tatters by the roadside, a casualty of the downturn in performances by the overrated 'Cats, who can now be expected to deservedly fall entirely out of the Top 20 in the polls. A win over Brown this coming weekend would leave UNH a game late and a dollar short of what was deemed baseline preseason expectations with the WIS panel here in Effingwoods. The WIS panel's meeting last evening saw decisive action taken. and a unanimous downgrade of the outlook for the NRN to a
Quest, signaling a return to great uncertainty for a happy ending. Mind you, we still see the NRN being attained, but chances for an unsuccessful fate more than doubled after this past weekend. Here is the prediction for this coming weekend:
Prediction:
Saturday: UNH 3 Brown 3
NEXT CUPCAKE ON THE SHELF: 1/26/18 v. UConn
WIS CONTEST - GUESS THE DATE COACH HITS THE NRN!!!
So here is the final qualifying list of the NRN predictions. Winner buys the first round at Libby's on date/time TBD. HR or another suitably qualified candidate will be inviting the GOH to the event (while WIS runs for cover
):
<s>1/06/18 vs. Brown @ home: Snively65, HockeyRef</s>
<s>1/12/18 vs. BU @ home: phb, e.cat</s>
<s>1/19/18 vs. UMaine @ Alfond: Dan, deltabravo, Nifty16</s>
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1/20/18 vs. UMaine @ Alfond: After the Whistle, Scott, scoreboard, Darius
1/26/18 vs. UConn @ home: Aerman
2/03/18 vs. UMass @ home: WIS
Three more of our contestants are off the hook for the *victory* in our NRN contest, with 4 more now totally dependent upon a now seemingly impossible run of 5 straight W's to remain alive in the contest. The earliest date now for the magical event to be taking place is mid-January at Alfond Arena. I was liking Aerman's prediction the best until this past weekend, but now I'm starting to really like my own prediction, knowing full well that even that conservative pick could turn out to be wildly optimistic as well. I'm still praying (in a realistic, we're not going to sweep our games before then) way that it works out so we can all enjoy the plethora of empty platitudes that would no doubt be flowing from that <s>Eddie Haskell</s> Luce Canaan character behind the UConn bench for the big NRN occasion.
We've also added a new "watch" to the collection here, which was brought to the fore by Dan regarding the prospects of Patrick Grasso's potentially lost season, and the chances he'll be allowed a "medical redshirt". We'll revisit the specifics as we get closer to the end of the regular season, but in short, it appears a minimum of six (6) post-season games will be necessary for Grasso's 2017/2018 season not to become a total loss. So the
Grasso Red Shirt Number (GRSN) sits at a 40 game UNH slate. The WIS panel sets Grasso's chances of following in the career path of the great Tommy Nolan to be
Slight. We'll revisit this assessment periodically as things progress.
GO UNH - GOT TO GET THE GOODBYE TOUR TO THE GAHDEN!!!
I'll be there with a school friend on Saturday. Maybe see you there?