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University of Maine 2024–2025: Freel-ing good

If Maine wants a chance at winning the Hockey East regular season title outright and the #1 seed, they need Merrimack to win against BC a week from today, dosen't matter if in OT or regulation. If Maine wants a shot at a share of the regular season title, and still have the #2 seed due to tiebreakers, they need MC to at least push it to OT and get a point. If BC wins in regulation on Saturday they clinch the title and lock Maine into #2 before they even take the ice in Amherst on Saturday. Of course, this is all predicated on Maine winning in regulation on Friday, which is obviously no sure bet.
 
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Antonacci has found a different level and been an absolute stud last few games
Great to see Antonacci have a weekend like that. His “benching” was never personal, much like Arnott, they just weren’t up to standard a few weeks after Christmas. He looked great tonight and hope he hangs around next year as a veteran presence.
 
Antonacci has found a different level and been an absolute stud last few games
I agree and it is nice to see him playing to his potential. He spent a couple games with Breazeale when there was flu and injuries to forwards. He settled down then, and has been playing better ever since. Really liked him skating the puck up ice several times tonight, gaining the red line. Seems trivial, but it makes such a difference when a guy has confidence to hold the puck and lug it vs, trying to get it off stick as soon as possible and occasionally panicking and coughing up the puck.
 
Always good to sweep a weekend, especially against a team that plays hard both nights. The last 4 minutes was a lesson on how to keep a team from pulling their goalie. Good to see the 3rd and 4th lines contributing big time to the final result. I don't believe it was Albins best night. I think when they watch video Maine left a few goals on the ice, Still got 2 big games left, realistically a split would be great as UMass playing for a better seeding in NCAAs also. So far its been a better than expected season, hope they keep it up :)
 
The Future of maine hockey - Am I the only one a bit tired of dump in and grind on the boards hockey? Or am I stuck on thinking about it too much. Red did it for 8 years, and Barr is following the same style so far. I mean it works for them but....
Wonder if Barr will change strategy in the future when he gets a different collection of talent. Will it just be an evolutionary step we havent reached yet.
I like physical heavy clean hockey but its also fun to watch teams who can move the puck around and carry it. Just skating up to center ice and dumping lulls me into day dreaming.
Uconn this year has a good mix of being good at a forecheck and guys who can handle the puck and pass well.
 
The Future of maine hockey - Am I the only one a bit tired of dump in and grind on the boards hockey? Or am I stuck on thinking about it too much. Red did it for 8 years, and Barr is following the same style so far. I mean it works for them but....
Wonder if Barr will change strategy in the future when he gets a different collection of talent. Will it just be an evolutionary step we havent reached yet.
I like physical heavy clean hockey but its also fun to watch teams who can move the puck around and carry it. Just skating up to center ice and dumping lulls me into day dreaming.
Uconn this year has a good mix of being good at a forecheck and guys who can handle the puck and pass well.
I would say Maine has a pretty good blend. Nadeau went length of the ice and sniped one near side over goalie’s shoulder. Antonacci did a 100 ft stretch pass that resulted in a tic-tac-toe Fowler buried. I’ve got no problems with how Maine is playing. Keep in mind, when a team traps you then it is difficult to carry into the zone with any type of speed. So they dump and the team tries to establish the cycle on the board and gain possession time that way. A lot of it is dictated by the opposing team. So email them before the game and convince them not to trap. Not many teams would want to go back and forth with Maine. So Maine gets trapped a lot. To be honest, it does frustrate Maine at times into taking penalties.
 
I would say Maine has a pretty good blend. Nadeau went length of the ice and sniped one near side over goalie’s shoulder. Antonacci did a 100 ft stretch pass that resulted in a tic-tac-toe Fowler buried. I’ve got no problems with how Maine is playing. Keep in mind, when a team traps you then it is difficult to carry into the zone with any type of speed. So they dump and the team tries to establish the cycle on the board and gain possession time that way. A lot of it is dictated by the opposing team. So email them before the game and convince them not to trap. Not many teams would want to go back and forth with Maine. So Maine gets trapped a lot. To be honest, it does frustrate Maine at times into taking penalties.
Pretty much what you said.

Sure, Maine plays a defense-first style, but it has a Hell of a lot more offensive talent than it ever had after Red ran out of Tim's recruits.

I'm really not sure how a long-time Maine fan could complain about this team, which is looking at a #1 seed. That possibility would've been an insane pipe-dream during the Gendron disaster.

Hard stop on that point.
 
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