2002 NCAA Championship Game: Minnesota vs. Maine

[93champs]

Too bad the ref didn't notice Heisten
*didn't have the puck*

I could swear that's supposed to be interference...

Instead Maine gets a penalty, another power play for Minn.

[*Saint*]

I think that Yeats has looked a bit shakey on a lot of these shots. The Gophs just have to get the shots on through traffic and they will be able to put some more on the board.

[Happy]

Originally posted by 93champs
Too bad the ref didn't notice Heisten
*didn't have the puck*

I could swear that's supposed to be interference...

Instead Maine gets a penalty, another power play for Minn.

same ref who didn't see maine pick up the net, and move it. cheap eastern move.

[parrotheaduff]

Maine escapes period 1 down only a goal.

[Shafto45]

1-0, end of 1st

Maine flirted with disaster that period, but they're hanging in.

[*Saint*]

Man that was an exciting period, but most of it was in the Maine zone. Yeats will have to shake off his jitters and get his head into the game and the rest of the Maine team will have to clean up the sloppiness of their game.

[parrotheaduff]

Originally posted by Happy


same ref who didn't see maine pick up the net, and move it. cheap eastern move.

Lets not start with the east/west BS. Keep your posts to the game action please.

[93champs]

Originally posted by Happy


same ref who didn't see maine pick up the net, and move it. cheap eastern move.

Yep, EVERY team from the east dislodges the net intentionally.
I guess EVERY team in the west must be a bunch of cheap-shot artists.

Let's make this east-versus-west as much as possible with broad generalities...

[Bob Gray]

Sounds like a great first period of hockey. Gophers lead 1-0 after the first period.

On the Gopher broadcast they're going to interview Jack McDonald.

[Maine91]

Come on, lets see some of that "Minnesota Nice"


Originally posted by Happy


same ref who didn't see maine pick up the net, and move it. cheap eastern move.

[Crease_Monkey]

maine, no doubt, go away with the picking up the net and moving it, but these refs are way biased toward minnesota. there have been two holds and haul downs by minnesota that were not called. maine is getting the shaft when it comes to the reffing.

maine has the better power play. minnesota only gets 2 shots on net with a 5 on 3?

minnesota is killing maine in their defensive end. maine is quickly neutralized as soon as they cross the blue line.

maine's "stellar" transition game is not matching minnesota's. minnesota is going defense to offense effortlessly, and with much more zeal.

maine's passes are more calculated and accurate. but, minnesota's are quicker, helping their transition game.

maine's penalty kill is great.

[thecomicbookguy]

I just got home, so I only saw the last 5 or 6 minutes, but Yeats made a great save right at the end on that one-timer. I though it was going in.

It definitely looks like Minnie is controlling the game right now, though Maine seems to have fire to burn...

[Happy]

Originally posted by Crease_Monkey
maine, no doubt, go away with the picking up the net and moving it, but these refs are way biased toward minnesota. there have been two holds and haul downs by minnesota that were not called. maine is getting the shaft when it comes to the reffing.

maine has the better power play. minnesota only gets 2 shots on net with a 5 on 3?

minnesota is killing maine in their defensive end. maine is quickly neutralized as soon as they cross the blue line.

maine's "stellar" transition game is not matching minnesota's. minnesota is going defense to offense effortlessly, and with much more zeal.

maine's passes are more calculated and accurate. but, minnesota's are quicker, helping their transition game.

maine's penalty kill is great.


the call on potulny was a pure makeup for maine.

[Crease_Monkey]

yeats does look a little jumpy, but after the "is the penalty on us or them?" departure, i think he seems to have more eyes on the puck. he has been filling a lot of the net in a number of the situations. i think he is doing well.

the minnesota goalies is going to be cold. maybe that will play to maine's advantage.

[Happy]

Originally posted by Maine91
Come on, lets see some of that "Minnesota Nice"





ok, maine not giving up the empty netter is the best luck i have ever seen a team get.

[*Saint*]

Originally posted by Crease_Monkey

maine has the better power play. minnesota only gets 2 shots on net with a 5 on 3?

Because MN didn't connect on their 5 on 3 doesn't mean Maine has the better PP. Maine hasn't even been able to hold it in the Minnesota zone. From the two games I have seen Maine in they use just a perimeter PP and don't get much in front of the net. The D tosses it in and doesn't pass the puck around near as well as the Minnesota pointmen. If the Gophs keep blocking all the shots they do then Hauser won't have to make that many saves. Also, Maine has made far more turnovers and bad decisions passing the puck than MN has in this tourney.

[Crease_Monkey]

the scissor takedown was very obvious.

the cross-check to the back was very obvious.

maines has gotten the penalties they deserve, except for one.

minnesota has at least two that should have been called that were not.

[Fogymtn]

I have a Finger for Hobey! Can you guess?

[Bob Gray]

Second period is underway.

[Crease_Monkey]

UofM Saint

minnesota, near the end of the period, started to make a number of errant passes that led to breaks on maines part. your right about it being biased the other way at the beginning of the game. maine made so many turnovers, it almost looked as if the were intentionally giving it up.

minnesota's pp is getting excited right now. i love the way they close it tighter and tigher. it creates confusion on the part of the defensive team and excitement for the fans. it is like a net closing in. like attila the hun surrounding his enemy and then slowly closing in, killing everything in it's path. the few shots they have though, always seem to go wide. they just seem too excited. i'm sure their pp will look much better this period.

maine appeared very calm and methodical on the pp. if they closed in on the minnesota, like minn does to them, they would have been well above minn's execution.

that is why i say maine's pp looks better right now.