Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

[walrus]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Anyone notice the Bruins made Gus disappear in playoffs.

[rufus]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Jimmy too.

[ck1969]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Jimmy too.

Literally.

B's not a good match up for the smaller speedy Wings. I don't see anyone stopping the Bruins in the East.

[dwollstadt]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Anyone notice the Bruins made Gus disappear in playoffs.

On the NHL website, reason No. 4 why the Red Wings lost was "No Nyquist."

[Priceless]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

The 2014-15 Maine hockey schedule has NOT been released yet. This represents a best guess based on a few things.

THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL

First, I reverse engineered the Hockey East schedule from last year and added in the dates we already know.
I put two games at Lowell on the weekend Maine hosted Lowell and put UConn in Alfond on the January bye week from this past season.
For the three remaining series I guessed based on 1) The home/road split 2) other teams' availability 3) the B1G/HEA challenge 4) Conversations I have had with reporters and other Hockey East cognoscenti.
This is what I came up with:

10/04/14 Canadian Exhibition
10/10/14 @Alaska-Anchorage %&
10/11/14 v Alaska %&
10/17/14 @Union ^
10/18/14 @Union ^
10/24/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/25/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/31/14 Massachusetts *
11/01/14 Massachusetts *
11/07/14 @Vermont *
11/08/14 @Vermont *
11/15/14 @Boston University *
11/17/14 Boston University *
11/23/14 @Boston College *
11/28/14 Canisius
11/29/14 Canisius
12/05/14 @Lowell *
12/06/14 @Lowell *
12/12/14 v New Hampshire (Portland) %
12/13/14 v New Hampshire (Manchester) %

01/02/15 @Penn State
01/03/15 @Penn State
01/09/15 Colgate
01/10/15 Colgate
01/16/15 Boston College *
01/23/15 New Hampshire %*
01/24/15 @New Hampshire %*
01/30/15 Connecticut *
01/31/15 Connecticut *
02/06/15 Notre Dame *
02/07/15 Notre Dame *
02/13/15 @Merrimack *
02/14/15 @Merrimack *
02/20/15 Northeastern *
02/21/15 Northeastern *
02/27/15 @Providence *
02/28/15 @Providence *
% - Game is scheduled
^ - Known games, location and dates unknown
& - Exempt
* - Hockey East games

I think the games @Union are pretty easy to see in October after the team returns from Alaska. A flight to a B1G team would not make sense as it would be two weeks in a row on a plane. Not likely. Furthermore, Union is already playing in the UConn holiday tournament and at Boston University on January 3, which precludes them from playing Maine at that time. They also have ECAC games January 9-10 so they can't play then. The only other available dates are November 28-29. It is possible the AHA games (Canisius) could change dates with the Union games.

As noted above, Canisius is a likely opponent from the AHA. However, every team but Robert Morris and RIT have games available.

Based on the previously announced B1G/HEA challenge, Maine's opponent will be Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan State. Looking at what other teams are already playing Hockey East opposition, Penn State is the most likely opponent.

The final opponent is a crap shoot. However, a team from the ECAC at home is the most likely opponent Maine can schedule. A second series against an AHA team would be very disappointing and teams out west already have most schedules full. Of the ECAC teams, Brown, Colgate, Dartmouth and St Lawrence have available NC games. I am guessing Colgate at home this year and Maine returns a weekend after hosting the Icebreaker in 2015-16 to help Colgate open their new arena.

Also, the Boston College games could be played on one weekend, most likely 1/16 and 1/18. 11/22 and 11/24 would mean Maine would play the Boston teams on consecutive weeks (which has happened before but remains unlikely).

This schedule would give Maine 17 home games, plus the New Hampshire game in Portland. Maine's split would be 17/16/3. This year's home schedule would feature Alaska-Anchorage and Notre Dame making their first appearances in Alfond for a generation (1990 and 1991 respectively). The 2015-16 home slate would feature Penn State and defending champion Union, in addition to the Hockey East opponents and the Icebreaker in Portland.

[Fishman'81]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Looks like a decent docket, both in terms of SOS and W%, providing that Maine improves a little.

[Drew S.]

The 2014-15 Maine hockey schedule has NOT been released yet. This represents a best guess based on a few things.

THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL

First, I reverse engineered the Hockey East schedule from last year and added in the dates we already know.
I put two games at Lowell on the weekend Maine hosted Lowell and put UConn in Alfond on the January bye week from this past season.
For the three remaining series I guessed based on 1) The home/road split 2) other teams' availability 3) the B1G/HEA challenge 4) Conversations I have had with reporters and other Hockey East cognoscenti.
This is what I came up with:

10/04/14 Canadian Exhibition
10/10/14 @Alaska-Anchorage %&
10/11/14 v Alaska %&
10/17/14 @Union ^
10/18/14 @Union ^
10/24/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/25/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/31/14 Massachusetts *
11/01/14 Massachusetts *
11/07/14 @Vermont *
11/08/14 @Vermont *
11/15/14 @Boston University *
11/17/14 Boston University *
11/23/14 @Boston College *
11/28/14 Canisius
11/29/14 Canisius
12/05/14 @Lowell *
12/06/14 @Lowell *
12/12/14 v New Hampshire (Portland) %
12/13/14 v New Hampshire (Manchester) %

01/02/15 @Penn State
01/03/15 @Penn State
01/09/15 Colgate
01/10/15 Colgate
01/16/15 Boston College *
01/23/15 New Hampshire %*
01/24/15 @New Hampshire %*
01/30/15 Connecticut *
01/31/15 Connecticut *
02/06/15 Notre Dame *
02/07/15 Notre Dame *
02/13/15 @Merrimack *
02/14/15 @Merrimack *
02/20/15 Northeastern *
02/21/15 Northeastern *
02/27/15 @Providence *
02/28/15 @Providence *
% - Game is scheduled
^ - Known games, location and dates unknown
& - Exempt
* - Hockey East games

I think the games @Union are pretty easy to see in October after the team returns from Alaska. A flight to a B1G team would not make sense as it would be two weeks in a row on a plane. Not likely. Furthermore, Union is already playing in the UConn holiday tournament and at Boston University on January 3, which precludes them from playing Maine at that time. They also have ECAC games January 9-10 so they can't play then. The only other available dates are November 28-29. It is possible the AHA games (Canisius) could change dates with the Union games.

As noted above, Canisius is a likely opponent from the AHA. However, every team but Robert Morris and RIT have games available.

Based on the previously announced B1G/HEA challenge, Maine's opponent will be Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan State. Looking at what other teams are already playing Hockey East opposition, Penn State is the most likely opponent.

The final opponent is a crap shoot. However, a team from the ECAC at home is the most likely opponent Maine can schedule. A second series against an AHA team would be very disappointing and teams out west already have most schedules full. Of the ECAC teams, Brown, Colgate, Dartmouth and St Lawrence have available NC games. I am guessing Colgate at home this year and Maine returns a weekend after hosting the Icebreaker in 2015-16 to help Colgate open their new arena.

Also, the Boston College games could be played on one weekend, most likely 1/16 and 1/18. 11/22 and 11/24 would mean Maine would play the Boston teams on consecutive weeks (which has happened before but remains unlikely).

This schedule would give Maine 17 home games, plus the New Hampshire game in Portland. Maine's split would be 17/16/3. This year's home schedule would feature Alaska-Anchorage and Notre Dame making their first appearances in Alfond for a generation (1990 and 1991 respectively). The 2015-16 home slate would feature Penn State and defending champion Union, in addition to the Hockey East opponents and the Icebreaker in Portland.

That schedule would be a massive improvement over last year. The one thing I hope is Maine gets a better B10 opponent than Penn St. Are you sure Maine is at Union instead of the other way around?

[Erix_The_Red]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

The one thing I hope is Maine gets a better B10 opponent than Penn St.

Why would you want that? Opponents' Opponents' records are more important than Opp record. So it's ideal to play a struggling team in a good conference (unless I don't understand how this all works).

[Agganis]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

The 2014-15 Maine hockey schedule has NOT been released yet. This represents a best guess based on a few things.

You are not correct, but close on the Maine @ BU game

Why would you want that? Opponents' Opponents' records are more important than Opp record. So it's ideal to play a struggling team in a good conference (unless I don't understand how this all works).

You don't understand how it works.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

You don't understand how it works.

I didn't want to break the bad news to him.

[Priceless]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

You are not correct, but close on the Maine @ BU game

I don't suppose you want to clarify that statement...

[Erix_The_Red]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

You don't understand how it works.

Can you elaborate? It stands to help your RPI by improving your record and that of opponents' opponents (yes, at the expense of your opponent's record), as well as helping comparisons of record against common opponents and head to head.

[TERRIERFANinLA]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

I don't suppose you want to clarify that statement...

yeah, doesn't it kinda suck when you put some thought and effort into a post and have someone just come back with "nuhh uhhnh"...

[Agganis]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

Can you elaborate? It stands to help your RPI by improving your record and that of opponents' opponents (yes, at the expense of your opponent's record), as well as helping comparisons of record against common opponents and head to head.

The majority of opponent's record for 2 teams in the conference is the same, while their own record can be wildly different. Using your B1G example Minn's record was .5206 better than PSU's last yearwhile PSU's opponent's record was only .0297 higher than Minn's. Even at uneven weights it is much better to play good teams than play bad teams that play lots of good teams.

[blackbear80]

Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...

The majority of opponent's record for 2 teams in the conference is the same, while their own record can be wildly different. Using your B1G example Minn's record was .5206 better than PSU's last yearwhile PSU's opponent's record was only .0297 higher than Minn's. Even at uneven weights it is much better to play good teams than play bad teams that play lots of good teams.

I assume this depends somewhat on who you can beat...