UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

[BoSox3066]

I honestly do think Red & co have done a much better job recruiting than the prior regime. The best recruits haven't shown up yet and people are selling this year's freshmen way short..

Nyquist, Shore, Abbott, Flynn, Hutton..... The first time I saw Tim's elite recruits play I could tell they were elite. There's no body in this years freshman class thats close. For Red's sake I hope there's 3 coming next year, but hes still got a hell of a ways to go before hes out recruiting the previous regime, never mind if you start including guys from before Grant left.

[Runsub5]

Nyquist, Shore, Abbott, Flynn, Hutton..... The first time I saw Tim's elite recruits play I could tell they were elite. There's no body in this years freshman class thats close. For Red's sake I hope there's 3 coming next year, but hes still got a hell of a ways to go before hes out recruiting the previous regime, never mind if you start including guys from before Grant left.

Yes, and IMHO you can add Purcell and Mangene.

[walrus]

Yes, and IMHO you can add Purcell and Mangene.

I think Robbins is close to mangene, not as tough probably but he is starting to score. Mangene wasn't great until his jr year. Pearson looks good, fossier looked good, holway, michel are ok. This years class certainly better than the last couple which are pretty much throwaway with a few exceptions. I'm more concerned with the lack of discipline than I am the level of talent at this point

[Bhall44]

I've been more positive than most on here but its tough after last night. It's really frustrating they have not won from so many winning positions this year. There are going to be times it happens but it shouldn't be more than once or twice a season. To be 2-0 up with them on the ropes and completely give it away is crazy. I can understand taking a penalty to prevent them from getting a good scoring chance but never in a million years should two guys on the fourth line take penalties on the same play when the puck is up the other end of the ice.

I honestly do think Red & co have done a much better job recruiting than the prior regime. The best recruits haven't shown up yet and people are selling this year's freshmen way short. With all that being said, the in game coaching just hasn't been good enough. This isn't a great Maine team but with the talent they have and the schedule they have faced no way they should be under .500. The only games where they didn't have much chance in were BU and Providence and there was basically seven free wins.

I'm not sure on the way forward. I think the best thing to do would be to give Ben a year and see what happens. If they decide to go in a completely different direction be prepared to be underwhelmed.

Well said about last night Drew. Last night's game was a perfect microcosm of the entire season... The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly(?). I would add in there whatever Schurhamer was thinking and whatever the coaches/Vesey was thinking with the too many men. Just plain inexcusable. With a lack of depth and predominantly freshmen we all knew this season would be up and down at best. If Red and Company want to see the fruits of their recruiting labor to come they are going to have to overcome their lack of talent and depth from the first two classes with coaching and discipline. Something that, I think everyone on here can agree, we have seen no evidence of to date. Progress in the win column is needed.

[Bhall44]

I think Robbins is close to mangene, not as tough probably but he is starting to score. Mangene wasn't great until his jr year. Pearson looks good, fossier looked good, holway, michel are ok. This years class certainly better than the last couple which are pretty much throwaway with a few exceptions. I'm more concerned with the lack of discipline than I am the level of talent at this point

I can't give enough thumbs up to this comment walrus. Robbins has looked great when he puts the shot on net.. 5 for 5? Holway has really improved and looks to be the impact dman of the future. He doesn't get much help on the other side of the pairing. I would throw Smith and Shea in there too. Unfortunately being buried on the wing of the Maine's 3rd and 4th line they don't get much help either. I am surprised Shea hasn't been tried at Center at all this year. Red seems to favor size (save for Cam) up the middle. Easy to overlook at times but Hamilton has made strides since last year. He still takes some bad penalties here and there but gone are the 1 boarding and 1 roughing penalty a game. When on the ice he is a solid 3rd pairing defensemen. Vesey is just a complete head scratcher to me. He has some nights or shifts where he looks like the best player on the ice, then he disappears for looooooong stretches of time.

[J.D.]

Gus Nyquist is gonna be sitting for a while...

[Drew S.]

Gus Nyquist is gonna be sitting for a while...

As will the guy he hit. Ridiculous all the way around. It's hard to decide which hit was worse.

[J.D.]

What? You can't be serious. Zero comparison between the two.

[Drew S.]

What? You can't be serious. Zero comparison between the two.

Very dangerous to go into the boards head first, that is how you break your neck. It was completely unnecessary.

[Fishman'81]

I've been more positive than most on here but its tough after last night. It's really frustrating they have not won from so many winning positions this year. There are going to be times it happens but it shouldn't be more than once or twice a season. To be 2-0 up with them on the ropes and completely give it away is crazy. I can understand taking a penalty to prevent them from getting a good scoring chance but never in a million years should two guys on the fourth line take penalties on the same play when the puck is up the other end of the ice.

I honestly do think Red & co have done a much better job recruiting than the prior regime. The best recruits haven't shown up yet and people are selling this year's freshmen way short. With all that being said, the in game coaching just hasn't been good enough. This isn't a great Maine team but with the talent they have and the schedule they have faced no way they should be under .500. The only games where they didn't have much chance in were BU and Providence and there was basically seven free wins.

I'm not sure on the way forward. I think the best thing to do would be to give Ben a year and see what happens. If they decide to go in a completely different direction be prepared to be underwhelmed.

God bless your heart. Somebody has to believe.

I was among the last to jump off Timmy's ship, but I bailed on Red pretty early.

I see no reason to reverse course now, but I hope like Hell that Maine finds a way to defy all logic and make next season the first interesting one since Red arrived.

[J.D.]

Spurgeon is not getting suspended for his hit. You are completely exaggerating what he did. Nyquist just temporarily lost his mind.

[boblav1]

Spurgeon is not getting suspended for his hit. You are completely exaggerating what he did. Nyquist just temporarily lost his mind.

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/02/12/...cking-penalty/

[walrus]

Spurgeon is not getting suspended for his hit. You are completely exaggerating what he did. Nyquist just temporarily lost his mind.

Spurgeons hit was a penalty(or should be) but Gus reacted in a very bad way, he is out for 6 games by the sounds of it. I don't watch NHL much but I doubt Gus is known for being cheap

[AMC]

Good to see, per Todd's numbers, that we can already rule out any playoff games at the Alfond this year.

[Runsub5]

Good to see, per Todd's numbers, that we can already rule out any playoff games at the Alfond this year.

Yes, I was just looking at Todd's numbers. Maine can finish anywhere from 9-12. Umass can still catch Maine for 11th and put Maine at 12th.

[walrus]

Good to see, per Todd's numbers, that we can already rule out any playoff games at the Alfond this year.

Thats the spirit This team is already playing golf, FORE!

[Drew S.]

Yes, I was just looking at Todd's numbers. Maine can finish anywhere from 9-12. Umass can still catch Maine for 11th and put Maine at 12th.

If BC can hold on to win the league Maine actually might not be in that bad of shape. It looks like Maine will almost certainly finish 11th which means either UVM, UConn, or UNH. None of those are horrible matchups and BC hasn't been playing that great. If Maine played BU it would be a completely different story.

[J.D.]

BC had a bad game against Merrimack. BU hasn't been great lately either though. Sweot by merrimack, lost at lowell. Best chance for maine would probably be against uconn. Even if they were to win, it's lights out after that.

[AMC]

If BC can hold on to win the league Maine actually might not be in that bad of shape. It looks like Maine will almost certainly finish 11th which means either UVM, UConn, or UNH. None of those are horrible matchups and BC hasn't been playing that great. If Maine played BU it would be a completely different story.

"Not playing that great" > "Unable to tie their own skates before a road game without screwing it up"

[UML Puck Hawk]

"Not playing that great" > "Unable to tie their own skates before a road game without screwing it up"

I bet Timmay used to tie the players skates for them.