UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

100% agree. They've played fairly well in the past five, unfortunately they're 2-3 in those games. With a easier stretch of schedule perhaps they would be 5-0. Suprised to say they left 2 points on the table this weekend at Lowell, but I think we caught them at a good time. Bazin will have them playing much better come January. BU has struggled so far, I think they could be vulnerable, and the boys have two weeks to prepare for them. A three point weekend would go a long way especially with the Ireland trip looming.

Thing is, Maine has a bad record vs. bad competition so far.

As much as some fine folks want to discount the KRACH, it's easily the best metric out there... And the best team via the KRACH that Maine has played is MN-Duluth, which sits at #23, and which swept Maine on the road. Outside of that, Maine has a losing record vs. some of the worst teams in D-1 right now, even setting the Duluth losses aside.

Things need to change big-time for this team to even flirt with .500, never mind a bid.

[Drew S.]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Thing is, Maine has a bad record vs. bad competition so far.

As much as some fine folks want to discount the KRACH, it's easily the best metric out there... And the best team via the KRACH that Maine has played is MN-Duluth, which sits at #23, and which swept Maine on the road. Outside of that, Maine has a losing record vs. some of the worst teams in D-1 right now, even setting the Duluth losses aside.

Things need to change big-time for this team to even flirt with .500, never mind a bid.

Give me a break. You really think Miami and Lowell are two of the worst teams in the country? Uconn isn't a great team but they are no worse than 40th or so. Duluth made the final last year so they can't be that bad. Lowell and Miami are probably somewhere in the 20's. Those formulas that try to calculate where teams should be are absolute rubbish and are even more inaccurate with so few games played.

[ticapnews]

Give me a break. You really think Miami and Lowell are two of the worst teams in the country? Uconn isn't a great team but they are no worse than 40th or so. Duluth made the final last year so they can't be that bad. Lowell and Miami are probably somewhere in the 20's. Those formulas that try to calculate where teams should be are absolute rubbish and are even more inaccurate with so few games played.

Lowell is 1-5 and dead last in Hockey East. By what metric would you say they are a good team?

[walrus]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Lowell is 1-5 and dead last in Hockey East. By what metric would you say they are a good team?

The same metric Maine fans used to use. Maine used to be good therefore they are. Now Lowell may turn it around and by end of season be decent. But their chance to be a ncaa team is real slim as is there HE chances.

Maine has to win consistently before I'm going to get excited. A road win is great, doesn't mean **** unless you can string some more wins with it. Let's see them beat BU in 2 weeks.

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[tylerzx2002]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

BU is the real test. They have the 6th most shots this season and a lowly 7.4 SH% (6th worst overall) so they have been insanely unlucky thus far and a correction is coming their way, just hopefully not against the Bears. Maine needs to stay out of the box and not let the BU PP (top-15) get chances to move the puck around.

The Maine PK being dead last in the nation at 63% is a massive disappointment in what has otherwise been a decent start to the season.

Is the PK personnel the problem? The scheme? Something needs to change for that to improve.

[NorthMike]

The Maine PK being dead last in the nation at 63% is a massive disappointment in what has otherwise been a decent start to the season.

Is the PK personnel the problem? The scheme? Something needs to change for that to improve.

What I see on the PK is puck staring and the D easily getting drawn out of position by puck movement. Leaves weak side and slot vulnerable. But, when they practice against a bad PP side how can the PK get better.

[ticapnews]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Your Hockey East Rookie of the Week is....

http://goblackbears.com/news/2017/11...-the-week.aspx

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

The same metric Maine fans used to use. Maine used to be good therefore they are. Now Lowell may turn it around and by end of season be decent. But their chance to be a ncaa team is real slim as is there HE chances.

Maine has to win consistently before I'm going to get excited. A road win is great, doesn't mean **** unless you can string some more wins with it. Let's see them beat BU in 2 weeks.

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(What he said.)

Maine hasn't had anything close to a good win so far, and they've had a bunch of bad losses. No two ways about it.

Sweeping at BU would help, but I won't bet the farm on that one.

[Bhall44]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Teddy Purcell was named to Team Canada pre olympic squad

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Teddy Purcell was named to Team Canada pre olympic squad

Love Teddy. He sure could toe-drag and create his own shot. And my funniest Maine hockey moment ever was listening to him jaw with an opponent in an NCAA game in Rochester years ago...

Teddy and the other guy had received matching minors. Once in their respective sin-bins, Teddy stood up and yelled: "Hey *Smith*..! What you got, 4 goals all year..??? Fu#&k1n+ LOSER!!!"

Then, Purcell sat down, pointedly ignored the guy, and calmly had a few refreshing sips of Gatorade while *Smith* went absolutely apoplectic, banging on the glass with his stick like a rabid chimpanzee, and challenging Teddy to leave their boxes and fight him at center-ice right that minute.

Guess you had to be there, but it was hilarious, and I was impressed that Teddy had bothered to accurately memorize the guy's stats just for the sake of possibly trotting them out, should the opportunity present itself...

That's doing your homework, folks!

[NorthMike]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Looks like Purcell is playing in a Russian league, at 32. Still loving it evidently.

[AMC]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Who would have foreseen a day where the only UMaine winter sport team that will even sniff .500 is women's hockey?

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Looks like Purcell is playing in a Russian league, at 32. Still loving it evidently.

He had 8 or 9 good years in the NHL. Not an All-Star player, but a solid contributor. Tampa was my favorite NHL team to watch during the time(s) that Bish, Torts and Teddy were still there.

Still have Maine guys to watch, of course. Shore and Bish at Dallas, Goose and Jimmy in Detroit, and the list goes on... I seriously wonder if any of Red's recruits will provide me any reason to watch the NHL down the road, though. ( I'm guessing not. )

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Who would have foreseen a day where the only UMaine winter sport team that will even sniff .500 is women's hockey?

I feel your pain, but football has a legit shot at .500 this year, and with all the young talent on the roster, maybe a decent chance at the field of 16 next season.

They have several overlooked underclassmen with D-1 skill-sets... That's how you have to do it at Maine now.

[walrus]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2017-2018 season, is this Reds last stand?

Who would have foreseen a day where the only UMaine winter sport team that will even sniff .500 is women's hockey?

Womens BBall?