HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

[leswp1]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

Um....they get the 5 PM game anyway. They're the #1 seed and as a result they get the first game. The theory behind it is that they have longer to rest before the championship game. For example, in 2008 BC / UNH went three overtimes. The second game (BU/Vermont) didn't start until something like 11:00 p.m. Vermont won, but I'm sure that didn't help them any the next night. Can you imagine the uproar if a #1 seed had to play until 2 in the morning the day of the championship game??

The top seed gets to choose what game they want from what my source has told me. Why the top seed picked the late game a few yrs ago still is a mystery.

[Chris_NH]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

are ticket prices higher for these games than they were for the regular season? Very impressed (and happy) to see 'other' teams rising to the forefront in Hockey East. Providence will be a tough out, and I figure that they and the Riverhawks will represent two of the eventual four teams at TD Garden next weekend.

[riverchief1]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

are ticket prices higher for these games than they were for the regular season? Very impressed (and happy) to see 'other' teams rising to the forefront in Hockey East. Providence will be a tough out, and I figure that they and the Riverhawks will represent two of the eventual four teams at TD Garden next weekend.

Quarterfinal games at Lowell are $18 while regular season was $15. Thought HE mandated prices across the board but BU is charging $26 (isn't that their usual price?). So maybe the league mandates a minimum and it's up to the individual institution to go higher if they so choose?

[riverchief1]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

The top seed gets to choose what game they want from what my source has told me. Why the top seed picked the late game a few yrs ago still is a mystery.

Maybe a few BU players had court dates mid-afternoon that could have conflicted with the earlier start?

[riverchief1]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

Ice is Life blog review of last night's game is up. Enough said.

http://theiceislife.wordpress.com/20...rcy/#more-2045

[Patman]

The top seed gets to choose what game they want from what my source has told me. Why the top seed picked the late game a few yrs ago still is a mystery.

I thought it was NESN's call

[leswp1]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

I thought it was NESN's call

I know that was the rumor but apparently not so. I could be wrong but I don't think so

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

NESN makes the call.

edit - I am changing my story. Pretty sure it is a mutual decision between NESN and Hockey East. I don't believe the the teams decide although we do know they prefer semifinal #1 and most of the time it works out anyway. I think a few years ago they said that obviously NESN wants the higher profile matchup for the late game, but, for the league, if a large fanbase from a few hours away was in the tournament (mostly referring to Maine), they would prefer to push them off to the late game anyway to encourage ticket sales and give Maine fans travelling down to Boston additional time to get in to the city. Most of the time that has worked out as Maine hasn't been the highest remaining seed in a long long time and they generally bring a good amount of eyeballs for NESN anyway. I think it's safe to say that if UML wins their series they will be the first semifinal and will be happy with that, as a matchup with UML and anyone other than the Boston Bruins will bring maybe 50 people to the table for NESN viewership so everyone wins in this scenario anyway.

[walrus]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

Ice is Life blog review of last night's game is up. Enough said.

http://theiceislife.wordpress.com/20...rcy/#more-2045

You could sum the whole article up in one word, Joey

[Jon]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

This conversation is hilarious. Of all the Big Four teams, Maine fans are the only ones with anything approaching a self-deprecating sense of humor (BC humor seems to involve lots of BU jokes, for which I appreciate them dearly). UML fans has the most consistently loyal and least profane of all the Other Six fans.
I understand that UML fans are nervous because they so rarely beat Maine and Maine fans are excited about maybe being free of TIMMAY!! but altercations in the stands are unexpected.

BTW, Pedenza from UML is ridiculous. I am glad I don't have to actually play against him. He's insanely good.

[UMLFan]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

I'm putting pretty good odds that tomorrow I'll either witness a UMaine win or Whitehead's last game ever as coach. I think I'll save my ticket stub!!

So you're saying that the odds are good that Maine will either win or lose tonight?

Shore's last goal was pretty, worth watching the video.

Yes it was. We were commenting on that post-game at the bar as well.

Good win for the Hawks. I said to some people pre-game this would be a sweep for Lowell, and I'll stick by that, even with that rather lackluster first period.

[Brian Kasabian]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

UML Fans: Congratulations on a game well played, specifically a period extremely well played that really gave Maine no chance to recover. I was impressed with how Lowell refused to let up in the late stages of the game, they skated hard a full 60 minutes. In my opinion the game was definitely won fairly by Lowell, I am not delusional and do not think Maine played the game they had to in order to be up 1-0. That said the officiating last night was horrendous. UML was getting out hustled in the 1st period which led to an unbalanced number of powerplays in Maine's favor. I was unimpressed by the seeming "make up calls" that followed for UML. My feed of the game was being called by UML home town announcers and even they referred to the calls this way. I feel like if Maine wins tonight its going to be 1-0, 2-1 style grind it out hockey with Ouellette playing incredible. If the game gets wide open like last night, look for a quick UML sweep. I still give Maine a great chance tonight. And for all the Diamond haters out there, thank you. He is a grimey dirty cherry picking cheap shot 100 point career most penalty minutes in school history LEGEND. Your hate is merited and he deserves hate because hes awesome. Go Black Bears tonight, lets grab one out of the sewer that is Lowell.

[J.D.]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

Kudos to you for being able to admit what Diamond is.

[UMLFan]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

Not sure if this will work...
*****https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BFZ27AVCcAEBe11.png:large******

[goblue]

Re: HE Quarterfinals - #8 Maine @ #1 Lowell

NESN makes the call.

edit - I am changing my story. Pretty sure it is a mutual decision between NESN and Hockey East. I don't believe the the teams decide although we do know they prefer semifinal #1 and most of the time it works out anyway. I think a few years ago they said that obviously NESN wants the higher profile matchup for the late game, but, for the league, if a large fanbase from a few hours away was in the tournament (mostly referring to Maine), they would prefer to push them off to the late game anyway to encourage ticket sales and give Maine fans travelling down to Boston additional time to get in to the city. Most of the time that has worked out as Maine hasn't been the highest remaining seed in a long long time and they generally bring a good amount of eyeballs for NESN anyway. I think it's safe to say that if UML wins their series they will be the first semifinal and will be happy with that, as a matchup with UML and anyone other than the Boston Bruins will bring maybe 50 people to the table for NESN viewership so everyone wins in this scenario anyway.

My recollection is that Jack Parker wanted the later game in 2009 against BC, bucking conventional wisdom that the early gamers have more time to rest up. (Maybe JackPa figured playing late would keep the Terriers out of the bars? ) Whatever the reason, BU won the championship, and the rest, as they say, is history.