Maine Black Bears 2019-20: Seeing Red

[amkirby10]

A new year is dawning in Orono, and the season has the potential to be a volatile one. What are your projections for our Black Bears this coming year?

[UncleRay]

Nice title - well done!

[ticapnews]

[NorthMike]

Im tired of seeing Red😁

[amkirby10]

Nice title - well done!

Thank you! I had been wanting to use that one for a while

[NorthMike]

Any optimism out there with the new deputy AD? I'm not yet sure what to make of it other than it could be a good step in improving the proffesionalism of the dept. But admittedly know very little about him.

[Fishman'81]

Thank you! I had been wanting to use that one for a while

Great choice.

(I thought about "Better Dead Than Red", but there isn't really a distinction there.

[Fishman'81]

That's a good one, too! (Mr. T was a very under-appreciated thespian; we all know that.)

Might as well whistle past the graveyard for yet another year and have some fun with it, if that's humanly possible... I suspect that I'll confront the folly of that approach first-hand in Canton this October, but The Warden's hope springs eternal, and she loves the road-blues.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

7th or 8th place finish in Hockey East with 12-14 win total and out of the Playoffs in 2 straight games...quick exit...and after the season Swayman signs deal to go to Boston to start his career honing his skills in the minors...ECHL to AHL and then any ones guess.

[Fishman'81]

7th or 8th place finish in Hockey East with 12-14 win total and out of the Playoffs in 2 straight games...quick exit...and after the season Swayman signs deal to go to Boston to start his career honing his skills in the minors...ECHL to AHL and then any ones guess.

If your O/U is 13 wins, I'm taking the under.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

If your O/U is 13 wins, I'm taking the under.

Either way under 13 means a very long/long season...which I expect...not that I will like it mind you but the recipe is there.

[AMC]

If your O/U is 13 wins, I'm taking the under.

Comfortably under in my mind.

[dunbar]

The real question is who wins more games?

Men’s Hockey or Football?

[ticapnews]

12 wins. 6th place in Hockey Least. First round sweep by Northeastern or Providence.

[Drew S.]

A new year is dawning in Orono, and the season has the potential to be a volatile one. What are your projections for our Black Bears this coming year?

I’ve got mixed feelings. I’ll start off by saying I’m incredibly disappointed in who Red chose to bring in up front. If Maine could trade Dawe, Holesinsky, and Drobot for Breen, Mayers, and Needham I’d be very excited about this year.

With all that being said, I think there are some things to feel good about. Maine should have it’s best goaltending since 2004. Red has done a good job finding dmen and I’m confident even though this year’s group is inexperienced they will be solid. Maine should be able to have a really good first line with Fossier and Tralmaks.

After that first line though I don’t feel great about getting a lot of scoring from the other three. Maine has a pretty easy schedule and assuming Maine throws away a few games and is underwhelming in others I still think they should finish somewhere around 14 wins and finish around fifth in Hockey East. It’d be great if this was the year Maine performed above expectations, but that isn’t what we’ve see during Red’s time. I foolishly bought tickets for opening night against Providence and am starting to get excited for the season against my better judgment.

[amkirby10]

I’ve got mixed feelings. I’ll start off by saying I’m incredibly disappointed in who Red chose to bring in up front. If Maine could trade Dawe, Holesinsky, and Drobot for Breen, Mayers, and Needham I’d be very excited about this year.

With all that being said, I think there are some things to feel good about. Maine should have it’s best goaltending since 2004. Red has done a good job finding dmen and I’m confident even though this year’s group is inexperienced they will be solid. Maine should be able to have a really good first line with Fossier and Tralmaks.

After that first line though I don’t feel great about getting a lot of scoring from the other three. Maine has a pretty easy schedule and assuming Maine throws away a few games and is underwhelming in others I still think they should finish somewhere around 14 wins and finish around fifth in Hockey East. It’d be great if this was the year Maine performed above expectations, but that isn’t what we’ve see during Red’s time. I foolishly bought tickets for opening night against Providence and am starting to get excited for the season against my better judgment.

The thing that worries me is they only have 8 D on the entire roster, and two of them are VMT and Cam Spicer. That dosent leave a lot of room for error back there in case of injury or underperformance. The third pair might get dicy. I think the third line is a solid offering, and the 4th line I would imagine gets better by subtraction with Perez gone, unless the freshmen they put there end up being sub-Perez level somehow. And I think you're wrong about Dawe, if he can avoid the injury bug I think he's a good player. Didn't show up on the scoresheet much but he was making plays out there.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

The thing that worries me is they only have 8 D on the entire roster, and two of them are VMT and Cam Spicer. That dosent leave a lot of room for error back there in case of injury or underperformance. The third pair might get dicy. I think the third line is a solid offering, and the 4th line I would imagine gets better by subtraction with Perez gone, unless the freshmen they put there end up being sub-Perez level somehow. And I think you're wrong about Dawe, if he can avoid the injury bug I think he's a good player. Didn't show up on the scoresheet much but he was making plays out there.

Your right with DAWE...he's a gamer/hard nose and never quits a shift...he's the type of player you want...hopefully he can stay healthy...which last year he was in the wrong place a few times and got clocked...in a cheap shop manner...which is what makes it more madding. I'd take him on my team any time.

[FLHockeyMom]

The thing that worries me is they only have 8 D on the entire roster, and two of them are VMT and Cam Spicer. That dosent leave a lot of room for error back there in case of injury or underperformance. The third pair might get dicy. I think the third line is a solid offering, and the 4th line I would imagine gets better by subtraction with Perez gone, unless the freshmen they put there end up being sub-Perez level somehow. And I think you're wrong about Dawe, if he can avoid the injury bug I think he's a good player. Didn't show up on the scoresheet much but he was making plays out there.

I realize Bruneski is listed as an F on Maine's roster, but per below it looks like he could play some D if necessary:

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/05/...an-defenseman/

[Drew S.]

The thing that worries me is they only have 8 D on the entire roster, and two of them are VMT and Cam Spicer. That dosent leave a lot of room for error back there in case of injury or underperformance. The third pair might get dicy. I think the third line is a solid offering, and the 4th line I would imagine gets better by subtraction with Perez gone, unless the freshmen they put there end up being sub-Perez level somehow. And I think you're wrong about Dawe, if he can avoid the injury bug I think he's a good player. Didn't show up on the scoresheet much but he was making plays out there.

Don’t get me wrong I like him as a player, but we’ve seen this before and it usually doesn’t have a happy ending. I wish him nothing but the best and hope he can stay healthy this year.

[walrus]

I thinks its unfortunate that Dawe got hurt last year. I don't see him playing a full season after last season, too small. Hope I'm wrong on that as he plays hard. As long as Maine is seeing Red its going to be disappointing.