Still in search of the right combinations
The term "new look" is becoming somewhat passé for the University of Maine men's hockey team.
When Maine plays two games at Alfond Arena this weekend - Friday against Bentley and Sunday against Providence - Black Bears Coach Tim Whitehead said he'll continue to shake up the lineup, in hopes of resurrecting the chemistry that helped the Black Bears to a 10-5-1 record in the first two months of the season.
"Most of the guys that didn't play against BU will have an opportunity to play this weekend," Whitehead said.
Among those who are expected to be back in the lineup are co-captain Jeff Marshall, defenseman Ryan Hegarty and possibly goalie Dave Wilson. Wilson started Maine's exhibition against the U.S. U-18 team on Jan. 2, but hasn't played since a 2-1 win Nov. 21 against Merrimack.
With all the juggling going on, even one of Maine's top-line players wonders what's in store for the weekend.
"I'm not sure if our line's even going to stay together," said Brian Flynn, who usually plays the left wing on a line with Tanner House and Gustav Nyquist, but who skated on a line in today's practice with Chris Hahn and Kevin Swallow. "We've been mixing up guys all season, trying to set lines to come down the home stretch. We're struggling to find a couple scoring lines so far. I'm sure lines are going to be juggled today, and hopefully this weekend we'll find some combinations that are going to work for the rest of the season."
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On Tuesday, the Black Bears held a players-only meeting to address their recent winless stretch (0-3-1 in their last four games). Flynn hopes the meeting and the days following it will be cathartic for the Black Bears.
"After Florida and then those two tough losses, some guys might have been getting down on themselves," Flynn said. "I think today's practice is going to be big. Hopefully this team will start a better second half."
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A day after Providence College announced the signing of goalie Alex Beaudry, the freshman goalie made 19 saves in a 4-2 win over UMass-Lowell on Jan. 10, then made 39 saves in Providence's 4-2 upset Tuesday at No. 2 Boston University.
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If it was up to the Black Bears, it would be an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl. In an informal poll regarding this weekend's NFL playoffs, Whitehead, Danis-Pepin, Robby Dee and Jeff Dimmen all picked Pittsburgh to defeat Baltimore for the AFC title and Philadelphia to beat Arizona for the NFC title. Get your cheesesteaks and Primanti sandwiches ready.
Posted at 02:55 PM
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