ORONO - Vermont scored two goals in a span of less than two minutes to earn a 2-1 win over Maine on Friday at Alfond Arena.
However, Maine clinched the eighth and final berth in the Hockey East playoffs by virtue of Providence's 4-3 loss to Boston College in overtime. Maine has 17 points in the league standings, four ahead of Providence, but the Black Bears won the season series 2-0-1.
Jack Downing scored the game-winning goal with 4:29 left in the third, a minute and 40 seconds seconds after Justin Milo tied the game.
Tanner House scored at 3:37 of the third period for the Black Bears (12-18-4, 7-15-3 Hockey East). Dave Wilson made 23 saves for Maine, while Rob Madore made 20 saves for Vermont (19-8-5, 14-7-4).
Maine concludes the regular season with a two-game series at UMass-Lowell, which begins at 7 p.m. Friday at Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass.
***
How does a hockey team win two games after Christmas and still make the playoffs?
If you're the Maine hockey team, that's how.
After entering Christmas break at 10-5-1, the Black Bears went 2-13-3 in the second half of the season, including a nine-game winless stretch from Dec. 27 to Jan. 30. Even with that, the Black Bears are winless in six entering next weekend's series at UMass-Lowell, but earned a playoff berth by virtue of winning the season series from Providence, 2-0-1. Providence, in ninth place, lost 4-3 in overtime to Boston College and while only four points behind the Black Bears (17 points) in the Hockey East standings, Maine earned the playoff berth on a tie-breaker.
And it's safe to say that the early-season points - and winning series against Providence and Merrimack - played heavily into Maine's playoff berth.
About a month and a half ago, Maine and Providence tied 2-2 and after the game, Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said something kind of telling. While I can't remember the quote word-for-word, he said that the point the Black Bears earned that Sunday afternoon would be one that paid off down the line.
So in a way, Whitehead kind of called it. That one point was important for the Black Bears in the grand scheme … in a strange, roundabout way.
The disappointment of losing to Vermont, however, was palpable, even after Maine's four seniors - Matt Duffy, Chris Hahn, Jeff Marshall and Simon Danis-Pepin - spoke in a post-game ceremony.
ORONO - It's Senior Night here at the Alfond, where the Black Bears will recognize their four seniors - Simon Danis-Pepin, Jeff Marshall, Chris Hahn and Matt Duffy - in a pre-game and a post-game ceremony.
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said earlier this week that Duffy, from Windham, has become Maine's most improved player on the ice this season, while Danis-Pepin has overcome both the hockey and the language barrier in four years # consider that Danis-Pepin started college at 16 and won't be of legal age to drink (at least here in the U.S.) until April. Hahn has stood out as one of the school's top student-athletes and Marshall went from being a role player with limited ice time in his first two seasons to becoming one of Maine's two captains.
One common thread that Whitehead found in his four seniors was the strength of each individual's family support.
"That's the common denominator, the strength of their families," Whitehead said.
***
Tonight's starters:
Maine
Forward
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Kevin Swallow
Theo Andersson-Keif Orsini-Spencer Abbott
Lem Randall-Brett Carriere-Jeff Marshall
Defense
Will O'Neill-Matt Duffy
Josh Van Dyk-Simon Danis-Pepin
Mike Banwell-Jeff Dimmen
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Josh Seeley
Vermont
Peter Lenes-Dean Strong-Wahsontiio Stacey
Viktor Stalberg-Brian Roloff-Justin Milo
Colin Vock-Brayden Irwin-Corey Carlos
Jack Downing-Jonathan Higgins-Chris Atkinson
Defense
Patrick Cullity-Kevan Miller
Kyle Medvec-Josh Burrows
Dan Lawson-Lance Herrington
Goalies
Rob Madore
Mike Spillane
John Vazzano
Scratches for Maine: Defense: Ryan Hegarty (fractured vertebra); Forward: Kyle Solomon (ACL sprain), Nick Payson (suspension), Glenn Belmore, David de Kastrozza.
Of note: Maine keeps its lineup from last night intact. Meanwhile, the Catamounts did some juggling for tonight's game. Viktor Stalberg and Brian Roloff are on the second line while Peter Lenes and Dean Strong are on Vermont's top line.
Stalberg, who entered the weekend as Hockey East's top goal-scorer, and Roloff are typically Vermont's top-line players.
Maine has also received verbal commitments from Matt McNeely, a goalie from St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minn., and Kyle Beattie, a forward from the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs. McNeely is expected to join the Black Bears in 2011, while Beattie is expected to join the Black Bears in 2010.
The NCAA prohibits college coaches from discussing recruits before they have signed a National Letter of Intent. The spring signing period for ice hockey begins in April.
ORONO - Dan Lawson's power-play goal less than four minutes into the third period helped Vermont to a 3-2 win Friday over Maine.
Maine led 2-1 midway through the second period on Matt Duffy's power-play goal, but Vermont tied the game less than three minutes later, and Lawson gave the Catamounts a 3-2 lead early in the third.
Scott Darling made 23 saves for Maine, while Rob Madore made 30 for Vermont, including a critical save on Tanner House with eight seconds left in the game.
Robby Dee also scored for Maine. The Black Bears (12-17-4, 7-14-3 Hockey East) and Vermont (18-8-5, 13-7-4) conclude the season series at 7 p.m. Saturday at Alfond Arena.
***
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead believed the faceoff factor was a critical point in the game. Vermont won 34 of the 59 faceoffs in the game, Dean Strong going 11 for 17 and Jonathan Higgins 10 for 12.
Tanner House led Maine, winning 11 of 18 faceoffs.
"For the most part we played pretty smart," Whitehead said. "But I thought they killed us on faceoffs."
***
Maine was penalized six times, including two against Keif Orsini. Vermont, which entered the game with an anemic power play (26 for 150, .173 percentage), finished 2 for 5 on the man-advantage.
"For us to score two power-play goals … finally," Vermont Coach Kevin Sneddon said. "That was a monkey off our backs. We were really struggling. We just rolled all our lines."
Another one for the numbers - six of Vermont's past 11 games have been decided by a goal.
***
Merrimack, in 10th place in Hockey East, was officially eliminated from playoff contention Friday after a 4-3 loss at New Hampshire. While the Warriors have 11 points, six behind Maine, with three games remaining, Maine took the season series from Merrimack (2-0-1). Ninth-place Providence lost 5-1 at Boston College, and is four points behind Maine with three games remaining. Maine also took the season series from Providence (2-0-1).
ORONO - If you want any more of a sense of a playoff hockey vibe, just look at Simon Danis-Pepin.
Maine's senior defenseman was sporting a new look earlier this week - some whiskers, to be precise. It's traditionally a rite of spring in the NHL to sport the playoff beard, but right now it's a turning into a rite of late February for the Black Bears, who are in eighth place entering tonight's game against Vermont.
Yep, it's a playoff race.
With 17 points, Maine is only four points ahead of ninth-place Providence and four points behind Boston College and Massachusetts (both tied for sixth), entering tonight's games, with four games left in the season. That's enough hockey for any team to solidify playoff positioning. Which is what Vermont is trying to do in their final four games, but for a different purpose - the Catamounts, a top-10 team, are vying for home ice. Maine is just trying to stay in the top eight.
***
With Ryan Hegarty out for the remainder of the season, Will O'Neill has been moved back to defense, where he is paired with Matt Duffy for tonight's game. Centering Maine's third line is Keif Orsini.
Starters:
MAINE
Forward
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Kevin Swallow
Theo Andersson-Keif Orsini-Spencer Abbott
Lem Randall-Brett Carriere-Jeff Marshall
Defense
Will O'Neill-Matt Duffy
Josh Van Dyk-Simon Danis-Pepin
Mike Banwell-Jeff Dimmen
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Josh Seeley
Scratches for Maine: Defense: Ryan Hegarty (fractured vertebra); Forward: Kyle Solomon (ACL sprain), Nick Payson (suspension), Glenn Belmore, David de Kastrozza.
VERMONT
Forwards
Viktor Stalberg-Brian Roloff-Wahsontiio Stacey
Colin Vock-Brayden Irwin-Corey Carlson
Justin Milo-Dean Strong-Peter Lenes
Jack Downing-Jonathan Higgins-Chris Atkinson
Defense
Patrick Cullity-Kevan Miller
Kyle Medvec-Josh Burrows
Dan Lawson-Lance Herrington
Goalies
Rob Madore
Mike Spillane
John Vazzano
***
Just a couple cosmetic things I noticed. First, the student section is a bit sparse, as it's the start of spring break at Maine. Second, I noticed that Vermont goalie Rob Madore is wearing yellow pads, a yellow blocker and a yellow glove. Very Marc-Andre Fleury ... the Pittsburgh Penguins goalie who ditched the equipment last season, at the advice of an Ottawa optometrist. Yellow, the doctor explained, is a color easily distinguished by the human eye. Translation: With sun-colored pads, Fleury was too much of a target for opposing shooters.
Think about it. Don't you almost instinctively slow down whenever you see a school bus?
It's been more than three months since Maine and Vermont last met - Vermont defeated Maine 3-2 on Nov. 29 in Burlington - but Catamounts Coach Kevin Sneddon said earlier this week that by now, there's plenty of familiarity within the league, which helps when Maine and Vermont open a two-game series Friday at Alfond Arena.
"We do a video exchange, it's a mandatory league agreement," Sneddon said, noting that Vermont is reviewing a copy of Maine's 2-2 tie with Boston University from two weekends ago. "But at this point in the year, there aren't many secrets. You know the tendencies of each team. You follow games on television or watch the video you collect."
***
Saturday will be Senior Night at Alfond Arena, and the Black Bears will honor their four seniors, Jeff Marshall, Simon Danis-Pepin, Matt Duffy and Chris Hahn, as well as team manager Robbie Hayes. Yesterday, Marshall spoke candidly - and a bit wistfully, and with a few laughs - about his hopes for life after college.
"I've got three things in mind," he said. "Win the lottery. Maybe play in the minor leagues. Or I'll wander the globe and be a little bit of a nomad."
All that with a college degree, to boot, as Marshall is a resource and agribusiness management major. If my husband and I ever inherit a farm, I'll ask for Marshall's advice.
***
It's tough being James van Riemsdyk. The Philadelphia Flyers hold the rights to van Riemsdyk, a sophomore forward at New Hampshire, and last week, TSN.ca put van Riemsdyk in a list of 10 trade possibilities. Van Riemsdyk told the Concord Monitor that he's not dwelling too much on the possibility of not being a Flyer.
"I wouldn't say I'm following it, maybe by default because people are sending me messages about it and asking me about it every day," the University of New Hampshire sophomore said yesterday. "You can't really help but know what's going on. Obviously I know what some of the possibilities are out there, but you never know. Usually the stuff that you hear about is the stuff that never happens."
***
On a side note, it is a sad day in journalism as the Rocky Mountain News in Denver announced today that it's publishing its final edition at the end of the week. I worked in Fort Collins, Colo., for three years before joining the staff at the Press Herald in 2004, and I not only read the Rocky daily but I consider several RMN staffers to be good journalists and good people. Scott Stocker, Tracy Ringolsby, Gerry Valerio and Paul Willis are in my thoughts as I go to work this weekend. Thank you, guys, for everything you've done.
Maine defenseman Ryan Hegarty is finished for the season. Hegarty suffered a fractured T1 vertebra (a fractured bone in the neck) Monday during practice, when he went awkwardly into the boards while trying to check a teammate. Hegarty met with a neurosurgeon today, and Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said that while the injury is season-ending, it is not career-ending. Hegarty will need 4-6 weeks to recover from the injury.
Also, forward Kyle Solomon will miss this weekend's game after spraining an ACL.
With Hegarty out, there's some tinkering going on with the defense. At practice this afternoon at Alfond Arena, Mike Banwell skated with Simon Danis-Pepin, while Matt Duffy skated with Will O'Neill. Josh Van Dyk skated with Jeff Dimmen.
***
Four games remain in the regular season for Hockey East, but there's definitely a stronger vibe in the air, given that all 10 teams are fighting for something, whether it's home-ice advantage or even just a spot among the top eight teams in the league's standings.
Massachusetts clinched a playoff berth with last weekend's sweep of Maine, and that leaves the Black Bears alone in eighth place entering this weekend's two-game series against Vermont.
Maine currently has 17 points, four points ahead of Providence and six points ahead of Merrimack.
"It's extremely competitive for spots," Whitehead said. "There's so much up for grabs. I've got the expectation that next weekend will be just as exciting as this weekend."
Maine's opponent, Vermont, meanwhile, is trying to get home ice for the playoffs. The Catamounts are currently tied for third with New Hampshire, both with 28 points entering the weekend.
"The games are much more intense now," Vermont Coach Kevin Sneddon said. "Teams are jockeying for position. Each game takes on a significant meaning, not just for the teams that are playing but for their impact on the standings."
What does Maine have to do now?
"Win," forward Jeff Marshall said. "That's the bottom line. We have to do what it takes to put ourselves in a position not to be caught."
***
While senior night is Saturday, there's one glaring absence from the occasion - former Maine goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop left the Black Bears after last season to go pro with the St. Louis Blues, but Whitehead said Wednesday that Bishop has continued his coursework at Maine and as of right now is on schedule to graduate in May.
***
So I'm finally getting around to blogging about faceoffs, a mere two days after the faceoff story ran in the Press Herald.One would tend to lose sight of the importance faceoffs play in the sport, especially given that some of the sport's biggest moments have come as a result of a faceoff.
Now I'm a little biased here, but when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1992, Game 1 - a 5-4 win over Chicago - was ultimately decided because of the outcome of a faceoff, as Ron Francis won possession of the puck against Chicago's Brent Sutter. Let's go to the videotape …
(I apologize about the early 1990s clothing and hairstyles in the footage.)
Maine defenseman Ryan Hegarty will not play in this weekend's series against Vermont. Hegarty was injured Monday in practice as he attempted to check another player and went into the boards awkwardly. Maine Coach Tim Whitehead did not discuss the extent of Hegarty's injury but said Tuesday evening that Hegarty is scheduled to be examined by doctors tomorrow morning.
Hegarty, a freshman from Arlington, Mass., has three assists in 24 games.
Tortorella's brother, Jim, is the head hockey coach at Colby College in Waterville. He also played hockey at Maine, from 1977 to 1981.
Jim Tortorella explained that the likelihood of a coach losing his job, especially at the NHL level, is almost inevitable. Then again, so is the likelihood of a proven coach getting another job. Keep in mind that John Tortorella has a Stanley Cup ring from 2004.
"Him getting back in, he proved himself to a point where I felt he was going to get back in," Jim Tortorella said. "The opportunity had to present itself at the right time. Teams tend to recycle coaches within the league, and his style is certainly a style that has to be with the right organization."
Since he was fired from Tampa Bay in the spring, John Tortorella has been commuting between Florida and Canada, where he has served as a studio analyst with TSN, Canada's answer to ESPN.
But Tortorella ran his first practice with the Rangers this morning, and New York faces Toronto on Thursday at the Air Canada Center in Toronto. The Rangers are currently tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings (with Montreal) but are 2-5-3 in their last four games.
John Tortorella is well-known for his intensity and his demanding style of coaching, something that his brother believes could benefit the Rangers, who, right now, might be one of the Eastern Conference's bubble teams when it comes to the postseason.
"Some people commented, 'is John the right fit with 21 games left in the regular season?' " Jim Tortorella said. "The Rangers want to make the playoffs, and I don't think John would have gone there if it was just a 21-game situation. He's got long-term plans. John can bring in accountability, to have them reflect and ask, did they do their best, did they compete? That could bode well in a 21-game situation, in the stretch run."
***
Another former Black Bear returned to the NHL - goalie Jimmy Howard, who was called up to the Red Wings over the weekend. Howard's stay with the Wings was short. Detroit returned him to Grand Rapids, it's AHL affiliate, a day after Howard made 24 saves in a 5-2 loss Saturday at Minnesota.
"It definitely didn't go as planned, as I played it out in my head," Howard told the Detroit Free Press. "But I mean I'm still going to take some good things out of this game. I wish I could have done more with the opportunity that I received here, but I still believe in myself and I still think that I'm going to be an NHL goalie one day."
Howard is Maine's career shutout leader with 15 in three seasons.
ORONO - For some teams, size does matter. In particular, the size of the rink they're playing hockey in.
Massachusetts, Maine's opponent this weekend, is one of a handful of Hockey East teams that play on an Olympic-sized rink - the Minutemen play home games on a 200-foot by 95-foot surface at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass., as opposed to Maine's 200-by-85 rink at Alfond Arena. The international game is played on rink that's 200 feet by roughly 100 feet (98.42 feet in width, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation).
A few more feet of ice surface can cause a few more problems for a team's strategy. Maine found this out two weeks ago at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H., one of Hockey East's Olympic-sized rinks. This weekend, UMass will use the larger rink to their advantage by using their team speed to cover the surface.
"You have to stay inside the dots (the faceoff circles) and force wide-angle shots," Maine defenseman Matt Duffy said of playing on a larger ice sheet.
"The biggest thing is puck possession," Maine forward Chris Hahn said. "You have to be careful with what you do with the puck. You have to have guys supporting you all the time. It's a lot tougher to get in on the forecheck."
***
There's no mincing words when it comes to the importance of this weekend's series. Maine and UMass are tied for seventh place in Hockey East with 17 points, five points ahead of Providence (12 points). The top eight teams in the 10-team Hockey East Conference qualify for the playoffs, which begin March. 13.
"This is a huge weekend for both teams," Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said. "We were fortunate to be one goal better than them two weeks ago (a 2-1 win Feb. 1) at our rink. Now we've got two games with them."
ORONO - Dave Wilson made 34 saves, including seven in overtime, as Maine salvaged a 2-2 tie with No. 1 Boston University.
Gustav Nyquist and Jeff Marshall scored for Maine (12-14-4, 7-11-3 Hockey East), while John McCarthy and Nick Bonino scored for BU.
The Terriers (23-5-2, 14-5-2) rallied from a two-goal deficit and tied the game on Bonino's goal with less than five minutes left in the third.
Grant Rollheiser, making his first start in more than a month, finished with 19 saves for the Terriers.
***
Free candy, anyone? To steal a line from Jarkko Ruutu, that's what it seemed like Jeff Marshall was doling out when it came to Maine setting a physical tone in Saturday's game.
Marshall, who scored a goal in the tie with BU, played right wing on the fourth line with Kyle Solomon and Keif Orsini, and Marshall was hitting from the start.
"It was absolutely critical that we got out to a good start tonight," Marshall said. "We knew we had to come out and really, physically, be a big presence out there. The first four or five shifts they couldn't get (the puck) out of their end. We, basically, kept them from doing anything to get the puck out of their own end."
Maine does not keep statistics for the number of hits each player has in a game.
Ruutu (now with Ottawa) coined the term "free candy" during the 2008 NHL playoffs, when discussing then-Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Brooks Orpik and his penchant for physical play.
***
Brett Carriere moved from forward to defense after Maine was hit with two suspensions as a result of Friday's game, when Jeff Dimmen and Will O'Neill each had to sit out Saturday's game after receiving game disqualifications.
"It's a bit of adversity when you've got not just two d-men but two highly skilled guys gone," Marshall said. "But the guys filled in fantastically. Keif Orsini came in and did a great job, de Kastrozza the same thing. Brett Carriere, stepping back on defense for the first time in a year, he just kept things simple and really, was able to stay calm and do the little things right back there."
Carriere, by the way, is Marshall's roommate.
***
Gustav Nyquist scored his first goal since Dec. 13, when he scored two goals in a 5-1 win over Union.
***
The Maine student section, in the upper deck of the north end of Alfond Arena, greeted BU forward Brandon Yip with a cheer, screaming the senior's name repeatedly. Who can blame them? It's a phonetically fun name. But if it was my generation (and I won't give away my age), the cheers probably would have been something like this, thanks to "Sesame Street" :
ORONO - Mike Banwell will play tonight for the University of Maine men's hockey team, after a mistake was made on the official box score from last night's 7-2 loss to No. 1 Boston University. Banwell was given a game misconduct after receiving a spearing penalty halfway through the third period. The penalty was announced as a game disqualification and was recorded on the official score sheet as a game disqualification.
But according to Peter Souris, Hockey East's director of public relations, a spearing penalty no longer results in a game disqualification.
"It was, all along, a game misconduct," Souris said. "It was announced incorrectly and awarded incorrectly, and it was in the box score incorrectly. But that wasn't caught until (Saturday) morning."
A game disqualification results in a one-game automatic suspension in college hockey, but a game misconduct does not.
Still gone for Maine, however, are forward/defenseman Will O'Neill and defenseman Jeff Dimmen, who received game disqualifications last night. O'Neill has centered Maine's third line in the past four games, and will be replaced by David de Kastrozza, who has played in 14 games this season.
Brett Carriere, who centered Maine's fourth line for the past four games, moves back to defense to fill in for Dimmen. Carriere will team with Banwell, while Keif Orsini will play at fourth-line center. Orsini was cleared to play after recovering from a concussion.
***
Defenseman Matt Duffy and forward Chris Hahn have been named alternate captains for the Black Bears, effective this weekend. Both have the letter "A" stitched to their sweaters tonight.
***
Speaking of sweaters ... Maine is honoring the military tonight by wearing black jerseys with powder blue numbers on the back and black socks.
***
Lineups for tonight:
Maine
Forwards
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Spencer Abbott
Nick Payson-David de Kastrozza-Lem Randall
Kyle Solomon-Keif Orsini-Jeff Marshall
Defense
Ryan Hegarty-Matt Duffy
Josh Van Dyk-Simon Danis-Pepin
Mike Banwell-Brett Carriere
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Josh Seeley
Boston University
Forwards
Chris Higgins-Colin Wilson-Jason Lawrence
John McCarthy-Nick Bonino-Brandon Yip
Andrew Glass-Chris Connolly-Vinny Saponari
Zach Cohen-Luke Popko-Kevin Gilroy
Defense
Steve Smolinsky-Matt Gilroy
Colby Cohen-Kevin Shattenkirk
David Warsofsky-Eric Gryba
ORONO - Colin Wilson scored three goals and Jason Lawrence added two as No. 1 Boston University defeated Maine 7-2 Friday at Alfond Arena.
Wilson scored 16 seconds into the game, then scored 11 seconds into the second period. Wilson scored his third goal 1:20 into the third for the Terriers (23-5-1, 14-5-1 Hockey East), who have won nine straight.
Spencer Abbott and Will O'Neill scored power-play goals for Maine (12-14-3, 7-11-2).
Scott Darling made two saves before being relieved by Dave Wilson (12 saves) after Colin Wilson's second goal.
Maine and BU complete the season series at 7 tonight at Alfond Arena.
***
While fighting is strictly verboten in college hockey, the Black Bears and the Terriers came close to breaking that cardinal rule in the third period of Friday's game.
27 penalties were called in the third period, 17 against BU. Three Black Bears and one Terrier received game disqualifications, leaving a few empty spaces on either bench and filling the penalty boxes to maximum capacity.
Maine's Will O'Neill, Jeff Dimmen and Mike Banwell each received a game disqualifications for three separate incidents, leaving Maine without three of its full-time players for tomorrow's game. A game disqualification results in an automatic one-game suspension in Hockey East.
BU's Brian Strait also received a game misconduct.
***
To steal a line from ESPN's Stuart Scott of yesteryear …
Dave Wilson got a little freaky with the leather.
Wilson, who replaced starting goalie Scott Darling 11 seconds into the second period, made five of his 12 saves on BU's second power play of the game, which came after Matt Duffy was penalized for holding the stick at 5:54.
Wilson robbed BU defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk of a sure goal, making a swift glove save on the sophomore's shot through traffic from the left circle.
***
Minus-10
Minus-11
Minus-12
Minus-14
Ugly numbers, right? In sequence, those were the plus-minus ratings of Spencer Abbott, Ryan Hegarty, Josh Van Dyk and Simon Danis-Pepin entering tonight's game.
You're probably wondering what this plus-minus thing is. Essentially, it's an indicator of how many times a player is on the ice when either an even-strength or shorthanded goal their team scores (a plus), or how many times a player is on the ice when either an even-strength or shorthanded goal the opponent scores (a minus).
"While it's not a definitive gauge in assessing a player's performance, it is somewhat a reflection of their play."
Consider this. Entering Friday's game, Boston University had six players in double-digits in plus-minus. Specifically in the plus category:
Colin Wilson - plus-10
Nick Bonino - plus-12
Kevin Shattenkirk - plus-14
Matt Gilroy - plus-10
David Warsofsky - plus-16
Eric Gryba - plus-11
Maine had nine players finish at minus-2 in the loss to BU. Jason Lawrence led BU with a plus-4.
***
If you want to cast a vote of no-confidence, leave early. That's what many of the fans at Alfond Arena did after Shattenkirk scored BU's seventh goal with 7:15 left in the game.
ORONO - The University of Maine men's hockey team faces the No. 1 team in the country in Boston University. Enough said? Not quite. Consider this # while the Terriers are the No. 1 team in the country in both national polls, they're No. 2 in Hockey East, two points behind Northeastern, the No. 2 team in the USA Today/USA Hockey top 15 poll. (Northeastern is the No. 3 team in the country in the USCHO.com poll, behind BU and Notre Dame.)
It seems as if BU and Maine are going in different directions. Not necessarily up and down. BU has won its past eight games, while Maine is 2-5-1 in that same stretch (but has won two of the past three games, including Saturday's 1-0 win at No. 12 UNH).
Maine's got a different look tonight at the Alfond. The Black Bears will wear their dark blue uniforms, traditionally worn on the road, while BU will wear its white uniforms. So much for the candy canes.
Starting lineups
MAINE
Forward
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Spencer Abbott
Nick Payson-Will O'Neill-Lem Randall
Kyle Solomon-Brett Carriere-Jeff Marshall
Defense
Ryan Hegarty-Matt Duffy
Mike Banwell-Simon Danis-Pepin
Josh Van Dyk-Jeff Dimmen
Goalie
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Josh Seeley
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Forward
Chris Higgins-Colin Wilson-Jason Lawrence
John McCarthy-Nick Bonino-Brandon Yip
Chris Connolly-Corey Trivino-Vinny Saponari
Zach Cohen-Luke Popko-Kevin Gilroy
Defense
Brian Strait-Matt Gilroy
Colby Cohen-Kevin Shattenkirk
David Warsofsky-Eric Gryba
Goalie
Kieran Millan
Adam Kraus
Grant Rollheiser
Of note: Carriere seems to have won the fourth-line center job. This will be the third consecutive game he's started at that spot, and he made his case for it last Saturday with a solid performance against UNH, contributing both offensively and defensively. Danis-Pepin continues to play despite being plagued by back problems. O'Neill is at forward for the fourth straight game, but is still pivotal on the point in Maine's power play.
Maine forward Gustav Nyquist was cleared to play in this weekend's series against No. 1 Boston Univeristy.
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said Nyquist received medical clearance this morning, less than a week after injuring his neck in last Friday's 4-1 loss at New Hampshire. While there was some lingering stiffness in his neck throughout the week, Nyquist skated yesterday in practice.
Nyquist is Maine's leading scorer with nine goals and 11 assists.
***
BU is fresh off its Beanpot win Monday over Northeastern, and freshman goalie Kieran Millan made 23 saves in the 5-2 win over the Huskies. Millan is 18-1-1 this season for the Terriers.
"He's steadied the goaltending and then some," BU Coach Jack Parker said of Millan, a native of Edmonton, Alberta. "This year it's been a big plus for our club, whether it was Kieran or Grant going early, and Kieran took over the spot and ran with it. He's cool, calm and collected. What he's done is that he's stopped pucks and he's made us a little less jumpy. He's almost made everyone else much more calm out there."
Millan leads Hockey East with a 1.65 goals-against average, ahead of two more freshmen - Maine's Scott Darling (2.07) and Vermont's Rob Madore (2.08).
***
Whitehead gave one key to this weekend's series - Maine needs a strong start in order to remain competitive.
"We have to compete harder than we did down at their rink," Whitehead said. "We didn't compete hard, shift in and shift out. (BU) had a good game and deserved to win, but we didn't put our best foot forward. We weren't physical and we didn't win the loose pucks."
BU is a team that will capitalize on the opposition's mistakes, and a team that will pounce on turnovers.
***
With Nyquist back for this weekend's series against Boston University, the Black Bears are relatively healthy entering these two games. While nothing catastrophic has happened to the Black Bears (yet - let's revisit those words after the weekend), here's the question - is the lack of major wear-and-tear a sign of solid preservation, or a sign of not putting enough on the line?
ORONO - There's a reason Boston University is the No. 1 team in college hockey.
There are a few reasons, actually. Maine knows about a few of those reasons, and recited them two days before the Black Bears open a two-game series against the Terriers at Alfond Arena.
"They have offensive threats on every line," Maine goalie Scott Darling said. "There's no one player you can focus on."
The Terriers (22-5-1, 13-5-1 Hockey East) lead the league in scoring (3.82 goals a game), in defense (1.96 goals a game), power play (24.4 percent, 39 for 160)
"They're really talented at all three positions," Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said. "They have two strong goalies (Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser) and a great defensive corps. They have a lot of weapons up front. As a whole they have good team speed and skill, have five or six seniors who are solid contributors and have good balance in all classes."
Would it be amiss to tag BU the 31st NHL team? After all, 13 of BU's 27 players have their rights held by NHL teams - including senior forward Colin Wilson (Nashville), whose father, Carey, played in the NHL for 10 seasons.
***
Gustav Nyquist's status for this weekend remains uncertain. Nyquist, a freshman forward and Maine's leading scorer (nine goals, 11 assists) suffered a neck injury in Friday's 4-1 loss at No. 12 New Hampshire and as of Wednesday, had not been cleared to to play this weekend against BU.
Nyquist practiced Wednesday at Alfond Arena but was wearing an orange jersey - donned by injured players.
Sophomore forward Keif Orsini was scratched from last weekend's series, hampered by both an illness and a concussion.
Defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin, who missed three games earlier this season after spraining his left ankle, is still suffering the after-effects of what Whitehead called a "lower body injury."
Will O'Neill will continue to play at forward for this weekend's series.
During this morning's Hockey East coaches teleconference, Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said that the status of freshman forward Gustav Nyquist is still up in the air for this weekend's series against No. 1 Boston University.
Nyquist suffered a neck injury in a collison with UNH's Kevin Kapstad on Friday.
"Right now he's not cleared to practice or to play," Whitehead said. "We'll take it day by day. We're hoping he's cleared for this weekend, but if not, we'll shoot for next weekend."
***
Maine's Scott Darling is the second Black Bear goalie in two weeks to earn Hockey East honors. Darling, a freshman, was named Hockey East's Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week after making 31 saves in a 1-0 shutout Saturday at No. 11 New Hampshire. This is the third time this season Darling has earned the honor.
There was a Maine connection in Ohio State's 4-1 upset Sunday of then-No. 2 Notre Dame. Zach Pelletier, a senior forward for the No. 16 Buckeyes, is a native of Central Maine who played for Norm Gagne at Waterville.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, is No. 2 in this week's USCHO.com poll and No. 3 in the USA Today poll.
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Scott Darling made 31 saves in his first start in two weeks, helping the University of Maine men's ice hockey team upset No. 11 New Hampshire 1-0 Saturday at Verizon Wireless Arena.
Maine forward Chris Hahn scored the only goal of the game 42 seconds into the second period, a shorthanded tally with Jeff Dimmen penalized for crosschecking.
UNH goalie Brian Foster made 22 saves.
Maine (12-13-3, 7-9-2) hosts No. 1 Boston University on Friday and Saturday at Alfond Arena in Orono.
***
The fish never went flying.
Saturday at Verizon Wireless Arena, the time-honored tradition at New Hampshire, in which a fan throws a fish onto the ice after the Wildcats' first goal, never took place, as Darling shut out the Wildcats.
Darling said that during his time on the bench, he took to watching other goalies. He watched teammate Dave Wilson. He watched UNH goalie Brian Foster. He watched UMass' Paul Dainton. And he said that it was a good experience, after all, to take some time to reflect.
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead believed that Darling, who made 31 saves for his third shutout, handled the reassignment well.
"David made a save against UMass late in the game and Scott was jumping up and cheering for him," Whitehead said.
I wonder what happens to that fish. I asked around and nobody could give me an answer. If you're the lucky person with the fish and happen to be reading this, I've got a good recipe for grilled fish steaks.
***
The Wildcats still generated scoring chances without leading scorer James van Riemsdyk, who sat out after suffering an injury to his right shoulder Friday. After the game, van Riemsdyk said it was an apparent injury to his clavicle, but didn't know the extent of the injury.
Maine was without forward and leading scorer Gustav Nyquist, who had stiffness in his neck after being hit early in Friday's game. Whitehead said that doctors will evaluate forward Nyquist on Sunday after the Black Bears return to Orono. Whitehead said no timetable has been set for Nyquist's return yet.
MANCHESTER, N.H. - This is going to be quick, after trying to navigate through a messy parking situation. Gustav Nyquist isn't playing tonight after suffering a neck injury last night, and taking his place on a line with Brian Flynn and Tanner House is Spencer Abbott.
Scott Darling will start in goal tonight for Maine, his first start since the Boston College series two weeks ago.
No. 11 New Hampshire will be without James van Riemsdyk, who had two points last night. He suffered an injury to his right shoulder late in last night's game and is not dressed for tonight.
Starters:
Maine
Forward
Flynn-House-Abbott
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Will O'Neill
Nick Payson-David de Kastrozza-Lem Randall
Theo Andersson-Brett Carriere-Kyle Solomon
Defense
Ryan Hegarty-Matt Duffy
Mike Banwell-Simon Danis-Pepin
Josh Van Dyk-Jeff Dimmen
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
UNH
Forwards
Greg Collins-Peter LeBlanc-Paul Thompson
Danny Dries-Phil DeSimone-Mike Sislo
Bobby Butler-Thomas Fortney-Steve Moses
Alan Thompson-Mike Borisenok-Kevin McCarey
Defense
Kevin Kapstad-Damon Kipp
Jamie Fritsch-Matt Campanale
Nick Krates-Blake Kessel
DURHAM, N.H. - James van Riemsdyk and Mike Sislo each had a goal and an assist as No. 11 New Hampshire defeated Maine 4-1 Friday at the Whittemore Center.
Maine (11-13-3, 6-10-2 Hockey East) spotted the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game, on goals by Danny Dries and Steve Moses, but cut the lead to 2-1 early in the second period on Matt Duffy's power-play goal.
Van Riemsdyk and Sislo each scored second-period goals, including van Riemsdyk's shorthanded tally at 5:07, to help seal the win for the Wildcats (13-8-4, 9-6-3).
Dave Wilson made 28 saves for Maine, while Brian Foster made 19 saves for UNH.
Maine and UNH conclude the season series at 7 p.m. Saturday at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.
***
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said it best - that his team was too tentative in the opening moments of Friday's loss. The Black Bears were too slow to create offense, too hesitant to commit on defense and unable to capitalize on special teams and on an Olympic-sized ice surface.
"They came out of the gate in the first period, and we left ourselves vulnerable," Whitehead said.
UNH took a 2-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game on goals by Danny Dries and Steve Moses, because the Black Bears weren't taking chances.
"UNH had some great chances early," Maine goalie Dave Wilson said. "They had some great counter sand we came out tentative. That hurt us. They kept plugging away."
Maine had 10 shots on goal in the second and nine in the third - more than six times their first-period output of three shots on goal.
***
Tempers flared early in game, and late in the first period, and six of the game's 20 penalties were called in the final 3:37 of the first, including three against Maine. In the second, the Black Bears appeared to take advantage of the man-advantage and the extra ice surface (the Whittemore's ice surface is 200 x 100 feet, while most rinks are a regulation-sized 200 x 85), cutting the lead to 2-1 on Matt Duffy's power-play goal, but successive penalties against UNH - four in a row, Paul Thompson (hitting from behind at 2:10), Bobby Butler (hooking at 4:42), Danny Dries (high-sticking/contact to the head at 7:28) and Thompson again (contact to the head/roughing at 10:05) - still couldn't help Maine's cause.
"We took a bunch of penalties and that could have shot us in the foot," James van Riemsdyk said. "We've got to keep things simple and play smart out there."
***
Held to one point in January after he returned from the World Junior Championships, van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist in the win. Van Riemsdyk, whose rights are held by the Philadelphia Flyers, scored a shorthanded goal that gave UNH a 3-1 lead at 5:07 of the second, and assisted on Mike Sislo's goal at 16:04 of the third.
DURHAM, N.H. - It's a "Whiteout at the Whit." About 90 minutes before tonight's game between Maine and No. 11 New Hampshire, the doors opened and students, clad in white shirts, raced in to grab seats and Thunderstix. It's already loud here in the Whittemore Center.
Dave Wilson's No. 1. For now. The junior goalie, whom you probably read about today, will be tonight's starter against UNH.
Now as for New Hampshire, they'll be not only without Joe Charlebois but also forward Jerry Pollastrone, who suffered a shoulder separation last weekend against No. 7 Vermont.
Of note: UNH forward James van Riemsdyk is looking to bust out of a slump. In January, van Riemsdyk scored only one point since returning from the World Junior Championships. Still, he leads the Wildcats with nine goals and 18 assists, and is fourth in Hockey East in points.
***
Craig Janney probably doesn't like to admit it, but he's part of the media now. Janney, a former Boston College and NHL standout, is doing color commentary for NESN, teaming with Tom Caron for tonight's broadcast of Maine at UNH.
"But," he said, "you realize that everyone's got a job to do."
Janney is in his third week on the job with NESN and said the biggest challenge in his new capacity is the lack of familiarity he has with the college level of the game, particularly putting names with players.
"Even knowing the main players on the team is a challenge, but some of the assistant coaches have been great in helping me," Janney said. "They've been fountains of information."
To get some insight, Janney relies on a network of former NHL players and teammates.
"I can call people up and ask about certain players," Janney said. "The connections I have are guys I played with professionally. It's great that I can pick up the phone and ask, 'what's going on, what are your systems, which one is your checking line?' It surprises me how helpful they are."
One of those connections is Maine assistant coach Bob Corkum, a former teammate of Janney's with the Phoenix Coyotes.
***
Starting lineups for tonight:
Maine
Forwards
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Spencer Abbott
Nick Payson-Will O'Neill-Kyle Solomon
Glenn Belmore-Brett Carriere-Jeff Marshall
Defense
Ryan Hegarty-Matt Duffy
Mike Banwell-Simon Danis-Pepin
Josh Van Dyk-Jeff Dimmen
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Scratches for Maine: Keif Orsini (illness), Lem Randall (illness), Theo Andersson, Mark Nemec, David de Kastrozza.
O'Neill is starting his second game at center, but will likely continue to work on the point on Maine's power play.
UNH
Forwards
Greg Colins-Peter LeBlanc-Paul Thompson
James van Riemsdyk-Phil DeSimone-Mike Sislo
Danny Dries-Thomas Fortney-Bobby Butler
Alan Thompson-Mike Borisenok-Steve Moses
Defense
Kevin Kapstad-Mike Beck
Jamie Fritsch-Matt Campanale
Nick Krates-Blake Kessel
Brendan Walsh, who played at the University of Maine from 1998 to 2000, is part of NESN's Hockey East broadcast team, joining Bob Beers (another former Maine player) as a studio analyst. Both will work Friday's Maine-New Hampshire game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on NESN.
Television is strictly moonlighting for the effervescent Walsh - he makes a living as a police officer in Boston.
"I had a family that was in civil service, for me the ability to go in, it appealed to me because I was a neighborhood kid and I grew up in Dorchester and had a lot of friends who were police officers," Walsh said. "It was an added bonus for me to make a living and pursue a career that could take me in any direction. Media relations, drug officer, SWAT team, there's all different types of things you can do. Also, by doing this, I knew I could get back into the game."
Walsh had a five-year pro hockey career and was on Greg Cronin's coaching staff at Northeastern before joining the Boston police force in 2007. Walsh still skates on Sundays, hosting neighborhood hockey clinics in South Boston.
Walsh got some practice in multitasking during his days in Orono. One season he interned at Channel 7 in Bangor, and recalls leaving campus after Friday night hockey games to help the crew prepare for the 11 p.m. broadcasts.
"It was kind of strange calling the goals I scored," Walsh said, laughing.
***
Will O'Neill hasn't been a full-time forward in years. But the Maine freshman got some serious on-the-job training Sunday when he centered the Black Bears' third line with Kyle Solomon and Nick Payson.
"I've played hockey my whole life and it's a different position, but you're still playing hockey," said O'Neill, who began the season as a defenseman but sat out the two games prior to Sunday as a healthy scratch. "You adjust and you learn as you got. It's the same basics, but it's a different position.
"I tried to do my best there, I tried to work hard and do things simple, and hopefully be of a value to the team."
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said Wednesday that O'Neill will play this weekend - he's just not sure where.
***
Hockey is supposed to be played in just about anything, right? But if you're on the hockey team at St. Cloud State, you might be on volcano alert this weekend.
Maine goalie Dave Wilson was named Hockey East's Pure Hockey defensive player of the week.
Wilson, a junior who has started four of Maine's past five games, made 35 saves in a 3-2 loss Friday to UMass-Lowell, then made 21 saves Sunday in Maine's 2-1 win over Massachusetts.
Wilson finished the weekend with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .935 saves percentage. On the season, Wilson is 3-5 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .904 saves percentage.
***
There's a new No. 1 in college hockey ... and it's Boston University, arguably one of the most loaded teams in college hockey.
ORONO - Jeff Dimmen's goal with 26.5 seconds left in regulation gave the Maine ice hockey team a 2-1 win over Massachusetts on Sunday at Alfond Arena.
Maine snapped a nine-game winless streak and earned its first win since Dec. 13, and its first Hockey East win since Dec. 7.
Dave Wilson made 28 saves for Maine (11-12-3, 6-9-2 Hockey East), including a glove save with 5.1 seconds left to preserve the win. Matt Duffy also scored for the Black Bears.
Casey Wellman scored for Massachusetts (11-12-3, 6-8-3), while goalie Paul Dainton made 19 saves.
***
Call it a Super Sunday for Jeff Dimmen. Moments after he scored Maine's game-winning goal in a nationally broadcast game on ESPNU, the sophomore defenseman got some national air time, as he was interviewed post-game by the ESPNU crew. (Imagine that phone conversation. "Hey Mom, I was just on ESPN …")
Dimmen, a sophomore defenseman, scored with 26.5 seconds left in the third period to give Maine its first win in more than seven weeks.
But did Dimmen see the puck go in the net? After the game, he admitted, "I was trying to get a good shot off. But really, I closed my eyes!"
***
After one game, the "Will O'Neill experiment" was deemed a relative success by Maine Coach Tim Whitehead. O'Neill, a freshman defenseman, was converted to a third-line center for Sunday's game against UMass. While he played at the point on the power play, O'Neill finished with four shots on goal and an assist on Matt Duffy's power-play goal 44 seconds into the game. O'Neill also went 4 for 12 on faceoffs.
"He's such a heart and soul player," Whitehead said of O'Neill. "He's good as a defenseman, he's actually good on the faceoffs and we'd practiced that with him, in hopes of giving him an opportunity … he really earned it."
Dimmen, who scored his fifth goal of the season, said it was a little unusual not seeing his usual defensive partner on the ice with him.
"It was different not having him as my (defensive) partner, but he played well," Dimmen said. "He did great as a forward and he really got into it in the forecheck and he made some stuff happen. He played well all over the ice."
Whitehead said no decision has been made yet as to whether or not O'Neill will continue to play at forward for next weekend's series at No. 13 New Hampshire.
***
Maine took one penalty in the third period - an interference penalty against O'Neill, who was called at 9:49 after he got tangled with Massachusetts goalie Paul Dainton, who was playing the puck behind the goal. The Black Bears also outshot the Minutemen 14-6 in the third.
"Those were the big things we talked about between periods," Whitehead said. "Discipline and gaining some territory, getting the puck deep and finally getting to the net-front on both ends. That was the most pleasant surprise of the game, our poise in the third period."
***
Three stars:
1. Jeff Dimmen, Maine
2. Dave Wilson, Maine
3. Casey Wellman, Massachusetts
ORONO - One point now separates Maine from eighth and ninth place in Hockey East.
By virtue of Providence's 5-3 win over Merrimack last night (a matchup that could be known to some as the Battle of the Basement), the Friars have 11 points in Hockey East; the Black Bears 12.
And entering today's game against Massachusetts (in seventh with 15 points), the Black Bears will need every point they can get in order to stay among Hockey East's top eight teams.
But you didn't need anyone to tell you that, did you?
***
Lineups for today:
Maine
Forwards
Brian Flynn-Tanner House-Gustav Nyquist
Robby Dee-Chris Hahn-Spencer Abbott
Nick Payson-Will O'Neill-Kyle Solomon
Jeff-Marshall-Brett Carriere-David de Kastrozza
Defense
Ryan Hegarty-Matt Duffy
Josh Van Dyk-Simon Danis-Pepin
Mike Banwell-Jeff Dimmen
Goalies
Dave Wilson
Scott Darling
Josh Seeley
Massachusetts
Forwards
Alex Berry-Cory Quirk-James Marcou
Case Langeraap-Jordan Virtue-Chris Davis
TJ Syner-Casey Wellman-Will Ortiz
Marc Concannon-Brett Watson-Scott Crowder
Defense
Martin Nolet-Justin Braun
Topher Bevis-John Wessbecker
Doug Kublin-Matt Irwin
Goalies
Paul Dainton
Dan Meyers
Notes: Jeff Marshall, whom you probably read about this morning, is at left wing on Maine's fourth line, with roommate Brett Carriere and David de Kastrozza.
Call it the Will O'Neill Experiment. O'Neill, a freshman defenseman for the Black Bears, has been moved to forward to today's game, centering Maine's checking line.
UMass is winless in five years at Alfond Arena. Also, UMass' power play has been struggling - 1 for 21 before Friday's win over Northeastern, in which the Minutemen went 2 for 2 on the power play.
Marcou leads the Minutemen with eight goals and 23 assists, second in Hockey East behind Boston University's Colin Wilson (nine goals, 23 assists).
***
Just a couple odds and ins from college hockey. Boston University Coach Jack Parker earned his 800th career win Friday, as the No. 2 Terriers defeated Merrimack 3-1.
Rachel is in her fifth year as a sports reporter at the Portland Press
Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. A former college soccer and softball player,
she covered sports at newspapers in Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado before
joining the Press Herald/Sunday Telegram staff in June of 2004.
Rachel takes over coverage of the University of Maine hockey team and was
introduced to Maine hockey as a seventh-grader in Annapolis, Maryland, after
reading a 1988 Sports Illustrated story about Shawn Walsh's impact on the
program. Nearly 20 years later, she still has the four-page article in her
possession.
She and her husband, Tommy (who also works for MaineToday Media, Inc.)
are avid sports fans who root for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh
Penguins and Kansas Jayhawks. After a year of marriage, their next step in
life is to find a bigger house!
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