>jean was also impressive in goal...he came up with some really great saves...i
> think it's gonna be a good season...and also it will be nice to prove we are
> better than #6

You really think he's better than the 3rd goalie?  He made some nice
saves, but left several rebounds out front, where he was fortunate
enough to have his team sweep them from harm's way.

As with Jon, I had a really good feeling about Jimmy Howard in goal ...
potential for another famous Maine goal-tending duo with Frank Doyle?

By the way, Jimmy was listed as 5'12" and 225 ... anyone know his real size?

I liked the forwards in that they seemed to playing team offence and
defence well for so early in the season ...  not that the passes were
right on, but they were looking for teammates.  I think this will be a
lower scoring team, at least in Hockey East play, but would love to be
wrong.

Among the new forwards, #36 stood out (#27 Jeff Mushaluk?) as did
long-shot Derek Damon, who seems bigger and stronger .. but maybe
because he scored a goal and almost a second.  Dustin Penner impressed
me only as being slow afoot, but maybe he's not yet in top shape ...  I
did seem to notice him just at the end of shifts.

If you like to watch the defence, as I do, I think you'll really like
this year's team.  Prestin Ryan is a potential all-conference defender
and Troy Barnes is very solid.  I'm not sure why Deschamps didn't play
more last year, but he, too, should be very good this season.

Two new-comer defenders out of Manitoba really impressed me: Steve
Mullin and Travis Wright.  Their size is small to average, but each
seemed excellent to me ...  with potential game-winning skills in both.
Great fun to watch on the ice!

Among the returnees, I have no worries about Barnes, Nault, Ryan,
Jackson, and Colin Shields.  Shields should win conference and maybe
tournament and end-of-season honors this year ...  really our best
offensive player.

My keys to the season are the seniors.  I'm not as confident as I was
about last season's seniors, but the potential is there for Richardson,
Kariya, Liscak, Lawson, Shaneberger, Riemann, and, most importantly,
Chris Heisten to consistantly excell.  This is a big senior class, and
so the success of the team will, more than usual, fall on their
shoulders.  The press may focus on the freshmen, but the leadership will
come from the senior class.  If more than a couple are unavailable due
to injury or distracted due to college life, there will be no NCAAs and
maybe no HEA home ice.

Finally, and as a comment to the previous poster's remark on #6 national
ranking ...  I think this team can excell, but I don't expect a top-12
national ranking this year.  First, we would have to be top-2 in HEA in
order to be top-6 nationally (IMHO).  Second, look at the schedule!  The
overall record and ranking of our non-HEA opponents is likely to be
awful.  4 games with the MAAC is 2 or 3 too many.  LSSU might rebound
for a good season, but chance are they'll be closer to their last-place
CCHA finish of last year.  Western Michigan was over .500 last year, but
won't be this time around, IMHO.  Same for Alaska Anchorage, except they
were under .500 last year.  By far the best opponents will be Colorado
College, who was and will be a winning team, but only upper middle of
the pack in the WCHA, and Harvard, who should challenge for the top of
the (hapless) ECAC.  It is a varied schedule, but if you want to
challenge for an NCAA Frozen Four, I think you'd wish for more
top-ranked opponents.

Let the games begin and the discussion continue!    cheers, wayne

Wayne T. Smith
[log in to unmask]                          Old Town Landing
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