In 2003 Frank had 5 more wins than Jimmy, and 4 of those were earned against
the likes of Dartmouth, Vermont, Merrimack and Sacred Heart over Christmas
when Jimmy was hurt/on the junior team.

The "Frank Doyle offensive machine" also managed to lose to Notre Dame 4-2
and to Ohio State 1-0 during that same stretch.  Jimmy Howard wasn't even on
the team and they didn't pop in the goals.  This speaks to a basic level of
inconsistency which is more the problem than some mystical Jimmy Howard
curse on the offense.

Jimmy stepped out of the rotation and into a solo role in the NCAA's.  As
you correctly point out, Maine came back against Harvard with Frank in net,
but Jimmy played Wisconsin, BC and Denver, which is much more difficult
competition than the competition Frank played during Jimmy's absense.  Jimmy
won 2 of those games, lost 1 and no decision in the Harvard game.

I ran my own numbers.  Maine scored 2.27 gpg with Jimmy and 3.91 with Frank,
which is similar to what you were saying.  However, the numbers bear out
that Jimmy played more difficult competition.  The average number of wins a
team Jimmy faced was 17.455, while Frank's competition averaged 16.217 wins.

As is so often the case with stats, they are just food for banter.  Yeah,
the team scored more goals for Frank, but it was against lesser competition.

I think I feel the need to defend Jimmy Howard constantly because I don't
think you can ask for anymore from a guy who set the NCAA single-season
Goals Against Average record last year with a 1.19 GAA.  I know you
constantly say that you are not blaming him, but I just can't help defending
the guy.  He is doing his job and Matt Lundin also looks very promising.

-Deron


----- Original Message -----
From: "james acheson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: Maine-BC


> it was not long ago that BC played in national championship games in 2 of
> 2 years (without a great goalie) and won.
>
> do me a favor and explain away last years stat that in Jim games maine
> scored 2.2 goals and gave up 1.7 goals a game and in Frank games is was
> 4.5 for and 2.2 against.  and frank had a much better win record.
>
> this was over 20 games for each goalie... and the only diffence was mid
> season with Jimmy out and the end of the year with Jimmy not playing.
> and I seem to remember Jimmy being pulled in a Harvard game in order to
> generate more offense... and it worked.
>
> ... I know I sound bad saying all this.... I just do not get what is going
> on.
>
> this is like when Gretzky played with the Rangers and triple shifted... he
> got lots and lots of points, but his plus-minus was horrible.
>
>
>
> Deron Treadwell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Tim Whitehead coaches a defensive-first system. That's not going to change
> no matter who is in goal.
>
> I would argue that the pyschology of having an All-American goalie in net
> would be MORE condusive to scoring goals than a freshman goalie. I would
> think a team would want to play MORE defensive and try harder to protect
> the
> freshman.
>
> I hardly doubt the team sits around the lockerroom and says, "Let's go out
> and get Jimmy a shutout".
>
> With all due respect, Maine has played for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 2
> of
> the last 3 years. I don't think BC is an example of anything except how to
> have great natural talent that tends to underachieve.
>
> -Deron
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "james acheson"
> To:
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 10:12 AM
> Subject: Re: Maine-BC
>
>
>>I AM NOT POINTING A FINGER AT JIMMY!!! I am pointing a finger at how the
>>team plays in front of him. I do not know what the problem is, but the
>>result is a consistent lack of offense in front of him. 2 years in a row
>>now, our boys cannot score more than 2 goals a game with Jimmy in net...
>>as
>>I said, I would rather see a 6-5 win than a a garunteed shutout by one
>>goalie... but a crapshoot as to which goalie gets the shutout.
>> Jimmy was involved in 10 shutouts last season in what 21 games? 6 were on
>> his side. FRANK won games, best in the country, but Jimmy had the goalie
>> stats.
>>
>> with a great offensive team, it is never a problem when a goalie coughs
>> up
>> a goal (or 2)...Clemmenson and Kalieinen have been proving that point for
>> 7 years.
>>
>> and I know that one goal was an empty netter, but our boys scored 2 goals
>> with Lundin "in net" and one with Jimmy. (and before you say that the
>> sample size is too small to consider... that this was Lundin's only empty
>> net opportunity of the season, realized that Maine has no empty net goals
>> with Jimmy getting pulled stringing back to the Denver game. I think
>> that there is no offensive intensity when Jimmy plays. (this is
>> analogous to how Pedro often gets no run support, the sox just assume
>> that
>> tehy can win 2-1 with pedro in.)
>> Snow and Dunham were the same, you wanted offense (and a win) Snow had to
>> play. you wanted stifling defense and not so much offense, Dunham.
>>
>> Wayne T Smith wrote:
>> Come on. Implying the goalie lost the BC game is like worrying about
>> nosebleed when the patient has an artery gushing blood. Yes, the 3rd
>> goal was a gift (Howard gets the puck out in the corner and does a
>> corner-to-corner pass, interrupted by the back of his goal; BC scoops up
>> the loose puck and tucks it in the open net), but one goal was
>> deflected right in front of him, and the other goal was nice snap shot
>> between the faceoff dots. Howard was going down in the butterfly, but
>> the puck was perfectly in the five hole and just quick enough to get
>> through.
>>
>> Now, where is the offense going to come from? It hasn't been there
>> against the better teams, IMHO.
>>
>> Having your goalie & defense to hold the opposition to 0 or 1 goals may
>> be a "goal", but it's going to be tough to have a winning record that
>> way.
>>
>> I don't know how you add scoring to the mix, but Maine seems to have
>> some good new players, so maybe it will be possible?
>>
>> cheers, wayne
>>
>> james acheson wrote:
>>
>>> so... you stick Lundin in net, the boys play offense in front of him
>>> and stop worrying about the gaa and save percentage and win 6-5. I
>>> mean, jeez the d was only responsible for 1 goal in this game, and
>>> Jimmy gave away 2. It is clear to me, and I know a few others that
>>> tandem goalies is the way to go... make them conpete against each
>>> other and they both get better. at the very least Lundin would not
>>> have done any better in a league points-wise analysis against BC and
>>> BU, and I am sure against Merrimack. Lundin could have lost those 2
>>> games too, but at least we would have 2 goalies competing against one
>>> another.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> */Bob Woodbury /* wrote:
>>>
>>> BC wins 3-1. Maine not showing enough to beat UNH tomorrow, either.
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>
>>
>>
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