> "If I were Minnesota, I would love to be the third seed out east," Colorado
> College coach Don Lucia said. "I'll tell you what, I'd almost rather trade
> 1-West for 3-East. Most of those (Eastern) teams are one line and maybe a
> good goaltender."
 
I can just see this quote going up in locker rooms in the East.  Not so much
the trading 1-West for 3-East.  I have no problem with that.  Different years
give different balances of power (such as last year's All Hockey East finals).
This year the West as a whole does seem stronger, especially in light of
Maine's situation.  But "one line and maybe a good goaltender?"  To so
thoroughly disparage a whole region of teams is mind boggling.
 
I can't comment on the ECAC, but I don't believe that he was including BU in
his comments.  No one would be that stupid -- not even a coach of a #2 ranked
team who can't get his squad past the conference semis.  If he was
thinking of the *other* Hockey East team, UMass-Lowell, then he's flat out
wrong.  As I've pointed out, the nine forwards comprising the top three lines
all have double-digit goals scored.  Their All Hockey East forward Christian
Sbrocca plays on the *second* line and the *second* power play unit.  I'd
wager that Lowell has better balanced scoring than Lucia's own superstars.
 
Frankly, this would not seem to be the time of the year for Lucia to be
shooting his mouth off.  Two years ago his squad won a close WCHA regular
season race, and then flopped in the *first* round of the playoffs against a
team with a woeful record, eliminating itself from NC$$ consideration.
Last year they were annointed the #2 seed out West and lost 5-2 to Minnesota.
This year, they flop again in the WCHA semis to a team with a sub-.500 record.
 
Lucia has done an incredible job building the CC program, but it seems that
he goes from genius-to-moron this time of year.  And I think we read our first
indication that it's deja vu all over again.  Perhaps Lucia should be ordering
collars that don't fit so tightly instead of taking a dump on the personnel
of other teams.
 
DaveH
GO UMASS-LOWELL!  Go ANYBODY but the Colorado College Gaggers!
 
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