-- [ From: Adam Wodon * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
 
> The Big Red nearly forced overtime when Drouin clanged one
> off the post late.
 
Ooohhh, the pain.  Five hours later, I was having flashbacks on this
one - I can imagine what it was like for Drouin.  What a draining game.
   I was really looking forward to a Cornell-Vermont game on Saturday.
The way the two fans were getting on each other last weekend, despite
not having played each other, would've made for some great moments, and
it would've gotten the large Vermont contingent more into it.
 
> * The single biggest factor in BU defeating Clarkson was
> Jack Parker moving Chris O'Sullivan back to defense
> (actually done last week).
 
Big agreement here. It always seems you can have BU defensively, if you
could just get out of your own zone.  Other players have picked up the
goal-scoring for O'Sullivan this year, so moving him back is a great
move.  Parker said the idea was also to allow the top 9 forwards more
ice time.
 
> contained Vermont's Eric Perrin & Martin St Louis much of
> the game, which is an achievement in itself. Vermont only
> had 11 shots through two periods in a 1-1 game.
 
In a sense, this is true, but St. Louis shot high or wide 5 TIMES in
the first two periods.  This is a bit of an exaggeration, but it was
St. Louis' worst two periods of the year, despite him having the team's
only goal.  When you have one goal and 6 scoring opportunities and
that's considered bad, you know the guy must be damn good.  99 times
out of 100, he buries at least 2 of those other chances.
 
> Both have 83 points.
 
It's impossible to mention one without mentioning the other in the same
breath. To try is pointless.  To typify this point, both players
reached 83 points on the same play, which meant the pair simultaneously
broke the Vermont single-season scoring record.  Cool.
 
> * I believe it was St Louis - forgive me if it was Perrin
> - who showed us what we were in for right off the opening
> draw when he went in on a rush, faked pass to his wing and
> then kicked the puck with his skate back to his forehand
> for a cannon blast that had Grahame scrambling.  Truly a
> jaw-dropping move.
 
Merely par for the course <G>. But, seriously, the play Mike speaks of
is a classic St. Louis-Perrin play. The fact that St. Louis missed the
net was the only disappointing part of the play.
  I was so glad Perrin and St. Louis didn't let me down, and went on to
impress the HE and CCHA fans in attendance.  As possibly the biggest
fan of the tandem outside the state of Vermont and Laval, Que., I don't
think I have ever had more pleasure watching two players since Trottier-
Bossy.  It's even better when it doesn't have to be Princeton they are
doing it against.
 
> * If there is a criticism I had of the French Connection,
> it was that too many times in the first two periods, they
> tried to make the pretty play that would get the crowd to
> ooh and aah rather than work on getting the puck on net.
 
Mike and I talked about this already, and I agree to a point. But, I
don't think they're trying to get the crowd excited.  I just think
these guys know they have the ability to pull off plays like that.
Mike had said that against teams like LSSU, they can't always pull it
off - but even if the play doesn't materialize, they don't attempt the
flashy play at the expense of getting themselves caught.  And, as Mike
mentioned on the previous comment, those flashy type plays often bear
fruit.
 
I know the Western fans will be in an uproar, and I know it has almost
no chance of happening, but I personally think Martin St. Louis is the
best player in the nation and deserves the Hobey.  He and Perrin are 1-
2 in points-per-game in the nation, and St. Louis is tied for tops in
GWG with 9.  St. Louis is also a very good defensive player and penalty
killer, and you only have to look at J.C. Ruid's numbers to see how he
makes linemates better.  Ruid probably has a higher percentage of the
line's goals than any LW ever had on the Gretzky-Kurri lines.
 
> * Finally, with all of the accolades Perrin and St Louis
> get for their offense, it was Perrin who saved the day by
> diving in front of a shot by Sean Tallaire in the closing
> minutes with Grahame out for an extra attacker and Thomas
> out of position.  Thomas said in the paper, "Eric has
> always been proud of his goaltending duties." :-)
 
That was a great quote. And this was truly a great play, and not just a
case of a player happening to be standing there when the puck hit him.
HE made a conscious movement to stop the puck, and looked good doing
it.
 
AW
 
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