>[log in to unmask] wrote:
 
>Did Michigan "lose" this game, or did BU "win" it?
 
>There seems to be three general outlooks:
 
>1. BU played a physical game, which resorted to "cheaper shots" and some
>"goon-like" tactics. Mind you, most people with this idea feel that this
>was all done within the rules, just that such bruising, physical play is
>not what hockey is about, and not a game that most teams can play.
Michigan
>was simply unable to deal with such a physical attack.
 
BU does and always has played a very *physical* brand of hockey.  Lets
face it hockey is a physical game, there's no escaping that.  However I
prefer to see things carried out with finesse and style.   I'm not trying
to bash BU in any way, I'm just stating that I agree that BU plays a very
physical, maybe too physical, brand of hockey.  BU is strong and
affective, sometimes overly anxious in there checking game.
 
>2. Michigan lost. They went up by one and thought they'd run away like
last
>year, shutting out BU 3-0, 4-0, 5-0... then just plain got caught. BU
>concentrated on shutting down their first line only, and let Laroque
take
>care of the rest of team, "disheartened" by the fact that their top line
>hadn't produced 2 or 3 goals by the end of the first period.
 
I think UM may have sat back a bit but I also think that BU played the
only type of game they could to shut down the undeniable No. 1 power in
college hockey. I too had expected UM to walk away with all the marbles.
However, when you have single elimination, things can happen.  They sure
did.
 
>3. BU won by playing a fantastic game, playing hockey at a level that
>Michigan hadn't seen all year -- that most teams never see. In other
words,
>BU played the best game imaginable, with very few errors -- a season of
>such play, nearly unimaginable, would yield nothing but wins, a perfect
>season.
 
Jack and the boys surely did their homework!!  They new what it would
take to de-rail the UM offense and they went right out and performed to
the script.  They did play a fantastic game.  BU may not be geared as
strong an offensive minded team as they were in the past but if you can
put a only few discs into the net and keep the other guy out...........!
     BU, flat out won the game!!!!
 
However, NO team is unbeatable (did you hear that Jack?).
 
Being UNH fan, who by the way had a terrific season; we get to see BU
three times a year in Hockey East competition. Unfortunately we came up
short.  UNH was the leader in HE for a good portion of the season.  Going
into our last regular season game in first place with a two point lead
over  BU, we had to face the Terriers.  You guessed it, BU put us away
for the third time and we ended up tied, as co-leaders in HE.  However,
due to our head to head play against BU they got the No. 1 buy in the HE
playoffs.  Hearing Parker say that THEY were leading all year long does
burn a bit.
 
And yes, we did face BU in the HE finals and they took it to us one more
time. Better luck to UNH next season. We'll be there cheering for them.
 
 
Finally a congratulations to the Sioux of UND.   They took a page right
out of BU's script and effectively bottled up the middle to slow down the
BU offense. They played a superb game and should thoroughly enjoy and
bask in the glory.  A job well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
Skip Waterman
 
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GO  UNH Blue!!!!!!
 
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