Adam Wodon writes:
>In response to Mike Machnik:
>   Believe me, I don't question your memory on college hockey.  But how about
>now comparing 1987 to the years before that.  To say college hockey was better
>back then because 1987 just happened to be awesome (and I agree with you)
>doesn't make sense.  Also, in 5 years it won't be a Catch-22, because those
>players from 1987 have had their best years behind them, more than likely, or
>at least they are now at their peak.  I do think a better comparison can be
>made then.
 
I just wanted to clarify myself with respect to this by saying that it
wasn't my intention to be overbearing or anything.  If I came across
that way in comparing 87 to 94, I apologize.  As far as questioning my
memory or anything else I have to say, Adam, that is not a bad thing -
Heather does it often, and she is usually right. :-)  But seriously, I
do value the opinions and comments of other people here.
 
It's a good question as to whether 87 was an unusually great season or
characteristic of the times, and therefore evidence that there were
more great teams and players back then.  Without going into much
detail, I think favorable comparisons could be made for 85 and 86
although it's a much closer call (comparing to 94 or any other recent
year).  I would defer to others on years before that since I cannot
give a first-hand opinion.  But 87 was certainly better than any of
the years surrounding it.
 
St Louis and Perrin certainly belong on a list of dominating players
from the East.  Non-goaltenders I would add to this list are Bullock
and O'Sullivan, although Bullock can be just as invisible at times.
I would have a hard time choosing among Perrin, St Louis, and
O'Sullivan, and Bullock when he is in the game.  Martins may belong in
this group too, but he has not impressed me as much as these four when
I've seen them.
 
I think that among goaltenders from HE, only Allison and Legault have
reached that upper-upper echelon this season, with several others a
notch below (including the defense-less Taylor).  But a number of
goalies in the league have tailed off lately.  The hottest goalies in
HE seem to be these two and Cavicchi.  We will see if this bodes well
for Maine, Merrimack, and UNH heading into the playoffs.
 
On Vermont, for people who have followed them more closely (I think I
have only seen them twice this year - and one was the shellacking they
took at BU), why have they struggled?  Have they underachieved, or did
we expect too much of them?
 
I've noticed that the games Vermont has tended to lose have been ones
in which they have trouble scoring goals - held to 3 or less in 11 of
their 13 non-wins.  In games like that, the defense has to come up
big.  I did believe before the season that defense would be Vermont's
Achilles Heel...is this an accurate assessment?  Or has the offense
not been as prolific as it needs to be for UVM to win?
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93