Thanks to Wayne for posting on the game. We spent a long eight hours on
the road yesterday, up to Orono and back, and so I hadn't had a chance to post
anything on the game. Here's the box:
Sunday, March 8, 1992 at Alfond Arena, Orono, ME
HOCKEY EAST QUARTERFINAL
Merrimack Warriors (13-21-0) 0 0 0 - 0
Maine Black Bears (29-3-2) 1 4 2 - 7
FIRST PERIOD UM-MC
1. UM1, Kent Salfi 9 (Jason Weinrich, Scott Pellerin), 10:38. GWG 1-0
SECOND PERIOD
2. UM2, Pellerin 29 (Cal Ingraham), 0:48. 2-0
3. UM3, Patrice Tardif 17 (Jim Montgomery, Andy Silverman), 1:45. 3-0
4. UM4, Tardif 18 (Chris Imes, Matt Martin), 4:13. 4-0
5. UM5, Salfi 10 (Ingraham, Pellerin), 6:39. 5-0
THIRD PERIOD
6. UM6, Pellerin 30 (Martin Robitaille, Montgomery), 7:21. 5x3 6-0
7. UM7, Brian Downey 19 (Montgomery), 9:22. 7-0
SHOTS ON GOAL: Merrimack 5--2--4 = 11
Maine 14-17-13 = 44
GOALIES: Merrimack, Steve D'Amore (11-18-0, 60:00, 44 sh-37 sv).
Maine, Mike Dunham (6-0-0, 29:39, 6-6),
Garth Snow (30:21, 5-5).
POWER PLAYS: Merrimack 0 of 6. Maine 1 of 4.
PENALTIES: Merrimack 5/10. Maine 7/14.
REFEREE: Drew Taylor. LINESMEN: John Jones, Chuck Wynters.
ATTENDANCE: 4,023.
THREE STARS: 1. Scott Pellerin, Maine (2-2--4).
2. Patrice Tardif, Maine (2-0--2).
3. Kent Salfi, Maine (2-0--2).
Wayne did an excellent job of summing up the key points of this game. I
have just a few additional things to say.
>Maine, playing without forward Dave LaCouture (fractured vertebrae), put
>their speedy puck handlers on the ice and raced past the defensive shell
>put up by Ron Anderson.
I suggested during our pre-game (and I think I may have mentioned it to
Wayne as well) that this was the way to go for Merrimack. They have had
trouble with falling behind early and playing catchup, something I thought
they could not afford to do in Orono. It was successful in the first, which
Merrimack escaped down only 1-0, so there was still hope. Unfortunately,
Merrimack could not convert a couple of their good chances in that first,
and when Maine came out roaring in the second with four goals in 6:39, the
game was over for all intents and purposes.
>Except on their own power play, Merrimack refused to forecheck in the
>Maine zone. When a man down, the Merrimack retreated into a smaller box
>than I've ever seen a team (intentionally) play. Needless to say, the
>Maine forwards dominated the play as often two Maine players would get
>to the loose pucks before a Merrimack defender.
Again, this worked in the first period when Merrimack played more disciplined
and focused on their game plan - and Maine wasn't as intense as they were
in the second. When Maine plays at their best, they are among the very best
in the country (clearly), and they did so for about the first ten minutes
of the 2nd - more so than any other point in the game. It wasn't so much that
Merrimack lost the game as it was that Maine came out and won it with
authority.
>Merrimack gave a good effort, but did not play with confidence and did
>not play a very physical game.
Merrimack's best play against Maine back in January came when they played
physical with Maine, but they came out of that weekend in rough shape. It
seemed that if the game got very physical, Maine would dominate even more
(as in the 10-4 win), so the best hope seemed to be to go with the defensive
style and wait for the few chances - and capitalize.
>The best Merrimack chances game first in
>the opening period as Teal Fowler blocked a cross-ice pass at the Maine
>blue line, collected the puck and went in uncovered on starting goalie
>Mike Dunham. Dunham got caught back in the goal, but Fowler hit the
>left post squarely.
I think this was the key to the game - at least it might have been a little
closer. The Warriors' hopes seemed to ride on that shot, but Teal just
missed it. Seconds later Wayde McMillan stole the puck near the boards and
fired it at the open net as Dunham had been caught behind the net, but he
got back just in time to make the save. Two good chances in a matter of
seconds were turned aside - that hurt quite a bit. They weren't going to
get many chances as it was.
>Midway through the second period, as Maine changed
>goalies to Garth (and Rodney Dangerfield get no respect) Snow, Merrimack
>picked up play a notch and had a few good chances.
The Merrimack contingent in the press box was very angry about this. Not
that Snow came in - it was 5-0 at that point. But we had gotten word before
the game that Shawn Walsh had already planned to play both goaltenders in
the game, and while it was probably not a direct attempt to embarrass the
opposition, it nevertheless did not go over very well at all. Maine would
have been better off keeping this plan under wraps.
>Maine forwards were terrific, and were led again by Hobey Baker
>candidate Scott Pellerin.
Yes, he earned the #1 star. A lot of people would have been surprised
before the season if you mentioned his name as a Hobey hopeful, but he has
truly earned the right to be mentioned for that honor. Early in the game
I commented to Dan that the key line for Maine would not be the first line
of Downey-Montgomery-Tardif but the second line of Pellerin-Salfi-Ingraham.
Merrimack couldn't keep their eyes on Ingraham who was constantly darting
here and there and making plays happen, and meanwhile Pellerin and Salfi
were getting the key goals that vaulted Maine out to the big lead. These
will be the players that will carry Maine to a national title should they
get that far.
>For Merrimack, Atkinson, Gravelle and Fowler played well.
Although not getting much in the way of chances...I also think G Steve D'Amore
deserves mention for playing superbly despite the high score, he can't be
blamed on most of the goals if any. Not a good way to go out in your final
game, but he worked extremely hard this season and was a model of consistency
throughout the year. He will be missed but remembered fondly.
- mike
PS Good luck to the Black Bears...and the other seven Hockeyfest teams!
PPS Both Merrimack Valley DivI teams drop their q-final matches, 7-0...ouch.
PPPS On top of that, my alma mater loses by a goal in the Mass HS DivI semis -
not one of the better weekends.
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