A couple of observations on Saturday night's Maine event.
 
1. In terms of sheer effort, LSSU should have won it.  They got out-talented
by a guy named Kariya, and his equally adept foil named Montgomery.
Montgomery's third still amazes me.  Kariya threw the puck across the crease on
to Montgomery's stick conveniently parked just left of the goaltender.  Why
didn't LSSU shadow Montgomery when he started getting it going in the third?
 
2. It's about time someone recognized LSSU's Jim Jackson (I think that's the
right name) for his brilliance.  His teams chew through the NC$$ playoffs like
it's their divine right.  What a terrific game plan.  I wonder if Jackson
supplied Shawn Walsh with a couple of hints in winning the national
championship.  Saturday's T-U mentioned that Walsh changed Maine's warm-up
routine as a result of Jackson and Walsh's off-season sessions.
 
3. Snow's reaching save on the top shelfer early in the third was a momentum
saver.  In fact Snow played about as good a third period as you could.
 
4. It seemed like LSSU was pinching down their defensemen in their dominant
second period.  But they did it to keep the puck in the Maine end, rather than
generate a scoring burst.  I have never seen a team so patient in its scoring
chances.  LSSU was content to stuff the puck up against the boards until it
was jarred free.  If it made it to the front of the Maine net, fine.  Otherwise
jam it up against the boards again.
 
5. I think Harry might have called a delay of game penalty against LSSU.  But
then he didn't call much of anything--to call something like that would have
probably started a riot.
 
6. I cannot imagine Kariya playing four year's at Maine.  Maybe he'll rejoin
the team after the Olympics--especially if Canada doesn't win the gold.  But
his market value is now peaking.  Oates grabbed that big $500,000 signing bonus
as a result of a bidding war following the '85 championship.  For Kariya to
stay for his junior and senior season just to re-write the record books
would be dumb.  And Kariya said in the interview on Saturday that he looked
forward to playing in the NHL.  Kariya can always satisfy his parent's laudable
desire for him to get his degree by returning for summer sessions-that's what
Oates did.
                    _
            "NYS   // Hockey"
        Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
          Go RPI //      Albany, NY
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********The CHHA was the best conference.  But Maine was the best team. ******