Hi folks,
 
In case you missed it, the Alfond Arena sold out both nights this weekend
for the first, and second times all year.  Maine had 5,250 for Shawn Walsh's
return on Friday, and an even better 5,303 on Saturday night.
 
Also I wanted to point something else out for discussion.  Since Greg Cronin
stepped down as head coach, Maine has gone 8-2.
 
Is this a return to "Maine Hockey"?  Maine is playing very well right now,
only a shadow of their former selves under Cronin, and the people seem to be
coming back to the Alfond.  Maine hasn't had back-to-back crowds like that,
based on my memory only, since Maine played BU for two nights Dec. 2 and 3,
1994.  Large groups of fans waited outside before both games in below-zero
temperatures for tickets.
 
One has to wonder, as time goes on, how much of a difference Shawn Walsh (or
lack of Greg Cronin?) makes?
 
Greg Cronin said when he left that Maine was no better than a .500 team, and
that he expected them to stay around that mark all year.  Well Maine is 8-2
(6-2 under Walsh), and have 10 games remaing.  Of those 10, only four are
against teams with a better record (three vs. BU, one vs. UNH).  Three of
those four games are at home.  Maine is 15-9-1, and could win 20 games..
something that didn't look likely earlier this year at 7-7-1.
 
Walsh will also likely win his 300th game as coach (again) this year.  I
believe he is five games short.  Walsh won 300 games before, but forfeits
altered his record.
 
I'm just throwing this information out there, and I'd like to see what other
people think.
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])