At 02:26 PM 3/1/99 EST, Wayne T. Smith wrote:
>Deron wrote, in part..
>>What a dominating performance from Maine.  Merrimack showed some life in
>>the third, but for two periods Maine dominated the Warriors completely, but
>>give Cris Classen credit, he played well when he had to and even the MC
>>defense came up with some big clears, but there was no question after this
>>one that Maine was head and shoulders above Merrimack.
>
>I didn't get that impression.  Maine outplayed MC and led 2-0, but I
>would not call it domination.  Maine had a lot of shots, but relatively
>few of what I'd call Grade A chances.  Perhaps someone that saw or wrote
>the shot charts could comment.
>
>This was an interesting, yet defensive game.  Had Maine someone
>gotten down a goal or two, it *may* have looked more like the 2nd BU
>game a couple of weeks ago, than the 1st.
 
Obviously there are different ways one team can dominate another, and it
was Maine's defense that made the game dominating.  At one point shots were
30-8 in the second period.  Sure, not all were Grade A's, but there were
many "scoring chances" that never count as a "shot" because they didn't
make it on net.
 
As fas as I was concerned, Merrimack didn't even pose a threat until that
"goal" in the third.  Stringer and Porter were invisible (or made to be
invisible).
 
I'd also argue that Maine's 4-3 win over UNH earlier this month was more
comfortable than the score indicates.  I felt Maine was clearly the better
team on that night and that it should have been more of a 4-1, 5-2 game
than 4-3.
 
Maine came out and took the game, not with lots of goals, but with very
solid defense.
 
I can't see any way to compare the 2nd BU game with this one.  Maine's
defense was laxed in the BU game and they were flat.  Maine was jumping on
both ends of the ice last night, just didn't pump in tons of goals, which
is ok.
 
 
>I'm very happy that this was the game coach seemed to want to play ...
>down to defensive basics, in their jersey.  If we're to be successful
>against UNH and, later, MSU, that's got to be a big part of the game
>plan, imho.
 
Agreed.  Defense is key and with two offensive lines clicking, we'll be ok.
 
>Oh yea.  I'm hearing impaired, but I'd swear that the sound was a
>"thunk!", not a "ping!" off the goal.  If so, either the puck went in
>the net and hit the padded back support, or we need a new goal as that
>crossbar must be rusted nearly through!  :-)
 
Cathy said the goal went in, so since I didn't see it I'll defer.  I'd
swear it was a "ping", but at the same time I half expected the red light on.
 
This seems to happen more often than it should.. the puck hitting the back
of the net and coming out so fast that no one sees it.  If it indeed went
in, what a break for Maine!  Let's hope that kind of puck luck carries
through.
 
ONE WIN = TITLE
 
-dt
---
Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
 
"Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's this day-to-day living
that wears you out."    - Anton Chekhov