Just back from 10 hours of hockey at the Knick. I didn't take any notes at the game so I won't be posting any box scores or recaps but just wanted to put my usual 2 cents in.
 
First, my comments are based on one day's hockey only. I was in Florida vacationing last week and didn't get back until Saturday night, so I missed the Saturday games.  My thanks goes out to an unnamed Hockey East couple who intercepted me at the box office where I was going to buy a one day ticket. They had an extra which they gave to me (and refused payment when I offered).
He was a UNH fan and his wife was a diehard BU fan (boy, I bet that marriage is fun for 6 months of the year ;-)
 
In case you haven't seen the scores, St. Lawrence beat BU 3-2
on a goal at 3:53 of the 4th overtime. That game which was supposed to be over by 2:45PM, didn't end until after 6PM.
The nightcap saw Maine beat Michigan 5-2 in a game that ended near 10PM.  A long day of great college hockey....
 
First, let me state for the record that if I never hear "Hail To The Victors" ever again, it would be fine with me ;-)
 
Secondly, I have been pretty much neutral when it comes to the debate about first round bye's in the tournament. But no more.
 
The fatigue factor probably didn't play a big part in the BU loss because after 5 or 6 periods of play, I'm sure there wasn't
much difference in the pain those players were feeling. Let me state my bias upfront. I am an RPI fan (to no-one's surprise). But today, I wanted to see St. Lawrence win to defend the honor
of the ECAC.  I've seen St. Lawrence play before and have a great deal of respect for their team this year (especially their defense and their young goaltender Derek Gustafson).
It was no accident they won both the ECAC RS and tournament. However, today, I thought that their defense vs. BU probably rated pretty even through the 1st period and I thought BU outplayed them for the other 5 full periods. The first St. Lawrence goal came on a well executed 3 on 1 break that they executed perfectly. Their second came on a strange angle shot that BU goalie DiPietro(sp?) let by (I didn't get a good view of the second goal). However, by the third period when St. Lawrence
should have been pressing and hitting to take advantage of BU's fatigue, it was BU on the attack.  I commented to my buddies in the third period that it looked more like St. Lawrence was tired than BU. The Saints were slow getting back and BU just kept pressing.  Frankly, St. Lawrence won because of Gustafson (who,
by the way, shared all tournament goalie honors with BU's DiPietro and was named all-tournament MVP).
But the game became a war of attrition and the Saints persevered, managed to fight off numerous BU scoring threats, created their scoring opportunity and executed it in the 4th overtime. Congrats to them on a fine season and best wishes to them carrying the ECAC's honor into the final
(er, Phrozen) Phour.
 
The second game IMHO was decided by the fatigue factor.
Maine started off this game buzzing all over the Wolverines. Josh Blackburn was the only one who kept this from becoming a blowout. But eventually, the Michigan defense got on track
and shut down the Maine offense. Michigan got on the board first
on a short handed goal by Mike Comrie. Maine tied the game at
1-1 but Michigan came back on a power play to take a 2-1 lead.
I was really impressed by the discipline of Michigan's special team units. They scored one short handed goal and really shut down Maine's power play for a good portion of the game.
 
Michigan's power play goal acted as a wake up call for Maine as their prospect of losing seemed to get the adrenaline rushing.
That second Michigan goal was the turning point of the game in
my opinion. It got Maine pumped and they started skating faster,
passing more accurately and finishing their checks. It didn't take long after Michigan's goal for Maine to tie the game at 2-2.  Prospects of yet another OT game loomed ahead. But Maine kept their momentum going it looked as if Michigan just ran out of steam as Maine just kept coming at them. Maine won
5-2 (the last goal being an empty netter), but I would really have loved to have seen these two teams go at it if they were equally rested).
 
One point to note: Maine Captain Cory Larose was called for butt-ending with under 5 minutes left in the Michigan game.
It was announced as a 5 minute major and a game DQ which means
that Larose will have to sit out the semi-final game. Needless to say, Shawn Walsh (who I could hear clearly from the opposite
side of the arena all night) was rather vociferous in his comments to the referee all night. I have no no comment on the butt-ending call as it happened in a blind spot for me. But, considering that the recipient of the call got up and skated off
under his own power (looking a little shaken up, but certainly not injured), I suspect that Walsh may have a point. I can see the major and a game misconduct, but a game DQ going into the semi-finals seems a bit harsh.
 
Someone yesterday asked what the schedule was for the semi-final games. It was announced today that Maine will play North Dakota
at 2 PM and Boston College will play St. Lawrence at 7PM.
 
That's it from Albany.
 
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