Maine is off to their worst start since joining Hockey East at 0-3-1.  Let's
take a look at the standings and see why it's so important that Maine stop
the bleeding this weekend:
 
                           -CONFERENCE-             -OVERALL-
TEAM                  W   L   T  PTS   GF   GA      W   L   T
----                  -   -   -  ---   --   --      -   -   -
1.BOSTON U            6   0   0   12   38   15      7   1   0
  NEW HAMPSHIRE       6   0   0   12   34   19      7   2   0
 
Even if Maine wins the two games they have in hand with BU and UNH, Maine is
still 7 points (3 1/2 games) out of first place.  Now a 3 1/2 game advantage
isn't impossible to overcome, but if Maine should get swept this weekend,
and BU and UNH both win both games Maine will trail by 15 points with those
two games still in hand.  It would effectively remove any hope of a regular
season title, and with no post season turn this whole season into something
practically irrelevant.
 
3.MASS LOWELL         3   3   0    6   25   27      5   3   0
4.BOSTON COLLEGE      2   1   1    5   20   17      4   3   1
  PROVIDENCE          2   3   1    5   20   22      3   5   1
6.MERRIMACK           2   4   0    4   22   22      3   5   0
  MASSACHUSETTS       2   6   0    4   23   37      2   6   0
8.NORTHEASTERN        1   4   1    3   16   34      2   5   1
9.MAINE               0   3   1    1   13   18      4   4   1
 
Maine is not that far out of third place, and they play the third place team
this weekend.  Maine has at least two games in hand against everyone above
them, except Boston College, and in the case of UMass they have 4 games in
hand, and only trail them by 3 points.  Two of those four games are this
weekend.  The could catch and pass the Minutemen simply by winning.
 
A Maine sweep this weekend puts them right back into the thick of things,
given that Maine plays 3rd place UMass-Lowell, that Merrimack could lose two
to BU this weekend, and that Boston College is playing red hot UNH, while
UMass is out of conference and NU and Providence could beat up on each other.
 
A split by the Black Bears doesn't go very far in bringing them back into
the Hockey East race, in fact it will probably only distance them further,
and God forbid they get swept in their own barn.  That would certainly end
all chances for Maine at the regular season title.
 
However, the focus needs to be on Friday night.  Maine needs to come out and
play a solid game, and get a win under their belt.  When you look at things,
losing Friday is something that has to be unacceptable and the players have
that focus.  They understand that this game is huge, and this weekend is
huge.  If Maine wins Friday, THEN you can think about winning both games on
the weekend, but Maine will not play a more important game this season than
they will this Friday.
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])