Take this for what it's worth.
Mike's 1991-92 HOCKEY EAST Predictions.
1. MAINE.
Strengths:
* First line of Downey-Montgomery-Roy may be best in country.
* Second-liners Pellerin and Robitaille each had 23 goals & 48 points.
* Returning 23 of 25 players.
* Solid goaltending in Dunham and Snow.
* Great collection of bangers in Widmeyer, Tepper et al.
* Shawn Walsh.
Weaknesses:
* Losses of Straub and Carney make defense a question mark despite
four returnees who saw action in at least 35 games. Biggest place
these two may be missed is on power play.
* Preseason #1 ranking makes Black Bears target for other 7 teams.
2. PROVIDENCE.
Strengths:
* Gaudreau about to become school's all-time leading goal-scorer and
is legitimate Hobey candidate.
* Boback back for entire season after missing first 10 games last year.
* Mullahy and Heinke provide solid goaltending.
* Depth and size on defense, led by Therien and Kane.
* Great special teams.
* Fantastic class of freshmen last year saw extensive time and is
more experienced than many teams' sophomores.
* Freshmen Darby, Quenneville and Rowe ready to challenge veterans
for spots.
Weaknesses:
* Losses of Lyle Wildgoose (61-71--132 career) and Mario Aube
(62-69--131) will be hard to cover.
* Defense needs to live up to ability to score.
* Balanced scoring may be a problem.
3. NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Strengths:
* Goaltender Levy pre-season All-HOCKEY EAST pick.
* Mitrovic, Flanagan, Amodeo, Klym, Thomson provide quality scoring
threats spread over two lines.
* Taste of success over past two seasons following years of drought
makes Wildcats hungry for home ice in 1991-92.
* The Fish.
Weaknesses:
* Other than Messina, defense not proven contributors offensively.
* Freshman defense needs to mature quickly to cover loss of Steve
Morrow after team's best defenseman turned pro. Two other
starters graduated.
4. BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
Strengths:
* Parker may have best freshman class in nation:
- Pomichter immediate first-line winger, could make impact similar
to or greater than that of Amonte two years ago.
- Lilley brings fantastic combination of size and scoring ability.
- Linna was experienced high-class defenseman in Finland.
- Goalies McKersic and Herlofsky were among top-recruited players
in Division I.
- Thornton, Brennan, Aucoin, Jenkins all experienced players who
can make immediate impact.
* Returning scorers David Sacco (21-40--61), Petteri Koskimaki and
Mike Bavis ready to fill spots of McEachern, Tomlinson, etc.
* Cashman looks stronger than ever between the pipes.
* Team's ability to play strong physical game should keep them in
most contests.
* Dion, perhaps top returning defenseman in league, leads defense
that includes four experienced players.
Weaknesses:
* Huge dents in scoring caused by loss of seven forwards and 70% of
scoring may be too much for team to cover.
* Past role players like Pratt, Dahlberg, Friedman now looked to for
goals instead of checking role; need to adjust.
* Team must hit every night to be successful; could take its toll
later on in the season.
* Cashman cannot afford inconsistency of last season.
* Inexperience may result in losing close games that were won in past.
5. MERRIMACK.
Strengths:
* 10 of top 11 scorers from last year return.
* Combination of speed and scoring gives Warriors ability to strike
quickly and often (Casale, Gravelle).
* LW Atkinson highest-scoring freshman in league last year.
* Depth and experience at all positions.
* Small but solid freshman class, led by Matt Adams and Mark Cornforth.
* Rink colder than place where Mobil-1 commercial was filmed.
Weaknesses:
* Loss of Rosenblatt leaves team without Neely-type player to set up
in front.
* Special teams among worst in league last season.
* Goaltending experienced but inconsistent.
* Defense unproven offensively and needs to play better in its own end.
* Team needs to play more three-period games.
6. NORTHEASTERN.
Strengths:
* New coach Ben Smith among best teachers in game.
* Laplante (27-20--47) perhaps most exciting player in league.
* Taylor highest-scoring freshman along with Merrimack's Atkinson.
* Injured redshirts Schiavo and Kellogg back to provide experience
and leadership.
* Captain Paul Sacco is most underrated two-way defenseman in league.
* Depth at forward.
* Goalie Cole among best in league when on (Eberly Goaltending Award
in 1990-91 Beanpot).
* Despite poor 90-91 season, playoff performance gave players high
hopes for this year.
* Off last season, nowhere to go but up.
Weaknesses:
* Cole experienced but very inconsistent goaltender. No backup with
more than 20 minutes of career playing time.
* Defense suspect after Sacco and Kellogg.
* Jekyll-and-Hyde play between home and road needs to end.
7. BOSTON COLLEGE.
Strengths:
* LaGrand one of top goalies in East, if not country.
* Experienced defense led by Joe Cleary.
* Ceglarski landed two of top freshman defensemen in Moran and Hill.
* Sparrow and Singewald two capable freshman backup goalies.
* Possible incentive in Ceglarski's final season.
Weaknesses:
* Team decimated by graduation and Olympics. Losses include top line
of Heinze-Emma-McInnis, Guerin, and five other forwards; defensemen
Crowley and Dennehy, and goalie Galuppo. Combined scoring loss
totals 145 goals and 197 assists from 1990-91.
* Only returning players with more than 4 goals are Franzosa (14),
Callahan (11), and Beran (7).
* Top recruit, high scorer Jim Campbell, signed with Montreal before
season.
* Team looks to have been hit harder than last Olympic year when
BC last finished under .500 (13-18-3). That team had Emma and
Dan Shea. No comparable scorers in 1991-92.
* Defense and goaltending to be solely relied upon for success.
8. UMASS-LOWELL.
Strengths:
* Goaltending tandem of Richards and Roloson solid and underrated.
* First-year coach Bruce Crowder well-respected and brings fresh
air to program.
* Depth at defense with six returnees.
* Five returning forwards with more than 10 goals.
* Depth at center and right wing.
Weaknesses:
* Lowest-scoring HE team in 1990-91 loses top two scorers.
* Defense experienced but weak.
* Team allowed over five goals a game last season.
* Forwards need to play better in own zone.