Well, it's over for the Chiefs. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, so they're not going to the Final Four. But a few things stand out: * Rollie's performance reminded me of a comment Cedric Maxwell made before a seventh game that the Boston Celtics (um... that's a pro basketball team) won due in large part to a great performance by Maxwell. Before the game he said, "Climb on my back, boys, and I'll carry you there." It was as if Rollie said that to the Chiefs and he damned near pulled it off. I was glad that the too-many-men-on- the-ice penalty did *not* decide it. (Boy, did that call bring back bad memories.) There were no goats, no one who could torture themselves all summer. It was just a 2-on-1 that Ed Campbell (correctly) played the pass on. And a sniper put it past the small hole that he had. But I can't remember the last time I felt for a player any more than when Rollie flipped his stick in the air and skated away. A standing O for Rollie and a best of luck in his future endeavors. * Hats off to the seniors who played their final game for UML. Rollie, Kerry Angus, Travis Tucker, Shane (Don't Call Me Mike) Henry, Mike Murray, Ian Hebert, Norm Bazin (and am I the only one that likes it best the way the UML announcer pronounces it to rhyme with *paisan*?). These are awfully big shoes to fill next year. UML will need players to come out of nowhere like Bazin and Hebert did. They'll need players who can add a new dimension to their game over the summer like Kerry Angus did, making himself into a great point man on a great power play. And they'll need another great freshman class like this past one that produced Greg Bullock, Ed Campbell, and Neil Donovan as immediate impact players along with others that may well blossom next year. * Thankfully the Minnesota player who absorbed the hit from behind in OT was alright. It's a scary sight -- every hockey parent's worst nightmare -- when the trainer is holding the neck steady while checking to see if the extremities have any feeling. Conjures up unwanted memories of Darryl Stingley lying on the football field, they're testing for reflexes on the knees and getting nothing, and you feel the goose flesh on your arms and you hope he'll be all right, but a wheelchair becomes his sad birthright. It was a very good moment indeed when he sat up and then got to his feet. * I'm not sure if *all* of the Minnesota shot dominance in the third period and then the overtimes was due to running out of gas. It looked like there might have been a strategic choice to go into a defensive shell and let it all ride on Rollie's shoulders. At least until Minnesota tied the game. Although usually the Chiefs play very exciting aggressive hockey, I have seen them play defensively in third periods before. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here because of two reasons: 1) I got home after 3 ayem from Albany and, after sleeping, only got to watch the first two periods of the UML-MSU game on tape before I had to run off to my son's game. It did indicate a third period shot disadvantage of 8-3 in that game, so perhaps going into a shell worked in the MSU tilt and was a reasonable choice for the third period against the gofers (sorry, couldn't resist). I also recall that UML successfully went defensive in the third period of their 4-2 win over BU earlier in the year. So it *is* a strategy that has worked for them before. However, I did notice that with a one-goal lead in the second period of that MSU game, that they picked up their fourth goal, the eventual gamewinner, on a 1-2-2 forecheck with Mike Murray swinging over to pick up the winger as Ian Hebert forechecked deep. When the goalie Bozek tried to pass it to his LW, Murray was there to intercept the pass and he worked a give and go with Hebert. Perhaps Crowder's strategy is to wait until the third period to go into the shell. Probably not your average fan's choice, but thank goodness, Bruce Crowder knows more than your average fan. 2) I also didn't see the entire first period and most of the second against Minnesota, because I wasn't aware WNDS was tape delaying the broadcast and didn't know Sportschannel was carrying it all. I was going ballistic, trying to call WNDS (they have an answering machine that doesn't take messages), sure that some moron has failed to flip a switch and is torturing me with girls high school basketball and then says, "At the conclusion of this game we will be showing in its entirety... *Star Trek*." Star Bleeping Trek???? I about went around the bend at this point. Channel surfing for the next hour, the depression growing. Finally giving up until surfing again miraculously produces the Chiefs with a one goal lead in the second period. Anyways, I still haven't seen most of those first 35 minutes or so (although I have secured a tape), but the end of the second period still seemed to show lots of offense for the Chiefs. In fact, I believe that the Minnesota goalie saved the game in those minutes. Sbrocca, as well as others, had great opportunities and Callinan got the job done. Had it gone to 2-0, I think it may have been Final Four time for the Chiefs. But come the third period and it was either the shell or just plain no gas in the tank. Since Hockey East has a lot of Friday night - Saturday night back-to-back games, I'd be surprised if the 13-1 shot disparity at one point was just due to fatigue, even against a rested opponent. I think the shell *was* a factor at this point, although I'm sure by the OTs, fatigue was the primary factor. It sure would have been great if Daw had scored in the OT, a full redemption for an individually disappointing year. Oh well, I guess I have no more gas in *my* tank. Thanks to all the fans at Albany, especially Tony, who were cheering "UML, UML" when the good news on Friday was being announced. It made all three hairs on my chest stand up. :-) ***************************************************** ,-******-, * Dave Hendrickson "Robo" [log in to unmask] * *' ## '* * A Hockey Polygamist and Get-A-Lifer * *## ___##___ ##* * GO BROONS!!! Go Red Wings!! Go LA Kings! * * ##| ___ \## * * GO UMASS-LOWELL!!! Go Maine!! Go BU! * * | |___) | * * --------------------------------------------------* *######| ___ <######* * Although I can't remember ever having an original * * | |___) | * * thought, and am certainly parroting someone who * * ##|________/## * * actually has a brain, these opinions are mine, * *## ## ##* * not Hewlett-Packard's. * *, ## ,* ***************************************************** '-*******-'