Wow.  Can't believe so little chatter so far on the list.  Everyone must be
on the road from Boston.  :)
 
The game itself:
 
This really was a classic game.  One of the best I've seen televised with up
and down the ice head to head action, strong hitting, strong skating, as
clean is hockey ever is.  It was a wonderful game to have before a national
TV audience.  If exposure has any impact on getting more college hockey on
TV, this was the right game to have on.
 
As to the victor, I consider Michigan lucky.  Now, please don't flame me.
Michigan earned their victory in every sense of the word.  But, as good and
as close as the game was, I felt that BC outplayed Michigan, by just a hair,
most of the way, especially in the first 15 min of period 1 and in the
overtime.  I mean, my gosh, two ringers and a whiff?  Congrats to Michigan
and to Berenson.  If this doesn't establish them as the premier program in
the country, I don't know what would.  Congrats to the Eagles who played
their hearts out.
 
Goal comments:
 
Did anyone else note the similarity of all 3 Michigan goals?  Two happened
out of scrums in front of the net with the puck bouncing around.  In the OT,
for probably the only time the whole night, a UM player stood with the puck
behind the goal line and was not challenged by BC.  This was the only time
in the game where BC wasn't particularly aggressive on defense, perhaps due
to fatigue.  There was, however, the traffic just in front of the net.  The
shot was from a bad angle and would have been stopped had the goal stick
been on the ice.  Seems to me the shot must have been a surprise with the
goalie expecting the puck to go to the front.
 
The Commentary.
 
Hats off to ESPN and Jack Edwards.  There was a noted lack of inanity.  The
closest it got was the color guy starting to suggest this was the third
longest hockey game ever, but he managed to correct himself to the
Championship game specifically.
 
I believe as John Whelan suggests, we should be writing ESPN with letters of
thanks.  And even if you think some things could be improved (Rhode Island?
What a joke!), lets be super positive.  Make them feel there is a bunch of
people out there who will appreciate their efforts.  Most programs get gobs
of negative comments, few positive.  This is our showcase game, and I am
extremely pleased the public not only got to see a great game, but the
announcers weren't total NHL apologists with no clue about the college game.
I will post an address to ESPN for mail if someone else doesn't.
 
Tom Rowe
 
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