UConn @ #12 UMass Lowell (3/6/20 @ 7:15p)

[The Viking]

It's almost funny how playing at Maine is the worst possible draw. Any other game is an up and back for a fan..

That just means a lot of us will take out our lack of going to games on the TD garden.

 

[Sea Goat]

It is a long ride.
However, the long term weather looks "okay" given it is March in Orono.

 

[Brunoblue]

I was bitching myself as I watched the OT loss in Maine....I saw the same mistake happen last night in the last minute of the Bruins game- it resulted in an empty netter for Tampa.
I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of the Huskies abilities. I’ve been in the arena for 19 Husky games this year, including UML Friday night. Lowell’s goalie was on fire and we had our usual man down problems. We could have won that game, but it’s a stretch to say we should have won. Both teams were fighting for home ice. Shockingly, home team won. I believe the season series ended 1-1-1.
I surely hope they win 2 games in Maine- they’re capable. Let’s hope they’re lucky too!
I’m curious Sea Goat- what do you think their record should be? Where do you think they should have finished in HE.

 

[Sea Goat]

I was bitching myself as I watched the OT loss in Maine....I saw the same mistake happen last night in the last minute of the Bruins game- it resulted in an empty netter for Tampa.
I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of the Huskies abilities. I’ve been in the arena for 19 Husky games this year, including UML Friday night. Lowell’s goalie was on fire and we had our usual man down problems. We could have won that game, but it’s a stretch to say we should have won. Both teams were fighting for home ice. Shockingly, home team won. I believe the season series ended 1-1-1.
I surely hope they win 2 games in Maine- they’re capable. Let’s hope they’re lucky too!
I’m curious Sea Goat- what do you think their record should be? Where do you think they should have finished in HE.

Belaboring the obvious - even 1 more point out of 4 vs. MC or 1 more point out of 4 when you control your destiny as we did vs. UMass and UML and you have home ice. UMass is a good team but they were down personel. (I tell you though we need a second trustworthy goalie - that scenario has paid huge dividends for UMass) We are simply a better team match-up than UML and 2-0-1 or 1-0-2 vs. them would have done it.

BC is ahead of the pack and I didn't expect a point there. I do think we could have played PC more competitively. We matched up well against them IMO. So 27 - 28 points is where I think we should have been without any extraordinary luck. Thus, we should have been a top 4 team IMO.

The boys can do it in Orono, but it will be slog. We can all agree that our PK and PP have to improve. I hope that is the focus for prep this week. In years 1 - 3 or 4, Cavanaugh could expect a pass. This is season 7. It's time for him to put a big notch in his belt and get the team to Boston. I look at that as a big accomplishment, that is overdue. Then what happens in Boston depends how well we play with house money!

 

[The Viking]

I mean they won like 8 out of 9 Hockey East games and then lost two close road games against top teams and people are still pissing on Cavanaugh? I pissed on Cavanaugh after the Merrimack loss (rightly so of course) and then stopped after they put up an AWESOME run that no one expected.

It's OK to give the guy some credit.

Oh wait, see you just won 8 of 9 or whatever and that just proves you're a bad coach cuz you lost to Merrimack before the hot streak!

That's not how this works.

 

[Sea Goat]

I mean they won like 8 out of 9 Hockey East games and then lost two close road games against top teams and people are still pissing on Cavanaugh? I pissed on Cavanaugh after the Merrimack loss (rightly so of course) and then stopped after they put up an AWESOME run that no one expected.

It's OK to give the guy some credit.

Oh wait, see you just won 8 of 9 or whatever and that just proves you're a bad coach cuz you lost to Merrimack before the hot streak!

That's not how this works.

You might find facts are inconvenient.

After the Merrimack debacle, we were 8-6 (8-4 HE).

Expecting a trip to Boston in the 7th year of the doldrums is not asking too much.
Getting to Boston would have been a lot easier playing at the XL this weekend.
But, we have the talent and I am hopeful we get there via Orono.

Re: Cavanaugh, it is fair to question his ability given our failure to even occasionally thrive in the HE playoffs.
You don't need any better example than UMass. They were 2-19-1 in Greg Carvel's first year (2016-17) and they were pretty dreadful before that too. But that team has turned it around fast. A frozen four finalist last year, poised to make another run this year and they are getting healthy at the right moment.

You want specifics - our special teams need a ton of work - that is coaching! The most challenging aspect of coaching is developing a disciplined and effective PK and PP. Cav just hasn't done that. Bottom line - is it too much to ask that we advance to Boston once in his 7 year tenure? I don't think so.

Let's see what happens in Orono. UConn has the horses to do it. Let's hope the boys and Cav step up - it's time...