Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
MILWAUKEE – In the week leading up to the Frozen Four, every player on the University of Maine men’s hockey team talked about doing something “special.”
All that seemed appropriate, since it was stellar special teams that had propelled the Black Bears to college hockey’s biggest stage, the Frozen Four. But in the end, the third best power play in the nation and No. 1 penalty kill all but abandoned UMaine.
The Wisconsin Badgers completed a special teams hat trick- netting power-play and shorthanded goals and shutting out a potent UMaine power play – en route to a 5-2 victory in the National Semifinals at the Bradley Center Thursday night.
“It [special teams] is probably the only reason we’re here, able to get to the Frozen Four,” said UMaine coach Tim Whitehead. “It’s a bit ironic that that’s what cost us tonight.”
Perhaps the deepest cut was Ross Carlson’s shorthanded goal that broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period. Rule No. 1 for winning a game on hostile ice is not allowing a shortie, but as it did all season, the power play giveth and the power play taketh away.
“We lived on the edge on the power play. We give our guys the freedom to make plays under pressure and sometimes it bites us,” Whitehead said.
“It meant a lot for us to get that shorthanded goal and keep rolling,” said Carlson.
UMaine’s power play was drastically improved this season, operating at 21.9 percent as opposed to a dismal 16 percent the last two years. Much of that success, though, came from employing four forwards on the top two units. The lack of a second defender, in part, led to 12 shorthanded goals that always seemed to come at the worst times: in the Frozen Four, in the Hockey East Semifinals against Boston College, and in pivotal regular season games against New Hampshire, Providence and Boston University.
“We had trouble recognizing some situations. The puck would be at the blue line and we wouldn’t have enough guys back to protect the net,” said freshman goalie Ben Bishop.
That high-risk, high-reward strategy didn’t pay off Thursday, as the Black Bears went 0-7 with the man advantage. They succumbed to tenacious Wisconsin penalty killers who amazingly never allowed a goal in the postseason. Going back to the WCHA tournament, the Badgers’ penalty kill was a perfect 36-for-36.
“Specialty teams are so huge in college hockey. Our forwards are doing an awesome job on the penalty kill, throwing a monkey wrench into their breakout. It’s huge,” said Badger defenseman Tom Gilbert.
UMaine’s power play was off balance throughout the night. Wisconsin never allowed them to establish a rhythm or a flow, and scarcely conceded as much as letting the Black Bears set up in the offensive zone.
“They held the neutral zone so we had a tough time carrying the puck into the zone,” explained UMaine captain Greg Moore. “We had to dump it in, and they were anticipating that and beating us to the puck.”
Whitehead felt that the sheer number of power-play opportunities and how closely they came together may have worked against his Black Bears.
“It seemed like every time we got one, the top unit was tired. Towards the end I almost didn’t want the power play. It was bizarre,” he said.
When UMaine was able to get some semblance of flow, Wisconsin took away the points and perhaps Maine’s most dangerous weapon, Michel Leveille.
“They pressured pretty good up high and took Levs’ shot away there,” said junior Keith Johnson.
It was that pressure at the point that led to Carlson’s goal, as he stole a loose puck from Leveille near the blue line and streaked down ice, making a nifty move around sophomore defenseman Bret Tyler before burying it between Bishop’s legs.
“We definitely had our chances, but Elliott’s a good goalie and he made big stops,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to give credit to Wisconsin, they prepared well for us.”
Adding insult to injury, Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Robbie Earl cracked UMaine’s typically air-tight penalty killers with a powerplay tally just a few minutes after Carlson’s shorthanded score. Though the Badgers were only 1-6 on the night, Earl’s 22nd of the season made it 3-1 and parked momentum on Wisconsin’s side for good.
Coming into the game, logic dictated that if the Black Bears drew seven power-play opportunities, they’d probably win. Out on the ice, it was a different story as that which had carried them all season was nowhere to be found.
On just one night, they were unable to execute on special teams and that’s what cost the 2005-06 incarnation of UMaine hockey the chance to do something truly special.
