UNH Update

Well its been a couple of weeks since I did a blog entry about the UNH hockey team. The last time I wrote was after an ugly lost at home to Northeastern. Since then the Cats have been up and down. They are 2-1-1 since then. They had another ugly home lost to Northeastern, a tie to Lowell, a good home win against Boston College, and a overtime win at Providence. The tie against Lowell was a hard fought game that Lowell was able to pull the tie out with some great goaltending by Lowell goalie Carter Hutton. The Cats came out flying but got bogged in the second and third, and were lucky to walk out with a point. The next night was a 5-2 home win against BC, have to say I did not get to see any of this game, but did read the Cats did play a solid all around game. Then another lost to Northeastern last Friday night, that was just an ugly game for the Cats, who came out good, but after the first 10 minutes it was pretty much all the Huskies, the low life would be the short handed goal scored by NU in the last minute of the 2nd period. The Cats did bounce back with a solid 5-4 OT winner down in Providence last Saturday. I did listen to this game on the radio and did like what I hear. Except for a few break downs in the 3rd this game would have been a walk for the Cats. Coach Umile did change up the lines for the first time this year for this game. The big winner was the new line of James Van Reinsdykde- Thomas Fortney- Paul Thompson. This new line counted for all 5 of the goals with Thompson having a hand in all of them (3 goals, 2 assist)
So what can we make of the Cats after 9 games? Well to me this is not a team that found its identity yet. The team has had game were it offense was totally clicking, and games were the defense was really on. But there has been no consistence in either one of these fields. The new changes in the lines has really seemed to added some energy to some of the guys. Have to say so far the unsung hero and MVP of the team would be Freshman Paul Thompson, this kid has come in with little fanfare and had added some energy to the team, and he has greatly deserved his move up from the 4th line to play with Fortney and JVR. Thompson is turning into a fan favorite very quickly. I have read many people complain about JVR’s play, and call him lazy. I don’t see it that way, he does skate around effortlessly which can look lazy. I would like to see him play with a little more of the chip on his shoulder that he did in the first 2 weeks. When he does that he is by far the best player on the ice, and seems to fire up his teammates. I am hoping Fortney and Thompson help him bring that back. Now need some of the other forwards to step there game up. Radja needs to start going to the net the way he was last year. Lablanc has played well this year, but Pollastrone had not skated as hard as he did last year, but have a feeling that will change very soon. Another freshman who has proven something to me is Dan Dries, he has shown to be a solid player and will be a grinder in years to come, he came in with even less fanfare then Thompson, and has earned his spot in the line up. On the blue line Craig Switzer is still playing below were he should be. He has made way to many mental errors that a senior should make. Brad Flashians has really stepped up his play so far and with Thompson is probably one of the most valuable guys on the ice. The rest of the defense has been inconsistent so far, with some of the guys having great games, and some bad games. In net Regan has been all right, but he has shown that as the year goes along he gets stronger, so really have no worry there. Brian Foster has played a few games and been a solid back up, and will get more time as the year goes along. The main concern for the Cats right now has to be the power play, or lack of power play. They have down right awful on the PP so far. They have not been able to find the right combo on the PP so far. On the penalty kill they have been pretty solid, they have probably 3 of the best penalty killers in hockey east with Fortney, Greg Collins, and Radja. With the inconsistency the Cats have had this year, they are still only 2 points out of first in a very odd year in Hockey East, with a game in hand. Hockey East will go right down to the wire this year, and who knows what it will look like in March, who would have thought that Maine would lose 4 in a raw, 2 at home to Providence and 2 down at Merrimack. Is there a reason to panic? Hell no, take a look at last years team that was the hottest team in the country at this time, and stumbled down the stretch. I think it will take a few more weeks for the team to find its identity. January will be a telling month for the Cats. With 6 out of the 7 games that month being Hockey East games, will show what the Cats are made of going down the stretch and into the playoffs. If taking time to establish what this team is leads to a long playoff run, then I will take some losses in November. I still believe that this can be the case and this team has the talent to do just that. After all no one has Michigan State being one of the top teams last November, and they turned out just fine.

What's on Q's mind today

Those Iphone commercials are just plan stupid! Like the Iphone is going to have a better weather system them air traffic control. Get over yourself, you are not the best invention ever, and the guy who says that someone never knew that he didn't know there name he had to look it up on web site, well idiot you just did a commercial saying, like a little realism involved.
· NFL on NBC pre game show, you are a football show not an environmental show, I don't want to hear all about NBC big week of green crap, I want to hear about football.
· On that same note, what is the "carbon footprint" of sending people all around to show what is being done to the environment? Am I the only one who finds a lot of hypocrisy in that?
· Which leads me to "carbon offsets" now this has to be biggest scam going, here you feel guilty give me money to plant a tree for your guilt. Anyone who buys into this is nothing but a sucker. Just upset I didn't think of this first. I have no problem benefiting from a bunch of stupid people guilt.
· Living in New England all of my life and going through a lot of cold snowy winters I saw bring on that global warming, it can't get here fast enough!
· Why are all the democratic candidates for President so afraid of Hillary? If you want to be leader of the most powerful country in the world, need to have some balls and stand up and show why you should be elected and not someone else.
· Why aren't you watching "Friday Night Lights"?
· Is it me, or has ESPN just gotten worst and worst over the last couple of years?
· To the groups protesting BET and MTV for the violent and sexual content in rap videos, how about going after the artists who actually make the videos? That is were you should start your crusade. If there were none of those video then there would be none on TV. I know heaven forbid we have any personal responsibility
· Why don't we wait till the season is over to say the Patriots are the best team ever! It has been 9 games. I have seen teams go further then this undefeated and not win everything. They are a great team, but let's wait and see what happens. Patriots fans should know anything can happen in the playoffs, remember 01 when no one thought the Rams could lose?
· Am the only who thinks "Saturday Night Live" sucks now? How about trying something different, like being funny?
· I have given this some thought, and this year is actually a good reason why not to have a college football playoffs. Every week has had games are turning out to be very vital to the national championship picture. If you had a playoff, these games would not have the significance they have now.
· Matt Ryan is showing to be highly overrated. He is a lot like Brady Quinn, all hype and can put up big numbers against lesser opponents.
· Charlie Weiss is proving not to be the great head coach as everyone thought. He has a worst record then Ty Willingham had at this point, and Willingham was fired after his 3rd year, and Weiss is in his 3rd year? Think Weiss will be fired? No he won't after signing a 10 year contract. So why does Weiss get the pass that Willingham didn't? This is going to be one of Norte Dame's worst years ever, and it's not going to get any better any time soon.
· Whose bright idea was it to be in charge of a safety team?
· I love the NHL Networks nightly "on the fly" show, it is like a Sportcenter but it all hockey with live look in at games going on.