Weekend Preview Vs Northeastern

The Black Bears look to halt their losing skid, welcoming the red-hot Northeastern Huskies to Orono for a pivotal weekend.

Time to Bear down.

After being thoroughly put through the washing machine in last weekend's sweep by New Hampshire, the Maine Black Bears look to iron out their wrinkles and snap their season-high three-game losing skid.

Standing in Maine's way is one of the nation's hottest teams, the howling Northeastern Huskies, who make the trip to Orono high on confidence after turning around their early-season woes.

The Huskies have enjoyed a surging second semester, winning seven of their last eight. This hot streak not only includes a dramatic third-period comeback against the Black Bears three weeks ago at Matthews Arena but also a momentous Beanpot Championship victory, soaring Northeastern into the national conversation. Coming out on top in overtime in both the semifinal against Harvard and in the championship game over #2 Boston University, their second over-heated Beantown rivals this month, Northeastern may be the most in-form side in the nation.

Everything is sailing smoothly for Northeastern at the moment.

The same cannot be said for the Black Bears, who have begun to tumble and stumble down the stretch. After winning just six of their last twelve, the Black Bears have dropped to #7 in the Pairwise rankings and #9 in USCHO's poll.

Two teams going in opposite directions with the playoffs looming on the horizon. A pivotal weekend.

Although last weekend's sweep at the hands of bitter rivals UNH is disappointing, to say the least, it's not time to sound the alarm bells. Not yet, at least.

After shocking the nation with their best start to a season in over a decade, the rest of the league has placed an unfamiliar target on the Black Bears' backs, who've looked to be struggling in the pressure cooker that is the playoff push in Hockey East.

A lack of composure under the weight of pressure has been a central theme in Maine's recent woes.

Whether it be a lack of poise with the puck, leading to unforced errors or a scarcity of discipline, the Black Bears have been their own worst enemies. A plague of penalties, including two five-minute majors last Saturday against UNH and one against these Northeastern Huskies, have been killers for Maine. Not only has the sudden man disadvantage instantly halted any Maine momentum in its tracks, but it has also given the opponents a foot back into the game. The opposition has taken advantage of Maine's lack of discipline, scoring seven goals against the Black Bear penalty kill in February alone.

The Black Bears, whose roster consists of nineteen freshmen or sophomores and only nine upperclassmen, are not only young but inexperienced in dealing with the gauntlet that is the Hockey East stretch run.

As every passing game rises in importance, the margins for error diminish significantly, with every opponent ruthlessly able to take advantage of any mistakes.

No longer the scrappy underdogs that were picked by the conference coaches to finish ninth in league standings, the Black Bears are one of the teams to beat, getting every opponent's best performance night in and night out. No room to hide.

Maine looks to be feeling the pressure.

Not only did a lack of composure and discipline hinder the Black Bears in Durham, NH, last weekend, but Maine looks to be skating with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Overthinking every move, lacking confidence, and voiding creativity, everything seems to be going against the Black Bears lately.

To get the Black Bears' train back on track, Head Coach Ben Barr called on a complete team effort from everyone in their lineup. Maine cannot rely on their top scorers bailing them out to win games, as they have gone cold. Lynden Breen hasn't scored in twelve games, while Bradly Nadeau hasn't lit the lamp in the past nine. If the rest of the Black Bears roster can contribute, it will take the scoring pressure off Maine's stars, and the floodgates will soon open.

The Black Bears need all hands on deck if they are to steer the ship in the right direction.

Minimizing pressure seemed to be a theme in Barr's Keys to the Weekend. Lacking the same fluidity and dynamism that overpowered teams earlier in the season, Barr challenged his team to take this paralyzing pressure off of themselves by clearing their heads and playing loose.

Easier said than done. Barr explained that a return to basics would be essential for the Bears to break out of their slump. For the past few weeks, Maine has looked devoid of ideas, gripping their sticks too hard and trying to force the play when it may not be there. Barr acknowledged that much of this may have to do with the pressure his coaching staff has put on the young team, wanting to push the envelope in search of ever-elusive perfection. Instead, this may have backfired, overcomplicating things and tangling themselves up.

Offensively, Barr specified that Maine must get away from trying to stick-handle and pass their way through trouble. Instead, he wants the Black Bears to return to the basics, creating offense by keeping their feet moving on the breakout and forecheck, driving toward the net, and taking the simple plays the opponent gives them, not trying to force a play that's not there. Kept on the perimeter too much recently; Maine must get back to crashing the net, re-establishing themselves in the greasy areas, and overall being more difficult to play against.

A similar return to basics will be vital on the other side of the puck. Simple details such as staying on the right side of the puck, finishing their hits, and all-in-all taking better care of the puck will be crucial against a team like Northeastern, who is as skilled and quick as they come, able to hurt Maine through their exceptional transition play.

Maine needs to get back to its underdog mentality, which proved so successful in the fall. Having been outhit and ground down by the past few opponents they faced, the Black Bears need to reverse this trend and return to embracing the in-your-face, overbearing, and grinding style of play that brought them so much success earlier this year.

The Black Bears have already seen what works against Northeastern and what doesn't in their 6-3 loss on February 2nd. In that game, it was the Black Bears' bruising forecheck that started Maine on the right foot. The Huskies, blessed with skill and speed, don't like to get hit. If the Black Bears can wear down Northeastern with a grinding, relentless, choking forecheck, Maine won't allow the Huskies the freedom and open ice to take advantage of, significantly reducing Northeastern's offensive capacity.

Similarly, the Black Bears have to utilize an 'offense is the best form of defense' mindset. For the past two weekends and earlier against Northeastern, Maine has given themselves plenty of problems through poor puck management. They’ve allowed the opposition to see too much of the puck, which has overwhelmed the Black Bears' defense. Maine must work to keep the puck on their sticks and away from the tape of the Huskies' elite attackers, who are sure to pick apart the Black Bear defense if given too much time in possession.

Maine cannot keep handing their opponents golden opportunities on a silver platter.

The Huskies' embarrassment in attacking riches is led by the silky skilled Hryzcowian brothers #29 Justin and #13 Dylan, Biddeford's own #15 Jack Williams, and #27 Alex Campbell. Another Husky to watch out for is the red-hot #11 Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who not only possesses the best name in college hockey but was the scorer in both of Northeastern's overtime Beanpot victories. Freshman goaltender #39 Cameron Whitehead may be one of the hottest netminders in the country. Whitehead is currently tenth in saves made this season (783) and will be a tough nut to crack.

The most apparent improvement the Black Bears will need to change their fortunes is to stay out of the penalty box and not let Northeastern's elite power play unit pick them apart. The last time these two sides faced off, a Ben Poisson five-minute major culminated in the Huskies blitzing the Black Bears with three quick-fire goals before Maine could blink an eye.

The Black Bears' heads must stay cool, calm, and composed. Focused on not allowing the game to spiral viciously out of control again.

Maine looks to turn the difficult situation into a positive one. Hoping that last week's embarrassment was rock-bottom, it could enable the Black Bears to bounce back better than ever.

All in all, the Black Bears need positivity to get them through this rough patch. Positivity from the coaches, positivity from each other, and positivity from the Alfond Faithful.

There cannot be any groans from the crowd if a pass is misplayed or a mistake is made; it won't help anything. Instead, the back-to-back sold-out crowds must show up loud and proud, brimming with positivity, support, and love for the team that has given us so much this season.

It's easier being a basement dweller, isn't it? Not every game feels like the most important of the season, and the stresses and margins feel much more relaxed.

But this is what we live for. This is what we wanted.

Countless other teams would give everything to be in our position.

This is supposed to be fun; let's go out and have the time of our lives.

What's the worst that can happen?