Weekend Preview Vs Providence

The Alfond is set to drop the puck on a massive, top-ten matchup with the Friars.

The games aren't getting any easier, are they?

The Maine Black Bears are set to drop the puck this weekend on a massively important series against the Providence College Friars in a top-ten clash at Fortress Alfond.

Having resiliently battled back to a shutout victory in Amherst twenty-four hours after a stunning third-period loss to Northeastern, the Black Bears will be glad to return home to the friendly confines of Alfond Arena. Where what awaits them is yet another gigantic pair of Hockey East tilts this time against a red-hot Providence team on the top of their game. A Friar's side which perfectly possesses all the qualities to hurt Maine.

The Black Bears will once again be tasked against a physical, grinding team, one that will look to batter the Black Bears and crash the Alfond's party through their suffocating, in-your-face, defensively stingy play style. This type of game plan has hampered Maine's free-scoring offense in recent weeks, with the likes of Colgate, UConn, and UMass-Lowell all slowing down the Black Bears' offense to varying degrees of success.

But the most significant difference between these teams and Providence is that the Friars are in the elite-echelon bracket of College Hockey. Utilizing their mix of hard work and top-shelf talent, the Friars have catapulted themselves into a #10 ranking in the polls and #10 in the pairwise. In conference terms, the Friars pose the biggest threat to overtaking Maine's third place in the Hockey East standings, just two points behind the Back Bears.

Providence is a whole other kettle of fish.

Boasting the fourth-best Goals Against Average in the country (2.24 GAA), defensive success is nothing new for Friars' Head Coach Nate Leaman.

Entering his thirteenth season behind the bench for Providence, Leaman has plenty of connections to Maine. Not only was Leamen's first coaching gig in College Hockey part of Shawn Walsh's 1999 National Championship coaching staff, the year prior to winning the Natty with Maine, Leamen coached up the road for Old Town High School's hockey team.

Before taking over for Providence, Leaman turned around Union's program, where his eight seasons in charge of the Dutchmen (2003-11) paved the way for Union's first National Championship in 2014. Leaman's time at Union also saw the program shepard in one of College Hockey's up-and-coming young coaches in a certain Mr. Ben Barr, who was given his first full-time collegiate coaching job by Leaman.

Fast forward to over two decades later. Leaman has built Providence into one of College Hockey's most consistent programs and perennial hardware contenders, highlighted by bringing the school's first National Championship back to Rhode Island in 2015.

The Friars are the real deal and excel in every aspect the Black Bears have shown they can struggle against. Maine will have to be at the top of their game if they are to protect their unbeaten record on home ice.

Not only are the Friars extremely solid at the back, with goaltender Phillip Svedback having an impressive sophomore campaign that has already seen him total four shutouts, fifteen wins, and a 2.16 GAA, but Providence also has a plethora of attacking depth at their mercy.

Known for their high-end depth, Providence excels at rolling four lines of hard-working scoring talent to wear down and overwhelm their opposition. Able to score with a vast pool of talent through impressive and detailed net-front-presence play, the Friars have been red-hot of late, winning six of their last nine games since returning from Christmas Break.

Leading the scoring for the Friars is #12 Nick Poisson, the younger brother of Maine's forward Ben; #19 Tanner Adams; and #17 Chase Yoder, who will all have to be stymied for the Black Bears to succeed.

As heavy and physical a team as you will find, Providence brings a direct, crash-and-bang style of game, which has been terrific on the road this season. Away from home, the Friars have gotten the better of some of the nation's best in Michigan, Boston College, Arizona State, and UConn.

The Friars know how to win on the road and hope to not be phased by the Alfond's usual raucous atmosphere that can shrink even the best of opposition. Providence will be looking for a better trip to Orono after being swept by the Black Bears this time last season.

Leaman and the Friars have been pulling out all the stops to make sure they'll be ready for the trip to the always boisterous home of the Black Bears, practicing all week with crowd noise piped in, hoping to get used to and not overwhelmed by the Alfond's antics.

But there's no substitution for the real thing, and while there is little to no separation between the two teams on the ice, the Alfond Faithful will have to make sure that they are the Black Bears' biggest advantage, not only shriveling the opposition but building up the Bears.

Maine will need their sixth man in full-throated roar to shake the Friars in their skates and tilt the ice in favor of the Black Bears.

But while the Mainiaks will be called upon to provide thunderous, overwhelming noise, the Black Bears on the ice must stay even-keeled and not allow the game's heightened intensity to overwhelm their emotions. Providence, being the highly talented team they are, will have their moments on top, but the Black Bears must keep their composure during the ebbs-and-flows of the weekend, not getting too high during good moments and burning out one's energy and not getting too down on themselves if and when Providence have their moments of dominance.

Maine will make mistakes this weekend, but it's up to the following phases of play directly after a mistake that will be vital in determining the weekend's outcome. The Black Bears can't let one mistake turn into another and then another. As compounding errors would surely kill off any momentum scrounged and allow Providence to quickly take the game away from Maine.

On top of this, for Maine to succeed against an elite Providence team that won't make many mistakes and beat themselves, the Black Bears must match the Friars' physicality.

The Friars will hit everything that moves.

Because of this, it will be vital for the Black Bears to match this physicality, whether it be finishing hits in the corners or establishing themselves in front of Providence's net. The Black Bears can't shy away from the boxing match that is sure to ensue. Maine will have to take plenty of punches on the chin, returning their fair share as well.

But it won't be all about brawn for the Black Bears; speed will be equally important. Barr mentioned on the Black Bear Coaches Show that Maine must be physically and mentally quicker, knowing that faster decision-making will be vital when facing a physical team like Providence, who will want to use their physicality to get on top of Maine. Prophesying that the Friars will forecheck aggressively, Barr wants his team to make faster decisions with the puck on the breakout, in the neutral zone on the regroup, and on the backcheck during the transitions.

Not only must Maine match Providence's hitting game and tight-defensive effort, but the Black Bears must also get the best out of all of their players, which Providence also excels at. Strength in depth will be key in determining which team can outlast the other in what is to be a colossal clash. Every Black Bear in the lineup will need to be at the top of his game. It's all hands on deck.

Finally, the last key to determining who comes out on top in the tight affair will be dictated by which team can execute in front of each other's net more efficiently. The Friars won't give the Black Bears any time or space on the puck, limiting the ice and forcing Maine to take what they are given. The Black Bears must utilize their everlasting work effort to grind away at the Friars' defense and win their battles down-low before getting pucks and men to the net, in which Maine must capitalize on the rare chances they are able to generate. Playing this simple style of hard-nosed hockey will hopefully chip away at Providence's defensive structure and open up more passing lanes, leading to better-scoring chances.

Execution in front of the net goes both ways. Maine's goaltender will need to be on the top of his game to give his team a stable platform from which to build. While Victor Ostman does possess a strong 2.67 GAA this season, in his last four starts, he has allowed an uncharacteristic fourteen goals. While Ostman looks to be fighting with every puck thrown his way, fellow Swede Albin Boija has been terrific in between the pipes for the Black Bears of late. Boija hasn't allowed more than two goals in any of his seven appearances this year and leads the nation with a 1.33 GAA and 93.98% Save Percentage in his limited sample size.

The Black Bears, who have established a practice-like-you-play culture, will most likely put their trust in whichever goaltender had the better week of practice. This goes for the entire lineup as well. While the lineup has seen plenty of rotation in and out in recent weeks, the healthy competition for the limited lineup spots makes sure to get the best out of everyone on the team, knowing that one must be on top of their game if they are to deserve a spot in the lineup. There are plenty of hungry Black Bears not dressing breathing down their neck.

The Friars may very likely be the second-best team to visit the Alfond this year after BC was steamrolled by Black Bear Nation earlier on. The Black Bears will need every Mainiak to be on top of their game in order to keep Maine's unbeaten record alive at Alfond Arena.

We must keep the ice shaking and the roof pulsating for the entirety of the weekend; it's the least we can do for these Black Bears, who have already given us so much this season.

One of the Black Bears' biggest tests of the season.

Shout 'til the rafters ring.

Protect Fortress Alfond from the invaders.