That stings.

We had them on the ropes.

It was the performance needed but not the result wanted.

Everything is fighting Maine, who gave their all but came away with nothing to show for their gallant effort.

They deserved more, but lady luck had different plans for which direction the puck would bounce on Friday night, which saw the Vermont Catamounts hang on to squeak past the Maine Black Bears 2-1 in a nailbiter on the banks of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.

The Black Bears hoped the calendar turning could put their dismal February behind them, desperate to turn their skid around just in time for the unforgiving Hockey East playoffs.

While it's still the penultimate weekend in Maine's regular season, the importance of the Black Bears' final four games is already pushing into playoff importance. A lot more is at stake than just pairwise rankings and the jockeying for a first-round conference playoff bye with home-ice, but most crucially, the direction and momentum the Black Bears will carry into the do-or-die playoffs. After a February to forget, Maine entered into their clash with the Catamounts in a free fall, trending entirely in the wrong direction after the brightest of starts to their season imaginable.

For the Black Bears to push back against their recent form, they would need to refind the identity that had brought them substantial and significant success earlier in the year.

This identity relies heavily upon outworking, outbattling, and overall out-wanting it more than the opponent.

A hungry bear is the most dangerous type of bear. Maine needs to play as though they are starving.

For Maine to turn a new leaf and attack the remainder of their season with the relentless energy required, they must overcome the mental hurdle that has been building in the past month. It's clear that their results in recent weeks have allowed doubt to slowly creep into the minds of the young Black Bears as the pressure and expectation on them continues to ramp up.

Head Coach Ben Barr called on his team to block out the outside noise, negativity, and questions, which have grown louder than they have all season. Barr, on the pregame Keys to the Game segment, hoped Maine could mentally let their recent struggles go, not allow themselves to dwell and ruminate on things that are in the rearview mirror, but instead move forward.

As Ted Lasso would say, the Black Bears need to think like a goldfish by utilizing a goldfish's instant, short-term memory loss to forget about the recent struggles and attack the remainder of the season with fresh innocence.

To help the Black Bears block out the unhelpful exterior and perhaps interior criticism, Barr challenged Maine to take to the ice, focusing on playing with a love for the game. Hoping that getting back to each member of the team's roots would allow the Black Bears to get back to playing with a pride and edge that can remind them of their team identity. With luck, this shifted perspective could provide the kindling to spark their commitment to completely outfighting the opposition through unmatched heart and desire.

The lineup he selected for the biggest game of the season was mainly unchanged from the week prior. The New Brunswick line was still paired together; the trio of Thomas Freel, Harrison Scott, and Donavan Houle looked to once again bring neverending energy and dynamism; Cole Hanson-centered wingers Ben Poisson and Sully Scholle; and Nolan Renwick was alongside Parker Lindauer and either Anthony Calafiore or Nicholas Niemo who rotated in for each other during the game, competing for ice-time as the fourth line right-wing.

In front of Albin Boija in net, the six defensemen who have regularly found themselves in the lineup were once again tasked with maintaining the backend. These included David Breazeale, Grayson Arnott, Brandon Holt, Brandon Chabrier, Luke Antonacci, and Liam Lesakowski.

One aspect that the Black Bears must get back to excelling in is finishing all of their hits, especially on the forecheck. While making sure to finish a body check behind the play in one particular phase of play doesn't seem to have much effect on the game's proceedings, if a team can relentlessly make sure to finish every hit over the course of an evening, it will have a substantial impact on the contest.

Not only does continually battering the opponents — especially on the opposition's d-men on the breakout or wingers at the point or half-boards — make the other team wary and on edge for the routine body blows they are dealt, thus making them far more likely to rush a pass or lose focus with the puck. But it also physically wears down the opponent, who black and bruised tire quicker. When Maine has been at its best this year, its grinding game is nonstop, mentally and physically suffocating the energy and will of its opponents.

In recent weeks, Maine has started the game with a heavy emphasis on wearing down the opponent through this tireless physical play. Still, they've not been able to maintain it, and therefore, they're not able to reap the rewards of grinding down the opposition to a pulp.

The clash between Black Bears and Catamounts thundered to full pelt immediately from the puck drop. Each side was aggressive on their forecheck, routinely hammering each other into the boards, which rattled loudly, echoing off the barrel-vaulted ceiling of the classic old barn with every crunch.

But while neither side could create a significantly dangerous chance on net in the opening few minutes, a bizarre puck bounce off the boards ricocheted Vermont's way just over five minutes into the game. The Gutterson Fieldhouse's boards got the assist when an innocent-looking Catamount dump-in set up the contest's opening goal. With the puck flipped in, heading around the boards behind Maine's net, Boija went to play the puck behind his net. But before the puck could reach him, it changed course, ricocheting off one of the stanchions holding the glass together, and played perfectly to Vermont's Isak Walther in front of the crease. Boija couldn't recover his positioning as Walther whacked away at the bouncing puck, which slotted off a scrambling Bradly Nadeau's skate and into Maine's net.

The unluckiest of bounces, the cruelest of puck luck. Maine could not catch a break.

The Black Bears showcased impressive mental strength, not allowing the ill-fated goal to squash their motive. With everything positive in their game relying on the success of their forecheck, Maine continued to hound and hurry the Vermont backline.

As almost always is the case, Freel, Breen, and Houle's in-your-face, nuts-and-bolts, workman-style game got the ball rolling for Maine's forecheck success. The trio works so well on the forecheck together, never overcommitting and catching themselves out of position; they have a sixth sense for where each other must be for the forecheck trap to work and flow fluidly. The forecheck can't have all three forwards press with reckless abandonment, but rather, it needs to be a cohesive and well-orchestrated system that spurts to life when a trigger is activated. Like pistons in an engine, the constant pressing, covering, supporting, and pressing again is a vital rhythm of the press that keeps the Maine machine motoring and running smoothly.

Maine's forecheck system, when working at full efficiency, usually looks for the first arriving forechecker to shepherd the puck into the corner or up the boards at the half-wall, where an eagerly awaiting second forward and aggressively pinching defenseman can jump in and win the puck battle. But this zealous strategy can sometimes bite the Black Bears if the winger doesn't win the puck battle or the d-man doesn't time his pinch correctly, leaving Maine exposed and out of position, allowing the opposition open ice to charge into on the rush.

This was when the Catamounts were at their most dangerous Friday. If they could get control of the puck with a head of steam and outnumber the Black Bears in transition, they would be able to generate their best looks on Boija. While the contest started as a defensive grudge match with neither team allowing the other any time or space with the puck, as the physicality ratcheted up, more space was left, and the offensive prowess from both sides increased.

Simply put, Maine didn't win enough of these battles in the first period, as Vermont, too regularly for the Black Bears' liking, could create good scoring opportunities off the rush, including one partial breakaway that Boija bailed out. Not only did this allow Vermont a handful of really dangerous shots, but it allowed the Catamounts to escape the pressure cooker that Maine was hoping would eventually overwhelm them.

The Black Bear forechecking system is a high-risk, high-reward system as it commits a ton of bodies aggressively up ice, leaving plenty of space in behind if the puck doesn't fall their way. But when Maine is able to win the puck back, they create their best scoring opportunities off of it by either getting the puck unstuck from the half-boards or the corner and driving it to the net with directness. Or if the defense collapses in front of their net, Maine is very comfortable in handing it off to their skilled stick-handling defenseman at the point to move the puck around, changing the angle and opening up shooting lanes.

Often too predictable in cycling the puck in recent weeks, it was promising to see Maine work the puck around with speed, precision, and purpose. Looking one-dimensional at times with the puck in the attacking zone in the past month, the Black Bears got back to moving their feet to move around the defense, not solely relying on passing the puck around the perimeter but instead dropping a shoulder and making something happen with their feet. Lynden Breen showcased this excellently during Friday on numerous occasions. After winning the puck back, usually at the half-boards, Breen could showcase his quick feet and change of direction, sending a Catamount pursuer completely out of position with a quick hip fake or stutter step. On top of this, Breen can utilize his balance and core strength to beat Vermont pursuers, spinning off a Catamount check before protecting the puck and driving directly toward the goal, forcing Vermont to commit to him and make a play.

Unfortunately for Maine, this offense was too far and few between in the first period, as they were really never able to hold on to the puck for substantial phases of play.

The second frame continued in a similar ilk, with neither team controlling the majority of the puck nor dictating play. Maine's defense, which has looked shaky in recent weeks, provided a strong showing of themselves Friday night. The blueliners used their physicality to tie up an on-rushing Catamount, allowing a fellow Black Bear to swoop in and scoop up the puck. This was a real difference maker in not allowing Vermont the ability to generate anything much more than potshots at Boija in the second period, who held onto everything thrown his way, refusing to spill the puck for a rebound.

After squeezing the Catamounts off the puck, for the most part, the Black Bears' breakout passes from the d-men were much cleaner and crisper as Maine rarely coughed up the puck in their own zone. But it wasn't the cutting breakout passes that allowed Maine to get up ice repeatedly. Like their forward counterparts, the Black Bears' defensemen rarely dilly-dallied on the puck, looking for a hopeful pass to escape the pressure, but instead took the onus on themselves to make something happen. The d-men were impressive all evening in getting their wheels moving under them and carrying the puck out of their zone, through neutral ice, and into Vermont's end with speed, efficiency, and rarely any errors.

David Breazeale led this charge, showcasing his speed, awareness, and puck control to find an opening and dart through it, carrying his team out of trouble countless times by using his feet. Other d-men, such as Brandon Holt and Grayson Arnott, were also noticeably skilled and comfortable with the puck on their sticks in open ice and a pack of Catamounts hot in pursuit, critically not relinquishing possession in dangerous areas of the ice with the rest of the team out of position.

When Maine was in on the cycle it was also the Black Bear blueliners who impressed in the second. There's been a lot of recent talk about the sheer number of Maine shots being blocked. Opposition teams have found that Maine has trouble finding open shooting lanes to reach the net. Much of this has to do with the Black Bears being too hesitant and stationary with the puck on their sticks. But Friday night saw Maine much improved in moving Vermont's collapsed defensive structure around, opening up shooting lanes or more dangerous passing lanes, and making sure their shots get on net and not frustratingly blocked by the shinpads of the Catamount forwards.

Not only was Maine more mobile and free-flowing on the cycle, but they were much better at not forcing their shots into a pile of Catamount bodies if the look wasn't there. Instead, the Black Bears did an excellent job of choosing to rip the puck wide of the front, where it could bounce back off the boards and basically be a pass to the Maine forwards, who excel down low with the puck.

Yet Maine still sorely lacked the all-important execution of putting the biscuit in the basket as the Black Bears were held scoreless in the second, their fifth period in a row without a goal, by far their longest streak held at bay.

But as the teams emerged for the final frame, a version of Maine we haven't seen this season also appeared. A desperate Maine.

Sure, Maine has picked up their game during the third periods in past weeks, such as in both games at UNH and last Saturday against Northeastern, but both were when the opposition were playing with a large lead and perhaps took their foot off the gas.

This time, the Gutterson Fieldhouse witnessed a truly desperate Maine, fighting furiously for their lives and producing their best all-around period of hockey in months.

The most crucial third period of the season brought out the best in the Black Bears, who skated Vermont ragged.

To a man, every Black Bear outworked and outbattled every single Catamount for the entirety of the third period. The Black Bears wanted it more.

Their heart is their secret weapon, and their desperation sparked it into life.

Maine jumped on the back of Harrison Scott, who led the charge. Looking like a man possessed, he charged through the Catamount ranks like a power-running back with nobody able to slow him down. Scott and his linemates Freel and Houle are not only the team's most physical line but, as of late, have been playing with the most speed and gitty-up in their step. The line took the game by the scruff of the neck, swarming the Catamounts on the forecheck like a swarm of angry bees, pummeling off Vermont puck-handlers from the puck before directly and dynamically throwing everything they had on the net.

The rest of the lines followed suit. The New Brunswick line fought heroically through high hits, elbows, slashes, and other cheapshots to scrap their way to the net. Nolan Renwick led his line's charge, bulldozing the puck free, allowing equally impressive puck-pursers Parker Lindauer and Nicholas Niemo to force Vermont turnovers and create their own grade-a chances.

I thought Niemo had a solid game. As the extra skater, he and Calafiore split time on the ice during the first two periods. But by the third, Niemo was seeing most of the time on the fourth line right-wing. Disappointed to be scratched last Saturday after his showing the night before, which helped lead the Black Bears to victory, Niemo showed great forward drive and the energy of a player refusing to be banished back to the stands. The Vermont native's homecoming display was impressively impactful as his line pushed the envelope further and further.

Maine was all over Vermont who were running around like headless chickens under the immense Black Bear pressure. The forecheck was smothering, the backchecking was dogged, the puck movement was blistering, and the effort and desire was unmatched. Maine laid siege to the Catamount castle, which grew tantalizingly close to breaking with every passing minute and narrowly missing Black Bear's chances.

This was the Maine response we'd all been waiting weeks for. And what a response it was.

The Black Bears knocked and knocked on the Catamount door, turning the screw excruciatingly closer to a Maine breakthrough. But the puck decided to bounce every which way but into the Vermont net, seeming to break the laws of physics on a couple of occasions.

Time and again, the puck squirted through the blue paint of the goal crease, seductively asking for the slightest of Black Bear touches to redirect it into the seemingly increasingly gaping Catamount goal.

A Bradly Nadeau one-timer whistled so fast on the net that nobody knew what happened until the slightest clink of iron belatedly rang out around the Gut. A Sully Scholle two-on-one shot had the traveling Black Bear Faithful prematurely celebrating when the Vermont netminder somehow went post to post to take the puck off the goalline to the disbelief of Black Bear fans everywhere. Maine was even almost handed a similar puck bounce as Vermont's goal from back in the first period when a misbehaved puck squirted off the boards, rolling under the netminder's skates through the crease. But the Catamount goalie, Gabriel Carriere, laid his back on top of the puck, which somehow still never crossed the goal line. Laid on his back, stood on his head, Carriere was immense.

As the third period wore down and Black Bear fans grew increasingly sure that there was a forcefield around the Catamount net, who else by Harrison Scott put the team on his shoulders to square the game all even at one.

Scott took the puck from Boija in Maine's end before picking his head up and getting the rocket boosters in his legs underneath him. Taking the puck north-to-south with speed, Scott raced through the neutral zone before splitting through three different Catamount defensemen, getting himself between the faceoff dot and the goalline before ripping a twine-seeking missile past Carrierre and sending a rapturous roar to explode from Maine's bench. A solo goal of the highest quality finally gave the Black Bears what they deserved.

But the Black Bears weren't done. They sniffed blood; Vermont was there for the taking, and Maine only pushed down harder on the gas pedal.

Maine continued to suffocate the Catamounts, who were cracking under the sheer pressure the Black Bears were putting them under. With about ten minutes still to play in the third, it was looking increasingly likely that Maine was to soon secure the go-ahead goal.

Vermont was hanging on by a thread.

But then calamity.

A broken-down Black Bear offensive move caught Maine out of position. Scrambling back to cover the Vermont rush, Maine's big freshman d-man Liam Lesakowski sprawled out to try and negate a centering pass. But Lesakowski got his stick blade tangled in a Catamount skate, sending the Vermont player toppling to the ice. The Catamount was still able to throw the puck onto the net where the awaiting stick of UVM's Chris Theodore was crashing at the back post, slotting the puck past Boija, who was bowled over by a teammate who lost an edge as the puck nestled in his net.

The Black Bears had the Catamounts on the ropes. Not only did this goal hand Vermont the lead back, but it also sent Lesakowski to the sin bin and halted the Maine momentum, which was looking unstoppable up until this point.

Killer. Absolutely killer. Maine had Vermont right where they wanted them.

After the Black Bears killed off Lesakowski's penalty, Maine would continue to skate circles around Vermont, throwing the kitchen sink and then some on the Catamount net.

But on a night where the puck seemed to bounce every which way but in favor of Maine, the Black Bears would continue to narrowly miss out on their chances as time ran out.

The Black Bears deserved all three points but came away with none.

Maine outplayed Vermont in every aspect of the game, especially in the third period, except for the most crucial of all. Execution.

Their goaltender executed better in front of his net and the Catamounts executed better in front of Maine's, making the Black Bears pay for one of their only mistakes of the night.

The puck cruelly bounced UVM's way all night as the Black Bears seem to never be able to catch a break of late.

I hope they keep their chins up. They gave their absolute all. They gave everything they had. They gave more than they had. It's going to come for them; it has to.

They were outstanding in the third but came away with nothing to show for it.

They played desperate and turned their play up a notch in the third period. If they can carry that into tomorrow, surely they will come out on top, right?

But this loss is so deflating that it won't be easy to bounce back from.

But they have to bounce back. No two ways about it. Suddenly, Saturday night, March 2nd, 2024, in Burlington, Vermont, becomes the biggest game of the season and an absolute must-win.

Can Maine finally stay consistent and play to their third-period ability for an entire sixty minutes?

There's so much to be proud of from Friday's performance, but how will it translate into a must-win Game Two?

Saturday night is going to be a turning point in the season one way or another. It could break this team, or it could make this team.