Offense, power-play woes plagued Bears

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Defense wins championships. But timely offense is just as important. This is particularly true in hockey.

You don’t reach the Frozen Four without top-notch goaltending, a commitment to team defense and goals at crucial times.

The University of Maine’s overachieving hockey team received the first two ingredients in its 1-0 loss to Denver in Saturday night’s championship game.

Obviously, the Bears didn’t receive the third. They played well enough to win. They just didn’t. You don’t score, you don’t win.

Simple as that.

I’m sure Boston University, UMass, Wisconsin and Boston College felt they played well enough to beat Maine in the Hockey East (BU, UMass) and NCAA (Wisconsin, Boston College) tournaments.

That’s because they did. BC outshot Maine 41-18. The Eagles deserved to win. But Maine outplayed BC in one position and it is the most important position on the ice: goaltender (Jimmy Howard).

And Harvard was running Maine out of the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y., in their NCAA Eastern Regional semifinal, 4-1 after two periods. But the Bears rallied like no other Maine team ever has in postseason play, scoring four third-period goals to win 5-4.

Maine had two distinct advantages entering Saturday’s final: somewhat of a home-ice advantage and the fact Denver’s third-leading scorer, Lukas Dora, had been suspended the previous night for violating team rules. It was Maine’s fourth game at the FleetCenter and Denver’s second.

From an entertainment standpoint, it wasn’t easy on the eyes. It may have been one of the most boring NCAA title games in recent memory. It was like watching an NHL regular- season game.

But each coaching staff has been able to sell their players on the importance of thorough, in-your-face defense. The players put the team goals ahead of their individual aspirations.

The game was very similar to Maine’s only home loss, 1-0, to UMass on Jan. 17. The Bears surrendered a first-period power-play goal and UMass used the neutral-zone trap to frustrate them and neutralize their speed.

That is exactly what Denver did. It wasn’t pretty. It ruined the flow of the game.

But it worked.

Maine has also used the trap effectively this season and that was particularly evident against BC.

There was also a similarity to Maine’s 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota in the 2002 NCAA title game. Both games featured dramatics in the last two minutes of regulation.

Minnesota tied the game in the last minute and, in the last two minutes of the Denver game, Maine squandered a 5-on-3 that turned into a 6-on-3 when Howard was pulled in favor of the extra attacker.

In Maine’s last five NCAA Tournament losses, the Bears have scored only five goals.

Maine is 1-for-24 on the power play in those season-ending NCAA losses while the opponents are 7-for-26 with four of the five game-winning goals coming on the power play.

The power play went 1-for-22 in the NCAA tournament. The players were too predictable and didn’t move the puck quickly enough.

In my 31 years covering sports, I have been in numerous locker rooms after a heart-breaking, season-ending loss. But the Maine locker room Saturday may have been the most somber. There was a feeling of total disbelief and devastation.

The underclassmen wanted desperately to win for the seniors (Todd Jackson, Colin Shields, Prestin Ryan, Frank Doyle and Cam Lyall).

The Bear players handled the loss with class, praising the Pioneers for their grit and willingness to block shots in front of standout goalie Adam Berkhoel.

They didn’t complain about Derek Damon’s disallowed goal when Mike Hamilton’s skate was in the crease.

It was the right call. It’s just a bad rule. If a player is in the crease but doesn’t impact the play, the goal should be allowed.

Don’t be surprised if the rule is changed.

Coach George Gwozdecky and his players successfully took the partisan Maine crowd out of the game with their style of play. That was important.

BU, UMass, Harvard, Wisconsin and BC generated more scoring chances against Maine than Denver did.

Deep down, the Maine players know it was a game they should have won. Some may even feel BU, UMass, Harvard, Wisconsin and BC were better than Denver.

I did.

But, remember, the line juggling caused by Dora’s suspension may have significantly damaged Denver’s offensive continuity. Just one line remained intact from Thursday’s lineup against Minnesota-Duluth.

Denver impressively compensated for Dora’s loss and gave Maine a taste of its own medicine: winning with goaltending and defense.

Maine has been to four Frozen Fours in the last six years. They should be in the hunt for a fifth appearance next year especially if Howard returns. The game is over. It is a part of history.

The seniors can hold their heads high. Minnesota and Maine are the only two programs to play in two NCAA championship games over the past three seasons.

This team’s 33 wins were probably seven or eight more than anyone expected. They just need to keep getting to the championship game because, eventually, they’ll win one.