Bishop’s absence hurt Bears

It’s hard to fathom that a team which started 8-0-1, including two wins at North Dakota and a victory over Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., could face the predicament the University of Maine hockey team finds itself in.

The Black Bears appeared headed for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament and now they must get help to earn a ninth consecutive NCAA bid.

Going 13-14-1 the rest of the way with six losses in its last eight games, including four straight to Massachusetts, has caused the uncertainty.

Sometimes a fast start and a No. 1 ranking can create a false sense of invincibility.

You get into a comfort zone and feel no matter what happens during a game, you’ll find a way to scratch out a win.

Your work ethic drops off. You don’t win as many one-on-one battles as you did in your first nine games when you were trying to get established as a legitimate national contender.

You don’t consistently finish your checks.

You don’t pay as much attention to detail and you get burned because of it.

But the groin injuries suffered by starting goalie Ben Bishop have been the main reason this team is in a jam.

Bishop has had his ups and downs but he is still tied for 10th in the nation in goals-against average (2.15) and tied for 13th in save percentage (.921).

Backup Dave Wilson never anticipated seeing much playing time and he was pressed into service in a difficult situation.

Wilson has played admirably. He helped carve out two critical home wins over Vermont that could land them in the NCAA Tournament. He made 63 saves on 64 shots and was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Week.

His teammates, to a man, will tell you he has given them a chance to win every game he has started. That’s all they could ask of him.

He has done his job and they admire him for it. He has become a useful backup.

But you need exemplary goaltending against the league’s best teams and he’s just not there yet.

Maine played extremely well in the last three UMass games, outshooting the Minutemen 112-75. But whenever you play an NCAA Tournament-caliber team, you will have breakdowns and your opponent is going to generate scoring chances.

That’s when your goalie has to make critical saves.

He has made some terrific stops, including a breakaway and a penalty shot, but has allowed some goals that he should have stopped.

Soft goals can kill you, especially if you’re facing a hot goalie and a defense-minded team like goaltender Jon Quick and his Minutemen.

And Maine scored only three even-strength goals in the four UMass games. The other five came on the power play.

When Bishop is at his best, he can steal games.

When he limits his movement and allows his 6-foot-7 body to absorb the puck, he’s tough to beat and an imposing figure between the pipes.

His ability to play the puck makes him invaluable. He’s like a third defenseman who is very helpful on the breakout.

If Maine stumbles into the tournament, Bishop is expected to return. He will be rusty but his return will give the team a boost.

That still doesn’t guarantee success. There have been enough dreary performances to leave plenty of doubt.

But you won’t find many top seeds who will want to play them.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.