We continue to ascend up last year’s leaderboard in our Hockey East previews, looking now at the Maine Black Bears.

Last season: 17-12-7 (14-8-5 Hockey East), finished 5th. Eliminated in Hockey East quarterfinal by Merrimack.

What happened: Maine came out of the gate as one of the teams to beat, and looked especially strong in a weekend sweep of North Dakota last October. By Thanksgiving, they had just three losses, coming at the hands of Michigan State and Boston College (on the road at Conte Forum). Then, things began to get a bit wobbly. The team dealt with injury trouble all season long, and a 7-1 loss to Merrimack after the winter break was a warning sign. Maine seemed to have all the pieces they needed to contend for home ice, but was not extraordinarily good in one area. While the Black Bears went on a late winning streak to rise to fifth in the standings, they benefitted from a relatively easy schedule to end the season and were promptly swept on the road by an unstoppable Merrimack squad in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Key Losses:

• Gustav Nyquist (F): One of the most dynamic players in the league, a constant threat not only for his shot but for his athleticism and playmaking ability, Nyquist was recalled by the Detroit Red Wings over the off-season, and it wouldn’t surprise us if he saw some NHL time this year. With him goes Maine’s top scorer not only last year, but of all the returning players, nobody had more career points than Nyquist (144)
• Tanner House (F): We always said Tanner had one of the best names in the league, but he was also very consistent in his production – last year, he was a reliable part of Maine’s offense and had the second-best +/- on the team (+13, behind Brian Flynn)
• Robby Dee (C): Strictly speaking on the offensive side, Dee was one of the top surprises last season, nearly doubling his career offensive output (35 points last season, totaling 74 in his career), and helped shoulder the responsibility when Maine’s blue line was nursing injuries.

Key returns:

• Spencer Abbott (F): Last season was without a doubt Abbott’s breakout year, snapping up 17 goals and 23 assists, nearly doubling his career total. If Abbott can continue to produce at a high level, he, Joey Diamond, and Bryan Flynn should be able to pick up where Gustav Nyquist left off.
• Joey Diamond (F): After two seasons under his belt, Joey will be counted on to be a major producer. While he’s had some highlight reel goals, the numbers need to tick up if Maine is to keep its reputation for explosive offense.
• Dan Sullivan (G): Maine took way too long to search for a top goalie, but once Sullivan got rolling, he easily secured the starting job. Late in the season, Sullivan had a stretch where he allowed just one goal in four games. If Sullivan can turn that two-week stretch into a more consistent approach over the season, he will easily be one of Hockey East’s elite goalies.

2011-2012 Outlook: Maine returns a rather young team that retains its reputation for high-octane offense. Whereas goaltending was the team’s biggest liability last season, this time around the concern shifts to a younger defensive corps, where Will O’Neill will be the only senior. The rest are largely untested on big stages, or at the very least have not risen to the occasion in a post-season environment. Maine should be a contender for home ice at the end of the season, and many will put the Black Bears in their pre-season top 4. If they don’t have any major slips during the year, they should fit that billing.

–Alex Faust

Alex Faust Hockey Fall Preview, Hockey East, Maine