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visceralpotamus · 02-17-2021, 08:34 PM

While I am brand new to the league, my initial analysis into the early standings is that the Maine Timber are in the middle of a rebuild. Looking at draft results, Maine selected eight total players, second only to the Newfoundland Berserkers who selected 9. Most other teams tended to be in the 3-5 range. This suggests to me that there were quite a few holes that needed to be filled. My assumption is that they lost several veteran players to the SHL, or possibly to inactivity. The net result is that the rookie-led Maine stumbled out of the gate to a 3 and 9 start. While it is early in the season, the peripheral stats do not tell a very promising story. 18 total goals scored (fewest in the league), while letting in 42 (2nd most in the league). This would suggest that the Timbers had lost a considerable amount of scoring power, and that the new rookies have not gained enough experience in the league to fill that gap.

Diving a bit deeper, one of these numbers is far more of a red flag than the other. The mean number of goals scored by teams at this stage of the season is 31. Maine is 13 goals off of this pace! Meanwhile, teams give up an average of 34.3 goals which is only 8 fewer than the Timber. However, these stats are influenced by games played. At this point of the season, Maine has played 12 games, while others have only played 11, and some even 13.

The average team will score 2.4 goals in a game while letting in 2.6. This is, of course, influenced by certain outliers. Quebec City scores a whopping 4.25 goals per game, while the stifling anchorage Armada only allows 1.75 goals per game. Naturally, these numbers will likely even out as the season continues, but how do the Maine Timber stack up on a per-game basis? 1.5 goals scored per game while letting in 3.5. No matter how you slice it, the Timber will need to find answers on both ends of the rink.

Just three years removed from making it to the 4th round of the SMJHL playoffs, the Maine franchise is certainly one that has a history of being competitive. Furthermore, they have taken on a crop of rookies who will have the opportunity to learn on the job. No sheltered minutes, or being stapled to the bench in a tight game. Maine gm will get a chance to see his new players up close and in the spotlight as they have a chance to play the high-pressure situations that most rookies could never dream of. Leaning on the scoring prowess of forwards like Lucas Johansson, Victor Ball, and the 4th round steal rookie Janne Virtanen, I have every confidence that we will see Maine light up the net with more frequency moving forward. There is also optimism at the back end, as Goalie Bigga Foryu is currently 7th in the league in save percentage. Even rookie Bloody Oath slots in at 12th in that same measure, suggesting that when the team sorts out its defensive woes, they have real talent in the net to take them to the next level.
In summary, while this is not the start that the Maine faithful (Maine-iacs?) were hoping for, there is a lot of reason to be excited about this group moving forward.

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