What’s Wrong with the UNO Mavericks?

For the second year in a row, the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are fading fast down the stretch. At the present time, the Mavericks are sitting in 21st place in the Pairwise Rankings.

If the NCAA tourney started today, the Mavericks would be sitting on the outside looking in. Unless something changes fast, the Mavericks are going to miss the NCAA tourney for the second year in a row.

On social media, a fair number of Mavericks fans feel that head coach Dean Blais should be shown the door and quickly. Yesterday wasn’t fast enough.

After the season is over, they just might get their wish.

Dean Blais’ Resume

I am going to be honest with you, UND fans have a fond memory of coach Blais. He’s a two-time winner of the Spencer Penrose Memorial Award as the Division I coach of the year and a four-time WCHA Coach of the Year honoree.

All-time, Blais is ranked 38th in top 100 NCAA All-Time Winningest Coaches. In 18 seasons of coaching, Blais has a 405-243-63 (592) record. In 10 seasons behind the bench at UND, coach Blais was 262-115-33 (.679).  During his time at UND, Blais’ teams won 30 games or more five times. That record includes two NCAA titles, a runner-up. Blais has also won five regular season titles and two playoff titles.

Things have gone differently in Omaha. At UNO, Blais’ record has been a little different. In eight seasons with the Mavericks, Blais is 143-128-30 (.558). During Blais’ eight-year stop in Omaha, the Mavericks have never won a league title, or a playoff title. Also, the Mavericks have never won more than 21 games during a single season.

Since the Mavericks joined the WCHA and then the NCHC, a Blais coached team has yet to make the conference tournament finals (Final Five or Frozen Faceoff). In eight seasons with the Mavericks, Blais has been to the NCAA tourney twice and finished third nationally during the 2014-15 Frozen Four.

HIGHLIGHTS: @WMUHockey & @OmahaHKY combine for 13 goals, Molino's hat trick leads WMU to 7-6 win #NCHCHockey #NCHCtv https://t.co/hwwxKiGHno

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) February 11, 2017

Score Six and Lose?

Normally, when a hockey team scores six goals in a game, they win. Last night, the Mavericks lost 7-6 to the Western Michigan Broncos. To add injury to insult, the Mavericks game up three shorthanded goals against the Broncos. It’s almost as if the Mavericks became the Bad News Bears of college hockey.

In his typical straightforward fashion; Blais relayed the message that he wasn’t happy with his team’s results.

“We had the game at hand, and we’ve got to win those,” UNO coach Dean Blais told the media after the game. “It wasn’t the referees’ fault. It wasn’t the goaltender’s fault. We had an opportunity, then we slipped up and let it go.”

After Friday’s game, it was classic Blais when it comes to the goaltending department. Over the years, Blais has been the Mike Kennan of college hockey. He changes goalies more often than we do our sweat socks.

“At this time of the year, we said he’s got to be our guy,” Blais said. “And then after four goals on seven shots … it’s an unsettling time, at this time of the year, to not have your goaltender do the job.”

Statistics

From a statistical standpoint, the Mavericks aren’t starving for goals. The Mavericks rank first in the NCHC in goal scoring with 102. For comparison sake, North Dakota is second with 91. Omaha is ranked eighth in the nation in goal scoring. Omaha is also ranked 11th in goals per game.

On the power play, the Mavericks are fifth nationally in power player percentage with 25.0. The Mavericks are ranked second in the nation in power play goals per game with 39.

Here lies the problem. Defensively, the Mavericks are tied for 54th in the nation, they’re giving up 104 goals in 31 games. Woof! In goal differential, the Mavericks are a minus-two. The Mavericks are also ranked 54^th nationally on the penalty kills. The Mavericks are killing 76.6 percent of the opponent’s power players. Again, to add injury to insult, the Mavericks have given up the most shorthanded goals in the NCHC (7). Second is Minnesota-Duluth with (5).

Chew on this for a minute, almost 40 percent of the Mavericks goals are coming on the power play.

So what changed?

There are a lot of questions surround the Mavericks head coach: did the college hockey game change or did the head coach? Did the players stop listening to him? Did the college game pass him by?

In the old days, ex-players joked about coach Blais sending players out and telling them to outscore the opposition with a bunch of goals. Systems didn’t really matter all that much. Now, college hockey is very systems orientated. Players that play in all three zones of the ice are valued. One dimensional players that can’t play both ways are overlooked.

Why Not Omaha?

Seriously, looking at the city of Omaha, you have a modern, midsize metro area. They weather in Omaha is a lot better than some of the other schools in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The mean temperature in February is 38 degrees. That’s short weather. Today, for comparison sake, it’s 54 degrees in Omaha, NE and 25 degrees in Grand Forks, ND. The Mavericks have a shiny beautiful brand new arena for recruits to marvel over. So what gives?