In a physical Friday night bout, No. 10 Maine got off to a hot start and never looked back, taking down No. 8 Quinnipiac 2-1.

Let’s empty the notebook from the ranked matchup:

Settle Down

It was no secret when freshman goaltender Dylan Silverstein arrived in Hamden that he was slated to be the next No. 1 goaltender for the Bobcats. The only question was how fast he would get there.

Friday night, he got his first taste of college hockey in one of the toughest environments in the country.

In the first period, the bright lights may have been a bit too much, as Alfond Arena wasn’t a welcoming place for the young netminder.

An early scrum found Silverstein turned every which way, but luckily for the Bobcats, they cleared the puck.

They weren’t so fortunate the next time Maine brought pressure. The Black Bears broke free on a two-on-one rush, and a senior forward fired a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot past Silverstein for the early lead.

Later in the period, Silverstein found himself caught in traffic, and Maine took advantage. Sophomore forward Charlie Russell crashed the net and tipped a loose puck to the upper shelf, doubling the lead.

The next two periods were much kinder to Silverstein, as he shut out the Black Bears over the final 40 minutes — not an easy task given the four penalties committed by the Bobcats in that span.

The Calabasas, California, native found his groove, making several saves on odd-man rushes and looking more comfortable in his crease. Overall, his performance in a hostile environment should be a good sign for things to come.

If head coach Rand Pecknold sticks to tradition, expect to see Silverstein once a weekend through Christmas. Depending on his performance, we’ll see if he wins the job over sophomore goaltender Matej Marinov.

Fortune Teller

Pecknold has been at this a long time. While he might not know exactly what will happen every night, his media appearance on Spittin’ Chiclets’ “Game Notes” before puck drop may suggest otherwise.

“It’s going to be a one-goal game,” Pecknold told “Game Notes.”

The matchup between the two ranked squads lived up to expectations — and to Pecknold’s prediction of a one-goal game.

While his team didn’t come out on the winning side, it’s clear he has great respect for Maine head coach Ben Barr and his Black Bears.

“It’s a great challenge,” Pecknold said. “(Barr and his staff) really got that team rolling again.”

Another point Pecknold emphasized was for his squad to stay out of the penalty box. That wish didn’t come true.

“We’ve got to stay out of the box,” Pecknold said. “(Maine has) a really good power play.”

The Bobcats committed six penalties Friday night, with freshman defenseman Elliott Groenewold and senior Davis Pennington each committing two.

Fortunately for Pecknold, Quinnipiac’s penalty kill came through, not allowing a single goal in Maine’s five power plays. Still, it’s not a trend the Bobcats want to see continue into Saturday, as the Black Bears’ power play won’t be held at bay for long.

Taking Advantage

Quinnipiac’s power play had been struggling.

Midway through the second period, the Bobcats were 0-for-7 on the man advantage over a game and a half. It wasn’t quite panic time, but at points, they looked disjointed and had trouble sustaining pressure.

That changed with Quinnipiac down 2-0 and in desperate need of a spark.

After an interference call on Maine junior defenseman Brandon Chabrier, the Bobcats finally capitalized. Pennington sent a floater to freshman forward Tyler Borgula, who rocketed a one-timer from the left dot to cut the deficit in half.

It was a much-needed breath of life for Quinnipiac’s power play, but it didn’t open the floodgates. The unit finished the night 1-for-6, including a critical missed opportunity in the final minutes when the Bobcats had a 6-on-4 advantage with Silverstein pulled and the game on the line.

The Black Bears held strong.

Need a Split

Looking back at last season’s weekend series against Maine, Quinnipiac came up short in Game 1, losing 2-1 in overtime. Pecknold rallied the troops for a 4-1 win the next night.

The Bobcats will be looking for history to repeat itself Saturday. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.