Picks for the Weekend

Friday

Vermont @ Maine- Both teams desperately need wins this weekend. I think the Black Bears get it done on Friday. Maine 3-1

Lowell @ UNH- Lowell has yet to beat a quality hockey team and UNH is playing phenomenal. UHN 3-0

Northeastern @ UMass- Another intriguing series but UMass has been playing much better than the struggling Huskies.UMA 2-1 OT

Providence @ Merrimack- This game could be a 0 0 tie as both have been struggling on offense. I'll go with PC 1-0

BOSTON COLLEGE @ BOSTON UNIVERSITY- Eagles always fly in big games. BC 4-1


Saturday

Vermont @ Maine- This series will be a split in my mind, meaning UVM gets a win on Saturday.

UNH @ Lowell- The Wildcats dominated Lowell last time they played @ Tsongas Center and I expect more of that. UNH 4-1

UMass @ Northeastern- For some reason, I think the Huskies will get their ship righted starting Saturday. NU 4-3 OT

Merrimack @ Providence- Another W for the Friars, 3-0

BOSTON UNIVERSITY @ BOSTON COLLEGE- This one will be very close. BC 3-2 with a later goal.

Previewing the Boston University Terriers

As a BC Hockey fan, you have the privilege to get excited for lots of events such as the Beanpot, NCAA's, Hockey East tournament, or early season non conference tilts vs quality hockey teams. However, in my opinion, nothing tops the first weekend in December, a date that marks two matchups vs archrival Boston University. If the rivalry needed any more reasons to get the intensity level up another notch, how about we throw in the fact that Coach York will be going for the all time wins record vs not only his teams rival, but the man that he has gone head to head against since his days at Boston College High School. You think Coach Jack Parker wants to see Coach York walk out of his rink tying the wins record or even worse, break it against his Terriers ? I would lean towards no, he would not. When it comes to these two, you throw all the records, points, rankings, and other crap aside because when 7:30 comes around tomorrow night, it will be the evil guys in the scarlet in white vs the Defending National Champs to see who will once again be the king of Comm Ave.

Let's get one thing straight first, the BU coaching staff is not going to let those players just roll over and hand Coach York the record, let alone let BC sweep them for the second time in three seasons. No, BU is going to come out with everything they have on both nights in order to show they should not be forgotten when it comes to Boston hockey glory. The Eagles on the other hand just need to do what they did in the final two periods vs a very good Dartmouth team last weekend. What did BC do ? Well, first of all, Johnny G went into that insane mode and scored 5 points, including a goal that should have made the Sports Center top 10. The first two lines need to do the damage this weekend for BC just like they have been all year long. It's concerning to see that the second line has not scored since that game at BU two weeks ago but it doesn't really mean they have been playing that much worse than they were. One of the reasons the Eagles were able to defeat BU last time out was because of the play of Billy Arnold and Kevin Hayes who combined for 7 points in the 4-2 BC win. Arnold is one of the more consistent players on the team but when Hayes is playing at that level like he was a couple of weeks ago, he is one of the top forwards in Hockey East. In order for BC to win tomorrow, these two really need to get going again. I like the way the other three lines have been playing as of late. We all know the first line may never be held of the score sheet again but it's the guys like Danny Linell and Pat Brown that will go a long way in deciding just how far this team can go. I don't think the staff is too worried about BC getting good scoring chances on a offensively talented but sometimes defensively absent BU D core.

The concern tomorrow for the Eagles ? It's got to be the play of the defenseman, especially their positioning in their own zone. The game last week vs the Big Green was as off an night as that unit has had since the Northeastern game to start the season. Every guy, whether he's a senior or a freshman, needs to step up their play tomorrow night, especially when it comes to times in the game where BU is controlling the play. Blown assignments are going to lead to quality chances for the Terriers tomorrow night so hopefully, the defense stays course and sticks to what they have been doing all year (besides last week). I can't express how important the play of the special teams is tomorrow night whether it's the PP or the PK. BU is aggressive on the penalty kill so both units need to make sure they are generating quality chances but at the same time, not giving the Terriers any chances when they're a man down, something they did a few times last game. If the play of Parker Milner continues to be as good as it has, I think BC has a great chance to win a couple of games this weekend. Would it help if the defenseman picked up of the slack in their end ? Sure it would but let's remember, a solid effort in the defensive end will certainly lead to quality chances on a young BU goaltender. It is not known who will start for BU but they are both freshman.

Look, this weekend is going to be some fantastic hockey and is sure to be a real treat for anyone watching at the rink or on TV. BC's just got to play Eagle Hockey and stay disciplined. Hopefully the bottom six forwards can get their play going but in reality, there job is to not let the opponent skate all over them and score. BU's not going to stop the first line so if the other three lines are playing at a high level, you've got to love BC's chances this weekend.


Keys for the Eagles-

1. Scoring on the power play. Getting off the snide and scoring some goals tomorrow would pretty much assure a BC victory. Both units need to get it going again.

2. The play of the second line. Last time, this line was the best on the ice for the Eagles. A big day for Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold would be huge for BC.

3. Defensive zone play. It was bad last week and in order to win this week, it's got to get better. Every guy, whether a forward or defenseman, needs to play well in their own zone.

Last time out- BC beat BU 4-2 two weeks ago @ Agganis Arena. The senior class is undefeated vs the Terriers @ Agganis Arena (5-0)

All Time Series- BU leads BC 127-115-27 in the all time series. BC is 9-2-1 all time at the Jack Parker Rink.

Best Opposing Line-Megan-Hohmann-Cisse

Prediction- BC sweep. Both close games.

GO EAGLES !

Midweek Column-Preparing for Battle

When I walked into Conte Forum yesterday for practice, I suddenly noticed that the atmosphere was a little more intense. I am not sure if it was the coaches or the players, but it was all business everyone seemed to be practicing just a little bit harder. When you see this, you know it's BU week. This weekend is a big opportunity for this Eagle squad and it's not just because they have a chance to beat their archrivals for the second and third time this year, but it's because they have a great opportunity to show the country that they are the class of college hockey once again. BC now has a three game winning streak vs the Terriers dating back to a year ago, and one common theme in all three of those wins is that they have scored within the first 10 minutes of the first period. Destry Straight's goal 20 seconds into the game two weeks ago was certainly a confidence booster that allowed the team to play well for the rest of the game. As they always do, BC will have a big advantage when it comes to facing the Terriers' first two lines. The last BU game was the game of the year for guys like Billy Arnold and Kevin Hayes but without Destry with them this weekend, they need to be able to create even more scoring chances for themselves. Out of all four lines, the second line was certainly the one that spent the most time in the BU zone a couple of Sundays ago. The play of that line (without Destry) is going to be crucial in order for BC to gain four points this weekend.

First things first for BC, they need to take less penalties than they did two weeks ago. While BU's power play continues to struggle so far this year, they still have guys like Hohmann and Megan that can score more than most. When it comes to 5 on 5 hockey, BC is the better hockey team and can usually impose their will on opponents when they want to. When you take penalties and give the opponent quality chances on the man advantage, you will pay for it. BC's penalty kill still remains one of the top ones in the league and in the country but it would be nice if they were out there no more than 3 or 4 times on Friday. Now if you've watched BU hockey this year you know that they like to dive and they are particularly good at it. There were probably 3 or 4 examples from the first game that stand out but it's something they've always used to their advantage. Hopefully they decide not to dive all over the ice like they did vs both BC and North Dakota earlier this year. The same goes for both teams really because whether your a BC or a BU fan, we can all agree that diving simply does not belong in this game. That said, when BC goes on the power play, they need to find a way to score. BU's penalty kill was the best I have seen so far as they, not unlike BC, have guys that are always attacking the puck until it is cleared. The Eagles need to make sure they are generating good chances at the same time being cautious enough so BU doesn't get any odd man rushes on the man down. I cannot tell you how critical the power play will be for the Eagles this weekend. If it gets back to the way it was in the wins vs UMass, Maine, and Lowell, it gives BC a huge advantage over the Terriers. If they struggle like they have been as of late, it will potentially come back to haunt them.


No matter what the outcomes are, we know that these are going to be absolutely phenomenal hockey games between two teams that do not like each other one bit. Playing at Agganis has been a real plus for BC in the past few years as they are 10-2-1 all time @ The Jack Parker Rink and have not yet lost in the fours years that this senior class has been at the Heights (5-0). Another stat that's surely a positive for BC ? They are a solid 8-2-1 in their last 11 meetings versus the Terriers, losing both last year @ Conte Forum. You know the last thing in the world that Coach Jack Parker wants to see is Coach York walk off the ice tying/breaking Ron Mason's all time wins record. With this being the case, BC knows that BU is going to come out with everything they have both nights. Scoring early and getting the game to become as high paced as possible would be huge for BC. The Terriers will try to slow it down with power plays and penalties all night because really, that's the only way to beat the Eagles. If you're a BC fan and you're not excited for this weekend, then you've got to get checked out because this is going to be one intense weekend of hockey as it always is when these two rivals face off.

Preview coming tomorrow

GO EAGLES !

Johnny Hockey Leads BC Past Dartmouth

Johnny G had 5 points for BC.

In the history of Boston College Hockey, there have been a lot of really good players such as Gionta, Gerbe, Leetch, Emma,Gibbons, and Mullen. Well now we can add another legend to that group. Thanks to a 5 point effort from Johnny G, the Eagles defeated the #1 team in the pairwise standings by a 6-3 margin in front of 7,583 fans @ Kelly Rink. First things first, I thought the Eagles, led by the big three, did their best job of manifesting their talent in the third period in which they outscored the Big Green by a 3-0 margin and outshot them by a slim 9-8 count. Before running away with the game late, the Eagles had to hang in a first period in which they were totally outplayed and were lucky to get out of it tied 1-1. As Coach York pointed out in his post game presser, "it just wasn't BC Hockey" as Dartmouth generated a lot of quality chances on net but like he usually is, Parker Milner was there to make the stops. I thought the defensive zone play, spearheaded by the play of the defenseman, was really sour tonight. Besides Patrick Wey, I thought every defenseman really struggled staying with their assignments in their own end and were often bailed out by a Milner save. It was however good to see BC get on the board early in the contest as Pat Mullane put home a sweet pass from Patch Alber to make it 1-0 3:40 in. After the goal, it was all Big Green all the time in the first. They outskated, outplayed, and eventually outshot BC by a 17-11 margin. Giving up 17 shots in one period is certainly a concern as the play of the defenseman must improve in time for next weekend. The first quarter of the second period was all BC as they were rewarded with an early goal from Pat Brown who popped in a rebound off a Brooks Dyroff shot from inside the blue line. Out of all the positives you can take away from todays game, the play of the third line is definitely one of the biggest ones. They struggled in the first (like every other line did) but in the second and third they got back to playing well in their own end and generating some solid chances in the offensive end. I really liked the way Pat Brown and Brooks Dyroff played tonight. Both of them have obviously gained a lot of confidence from not just playing night in and night out but from starting to put pucks in the net. It's definitely a good sign of things to come.

About 10 minutes after the Brown goal, as BC continued to outplay the Big Green, Johnny G struck for the first time as he scored, in typical Johnny G fashion, a highlight reel goal that in my opinion, is one of the best goals he has scored at BC. You'll have to see the highlights because I can't put it into words. So, the Eagles are up 3-1 and are dominating the play late in the second period... game over right ? No way. The Big Green came flying right back as they scored a power play goal with under two minutes remaining in the period and soon followed it up by capitalizing on yet another BC defensive zone collapse with under a minute to go in the period. There were a lot of good things about tonight but the play of the defenseman was really, really concerning. Two of the Dartmouth goals were just pure defensive zone breakdowns caused by one of the defenseman forgetting to pick up their man. It's just one game but if they continue to play like that, bad things will happen. Give credit to Dartmouth though, they battled hard in the first 40 minutes and probably should have been up heading into the third. Little did they know what Johnny G had in store for them.

The third period was not just one of the best periods of the year by the team, it was the best period of the year that a single player has had up to this point. Simply put it, Johnny G just dominated the Dartmouth defense which started just 18 seconds in when he found a wide open Pat Mullane from behind the Dartmouth net. Just a mere 2 minutes after that, he put the game away thanks to another out of this world pass to Steven Whitney who also had one of his better games of the year. Look, everybody will tell you that three guys can't win you much but let the word go forth that yes, these three guys can indeed win lots of games for this team as they already have. Johnny G can't be stopped when he goes into that gear he went into today during the third period. In my time watching BC Hockey, I have only seen two guys, Brian Gionta and Nathan Gerbe, have the ability to just take over a hockey game like Johnny G does. BC scored 6 goals tonight...guess how many points Johnny G had tonight ? 5. The first line was a combined  +15 on the night as all three of them were +5 individually. That's Atkinson-Gibbons-J.Whitney type numbers. Asked after the game who he would compare Johnny to, Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet answered the one and only Paul Kariya. Not bad company for a guy that's only been here for a year and a half. Just amazing.

All in all, the staff has got to be pretty pleased with the way the forwards played tonight. I thought all four lines were really solid tonight. They didn't have a point on the night but the fourth line of Danny Linell-Mike Sit- Cam Spiro was pretty effective in both zones. Danny Linell has certainly made some strides since the start of the season as he seems to have some more confidence in his ability to use his speed and get around opposing defenders. Although they only had one power play, I thought the power play once again struggled to get any grade A chances on Dartmouth goalie Charles Grant as BC did not get one shot in that lone power play opportunity. The penalty kill gave up that one goal late in the second but was able to kill off the other 3 Big Green man advantages. 10 straight wins and just 1 loss so far this season looks mighty good heading into the big weekend but there is a lot of room for improvement, especially in the defensive zone. In the end, the play of Johnny G was just eye opening for everyone in the building, including the Dartmouth defenseman and goaltender. Hopefully it continues against the Terriers.


Why BC Won-

1. Johnny G took his game up to that dangerous level. When he is playing like he was in the third period, he is as good as anyone I have ever seen in this sport.

2. Secondary scoring continued. Loved the way the third and fourth lines played tonight. They both continue to improve in all aspects of the game.

3. The Eagles dominated the third period. The first line took over...led by you know who.


Problems-

The play of the defenseman was very concerning. Besides Pat Wey, I thought every defenseman struggled at times tonight...especially in the first period. Needs to improve for next weekend.

Player of the game- Who do you think.

Next Up- I don't need to tell you.

GO EAGLES !

Previewing the #11 Darmouth Big Green

For the second time in three weeks, the Eagles will step out of conference play, this time to take on former ECAC rival, Dartmouth College Saturday afternoon @ Kelly Rink. While a non conference game, this game has some big time implications as the Big Green currently rank right behind BC in the pairwise rankings at #4. The Eagles haven't faced Dartmouth since the 2008 season in which they defeated the Big Green by a 2-1 margin in Hanover. Tomorrow's game however is not a game vs a lowly ECAC team that is just showing up to try and beat the #1 team in the country. No, tomorrow is a game vs a team that doesn't just think they have a chance tomorrow, but believe they will win. Why do I say that ? Well, you can't say the Big Green are not a good club as they have, like BC, lost just one game on the season, a road loss @ Colgate. Besides that one blemish in Hamilton, the Big Green have beaten some pretty quality hockey teams like Yale, Union, and have an impressive tie vs Cornell in Ithaca. Look, BC knows tomorrow is not going be to a roll over game for them...they know it's a big non conference game that when push comes to shove at the seasons end, will have big time NCAA tournament implications. Right now, a win over a top 5 pairwise team would go a long way in helping BC in the confidence column and in the pairwise column. One stat to watch out for when looking at Dartmouth ? They have the #1 penalty kill in the country as they have killed of 28 of 29 penalties so far this year which will be a great test for a BC power play that to me, looks a little out of sorts right now. There was that nice goal to cap the comeback vs Merrimack last week but other than that, the Eagles have not scored once in 14 other power play chances. Basically, 1/15 since the game vs Notre Dame is not going to cut it. It's not that they look awful and are not getting any shots at all, because both units are getting chances but they have either been turn away by the goalie or missed the net and cleared. Shot selection has been a bit of an issue the last couple of games for both units. There is no need to be worried too much about either unit but scoring one or two goals on the man advantage would go a long way in winning tomorrows game.

In terms of the ECAC standings, the Big Green rank first and still have two games in hand on second place Cornell. In goal, it is not known who will play for Dartmouth as they started freshman Charles Grant in the tie @ Cornell but have played Jr Cab Morris in 6 of their other games so far this year. Grant has 5 goals against compared to Morris' 8 and he also beats Morris in the GAA category with a 1.63 GAA compared to Morris' 1.97 GAA. Up front, the Big Green are led by  Eric Robinson (8-3-11), Tyler Sikura (5-7-12), and Matt Lindblad (3-3-6). Robinson currently leads the ECAC with those 8 goals on the season and Sikura, who has five goals on the year, also ranks in the top 10 in that same category. In terms of their power play, the Big Green have converted on just 17 % of their chances, a stat that ranks them 7th in the ECAC. As we mentioned earlier, their PK, which ranks #1 in the country, has killed off an astonishing 96 % of their penalties. It should be interesting to see two of the best penalty kill units in the country go at it tomorrow as BC's PK has also looked very sharp, killing off 14 of their last 15 penalties (the last goal coming in the final seconds @ BU).

With Destry Straight out tomorrow with a high ankle sprain, BC is once again going to need some strong play from their bottom 6 forwards, particularly Mike Sit, Danny Linell, and Brendan Silk. Last weekend, I thought the second, without Destry, looked a little bit out of rhythm but that doesn't mean  Quinn Smith played bad in his new spot. I actually think Smith's style of play goes hand in hand with guys like Arnold and Hayes. I think the staff likes how Smith really goes hard after pucks and gets them to Hayes and Arnold who are expected to make the plays. Obviously, they key for any team when they play BC will be how they control the first line. You can't stop them so you just have to basically hope they don't decided to turn it into high gear and score a goal every other shift. Tomorrow should be a good hockey game between two really good teams that have proven they can win vs tough opponents. Hopefully, the Eagles play like they did in the final 35 minutes of Friday's game vs MC and take it to the Big Green.

Keys for the Eagles-

1. The second line's play. After a bit of a tough game last week, it would be nice to see Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold get back to the way they have been playing all year. When the top two lines are scoring, BC is a really tough team to beat.

2. Playing a full 60 minutes- Last week, BC got away with it and played maybe 45 good minutes vs Merrimack. Tomorrow, a full 60 minute effort will be needed in order to get a victory.

3. The Power Play- If the PP gets back to the way it was in the games vs UMass, NU, Lowell, and Maine, they will start scoring again.

All Time Series- BC leads 60-30-0...Last Big Green win was in 2002.

Players to watch-

Tyler Sikura- 5 goals and 7 assist on the year. Leads team in points.

Eric Robinson- 8 goals and 3 assist so far this year. Leads team, and league, in goals.

Prediction- BC 3 Dartmouth 1

Injury Note- Destry Straight is out.

GO EAGLES !

NOTE- REMEMBER TO BRING AN UNWRAPPED TOY....

Picks for the Weekend

First of all, I hope you all had a fantastic Turkey Day with your loved ones. Hopefully, you didn't attack the pumpkin pie like I did last night. Let's go through this weeks Hockey East games...none of which are conference games as all are against either an ECAC or WCHA opponent.

Colgate @ Merrimack- I messed up last week and this game on Tuesday so, my bad. As for the game, I was impressed with a couple of things Merrimack did vs the Eagles on Friday so I'll change my prediction on this one. MC 2-0

Minnesota @ Vermont- If you have some time tonight, I would definitely tune into NESN to see the Gophers take on the Cats in Burlington. With Bjugstad battling the flu, I think this game will be closer than expected but Minny will win. UM 4-2

St Lawrence @ Northeastern- I was one of the very few that believed NU would turn it around and win two games last weekend. Well, now the Huskies are playing like the worst team in the league. SLU 3-2

UNH @ Colorado College- The marquee game of the night features the red hot Wildcats traveling out to Colorado Springs to face the Tigers. Tough call here but UNH is playing so well right now, Wildcats 3-1.


Saturday

Princeton @ Lowell- I think the feeling around the league is Lowell will start to turn things on after their big win @ UMass on Sunday. I don't know how well they will start playing but they will win this one. Lowell 3-0

Providence @ Brown- I was pretty surprised to see the Friars fall to Quinnipiac on Tuesday so this one is a tough call for me. I'll go with the Friars getting back on track. PC 4-3

Quinnipiac @ UMass- Both teams had nice wins on Tuesday as the Minutemen defeated rival Vermont in Amherst but tomorrow, I see the Bobcats getting the win. QU 3-2 OT

St Lawrence @ BU- Another game in which I believe will be a close one in the final period. I'll go with a 2-2 tie.

UNH @ Denver- Not just the game of week in Hockey East, but in the country. This is a huge matchup between two teams that look real good right now. I see the Pioneers winning at home though. DU 3-2

Minnesota @ Vermont- Gophers complete the sweep of the Catamounts rather easily. UM 5-2

Dartmouth @ Boston College- I'll have mine in tonight's preview.

Recruting Update

With a little bit of time before the Eagles take on Dartmouth, let's take a look at how some future Eagles are faring so far in their respective JR leagues.

USHL-

Adam Gilmour (13)- In 17 games so far this year, Gilmour is third on the team with 13 points (6 goals, 7 assist).

Austin Cangelosi (13)- In 13 games so far this season, Cangelosi has recorded 15 points (7 G, 8 A)...he also has a team high +8 rating for the year.

Conor McGlynn (13)- In 13 games so far this year, McGlynn has recorded 3 points (2 G, 1 A). His rating for the year is currently at -4.

Ian McCoshen (13) Defenseman- In 8 games so far this year, McCoshen, ranked as one of the top prospects for this years draft, has a +13 rating and 4 points.

Matthew Gaudreau (13)- In 11 games so far this year, Gaudreau has recorded 4 points and a -1 rating. Could still wait a year and come in 2014. 13 probably the safer bet.

Sam Piazza (13)- In twelve games so far this season, Piazza has recorded just one point and has a -1 rating. Best news of all is that he is finally healthy after suffering a bad concussion injury last winter.

EJHL-

Chris Calnan  (13)- In 20 games played, Calnan has recorded 29 points for the South Shore Kings, 15 goals and 14 assist.

Ryan Fitzgerald (13). He has only played 11 games for the Valley Jr Warriors because he also went to Europe and played in Buffalo for the All American game (won MVP there). Has 13 points in 11 games.Now playing for US Under 18 I believe.

USA Hockey-

Steve Satini (13) Defenseman- Also ranked one of the best NHL prospects in the USHL the past week, Santini has recorded 14 points in 21 games.

Scott Savage- (13) Defenseman- In 21 games this year, Savage has recorded 7 points.

BCHL

Evan Richardson (13)-Has a team leading 4 goals and 12 assist in 15 games. Another big recruit at the forward position.

Weekend In Review

With only one game this weekend, the #1 Boston College Eagles continued to stay hot as they extended their winning streak to nine games with a thrilling 4-3 win over Hockey East foe, Merrimack. Looking back on the game, things obviously looked real bleak for a little bit when the  Warriors scored three goals in the first five minutes of the second period. For the second time this year, this Eagles squad showed some amazing resiliency and dominated the remaining 35 minutes of the game and ended up defeating Merrimack, 4-3 as they scored four unanswered goals. First things first, the first line was all over the ice once again for the Eagles. With Destry Straight out and the second line struggling at times, the combination of Johnny G, Mullane, and Steve Whitney was phenomenal as they were a combined +6 for the night and accounted for two of the four BC goals. At times this year, they have looked either good, really good, or just flat out dominant. Friday was one of those nights in which they were flat out dominant as they basically had the puck in the opposing end for what seemed like the whole second half of that hockey game. Both of the goals were nice plays but in the end, they were scored thanks to multiple bombs from Steven Whitney. Both times he didn't have much time and couldn't wind up for a slapper so instead he just let a couple of deadly snap shots go. I'm sure Merrimack and other teams will note that when you give a player like Whitney, who has a shot like that, some space, bad things will happen. The big story on the night in terms of the offense however was the play of the bottom six forwards, something that has been a bit of a problem during this otherwise flawless start to the year. Danny Linell's goal was not just a nice goal that completed the comeback, but it was assisted by linemates Cam Spiro and Mike Sit, showing that BC is slowly but surely starting to get some secondary scoring. I've said it about 100 times on here but it is extremely important for guys like these three to start putting the puck in the net, especially with a guy like Destry Straight out of the lineup.

On the defensive side of things, there was some major improvement as the game grew older. Once Merrimack scored kind of a fluke third goal, BC tightened things up in their own zone and started breaking the puck out better which allowed for multiple scoring chances. One guy who's value might be a little bit underrated but is nonetheless a crucial part of this teams success is Pat Wey and he has definitely been playing like one of the top defenseman in the league. His goal, a power play goal to cut the Merrimack lead to one, was not just a sign that he is becoming more offensive than he was in his first three years but it was a sign that he is becoming more and more confident in both ends. With the three freshman defenseman starting for BC, his leadership was going to go a long way in deciding how this team would fare in the early going...he deserves some serious credit not only for his play but his leadership with those young defenseman. Of course, it doesn't hurt when you have a guy like Parker Milner in the cage to help clean up any opposing chances. Two of the Merrimack goals, #1 and #2 might be ones he would have liked to have back but other than those, he was very solid once again for the Eagles. While his play wasn't what it was vs Notre Dame and BU, it was still good enough for an Eagle win and thats all that matters.

Overall, two points never hurts even if there were some sloppy moments in the game. It kind of felt like BC just wasn't in it mentally to start the second period and they paid for it by giving the Warriors a quick 3-0 lead. The resiliency in this team is something that certainly cannot be overlooked. Sure, BC might not trail a whole lot but in the last couple games in which they have (UMass x2 and Friday), they have battled back and eventually won the game with a late goal. In this league, when two teams are battling back and forth in a close game, two things are going to be the deciding factors. A-Do you get good goaltending and B-the talent level on your squad. There is no team in this league and maybe not even in the country that is as strong in these two categories like BC and because of that, they have found ways to win when a W seemed impossible to get. Now, the Eagles will enter what could possibly be one of the toughest stretches they will face all season. They get pretty good Dartmouth team at home on Saturday (4 PM start), have two games vs archrival BU in two weeks, travel to face a hot Providence squad, and will then head out to St Paul to face the Gophers (in which they will be without Johnny G). This game vs Dartmouth, while non-conference, is another big one in terms of the pairwise standings in which BC currently sits at third behind UNH and Denver. Hopefully, another solid week of practice will allow this team to get victory #10 on Saturday vs the Big Green.

GO EAGLES !

Support The BC Hockey Toy Drive

Over the course of the next two home games, BC will host their anual Toy Drive for Children's Hospital in Boston. During the next two games, vs Dartmouth and the home game vs Boston University, the school will be collecting unwrapped gifts which will be soon delivered by the team  right to the children in the hospital. Headed by Parker Milner, this is certainly a great cause to try and spend a few bucks on and help put a smile on a kids face thanks to their new toy. Hopefully, you will consider making a donation either on Saturdays game vs Dartmouth or the 12/1 home game vs the Terriers.

GO EAGLES !

Whitney, Johnny G, Lead BC Past Merrimack

Steve Whitney celebrates his first goal.

Going into tonights matchup vs the Merrimack Warriors, the Eagles had not trailed at one point in a game since the third period two weeks ago vs UMass. On that day, they were down just one goal in the third period and were able to climb back. Tonight, not unlike the second game of the year @ UMass, the Eagles were once again down three goals and were in danger in losing their first game in over a month. After the visting Warriors scored three goals in less than four and a half minutes to start the second period and go up 3-0, BC, led by stars Johnny G and Steve Whitney, were able to overtake an inspired Warrior team and claim another Hockey East victory. First things first, I thought Steven Whitney and Johnny G were sensational tonight. Both of Whitney's goals, the first one and the game winning one in the third, were complete snipes set up thanks to the always nifty playmaking abilities of one Johnny G. Another positive for BC ? A bottom six guy scored a goal, and two others had an assist on it. The fourth line of Mike Sit, Danny Linell, and Cam Spiro hooked up for BC's second goal in which Linell took a pass from Spiro, carried the puck into the zone, and was able to beat MC goalie Sam Marotta short side. I thought most of the first period was real good for the Eagles as they certainly controlled the pace of the game but couldn't convert on chances like a breakaway from Whitney, and other numerous high percentage shots from inside the blue line. On the defensive end, I thought BC did a good job of keeping the majority of Merrimack's chances from the perimeter which allowed Parker Milner to make a lot of easy saves in the first stanza. 

The second period however was like a whole different game than the first. Right out of nowhere Merrimack came flying out of the gate and scored three goals in the first five minutes which completely  stunned the home crowd. One of the goals was a bad two on one goal in which one of the BC defenseman failed to get back and pick up his man which allowed an MC forward to fire one up and over Milner from the faceoff dot. The second goal was kind of a weird play as it looked like BC was about to clear it but the puck ended up on the stick of an MC defenseman who ripped one past Milner from the blue line. Probably one he would like to have back. After another MC goal just minutes after Bigos' bomb from the point, Coach York called his timeout and must have given the team a pretty good talk because they immediately woke right up. It is one thing when you have guys that are good hockey players and can make plays for you on a consistent basis but it's another to have players that can completely take over a game at times. Steven Whitney and Johnny G did that tonight in the final 35 minutes of play. Merrimack was doing a good job of being physical and preventing the odd man ruses but once Whitney put home his first goal thanks to an absolute bomb from inside the blue line, everyone in the building knew what was coming. After getting a rare power play chance just seconds after the goal, BC made it count by generating multiple chances on Marotta and were finally rewarded with a Pat Wey rebound goal. Compared to last week, I thought the power play was really good tonight. Not only did they pot a goal but they were able to settle it down and make good plays instead of trying to pass through a billion opposing sticks in order to get the perfect goal. Danny Linell's goal soon after Wey's was certainly a real bright spot. With Destry Straight out tonight (i'll get to that later), I really thought guys like Linell, Sit, and Spiro played hard and were rewarded with a long awaited goal. Great to see all three of those guys hook up at once for the tally.

I thought the momentum that was gained late in the second certainly carried over to the third for BC. Not only did they win the game by scoring the only third period goal, they dominated Merrimack for pretty much the final 20 minutes. The game winning goal was just a great play by two great players. In what will be a story you will hear a lot this year, Johnny G found a speeding Steve Whitney near the MC blue line which was followed by a Whitney shot that almost snapped the crossbar in half (it hit the bar and then went in). You would be pretty hard pressed to find such a little guy that has as good of a shot as Whitney's.

Look, the second half of this hockey game was a display of effort and character that was very much like what we saw in Amherst a few weeks ago. After giving up the three goals, BC didn't just take the game over offensively but they limited Merrimack's chances on Milner. Thanks to the quality play of the defenseman in the third period, I can't really remember the Warriors getting any point blank shots or odd man rushes in the final 20 minutes. It's pretty difficult to describe how good Johnny G and Steve Whitney were tonight. They are, along with Pat Mullane, the best line in this league and quite frankly, I don't think theres another one that can match it. Their ability to make something out of nothing and get grade A chances on basically every shift is something you don't see everyday in this league. The second line was ok, but the bottom two continue to improve game by game. When Mike Sit and Danny Linell are playing at the level they were tonight, it just another weapon to the already loaded arsenal for the Eagles. In the end, there were some issues at times but the speed, effort, and skill were too much for Merrimack.

Why BC Won 

1. Steve Whitney and Johnny G took over the game. Pure domination...plain and simple.

2. The PK. Really thought the penalty kill was good tonight. Merrimack's power play really struggled to adjust to the speed that BC comes at you with on the man down.

3. They got scoring from the fourth line. With the second line a little off tonight, it was important for the the bottom two lines to step up. They certainly did.

Problems

1. The first five minutes of the second period was not good...at all. BC seemed out of it for a period of time and Merrimack took advantage with three goals. Coasting even if it's just for a few minutes will kill you in this league. But, the team responded well after MC took the lead.

Player of the game- Steven Whitney

Injury Report- Destry Straight was out tonight due to a high ankel sprain. He tried to practice this week but could not...he is questionable for next weekends game vs Dartmouth.

Next Up- Next Saturday vs Dartmouth.


GO EAGLES !

Weekend Picks

Friday

Northeastern @ Providence- I think these are two teams that are as even as you can get in this league but NU has yet to prove that they can win on the road. PC 3-2

UMass @ Maine- I think Maine will play better coming off their win at home but I also believe UMass is the fourth best team in the league. UMass 2-0

Boston University @ Vermont- The Cats are tough at Gutterson and the Terriers are coming off a tough loss at home. I still think BU bounces back even though i'd love to see a Cats victory. BU 5-3

New Hampshire @ Lowell- I am very interested to see who wins this matchup as it will prove if Lowell can get back on track or not. Anyways, UNH is playing real well right now. UNH 4-3

Merrimack @ Boston College- BC doesn't lose at home. Eagles 4-1

Sunday

Colgate @ Merrimack- Should be another low scoring game @ Lawler but i'll go with Colgate, 2-1

Quinnipiac @ Providence- Friars get a two win weekend. PC 4-1

Northeastern @ Vermont- Another tough game to call. I see a tie in this contest.

Lowell @ UMass- I could either team taking two points in this one but in the end, I see a four point weekend for the Minutemen. UMass 4-2

New Hampshire @ Boston University- The winner of this game could very well separate themselves from the bottom half of Hockey East and join the drivers seat along with BC. Wildcats 3-0


Tuesday 

Vermont @ UMass- A six point week for the Minutemen. UMass 2-1

Previewing the Merrimack College Warriors

Fresh off a two game sweep of Notre Dame and archrival Boston University, the #1 Eagles, winners of eight straight, will face off vs the Merrimack College Warriors on Friday night. So far this year, Merrimack ranks fourth in Hockey East with seven points which currently has them three and a half games back of the first place Eagles. Last weekend was a tough one for the Warriors who were swept at home by BU on Friday and Atlantic Hockey foe, UConn on Saturday. Last weekend was certainly a surprise for many as some thought after a sweep vs Northeastern, the Warriors would compete vs teams like BC, BU, and UNH. Going into tomorrow night, senior forward Mike Collins leads Merrimack (and Hockey East) with 5 goals and 8 assist recorded thus far this year. On defense, Merrimack is led by the leading scoring defenseman in Hockey East, Jordan Heywood, who has recorded 8 points and a +2 rating so far. In goal, there is certainly a big hole for MC to fill as they lost All American Joe Cannata from a season ago along with star defenseman Karl Stollery. Tomorrow, like pretty much every team in the country will, Merrimack is going to have their hands full with the high flying Eagles. The problem for the Warriors will be that if there neutral zone trap game starts to deteriorate vs the speedy Eagles, they won't have a goalie like Cannata back there to save them. The strong part of Merrimack's play is usually their play in their own zone and their strong goaltending, right now, they currently rank near the bottom in every major statistical category in the league. Whether it's Marotta or Tirronen tomorrow night, someone is going to have to play the game of their life if they want to have any chance vs the nations best team.

When was the last team Merrimack beat the Eagles @ Kelly Rink ? Well, you'd have to go back to the 1997 season. For BC, well, they've got to love the way they match up vs a team like Merrimack tomorrow night. BC is deeper, quicker, more skilled, and gets better goaltending night in and night out. The one worry for BC however will be the way they handle Merrimack's neutral zone trap. The Warriors will basically have all their forwards in the neutral zone with  their sticks in passing lanes while the defenseman back up behind their own blue line. It will be up to the forwards to get open tomorrow and the defenseman to make clean passes in between the blue lines in order to avoid turnovers. From game on until now, the biggest improvement in my mind, has been the way BC has broken the puck out of their own zone. Tomorrow will present a little bit of a different look with Merrimack's style of just sitting back and letting the opponent get out of their zone but take it to them in the neutral zone with their trap.

Every game in this league is a must win but with this being the only league game between now and November 30th at BU, two points is crucial in order to maintain  a big lead in the league standings. What I look for is for guys like Quinn Smith, Mike Sit, and Danny Linell to start scoring the puck. While the first two lines have been more than enough in each game this year, as the season grows older, guys like these three are going to have to step up and score. Their play has been much, much better as of late but tomorrow, them scoring a goal or two would really be a nice confidence booster heading into Turkey Day. The play of the top six forwards has been absolutely phenomenal and for Merrimack to win tomorrow, they will have to pull a rabbit out of their hat in order to stop them. The last thing that BC needs to do in order to get two points tomorrow is score on the power play as they were 0 for 12 last weekend vs ND and BU. I thought they had some good chances both nights but at times, it seemed like they were trying to make the perfect play by passing through numerous opposing sticks. If the Eagles are able to get their PP going like it was up until last weekend, they should beat a Merrimack team that hasn't scored more than three goals vs BC in the last four meetings.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Figuring out MC's trap. Generating odd man rushes and scoring chances vs a neutral zone trap like MC has, can be tough. Hopefully BC's speed and skill will be able to help them crack the trap of which they have not faced this year.

2. Scoring on the power play. BC is a better team 5 on 5 but on the man advantage, they really could do some damage. The Eagles faced two good PK's last weekend so hopefully they learn from their mistakes a week ago and start potting a few.

3. Getting scoring from the fourth line. Linell, Smith, and Sit need to start scoring. It's been nine games and not one of them has a goal on the season. In order to keep winning, these guys need to score.

Best Opposing Wins- @ Union, @ Northeastern

Worst Loss- Vs UConn.

All Time Series- BC is 57-20-5 all time vs MC and is 23-0-2 in the last 25 games @ Conte Forum vs the Warriors.

Best Opposing Line- Collins-Scotti-Toomey

Prediction- BC 4 MC 1

GO EAGLES !

Midweek Column: Rolling

Nine games into this young season, the defending National Champs are showing no signs of stopping any time soon as they have held the #1 ranking for four weeks and are starting to separate themselves from the rest of Hockey East. This past weekend was a fantastic display of effort, skill, grit, and determination from a team tha defeated two if it's biggest rivals by a combined score of 7-3. The biggest positive I take out of this weekend is that it's not just the Johnny G, Steven Whitney, and Pat Mullane show. Guys like Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold are playing so well right now that you could easily make an argument for both them to be the MVP of the team thus far. Ever since last years Frozen Four where he had a goal vs Minnesota, Kevin Hayes has started to blossom in many areas that he hadn't yet during the course of his first two years. His performance the last couple of games has not been good, instead it has been dominant. But besides the guys on the first two lines, the bottom six guys, as Coach York stated in his Sunday post game presser, is the biggest positive right now concerning the Eagles. While guys like Smith, Linell, and Sit have yet to score a goal, they are becoming as close as you can to potting a few. That line has been solid but the play of the "fourth" (now third) line of Brown, Dyroff, and Silk has exceeded the expectations of pretty much everyone that pays close attention to BC Hockey. When BC's third and fourth lines are playing like they have been the past couple of weeks, this team can't be beat. If you don't believe me, then just take a look at their record.

The play of Parker Milner is pretty hard to put into words. Some of the saves he made this weekend, especially in Friday's game vs Notre Dame were out of this world. As of today, Milner is fourth in the league in save percentage (.933), third in GAA (1.88), and first in winning percentage (.889). The stats can be a little misleading however as I have yet to see a goalie that can match Milner's ability to make key saves at key junctions during games. There are so many key components that enable a team to win games in this league but when you have a club that scores like BC and has the goaltender that can make up for any defensive lapses, it makes for a real dangerous combination. The third goal in the first game of the year @ NU was one I'm sure Parker would like to have back but other than that, I can't think of a really "bad" goal he has let in all season. You see goals like the one Kevin Hayes had on Sunday and you just think (while it was a great goal no doubt) about how goalies should be in a position to make that save. It always seems that with Milner, he is always in the right position to make a save and more often that not, he does. With the way he is playing right now, it will be tough for any opponent not to get frustrated by the fact they can't get the puck by him.

On the defensive side of things, one thing that really hit me this weekend was how much Mike Matheson plays. I don't know the exact minutes but I'd be willing to say he plays more minutes than anyone on this team. Not only is he a gifted offensive defenseman, he is as reliable a "defensive" defenseman as you can have. For example, in the first period of Sunday's game, a BU player blocked a shot of his and started in on a breakaway. Not to be outdone, Matheson gave a phenomenal effort and was able to catch the Terrier forward at the BC blue line and prevent a great scoring chance. He along with Pat Wey, are becoming the Tommy Cross and Brian Dumoulin of this years Eagles. When healthy, Wey is a solid offensive defenseman but is as solid a "complete" defenseman as you will find in this league. His +6 rating for the year certainly backs it up. Combined, Matheson and Wey are +14 on the year and we've only played 9 games.

Overall, you have to be pleased with the way this team is playing right now. When I was driving home from BU on Sunday night I listened to the radio and one announcer stated "BC might just have the top 5 forwards in the league". I thought about this for a bit and soon came to a point where I certainly believe that BC has the top five forwards, best goalie, and best defenseman (Matheson) in Hockey East. Of course, theres that BC bias in me and I have yet to see every team in the league but right now, it would, in my opinion, be hard to argue that there are a better group of players in the whole league than those seven. Obviously, we've only played about a quarter of the season but right now, the Defending Champs are certainly still the kings of the court in Hockey East.

Hitting the links-

Johnny G won Hockey East player of the week (what else is new)

BC was named College Hockey News "Team of the Week"


GO EAGLES !

Darcy Out at Northeastern

Yesterday it was announced that Northeastern freshman forward Cam Darcy (South Boston, MA) would be leaving the school. The school said Darcy left for "personal reasons" but sources have indicated to us that Darcy left school because of issues realting to his academic performance. It's an unfortunate situation for the team and for the kid but hopefully he gets everything ironed out in the USHL and returns to the college game.

I will have a midweek column up later.

GO EAGLES.

Highlights from the BIG win.

Boom.

Destry Straight celebrates his first period goal thanks to a great pass from Kevin Hayes.

I walked out of Matthews Arena about a month ago shaking my head and thinking that this BC team was not going to make home ice in Hockey East. I questioned basically everything about this team after that tough loss to the Huskies. Ya, well, I kinda forgot who the head coach was. In what was another gusty, hard fought, penalty filed, and physical hockey game, BC defeated archrival Boston University 4-2 Sunday night @ Agganis Arena where they now have a combined 9-2-1 record since the building opened. Just another fantastic effort from every single guy wearing the maroon tonight, but one guy in particular, Kevin Hayes, played the game of his BC career as he recorded an assist on Destry Straight's third of the year just 40 seconds in and a goal of his own to give BC the two goal lead with ten minutes to play. It wasn't just the points though, it was the speed and the fact that every time he was out there, he either had the puck and made a play or was chasing it down with every ounce of effort he had. On the first goal, he made a fantastic play behind the BU net and dished it out in front for Destry, who just had to tap it in to give the Eagles the lead. Hayes' linemate, Bill Arnold, also had one of his better games tonight as he, like Hayes, created chances, did an excellent job of blocking shots on the PK, like always, and scored an empty net tally. I would make the argument that there is no better two way player in this league than Billy Arnold. While he has skill and can make plays on the offensive side of things, his ability to sacrifice himself and block shots shows just how tough he is. For example, on one PK in the second period, a BU defenseman fired a slapper right off Arnold's skate and he was clearly hurt. But, in typical Bill Arnold fashion, he shook it off and was out there 30 seconds later.

As for the first line, I thought they did a good job of hanging in there in the first two periods and finally started to go after it in third when they were eventually awarded with a Johnny G goal. It was clear that BU was out to try to kill all three of these guys, especially Steven Whitney, but I thought all three did a good job of staying course and lighting it up in the third. As for the special teams, well, there were 34 combined penalties on the night and neither team was able to do anything on the PP until BU got a goal late in the contest. As for BC's power play, that is the only part of this team that I am a little concerned about. BU's PK was solid all night but BC definitely struggled to get a bunch of grade A chances on O'Connor. The Eagles had a 1:36 of 5-3 in the second but were not able to get anything going and were not able to score. On the other hand, I thought the PK was superb tonight. The usual PK'ers like Arnold, Whitney, and Mullane were all good but I also thought Quinn Smith was all over the ice tonight when BU was on the man advantage. It showed a lot when the staff had him out there late in the contest when BU was closing in on Milner...they obviously like his toughness in shorthanded situations.


Let's not forget Parker Milner. To be honest, with maybe the exception of Johnny G, he is the most valuable player not only on this team, but maybe in this whole conference. BU didn't get a whole lot of fantastic chances thanks to the BC defense but when they did, Milner was there. I don't know what has changed but one year ago vs these guys, he gave up 5 goals and was benched for a couple of weeks. What a difference a year makes in terms of his play and his confidence.

All in all, it is always great beating that team and their fake fans. It was clear that the opponent was out there to head hunt the whole second half of the third period which is nothing unusual. Sure, BC had their share of penalties but some of the things BU does when they know they are going to lose is pathetic and it doesn't belong in the game. Thankfully, the good guys won and will remain the kings of Comm Ave.

Why BC Won 

1. Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold were spectacular. Led by these two guys, BC was able to slowly but surely ware down BU as the game grew older. The speed and skill became too much for the Terriers.

2. Parker Milner is too good. Definitely my player of the weekend...he had 25 saves tonight.

3. The penalty kill. BC had some really key kills out there tonight, most notably when BU had a 6-4 after Arnold went to the box for hitting from behind late in the game. Great effort by the Eagle penalty killers.

4. Just a real solid effort by everybody. Whether it was a guys like Johnny G, Mullane, Hayes, or even guys like Brooks Dyroff and Quinn Smith, everyone gave it their all tonight.

5. BC is getting much better in their own zone. Also should note that Mike Matheson is the best defenseman in Hockey East right now and it's not even close.

Problems- 

The power play was not good. On a scale from 1-10, i'd put my worries at a 4 but I'm sure that both units will start generating more opportunities and goals as the season progresses.

Players of the Game- Hayes(#1), Arnold (#2), Milner (#3).

Next up- Friday night vs Merrimack @ Conte. Just one game next week.

It's a great night to be an Eagle. 

GO EAGLES !!

Previewing the Boston University Terriers

It's here. The Battle of Commonwealth Ave will kick of chapter number 259 tonight as the Eagles will travel down to Agganis Arena to take on the Terriers. BU is currently ranked 11th in the latest USCHO polls and has wins over UMass (x2), Merrimack, Providence, and North Dakota. Now, we all know the rivalry inside and out...it's two fanbases, two schools, two programs that in the end, do not like each other...at all. This year will be no different as both teams seem to be, once again, the top two team in Hockey East and two of the top teams on the national scale. By looking at their schedule, I would definitely say that this BU team has some quality wins over some pretty good hockey teams in some real harsh environments. Where does BC have the advantage tonight ? Well, I believe it has the advantage in two key areas. First, I like BC's top two lines a lot more than I like BU's top two lines. Megan-Hohmann-Rodrigues is BU's top line and have put up some good numbers so far this year but they haven't played against a line like BC's top line. North Dakota's top line is good but BC's top line, is in my opinion, the best in college hockey and they have proven it with their spectacular play so far. The second line, like it usually does, seems to match up well vs BU's second line  but letting guys like Nieto and Gill get grade A chances on net will not render pretty results. The other factor that I like ? Well, BU is starting a freshman goaltender (likely Matt O'Connor). I don't care that that the guy has won some games so far this year. This time around, he is facing the best team in college hockey in a setting in which he will surely be nervous right from the get go. Which leads me to my next point, one thing BC always does well @ Agganis is they get off the great starts. For tonight's game, just like any road game, the formula will remain the same. Get off to a good start, try to score and settle the crowd down early, and stay out of the box. Look, when it comes to 5 on 5, I think these are two pretty even hockey teams that both, interestingly, have some strengths that the other may lack.

For BC, this is the night that will show us more than anything about this hockey team. They have played very well in their last couple of road games @ Lowell, @ Maine, and @ UMass but tonight they will enter an atmosphere unlike any other. If Parker Milner plays like he has all year then I would say BC should win rather easily because I think that BC will be able to generate some real good chances on a young goaltender that has not faced a team like BC so far this year. The key for BC in order to win is they need to stay out of the box. BU's power play ranks 6th in Hockey East but they have a lot of talented players on both their units, especially on the defensive side of the puck with Noonan and Grezlyck. BC can't just sit back and let Milner make every save he can like they did in the third period on Friday vs Notre Dame. Instead, they need to attack these defenseman, put them on their heels, and force them to turn the puck over because of their speed. Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said after the game on Friday that because BC has so much speed up front, they will attack you and therefore  you are vulnerable to lots of turnovers and bad decisions  Hopefully, that happens tonight. The same thing goes for BC however as the young defenseman cannot afford to turn the puck over at the blue line and give the Terriers odd man rushes that will result in grade A chances on Milner.

All in all, I expect this to be a great hockey game between two rivals that have been going at it for over a century. One trademark for BU under Parker has been that they take lots of penalties. Friday night was not pretty in terms of the power play for BC but tonight, when BU goes to the box, BC is going to have to put one or two in on the man advantage. I don't think the power play was bad on Friday because they generated some great chances in which Summerhayes was there to make the stop. If BC can limit shots from the point and do more of the backdoor man and get shots from the top of the circle down, chances for goals are pretty good. Basically, this game is most likely going to be very tight in the third and if BC can use it's speed and experience in big games, compared to a very young BU team...they will come out on top.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Taking the crowd out early. A young BU team will try to feed of their energetic crowd, so in order for BC to take that away, they've got to get it going early.

2. Winning the battle of special teams. Take less penalties, score on power plays.

3. Attacking this freshman goaltender. Whether it's O'Connor or Maguire, look for BC to really attack this young and inexperienced goaltender tonight.

4. Limit offensive and neutral zone turnovers. When opponents score vs the Eagles, it's usually because they forced a turnover in the BC end. BC needs to limit that tonight.

All Time Series- BU leads BC in the all time series 127-114-17. However, BC is 8-2-1 at Agganis Arena.

Best Opposing Line- Megan-Hohmann-Rodrigues

Prediction- BC 4 BU 2

GO EAGLES !!!!

Eagles Defeat Irish in Holy War 3-1

Pat Mullane Hoist the Lefty Smith/Snooks Kelly Trophy

In what was one of the most electric atmospheres in Conte Forum history, the Boston College Eagles treated the home crowd to a gut wrenching victory over rival Notre Dame on Friday night. The Eagles had goals from senior captain Pat Mullane and Johnny G (x2) to lift them to a huge pairwise victory over the #7 Irish. The first thing I take away from tonight is that I thought BC played really hard for close to a full 60 minutes. The final 20 minutes were controlled by the Fighting Irish but for the most part, I thought a lot of guys wearing the maroon and gold played their hearts out tonight. I've seen Pat Mullane play a lot of great games in his time @ BC but I would say that tonight was probably one of his best performances of his outstanding four year career. He played hard in all three zones, scored a goal, helped out in his own end, and was just all over the ice it seemed like. Steven Whitney was also very good for the Eagles tonight as he recorded a team high +3 rating tonight and could have had one or two goals if it wasn't for some great saves by Notre Dame goaltender Steven Summerhayes, who was very strong for the Irish tonight. While Summerhayes was good, Parker Milner played his game of the year for BC as he stopped 19 of Notre Dame's 20 shots on goal. Even though the stats show that Notre Dame had 20 shots, Milner made a few saves, one diving stop on a 5-3 for ND and a lunging stop late in the contest that will stick out as the reasons why BC won. If he continues to play at this level, he will have a magical season.

The first BC goal, a breakaway one from Mullane, was all set up because of a perfect pass off the stick of Pat Wey to Mullane who used his speed to beat the two ND defenders to the puck and eventually put the puck past Summerhayes. With the crowd standing on it's feet and going crazy, BC continued to dominate the second period of play and were again rewarded with a goal as Johnny G pulled a Johnny G and beat Summerhayes to give BC the 2-0 edge. The turning point in the game however was when BC was able to kill of a lengthy five on three late in the second and early in the third. Some acrobatic saves from Milner and superb penalty killing by guys like Bill Arnold, Quinn Smith, and Whitney were keys in helping the Eagles kill off ND's biggest chance of the night. While it can probably be said that ND played better in the first and third period, BC completely dominated the Irish in the middle stanza, evident by there two goals and the fact that they outshot Notre Dame 12-2 in the period. The penalty kill certainly was another reason BC won the game tonight. Every time Notre Dame got on the man advantage, whether it was late in the game or that big five on three, guys did a fantastic job of getting down to block shots, getting sticks in lanes, and clearing the puck whenever they could. Certainly a positive sign heading into Sunday.

Another group of guys that I thought were really solid tonight was the line of Brooks Dyroff, Pat Brown, and Brendan Silk. The beginning of this year was a bit of a struggle for these guys but over the course of the past three games, they are really playing much better hockey. It's great to see guys like Dyroff and Brown, who didn't play much last year, get a lot of playing time as they were moved up to the third line. Silk has been a pleasant surprise in his own right. With Vatrano leaving, BC was thin up front in terms of freshman forwards....well, Silk is certainly playing at a higher level than I thought he would at this point. Hopefully, these three continue to play like they did tonight because if they do, we could see them start scoring some goals relatively soon. On defense, I thought that pretty much everyone was pretty solid except for a few turnovers here and there. Isaac Macleod, Mike Matheson, and Patrick Wey take home my three stars tonight on the defensive side of things. Good going by all three of those guys tonight.

Beating a team like Notre Dame, a school rival and future conference foe, is always a huge W on the schedule but we all know who is up next. BC played really hard tonight and was rewarded with a great victory in front of one of Conte Forum's all time best crowds. I said in my preview that we would find out a lot about BC this weekend and so far, we certainly have. We learned that when this team plays exceptionally hard like it did tonight vs a very good hockey team, they are nearly impossible to beat. We also learned just how good Parker Milner can be (Not that we didn't really know already). At times, BC showed some mental lapses and were running around in their own end (especially in the third) but Milner was always there to make the stop. There were some issues that need to be cleared up for sure but in terms of overall effort, tonight was a season high.

Why BC Won-

1. Parker Milner played his game of the year. Notre Dame only recorded 20 shots but the majority of them were high quality chances and Milner was always there to make the stops.

2. Stars Shined. When the big three are a combined +7 for the night, you know it was a big night for the first line. They really controlled the play when they were out there tonight.

3. The PK was fantastic. A kill on a 5-3 late in the second and killing off a Pat Brown penalty in the third were huge.

Problems- 

1. The power play struggled tonight. Going 0-6 isn't too encouraging but BC was able to get some good chances on net but Summerhayes made some great stops.

Player(s) of the game- Parker Milner, Pat Mullane, and Johnny G.

Next Up- Agganis.

GO EAGLES !

I'll have all the Sunday stuff tomorrow hopefully.

Eagles Pick Up Wisconsin Defenseman

Today, it was announced that Waterloo Blackhawks defenseman Ian McCoshen would commit to Boston College for the fall of 2014 (I believe). McCoshen is a 6'3 defenseman from Hudson, Wisconsin and has recorded four points in eight games thus far this year.

GO EAGLES !

Picks for the Weekend

Friday-

Maine @ Lowell- I don't think either team is very good but Maine might be the worst team in college hockey. Lowell 4-1

Providence @ UMass- This is a tough one but I was impressed with UMass last week when they gave us a real test. I like UMass 3-2

BU @ Merrimack- Tough call here as I think Merrimack has some serious momentum but i'll give the Terriers the win because they certainly won't get any Sunday. BU 3-1

Notre Dame @ Boston College- There hasn't been many more anticipated games @ Kelly Rink than this one tonight. BC, in a close one, 2-1 OT


Saturday-

Maine @ Lowell- Maine is just not a good hockey team. Especially on the road. Lowell 3-0

Alabama Huntsville @ Northeastern- The Huskies started playing like good old Northeastern last week but they should beat Alabama. NU 5-0

Vermont @ New Hampshire- I don't think Vermont is a bad hockey team, in fact, they will give UNH a run on Saturday but UNH will win 1-0

UConn @ Merrimack- I don't know much about UConn but I know they are not very good. Merrimack 4-0


Sunday-

Alabama Huntsville @ Northeastern- My upset pick of the week. Alabama 3-2 OT

BOSTON COLLEGE @ BOSTON UNIVERSITY- I'll gave mine up tomorrow....hint....BC doesn't lose @ Agganis.

Previewing the #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Ever since I found out that Notre Dame was coming to Conte Forum this year, I have been eagerly awaiting the game. When I found out that they were coming the same weekend that the team plays BU ? Well, I just started counting down the days. Now it's here, the biggest weekend (besides BU week of course) of the year. The Eagles will kick of the first leg of the gigantic weekend vs school rival and an evolving hockey rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. So far this year, Notre Dame ranks first in the CCHA with a 4-1 league record and a 6-2 overall record. Some keys wins for Notre Dame include Western Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, and Northern Michigan (x2). The only common opponent between Boston College and Notre Dame is Maine, who Notre Dame defeated 1-0 to open the season at the Icebreaker Invitational. Leading the way for the Fighting Irish this season are star forwards Anders Lee, Jeff Costello and TJ Tynan, all of whom have scored two or more goals and multiple assist. In terms of their big line, last week the Fighting Irish had Rust-Lee-Costello going as their second line and had DiPauli-Tynan-Schneider as their first line. Compared to a small and speedy Eagles team, Notre Dame has a lot of big, strong, and powerful forwards...basically, it's two very,very different styles of hockey that will faceoff tonight. Typical Jeff Jackson teams play a style not unlike a Merrimack or a Lowell just they have a lot more stars up front that score the puck. Tonight, look for ND to try to shut down BC's powerful offense by setting up a neutral zone trap and clogging as many passing lanes in between the blue lines as they can.

On defense, Notre Dame is led by Robbie Russo and Stephen Johns, each of whom have recorded phenomenal +/- thus far this year (John's is +8 for the season). In the crease, Notre Dame will likely be starting JR Steven Summerhayes who has recorded a solid 1.68 GAA and has only allowed five goals in just three games played. While ND may start someone else, I would put my money on seeing Summerhayes in net tonight vs the nations's number one team.

For BC, well, it doesn't get any bigger than this. Playing your school  rival @ home in front of what  Coach York said last week could be the biggest crowd in the history of BC Hockey ? If you can't get amped for that, then I don't know what you can get amped for. Last week vs Maine and UMass, BC struggled at times with some sloppy play that was evident by some horrible defensive zone turnovers that led to some opposing goals. Against teams like Notre Dame, turnovers, penalties, and bad decision making will likely result in goals for the blue and gold. Surprisingly  the first line had a good but not amazingly good weekend last week like they usually do. If BC wants to score early and often vs the Fighting Irish, the first like needs to play better than they did in the first period @ Maine and the first period @ UMass. If you have watched this team closely this year, you can't help but be satisfied by the way Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold are playing through seven conference games. I thought that they would be good players this year and they would be a great compliment to the big three but honestly, they, along with Destry Straight, have been better than the big three at some points. Hopefully, Hayes, Arnold, and Straight can continue to play at a high level, something that is essential for this team to win night in and night out. On the defensive side of things, guys NEED to stay out of the box tonight. Vs teams like Maine, Lowell, and UMass, you might get away with penalties here and there but against Notre Dame ? No, no way.

I am excited for this game..to say the least. When Conte Forum is packed like it will be tonight, it is one of the best places in the country to watch a college hockey game. Like I said a few weekes ago, you learn a lot about your hockey team every week but this weekend, we will learn pretty much everything we need to know about this BC Hockey team. We'll get to BU tomorrow but for now, let's hope the guys continue to play like they have and can add what would be a  huge win in the confidence column and in the pairwise column. Check back tonight for a recap.

Keys for the Eagles-

1. Poise and control. With the crowd going nuts tonight, BC needs to stay composed early on and take it to Notre Dame. BC can't be taking penalties that will allow ND to take it to the Eagles.

2. Staying out of the box- BC leads Hockey East in penalty minutes, something you don't see very often out of a BC Hockey team. Tonight, lots of penalties will result in a loss.

3. The first line- If BC is going to win tonight, the first line needs to be scoring not just on the power play, but on five on five hockey. A good first few shifts by this line could really go a long way in a BC win.

Last Meeting- Notre Dame stunned BC with less than a second left last year in South Bend...winning 3-2.

All Time Series- BC is 16-14-2 all time vs Notre Dame. 8-7-2 all time under Coach York.

Best Opposing Line- Costello-Lee-Rust

Prediction- BC 2 ND 1 OT

GO EAGLES !

Late Brown Goal Gives BC The Win

Photo by Graham Beck of Height Sports.

If you had told me that BC would be trailing UMass with eleven minutes to go and the fourth line was going to score the game winning goal with just three and a half minutes left, I have to tell, I would think you were joking. After forty five sloppy and pretty carless minutes of hockey from the #1 team in the country, the Eagles took control of the game in the second half of the third period and defeated a hard working UMass team by a 3-2 score. Before I start with BC, I first want to say that I thought UMass was a really tough team and will certainly be a tough game for anyone in Hockey East and in the country this year. That team played hard for a long time but in reality, they just ran out of gas at the end of that hockey game. As for the Eagles, well once again, they found a way to win the hockey game and this time, it was thanks to a guy that doesn't get a lot of accolades and doesn't get on the scoresheet to often but is certainly a guy that deserves to be on this team and to be in that postion to score that goal tonight. When you watch BC play night in and night out, you'll always notice Johnny G, Mullane, Matheson, and Whitney but it's the guys like Pat Brown and Brooks Dyroff that will in the end, be huge factors in deciding whether we win a game or lose it. On the winning goal, I thought BC did a real good job of keeping the puck in the zone, keeping the pressure on the UMass defense, and that led to a nice pass from Dyroff to Brown who eventually fired one by Kevin Boyle to put BC on top. Awesome job the fourth line tonight...they certainly deserve some attention and the chance to play some more minutes as the season goes on.

Before the final eleven minutes of that game tonight, I thought BC reverted to the habits that lost them the game @ NU earlier in October. The defenseman turned it over a little too often, the forwards had a hard time making crisp plays and quite frankly, Boyle made some fantastic saves. UMass is a good hockey team and they will do some damage this year in this league but if BC plays like that versus Notre Dame and BU, the results won't be too pretty. There were two guys on the defensive side who I thought had their two best weekends of the year. Isaac Macleod, who had an assist and a game saving save (yup a save) to go along with a big goal in Orono on Friday was really solid tonight and was a key reason why BC won. Another defenseman who was absolutely phenomenal once again was Mike Matheson as he recorded his first colligate goal in the third period that tied the game. On the goal, Matheson did a great job of jumping up in the play, and putting the puck past Boyle (The goal was set up thanks to a nifty pass from Johnny G). After the game when asked who he would compare Matheson to, Coach York responded with Bobby Allen and Mike Mottau..not too bad.

All in all, the mission this weekend, as it always is, was to get four points and it was accomplished  At times, it wasn't pretty but thanks to timly goals, a strong power play, and some fantastic goaltending, BC was able to keep their lead in the league at five points. With this weekend in the books, it is now time to focus on the biggest non NCAA tournament weekend in BC Hockey history. Bring on the Irish and Parker.

Why BC Won- 

1. Parker Milner kept BC in it through two periods. If it wasn't for Milner, BC would have lost this game by three goals.

2. The Eagles stepped it up late in the game. It was funny because the refs went to review a UMass goal (that was a no goal call) and Coach York huddled the team up for a minute. Well, the rest is history.

3. They (finally) got some secondary scoring. With Linell getting an assist on Friday and Brown scoring thanks to Dyroff's assist tonight, the bottom six forwards are starting to improve. That's big for BC.

Problems 

1. The first forty five minutes of this game were not good. BC looked tired, sloppy, and lethargic for a long time before picking it up. We can't see that vs teams like Notre Dame and BU.

Player of the game- Patrick Brown

Next up- I shouldn't have to tell you.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Previewing The UMass Minutemen

Just two weeks ago, Boston College and UMass played one of the most exciting (and nerve-racking)  hockey games that I have ever seen. BC, down three goals after two, and down 4-2 with just ten minutes left, came back and defeated the Minutemen in overtime thanks to a Johnny G goal. Since then, BC has yet to lose and the Minutemen have also played some good hockey but have fell on the short side of the stick versus some good hockey teams. UMass is coming off an upset victory on Friday over New Hampshire in which defenseman Darren Rowe scored the game winning goal on the power play. So far this season, UMass ranks eight in Hockey East with just one win and three losses to either BC or BU. One could argue that no team in the country has had to play as tough a schedule as the Minutemen have so far with games vs the Champs, BU, and UNH to open up the conference slate. Leading the Minutemen in goals so far are seniors Rocco Carzo and the previously mentioned Rowe while defenseman Conor Allen and forward Conor Sheary lead the team in overall points with four. Something that should be mentioned is that in the first matchup, UMass' best defenseman Joel Hanley was tossed from the game just a minute in for a hitting from behind major. Before Friday's game vs UNH, it was announced that he was injured and would not play on Friday. His status for tonights game is unknown.

Right now, I have to say, I think BC is playing some pretty darn good hockey even though they are not dominating everyone in their path. Winning games in this league, especially on the road, is not easy...at all. So far, BC has won games @ Lowell, @ UMass, and even at Alfond Arena, a place that has given BC nightmares over the course of the past few seasons. While BC isn't getting scoring from the bottom six forwards, both those lines are starting to play better hockey and are creating some great offensive chances, something they weren't doing in the early going. Yes, it is a bit concerning to see that not one guy on those lines has scored but I would think that with the way that they are playing, goals will soon come. In terms of todays game, UMass presents something that a team like Maine doesn't really posses. They are a team that can skate and they can do it well. UMass has always had some forwards that are really good skaters and can fly up and down the ice. In order for BC to stop these speedy forwards like Sheary, Carzo, and Gracel, each and ever defenseman (and forward) must be aware of where they are in their own zone and be sure they don't let anyone behind them when the opponent is coming through the neutral zone. In the last game vs these guys, BC had a couple of few defensive lapses and missed assignments that led to Minutemen goals. In short, it is absolutely necessary for BC to be able to play strong in their own zone and make sure they break the puck out smoothly to create grade A chances.

In terms of special teams, the Minutemen currently rank fourth in Hockey east with a 20 % conversion rate and fifth in penalty kill as they have recorded a 83 % kill rate. In the first meeting, UMass was able to get a rare power play goal vs a BC team that currently ranks first in the league and seventh in the country with a 91 % kill rate. With the way BC plays ate Kelly Rink and the fact that the power play is playing real well right now, it would be nearly impossible for UMass to win this game if they consistently go to the box.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Defensive zone play. The first goal on Friday night was the first real bad defensive breakdown I have seen since the first game of the year. Today, BC cannot afford to lose track of their assignments and let UMass forwards posses the puck for too long in the BC end.

2. Staying out of the box. This is always a key but when you are playing teams that you probably should beat, you can't keep giving them opportunities to score on the man up.

3. Secondary scoring. It would certainly be a real good confidence booster going into the "big weekend" next week if the bottom two lines could start scoring today.

Best opposing line- Periera-Gracel-Power

Last time out- BC beat UMass 5-4 in OT two weeks ago.

Prediction- BC 4 UMass 0

Recruiting Update

It has been a long time since I wrote something about any recruits so with the EJHL and USHL seasons both underway, let's take a look at how some future Eagles are performing for their respective teams.

Austin Cangelosi-Youngstown Phantoms (USHL). As of today, Cangelosi leads Youngstown with 13 points on the season as he recorded six goals and seven assist. With BC losing some firepower next year, Cangelosi, the star of the 13' class, will be expected to come in and make an impact. So far, so good for the 5'7 forward from Estero, Florida.

Ryan Fitzgerald- Valley Jr Warriors (EJHL)- So far this season, Fitzgerald has recorded three goals and nine assist for the Valley Jr Warriors of the Eastern Jr Hockey League. Fitzgerald also captured the MVP award at the All American game in Buffalo about a month ago.


Chris Calnan- South Shore Kings (EJHL)- Through fourteen games, Calnan is playing well and has recorded ten goals and ten assist which ranks him third on the Kings' roster. A third round pick of Chicago, Calnan is a 13' recruit that will, like the other above, be expected to make a strong impact.

Connor McGlynn- Sioux City (USHL)- Through nine games this season, McGlynn has recorded two points for the Musketeers. His 31 penalty minutes, which is a bit concerning, leads the team.

Evan Richardson- Powell River Kings (BCHL)- Another small but highly talented forward, Richardson leads Powell River with two goals and nine assist so far this season. Richardson was supposed to come this fall but decided to hold back one year and continue his development in the BCHL.

Adam Gilmour- Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL). A former Nobles Bulldog, Gilmour decided to spend his senior year out in Michigan. So far this year, Gilmour ranks fourth on the team with two goals and four assists.

Matthew Gaudreau- Omaha Lancers- The brother of BC superstar Johnny G, has recorded a goal and an assist in eight games this season for the Lancers. It is quite possible that Gaudreau could wait one more year and come in 14'.

Alex Tuch- US Under 17 team- through nine games this season, Tuch has recorded two goals and one assist which ranks ninth on Team USA. Tuch is slated as a 14' recruit.

(All of these guys are forwards)

Thats all for now. UMass preview coming up later tonight.

GO EAGLES !

Big Third Period Leads BC Past Maine 4-2

Johnny G's goal led BC past Maine

Thanks to a go ahead third period goal from Johnny G, the Boston College Eagles were able to escape the hostile confines of Alfond Arena with a 4-2 win and two points. As BC expected, the Black Bears, now in dead last place in Hockey East, came out and gave it everything they had and even had chances to tie the game in the third period. After a scorless first period in which BC really struggled, Kevin Hayes ripped a shot past Maine goalie Martin Ouellette less than a minute into the second frame. Not only was the goal a power play tally, but it was another sign that Kevin Hayes is really becoming a force in this league. On the play, Hayes controlled the puck at the blue line and walked right in before firing it past Ouellette and a pair of Black Bear defenders. However, just 45 seconds after the Hayes goal, Maine struck with a goal of their own thanks to a horrific defensive collapse on BC's part. For some reason, one of the defenseman forgot all about the back door man, Will Merchant, and he was able to one time a pass from linemate Devin Shore into the net. After ten minutes of back and forth hockey, defenseman Isaac MacLeod recorded his first goal of the season when he fired a snap shot through some traffic past Ouellette with just a mere three minutes left in the second. It's certainly great to see a guy like Isaac get on the scoring sheet for BC. But then again, Maine, on a goal that should have been called back, struck back with a goal from sophomore Conor Leen, knotting the game at two apiece.

One thing Maine did well for the first 40 minutes was keep the big three of Johnny G, Mullane, and Whitney off the board. Well, so much for that. After a Maine interference penalty early in the third gave the first power play unit a chance to give BC the lead, they converted in a big way. Johnny G put in a pass from Danny Linell to give the #1 team in the nation the lead for good and to give himself a team leading eight points (tied with Mullane). In the last 15 minutes or so, I thought Maine played really solid hockey and fought BC as hard as they could but thanks to some bad penalties late in the contest, BC was able to sneak away with the victory (Steve Whitney added an empty netter with 10 seconds left).

I thought Coach York put it best in his post game presser when he basically said, no matter what Maine's record is or how they're playing, it is always tough to win a game @ Alfond. While BC struggled at times vs a team they probably should beat handily, they put out another gusty effort late in the game when push came to shove. On the offensive side of things, the second line was definitely BC's best all around line tonight. I thought they generated a bunch of grade A chances on Ouellette and were rewarded with two goals (one being the Hayes power play goal). Arnold and Hayes are always very strong but I also thought Destry Straight played his best game of the year tonight as he seems to be doing a better job of helping create quality chances and also used his speed to drive to the net on a few occasions tonight...something that was great to see. Yes, this line was out there for two Maine goals but overall, I thought they did the best job of the four lines tonight in both ends. In terms of the first line and the first power play unit, I thought they had some rough patches early on but you just knew that Maine wasn't going to be able to keep them off the board for long. It's good to see that the power play is playing as well as it is and has the ability to score when it is needed the most. With the game tied and the momentum on Maine's side, Johnny G's power play goal in the third was a real confidence booster for the Eagles.

On the defensive side of things, I thought BC was ok, but it wasn't as pretty as the game last Friday or the game versus Northeastern. It appeared to me that the two Maine goals were complete defensive breakdowns (the second just being a lucky bounce I guess) but in the third period, each and every defenseman took their games up a notch and avoided any serious miscues or turnovers that would have led to a Maine tally. All in all, two points, especially in that place, is a big confidence booster. With UNH and Northeastern both falling tonight and BU playing out of conference (Losing to North Dakota !), BC was able to stretch their stronghold on first place to four points.

Why BC Won-

1. BC's power play continues to be killer. Going 3/6 on the night and scoring the game winner in the third isn't too bad.

2. Parker Milner made some key stops. In the first and parts of the third when Maine carried the play, Parker Milner really stepped up and made some big saves for BC. Definitely bringing his A game each and every night.

3. Maine doesn't have enough firepower to keep up with BC. They fought hard but there just isn't enough to score with high quality teams like BC.

Problems- 

1. Not too many tonight. BC was solid all around really, PK was great even in Coach Cav's absence...The first goal was a bad defensive breakdown but other then that, BC was fine.

Player of the game- Johnny G

Next Up- UMass on Sunday @ Conte 4 PM.