Monday, March 28, 2011
Jimmy Hayes to leave
JR Jimmy Hayes will forgo his SR season at Boston College to go play for the Blackhawks. Also, Tommy Cross has been named team captain for next year, along with Assistants Barry Almedia and Paul Carey
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Cam Atkinson leaving
The rumor that Cam Atkinson is leaving BC is true. The JR forward out of Greenwich, CT has sighed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Nyquist leaving Maine
Maine's leading scorer Gustav Nyquist is leaving the Black Bears for the Detroit Red Wings. Nyquist was Maine's leading scorer and one of the best players in all of the country.
Eagles season ends with stunning loss to Colorado College
It's been fours years till Boston College last loss an NCAA tourney game. Well last night the Eagles ran into a much better hockey team. BC's season ended last night with a 8-4 loss to CC in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Jimmy Hayes scored just 19 seconds into the contest, and it seemed the Eagles were going to blow the Tigers put of the building. We were wrong, it was Colorado College who scored the next four goals to take a 4-1 lead after a period of play. By watching the game, it was clear that the Eagles did not give their best effort in the early stages of the game. Pat Mullane's tripping the goalie penalty started the CC run. CC solved Boston College terrific PP by spreading the Eagles, and SHOOTING THE PUCK. CC's PP was the best PP I have seen in any opponent the Eagles have faced this year. Also, I have not seen a first line dominate the line of Atkinson-Gibbons-Whitney like the Tigers first line did. The Schwartz brothers who combined for four goals on the night dominated the Eagle D and ended what has been a great run for BC.
We can sit here and make excuses, but the bottom line is that CC was a better hockey team last night. They deserved to win, and they brought a much better effort to the game in the first two periods. Two players that I thought really struggled last night. First was SR. Joe Whitney, CC scored two short handed goals, and both were results of a CC forward beating Whitney to the puck. Don't take this the wrong way, I like Joe Whitney. He has had a great impact on the hockey program at Boston College and has a great four years for coach York and the Eagles. Another player that had a really off night was Tommy Cross. He gave up the second goal of the game, which would eventually be the game winner, and just did not seem to play great in the offensive end as well. I have said this over 100 times. Tommy Cross has the best shot in the league, and does not take it as often as he probably should. Maybe there is something I do not know about the shot, but I don't understand why he doesn't wind up and shoot the puck. When your down four or five goals you need to shoot. Hopefully Cross will stay another year at BC. I think that he could be an elite D man for the Eagles next year. as he was this year, if he stays.
Let's be honest. This was a great year for BC. They acomplished a ton of things as a team. They won the Beanpot, won the Hockey East tournament, won the holiday tournament, made the NCAA's, and best of all swept rival BU. I know it's a shocking ending, but we have a lot of positives to look at, BC is a young team, they will have some kids stay another year to hopefully go at another championship next season.
It has been another great year for the team, and the staff deserves a lot of credit. We will still be updating the blog almost every day. We will be writing about players leaving, recruting, and any other changes that concerns BC hockey. Thank you for a great year. GO EAGLES
We can sit here and make excuses, but the bottom line is that CC was a better hockey team last night. They deserved to win, and they brought a much better effort to the game in the first two periods. Two players that I thought really struggled last night. First was SR. Joe Whitney, CC scored two short handed goals, and both were results of a CC forward beating Whitney to the puck. Don't take this the wrong way, I like Joe Whitney. He has had a great impact on the hockey program at Boston College and has a great four years for coach York and the Eagles. Another player that had a really off night was Tommy Cross. He gave up the second goal of the game, which would eventually be the game winner, and just did not seem to play great in the offensive end as well. I have said this over 100 times. Tommy Cross has the best shot in the league, and does not take it as often as he probably should. Maybe there is something I do not know about the shot, but I don't understand why he doesn't wind up and shoot the puck. When your down four or five goals you need to shoot. Hopefully Cross will stay another year at BC. I think that he could be an elite D man for the Eagles next year. as he was this year, if he stays.
Let's be honest. This was a great year for BC. They acomplished a ton of things as a team. They won the Beanpot, won the Hockey East tournament, won the holiday tournament, made the NCAA's, and best of all swept rival BU. I know it's a shocking ending, but we have a lot of positives to look at, BC is a young team, they will have some kids stay another year to hopefully go at another championship next season.
It has been another great year for the team, and the staff deserves a lot of credit. We will still be updating the blog almost every day. We will be writing about players leaving, recruting, and any other changes that concerns BC hockey. Thank you for a great year. GO EAGLES
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's offical, BU's Warsofsky is going pro
BU coach Jack Parker announced today that JR D man David Warsofsky will forgo his SR year at BU and go play for the Bruins. Warsofsky has a two traits that made him a very scary Dman in college, one was his bomb of a shot. He had possibly the best one timer I have seen this year, and he is a great skater for a D man.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Kreider will be back
We haven't even started the NCAA tourney yet, and Boston College already has some good news. SO forward Chris Kreider will go on Friday night vs Colorado College according to head coach Jerry York. Said Coach York,[Kreider] practiced [Monday] and is full up,” said York. “He really adds a whole new dimension to our team. That’s a welcome addition and a very quick recovery from a broken jaw.” This should be a huge addition for the Eagles as they lines will now go back to what they were before Kreider got injured on March 5th.
Atkinson-Gibbons-Whitney
Carey-Mullane-Hayes
Whitney-Arnold-Almedia
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
Atkinson-Gibbons-Whitney
Carey-Mullane-Hayes
Whitney-Arnold-Almedia
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Brian Dumoulin coming back for another year at Boston College
Brian Dumoulin announced today via twitter that he will be coming back for his JR season at Boston College. Dumoulin won the best defensive dman in Hockey East this year. If Tommy Cross stays (which all signs point that he will), BC will have a great Dcore next year with most likely the best D core in the league
Monday, March 21, 2011
So what do we know about Colorado College?
Key players-
1.Tyler Johnson.20G,17A,37 points.
2.Stephen Schultz-16G,27A,43 points.
3.Jaden Schwart-15G,27A,42 points.
Good Wins for the Tigers
1.Nebraska Omaha 5-2 on 12/18/10
2.North Dakota 5-2 on 1/28/11
3.Denver 4-3 on 2/4/11
4. Minnesota Duluth 5-2 2/25/11
5.Wisconsin x3
Bad losses
1.Alaska three times
2.Michigan 6-5 on 12/30/10
3. Minnesota two blow out losses
4.Alaska Fairbanks 2-1 on 10/16/10
5.Denver 4-1 on 11/5/10
Colorado College ranks 6th in total attendance this year, one spot ahead of Boston College.
Head Coach-Scott Owens, 280-168-41, 12th season at Colorado College.
We will have more on CC in the next few days
1.Tyler Johnson.20G,17A,37 points.
2.Stephen Schultz-16G,27A,43 points.
3.Jaden Schwart-15G,27A,42 points.
Good Wins for the Tigers
1.Nebraska Omaha 5-2 on 12/18/10
2.North Dakota 5-2 on 1/28/11
3.Denver 4-3 on 2/4/11
4. Minnesota Duluth 5-2 2/25/11
5.Wisconsin x3
Bad losses
1.Alaska three times
2.Michigan 6-5 on 12/30/10
3. Minnesota two blow out losses
4.Alaska Fairbanks 2-1 on 10/16/10
5.Denver 4-1 on 11/5/10
Colorado College ranks 6th in total attendance this year, one spot ahead of Boston College.
Head Coach-Scott Owens, 280-168-41, 12th season at Colorado College.
We will have more on CC in the next few days
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Eagles get 10th Hockey East tournament title...heading to St.Louis
Tonight was a sweet night to be a Boston College hockey fan at first. But then when I got home and looked at the NCAA bracket predictions, I was very upset. Even with the fantastic win, it looks like our Eagles will be heading out west. Let me first talk about the game. The game started out when Patty Mullane picked off MC D man Kyle Bigos at center ice, skated in on Joe Canatta an gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead 9:15 into the game. Once again though, BC's opponent was able to take advantage of lazy defensive play, and tie the score just 30 seconds later. MC took advantage of a Paul Carey give away, and Ryan Flanigan took advantage an tied the score up. Two minutes after the MC goal, Brian Gibbons was able to give Coach York's crew the 2-1 lead with nine minutes to play in the first period. Gibbons was able to put away Cam Atkinson's drive from the point to put it past Canatta. With about a minute to play in the period, Pat Mullane hooked a MC forward skating in, and was called for a two minute minor. MC quickly took advantage as they scored just 26 seconds later to tie it at two going into the middle frame.
In the seond period, BC was presented it's biggest opportunity of the game. They were given a 5-3 for about 40 second about half way through the period. BC was able to set up pretty well, but they just did not shoot the puck. They kept looking for the fancy play, instead they need to fire pucks at the net. Now Tommy Cross is my favorite player, but he does not shoot the puck. When you the hardest shot in the league, you need to be shooting the puck more often. You have to credit MC though for killing off almost 2:40 with a man down. That led us to be tied at the end of two. When does a game not come down to the wire for these Eagles.
The third period in this game was not as crazy as last nights, but it was pretty close. BC took advantage of a MC turnover at the red line, Joe Whitney skated in, got a shot off, and Cam Atkinson was able to put home the rebound to get the lead back in BC's favor. About four minutes after the goal, Joe Whitney was called for a elbowing call. Lets get one thing straight the officiating in this game was HORRIBLE. This call on Joe Whitney was probably the right call, but just seconds earlier an BC hit Brian Gibbons up high, and the Refs did not make the call.So MC went on a PP, their PP was amazing on the night, they were able to set it up beautifully, and were awarded with a rebound goal to tie it up with ten minutes to play. this is where the coaching experience and the playing experience in big games came into play.
With about 6:40 to go, Cam Atkinson blasted home his second goal of the game and it ended up giving BC the Lamorlillo cup. On a great pass from line mate Joe Whitney, Cam blasted it home on a bomb of a one timer to put the Eagles ont op for good. You think all the fun ended there? NO.MC was awarded a PP with 4:30 to go and it looked like this was going to be a tie game. Once again the hard work I saw in practice this week on the PK payed off and the Eagles were able to kill it off. Just as the penalty was to expire, Barry Almeida was able to chip the puck up to Phil Samuelsson who was tripped on his way in with 2:35 to go. The Game was over. Brian Dumoulin added a PP goal with about 1:30 to go to ice it. And just like that, the sea of MC fans were sent back to North Andover with hard feelings towards the Eagles. I just want to say what a great job coach Mark Denahey has done with that program. That was automatic W for BC every year until this year. I really think that two teams could meet again later in the year.
Now because UNH must play in Manchester because they host that regional, it looks like we may have seen the last of our Eagles in person. BC will have to go out to St.Louis this year and it looks like they will get Colorado College in the first round. Here is the bracket predictions from USCHO. Stay tuned for updates!
16 Air Force vs. 1 Yale
9 Minnesota-Duluth vs. 8 Union
Northeast Regional (Manchester, N.H.)
13 New Hampshire vs. 4 Miami
11 Notre Dame vs. 6 Merrimack
Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wis.)
15 Rensselaer vs. 2 North Dakota
10 Western Michigan vs. 7 Denver
West Regional (St. Louis)
14 Colorado College vs. 3 Boston College
12 Nebraska-Omaha vs. 5 Michigan
Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2011/03/19/bracketology-our-final-answer/#ixzz1H76RIYWx
In the seond period, BC was presented it's biggest opportunity of the game. They were given a 5-3 for about 40 second about half way through the period. BC was able to set up pretty well, but they just did not shoot the puck. They kept looking for the fancy play, instead they need to fire pucks at the net. Now Tommy Cross is my favorite player, but he does not shoot the puck. When you the hardest shot in the league, you need to be shooting the puck more often. You have to credit MC though for killing off almost 2:40 with a man down. That led us to be tied at the end of two. When does a game not come down to the wire for these Eagles.
The third period in this game was not as crazy as last nights, but it was pretty close. BC took advantage of a MC turnover at the red line, Joe Whitney skated in, got a shot off, and Cam Atkinson was able to put home the rebound to get the lead back in BC's favor. About four minutes after the goal, Joe Whitney was called for a elbowing call. Lets get one thing straight the officiating in this game was HORRIBLE. This call on Joe Whitney was probably the right call, but just seconds earlier an BC hit Brian Gibbons up high, and the Refs did not make the call.So MC went on a PP, their PP was amazing on the night, they were able to set it up beautifully, and were awarded with a rebound goal to tie it up with ten minutes to play. this is where the coaching experience and the playing experience in big games came into play.
With about 6:40 to go, Cam Atkinson blasted home his second goal of the game and it ended up giving BC the Lamorlillo cup. On a great pass from line mate Joe Whitney, Cam blasted it home on a bomb of a one timer to put the Eagles ont op for good. You think all the fun ended there? NO.MC was awarded a PP with 4:30 to go and it looked like this was going to be a tie game. Once again the hard work I saw in practice this week on the PK payed off and the Eagles were able to kill it off. Just as the penalty was to expire, Barry Almeida was able to chip the puck up to Phil Samuelsson who was tripped on his way in with 2:35 to go. The Game was over. Brian Dumoulin added a PP goal with about 1:30 to go to ice it. And just like that, the sea of MC fans were sent back to North Andover with hard feelings towards the Eagles. I just want to say what a great job coach Mark Denahey has done with that program. That was automatic W for BC every year until this year. I really think that two teams could meet again later in the year.
Now because UNH must play in Manchester because they host that regional, it looks like we may have seen the last of our Eagles in person. BC will have to go out to St.Louis this year and it looks like they will get Colorado College in the first round. Here is the bracket predictions from USCHO. Stay tuned for updates!
16 Air Force vs. 1 Yale
9 Minnesota-Duluth vs. 8 Union
Northeast Regional (Manchester, N.H.)
13 New Hampshire vs. 4 Miami
11 Notre Dame vs. 6 Merrimack
Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wis.)
15 Rensselaer vs. 2 North Dakota
10 Western Michigan vs. 7 Denver
West Regional (St. Louis)
14 Colorado College vs. 3 Boston College
12 Nebraska-Omaha vs. 5 Michigan
Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2011/03/19/bracketology-our-final-answer/#ixzz1H76RIYWx
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Warriors Eagles preview
This game is becoming a regular for Coach York and his Eagles. BC has reached the title game for the eight time this decade. Tonight the Eagles will be going for their 10th Hockey East title. It will not be easy, as the high flying Eagles have to go through the resurgent Merrimack Warriors. As I was watching the first period of last nights UNH MC game, I noticed that MC was so nervous and played really bad in the first ten minutes of the game. They should have been down 2-0 after 10 minutes, but managed to get back on their feet and win the game. Yes UNH is a good team, but they are no BC. MC will have a very tough time playing the speedy Eagles on a large ice surface. At MC, they have a small ice surface, so it is tough for BC to open the play up,make a lot of passes, and skate a lot. As goalie John Muse stated last night”When we are skating, nobody can beat us”.I think that BC can really take advantage of the mismatches on the third and fourth line of MC. BC’s line of Almeida-Arnold-Whitney should have it’s game of the year tonight, as they have played well in all of the games vs.MC this year. I think in the end, BC should be able to open up the game and win by a couple of goals. My prediction-Boston College-4 Merrimack College-1. If BC wins. they are guaranteed to play in Manchester next weekend.If MC wins, BC, who will be a one seed, may have to go out to Green Bay or St.Louis for the NCAA regionals. Even with a loss, BC may still be in NH, but would need some help. GO EAGLES !
The Lineup will remain the same
C.Atkisnon-B.Gibbons-J.Whitney
J.Hayes-P.Mullane-P.Carey
S.Whitney-B.Arnold-B.Alemida
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
Cross-Wey
Sauelsson-Wey
Alber-Dumolin
The Lineup will remain the same
C.Atkisnon-B.Gibbons-J.Whitney
J.Hayes-P.Mullane-P.Carey
S.Whitney-B.Arnold-B.Alemida
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
Cross-Wey
Sauelsson-Wey
Alber-Dumolin
Eagles to face Merrimack in the Hockey East finals
Talk about one heck of a hockey game. Friday night BC advanced to the Hockey East tournament finals via a tough 5-4 victory over the Northeastern Huskies. BC was led by goals from Brian Gibbons, K.Hayes, S.Whitney. T.Cross, and P.Mullane. The Eagles went down a goal after Joe Whitney kicked the puck into his own net. Later in the period, Brian Gibbons scored on what looked like a pass and it hit of an NU's D mans stick. After one period it was Huskies one Eagles one. Late in the period however Gibbons was injured when he went charging at an NU d man, the D man leveled Gibbions and he was out for the rest of the period, and part of the second with a shoulder injury.
Early in the second period, BC was awarded a PP. Since Gibbons was out, it was J.Whitney-C.Atkinson-S.Whitney-B.Almdeia-K.Hayes. The Eagles could not convert, but were able to apply some good pressure on Chris Rawlings. five minutes later NU was penalized again, this time it was Bitetto going off for high sticking. With Gibbons back on the ice, J.Hayes was able to give a great dish to his brother Kevin who was right on the door step to put Boston College up by a goal. Just some thirty five seconds later Wade Macleod was able to pull the Huskies even when he went down on a two on one and beat Johnny Muse short side. Then the fun began.
Just after taking two horrible penalties, Steven Whitney went down on NU D man Jaime Olesiak (who had leveled him earlier) took him wide, and beat Chris Rawlings top right corner. After this goal, the Eagles were clearly dominating the game, and were rewarded with a power play with about 1:30 left in the middle session. After Patty Mullane did a good job of winning the draw back to Brian Domulin, he slid it over to missile man Tommy Cross who took a wrist shot for his seventh goal of the year. This was the last of Chris Rawlings who was replaced after the goal. Rawlings did not seem comfortable at really any point in the game, and was outplayed by Eagle netminder John Muse.
Going into the third BC had a two goal lead and were flying all over the ice. Then the wheels sort of fell of. Cross followed his terrific goal with a penalty just 19 second into the period. That penalty was soon followed by a Barry Almeida tripping call. Give all the credit in the world to the Eagle penalty killers, Billy Arnold,Cam Atkinson,Brian Gibbons,J.Hayes,and the Whitney brothers. All week in practice the players worked so much on the PK, and I knew deep down, that it could be the difference in the game, and it was. BC killed off the penalties, and were then rewarded with a PP of their own. The second unit once again came through, as Pat Mullane put in a rebound of a J.Hayes shot and it seemed to be just a insurance goal but we would soon find out that it would be the game winner.
The game looked to be over, when BC again started taking stupid penalties. Philp Samuelsson and Pat Wey both went to the box for hooking and tripping. The Huskies were able to take advantage at 3:56 to make it a two goal game. After Gibbons took yet another penalty with 1:43 to go, the Huskies looked like they were in business. NU scored just thirty seconds later to make it a one goal game with a minute to go. After NU pulled the goalie and got some good shots off, BC was able to get a PP and ice the game.
Yes it’s always great beating one of your arch rivals in a big game, but you cannot take dumb stuPid penalties late in the game. The last couple of minutes of play were not the minutes of play the Eagles have had this year. Thanks to great goaltending,good play making early in the game, and some luck, the Eagles were able to send Greg Cronin and the Huskies back to Huntington Ave.
TOMORROW I WILL HAVE IN GAME UPDATES, AS I WILL HAVE MY LAPTOP IN THE MEDIA ROOM DURING THE GAME, SO CHECK IN.
Early in the second period, BC was awarded a PP. Since Gibbons was out, it was J.Whitney-C.Atkinson-S.Whitney-B.Almdeia-K.Hayes. The Eagles could not convert, but were able to apply some good pressure on Chris Rawlings. five minutes later NU was penalized again, this time it was Bitetto going off for high sticking. With Gibbons back on the ice, J.Hayes was able to give a great dish to his brother Kevin who was right on the door step to put Boston College up by a goal. Just some thirty five seconds later Wade Macleod was able to pull the Huskies even when he went down on a two on one and beat Johnny Muse short side. Then the fun began.
Just after taking two horrible penalties, Steven Whitney went down on NU D man Jaime Olesiak (who had leveled him earlier) took him wide, and beat Chris Rawlings top right corner. After this goal, the Eagles were clearly dominating the game, and were rewarded with a power play with about 1:30 left in the middle session. After Patty Mullane did a good job of winning the draw back to Brian Domulin, he slid it over to missile man Tommy Cross who took a wrist shot for his seventh goal of the year. This was the last of Chris Rawlings who was replaced after the goal. Rawlings did not seem comfortable at really any point in the game, and was outplayed by Eagle netminder John Muse.
Going into the third BC had a two goal lead and were flying all over the ice. Then the wheels sort of fell of. Cross followed his terrific goal with a penalty just 19 second into the period. That penalty was soon followed by a Barry Almeida tripping call. Give all the credit in the world to the Eagle penalty killers, Billy Arnold,Cam Atkinson,Brian Gibbons,J.Hayes,and the Whitney brothers. All week in practice the players worked so much on the PK, and I knew deep down, that it could be the difference in the game, and it was. BC killed off the penalties, and were then rewarded with a PP of their own. The second unit once again came through, as Pat Mullane put in a rebound of a J.Hayes shot and it seemed to be just a insurance goal but we would soon find out that it would be the game winner.
The game looked to be over, when BC again started taking stupid penalties. Philp Samuelsson and Pat Wey both went to the box for hooking and tripping. The Huskies were able to take advantage at 3:56 to make it a two goal game. After Gibbons took yet another penalty with 1:43 to go, the Huskies looked like they were in business. NU scored just thirty seconds later to make it a one goal game with a minute to go. After NU pulled the goalie and got some good shots off, BC was able to get a PP and ice the game.
Yes it’s always great beating one of your arch rivals in a big game, but you cannot take dumb stuPid penalties late in the game. The last couple of minutes of play were not the minutes of play the Eagles have had this year. Thanks to great goaltending,good play making early in the game, and some luck, the Eagles were able to send Greg Cronin and the Huskies back to Huntington Ave.
TOMORROW I WILL HAVE IN GAME UPDATES, AS I WILL HAVE MY LAPTOP IN THE MEDIA ROOM DURING THE GAME, SO CHECK IN.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Huskies Preview
Tonight the Boston College Eagles are going for their second consecutive Hockey East tournament crown. It will not be easy, as the Eagles will have to go through a Huskies teams in which they have already met four times this year. NU's first line of McNeely-Macleod-Silva is as dangerous of a first line as there is in the league. Also the Huskies line of Dungara-Primm-Reed is a very dangerous line. Dungara and Reid both had excellent nights in the Beanpot final. NU's goaltender Chris Rawlings is a very good goalie with a 2.62 GAA. Rawlings had an amazing game the last time these two teams met at Matthews arena, he was able to stop 35 of the Eagles shots. NU's leading D man is 6 foot seven inch Jaime Olseiak. Oleaisak has a bomb of a shot, and can hit as hard as anyone the Eagles have gone against this year. This matchup could be a tough one for the Eagles, but in the end, experience,talent, and speed, all lead up to a winning formula for the Eagles. The linup tonight will be this.....
C.Atkinson-B.Gibbons-J.Whitney
J.Hayes-P.Mullane-P.Carey
S.Whitney-B.Arnold-B.Almdeia
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
IN GOAL-JOHN MUSE
C.Atkinson-B.Gibbons-J.Whitney
J.Hayes-P.Mullane-P.Carey
S.Whitney-B.Arnold-B.Almdeia
K.Hayes-P.Brown-B.Dyroff
IN GOAL-JOHN MUSE
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Looking Back at the NU BC rivalry
This weekend, BC takes on NU. This will be the fifth meeting between NU and BC this year, the Eagles are 2-1-1 vs the Huskies so far this year. As we approach Friday night, I have been thinking about how much the BC NU rivalry is really taking off. No, NU is not even close to BC biggest rival...that is Boston University. The reason BU and BC have a great rivalry is because the two programs have always been at the top of college hockey. Now that NU is really starting to play better hockey the last couple of year, BC may have a new secondary enemy in this city. I would personally rank NU second on BC's list of rivals. I don't think that people give Greg Cronin enough credit for what he has done to NU. When I saw that NU beat BU last weekend in their best of three series, I said to myself "WOW". I don't know if I want to admit it, but NU seems to have BC number more then any other team in Hockey East. Last year, BC was the number one team in the country before going into Matthews arena and losing to the Huskies. In the 2009 season, BC was once again the number one team in the country going into the Dogpound. Once again BC came out with a loss. This year, BC's last loss had been JANUARY 16 @ Maine. Think about that, BC had gone a month without losing a game before losing to an extremely underrated Huskies team. Of all BC's opponents, I think that NU is the most well coached team. The way that Cronin gets his team ready to play BC night in and night out just amazes me. BC is normally a pretty good team when on the road, but when they play @ NU, NU always finds a way to bottle up BC's offense. In the last 5 games @ NU, BC has a combined nine goals. Compare that to their last 5 games at BU, BC has a combined 19 goals. You may disagree with me, but I think that of all the teams in Hockey East, BC has the most problems with the scrappy Huskies. I am expecting Friday to be the best hockey game of the year. NU will be flying and hopefully so will the Eagles. I dont know bout you, but I am sure excited about this game.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Coach York Interview on upcoming Hockey East Tournament
href="http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/media/audio/2011mchampcall/york.mp3">
Latest Bracketology
Don't be worried. BC is going to make the NCAA field of 16. After BC is done with Hockey East, we will find out who and where BC will play. It appears that BC is a lock to be a #1 seed and will be playing in nearby Manchester,New Hampshire. Heres what the latest bracket looks likes. Note that BU is not part of the field.
East Regional (Bridgeport)
16 RIT vs 1 Yale
9 Union vs 8 Merrimack
West Regional (ST.Louis)
13 UNO vs 4 Michigan
12 WMU vs 6 Denver
Midwest Regional (Green Bay)
15 Dartmouth vs. 2 North Dakota
10 Notre Dame vs. 7 Minnesota-Duluth
Northeast Regional (Manchester)
14 Colorado College vs. 3 Boston College
11 New Hampshire vs. 5 Miami
Read more: http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2011/03/13/a-wild-weekend/#ixzz1Gi5n5Mbb
East Regional (Bridgeport)
16 RIT vs 1 Yale
9 Union vs 8 Merrimack
West Regional (ST.Louis)
13 UNO vs 4 Michigan
12 WMU vs 6 Denver
Midwest Regional (Green Bay)
15 Dartmouth vs. 2 North Dakota
10 Notre Dame vs. 7 Minnesota-Duluth
Northeast Regional (Manchester)
14 Colorado College vs. 3 Boston College
11 New Hampshire vs. 5 Miami
Read more: http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2011/03/13/a-wild-weekend/#ixzz1Gi5n5Mbb
BU's Warsofscky appears to be on the way out
Going into this season, when I looked at BU's roster, one name stood out. David Warsofsky. The scariest thing was that he was only a JR. It appears that Warsofsky may not be back next fall for his Senior year at Boston University. Warsofsky's effort on the ice was not what it was in his previous two years at BU, and he was even benched for a contest at Umass (Parker later said that "this teams needs Warsofsky to be playing at 100 % each night). I would be shocked if Warsofsky, a Bruins draft pick, does return for his final year at BU.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Eagles get to the Garden
Now that Boston College has finally made it to the "final four" of the Hockey East tournament, we can talk a little about what this week means. First of all, it's the Hockey East tournament,it's the best league in the country. It's always great going around The Garden holding up that trophy. BC has most likely clinched the # 3 overall seed in going into the NCAA tournament, which means they will be playing in Manchester, New Hampshire for the NCAA's. If the Eagles loose to NU by a wide margin on Friday, then the Eagles may slip to a two seed, but most likely not.
Besides BU, there is no team that BC sees more than NU. NU most likely ended Jack Parker and BU's year this past weekend. And will be very hungry to avenge their Beanpot finals lost to Boston College. We know that NU will come out on fire at the start of Fridays game. I am expecting this to be an amazing hockey game. BC will have a very tough time with NU, as it did in the last three meetings between these two teams. The way NU can bottle up BC's amazing transition game is second to none in the league. Trust me, this game will not disappoint. This will be a high scoring, up tempo, and physical game between two teams that really don’t like each other, and two schools that have a long, historic rivalry. If you ask me, after BU, NU could be the school that BC hockey fans have the most animosity towards. This will just be another BC NU classic.
My Predictions
BC 5 NU 4 OT
MC 3 UNH 2
BC 5 MC 3
Besides BU, there is no team that BC sees more than NU. NU most likely ended Jack Parker and BU's year this past weekend. And will be very hungry to avenge their Beanpot finals lost to Boston College. We know that NU will come out on fire at the start of Fridays game. I am expecting this to be an amazing hockey game. BC will have a very tough time with NU, as it did in the last three meetings between these two teams. The way NU can bottle up BC's amazing transition game is second to none in the league. Trust me, this game will not disappoint. This will be a high scoring, up tempo, and physical game between two teams that really don’t like each other, and two schools that have a long, historic rivalry. If you ask me, after BU, NU could be the school that BC hockey fans have the most animosity towards. This will just be another BC NU classic.
My Predictions
BC 5 NU 4 OT
MC 3 UNH 2
BC 5 MC 3
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Eagles roll past Umass
It's that time of year....playoffs. We all know that the Eagles can really take it up a notch in the playoffs. Last night they certainly did. The Eagles had goals from Brian Gibbons,B.Almeida, C.Atkinson, and J.Hayes. Of the three Umass BC games I have seen this year, this was by far the Eagles best performance. Umass was flat the whole second half of the game, after getting a strong start. BC had a great defensive game today, when they have that it is REALLY tough to be BC. BC had good games from P.Samuelsson, P.Wey,and I thought Ediwn Shea had one of his better games of the year tonight. It is obvious that Umass can not keep up with BC's speed. Umass has maybe two players that I think are pretty good skaters out there, Marcou and Synder. Otherwise, it was a real struggle for the Minutemen to get the puck out of their own zone.
If BC can keep up what they did last night, then we should be able to say that BC will be in The Garden next weekend. Umass will need a miracle to win a game in this series, let alone two games. BC has gotten some really great goaltending from John Muse as of late, and should be able to keep winning with his play of late.
Here are the sceanrios for who BC would play if they win........
IF NU beats BU, BC automatically gets NU next weekend. BC can not play BU in the semifinal
IF UNH beats UVM, BC can not play them no matter what. IF UVM wins, then BC gets UVM next week.
IF MC beats Umaine, BU beats NU, and UNH beats UVM, it will be BC vs.MC and BU vs. UNH
IF Maine beats MC, NU beats BU and UNH beats UVM, BC gets Maine
IF UVM, NU, and MC win, BC gets UVM.
IF NU, UVM, and Maine win, BC gets UVM
GO EAGLES
If BC can keep up what they did last night, then we should be able to say that BC will be in The Garden next weekend. Umass will need a miracle to win a game in this series, let alone two games. BC has gotten some really great goaltending from John Muse as of late, and should be able to keep winning with his play of late.
Here are the sceanrios for who BC would play if they win........
IF NU beats BU, BC automatically gets NU next weekend. BC can not play BU in the semifinal
IF UNH beats UVM, BC can not play them no matter what. IF UVM wins, then BC gets UVM next week.
IF MC beats Umaine, BU beats NU, and UNH beats UVM, it will be BC vs.MC and BU vs. UNH
IF Maine beats MC, NU beats BU and UNH beats UVM, BC gets Maine
IF UVM, NU, and MC win, BC gets UVM.
IF NU, UVM, and Maine win, BC gets UVM
GO EAGLES
Monday, March 7, 2011
Interview with NESN analyst Craig Janney about the upcoming Hockey East tournament
First of All, I would like to thank Craig for joining us today, and sharing his incite on the upcoming Hockey East Tournament.
Q1. ME-Craig, who do you think the overall favorite coming into the tournament is ?
CRAIG-Going into the tournament, I woULD say that BC and UNH would be the two favorites. In the long run though, I think BC will end up winning the tournament thanks to its leadership and expirence in the big games.
Q2. ME- IS there an underdog in this tournament ?
CRAIG-You know Mike, I really like NU, they are coming off a hard fought effort in the Beanpot, and then took three of four points from BC this past weekend. I really see NU with their goaltending being a big threat.
Q3. ME- Do you think that NU's coaching situation could come back to haunt them ?
CRAIG-You know them not being around the program will hurt, but right now you know what I think that they will be O.K. they took 3 of 4 points from BC than they can beat anybody.
Q4. ME- What do you think of Merrimack?
Craig- Well they got blown out my Maine the last two nights, but lets be honest Mike, no one wins at Maine. They have a lot of veteran experience, but they have not won any big games. They do have a lot of older age skaters that can help them in the Garden.
Q5. ME-What do you think of Maine..they have beaten BC,they swept MC, but they have lost twice to BU and UNH.
CRAIG- It looks like Maine has founded a goaltender in this Sullivan kid. If he can keep up his play of late, I think Maine could be very dangerous. They have found a goalie they can rely on, they havent had that all season, and now since guys like Nyquist and Abbot are getting hot, Maine could be very competitive come tourney time.
Q6. Me- Do you think that Home ice advantage means more to Maine then anyone else ?
CRAIG-Ya you know Maine struggles a little bit on the road but when in their in that little barn up in Orono, home ice throughout Hockey East is a big advantage, but nobody needs it more then Maine.
Q7. ME- Another team people dont know about is BU, what do you think about BU?
CRAIG-I think they are the hardest team to read in the league. They are so inconsistent. They have times like last night where they are spacing out at the wrong times like in the third period vs UVM where they had a 3-0 lead, but they continue to be inconsistent, UVM should have won they hit the pipe in OT, that would have won the game.
Q8. ME-We look at the NCAA tournament, of all the Hockey east teams, which could be a real threat come tournament time ?
Craig-Thats a good question, I really like BC's chances, they have a veteran team, that has been there before. I think that BU is a year or two away, they are just to young this year. I think Maine needs a lot of quality wins to get in it. MC could be dangerous if DeCosta is OK. UNH im a little scared about because they don't win the big games. They win the regular season, but they never win the big NCAA games. But yes BC is they big time favorite out of Hockey East.
CRAIGS COACH AND PLAYERS OF THE YEAR-
Coach-Mark Dennahey- Merrimack. He's done a great job.
Player of the year-Cam Atkinson-Boston College.
THANK YOU CRAIG FOR YOUR INCITE ON THE UPCOMING HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT !
Q1. ME-Craig, who do you think the overall favorite coming into the tournament is ?
CRAIG-Going into the tournament, I woULD say that BC and UNH would be the two favorites. In the long run though, I think BC will end up winning the tournament thanks to its leadership and expirence in the big games.
Q2. ME- IS there an underdog in this tournament ?
CRAIG-You know Mike, I really like NU, they are coming off a hard fought effort in the Beanpot, and then took three of four points from BC this past weekend. I really see NU with their goaltending being a big threat.
Q3. ME- Do you think that NU's coaching situation could come back to haunt them ?
CRAIG-You know them not being around the program will hurt, but right now you know what I think that they will be O.K. they took 3 of 4 points from BC than they can beat anybody.
Q4. ME- What do you think of Merrimack?
Craig- Well they got blown out my Maine the last two nights, but lets be honest Mike, no one wins at Maine. They have a lot of veteran experience, but they have not won any big games. They do have a lot of older age skaters that can help them in the Garden.
Q5. ME-What do you think of Maine..they have beaten BC,they swept MC, but they have lost twice to BU and UNH.
CRAIG- It looks like Maine has founded a goaltender in this Sullivan kid. If he can keep up his play of late, I think Maine could be very dangerous. They have found a goalie they can rely on, they havent had that all season, and now since guys like Nyquist and Abbot are getting hot, Maine could be very competitive come tourney time.
Q6. Me- Do you think that Home ice advantage means more to Maine then anyone else ?
CRAIG-Ya you know Maine struggles a little bit on the road but when in their in that little barn up in Orono, home ice throughout Hockey East is a big advantage, but nobody needs it more then Maine.
Q7. ME- Another team people dont know about is BU, what do you think about BU?
CRAIG-I think they are the hardest team to read in the league. They are so inconsistent. They have times like last night where they are spacing out at the wrong times like in the third period vs UVM where they had a 3-0 lead, but they continue to be inconsistent, UVM should have won they hit the pipe in OT, that would have won the game.
Q8. ME-We look at the NCAA tournament, of all the Hockey east teams, which could be a real threat come tournament time ?
Craig-Thats a good question, I really like BC's chances, they have a veteran team, that has been there before. I think that BU is a year or two away, they are just to young this year. I think Maine needs a lot of quality wins to get in it. MC could be dangerous if DeCosta is OK. UNH im a little scared about because they don't win the big games. They win the regular season, but they never win the big NCAA games. But yes BC is they big time favorite out of Hockey East.
CRAIGS COACH AND PLAYERS OF THE YEAR-
Coach-Mark Dennahey- Merrimack. He's done a great job.
Player of the year-Cam Atkinson-Boston College.
THANK YOU CRAIG FOR YOUR INCITE ON THE UPCOMING HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT !
Eagles claim first regular season title since 2005.
Boston College finally accomplished what no other BC team has done since 2005, that is to win the Hockey East regular season title. BC's newly formed line of Paul Carey, Jimmy Hayes, and Pat Mullane was fantastic in the 4-3 win @ UNH to claim the title. Chris Krieder will be out 4-6 weeks thanks to his broken jaw. This could be a devastating blow for the Eagles title run. BC will have to play Umass this week in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East tournament. BC should be able to escape that one as it has not lost to Umass in the last 7 games dating back to two seasons ago. If BC were able to make it to the Garden next week, they will have a tough time without Krieder. The lines have been adjusted to Gibbons-Atkinson-Whitney, J.Hayes-P.Carey-P.Mullane, B.Almeida-B.Arnold-S.Whitney-K.Hayes-P.Brown-Dyroff or T. Atkinson will be the right wing depending who has the better week in practice. It was Dyroff who got the start Saturday @ UNH.
Winning the Hockey East tournament title will be tough for the Eagles this year. Yes BC is the defending champs and have the most championships out of any teams(9) but Hockey East is loaded once again this year with BC, BU, Maine, UNH, NU, and Merrimack all looking to earn bids for the NCAA tournament. BC is 4-0 vs archival BU, 2-1 vs Maine and UNH, 2-1-1 vs NU, and 1-2 vs MC. OF all these teams, I think the team the is the biggest threat to BC would be the University of Maine. MAine has the best player in the country in my opinion in Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist is an amazing play maker who can beat any team with his amazing speed and super hard shot. UNH I think is a favorable mathcup for the Eagles. UNH's first line is a threat, but other than that line, UNH is not very deep. MC is a very deep team, with a lot of senior leadership, but I am not sure if they will be able to perform under pressure if they make it to the garden , will they be able to handle the pressure. NU has challenged BC in all four of their games this year. They beat BC in the most recent meeting, and tied up BC at Conte, which is as close to impossible as it gets. This should be an interesting couple weeks of Hockey, but it is when Coach York gets his team ready to play better than anyone. Here are my predictions for the playoffs.
1st Round-
BC over Umass-4-2,3-0
UNH over Vermont-3-2,2-3(UVM),4-2 (UNH)
NU over BU-3-2(NU),4-1(BU),4-3 OT (NU) UPSET SPECIAL
Maine over Merrimack-7-6,4-2(MC),4-3 OT (UMAINE)
Semi finals
BC over NU 4-2
Maine over UNH 4-3 OT
Finals
BC over Maine 6-5!!
Winning the Hockey East tournament title will be tough for the Eagles this year. Yes BC is the defending champs and have the most championships out of any teams(9) but Hockey East is loaded once again this year with BC, BU, Maine, UNH, NU, and Merrimack all looking to earn bids for the NCAA tournament. BC is 4-0 vs archival BU, 2-1 vs Maine and UNH, 2-1-1 vs NU, and 1-2 vs MC. OF all these teams, I think the team the is the biggest threat to BC would be the University of Maine. MAine has the best player in the country in my opinion in Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist is an amazing play maker who can beat any team with his amazing speed and super hard shot. UNH I think is a favorable mathcup for the Eagles. UNH's first line is a threat, but other than that line, UNH is not very deep. MC is a very deep team, with a lot of senior leadership, but I am not sure if they will be able to perform under pressure if they make it to the garden , will they be able to handle the pressure. NU has challenged BC in all four of their games this year. They beat BC in the most recent meeting, and tied up BC at Conte, which is as close to impossible as it gets. This should be an interesting couple weeks of Hockey, but it is when Coach York gets his team ready to play better than anyone. Here are my predictions for the playoffs.
1st Round-
BC over Umass-4-2,3-0
UNH over Vermont-3-2,2-3(UVM),4-2 (UNH)
NU over BU-3-2(NU),4-1(BU),4-3 OT (NU) UPSET SPECIAL
Maine over Merrimack-7-6,4-2(MC),4-3 OT (UMAINE)
Semi finals
BC over NU 4-2
Maine over UNH 4-3 OT
Finals
BC over Maine 6-5!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Eagles take first in Hockey East with win on Senior Night
Boston College beat UNH last night 4-0 in it's final regular season home game this year. BC had goals from Bill Arnold, Brian Gibbons, and two for Cam Atkinson. I was not able to see much of the game due to getting back from a trip, but from what I saw, UNH's first line of Sislo, DeSimone,and Thompson did not look so good. UNH put their big three back together after splitting them up last week.
If BC can manage a tie tonight, then they will be able to capture their third trophy of the year in the Hockey East regular season trophy. As of now, BC would take on UMass if the playoffs were to end last night, but if UMass losses and PC wins, then BC would get PC in the first round of the playoffs. I think PC would be the better matchup for BC, BC had a tough time with UMass last week, and were lucky to win. We will see what happens tonight, as BC seems to be playing their best hockey of the year on the defensive side of the puck after holding UNH to just 12 shots.
BREAKING NEWS- Chris Krieder is most likely out for the rest of the year. He sufferd a puck to the jaw, and was rushed to Tufts medical center last night.
If BC can manage a tie tonight, then they will be able to capture their third trophy of the year in the Hockey East regular season trophy. As of now, BC would take on UMass if the playoffs were to end last night, but if UMass losses and PC wins, then BC would get PC in the first round of the playoffs. I think PC would be the better matchup for BC, BC had a tough time with UMass last week, and were lucky to win. We will see what happens tonight, as BC seems to be playing their best hockey of the year on the defensive side of the puck after holding UNH to just 12 shots.
BREAKING NEWS- Chris Krieder is most likely out for the rest of the year. He sufferd a puck to the jaw, and was rushed to Tufts medical center last night.
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