Eagles beat Michigan Tech to take third place at the GLI

Brian Dumoulin had the game winner for BC

Well that was the best consolation game I have ever been to. BC was able to (barley) escape Detroit with one win over a pretty good Michigan Tech team by a score of 2-1. The PP continues to improve as Chris Kreider was able to put BC up 1-0 just five minutes into the game. BC was really controlling the pace but suddenly MTU was able to get a shorthanded goal on a play that was just really bad. MTU was able to dump it back into the BC zone but then BC turned it over at their own blue line and bang MTU ties it up just like that. It was a pretty soft goal and im still trying to figure out how we let that up but anyway the game goes on. BC really dominated the second period in terms of possession in their opponents end, but were not able to capitalize. BC even had a 5-3 for about a minute and a half but were not able to score because the MTU goaltender was able to make some great stops. The winning goal was just a great individual effort by a great player. Brian Dumoulin did a great job of intercepting a pass at the red line and he then moved to the faceoff circle in the Huskie end and ripped a shot passed the goalie to give BC a 2-1 edge. BC contiued to play strong in their own end did until the weirdest moment of the game came. A Huskie defenseman fired a shot from the point that deflected off a Huskie forward's stick and then the puck ended up in front of the net and a Huskie player was there to tie it up. But wait. It appeared to be a clear goal but after a lengthy revie, the officials decided that the player who had redirected the puck had his stick to high and it was high sticking. Overall, not a pretty win but a win is a win. I thought the team played a little better today compared to last night but it is pretty clear that they really miss Billy Arnold. Next Sunday vs MC is the first time in a LONG time that the Eagles will have there full lineup.


Why BC won 

1. Parker Milner. No he was not great but he did his job by stopping 24 MTU shots including 10 in the third.

2. Brian Dumoulin continues to be great. One of the best defenseman BC has had in the last 10 years.

3. The defensive zone coverage is really improving. Yes, there is still some work to do but I like the way the defenseman are starting to play. I thought guys like Macleod, Alber, and Cross had great weekends.



Problems 

1. I think that some of the forwards need to do a little better in their own zone. One of the most important things in hockey is just chipping the puck off the boards and then creating offense. Need to get better at getting the puck out.

Next Up- A huge game at Conte vs a struggling Merrimack team on Sunday 1/8.


Player of the Game- Brian Dumoulin.

Previewing the Michigan Tech Huskies and Milner is in net

The Eagles return to action tonight as they face Michigan Tech in the third place game at the GLI. BC had a rough go last night as they were dominated by a very big and physical Michigan team. MTU comes into the game with a 9-10-1 overall record under first year head coach Mel Person. Some notable wins for the Huskies have been a blowout win vs Denver and a 3-2 win @ then #1 Minnesota. So by looking at those games you know that this team can compete with the big dogs. I expect MTU to play a very good game on both ends and I hope the Eagles are ready to counter. This is one of those games where if you win great but if you lose, well it is a killer. As I said in an earlier post, BC has not lost any "bad" games all year but if they were to lose tonight, it would be a killer in terms of the pairwise because MTU is not a great team record wise. I think that Coach York gave the team a good talk after last nights game because he knows that they really were dominated in the first and third periods by UM. I think BC will be ready to go tonight and beat the Huskies by a pretty good margin but you never know in this game.


Key Players 

1. Brett Olson-F- 6 goals 13 assist

2. Steve Seigo- D- 3 goals 12 assist

3. Josh Robinson-G Ranks fourth in the WCHA in save percentage and fifth in Goals agianst average.



Keys for the Eagles

1. This is a must win, be ready. I am not leaving this place without seeing a win. The team needs to have that same mindset

2. The turnovers need to stop. To many times yesterday turnovers led to odd man rushes for the Wolverines that resulted in goals.

3. Stay out of the box. BC took some really bad penalties yesterday like interference, high sticking, and roughing. Needs to stop in order to win games.

Series history vs MTU- BC leads 6-3 all time. BC won the last meeting in November of 1988 by a score of 4-1.

Note- Milner is in net tonight for BC.

Wolverines upend Eagles 4-2

The Michigan Wolverines upended the Boston College Eagles 4-2 Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena for one main reason. They capitalized. All of UM's goals happend thanks to large mistakes on BC's part. On the first goal, UM made a good play in their own zone that resulted in a 2-1. Bang. 1-0 just a minute into the game. The first period might as well have been the worst period BC played all season. A bigger and stronger UM team controlled the pace the entire 20 minutes and that led to BC players getting tired and taking stupid penalties. BC then managed to get two stupid penalties that led to another easy UM goal. In terms of offense, the Eagles created a couple of chances but really had no grade A ones in the first stanza. The lines of Linell-Smith-Brown and Straight-Sit-Whitney were completely invisible as they got no offense going. I thought the line of Almeida-Hayes-Carey was exceptional tonight as they created a lot of good chances but were not able to capitalize. As for the first line, they were good but I could not have been more impressed with UM's line of Brown-Guptill-Wahlberg as they created so many odd man rushes and probably should have had another three goals. I liked BC's Power Play tonight as they were able to go 1/4 but only has two full length PP's. In terms of pairwise, this lost does not hurt to much. This was technically a home game for UM as I have never heard a crazy crowd before in my life. If BC were to some how lose to Michigan Tech tomorrow, that would be a killer in terms of the pairwise so the Eagles need to be ready to go. 

Why BC Lost- 

1. To many mistakes. To many times a defenseman miss handeld the puck at the blue line and a Wolverine was able to come away with it. Also, the backchecking was horrendous. 

2. UM's first line. As I said, that first line of Brown Guptill and Wahlberg was amazing. Won the game for them. 

3. Nothing going in the third. It was only a one goal game in the third but BC couldn't seem to get anything to the net. UM did a good job of getting bodies and sticks in passing lanes. Also good goaltending by Hunwick. 

Positives- 

1. Take out the first 20 minutes and BC wins. The second period was one of the better period all year but the third was another dull, nothing happening period. 

2. I thought BC played well on the defensive side of the puck. Although Wey was not great, he certainly helped out in many area including the PK 

3. Theres always tomorrow. Michigan Tech is going to bring their best. BC must be ready. 

Notes- I would think Milner might get a shot tomorrow. Billett was not bad but you may want to give Milner a try. 

Brain Billett in net tonight vs Michigan

Freshman goalie Brian Billett will be in net for the opening round of the Great Lakes Invitational vs the University of Michigan. Billett is 3-1 in four career starts.

Lines for the Great Lakes

One thing I forgot to add in my Michigan preview were the lines for the tournament. Here they are. Enjoy

Krieder-Mullane-Gaudreau

Hayes-Almeida-Carey

Whitney-Sit-Straight

Smith-Brown-Linell.

Previewing The University of Michigan Wolverines and some news.

The Eagles get back into the thick of things this week as they head to Detroit for the Great Lakes Invitational. In three appearances at the GLI, BC has one championship (2003) and two third place finishes. The tournament is hosted by Michigan and Michigan State with Michigan Tech being invited almost yearly. BC's first opponent is the Michigan Wolverines, puck drop is at 7:30 at Joe Louis Arena.

This season the Wolverines are a disappointing 9-8-3 and are currently in eight place in the CCHA. In their last meeting, UM lost to Michigan State in East Lansing in a shootout but were able to beat the Spartans the night before. In terms of the GLI, UM has owned this tournament. The Wolverines have won an astonishing 14 titles including last year when they beat Colorado College by a score of 6-5. Before the season started, UM lost one of it's start defenseman in Jon Merrill who was suspended indefinitely by head coach Red Berenson. UM may not have a great record so far but it sure has no shortage of goal scorers. Leading the way for the Wolverines is forward Chris Brown who currently ranks fourth in the CCHA with 18 points on the season. Also leading the way for UM are freshman forward Alex Guptill who has 9 goals on the season and Senior David Wohlberg who has 7 goals and 8 assist ont he season. I definitely think UM is better then their record shows as they currently rank 17th in the pairwise rankings and are not ranked in the polls. Their first line is obviously very dangerous with Wohlberg, Guptill, and Brown but compared to past teams, I don't think they are as deep. Michigan and BC have had a pretty good rivalry going over the past couple years with Michigan leading the all time series 10-6 but BC is 2-0 all time at the GLI vs the Wolverines.

Looking at Wolverines.

Head Coach- Red Berenson- 28th season at UM. 737-348-76 record in Ann Arbor.

Top Players-

Alex Guptill- 9 goals 6 assist. Leads the team in goals.

Chris Brown- 6 goals 12 assist. Leads the team in points.

David Wohlberg- 7 goals 8 assist.

Last meeting- UM beat BC in 2007 at the Icebreaker in St. Louis. UM leads all time series 10-6

Prediction- UM will give BC all it can handle but I like BC 4-3 in OT.

News on Wey and goalies- Pat Wey is a go this weekend. This is his first game in nearly two months. The starting goaltender has not been determinded yet but both looked very good in practice. Would not be surprised if Coach York gave Milner a start this week.

Yes, I am going to Detroit. So check in for Twitter updates @bchockeyblog1.

GO EAGLES.

Nice to get back into the kick of things....My weekly picks.

The Michigan preview will be up later tonight. Go Eagles

Grading the defenseman on their play and news on Pat Wey.

Before I start, I would like to congratulate Billy Arnold on scoring a goal in the USA's 11-3 rout of Denmark. As for the defense, I think they have really improved from last year. The loss of Samuelsson really hurt this team and follow that up with Pat Wey's injury everyone was interested to see what would happen. Even though those losses were big, the unit has persevered through the tough times and continues to play well. So here it goes. 

Tommy Cross- A-. The clear cut leader of this team. I really like the way Tommy is playing so far this season especially with the loss of Wey. Even though he is a defenseman, he has scored BC's two biggest goals of the year as he netted the winner with a second to go vs NU and had the game winner during that magical night at The Other School. Just by watching him play in games and practice I can see how good he is at being the captain of this team. 

Brian Dumoulin- A. While Tommy Cross is the leader, Brian is the not only the best defenseman on this team but maybe in the entire league. He leads all defenseman on the team in points and is second behind Lowell's Chad Rhuwedel in Hockey East. He has done a great job on the PP and PK and is really improving his game in his own end. He is already one of the premier offensive defenseman in the whole country. 

Patch Alber- B+. Going into the year, Patch was behind Cross, Dumoulin, and Wey in terms of depth at defense but when Wey went down, no one on this whole entire team has stepped up bigger than Patch. Although he is the smallest defenseman on the team, he is the toughest and most solid in his own zone. He does the little things like just making good passes and clearing the puck out of the zone better than anyone. 

Edwin Shea- C. This grade is probably a little harsh but im just not liking the way he is playing right now. First of all, he does not have a good shot. When you are on the power play, you need to be able to fire puck. Secondly, he is not good in his own zone. To many times he misses his assignments in his own zone. Needs a really good last half of the year to finish his career. 

Issac Macleod-C+. Since this is his first year being a full time defenseman he is struggling a little bit. I like Issac and I think he has the chance to become a good defenseman here. I think he needs to improve on his skating and not turning it over as much. As time goes on, he will mature as a defenseman. 

Brooks Dyroff- N/A. When he plays he only plays a couple shifts.

NEWS ON WEY- Being the crazy knucklehead that I am, I went to optional practice today and saw Pat Wey practicing without a medical jersey on, meaning he should be good to go for the Great Lakes. More info tomorrow, as we should know what the lines are with Arnold out and I will have my preview on the Wolverines. 

Christmas Break Grades. Part one

First of all, I hope all of you are enjoying as great a Christmas as I am. Enjoy the time you get to spend with all your family and friends ! Today, I am thought it would be good to grade each player on how he has been playing so far this season. We will start with the forwards.


Chris Krieder- B+. Chris has had a great year on the offensive end with 12 goals and 11 assist and has definitely put himself into Hobey Baker contention. The reason I am not giving Chris an A is because he must step up his play in the defensive end. It is something he has struggled with a little bit but can definitely improve on it and continue his solid all around play.

Bill Arnold- A. Probably the best "all around" player on this team. Not only does he lead the team in +/- with a + 10 rating, he also ranks second in points to Krieder. I really like the way Billy is playing and hope he continues it as the year goes on.

Johnny Gaudreau- B. You all know what I think of Johnny G. I think he is one of the most exciting players in this league but his production his gone down a little bit. When he has the puck, magical things can happen so look for a big second half.

Barry Almeida- A-. Barry is having his best season yet for the Eagles with 10 goals and 5 assist and also one of the best defensive forwards on this team. Like Gaudreau, Almeida has great speed which allows him to set up goals.

Paul Carey- B-. Paul is not having a bad season at all but definitely needs to step up if this team wants to go places. He has had some great games like Providence and the magical one at Agganis but has also had some not so good ones. Basically, needs to become more consistent.

Kevin Hayes-B. Kevin started off really bad, he looked slow and was not producing at all but since the first Northeastern game, I think Kevin has really stepped up his game. He only has four goals but I think because he is playing with Almeida and Carey, his points will go up.

Pat Mullane- B+.  Pat leads the team in assist with 14 and has really improved his game in the defensive end. Pat is definitely one of the most consistent players on this team based on his production and the fact that he has been a top three line forward in his three years here.

Steve Whitney. C +. Steven could definitely be one of the better players on this team but has not played his best so far this season. I really want to see him do a little better running the second PP unit.

Destry Straight- C-. I don't know what it is, but Destry has been really off as of late. I think he has the play making abilities but his speed is not up to that of his line mates in Whitney and Mullane. Really needs to step up in the second half.

Danny Linell- B+. Danny, along with his line mates are all getting good grades because over the past couple weeks they have been SPECTACULAR. Danny only has one goal on the year but boy was it a big one as he started the rout at Agganis. Also very good in his own end and the PK.

Mike Sit- B. I really like this kid and I think he is going to be a great player here. Mike has the speed and skill that has let him get off to a great start this season. Needs to produce a little more.

Quinn Smith- B. The thing I like about Quinn is his toughness. He may not be the most skilled (although he is skilled) and he may not be the fastest but man is he tough. He is the one that battles in front of the net and in the corners and does it very well.

Pat Brown- N/A. Unfortunately for Pat, it has been a tough season mainly because he has not played at all. Because Smith, Linell, and Sit are doing so well on the fourth line it doesn't look like Pat will get back in the lineup anytime soon.

Cam Spiro- N/A. Has only played one game.

I will have my grades for defenseman and goalies tomorrow. Merry Christmas

GO EAGLES

Merry Christmas to All !

Just wanted to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas. I hope you all are enjoying these special days to spend with families and friends !

As always,

GO EAGLES !

Arnold named to US National Team

Sophomore forward Billy Arnold has been named to the United States Jr hockey team that will compete in the World Jr Championships December 26th-January 5th. The team's first contest is against Denmark on December 26th in Edmonton. Arnold has had a fantastic year for BC and will be greatly missed at the Great Lakes Invitational in Michigan. Johnny Gaurdeau, the other BC forward to try out, did not make the team but the good news is he will be playing for the Eagles in Michigan. Congrats to Bill and Johnny on a great tryout and good luck to Billy and the rest of the US squad !

GO EAGLES.

Handing out midseason awards....BC style.

Now that we have reached the halfway point on this season, it is time fo me to give out my awards for the Eagles.

MVP= Chris Kreider. Chris is not just the leader in points and and goals on this team he is the dominant offensive force not just on this team but in all of Hockey East. He uses his blazing speed very well in the offensive zone and not to mention he has the best shot out of any forward I have seen here.

Most Improved- Kevin Hayes. I was pretty critical of Kevin early on this year but since then he has been playing at a very high level. Putting him with two speedy guys in Almeida and Carey will really help him as the year goes on.

Best Freshman= They have all been great but you know who I am going to chose. Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau has had as big of an impact here as I can remember a freshman having in a long time. He has the speed and ability to create plays that I have not seen in a lot of other players at this level. Linell, Sit, and Smith have also done very well.

Dark Horse= I think Barry Almeida is the most underrated player in the whole league. He is not just quick and crafty on the offensive end but also a very solid defender and penalty killer on the defensive end.

Best defensive forward= This is very close between Arnold and Almeida but I have to go with Arnold. I think Arnold is not only the hardest working player but also one of the toughest on the team. When the team needs a big kill you know Coach York is calling his number every time.

Best defenseman= Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin has established himself as one of the premier offensive defenseman in the league as he leads all defenseman on the team in points. On the defensive end, he continues become more patient, something that is key for a defenseman. Also doing a good job on special teams.


Player ready for a big second half= Steven Whitney. I keep waiting for him to be one of the premier players in this league but he hasn't got there, yet. He does a very good job of running the point on the PP but I think he needs to use his speed to his ability more often and start taking the puck to the net more.

Iron Man of the team= Patch Alber. With Pat Wey in the lineup, Alber would not have had a lot of playing time but when Wey went down he proved he is a good defensive defenseman. After getting hurt a couple of weeks ago and even sitting out some practices, Alber continued to be tough and play his heart out for the team because he knew they needed him.

Thoughts on a wild week in Hockey East

Even though there were only two games this weekend in Hockey East and neither of them being league contest, there were still a handful of surprises on the weekend. One of them being the fact that Merrimack lost again. The Warriors are now 1-3-1 in their last five game and have dropped to eight place in the Pairwise rankings. Although they seem to be sliding, I still think the Warriors are the second best team in Hockey East because of Joe Cannata. Cannata (even though we have not seen him yet) leads the league in save percentage, goals against average and also has arguably the deepest defensive core in the league in front of him with Stollery, Ellis, and Bigos. As for BC, their next league game is at home vs the Warriors on Sunday 1/8 at 1:00.  It will be interesting to see how the best offense in the league matches up with the strongest defense and goalie in the league. That should be a great game with huge pairwise and league points at stake.

For most fans (including myself) the most shocking news on the weekend was that Charlie Coyle left BU. Coyle not only let his teammates and coaches down but also the fans and students of BU. Now that the Coyle story got out, a lot of people at BU are not saying anything to anyone about more players leaving. Since the World Junior tournament is going on, I don't think we will hear anything until after the tournament regarding more players leaving. Hopefully, all of these suspensions and dismissals over the past five seasons at BU don't cast a shadow over Jack Parker's illustrious 39 year carrer at BU. It will be very interesting to see if even more players abandon ship between now and the end of the season for the Terriers.

Merry Christmas and GO EAGLES

Sources-Another BU player could be out

Multiple sources have told me tonight that another top player on BU is considering leaving. The sources have asked to remain anonymous and because I have not been able to confirm the story, I will not reveal who the player is, why he is leaving, and where he is going. I promise once the story is confirmed, I will release the name and where he is going. Thank You.

GO EAGLES

Kerfoot has not made up mind, but has narrowed choices.

Yesterday, I reported Alex Kerfoot of the BCHL has committed to BC, today I have learned that Kerfoot has not committed but has narrowed his choices to BC, Yale, and Harvard. Kerfoot is a 5'10 forward out of West Vancouver, BC.

GO EAGLES.

Just a Quick Thanks

By now, all of you know that Charlie Coyle has left BU. I was able to get the rumor out that he was leaving early on Thursday but half the twitter world turned against me and started writing some bad things about how terrible it was for me to stir up such a report. I just want to thank the people who stuck with me and believed that I was right. I would never report something just to stir up a big fight. I reported it because the source who gave the information to me knew for a fact that Coyle was out. So, I just want to thank all the readers who stuck with me and gave it a little time.

GO EAGLES.

Breaking-Coyle out of BU

 Star forward Charlie Coyle of BU has left the school for academic reasons. Coyle has registered 16 points for the Terriers so far this season. This may take another day or two to fully come out but Coyle is gone mainly for flunking in school. The first thing I though is how in the world can you possibly flunk out of that place, but i guess it is possible. Coyle, who has really struggled academically was going to be academically ineligible next semester @ BU so instead of sitting out and not playing hockey, he decided to bolt for the St John's Sea Wolves in Quebec, Canada. Coyle had 16 points on the season so far for BU.

Trivino out at BU

Hockey East leading scorer and BU senior Corey Trivino has been removed from the team according to coach Jack Parker. Trivino was removed because of he broke into a women's apartment and went after the women. Parker also said that Trivino was also drunk at the time of the incident. This is not the first time Trivino has run into drinking problems as he was suspended at the start of the 2010-2011 season because of alcohol related issues. It's a sad ending for Trivino who was just starting to really stand out for the Terriers as he was able to pot a goal in every game vs BC including the lone goal in that memorable Saturday night game two weeks ago. Trivino faces criminal chargers for assault and battery on a women over 14 years of age and could face up to five years in prison.

Stars on and off the ice.

Pat Mullane with a St Col's student

I walked into Conte a couple of weeks ago to go watch practice but when I entered, instead of hearing whistles and pucks banging against the boards, I heard soft Christmas music and instead of practicing, I saw the players were skating around with fifth graders. At first I was really confused about what was going on but I soon realized that the Eagles were skating with their "buddies" from the St Columbkille school just down the street in Brighton. It is pretty amazing how these players with all the hockey, academics, and other stuff they have to take care of take the time out of their days to go down and skate with these kids. Every boy in the fifth grade at St Col's  has a mentor on the men's hockey team while every fifth grade girl has a mentor on the women's hockey team. It is pretty cool to watch because you can just see how the players make these kids days just by spending a couple of hours with them. The kids and their parents got to meet all of the players and at the end they took a group picture. Every couple of weeks the team will take a bus down to the school or the kids will all come to Conte to just play around on the ice and have some fun. Head Coach Jerry York said of what the players are doing "I want good players, but I want better young men", they may be the best team in the country on the ice but off the ice the Eagles are also #1 in these kids hearts. 

The mid year report and power rankings

It has has been a good first half of the season for The Eagles, as the team is currently third in the pairwise and first in Hockey East (only by a point). It is pretty amazing how BC has been able to maintain it's stranglehold on the league lead for so long but with a tough league schedule to open up 2012, it will be difficult to maintain that postion. I read somewhere today that BC's second half schedule is a lot easier than the first half but let me tell you, it may not be tougher but it is pretty darn tough. BC still has to go to Maine (x2), play NU (x2), MC (x3), maybe BU in the Beanpot and not to mention the non conference games at the Great Lakes Invitational just after Xmas. Going into this season, many people including myself were wondering if BC was going to even make the NCAA's and now I think they are legitimate national title contenders, not just NCAA tourney contenders. The cool thing is that BC has won so many games without maybe their best defenseman in Patrick Wey who should be back for the Christmas tournament in Michigan. Wey will make an immediate impact on not just the defensive core but also the PP and PK for the Eagles. I am really liking a couple of things about this team right now. The first being that they have a really good lineup top to bottom. While last years team was probably more skilled and a tad better this years Eagles are deeper in my opinion. Last year, the fourth line never really played but this year they are rightfully getting tons of minutes thanks to their great play on both ends of the ice. Another thing I like about this team is how much talent it has. Everybody on this team has talent because you don't go to BC is you don't have talent but I think this years team has a lot of talent in every phase. When it all comes together like the games vs UNH, North Dakota, Maine, and that lovely game last Saturday this team is scary and I mean scary good. One more thing I like about this team is the effort it gives night in and night out. If you look at it, BC hasn't lost a "bad" game all year, some would say UMass but the Minutemen are undefeated @ the Mullins. Denver, BU, Lowell, and Notre Dame are all very good hockey teams that BC lost to. Every night, BC seems to give a really solid effort on both ends and trust me, the hard work will result in more victories down the stretch. 

As for Hockey East, the league is as deep as ever. Every night anyone can beat anyone literally. There are no more games where you cans ay "ok once we beat them we get to them". Whether it's Vermont or BU, the Eagles must be ready every night because every team out there wants to beat BC. If you ask any other player on any other Hockey East team what game would you like to win the most, I would bet  you every single one would say BC. Teams and their fans get so excited for BC to come to their barn meaning the Eagles must be ready for their opponents absolute best effort night in and night out. BC has been pretty good so far on the road in league play so far with a 4-2 record (none better then that amazing Saturday night). In the second half though, BC has to play seven league road games in very tough environments like Maine (x2) and UMass. It should be a fun ride this second half and I know if this team comes together which I think they are starting to do, they will do really special things as the year progresses. Here are my power rankings. Have a great holiday and Go Eagles. 

1. BC/BU tied. 

2. Merrimack

3. Northeastern 

4. Lowell

5. Providence 

6. UNH

7. Maine 

8. UMass

9. UVM

Preview

Be sure to check back tonight as I will have my first half thoughts for the Eagles. Should be done by 9:45.

Eagles fall to Riverhawks to end the semester.

David Vallorani had a goal and an assist for the Riverhawks.

You always want to go with a bang but unfortunately the Eagles could not as they fell to a Lowell team that is really really good tonight in the last game before Christmas Break. What Lowell did is they just clogged the lanes in the middle of the ice and didn't give BC really any odd man rushes that the Eagles could take advantage of. The first Lowell goal was just terrible. Vallorani  was on a 1-2 vs Alber and Cross and just split them to go in all alone and put the Hawks up 1-0. Lowell's PK got the job done on the night, holding the Eagles to 1/5 on the night. Lowell does a better job than anyone of going down and blocking shots and boy did they do it a lot. Every shot from the point seemed to be blocked by a Lowell player that soon resulted in a Lowell odd man rush. None of the three goals were Billett's fault as they were just defensive collapses. On the second Lowell goal (a pp goal) BC's rotation messed up when Cross went all the way out to the point and no one picked up the guy that dropped down which led to a 2-1 right in front of the net and soon another Lowell goal. The third goal though, was the worst. BC nearly converted on a 2-1 chances but they were also in the mist of a change and no one decided to pick up a streaking Joe Pendeza who went in all alone for the game winner. Overall, I am really disappointed in the way the first line played tonight. Gaudreau-Arnold-Krieder go outplayed by the Wetmore line all night long. That line needs to be hitting on all cylinders for the Eagles to win, and it wasn't.

Why BC Lost 

1. The team that wanted it more won. Lowell really gave it their absolute best effort on the night. BC gave a solid effort but were just outplayed by a very defensively sound Lowell team.

2. Defensive collapses. All three Lowell goals were because of BC defensive collapses whether it was short handed or just in the neutral zone.

3. Doug Carr made some spectacular saves for the Riverhawks. That Lowell team is definitely a Hockey East title contender. I really like the way that team plays.

Positives

 I didn't think BC was that bad I just thought they had too many defensive collapses that led to grade A chances for the Riverhawks. Good games from Steve Whitney, Paul Carey, and Barry Almeida

Next Game- The Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit vs Michigan on 12/29.

This weeks picks.

Previewing the # 18 Lowell Riverhawks

The Eagles have now won two in a row for the first since winning six in a row back in early November. This is a the last leg of a brutal stretch before Christmas break for BC as they saw NU, BU, ND, Yale, BU (x2) and now they get the red hot Lowell Riverhawks. Lowell has been one those cinderella stories so far this season as they have gone 9-4 and rank fourth right now in Hockey East. Lowell is led by their big line of Pendaza-Ferriera-Wallin but they will have their hands full tomorrow with the newly formed power line of Gaudreau-Arnold-Kreider for the Eagles. Right now, I would say it would be tough for anybody to beat BC because of Billett's play and the way the third and fourth lines are contributing but Lowell's dump and go, strong defense, and good goaltending style could be tough for the Eagles because it could really start to frustrate them as the game goes on. Doug Carr is playing as good as any goaltender in the country right now for UML as he has a 6-1 record on the season (the loss was vs BC) but Brian Billett is also 3-0 in just so far  vs Yale, BU, and PC so look for great goaltending to win the game for whatever team is able to come away with the victory. BC's lineup will remain the same with these being the lines- 

Gaudreau-Arnold-Kreider

Carey-Hayes-Almeida 

Straight-Mullane-Whintey 

Smith-Sit-Linell 

Cross-Alber

Dumoulin-Shea

Macleod-Dyroff

Billett 

Players to watch- 

Matt Ferreria (7 G, 7 A) LEads team in points

Riley Wetmore (7 G & A) BEst player on the team. Also team captain

Scott Wilson- (5 G 7 A) One of best freshman in the whole country. Fast and skilled. 

Keys for BC

1. Set the tone early. A couple early goals will suck the air out of the Riverhawks and there fans. Early and often for the Eagles. 

2. Need at least one PP goal. Lowell ranks second to last in the league in penalties so BC must take advantage of every chance they get. 

3. The penalties need to stop. To many times BC is letting opponents back into games with bad penalties. Needs to stop tomorrow. 

4. The last two lines. The third and fourth lines have really played great in their last two games. I think if these lines can outplay Lowell's bottom two lines, BC will walk out with a win. 

Last time out- BC beat Lowell 6-3 on 10/29. 

Prediction- BC in a close one 5-3. 

Notes-Billett in net and Pat Wey skated today for the first time since suffering a foot injury vs NU in late October. Wey will not play tomorrow. 

Looking ahead to the weekend

This is one giant weekend for Hockey East. Right now, the Eagles are ahead of MC and BU by five points but the Warriors are home vs UVM tonight so that lead could be down to three points heading into the weekend. There are some big games on the slate for this weekend. Lets take a look at the top four biggest contest before we head off for Christmas break. 

BC @ Lowell- I really like the way BC is playing as of late since they finally seem like they have a goalie they can really rely on and they have a lineup from top to bottom that is really looking good right now. I think that if the third and fourth lines can keep up their spectacular play BC will be hard to beat. Lowell on the other hand is looking to prove to everyone that they are not just home ice contenders but they are league championship contenders. I think BC will win but Lowell is going to be flying. 

BU @ Maine (Sat)- Another huge matchup with some big points at stake. Maine is riding high on a three game win streak and also have the #1 PP in Hockey East and are going against a Terrier team that is still recovering from Saturday night. The key in this series is goaltending. Whichever goalie plays better is what team is going to win. I like Maine

Lowell @ NU (Sat)- NU is coming off a huge sweep @ Notre Dame while the Riverhawks are also playing great hockey as of late. This is going to be a very interesting matchup of teams that are really starting to show they belong with the BC's and BU's of Hockey East. I like NU

BU @ UNH (Thurs)- BU won the first two meetings between these two by a wide margin but I think it will be interesting to see how UNH responds after being swept by Lowell. Both teams have good goaltenders that are struggling as of late so it should be interesting to see what goalie brings his game. I really hate to say it but I think BU will win. But Go Wildcats


I will have my preview for Lowell tomorrow. 

BOSTON COLLEGE UPENDS PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, 4-1

Eagles defeat Friars 4-1

Paul Carey had four points for BC

The Providence Friars came in red hot and feeling great about themselves going into a big time matchup with the Eagles. The Friars will go back to Ptown disappointed after a 4-1 loss to the Eagles in a game where a solid Eagles defense gave up just 18 shots to a struggling Friar offense. I really liked the way the Eagles played team defense tonight. They didn't turn it over to much aand they got the puck up the ice to their speedy forwards who put shots on net. That is the key to BC's up tempo style, the defenseman clearing the puck away from Billett and getting the puck up the ice. I thought all four lines had very strong points in the game. The line of the night would have to be the Haye-Carey-Almedia line as they really put good pressure on the Friars and accounted for three Eagle goals. As for PC, their style really doesn't allow them to beat high powered teams like BC because the Friars are a very defense first team that has an absoulty outstanding goaltender who played very well tonight. Up front, the Friars are no where as deep as the Eagles are and it showed because our third and fourth lines were all over the Friar's bottom two lines. I thought the PP was better tonight, as the second unit was able to give the Eagles a two goal lead when Carey made a great dish out to Almeida who was the player of the game with two goals on the night. The win gives the Eagles a little more comfort with a five point lead over MC and That Other School in Hockey East. Brain Billett continued his outstanding play, stopping 17 of 18 Providence shots.

Why BC won

1. Team defense. Get pucks out of the zone and up to the forwards. Thats what the Eagles did very well   tonight.

2. The Friars looked wared down. All the speed and quickness of BC really caught up with the Friars who looked tired at the end.

3. Paul Carey and Barry Almeida were spectacular. The two Seniors both had one of their best games all season, combining for six points on the night.

4. Brian Billett really looks good. I really like what this kid is doing in net, as he had to make some key stops when the game was just 2-1 in the third.

Problems

1. Not to many. I thought the Eagles did a great job of sticking to the gameplan and waring down the Friars.

Next Up- @ Lowell on Friday.

Player(s) of the game- No doubt about this one. Carey and Almeida.

Previewing the Providence College Friars

Tomorrow night, the #3 Eagles will take on a red hot Providence team that is coming off a sweep of the former #1 Merrimack Warriors. The Friars are now ranked # 20 in the USCHO polls and are tied for 16th in the Pairwise. Nate Lehman is in his first year at PC and really seems to have them playing outstanding hockey especially when it comes to special teams. PC had five power play goals in their Saturday win @ Merrimack. In terms of stats the Friars have scored the third most goals in the league behind BC and UNH and they rank fourth in the league in terms of PP %. Providence ranks first in the league in goaltending as they are led by SR goalie Alex Beaudry who is maybe the best goalie not just in the league but in the country. The Friars are led by Hockey East player of the month for November Tim Schaller as he has potted nine goals and four assist so far this season. Overall, I am looking forward to seeing just how good PC is after their big weekend sweep of the Warriors and seeing how they can compare to the Eagles who are coming off a big momentum win @ BU.

Players to watch out for-

Tim Schaller (9 G 4 A). Leads team with thirteen points.

Derek Army (5 G, 6 A)

Alex Beadry-Best goalie in Hockey East

Keys for the Eagles

1. Goaltending. Brian Billett will be in net. BC needs to limit the PC shots to being fron the point because thats where Billett seems to be really solid

2. PK. Providence had four PP goals vs a MC team that normally has a very good PK. The Eagles need to stay out of the box and when they are in the box they need to get the pucks up and out.

3. PP. I would like to see some goals out of the PP. They have been working the puck a lot better, now they just need some results.

4. Get grade A chances on Beaudry. Shots from the point won't get by him. The Eagles need to get great shots from high percentage areas.

Last time out- BC beat PC 3-0 @ Schneider Arena in January last year. BC is 102-45-12 all time vs the Friars. This is Nate Lehman's first game vs Boston College. PC has not beat BC since February of 2008.


Prediction- BC 3-1

Looking back on the weekend and where the Eagles stand

Another weekend where BC was #1 in Hockey East going in, and another weekend where BC goes out #1. The best news is the Eagles extended there lead to three points over Merrimack and BU and will have a chance to extended it to five with a game vs PC on Tuesday. Overall, this weekend was a big success even though we lost @ home Friday. On Friday, BC really outplayed BU but we ran into a goalie that stopped everything and BC just didn't get great goaltending. I really thought the Eagles did a lot of things well on Friday like finally score on the PP and they also did a good job of waring down the Terriers. O did we ware them down alright. You know, I told you guys yesterday I just had a feeling that this could be the night where everything comes together, well I'll tell you when I get that feeling again. Saturday was just the best game I have ever watched (well everytime we beat them is the best game) because for the Eagles, everything came together whether it was goaltending, the PK, the defenseman doing a great job getting the puck up ice, or just getting pucks to the net. BC really attacked BU's sloppy defenseman all night and it caused a lot of turnovers which led to quality chances for the Eagles. The perfect example was when some BU player was skating up the ice and a BC player (I think Kevin Hayes)  picked his pocket and dished it over to Paul Carey who snipped one past Rollheiser officially ending the game.


In terms of other Hockey East action, the biggest surprise for me was NU sweeping Notre Dame in South Bend. NU seems to be really coming together as they have now won four in a row vs quality teams in PC, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Also, Providence and Lowell sweeping away MC and UNH really shows how deep Hockey East is this year. When I got the schedule at the beginning of the year and saw PC and Lowell on it for this week, I automatically think four points.  But maybe not this week because these two teams are really starting to come around mainly because of their PP's (PC had four PP goals vs MC on Saturday). The biggest thing I take out of this week though is that the Eagles may have found a gem in Brian Billett. Billett has been better than great in both of his starts vs Yale and BU. Think about it, Coach York told him that he is getting his first league start @ BU ! Think about how nervous he must have been. For him to go out there and do that in front of those obnoxious fans and out that performance is just simply amazing. For those of you that are wondering, he is going to play Tuesday. No doubt. In terms of pairwise, BC moves to #2 and should be #1 in the polls come Monday.

Sorry to spoil the BU party.

GO EAGLES

BC embarrases BU, thinking of making Agganis new home.

Danny Linell recorded his first colligate goal to help BC beat BU 6-1. 

Sorry to spoil the party everybody. Yes BU may have their rabid fanbase, there crazy chants, and a coach that just does not give it a break but one thing can be said about BU hockey. They can't beat Jerry York's Eagles at home. BC improved 8-2-2 all time @ Agganis by not just defeating but completely embarrassing BU by a score of 6-1. Congratz to Danny Linell who scored his first goal as an Eagle when he opened the scoring just five minutes in making it 1-0 BC. BU was able to get a fluke goal to tie it up but after that, it was men vs boys on the ice. BC scored four second period goals and one in the third enroute to yet another drubbing of those idiots on their ice. The line changes could not have been any better, as the Krieder-Arnold-Gaudreau line was electric and the fourth line had by far it's best weekend of the year. As I said yesterday, this team doesn't have as many stars as in years past but they are just as deep if not deeper. Guys like Mike Sit, Quinn Smith (who was amazing tonight), and Danny Linell just keep stepping up when they are needed to help led the Eagles to a win. But before I go into my reasons why BC won, there is one guy that certainly cannot be left out of this paragraph. That would be Brian Billett. For him to give that performance in front of that crowd under those circumstances is truly remarkable. The best thing about Billett is his ability to know where the puck is at all times. For example, when a BU player is wrapping around the net Billett knows what side he will go to and when to make his move. That is great skill to have. One other note, when your down by five goals with five minutes to play, it is pathetic to go out head hunting and trying to kill people such as BU did. The way that team displays itself is just totally embarrassing whether it's accusing opponents of diving or playing with the intent to kill them.

Why BC won 

1. The PK. Not only did the PK hold BU to going 0/6, they really didn't give them many chances to get great shots.

2. Brian Billett. I love this guy. Two wins in two tough road environments to start his BC carrer. His 30 stops were the reason BC ran away with it.

3. Kerrian Millan was awful. It's amazing how a goalie can play so good one night and so bad the other. Millan was worse than Milner was yesterday. The goals he let in were just mind boggling.

4. The fourth line. I was worried how our fourth line would match up with theirs but ours clearly got the better of theirs on the weekend. Great games by Sit, Linell, and Smith.

5. All the defenseman had great games especially Dumoulin and Cross. Dumoulin had three assist and Cross had the game winning goal.

Problems 

Any time we beat them by that score I will never put any problems.

Player(s) of the game- Brian Billett and the whole fourth line.

Next game- Providence on Tuesday @ Conte.

New lines tonight @ BU

The Eagles will go with this lineup vs the Terriers.

Gaudreau-Arnold- Kreider

Almedia-Hayes-Carey

Whitney-Straight-Mullane

Smith-Sit-Linnell

Cross-Shea

Dumoulin-Alber

Macleod-Dyroff

Looking ahead to tonights game.

It is probably bad for me to use the term "war" when it comes to a college hockey game but tonight will be a war. After last night's game, Jack Parker and his players accused BC players of diving. Now ask yourself a question, does Jerry York or his players ever do that ? do Jerry York and his player salute their fans after a win on the road ?.. No. BU continues to be a classless team by accusing players of diving. That is pathetic. The Eagles are really mad about last night's outcome because they totally outplayed BU but just ran into a great goaltender wh played a fantastic game. I think putting Billett in the net will give the team sort of an energy boast to go out there and get it done. BU fans love talking about how great there hockey team is and their Occupy Newton crap but listin to this. BC is 7-2 @ Agganis vs BU including 9-5 and 3-2 drubbings a season ago. I really like BC's chances tonight for multiple reasons, the first being I think they are going to come out flying because they were so mad about last night. I also really like Brian Billett in net because he is a little bigger and can cover more of the net as opposed to Milner who really doesn't take much space up at the net. The second reason I like BC is because they generated so many great chances last night. If BC can do more of what they did last night, it will be hard for Millan to come save BU again. There really is no better feeling in the world then seeing those stupid fans cry after being beat BC @ Agganis. I know I pick BC a lot but tonight I really am feeling it. Coach York has never been more fired up after last night's game and it will definitely rub onto his players so expect a big game from the Eagles.

BU downs BC 5-3, sets stage for a war on Saturday

Yasin Cisse had a goal for BU

Another game with a valiant effort by these Eagles but once again they ran into a hot goaltender and lost to archrival Boston University by a score of 5-3. I have to be honest with you, BC played really well for most of the game but little mistakes really killed us. Things like keeping the puck in the zone, making good passes, and creating chances on the PP, etc were seemingly hard for the Eagles to do tonight. As most of you know, I hate saying bad things about college athletes but I must say that Parker's Milner's performance tonight was totally unacceptable. Three of the four goals he let up were just awful, especially Garett Noonan's wrister from the point that somehow went in. Just a heads up that Brian Billett will be in net tomorrow night according to the staff. I was also totally wrong about Kerrian Millan, who won the game for BU. The Terriers really didn't play that well at all but they took advantage of the opportunities they got and got amazing goaltending out of a very good goalie. As a fan, I am obviously very upset by the outcome but there were some positives to take out of tonight. The biggest one being that we totally outplayed BU for most of the game and only allowed one shot on goal in the second period (only the goal went in). The other major difference in the teams is that they have a really good first line and we don't. Last year when we had stars like Atkinson, Gibbons, and Hayes which made us unstoppable when it came to our first two lines. Now we are deep but we don't have nearly as many playmakers to the ability that those guys had. Overall, I am mad about the goaltending but happy about the play (for the most part) and am really looking forward to tomorrow which should be a game for the ages at their barn.


Why the Eagles lost. 

1. Goaltending. Parker Milner let in three goals on eight shots and allowed one goal on the only BU shot in the second period. Could be the last time we see him for a while if Billett plays well tomorrow.

2. The Power Play. Once again, the power play continues to be horrible. 2/11 is just terrible and will not help the Eagles win any games. BC needs to get things figured out for tomorrow night if they want to steal one over there.

3. Sloppy play. To many times, players didn't go after pucks, didn't make crisp passes, and couldn't keep the puck in the zone. I know it's little things but in hockey little things matter so much more than the big things.

4. Kerrian Millan was amazing. Millan stopped 43 of 45 BC shots.  He was the only reason BU walked out with a win. BC outshot BU 45 to 15.

Positives 

1. Good effort. On any other day vs any other goalie, we would have won that game but Millan was there for what seemed like every big time stop

2. The PK. I know looking at the stats it wasn't great but BC actually controlled much of the pace when BU was on the PP.

3. Theres tomorrow. As much as it would have been nice to win this game and shut those idiots up, tomorrow is so much bigger in so many ways. There is no better felling in the world then winning in that place.

Notes- Brian Billett will be in net tomorrow night.

Parker Milner in net tonight vs That Other School

After a great performance by Brian Billett last week @ Yale that created some questions on who will start vs That Other School tonight, the coaching staff has decided that Parker Milner will go tonight. The lineup will look like this tonight.

Krieder-Arnold-Hayes

Carey-Mullane-Almedia

Gaudreau-Striaght-Whitney

Smith-Sit-Linnell
Cross-Alber
Dumoulin-Shea

Macleod- Dyroff

My Picks for the weekend

Previewing That Other School.

Well here it is, my favorite weekend of the year without a doubt. Terrier Week. The weekend starts off with a big time home game for the Eagles on Friday. The game is what I like to call "the ultimate revenge game". BU dominated BC on Nov 13th here at Conte but expect a little different result this time around. I believe the win @ Yale really gave this team the confidence it needed coming into this week. Last game, BU played the best game they could possibly play and their goaltender (who is really the most overrated goalie in hockey) played his best game in over two years. Throw in the fact that BC played it's worst game of the season and Parker Milner had his worst outing of the campaign so obviously BU rolled. But not this game, not tomorrow. I know for a fact someone took a picture of BU saluting their fans on our ice. Not only is that classless it is insulting. I know the BC players will play their absolute heart out and do everything they can to demolish these guys because they can't stand seeing them salute their fans on our ice. When BC plays BU, it's not what team is better, it's what team wants it more. Last time BU wanted it more, last year BC wanted it more (BC won all four meetings :). Both teams have the talent to get it done so it's just a matter of getting pumped up and giving it your all.

Keys for the Eagles 

1. Get off to a good start. BU scored twenty second into the last contest. BC needs to score the first goal to get the crowd really into the game.

2. Get more grade A chances. One of the reason BC got killed last game is they didn't get any great chances on Millan. A shot from the point is an easy save for any D1 goalie. Get sots from up close, Millan tends to fumble it.

3. BC Must convert chances. Last time out the PP went 0/8 while BU's went 2/5. That was the difference, they converted, we didn't.

4. Stay out of the box. Their PP as of late has been fantastic but they lost Connolly so we will see if that has an effect on the game.


Players to watch out for.

Alex Chiasson (5 G, 7 A). Deadly bomb from the point

Adam Clendening (1 G, 7 A) In my opinion one of the most dangerous defenseman in the league.

Matt Nieto (8 G, 7 A) Leads the team in goals.

Major Terrier out- BU captain Chris Connolly, who is on their top line, is out with a shoulder injury according to the BU blogs.

Last time out- BU won 5-0 on Nov 13th. BU leads the all time series 126-113-17.

Prediction- Payback time. I think this is the weekend BC shines. BC 5-4.

I will have my lineup tomorrow. Be sure to check Twitter and I will reveal who will be in net.