Johnny Gaudreau Interview

For the second time, I was extremely fortunate to talk with Eagle forward Johnny Gaudreau on Wednesday. Johnny is obviously a great hockey player and from what I can tell, is a great kid off the ice. My thanks to Johnny for taking his time to talk with me.

Johnny Gaudreau Interview 

Question One- What did you guys do well this weekend versus Air Force and Duluth ? 

Johnny- Well ya, you know we did a good job of keeping things simple and not trying to do to much. Getting pucks in their own and not turning it over in our zone. 

Question Two- What has changed Since Maine ? 

Johnny- You know after Maine, we had a huge team meeting and we did a good job of figuring out what we needed to do to improve and obviously we have done that over the past couple of months. We found a lot of problems, especially turnovers and we got that out of our system and since then we have been great.

Question Three- What makes your line so special 

Johnny- Well you know Paul is just a big guy and he is great with the puck and he is good in his own zone. Patty has a great vision so its a good match. Unfourtunaltley, we didn’t get paired together at the start of the year but we have been playing really well. 

Question Four- How you liking BC so far ?

Johnny- O I love it here you know it was a great choice, thankfully I got a chance to come here instead of Northeastern. I love Coach York and the guys we have around this program. 

Question Five- What do you guys need to do to win a championship ? 

Answer- Well like I said, the turnovers are big, we gotta come at them with all four lines. Our fourth line has been great you know it’s amazing what they have accomplished so far this season so hopefully we can come away with a victory. 

Question Six- What do you do off the ice ? (Are you a Golfer) 

Answer- Ya I love golf and I love playing NHL with Mike Sit and Danny Linell but yea hanging around the guys and the whole team is really fun. 

Midweek Column- Getting Ready For Tampa

I would make a pretty good case that this is by far the longest week of the hockey season as I like to call it, "the week of waiting". In seven days, BC will look to get back into the National Title game for the seventh time since 2001. I think it would be good to talk about why things have gone so well as of late for this Eagle team. I mean we haven't seen the team lose since January 21st and we have seen one of the greatest coaching jobs by one of the greatest coaches of all time over the course of this year. I first of all don't think Coach York and his staff are getting enough credit for this. Yes, Norm Bazin is most likely going to win coach of the year and so fourth but honestly, this is Coach York's best coaching job in his illustrious 40 years of coaching. Look at what we lost last year, we lost the two best players in Hockey East (Atkinson and Gibbons) our team captain (Joe Whitney), and maybe the greatest goaltender in the history of Boston College hockey (Johnny Muse). Not to mention guys like Jimmy Hayes and Philip Samuelsson who also decided to bolt to the professional ranks. I am just saying, talk about whoever else you want but in reality, this man is the best coach in college hockey and it's not even close. I think you also need to give some credit to the assistant coaches on this staff. People may not talk about what the assistants mean to a head coach but I bet if you asked Coach York if his team would be as good without Coaches Brown, Cav, and Logue, he would certainly say no.

Now when I look at the players on this team, I don't think enough of the "little" names get enough credit for what they do. I think that the fourth line has been fantastic as of late. I think Mike Sit, Danny Linell, and Quinn Smith are playing some fantastic hockey right now and with them playing so well, it just adds to the weapons this team has. While I would say last years team was better, this years team is better at two major components compared to last years squad. The first part is that this team is a better defensive team. Last year, poor defensive play by defenseman and forwards killed us in that game versus CC. This year, it seems that everyone seems a little more "committed" to playing better team defense. The other component is that this team is deeper than last years squad. Last season, you rarely saw the fourth line in big games. Now, the staff has the fourth line going up against opponents' first or second line which shows how much confidence they have in them. Really look for BC's speed and depth to be the major factors in the game versus the Gophers on Thursday night. However, the Gophers are also a pretty deep team themselves with seven players with more than 30 points so far this season so look for that to be a very intriguing matchup.

I will post my interviews with Johnny Gaudreau and Isaac Macleod tomorrow. Both were great guys and a pleasure to talk to, same with Pat Mullane. The one problem is that they seem to think they could beat me in NHL or on the golf course....no chance.

Until Tomorrow,

GO EAGLES

Pat Mullane Interview

Today I was fortunate enough to sit down with Eagle forwards Pat Mullane and Johnny Gaudreau. I would first of all like to thank both guys for taking the time to talk with me after a long, hard practice. I mainly asked about how it feels to be in the “Frozen Four” and how the team has been able to turn the ship around after being swept by the Maine Black Bears in late January. Both guys were very forthcoming with me and for that I thank them and hope to talk with them again soon. Here it is 

Pat Mullane Interview 

Question One- How does it feel to be back in the Frozen Four after losing to Colorado College last season ? 

Pat- Obviously, it feels great to be back as a team. You know, freshman year, I didn’t have as big of a role as I do this year (obviously). My first year we kind of walked through everyone and everyone was like “wow”. Last season you know we found out that you know, this is hard to do. We said this year we’re going to show up and we’re going to play hard. We know how hard it is to get back and that flight down to Tampa will be fun. 

Question Two- How have Paul, Johnny, and yourself developed into such a powerful line ?

Pat- You know, I think it’s just a lot of different dynamics. We get along together and we all play an honest brand of hockey. We all play a brand that is inside our comfort level. Paul Carey does what he does well. He uses his speed and size really well and Johnny you know, he is really skilled and we want to get him the puck down the stretch. With myself, I am focused on improving my play in the defensive zone, especially on the defensive zone faceoffs. 

Question Three- What is the biggest thing that has changed since being swept up in Orono ? 

Pat- I think everyone has kind of bought in so to say. Everyone has bought into Boston College hockey you know, buying into what the team wants to accomplish, not you own personal goals. We need to put the team first and the goal of winning as a team first and foremost. So, if you watch, guys are getting pucks in deep and and not turning the puck over as often. For myself, you now I would turn it over and I would say “No big deal” no when I do that, I am more bought in and when I don’t have a play, I am getting it in deep. 

Question Four- What do you guys know about the Gophers ?

Pat- Well you know, I was getting bored in class today and looked at their stats and said  you know wow they have some great players that can put the puck in the net like Haula, Rau, and Bjugstad that can really put the puck in the net but if you look at our team, we also have some guys that can really put the puck in the net so it should be a great matchup. I also know their goaltender (Patterson) is playing extremely well right now so it will be a fun matchup for us. 

Taking a Look At How the Eagles Have Fared in the Frozen Four.

As we prepare to get ready for what should be a fantastic hockey game vs Minnesota next Thursday, I thought it would be nice to look back at how Boston College has fared when in the Frozen Four. While the Eagles have four National Titles and are still way behind the national leader (Michigan 9), the Eagles have now tied the Wolverines for most Frozen Four appearances by one program with 23. In those 22 (not including this year) appearances, the Eagles have won four titles, come in second six times, come in third six times, and came in last six times. In their last two trips to the Frozen Four, BC has come away with the big prize both times, ending a two year drought in which they lost in the championship game back to back years. BC has only played Minnesota once in the Frozen Four which was back in 1953, a game in which the Gophers blew out BC 14-1. Another interesting stat however is that since 1998, BC has been to ten Frozen Fours while our archrivals from down the street have been to just one (2009). Here is a look at how the Eagles have fared in the Frozen Four in their 10 appearances since 1990.

1990 Frozen Four- Lost to Wisconsin in the semifinals

1998 Frozen Four- Lost to Michigan in the championship game (In OT)

1999 Frozen Four- Lost to Maine in the semifinals (In OT)

2000 Frozen Four- Lost to North Dakota in the championship game

2001 Frozen Four Won the National Championship with a win over the Fighting Sioux.

2004 Frozen Four- Lost to Maine in the semifinals

2006 Frozen Four- Lost to Wisconsin in the championship game.

2007- Lost to Michigan State in the championship game.

2008- Beat Notre Dame to win the National title

2010- Beat Wisconsin to win the National Title.

Just by looking at these scores, the Eagles could very easily have many more championships but they have lost in either the semis or the final game multiple times in heartbreaking fashion. Hopefully the team will bring home another championship this time around in Tampa Bay.

GO EAGLES

NEXT STOP: TAMPA BAY !

For the 10th time since 1998, the Boston College Eagles will be going back to the Frozen Four thanks to  a beautiful 4-0 win over the defending champion, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Eagles had goals from Pat Mullane, Bill Arnold, Pat Wey, and Johnny Gaudreau. After a tough first period in which the Eagles weren't able to take advantage of a couple of power plays, the team came out flying in the second and were rewarded with Pat Mullane's rebound goal just four minutes into the stanza. Just a minute and a half after the Mullane goal, Steven Whitney made a fantastic play behind the Duluth net as he picked off a pass and threw it out front to Bill Arnold who put the puck by UMD goalie Kenny Reiter to make it 2-0. Towards the end of the period, Isaac Macleod got screwed on a bad high sticking call but the Eagles killed off the huge power play for the Bulldogs. I thought this was the key moment of the game by far. UMD was trying really hard to come back and they desperately needed a goal, but the PK, along with Parker Milner (like always) made some fantastic plays to preserve the two goal lead going into the third. I thought BC did a great job in the third as they didn't give Duluth too much 5 on 5 and even when the Bulldogs had a lengthy 5 on 3, the Eagles killed it off, effectively ending any chance UMD had at repeating as National Champions. Yes, a lot of guys played great tonight but Parker Milner was the best player on the ice once again for the Eagles. I would say this is the second best game I have ever seen him play (Beanpot #1) I mean UMD was coming at him really hard as the game wore on but he was there to make a stop every single time. To think that he was benched after the second BU game and is now the main reason this team is going to the Frozen Four, is simply amazing. Give the kid all the credit in the world, he works hard and is now being awarded for his amazing efforts. Another player I think deserves all the credit in the world is Tommy Cross. Is he the best player on the team ? Probably not. Is he the best leader I have seen around BC in along time ? Certainly. Coach York is quick to point out how down the team was after being swept up in Orono but he also points to Tommy's leadership (Especially on that bus ride back from Orono) as a key component to why BC is going to Tampa. If you had told me after the Maine series that we would be going to the Frozen Four, I wouldn't have believed you one bit. But after all, Jerry York is our head coach.

Why BC won 

1. Parker Milner was outstanding. It was one of those performances I will never forget because it was that special.

2. The PK is awesome. It has gotten to a point where I am convinced not one power play in the country can score on this unit. Awesome night by guys like Almeida, Arnold, Kreider, Mullane, Linell, and Whitney on the PK.

3. Chris Kreider is back. As I said, in order for this team to win a championship, #19 needs to be playing his best. This weekend, he was at the top of his game.

Problems

1. We're going to Florida. Nothing wrong with that !

Player of the Game- I'll go with Parker Milner. I thought Bill Arnold and Pat Mullane were great as well.

Notes 

1. BC is now 43-38 all time in the NCAA tournament and is 30-9 under Coach York.

2. BC's winning streak is now at 17.

3. BC has now won 8 straight games at the DCU Center.

4.Last night was Parker Milner's 40th career win.

5. BC will play Minnesota in the first round of the Frozen Four on April 5th at 8:00.

Previewing the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

In what should be one of the best games all season, the Eagles will look to punch yet another ticket to the Frozen Four tonight, but standing in their way are the defending champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. After the Eagles defeated Air Force 2-0 yesterday afternoon, Duluth used a couple of fortunate bounces to end Maine's season via a 5-2 victory. The Bulldogs had two goals from Jake Hendrickson, one goal from JT Brown, Caleb Herbert, and also star forward Jack Connolly. Connolly is the WCHA player of the year as he has recorded an amazing 20 goals and 40 assist so far this season for the Bulldogs. Another weapon on the UMD arsenal is forward JT Brown who has recorded a team leading 24 goals and 23 assist so far this season. In terms of what to expect, I think it's going to be an amazing hockey game between two teams that have powerful offenses but can also play some pretty solid defense when they want to (I.e. last night). The Bulldogs had the #1 scoring offense in the WCHA this season, averaging 3.67 goals a game but they also rank #3 in scoring defense with just 2.67 goals allowed per game this year. Obviously, with UMD being the defending champs, this is going to be a really tough out for the Eagles because the Bulldogs will have a lot of confidence after last nights big win over the Black Bears. In terms of special teams, the Bulldogs actually haven't been to efficient on the man up this season as they rank 7th in the WCHA in power play percentage (21%). In terms of their penalty kill the Bulldogs rank 11th in the WCHA with just a 77% kill rate so look for the Eagle power play to come up big tonight. While the Bulldogs have a high powered offense, they also allowed the second most goals in their league (147 so far this season). Unlike yesterday, I think this could be a pretty high scoring up tempo game, much like a game you would see versus BU or Maine.

Keys for the Eagles 

1. Defense. I think BC will score some goals tonight but the team needs to limit the grade A chances for the Bulldogs. UMD obviously has some guys that can put the puck in the net like Connolly and Brown.

2. The power play. UMD takes a lot of penalties so let's hope the power play can stay hot and pot a couple of goals tonight.

3. Need more shots. Yes, BC outshot Air Force badly last night but in reality, the team needs to create more shots and odd man rushes for themselves.

Players to Watch 

1. Jack Connolly. WCHA player of the year and Hobey Baker candidate Jack Connolly is going to be all over the ice tonight for UMD. The BC defense needs to keep him in check.

2. JT Brown leads all Bulldogs in goals scored this season with 24 goals scored so far including one last night versus Maine.

3. Travis Oleksuk has recorded the most assist on this Bulldog team including two in last nights game.

All Time Series- BC is 10-4-1 all time versus UMD

Prediction- BC 5 UMD 3


If BC wins, they get the winner of North Dakota/Minnesota in the Frozen Four.

Eagles pick up huge recruit

After a great victory over Air Force, I was happy to find out that defenseman Travis Jeke out of Northwood Prep, will come to Boston College this upcoming fall. This is a huge pick up with Shea, Cross, and Dumoulin all leaving. Jeke is 6'4 200 pounds and will walk on.

Eagles get past Air Force to move within one game of Frozen Four

It wasn't all that easy but in the end, the Boston College Eagles got within one game of making their fifth frozen four appearance in the last six years with a 2-0 win over the Air Force Falcons. The Eagles were led by star forward Chris Kreider who had both goals, one in the first and one late in the third. The Eagles came out of the gate pretty fast as the Falcons seemed to be a little surprised with all of the speed BC has and just eight minutes into the game, Kevin Hayes made a great pass to Kreider who knocked it in to make it 1-0 Eagles. After that goal, Air Force did a great job of limiting BC's grade A offensive chances and odd man rushes. Towards the end of the first, Air Force made a furious run at Parker Milner but like he always does, Parker stood on his head and kept Air Force off the board. I thought the second period was BC's best period of the game as the Eagles seemed to have the puck in the Falcon end 90% of the time but just weren't able to convert thanks to great defense and goaltending from Air Force. While Air Force played great defense, they really couldn't get anything going against the BC defense. I thought Brian Dumoulin and Tommy Cross both did a great job of starting the breakout once the Falcons got any kind of pressure on Parker Milner. Yes, it's only two goals and we only won by that same margin but I don't think it's fair to say "Well, BC should have won 10-0" and "This is not a good sign". In this tournament, there is only one thing that matters and that is you win or go home. BC didn't play great but they won and that's all that matters. I think the main reason BC didn't get too many offensive chances is because Air Force did a great job of collapsing down in their own end and stopping BC's cycling game, something that is crucial in stopping the Eagles. Anyways, I thought the Kreider-Hayes-Straight line was the best on the ice for the Eagles. Kevin Hayes earned my player of the game as he definitely played one of his best games in quite a while (He had a great assist on the first goal). Another guy that played great tonight was Chris Kreider. I often say to people, when #19 is playing at his best, it is EXTREMELY hard to beat this Eagles team because it just adds to the number of weapons BC has. Some nights, Chris tends to be a little "off" but tonight was certainly not one of those nights. Tomorrow, BC will have to beat a tough Minnesota Duluth team (Who beat Maine tonight) to get back to the Frozen Four. It should be a great game between two great teams.

Why BC Won

1. Parker Milner. I thought Parker Milner played outstanding in his first start in an NCAA tournament game. He came up big all night long for the Eagles.

2. The Special Teams. One of the keys going into this game was how BC's power play and penalty kill would fare. While the PP was not great, the goal they recorded late in the third put away any chance Air Force had to come back. The PK was phenomenal as always.

3. The second line was great. Like I said earlier, I loved the way Straight, Kreider, and Hayes played tonight. I thought Kevin Hayes may have had his best game of the season.

Problems

1. No problems but the team will need to play better tomorrow in order to beat a tough Minnesota Duluth team tomorrow.

Notes 

1. BC is now 9-1 all time in the DCU Center.

2. BC now has at least one power play goal in four straight games.

3. With a win tomorrow, BC would earn a spot in the Frozen Four (Tampa Bay, FL)

4. Shots were 34-20 in BC's favor.

Player of the game- Kevin Hayes

Next Up- UMD at 8:00 tomorrow. Win or go home !

My NCAA Tournament Picks.

West Regional

1. North Dakota vs 4 Western Michigan = North Dakota

2. Minnesota vs 3 BU = Minnesota

Regional Winner- North Dakota 


East Regional

1. Union vs 4 Michigan State = Michigan State

2 Miami vs 3 Lowell = Miami

Regional Winner= Michigan State 


Midwest Regional 

1 Michigan vs 4 Cornell = Michigan

3 Denver vs 2 Ferris State = Denver

Regional Winner = Michigan 


Northeast Regional 

1 BC vs 4 Air Force = Boston College

2 Minnesota-Duluth vs 3 Maine = Maine

Regional Winner= BC 



Frozen Four.. 

BC beats UND

UM beats Michigan State..

BC is national champion !

Previewing the Air Force Falcons

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the moment we have all been waiting for. The Eagles will start their quest for a third NCAA title in five years on Saturday when they take on Air Force @ the DCU Center in Worcester. The Eagles come into the tournament hotter than any team in the country as the team has rattled off 15 straight wins including a 4-1 thumping of Maine on Saturday to claim the Hockey East title. Right now, it seems pretty clear that the Eagles cannot be stopped by any team but themselves. The game vs the Black Bears on Saturday was not just a good win, but was in my opinion, the best 60 minutes of hockey this team has played in two months. While the Eagles are the heavy favorites versus the Falcons, I don't think BC should underestimate the talent and potential this Air Force team brings to the table. After all, the Falcons do have a Hobey Baker candidate and AHA player of the year in defenseman Tim Kirby who leads all defenseman in the AHA in terms of points with 28. Here is my thing with the Falcons, yea they may not be as talented or as skilled as BC but in the end, these guys won their league and they qualified for this tournament which means they're a good hockey team no matter what you want to say. Some will say the Falcons have played a light schedule. Yes, they play in a weaker conference but Air Force has some quality wins over teams like Colorado College, RIT, and a one goal loss to North Dakota. Like the Eagles, Air Force also comes into the tourney on a hot streak as they have won five out of their last six games overall. Honestly, I don't see Air Force winning this game if BC plays like they did on Saturday. I think BC's speed and the goaltending of Parker Milner will prove to be too much for Air Force. Look for the Eagles to get to the regional final on Sunday versus Maine or Minnesota Duluth. 

Keys for the Eagles. 

1. Forget about last year. Last season's embarrassing 8-4 loss to Colorado College needs to be put in the rear mirror as the team must have a good mental mindset heading into the weekend. 

2. Special Teams. I think the biggest reason BC beat Maine on Saturday was their special teams. I think the power play and penalty kill will go a long way in helping BC win this game. 

3. Production from all four lines. I think the reason BC is #1 in the country is the depth of this team is unmatched around the country. If the second and fourth lines play well, watch out. 

Players to Watch 

1. Tim Kirby. From what I hear, Kirby is one of the best defenseman in the country. The 6'1 defenseman from Minnesota has recorded 28 points so far this season for the Falcons. He is also a Hobey Baker candidate. 

2. John Kruse leads all Falcons with 16 goals on the season and also has 30 points for Air Force. Also leads the team in +/- with a +14 rating.

3. Kyle DeLaurell has the most points on this Falcons team with 15 goals and 23 assist so far this season. 

Air Force Team Stats 

1. Air Force is tied with UConn in the AHA with 3.05 goals scored a game so far this season. 

2. Air Force has the 6th best power play in the AHA with a 17 % conversion rate. Air Force's penalty kill ranks 5th in the AHA with a 80 % kill rate. 

3.  Despite all their success within their league, Air Force's goaltending ranks 7th in the AHA as they have allowed 3.05 goals a game. 

All Time Series- BC is 5-0 all time vs Air Force including 1-0 record under Coach York. 

NOTES 

1. BC is 8-1 all time in the DCU Center during NCAA tournament play. BC's last loss in Worcester was to North Dakota in 2005. 

2. BC is 9-1 all time in the first round under Coach York. The lone loss came last year versus Colorado College. 

3. Coach York's 33 wins in NCAA tournament play are the most ever out of division one college hockey coaches. 

Stay tuned for my NCAA predictions tonight. 

Weekend in review and looking ahead

For the third straight year and the 11th time overall, your Boston College Eagles were crowned Hockey East tournament champions via a 4-1 victory over Maine. I thought Saturday's win was not just a great win, but a great team effort. I thought it was the best effort the Eagles have put together over the course of this fifteen game winning streak. The best part about heading into the NCAA's, is the fact this team looks as solid as it has all season long. Whether it's the special teams, the play of the defenseman, or the scoring up front, this team is hitting on all cylinders. While everyone likes to talk about the Johnny G's, Brian Dumoulin's, and Barry Almeida's of the world, I think there are a ton of guys that have really stepped up their games the last couple of weeks. I thought the fourth line of Danny Linell, Quinn Smith, and Mike Sit had a great weekend as Coach York really seems to have a lot of confidence in his young all freshman line. Going up against Providence's and Maine's first lines at some points during the games, I thought they held up very well in their own zone and even created some offensive chances of their own. Another group of players I though played well were the defenseman. Yes, Tommy Cross and Brian Dumoulin are always going to log their minutes and play well for this team but guys like Isaac Macleod, Edwin Shea, and Pat Wey all played much better this weekend. On Both nights, especially vs a high powered Black Bear team on Saturday, I thought the defenseman did a great job of keeping the puck away from the front of the net and limiting opponents' chances to the outside where Milner can easily make the save.

Going into this weekends NCAA tournament regional's, I think BC just needs to keep doing what they have been doing the past two months in order to keep winning. It all starts with great goaltending from Parker Milner and over the last month and a half, the team has gotten that from him. The second thing this team was struggling with prior to this winning streak was goal scoring. Well, ever since the staff has put together these lines, BC has yet to have one game when they have scored less than two goals. The one ingredient that I think has to do the most with BC's success as of late however, is their depth up front. Sure, Air Force's or any other team for that matter, first line may be able play with BC's but when it comes down to the bottom three lines, a lot of teams have trouble figuring out how to stop BC's deep lineup (Especially with the third line playing like it is playing at the moment).

This is by far and away the most exciting time of year to be a player, coach, or fan of BC hockey because it's play well or your going golfing. This is why kids chose to come to Boston College and play hockey. Every year, you will have a chance to win a lot of trophies like the Beanpot and Hockey East, but none is bigger than the one the team will start their quest for this Saturday. People say BC will run over Air Force by five goals, not true. You don't qualify for this tournament unless you are a quality hockey team. Not only is Air Force a quality hockey team, they are a hockey team that won their league just last week. I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to see the Falcons give BC a run for their money come Saturday because they to, want to make it to Florida. I really like the way the Eagles are playing right now but in the NCAA's, one off night and your going home thinking about what could have been. There's almost no better time of year than right now so let's hope this team makes the most of it and makes yet another run at an NCAA Championship.

BOSTON COLLEGE WINS ELEVENTH HOCKEY EAST TITLE WITH 4-1 WIN OVER MAINE

Eagles To Take On Air Force in the First Round Of The NCAA's.

Today, the NCAA announced the 2012 NCAA division one hockey championship bracket and the Eagles (The #1 overall seed) will be in the Northeast regional taking on the Air Force Falcons. The other matchup in BC's regional is the defending champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and Hockey East rival, Maine Black Bears. Here is a look at the rest of the field...

Northeaster Regional (Worcester)

#1 Boston College vs #4 Air Force

#2 Minnesota Duluth vs #3 Maine


East Regional (Bridgeport, CT)

#1 Union vs #4 Michigan State

#2 Miami vs #3 Lowell


West Regional (St Paul, MN)

#1 North Dakota vs #4 Western Michigan

#2 Minnesota vs #3 Boston University


Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wisconsin)

#1 Michigan vs #4 Cornell

#2 Ferris State vs #3 Denver

Johnny G Leads Eagles To Third Straight Title !

For the third straight year and the 11th time overall, the Boston College Eagles won the Hockey East tournament championship by way of a 4-1 victory over the Maine Black Bears. The Eagles, led by Johnny G, put forth their best effort since the Beanpot in the victory over the Spencer Abbott less Black Bears. A lot of people like to talk about Maine's big line being the best in the country but from what I have seen, no one has been able to match the offensive domination of Johnny Gaudreau-Pat Mullane-Paul Carey over the course of the past month and a half. I thought Maine got off to a pretty good start as they seemed to be shooting the puck from every place possible but Parker Milner, like he always seems to do, stood tall and denied the Black Bears of any goals. Once the Eagles settled down, they really started to fly for the final fifteen minutes of the first period. BC finally struck gold about six minutes into the game when Patch Alber shot the puck on Maine goalie Dan Sullivan who actually made the initial stop but the puck bounced right onto the stick of Johnny G who banged it home to make it 1-0 Eagles. Just three minutes after that goal, Black Bear forward Joey Diamond took a really bad interference call which gave the Eagles a great chance to create a nice two goal cushion for themselves. Just nine seconds into the power play, Gaudreau once again put home a rebound off a Chris Kreider shot from the point to make it 2-0 Eagles. 

Maine once again came out hard in the second and were rewarded with an early period goal by star forward Brian Flynn who took a pass from linemate Joey Diamond and backhanded one over the right shoulder of Parker Milner. Once Flynn scored, the Eagles seemed to responded pretty well as I thought BC's transition game was even better than it normally is. I thought both teams did a great job of generating odd man rushes and getting good chances but Sullivan and Milner both made some great stops. As the period was coming to a close and it appeared it would be a one goal game heading into the third, Johnny Gaudreau made one of the best plays all season when he made a beautiful dish to Pat Mullane who fired one past Sullivan to give the Eagles a two goal lead. I don't think one can really express how big of a goal that was because Maine could definitely come back from a one goal deficit vs BC but now down two goals and being without Abbott, the Black Bears had a steep mountain to climb. 

I thought the third period was by far and away one of BC's most defensively sound periods of the year. The Black Bears played their big line almost every other shift to try to generate some chances but guys like Tommy Cross, Pat Wey, and Brian Dumoulin did a great job of keeping the Bears from getting "Grade A" chances. In the end however, the biggest reason BC won this game was because of it's penalty kill. I think coach Mike Cavanaugh (who runs the PK) deserves a boatload of credit for drawing up a battle plan that seemed to stump the high powered Maine power play. Yes, the Bears didn't have Abbott but they still have a fantastic power play regardless of whether Abbott  is in or out, so kudos to Coach Cav and the BC penalty killers for keeping that power play at bay. In the end, winning a Hockey East championship is great and all but here at BC, the biggest reward is not winning the Beanpot, not winning the Hockey East regular season title, not winning the Hockey East tournament championship, but winning the National Championship. 

Why BC Won 

1. The penalty kill was GREAT. The reason Maine beat Parker and BU  last night was because the Terriers couldn't get a kill. The reason Maine lost tonight is because BC's PK stumped Maine every time they were out there. 

2. Johnny Gaudreau is just amazing. Almeida and Dumoulin are very good players but in my opinion, Johnny Gaudreau is the best player on this team. The talent and skill he has is something I personally have never seen out of a college hockey player (Besides Gerbe).

3. Limiting Maine's chances. One thing Maine did very well vs BU last night was getting bodies in front of the net which allowed them to screen Millan and get goals. Tonight, the BC defense did a great job of keeping the Black Bears away from Milner and limiting the Maine shots to the outside. 

Problems 

1. We won a trophy, no problems with that. 

Notes 

1. Johnny G is the 7th freshman ever to win tournament MVP 

2. BC now has a 5-2 lead over Maine in all time matchups in the Hockey East championship game. 

3. BC is the first team to win 3 straight championships and now have the most consecutive wins ever in tournament play with 12. 

4. BC will most likely play Air Force in the first round of the NCAA's next week in Worcester. 

Player of the game- Come on, Johnny G ! 

Until Next Time, 

GO EAGLES 

Previewing the Maine Black Bears.

For the seventh time in tournament history, the Boston College Eagles will faceoff versus the Maine Black Bears for a chance to claim a Lamoriello trophy. The Eagles finished off Providence's cinderella run earlier yesterday afternoon with a 4-2 victory and the Black Bears finished off Parker and the Terriers to earn a spot in the championship later in the night. The Black Bears won the season series 2-1 vs BC with both of their wins coming in the hostile confines of Alfond Arena back in late January (That was the last game BC lost). There is however one big problem for Maine heading into this game. Their star forward and Hobey Baker candidate Spencer Abbott left Friday's game with a concussion late in the second period (he did not return). Abbott was the receiver of a vicious elbow to the head by BU defenseman Sean Escobedo and he then fell into the boards very awkwardly. Even with Abbott being out, the Black Bears still have some serious weapons like Brian Flynn, Joey Diamond, Will O'Neil and Matt Mangene. O'Neil and Diamond each recorded two goals last night for Maine. With the two goals, Joey Diamond now has the most goals in Hockey East with twenty five. Yes, this will be a great game with or without Abbott but there is one thing the Eagles MUST do in order to win tonight. Stay out of the box. Every Black Bear goal last night came on a power play and when the teams last met in Orono, the Eagles gave up a combined four power play goals over the course of those two games @ Maine. The interesting thing here is that without Abbott, the Maine power play could be a little bit out of sync. You see, Abbott runs the show for the Black Bears on the power play, on the penalty kill, and on even strength. I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to see Maine's power play struggle tonight IF Abbott is indeed out.

In terms of how the Eagles are looking for the NCAA tournament, they have clinched two very important things. The first thing they have clinched is they are a lock for the #1 overall seed no matter what happens tonight. Being the number one overall seed means that BC will most likely play the winner of RIT vs Air Force (AHA championship game) in the first round of the NCAA's. The other important item BC has clinched is that the Eagles will be playing in Worcester. Last season, I think a big part in losing to Colorado College was due to the fact that we were so far away from home. I think the Eagles will play much better closer to home with their home fans cheering them on come next weekend. It is certainly always a fantastic game when BC and Maine meet under any kind of circumstance but tonight should be a physical, high tempo, high scoring, and most importantly, a fun hockey game to watch. Tune into @bchockeyblog1 for twitter updates throughout the game tonight.

Keys for the Eagles 

1. STAY OUT OF THE BOX. This is by far the biggest key of all for BC because Maine's power play is as good as I have ever seen. Even without Abbott, they are very dangerous.

2. Goaltending- Unlike Providence, Maine is going to create a lot of chances on Parker Milner and the BC defense. If Parker can stand tall and not give up any soft goals, look for an Eagle victory.

3. Matching up with Maine's first line. The staff will match Almeida-Arnold-Whitney versus Maine's big line with Flynn and Diamond ( I Don't know who will replace Abbott). Those guys need to step up and have a big game for the Eagles.

Players to Watch 

1. Brian Flynn. I was as shocked as anyone that he was not a candidate for Hockey East player of the year. Flynn is third on the Black Bears with 46 points.

2. Joey Diamond- Diamond had two goals last night vs BU and also leads the Black Bears in goals with 25 this season.

3. Matt Mangene- I think this kid is a really good hockey player. He has some serious speed that you don't normally see out of a bigger guy like him. He can be dangerous with the puck and on the PP

All Time Series- BC is 58-42-9 all time vs Maine. BC is 7-5 all time vs Maine in the Hockey East tournament and holds a 4-2 lead in championship games between the two.

Last Time Out- Maine defeated BC 7-4 on 1/21/12 @ Alfond Arena.

Prediction- If Abbott is indeed out, it is a huge loss for Maine. BC 4-3. 

Abbott hurt for Maine

As you probably know by now, the Eagles will be facing the Maine Black Bears in tomorrow's Hockey East championship. However, Maine's leading scorer and Hobey Baker candidate Spencer Abbott is questionable with a concussion.

More to follow.

GO EAGLES

Eagles Beat Providence To Advance To Finals

For the third year in a row, the Boston College Eagles advanced to the finals of the Hockey East championship with a 4-2 win vs the Providence Friars. This marks the 11th straight win in Hockey East tournament play for BC, tying the record (BC won 11 straight from 1998-2001).  The Eagles got off to a quick start as Paul Carey put home his 15th goal of the year, just a 1:15 into the game. After Carey's goal however, the Friars really started to turn up the heat on the Eagles. Barrett Kalib bombed one home to tie it just a minute and a half after Carey's goal and Derek Army made it 2-1 Friars just two minutes after that. Those two goals seemed to really wake the Eagles up as they seemed to take control of the game after that. Destry Straight added his third of the year towards the end of the first thanks to some great passing from linemates Kevin Hayes and Chris Kreider. I thought that line was much better tonight after a little bit of a rough weekend last week. I thought Kevin Hayes play a fantastic game, highlighted by his phenomenal assist on Straight's goal. Once Straight tied it, BC did a good job of wearing down the Friars by keeping the puck in their zone the whole game. Providence's chances really decreased over the course of the final two periods thanks to solid defense and the fact that BC had the puck in the PC zone for what seemed like the remaining forty minutes.

After an up and down first, the Eagles really picked up on the momentum they generated at the end of the first at the beginning of the second. The Gaudreau-Mullane-Carey line was dominant all night as they seemed to generate at least two quality chances every time they were out there. I thought Johnny Gaudreau was the best player on the ice tonight for BC, evident by his highlight reel power play goal early in the second. Once Johnny G netted his goal, the team really seemed to look a lot more settled on both ends. BC only gave the Friar's one power play over the final two periods but when on the man down, the PK killed off any Friar chances. While BC didn't play their greatest game in the world, all four lines played much better than they did a week ago. I thought the special teams were pretty good tonight as the power play was able to get a very important goal in the second. The PK only had to kill off two Friar power play's but the kill in the middle of the second played a big part in preserving the Eagle victory. Overall, I think everyone has to be pretty satisfied with with the way the Eagles played. After giving up a couple of softies in the first, I thought Parker Milner bounced back in a big way by stoning any chances Providence had down the stretch.

Why the Eagles won

1. The team played much better the final forty minutes. The Friars really came out hot in the first but I thought the Eagles responded with a great final forty minutes of hockey.

2. Limiting PC's chances down the stretch. It was a really tight game for a long time but I thought BC did a good job of limiting Providence to a lot of "Grade A" chances.

3. BC's experience showed. While Providence battled, BC's experience in playing big games really showed all night and Providence's inexperience in big games seemed to hurt the Friar's in the early going.

Problems

1. I don't think there was anything too bad from tonight's game. I mean, Milner let in two soft goals but after that he was really solid all night long. The team played pretty solid game.

Player of the Game- I thought Johnny Gaudreau played amazing all night (He had one goal). His play making ability is something that is rarely seen from a freshman in college.

Notes- 

1.The 14 game winning streak is the longest for BC under Coach York.

2. This is BC's seventh time in the finals in the last eight years and their 16th overall.

3. The BC seniors are now 13-1 in the Hockey East tournament.

4. BC will get the winner of BU vs Maine tomorrow at 8:00 in the championship game.

Predictions for the weekend

BC vs PC- I like the Eagles in this one by a 5-3 margin.

BU vs Maine- I would love to see a Black Bear victory and I think they get it with a 4-3 OT win tomorrow night.

CHAMPIONSHIP

BC vs Maine- This will be a great game but I like BC 5-4 in OT

Previewing the Providence College Friars

This weekend, the Eagles will look to become the first team ever to win three straight Hockey East championships but standing in their way will be a tough Providence College team. Why do I say tough ? Well, the Friars responded to being swept by Lowell two weeks ago by turning it around and beating them in the first round of the Hockey east playoffs last weekend. One big reason the Friars were able to beat Lowell was the return of their star forward Tim Schaller. Schaller had missed the previous five games for PC, including their weekend series vs BC three weeks ago. Schaller has recorded fourteen goals so far this season which leads all Friar players. In that weekend series three weeks ago, BC outscored PC by a combined total of 10-0 over the two games. Friday's game was actually a very hard fought game in which Providence was only down one goal to the Eagles heading into the third period. Saturday's game was a different story as the Eagles exploded for five goals in the first period. I think BC has two really big advantages versus the Friars coming into the weekend. The first big advantage I think BC has is that they have a lot of really skilled guys that allow the Eagles to be very deep. The Friars on the other hand are not as deep and will have a very tough time matching up versus BC's bottom three lines. The other big advantage BC has is that they have experience on their roster. Every player on the Eagles has played a game that has a playoff like atmosphere (i.e. the Beanpot) while the Friars have just seven guys that were on their roster when they lost to BC in the  2008 Hockey East quarterfinals (The last time PC was in the playoffs)

If you look at the three meetings between Providence and BC this year, it jumps out to you that the Eagles have dominated the series so far (BC has outscored PC 14-1). BC obviously matches up very well versus Providence as BC's speedy forwards seem to create some real problems for the Friars, especially on defense. Friar goalie Alex Beaudry, who is usually a very reliable goaltender for PC, has really struggled vs BC this season as he has let in ten of BC's fourteen goals. I think the return of Schaller will really help PC in a bunch of areas such as PP, PK, and by looking at minutes he logs for that team he should have a big impact. While Schaller may be a difference maker, I think BC will come in ready to play. I think BC can really create problems for PC by using their speed to create plays in the offensive zone and by continuing to play solid in the defensive zone. This season, BC has done a great job of playing team defense against PC as they have only allowed an average of 25 shots in the three games combined. After all, the Eagles have won ten straight games in the TD Garden dating back to March 2009 so lets hope it continues this weekend.

Keys for the Eagles 

1. BC needs to use their speed. I think this is the biggest advantage BC has over a lot of teams but Providence in particular. For one reason or another, the Friars have really struggled containing BC's speed all season. 

2. Stay out of the box. With Schaller back, I look for PC's power play to be a little more effective when given the opportunity. If BC can stay out of the box, look for a nice Eagle victory. 

3. Limit the second chances for PC. I thought BC did a fantastic job a couple of weeks ago when they really limited Providence's second chance opportunities. Hopefully it continues. 

Players to Watch 

1. Tim Schaller leads all Friars in goals and is third on the team in points. He missed the last two games versus BC.

2. Ross Mauermann was named to Hockey East's all freshman team. Mauermann has recorded a 10-15- 25 line this season and has the most points on the Friars' roster. 

3. Matt Bergland has the most assist on Providence this season. Bergland has recorded a 7-16-23 line so far this season. 

All Time Series- BC is 105-45-12 all time vs PC and are also 6-3 all time in the Hockey East tournament. BC is unbeaten in it's last 11 vs PC. 

Twitter- Follow me @bchockeyblog1 for updates during the course of tomorrow's game versus Providence. 

Injury Note- Brian Dumoulin is good to go for tomorrow night's game.

GO EAGLES 

Midweek Column, Awards, and Bracketology.

Matt Price celebrates the 2010 Hockey East championship win over Maine. 

This weekend, the Eagles will look to be the first team EVER to win three straight Hockey East tournament championships. In the first round, BC will faceoff against the Providence College Friars, a team that the Eagles beat 3-0 and 7-0 just three weekends ago. However, the Friars will add a piece to their team that they did not have on that particular weekend. That piece would be senior forward Tim Schaller who is the leading scorer for PC this season (14 goals). While I do think BC will win this game, I am pretty certain that the score will not be 7-0 like it was last time out vs the Friars. Two weekends ago, the Friars got swept by Lowell in a home and home by a cumulative score of 9-3. The very next weekend, the Friars showed great resiliency and beat the River Hawks in a best of three series. That should tell you right there that this team is not going to back down from any team and with their best player back, they could be dangerous on Friday. In playoff hockey, the hardest thing to do is ending an opponents season. You saw it last weekend versus UMass as the Minutemen didn't back down to anything and even outplayed BC on Friday. The Friars are not as talented of a team as BC is but they have some players like Schaller, Mauerman, and Brown that can produce for them in the offensive end. Don't be expecting another 7-0 blowout.

As you probably know by now, this is award season in Hockey East and three Eagles have already racked up awards for their performances so far this season. Johnny Gaudreau was unanimously voted on the All Freshman team along with Scott Wilson (UML), Ludwig Karlsson (NU), Ross Mauerman (PC), and Kyle Reynolds (UVM). On defense it was Trevor van Riemsdyk (UNH), Alexx Privitera (BU), Zack Kamrass (UML), and Casey DeSmith (UNH) was named the goalie. For the second straight year, Brian Dumoulin took home the "best defensive defenseman" award. This is the first time since the award was started in 1998-1999 that the same player has won it back to back years. The third player to win an award was goalie Parker Milner who took home the goaltending title as he recorded a league best 1.85 GAA and .925 save percentage. Congratulations to all three guys. More awards will be announced tomorrow at the Hockey East awards banquet.

One thing I have not done too much of over the past couple weeks is showing you some of what the experts think will be the NCAA tournament field. I personally am no expert on this stuff but what I do know is if BC can at least make it to the finals this weekend, they should clinch a number one seed and be in Worcester (They probably have a #1 seed locked up already). If BC were to win the whole thing this weekend, odds are that BC would be the #1 overall seed meaning they would get an easier first round opponent. Let's take a look at some brackets...

From US College Hockey Online-

West Regional (St Paul, Minn) 

#4 Michigan State vs #1 Minnesota Duluth

#3 UMass Lowell vs #2 Minnesota


Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wis) 

#4 Air Force vs #1 Michigan

#3 North Dakota vs #2 Ferris State

East Regional (Bridgeport, Conn) 


#4 Cornell vs #1 Miami

#3 Denver vs #2 BU

Northeast Regional (Worcester, Ma)


#4 Western Michigan vs #1 Boston College 

#3 Maine vs #2 Union.

I like the way that bracket sets up for BC but what would be great is if we could get Air Force instead of Western Michigan. If BC is able to get the #1 overall seed and Western Michigan can do well in the CCHA tournament, BC would most likely get the winner of the Atlantic Hockey Conference.

College Hockey News has a more favorable matchup for BC...

West Regional (St Paul Minn) 

Michigan State vs Minnesota Duluth

Maine vs Minnesota

Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wisc)


Cornell vs Michigan

Union vs North Dakota

East Regional (Bridgeport, Conn) 

Western Michigan vs BU

Ferris State vs Denver

So there you have it.

Northeast Regional (Worcester)

Air Force vs Boston College

Miami vs Lowell


Until tomorrow, 


GO EAGLES 

BOSTON COLLEGE ADVANCES TO TD GARDEN WITH 3-2 WIN OVER MASSACHUSETTS

Destination: The Garden !

For the 8th time in the last 10 years, the Boston College Eagles will be one of the final four teams in the Hockey East playoffs. The Eagles defeated UMass 3-2 tonight in a hard fought, emotional, and up tempo game that in the end, was won by outstanding goaltending from Parker Milner. The Eagles actually trailed 1-0 early on as UMass forward Conor Sheary put home a beautiful pass from linemate TJ Syner. This was the first time in 687 minutes (13 games) that the Eagles actually trailed an opponent at any time of a game. It didn't take long for the Eagles to match Sheary's goal as Pat Mullane knotted his 8th goal of the season while the teams were skating four on four. Johnny Gaudreau added an assist on the goal meaning he now has 14 points in his last 10 games and has at least one point in 9 of those 10 games. The Eagles were unable to capitalize on 3:30 of power play time when UMass' Steven Guzzo was ejected for hitting Patch Alber from behind. It seemed that the Eagles were taking too many shots from the point which isn't a bad thing but with the Minutemen being a team that is very good at blocking shots, they were able to kill it off. At the 8:18 mark, Bill Arnold made a fantastic pass to a streaking Paul Carey who was easily able to tap the puck past UMass goalie Kevin Boyle. I thought the Eagles played much better in the first period compared to last night's opening stanza. It seemed like every line had a lot more energy then they did a night ago.

The second period was pretty entertaining to say the least as the teams combined for seven penalties and something extremely unusual happend, BC gave up a PP goal.  Joel Hanley's power play goal towards the end of the period marked the first time since the Beanpot that the Eagles gave up a PP goal (The team killed off 16 straight power plays in that time). I thought the play of Parker Milner was fantastic once again but was at it's pinnacle in the second and third. UMass did a great job of using their speed to generate chances in the BC end but every time they did, it seemed like Parker was there to gobble up the puck. I thought the Eagles responded with a much better effort on the offensive end tonight. After the Hanley goal, I thought the Straight-Hayes-Kreider line had an exceptional shift that included a great effort by Chris Kreider who got the puck to Brian Dumoulin who then bombed one past Boyle for his 6th goal of the year. Kreider just outworked the UMass defender down low and made a great pass to Dumoulin who made a great toe drag  (He says he learned it from Tommy Cross) move past a Minutemen forward and then eventually fired one past Boyle.

In the third, I thought the Eagles did a great job of holding up on the defensive end. The Minutemen had their best chance to tie it up when Isaac Macleod took a holding penalty in the middle of the period. Led by outstanding penalty killing from guys like Bill Arnold and Barry Almeida, the Eagles were able to hold off the Minutemen. In the last couple of minutes, I thought the line of Gaudreau-Mullane-Carey did a great job of keeping the puck down low and even forcing an offensive zone faceoff with thirty seconds to play (UMass was not happy about that whistle). Overall, I thought both teams gave a valiant effort but in the end, the Minutemen will once again go back to Amherst disappointed that they couldn't finish on a lot of their best chances all weekend. Back to the Garden for the Eagles !!

Why BC Won 

1.Parker Milner is just too good. There has been no hotter goalie in the country over the last month as Parker continued to prove that he can perform well on the big stage.

2. BC had more energy tonight. I thought the team played much better tonight and came out with a lot of energy but that UMass team was definitely a tough matchup for the Eagles. 

3. I thought the Gaudreau-Mullane-Carey line was great. This line is quickly turning into one of the top lines in the league. Pat Mullane had one of his best weekends of the year while Carey and Johnny G continued to stay hot.

Problems 

1. I don't have anything to complain about. Even though we had a power play goal, I think the PP needs some improvement for next weekend.

Player of the game- I thought Brian Dumoulin played really well tonight. Yes he is injured but he battled all night and put the Eagles on top late in the second with his 6th goal of the year.

Notes- 

1. BC has now won 13 straight games and 10 straight in Hockey East.

2. This is BC's eight straight sweep of an opponent in the quarterfinal rounds.

3. Parker Milner recorded his first career point with an assist on Dumoulin's goal.

The Scenarios for who BC could play

IF these are the results...

Lowell beats PC

BU beats UNH

Maine beats MC....

BC would play Maine. 

If Providence wins, BC automatically gets the Friars. If UNH, Lowell, and Maine win, BC gets UNH. 

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Eagles Narrowly Escape with 2-1 win vs UMass

It was definitely one of the poorest efforts of the year, but in the end, the Eagles defeated UMass 2-1 in game one of their best of three quarterfinal series on Friday @ Conte Forum. In reality, one good shift from Johnny Gaudreau, Pat Mullane, and Paul Carey and one terrible shift by UMass' defense, was the difference in the game. Johnny G made a pretty sweet pass to Mullane who put the Eagles up with just three minutes to go in the second stanza. A short 45 seconds later, Gaudreau made another great pass to Tommy Cross who made a great move at the point and ripped one past Minutemen goalie Kevin Boyle for the eventual game winner. Yes, BC won this game but they played maybe their worst game in over two months. The only reason they won is because Parker Milner was better than amazing all night long, especially in the second period when the Minutemen recorded 11 shots to BC's 3. There really isn't much to take out of this game besides the fact that we won. The Gaudreau-Mullane-Carey line was pretty good and the Whitney-Arnold-Almeida line was solid at times but the line of Straight-Hayes-Kreider really struggled all night long. I don't know what happend but the third line really struggled on both ends, especially late in the game when getting the puck out of the defensive zone is extremely crucial. Another thing that concerns me is that Brian Dumoulin is not playing nearly as much as he used to meaning he probably is not 100 % because I don't think his performance has been all that bad the last two weeks.

UMass outplayed the Eagles in all three zones and certainly deserved better fate tonight. The Minutemen had a goal called back in the middle of the second but they continued to battle really hard all night. Unfortunately for UMass, you really can't take a shift off vs BC. The one awful shift the Minutemen had on the night was the difference in the game by a mile. Maybe it's the speed of their forwards or something else that I can't think of but for one reason or another, BC really struggles vs UMass and even though they won tonight, they played like they did in those two losses @ UMass. I don't think I can say enough about the play of Parker Milner over the course of the last two months. It proves that even when the team in front of him is having an "off" night, he can still win a game for this team when they need it most. Overall, it's nice to get the win and get closer to making it to The Garden but if this team wants to win a championship, they need to play better for the remainder of the season.

Why BC Won

1. Parker Milner was great. Definitely one of his better performances on the season as he seems to be playing really well at the right time.

2. BC took advantage of one really bad shift by UMass. The Gaudreau-Mullane-Carey line was once again the best line for the Eagles but the other three lines need to step up.

Problems 

1. The Kreider-Hayes-Straight line must play better for this team to win games. I actually think the staff could change up that line tomorrow which probably means moving Mike Sit back up.

2. BC got severely outplayed by a team that wanted it more. Yes, BC won but things MUST improve, that was not a good game.


Player of the game- Johnny Gaudreau with two assist in one shift.

Notes- The Eagles will look to end the Minutemen's season tomorrow night @ 7:00. The other winners tonight were... 

Lowell over Providence (Series Tied)

Maine over Merrimack (UM up 1-0)

UNH OVER BU !!! (UNH up 1-0) !!

Stats/Notes

1. 18 shots is BC's lowest attempted all season long.

2. BC has won 11 straight vs UMass @ Conte Forum.

3. BC is now 28-7 in the Hockey East quarterfinals under Coach York.

4. BC has now won 12 straight games overall.

My quarterfinal picks.

THURSDAY

Providence @ Lowell- While this game is currently in progress, it is tied so I will stay with Lowell 4-3.

FRIDAY

Providence @ Lowell- I think the River Hawks will earn a sweep and make it back to The Garden. UML 3-0. 

Merrimack @ Maine- I think this series will end up going to three games but I like Maine in game one. UMaine 5-3 

UNH @ BU- There may never be a more perfect time to pick against Parker but i'll go with BU in game one 4-2. 

UMass @ BC- I think BC wins a hard fought game. Eagles 4-2 


SATURDAY

Merrimack @ Maine- I think the Warriors send this to a third and final game. Merrimack 3-2 OT 


UNH @ BU- I would LOVE to see a Wildcat victory and yes I think it will happen. UNH 3-1 


UMass @ BC- Eagles complete the sweep of the Minutemen by a 3-1 score. 


SUNDAY

UNH @ BU- Parker finds a way to blow it and UNH wins it in OT. Wildcats 2-1 OT 


IF my picks are right, these would be the matchups 


#1 BC vs #6 UNH 


#2 Lowell vs #4 Maine 

Previewing the UMass Minutemen and the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Here it is folks, the official start of  postseason 2012 (One of my favorite days besides the Beanpot and Frozen Four). For the third consecutive year, the Eagles will kick off their postseason with the Minutemen from UMass in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East playoffs. The Minutemen did a great job of locking up the final playoff spot in a hard fought battle versus the Northeastern Huskies when they defeated Merrimack last Friday @ the Mullins Center by a 5-1 margin. While BC is the big time favorite and the #1 seed in these playoffs, the Minutemen actually lead the season series versus the Eagles 2-1 (Both losses came @ UMass). BC has won 11 in a row but the ironic thing is that UMass ended BC's 6 game winning streak back in November when the Minutemen defeated the Eagles 4-2 @ the Mullins Center. Another key stat in this series is that BC has not lost to UMass in the previous four quarterfinal meetings and have not lost to the Minutemen at home since November of 2007. I look for two (or three) hard fought, up tempo games between two teams that have some really skilled players that can beat you with their speed when given the opportunity. As for who to look for on the Minutemen roster, a couple of guys stand out to me. The first player who I think is a threat to the Eagles is forward TJ Syner who has recorded a total of three goals vs BC in their previous three matchups in the regular season. Another forward to look out for is Danny Hobbs who is the only NHL draft pick on the UMass roster (Rangers). Hobbs ranks fourth on the Minutemen in total points and is one of their leading power play players.

In terms of how much you can take out of the three games between the teams this year, even UMass coach Toot Cahoon says you need to throw the two results at the Mullins Center out the window. Yes, the game takes on a totally different dimension when @ Conte Forum but the Minutemen didn't just beat BC in that third game, they dominated the Eagles. Asides from that debacle vs BU early in November, that game in mid January @ UMass was one of the worst performance by the Eagles this whole season. Now I wouldn't count on the Minutemen winning a game in this series, let alone winning 4-0 but let it be clear that if the Minutemen bring their A game and BC brings their C game, UMass could definitely win two games this weekend. Look for some very exciting hockey this weekend between two teams that really know how to use their speed to their advantage when given the chance.

Players to Watch 

1. TJ Syner leads the Minutemen in assist and overall points this season. He is one of the more dynamic play makers in the whole league as he is dangerous whenever he is on the ice.

2. Michael Pereira leads the Minutemen in goals this season but has only recorded one point in the three games versus the Eagles this season.

3. Joel Hanley leads all defenseman in scoring on the Minutemen squad. Hanley has recorded 7 goals and 13 assist so far this season.

Goaltending Note- I am not sure who will be in net for UMass tomorrow as Steve Mastelerz was the one who played great vs BC two months ago but Kevin Boyle was the one who helped the Minutemen beat Merrimack last weekend. I would assume Boyle.

Keys for the Eagles 

1. Take advantage of power plays. UMass currently has the second to last penalty kill in Hockey East this season with just a 76 % conversion rate.

2. BC's depth should be a huge advantage. One thing I heard when hearing Toot Cahoon's teleconference this week was that he was worried about BC's depth. While UMass could shut down Kreider's line, BC's second, third, and fourth lines really need to play well in order for the Eagles to win.

3. Stay out of the box. 5 on 5, BC is the better hockey team but if the Eagles give the Minutemen their chances on the PP, UMass could make BC pay big time.

All Time Series- BC is 50-12-3 all time vs UMass while posting a 6-1 record in seven meetings in the Hockey East tournament.

Prediction- BC sweep. I think UMass has a chance to win one game but don't count on it.

BREAKING- Colin White commits to BC

Nobles eight grader Colin White has committed to BC for the fall of 2016. White is a 5'11 forward that  plays on a Nobles team that made it all the way to the New England prep school championship earlier this month.

My All Hockey East teams and awards.

Now that we are entering the postseason, Hockey East will issue their all Hockey East first team, all Hockey East freshman team, and the individual awards. Here is what I think they should look like.

Player of the Year- I don't think this one will be close on Awards Night as I think Maine's Spencer Abbott rightfully deserves the award. Abbott has posted an amazing 19-37-56 line and is also one of the frontrunners for the Hobey Baker award.

Rookie of the Year- People love to point to the stats but when the stats are dead heat, you go to your eye test. In the case for ROTY, Scott Wilson and Johnny G have both put up great numbers but im going with Johnny Gaudreau. I am not being biased here (Ok maybe a little) but when you look who is the more talented and has more goals, it's Johnny G.

Coach of the year- Coach York has done another amazing job this year but this award will go to Norm Bazin of Lowell. Bazin has played a huge role in one of the biggest turnarounds in college hockey history for the Lowell River Hawks.

Best Defenseman- There is no defenseman I would rather have on my team than Brian Dumoulin. Clendening and O'Neil are close seconds but Brian Dumoulin has continued his stellar offensive play while improving his play in his own zone for the team as the season has gotten older.

Best Defensive Forward- I know this would the third BC guy I have winning an award but Barry Almeida deserves this award more than any other player in Hockey East. His play whether it's 5 on 5 or when the Eagles are down a man has just been outstanding.

The Goaltender Award. Ok I will go with a none BC guy because I don't want to sound too bias so I will go with Merrimack's Joe Cannata. Cannata has led the Warriors all year with his stelar play in goal but Parker Milner will probably win the award because he has the best stats.

All Hockey East First Team 

Defenseman- Brian Dumoulin-BC

Defenseman- Adam Clendening- BU

Forward- Spencer Abbott- Maine

Forward- Brian Flynn- Maine

Forward- Joey Diamond- Maine

Goalie- Parker Milner- BC


All Hockey East Second Team 


Defenseman- Will O'Neil- Maine

Defenseman- Chad Ruhwedel- Lowell

Forward- Barry Almeida-BC

Forward-Chris Kreider- BC

Forward- Matt Nieto- BU

Goalie- Joe Cannata- Merrimack


All Rookie Team 

Defenseman- Trevor van Riemsdyk- UNH

Defenseman- Alexx Privitera- BU

Forward- Johnny Gaudreau- BC

Forward- Scott Wilson- Lowell

Forward- Ludwig Karlsson- Northeastern

Goalie- Casey DeSmith- UNH

My Regular Season Awards for BC Hockey.

Now that the regular season has come to a close, I thought it would be good the say who I think deserves the awards for this BC hockey team.

MVP- It was a pretty close race between Kreider and Almeida but I'm going to go with Barry Almeida on this one. He leads the team in goals, is the best penalty killer on the team, and also leads the league in power play goals. Look for him to have a big postseason.

Rookie of the Year- It's Johnny Gaudreau without a doubt but some other guys like Danny Linell and Quinn Smith definitely deserve some mention. Johnny G has the most goals of any freshman in the league and also is one of the most skilled players in Hockey East.

Most Improved Player- I will split this award into two parts. For the player that has improved the most over the course of the season, I will go with Parker Milner. In December, he lost his job to a freshman and is now the favorite to win goaltender of the year in Hockey East. For the player that has improved the most from last year to now, I will stick with Isaac Macleod. He didn't play every game last year and now plays a crucial role as one of the top penalty killers and defenseman on the team.

Unsung Hero- When I think of "Unsung Hero" I think of someone that doesn't get a lot of credit for what he does because he may not have the stats. For this award, I will go with Paul Carey. He is 10th on the team in scoring but like Almeida, he is a great penalty killer and a guy that is always out there for key situations. Carey has also been playing fabulous hockey over the last month.

Best Defenseman- While I think Tommy Cross is having an outstanding year, I will go with Brian Dumoulin on this one. He is tied for second on the team in assist behind Pat Mullane and is also third in the league in defenseman scoring behind Clendening and O'Neil.

Best Game- I shouldn't even ask this because it's so obvious. The second Monday in February

Best Goal- Barry Almeida's goal on Friday vs UVM that made Sports Center's top 10 plays (It was #2)

Ill post my Hockey East awards tomorrow night.

Until then,

GO EAGLES

Entering Championship Season.

After capturing a second straight Hockey East regular season championship on Saturday vs Vermont, the Eagles will now turn their focus to a team that has beaten them twice already this season, UMass. BC will faceoff vs the Minutemen in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs for the third straight season and BC has yet to lose one of those six games vs UMass. I think that everyone in that locker room knows that this is not your typical #1 vs #8 matchup as the Minutemen have a lot of guys like Syner, Hobbs, and Perriera, that play a very similar style of hockey to what BC brings to the table. UMass is a fast team that can really beat you with their speed and if they get good goaltending, they could definitely take one or two games rom the Eagles. As for the pairwise rankings, which are the rankings that determine the NCAA field, BC currently sits at #1 followed by Michigan and Lowell. While BC has all but assured themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament, the two most important tasks remaining are to win a Hockey East tournament championship and even more importantly, lock up the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. If you look at last season, the Eagles were not the #1 overall seed and because UNH hosted the Northeast regional, the Eagles had to go out west and face a very good Colorado College team.

Although the Eagles swept UVM and picked up another trophy, the team really needs to play better here on out if they want to beat really good hockey clubs. I thought the team played much better on Saturday night compared to Friday night when they just looked dead for the better part of that hockey game. A couple of positives are that Parker Milner is playing out of this world right now and the special teams look like they are in tip top shape (Especially the PK). I think it is great that certain players like Destry Straight, Danny Linell, Patch Alber, and Quinn Smith are playing their best hockey of the season right now. If the fourth line can continue to play like they have been, this team can be even more dangerous in the offensive zone with all four lines being an offensive threat. My biggest concern however is the health of Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin played this weekend but you could certainly see that the bruised knee is nagging him a little bit when he is skating. Being one of the best defenseman not just in the league but in the country, he needs to be healthy come next weekends games vs UMass.

With all of that said, I like this teams chances to win another Lamoriello trophy. I think the first round matchup vs UMass is going to be much closer then people expect, especially if BC plays like they did this weekend. I think it is going to be two (or three) very exciting hockey games because both of these teams play a fast, uptempo style of hockey (Vermont and Providence do not). The one problem for the Minutemen is that they have to come to Conte Forum. No Hockey East team besides BU wins at Conte Forum (It kills me to say that). Say what you want about Alfond and Lawler being the toughest places to play but if you look at the records, the toughest place to win a Hockey East game is Conte Forum. UMass has not won a game at Conte since November of 2007 and let's hope the streak doesn't end this weekend.

Happy championship season,

GO EAGLES

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS !

Led by outstanding efforts from Destry Straight, Parker Milner, Patch Alber, and a bunch of others, the Boston College Eagles clinched a second consecutive Hockey East regular season title with a 4-0 win over the Vermont Catamounts. The Eagles didn't really get off to the hot start they wanted to have as UVM was able to hold BC at bay for the first 19 minutes until Destry Straight netted his second goal of the season to break open the deadlocked game. I thought this was by far and away the best game that Destry has played so far this season as he has been able to take his game to a whole other level over the past couple of weeks. With regards to Vermont, Coach York couldn't have been more complimentary of their effort over the weekend as they battled the Eagles really hard both nights and even had their chances to maybe even defeat the #1 team in the country. I thought Chris Kreider played his best game since the Beanpot tonight as he recorded a goal and a solid +2 rating for the team tonight. It seems that when it's a big game like the Beanpot, Hockey East titles, or an NCAA tournament game, Chris really seems to be playing his best hockey.

I know I have said this in every post since the magical night @ The Garden but the play of Parker Milner over the course of the last couple of weeks has just been special. Everyone likes to talk about Carr, Cannata, and for some strange reason Millan, but there is no goalie I would rather have on my team right now than Parker Milner. He leads the league in save percentage and has also recorded three shutouts in his last four games which is remarkable. When a goalie has the type of confidence that Parker has right now, it is really tough to get them off their game. I thought Patch Alber also had his best game of the season tonight. With Dumoulin a little banged up, Alber needed to step up big time and he did this weekend. He had a +4 rating tonight which is his highest of the year to go along with an assist on Destry Straight's goal.

As we look towards next weekend, the Eagles will meet UMass for a best of three series here @ Conte Forum for the 3rd straight season. The Minutemen actually hold a 2-1 lead in the season series vs BC but the Eagles defeated UMass 4-2 in the last meeting @ Conte Forum back in October (UMass won the next two). Thanks to another epic collapse by Jack Parker and his terrible team, BU missed out on the #2 seed. Here are the matchups...

#1 BC vs #8 UMass

#2 Lowell vs #7 Providence

#3 BU vs #6 UNH. Go Wildcats

#4 Maine vs #5 Merrimack.


WHY BC WON 

1. The penalty kill was fantastic. Vermont had their chances all game on the power play but the BC penalty kill, led by Almeida, Mullane, and Linell, prevented any goals for the Cats.

2. Chris Kreider played great. In games in which Chris Kreider scores a goal, the Eagles are 15-3.

3. I thought a lot of key guys stepped up all weekend. You know guys like Carey, Kreider (mostly), Mullane, Johnny G, and Almeida are going to play great every weekend but guys like Destry Straight, Patch Alber, and Danny Linell had fantastic weekends for the team.

Problems 

1. BC played much better than last night but still need some tuning to their game for next weekend.

Player of the Game- Destry Straight.

Next Up- Playoff series next weekend @ home vs UMass.

NOTE- If you would like to skate with the team tomorrow, come on down to Conte @ 1:30 to skate with the players, get autographs, and take pictures. It's really fun to go to. 

Playoff Scenarios In Hockey East.

Let's Say these are the scores from tonights games

BU defeats NU (Unfortunately).

Lowell defeats Providence.

Maine defeats New Hampshire

Merrimack defeats UMass

BC defeats Vermont

IF those are the results...these would be the first round matchups 

#1 BC would host #8 UMass

#2 BU would host #7 Providence

#3 Lowell would host #6 UNH

#4 Maine would host #5 Merrimack

Scenario #2 

BC loses to Vermont.

BU beats Northeastern.

UNH beats Maine

Lowell beats PC

UMass beats Merrimack.

IF those scores were to happen, these would be the matchups. 

#1 BU would host #8 Providence

#2 BC would host #7 UMass

#3 Lowell would host #6 UNH

#4 Maine would host #5 Merrimack.

IF Providence falls to Lowell and UMass beats Merrimack, BC (with a win) would get Providence. 

BOSTON COLLEGE CLINCHES AT LEAST SHARE OF REGULAR SEASON TITLE WITH 5-1 ...

Eagles Roll Past Vermont 5-1

Quinn Smith hooked up with Danny Linell for BC's second goal. 

The Boston College Eagles edged to just one win away from a second consecutive Hockey East regular season title tonight with a 5-1 win over the Vermont Catamounts. The Eagles were led by first period goals by Paul Carey and Danny Linell while Barry Almeida added two more of his own in the second and third to lead the Eagles to their 3rd straight win over UVM. The game itself certainly was not the most exciting game I have ever seen in my life and the Eagles actually didn't play too well but they got the job done. Although the score says 5-1, I thought UVM played their hearts out and really stuck with BC for the first 45 minutes of that hockey game. I thought BC's first and fourth lines of Almeida-Arnold-Whitney and Linell-Straight-Smith were both fantastic tonight as the fourth line continued to be stellar. I thought Barry Almeida continued to improve his case for not just MVP of this team but maybe even the league as he now leads the Eagles in goals scored and ranks second in the league behind Maine's Joey Diamond in the same category. Yes, Almeida continues to be fantastic but I think the play of his linemates Bill Arnold and Steve Whitney has drastically improved as the year has progressed. 

As I said, I didn't think the Eagles played all that well tonight. Give credit to Vermont, they may not have the talent to compete with the BC's and Maine's of Hockey East but they certainly competed very hard versus the best team in the country tonight. One thing that really concerns me is Brian Dumoulin's knee. He wasn't bad tonight but he didn't play all that much and when he did, his skating and puck handeling were off. If this team wants to go places in March and April, Brian must continue to play like the best defenseman in Hockey East like he has all season. I also thought the line of Kreider-Hayes-Sit was off to say the least tonight. It just seems like that line has been way too inconsistent as of late as Chris Kreider has only had one point since the big win @ the Garden and Kevin Hayes has really struggled to find his game as of late. I thought the Carey-Mullane-Gaudreau line was pretty good tonight as Paul Carey continued his hot streak with 4 goals in the last 5 games.

One thought that has come upon me over the last couple weeks is that the freshman class is really improving as the season gets older. Yes, Johnny G has been a star all year long but guys like Danny Linell, Quinn Smith, and Destry Straight have really been playing stellar hockey since the game @ Vermont. Quinn Smith made a fantastic play to set up Danny Linell on the game winning goal late in the first when he made a terrific pass thorough traffic in front of the UVM net right to Linell who finished it off by beating UVM goalie Rob Madore top shelf. When the Eagles have that line scoring at the pace it has been as of late, this team can be even more dangerous than they have been over the past month (Scary I know).

Why BC Won 

1. Parker Milner continued to be stellar. There may not be a hotter goalie in the country right now as Parker has only allowed 4 goals in his last 5 games.

2. The Power Play came up big. Barry Almeida's sick power play goal was huge for the Eagles as they seemed to play much better after that moment in the game. That's now12 straight games with at least one PP goal.

3. I love the way the defenseman are playing. Actually, Tommy Cross and Brian Dumoulin didn't have their best games tonight but guys like Isaac Macleod (Who had his first multi point game @ BC), Edwin Shea, and Patch Alber that really played well tonight.

Problems 

1. The Kreider-Hayes-Sit line needs to be better. For BC to win a National Championship, Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes have to have the best month of their BC careers in March.

2. Brian Dumouin needs to get healthy. He wasn't bad but he could be the most valuable player to this team so he needs to be 100% come next weekend.

Player of the game- Barry Almeida with the two goals.

Next Up- Senior Night vs UVM tomorrow @ 7 pm.

Notes- As of now, BC would get UMass in the first round of the playoffs next week but a Providence loss to Lowell tomorrow night combined with a UMass win @ Merrimack would mean BC would get Providence.