This is one of those times where I just don't want to sit here and write about a game. Tonight was an embarrising display of hockey for everyone wearing a Boston College jersey. From the first line to the goalies, everyone just flat out stunk..it's harsh but there is no other way to put it. Yes, BC had a lot of factors going against them such as Johnny G being out, playing 5 freshman defenseman, and being on the road and on an Olympic sheet but in the end, this was horrible. However, unlike last year after the Maine series, it is not the time to just throw it in the towel and makes 100 changes. If you've followed BC Hockey the last few years, you'd notice that they've struggled at lot in late December games/Christmas tournaments. I mean I actually thought BC was OK for part of the first half when they were killing penalties but too often a guy was in the box and BC was shorthanded. As the game was getting out of hand in the second, Mike Sit made of the more boneheaded plays I've seen in a long time around here. Elbowing someone like that is not what you do when you play @ Boston College. If you want to do that, then go down the street but here, that's unacceptable and I hope that the staff tells him that what he did was dead wrong and is not allowed on this team. Sure, there were a few suspect calls early in the game but hand it to the Gophers, they dominated from puck drop to the final horn. Congrats to them.
As for the Eagles, everybody better pray that Johnny G is back for next weekends game vs Yale. I didn't think it would really hurt this team until I saw this display tonight. We need him back. All in all, I'm disappointed that this team decided to turn it off tonight but it is my hope that everyone gets back on their feet and is ready to go next weekend.
Problems-
1. Penalty Kill was just horrible.
2. Defense looked clueless.
3. Milner just had an off night. Not worried about him.
Next up- Yale next Friday @ Conte.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Previewing the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
We all remember last April in Tampa Bay, Florida. Well, so do the Gophers and their fans. They remember being utterly embarrassed by the Eagles from start to finish, ending in a 6-1 victory for the good guys. Tonight is the perfect revenge game for the Golden Gophers and BC has to bring everything they have. I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't worried about this one. This Minnesota team is loaded top to bottom with guys like Bjugstad, Haula, Budish, and Rau that will probably go on to play at the next level some day. So far this year, Minnesota ranks 4th in the county with a 12-3-3 record and are coming off an impressive 4-0 win over the Air Force Falcons. Surprisingly, the Gophers have lost this year to teams like Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, and Nebraska Omaha. However, only one of those losses came at Mariucci Arena (Nebraska-Omaha) and the Gophers are obviously playing some good hockey right now. One interesting stat is that of the 21 guys on their line chart, 17 of them are from the state of Minnesota and not one defenseman is from outside the land of 10,000 lakes. I believe tonight is going to be one of the toughest games this Eagle squad will face all season. BC will need guys like Hayes, Whitney, and Mullane to play their best while guys like Linell, Silk, and Spiro need to continue to play like they did last night. Minnesota is in a totally different universe than UAH is but that doesn't mean BC can compete with them and win this hockey games. When you're an underdog such as BC is tonight, you need to stay out of the box to prevent the Gophers from getting even more chances, you need to capitalize on your power play chances, and BC is going to need great goaltending from Parker Milner. While watching the Gophers last night vs Air Force, the biggest thing that stood out to me was their aggressive forecheck. I don't think the Falcons were able to get a shot on net in the first period, let alone get the puck past the Minnesota blue line. With 5(!) freshman going tonight, it's going to be of the utmost importance that BC does not give Minnesota grade A chances off turnovers in their own zone.
On the offensive end, I like how BC's game translates to the Olympic size ice sheet out here in St.Paul. The wide sheet allows for more skating room, more passing, and more chances if you play at the pace the Eagles like to. Look for the Eagles to try and get out in space to create odd man rushes that will lead to good scoring chances. BC's first line needs to be better than it was last night in order for a win. I thought Mullane and Whitney were solid for the most part but solid is not going to cut it tonight vs the Golden Gophers. As I said yesterday, I hope that Kevin Hayes, Billy Arnold, and Brendan Silk can continue to play like they have been because if they're not playing well and scoring tonight, BC's chances for a victory is diminished. I hope BC is not going to dominate these guys and win by three or four goals. I can't remember a time where I've said BC is actually a big underdog in a hockey game but tonight they are certainly big underdogs to say the least.
In the end, I'm very excited to see how the nations #1 team that is severely beat up and has numerous freshman defenseman, fares against the most talented team in college hockey. This is not just another game tonight, it is a game in which, should BC win, it will send their confidence through the roof. It's going be as difficult a game as these guys will play in their time @ BC but with an all around team effort and the ability to win the special teams battle, a win tonight can be achieved.
Keys for the Eagles-
1. BC has to stay out of the box. If BC gives Minnesota power plays, they have zero chance of winning this game.
2. Need at least one power play goal. Both units are moving it around pretty well but they're not scoring. If and when the Gophers go to the box, BC needs to capitalize on their chances.
3. Stay with them. All BC needs to do is make this a hockey game going into the third period and they will have a chance to win.
Players to watch
Nick Bjugstad- Is said to be one of the best forwards in the entire country and will certainly be a player in the NHL someday.
Erik Haula- No one stood out to me more than Haula did last night. He is one talented hockey player.
Zach Budish- Another one of those power forwards that will play in the NHL someday. At 6'3 and 214 lbs, he can make things happen when on the ice.
All Time Series- Boston College is 12-14-2 all time vs the Golden Gophers. We all know what happened in the last meeting.
Injury notes- Macleod is doubtful, Alber is out.
Go Eagles
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The Greatest
The first period started out a little rough as BC showing a lot of signs of rust coming off the break allowed UAH to control the play in their zone for a long. Once the Eagles got things settled down, I thought they looked very very sharp, especially the line of Kevin Hayes-Bill Arnold-Brendan Silk. With Johnny G gone, perhaps no forward has to pick up his play even more than Kevin Hayes does and tonight I thought he once again made plays when he had the puck. On one play he skated right through two UAH defenders and almost got off a wrist shot. It was pretty impressive. As for the bottom two lines, no guy was better tonight than Danny Linell. On his goal, he chipped it by a UAH defender, skated around another and chipped the puck on net for a goal. Overall, the staff has got to be happy when they see a guy like Danny making plays and scoring goals. Not to be outdone, linemate Cam Spiro made the most of his playing time by scoring his first career goal in the first period. After Teddy Doherty fired a slapper just wide of the net, the puck bounced right to Spiro who easily put it in to make it 1-0 Eagles. As for Doherty, he was a team high +5 tonight, certainly one of his best games in a BC uniform up to this point. Sure, he needs to improve in his own end but I like the fact that he's confident enough to take the puck and make plays. Thanks to the solid defensive play, the Chargers didn't get too many grade A chances on Parker Milner but were able to capitalize on a power play chance early in the second. Unlike the past couple of games, BC did not have many defensive zone breakdowns that led to good chances for the opponent.
As for Patch Alber, he is most likely done for the season as he suffered a torn meniscus while playing soccer before the game. Obviously it's a tough loss and it means that Travis Jeke will most likely play for the remainder of the season. I saw spurts of good play tonight from Travis but he does need to shore up his play in his own end. Tomorrow is going to be a big test for him. Now onto tomorrows game. I'll say this, this Golden Gopher hockey team is completely stacked and are in my opinion, the best team in the country outside of BC (when they're healthy). You look down their roster and all you see is guys like Haula, Bjugstad, Budish, and Schmidt that are arguably some of the best players in the country. Yes, the Eagles are a big time underdog tomorrow with all the injuries but with a great all around team effort, victory can be accomplished.
Why BC won-
1. All around scoring. Whether it was Linell, Spiro, Doherty, or Hayes, guys were making plays tonight and were getting pucks in the net. Always great to see BC get some secondary scoring.
2. Solid defensive zone play. Sure, it was rusty at times but overall, I liked the way BC played in their own end.
3. The transition game. BC used their speed and skill tonight in a big way and were able to generate tons of odd man rushes on the UAH defense. Probably should have scored more than 5.
Notes-
1. Steven Whitney had his 100th career point tonight. They Whitney's became the third pair of brothers to each have 100 points along with the Browns and Eaves'.
2. Tonight was Cam Spiro's first career goal. Also, Peter McMullen played a few shifts, his first action in a BC uniform.
3. Really sad to hear about Patch Alber. I hope that his BC career doesn't end from taking a fall 10 minutes before a game. He works hard and deserves better.
I would like to take this time to congratulate Coach York on his accomplishment. This record proves that good men, like him, can do great things in sports. His leadership and class has had an impact on every person that has come across him. There may be great coaches in this sport but let it be known, there will never be another Jerry York.
I'll have my thoughts on tomorrows game sometime tomorrow morning. It's a big one.
Congratulations Coach.
GO Eagles
Friday, December 28, 2012
Previewing the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers
The play of the defenseman is what I am going to be watching for tomorrow. There were multiple defensive collapses in the game vs Providence and a couple of them led to goals. Is UAH going to create a lot of scoring chances tomorrow ? Probably not. Are they capable of doing so if BC shuts it off defensively ? Yes. The third BU game was probably the first full 60 minute effort that this defensive unit has had since early November and in order to win two games this weekend, that certainly needs to change (especially for Sunday). Statistically, the Chargers rank second to last in terms of goals per game (1.44) and are also second to last in team defense as they are allowing over 4 goals per game. On special teams, the UAH power play ranks 35th in the country as they are converting at a 15.71 rate so far this season and are 48th in terms of penalty kill percentage. All stats are out of 59 teams. Just by looking at the numbers, you can see that BC is heavily favored to win this one and it would take a collapse of epic proportions for the Eagles not to come away with a victory. What I would like to see tomorrow is for BC not just to win but to dominate the play for a full 60 minutes and continue to score goals at will. I'm interested to see how the team adjust to playing without Johnny G but with a solid effort from every guy, a win over the lowly Chargers should be accomplished.
Keys for BC-
1. Dominate the play from start to finish. I look for the defending champs to play a full 60 minute hockey game tomorrow and capture a record breaking victory for their coach.
2. Getting a big night from their (Johnny G less) first line. Hopefully Destry Straight can jump in and contribute right away alongside Whitney and Mullane.
3. Avoiding defensive breakdowns. I don't see how BC can lose if they avoid breaking down in their own end on multiple occasions like they did vs Providence. A solid game on the defensive end would be a big confidence booster heading into a date with the Gophers.
All time series- This is the first ever meeting between Boston College and UAH.
BC At the Mariucci- In 4 appearances in the Mariucci Classic, Boston College has two 4th place finishes (91, 96), a second place finish in 2002 and a championship in 2007.
Injury Report- Destry Straight is a go. Isaac Macleod is questionable as of now.
Go Eagles !
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Midweek Column
First off, I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have been able to enjoy the last few days of what has been an awesome year for BC Hockey. This week, the #1 ranked Eagles will get back on the ice as they head out to the Mariucci Classic in St.Paul, Minnesota to face the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers and the host, Minnesota Golden Gophers. The one issue heading into the tournament for the Eagles will be the injuries to defenseman Isaac Macleod and forward Destry Straight as both are questionable for the first game vs UAH but they will certainly make the trip and see if they can give it a go when game time comes around. Without Johnny G, it goes without saying that some guys are going to have to step up their games in order to win both games, especially in the second one vs the Golden Gophers. Macleod being out would hurt but freshman Travis Jeke appears to be ready to step up and fill the hole that Isaac will leave if he is indeed out. Honestly, I'm pretty interested to see how Jeke plays because in his one game this year vs New Brunswick, he actually looked pretty solid. Destry Straight however is the bigger question mark as he continues to be plagued by a high ankle sprain that he suffered vs Boston University in November. Look, I'm not going to sit here and say it's very likely that BC will be able to skate all over Minnesota if in fact Straight is out. Having two of your top six forwards out vs a team like Minnesota is certainly not a good thing. As we get closer to Saturday's game, I think we will be able to get a better picture if or if not those two will play but without them, winning two points in the Gopher State is not going to be easy.
So, how can BC win two games this week if Straight and Macleod are out ? It's simple. Guys need to step up into bigger roles and play effectively on both nights. Guys like Mullane, Arnold, Whitney, and Hayes can't just be good this weekend, they need to be excellent. On the defensive end, it's going to take a superb effort in order to keep a high powered offense like the Gophers off the board long enough to help a surely depleted offensive front. I look at guys like Teddy Doherty and Jeke (if he plays) to go out and play at a high level. It will certainly help that they have a game vs UAH on Saturday to kind of get back into the swing of things before maybe the biggest game of the year on Saturday. No, I'm not trying to overlook the Chargers but I'm trying to get the point across that playing a team of their caliber before playing a team like the Gophers, certainly can't hurt. Of course, the staff is not going to rush Straight back into playing if he can't go but having him back in the lineup, even if he's at 70-75 %, certainly boost BC's chances to win both games.
At the start of the year, I said that two injuries to BC's top six forwards would really be a killer. Unfortunately with Johnny G in Russia and Straight questionable, that could become a reality in the Eagles' biggest non-conference tilt of the season. Do the Eagles have the talent to score goals and keep up with a team like Minnesota without these guys ? Yes, they do but offense is not the issue. The issue is going to be on the blue line. If in fact Jeke goes, that will mean the defending National Champs will have four freshman defenseman going this weekend. Not saying they can't perform at a high level, but experience is something that can never be overlooked. All in all, I think this is going to be one of those weekends where, if BC wins two, people around the country are going to sit down and say "wow, they can win even without their star". It's not going to be easy (it never is) but with each guy carrying a little bit more on his shoulder, a sweep this weekend would be stellar.
Go Eagles.
So, how can BC win two games this week if Straight and Macleod are out ? It's simple. Guys need to step up into bigger roles and play effectively on both nights. Guys like Mullane, Arnold, Whitney, and Hayes can't just be good this weekend, they need to be excellent. On the defensive end, it's going to take a superb effort in order to keep a high powered offense like the Gophers off the board long enough to help a surely depleted offensive front. I look at guys like Teddy Doherty and Jeke (if he plays) to go out and play at a high level. It will certainly help that they have a game vs UAH on Saturday to kind of get back into the swing of things before maybe the biggest game of the year on Saturday. No, I'm not trying to overlook the Chargers but I'm trying to get the point across that playing a team of their caliber before playing a team like the Gophers, certainly can't hurt. Of course, the staff is not going to rush Straight back into playing if he can't go but having him back in the lineup, even if he's at 70-75 %, certainly boost BC's chances to win both games.
At the start of the year, I said that two injuries to BC's top six forwards would really be a killer. Unfortunately with Johnny G in Russia and Straight questionable, that could become a reality in the Eagles' biggest non-conference tilt of the season. Do the Eagles have the talent to score goals and keep up with a team like Minnesota without these guys ? Yes, they do but offense is not the issue. The issue is going to be on the blue line. If in fact Jeke goes, that will mean the defending National Champs will have four freshman defenseman going this weekend. Not saying they can't perform at a high level, but experience is something that can never be overlooked. All in all, I think this is going to be one of those weekends where, if BC wins two, people around the country are going to sit down and say "wow, they can win even without their star". It's not going to be easy (it never is) but with each guy carrying a little bit more on his shoulder, a sweep this weekend would be stellar.
Go Eagles.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Johnny G Lands on U.S. Roster
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you have a great day filled with family, fun, and food. May Santa and his crew be good to you and your family.
Go Eagles
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Midseason Report: Forwards
As you all know, I keep promising my midseason reports every other day but for multiple reasons, tonight is the night I will finally get back to writing...this time it will be concerning the Eagle forwards and assessing their play thus far. Let's take a look
Johnny G- I shouldn't really have to say much here because you all know about the start Johnny Hockey is off to. His playmaking ability is second to none in college hockey and if he continues to play like he has been, a Hobey Baker award might be in his reach. While he struggled at the end of the semester vs BU and Providence, an unreal experience in Russia should help him get his feet back under him.
Grade- A
Pat Mullane- All people like to talk about (including myself I guess) these days is the eye popping play of Johnny G and because of that, guys like Pat Mullane get very little recognition. If you ask me, Mullane is certainly one of the best forwards in Hockey East if not the country right now as he continues to show outstanding leadership not just on but off the ice along with playing some stellar hockey.
Grade- A-
Steve Whitney- As we sit here tonight, it's hard to say that Steven Whitney has not played up to, if not surpassed the expectations the staff had for him coming into the first half of the year. He has multiple intangibles such as his blistering snap shot and ferocious penalty killing abilities that often get overlooked. Hopefully in the second half he can take his game up to an even higher notch that we know he is capable of arriving at.
Grade- B+
Kevin Hayes- If you ask me, there may not be one person on this whole roster that has improved as much as Kevin Hayes has. It may have taken a long time but Kevin is now becoming a truly dominant forward in Hockey East and is playing as well as anyone on this team.
Grade- A-
Billy Arnold- If you ask me, there may not be a better two way forward than Bill Arnold in all of Hockey East. He is one of those guys that isn't going to jump out at you right away but he certainly does the little things like block shots, makes crisp passes, and helps generate good chances, very well. The consistency in his play has been solid up to this point so hopefully it continues thought the winter and spring.
Grade- B+
Destry Straight- The start of Destry's sophomore year certainly has gone better than the start of his freshman year a season ago. It took a while but playing with guys like Hayes and Arnold has really had a solid impact on his play. Hopefully, his injury is not too bad and he can get back for the Gophers because without him and Johnny G, winning two games out in St.Paul is going to be very, very tough.
Grade- B
Danny Linell- Danny is one of those guys that I think has been solid at times this year but also struggled a bit in terms of his play in the offensive end. To be honest, I think it was expected that he was going to generate more offense than he has to this point but there certainly have been some bright spots for him. I look for his play to continue to get better as the year goes on.
Grade B-/C+
Quinn Smith- Quinn has been one of those guys that's had to adjust to playing on some different lines up to this point because of the injuries to guys like Straight and because of that, his play has been a bit up and down. Granted he is not one of those star studded forwards that's going to score a point every game for you but I do think his play needs to improve in the second half.
Grade- B-/C+
Brendan Silk- I've said it multiple times already and I'll say it again, from puck drop vs Northeastern till now, no forward has improved as much as Brendan Silk has. Like Quinn Smith, Brendan has had to step up and play an even bigger role in the lineup for this team and at times this year, like the BU home game, he has really stepped up and played well. His play is going to be key in order to beat the high powered Gophers.
Grade- B-
Brooks Dyroff- After not playing much in his first three years, it's nice to see a guy like Dyroff play night in and night out and actually play some good hockey at times this year. He struggled to get going at the start of the season but since about the first BU game, he has been starting to play some solid hockey.
Grade- B-
Patrick Brown- There is not a guy on this team that works harder to become a better hockey player than Patrick Brown does (if you ask me). When you watch him in practice, he is always the first one on the ice and always the last one off. You can clearly see that his play has improved a lot since he first got here but I also think there is lots of room for improvement. I look for a stronger second half from him.
Grade- B-
Michael Sit- This is another guy that I think has had an OK first half. His play in his own zone is fine but it seems that he is never able to get anything going in the offensive end. It looks like to me that he has the speed to take that next step but whatever it is that's keeping him back, I hope he finds it in this second half.
Grade- C+
Not graded- Cam Spiro
Defenseman coming up later in the week.
On the injury front, I originally posted that Destry Straight was a go for Minnesota but now I would put him back into the 50-50 category, along with Isaac Macleod. We should know more when the players get back right after Christmas.
Go Eagles
Johnny G- I shouldn't really have to say much here because you all know about the start Johnny Hockey is off to. His playmaking ability is second to none in college hockey and if he continues to play like he has been, a Hobey Baker award might be in his reach. While he struggled at the end of the semester vs BU and Providence, an unreal experience in Russia should help him get his feet back under him.
Grade- A
Pat Mullane- All people like to talk about (including myself I guess) these days is the eye popping play of Johnny G and because of that, guys like Pat Mullane get very little recognition. If you ask me, Mullane is certainly one of the best forwards in Hockey East if not the country right now as he continues to show outstanding leadership not just on but off the ice along with playing some stellar hockey.
Grade- A-
Steve Whitney- As we sit here tonight, it's hard to say that Steven Whitney has not played up to, if not surpassed the expectations the staff had for him coming into the first half of the year. He has multiple intangibles such as his blistering snap shot and ferocious penalty killing abilities that often get overlooked. Hopefully in the second half he can take his game up to an even higher notch that we know he is capable of arriving at.
Grade- B+
Kevin Hayes- If you ask me, there may not be one person on this whole roster that has improved as much as Kevin Hayes has. It may have taken a long time but Kevin is now becoming a truly dominant forward in Hockey East and is playing as well as anyone on this team.
Grade- A-
Billy Arnold- If you ask me, there may not be a better two way forward than Bill Arnold in all of Hockey East. He is one of those guys that isn't going to jump out at you right away but he certainly does the little things like block shots, makes crisp passes, and helps generate good chances, very well. The consistency in his play has been solid up to this point so hopefully it continues thought the winter and spring.
Grade- B+
Destry Straight- The start of Destry's sophomore year certainly has gone better than the start of his freshman year a season ago. It took a while but playing with guys like Hayes and Arnold has really had a solid impact on his play. Hopefully, his injury is not too bad and he can get back for the Gophers because without him and Johnny G, winning two games out in St.Paul is going to be very, very tough.
Grade- B
Danny Linell- Danny is one of those guys that I think has been solid at times this year but also struggled a bit in terms of his play in the offensive end. To be honest, I think it was expected that he was going to generate more offense than he has to this point but there certainly have been some bright spots for him. I look for his play to continue to get better as the year goes on.
Grade B-/C+
Quinn Smith- Quinn has been one of those guys that's had to adjust to playing on some different lines up to this point because of the injuries to guys like Straight and because of that, his play has been a bit up and down. Granted he is not one of those star studded forwards that's going to score a point every game for you but I do think his play needs to improve in the second half.
Grade- B-/C+
Brendan Silk- I've said it multiple times already and I'll say it again, from puck drop vs Northeastern till now, no forward has improved as much as Brendan Silk has. Like Quinn Smith, Brendan has had to step up and play an even bigger role in the lineup for this team and at times this year, like the BU home game, he has really stepped up and played well. His play is going to be key in order to beat the high powered Gophers.
Grade- B-
Brooks Dyroff- After not playing much in his first three years, it's nice to see a guy like Dyroff play night in and night out and actually play some good hockey at times this year. He struggled to get going at the start of the season but since about the first BU game, he has been starting to play some solid hockey.
Grade- B-
Patrick Brown- There is not a guy on this team that works harder to become a better hockey player than Patrick Brown does (if you ask me). When you watch him in practice, he is always the first one on the ice and always the last one off. You can clearly see that his play has improved a lot since he first got here but I also think there is lots of room for improvement. I look for a stronger second half from him.
Grade- B-
Michael Sit- This is another guy that I think has had an OK first half. His play in his own zone is fine but it seems that he is never able to get anything going in the offensive end. It looks like to me that he has the speed to take that next step but whatever it is that's keeping him back, I hope he finds it in this second half.
Grade- C+
Not graded- Cam Spiro
Defenseman coming up later in the week.
On the injury front, I originally posted that Destry Straight was a go for Minnesota but now I would put him back into the 50-50 category, along with Isaac Macleod. We should know more when the players get back right after Christmas.
Go Eagles
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Cathcing Up
Before I start with any hockey, let me first say that the tragedy in Connecticut is truly one of the worst events I have seen in my lifetime and may the Lord be with all those families that are going through unimaginable pain. God bless.
On a brighter note, the first half of the season is over but the Eagles had as good a week as you can have by picking up goalie Thatcher Demko from the USNDT. I can tell you that the upside for this kid goes to the sky. He could truly be the next great goalie that we see here on Chestnut Hill. Some have emailed me asking about what I think about the goalie situation for next year, so here are my thoughts. Demko, a 6'2 goalie that, as I said earlier this week, beat Merrimack and tied UNH when they were ranked #1 in the country. Not too bad for a Jr in high school. The downside with Demko is that he is very, very young. Yes, he will be able to play at the start of next season because he will take summer courses but in reality being that young and starting for the best team in the best league in the country can certainly cause some nerves for anyone. The feeling around this kid is that while he may take some time to get going because he is so young, the upside and the chance to be a truly dominant goalie are as high as you can get. As for the question if he is going to start right off the bat next season, we will have to and see next fall as I bet it will be a head to head battle between him and Brian Billett.
Grabbing Demko makes next years recruiting class flat out unfair. Just think if one of Johnny G, Arnold or Hayes stays, how stacked the lineup could be a season from now. Anyways, that's a long way away and if you haven't noticed, this years Eagles aren't too shabby. This team has shown us a lot this season. Whether it's fighting through adversity like in the OT win @ UMass or the the season series win over BU, it's quite clear that BC is confident enough in their abilities to comeback and play at a high level whenever they want. One positive I look at is that BC has not played with their full lineup since the November 11th game @ the Jack Parker Rink, unfortunately that streak could continue through January 5th as Johnny G is all but a lock to make the US World Jr's team and will miss the two games in Minnesota and maybe the game vs Yale. Straight will most likely be back for Minnesota but I would assume that it would take him some time to get back into the swing of things.
Anyways, the makeup of this team when healthy is among, if not the best, in the nation. The biggest issue right now with the Eagles is the play of the defenseman, especially evident in the last couple of games. If they want to beat teams like Minnesota with Bjugstad and Haula, the play in the defensive zone needs to be much, much better. Beating the Gophers without Johnny G is going to be tough but I believe the long lay off is really going to revitalize this Eagle club. I'm looking forward to seeing how they fare vs the best out of conference team they will face all year (along with maybe Notre Dame).
With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to elaborate on an idea I saw on USCHO a few days ago. They made a Christmas list for every team in Hockey East but didn't go too in depth in terms of BC's. Let's take a look at the top things on BC Hockey's Christmas list.
1. Get everyone back and have the full lineup by January 5th. Once everyone is back in place and the Eagles can run two lines that are both scoring threats, then they should get back to that earlier form. There are certainly some guys that need this break for injury reasons.
2. Having the play of the defenseman get better. I like the way Matheson and Wey are playing right now but the other guys have been too inconsistent thus far. I can't tell you how much this aspect needs to improve for Trophy Season.
3. Let's get the first line back to form. I may have said it after the Providence disaster but right now, I think the second line is playing better hockey than the first line. Granted their have been some health issues on the first line, I still think they can play at a higher level. Whitney and Mullane need to forces in order to beat the Chargers and especially to beat the Golden Gophers.
4. No more major injuries here on out. There is probably a slim chance of this happening but this team is not deep enough to keep having guys like Straight and Johnny G out of the lineup. Sure the bottom couple of forwards are interchangeable but the top 6 certainly aren't.
5. Win the Beanpot.
I'll have more coming up later tonight....Sorry, I have not been keeping up with my midseason reports.
Go Eagles
On a brighter note, the first half of the season is over but the Eagles had as good a week as you can have by picking up goalie Thatcher Demko from the USNDT. I can tell you that the upside for this kid goes to the sky. He could truly be the next great goalie that we see here on Chestnut Hill. Some have emailed me asking about what I think about the goalie situation for next year, so here are my thoughts. Demko, a 6'2 goalie that, as I said earlier this week, beat Merrimack and tied UNH when they were ranked #1 in the country. Not too bad for a Jr in high school. The downside with Demko is that he is very, very young. Yes, he will be able to play at the start of next season because he will take summer courses but in reality being that young and starting for the best team in the best league in the country can certainly cause some nerves for anyone. The feeling around this kid is that while he may take some time to get going because he is so young, the upside and the chance to be a truly dominant goalie are as high as you can get. As for the question if he is going to start right off the bat next season, we will have to and see next fall as I bet it will be a head to head battle between him and Brian Billett.
Grabbing Demko makes next years recruiting class flat out unfair. Just think if one of Johnny G, Arnold or Hayes stays, how stacked the lineup could be a season from now. Anyways, that's a long way away and if you haven't noticed, this years Eagles aren't too shabby. This team has shown us a lot this season. Whether it's fighting through adversity like in the OT win @ UMass or the the season series win over BU, it's quite clear that BC is confident enough in their abilities to comeback and play at a high level whenever they want. One positive I look at is that BC has not played with their full lineup since the November 11th game @ the Jack Parker Rink, unfortunately that streak could continue through January 5th as Johnny G is all but a lock to make the US World Jr's team and will miss the two games in Minnesota and maybe the game vs Yale. Straight will most likely be back for Minnesota but I would assume that it would take him some time to get back into the swing of things.
Anyways, the makeup of this team when healthy is among, if not the best, in the nation. The biggest issue right now with the Eagles is the play of the defenseman, especially evident in the last couple of games. If they want to beat teams like Minnesota with Bjugstad and Haula, the play in the defensive zone needs to be much, much better. Beating the Gophers without Johnny G is going to be tough but I believe the long lay off is really going to revitalize this Eagle club. I'm looking forward to seeing how they fare vs the best out of conference team they will face all year (along with maybe Notre Dame).
With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to elaborate on an idea I saw on USCHO a few days ago. They made a Christmas list for every team in Hockey East but didn't go too in depth in terms of BC's. Let's take a look at the top things on BC Hockey's Christmas list.
1. Get everyone back and have the full lineup by January 5th. Once everyone is back in place and the Eagles can run two lines that are both scoring threats, then they should get back to that earlier form. There are certainly some guys that need this break for injury reasons.
2. Having the play of the defenseman get better. I like the way Matheson and Wey are playing right now but the other guys have been too inconsistent thus far. I can't tell you how much this aspect needs to improve for Trophy Season.
3. Let's get the first line back to form. I may have said it after the Providence disaster but right now, I think the second line is playing better hockey than the first line. Granted their have been some health issues on the first line, I still think they can play at a higher level. Whitney and Mullane need to forces in order to beat the Chargers and especially to beat the Golden Gophers.
4. No more major injuries here on out. There is probably a slim chance of this happening but this team is not deep enough to keep having guys like Straight and Johnny G out of the lineup. Sure the bottom couple of forwards are interchangeable but the top 6 certainly aren't.
5. Win the Beanpot.
I'll have more coming up later tonight....Sorry, I have not been keeping up with my midseason reports.
Go Eagles
Sunday, December 16, 2012
BREAKING- Demko Commits to BC
Earlier this week I posted about how USNDT goalie Thatcher Demko was still uncommitted and how he visited BC on Monday. Just now, we have learned that Demko will in fact come to Boston College in the fall of 2013-14. BC's goalie duo now with Chris Birdsall and Demko in a couple of years looks might, mighty good. Certainly a huge get for the staff.
I'm not sure that he will certainly be here in 13-14 but according to his twitter account, that is the year.
I'm not sure that he will certainly be here in 13-14 but according to his twitter account, that is the year.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Recruitng Update
As the prep school season begins to get underway, let's take a look at how some future Eagles are performing thus far this season.
Forwards-
Chirs Calnan (13)- In 22 games played so far for the South Shore Kings (EJHL), Calnan has recorded a team leading 18 assist and 14 goals, giving him 32 points for the year. Also tied for the league lead with 18 shots on net.
Adam Gilmour (13)- In 23 games played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), Gilmour ranks second on the team in terms of points as he has 10 assist and 7 goals, totaling 17 points. His plus minus for the year is currently at +6.
Austin Cangelosi (13)- In 19 games played so far this year, Cangelosi has a team leading 24 points, 9 goals, and 15 assist. His plus minus for the year is currently at +10.
Alex Tuch (14)- In 15 games played for Team USA, Tuch has recorded 2 goals and 2 assist but has a concerning -7 rating.
Ryan Fitzgerald (13)- Fitzgerald made the move from the Valley Jr Warriors to the USNDT last month and has just started to play for the USNDT so no stats to put up.
Conor McGlynn- In 19 games played for Sioux City (USHL), McGlynn has recorded 3 points and a -6 rating.
Matthew Gaudreau- In 17 games for the Omaha Lancers, Gaudreau has recorded 1 assist and 5 goals. His plus minus is currently at 0
Evan Richardson-In 20 games so far this year for the Powell River Kings (BCHL), Richardson has recorded a team leading 22 points.
Defenseman-
Steven Santini- In 22 games played for the USA Under 18 team, Santini has 7 points but was reportedly very good vs Merrimack and UNH this past weekend.
Scott Savage- In 22 games played, also for the US Under 18 team, Savage has 4 points and a plus minus of plus 2.
Sam Piazza (13)- In 18 games played for the Chicago Steel (USHL), Piazza has recorded 4 points and has a plus minus of 0.
Ian McCoshen (13)- In 13 games so far, McCoshen has just 5 points but has an outstanding plus minus of +15. He must be injured because he has played so few games.
Two big recruits to keep and eye on are Thatcher Demko, the NTDP's goalie and is considered by many to be the top remaining goalie in the country. He visited Boston College on Monday. Also, top 97 recruit Cam Askew decommited from Northeastern (a common thread these days) and is on the market. Would be a great get for the Eagles.
Go Eagles
Forwards-
Chirs Calnan (13)- In 22 games played so far for the South Shore Kings (EJHL), Calnan has recorded a team leading 18 assist and 14 goals, giving him 32 points for the year. Also tied for the league lead with 18 shots on net.
Adam Gilmour (13)- In 23 games played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), Gilmour ranks second on the team in terms of points as he has 10 assist and 7 goals, totaling 17 points. His plus minus for the year is currently at +6.
Austin Cangelosi (13)- In 19 games played so far this year, Cangelosi has a team leading 24 points, 9 goals, and 15 assist. His plus minus for the year is currently at +10.
Alex Tuch (14)- In 15 games played for Team USA, Tuch has recorded 2 goals and 2 assist but has a concerning -7 rating.
Ryan Fitzgerald (13)- Fitzgerald made the move from the Valley Jr Warriors to the USNDT last month and has just started to play for the USNDT so no stats to put up.
Conor McGlynn- In 19 games played for Sioux City (USHL), McGlynn has recorded 3 points and a -6 rating.
Matthew Gaudreau- In 17 games for the Omaha Lancers, Gaudreau has recorded 1 assist and 5 goals. His plus minus is currently at 0
Evan Richardson-In 20 games so far this year for the Powell River Kings (BCHL), Richardson has recorded a team leading 22 points.
Defenseman-
Steven Santini- In 22 games played for the USA Under 18 team, Santini has 7 points but was reportedly very good vs Merrimack and UNH this past weekend.
Scott Savage- In 22 games played, also for the US Under 18 team, Savage has 4 points and a plus minus of plus 2.
Sam Piazza (13)- In 18 games played for the Chicago Steel (USHL), Piazza has recorded 4 points and has a plus minus of 0.
Ian McCoshen (13)- In 13 games so far, McCoshen has just 5 points but has an outstanding plus minus of +15. He must be injured because he has played so few games.
Two big recruits to keep and eye on are Thatcher Demko, the NTDP's goalie and is considered by many to be the top remaining goalie in the country. He visited Boston College on Monday. Also, top 97 recruit Cam Askew decommited from Northeastern (a common thread these days) and is on the market. Would be a great get for the Eagles.
Go Eagles
Monday, December 10, 2012
Midseason Report: Part One
As we arrive at the midpoint of this season, it is quite clear that the Eagles have a lot of things going for them in a lot of ways but even at 11-2-1, they, as a team, have lots of areas in which they need improvement. I'll start tonight with the play of the special teams and how I would asses their play so far this year. Tomorrow, I'll do defenseman and later in the week, I'll do the forwards.
Power Play-
As we sit here today, BC currently has the number two power play in the nation, converting at a solid 27 percent so far this season. While 27 % is a good number, I'd say the majority of the goals came at the beginning of the season. As of late, I have become a bit concerned with the play of both units, but the last couple of games vs BU and Providence were a bit better (especially the second BU game). Having Mike Matheson running the first unit has been a big help but finding a defensive partner for him has been tough. The staff has tried Alber, Whitney, Wey, and now even Brooks Dyroff but for some reason, it hasn't been clicking as well as it was at the start of the year. The best news for BC is that they have been missing Destry Straight, a key player on the second unit, for the past month and have clearly missed him. When Straight and Johnny G (who will be back after the WJC) are both back, I look for the power play to get back to that high gear in which they were in at the start of the year. It's encouraging to see that Billy Arnold and Kevin Hayes are among the league leaders in terms of power play points but I think once BC is back at 100 %, both units are going to get drastically better. I don't know what the staff will do in terms of personnel but the first unit of Matheson-Whitney, Johnny G-Mullane-Linell, was actually looking pretty good. Once Straight went down, both units had to be rearrange and it has obviously had an effect on everybody.
Grade for the first half- B+
Penalty Kill-
The Eagles have the number two penalty kill in Hockey East and are in the top ten in the country but are not playing as well as they were at the end of that year. From the Beanpot until the NCAA's I think BC allowed something like just two power play goals. This year, it hasn't been consistent enough vs the better power plays in the league such as BU's. I like the way some guys are performing on the kill but it is clear that others, who did not kill penalties a year ago, have struggled adjusting. I continue to think that Arnold, Whitney, and Mullane are three of the best penalty killers in the league but when they're not out there, it has been a bit of a struggle, especially vs potent power plays. In the second half, I hope they continue to play like they have the last two games because in order to win games in the Beanpot and NCAA's, you need to have an effective penalty kill.
Grade for the first half- B
Defenseman tomorrow or Wednesday
Go Eagles.
Power Play-
As we sit here today, BC currently has the number two power play in the nation, converting at a solid 27 percent so far this season. While 27 % is a good number, I'd say the majority of the goals came at the beginning of the season. As of late, I have become a bit concerned with the play of both units, but the last couple of games vs BU and Providence were a bit better (especially the second BU game). Having Mike Matheson running the first unit has been a big help but finding a defensive partner for him has been tough. The staff has tried Alber, Whitney, Wey, and now even Brooks Dyroff but for some reason, it hasn't been clicking as well as it was at the start of the year. The best news for BC is that they have been missing Destry Straight, a key player on the second unit, for the past month and have clearly missed him. When Straight and Johnny G (who will be back after the WJC) are both back, I look for the power play to get back to that high gear in which they were in at the start of the year. It's encouraging to see that Billy Arnold and Kevin Hayes are among the league leaders in terms of power play points but I think once BC is back at 100 %, both units are going to get drastically better. I don't know what the staff will do in terms of personnel but the first unit of Matheson-Whitney, Johnny G-Mullane-Linell, was actually looking pretty good. Once Straight went down, both units had to be rearrange and it has obviously had an effect on everybody.
Grade for the first half- B+
Penalty Kill-
The Eagles have the number two penalty kill in Hockey East and are in the top ten in the country but are not playing as well as they were at the end of that year. From the Beanpot until the NCAA's I think BC allowed something like just two power play goals. This year, it hasn't been consistent enough vs the better power plays in the league such as BU's. I like the way some guys are performing on the kill but it is clear that others, who did not kill penalties a year ago, have struggled adjusting. I continue to think that Arnold, Whitney, and Mullane are three of the best penalty killers in the league but when they're not out there, it has been a bit of a struggle, especially vs potent power plays. In the second half, I hope they continue to play like they have the last two games because in order to win games in the Beanpot and NCAA's, you need to have an effective penalty kill.
Grade for the first half- B
Defenseman tomorrow or Wednesday
Go Eagles.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Eagles Falter Late, Tie Friars
Sometimes you tie games and you walk out of buildings and say to yourself, "hey, that was a good tie", other times you walk out shaking your head wondering what happened. Last night was one of those nights. Thanks to a goal with 10 seconds to go, the Providence College Friars rallied and tied the Eagles, sending the Champs back home in utter disappointment knowing they were just 10 seconds away from 2 crucial league points and handing their coach his record breaking win. The first period was as weird as they come because BC got badly outplayed but still managed to get out up a goal thanks to a Johnny G rebound tally. It was clear that the Eagles were thrown off guard by the physical play of the opponent, causing the team to make bad passes and decisions that they probably wouldn't have made otherwise. Want to know the biggest positive about last night ? It's the break...why is that so good ? Because Isaac Macleod left the game after period one with a shoulder injury, he was in a sling for the remainder of the night. In the third period, Steven Whitney was hit hard into the boards in the Providence end and came off the ice looking badly hurt. He made it back out there but it appeared that he was playing on one leg because of the hit. With Straight already out and these two banged up, three weeks of rest can't hurt.
I thought BC played better hockey in the second period as they controlled the tempo and generated some quality chances on PC goalie Jon Gilles. The second goal of the game was just a bomb from the point by Mike Matheson who was definitely BC best defenseman all night, even though he gave up a bad turnover on PC's first goal. As for that goal, it was the start of a trend of horrific defensive zone turnovers by the Eagles in the third period. However, after the first Friar goal, Matheson went pretty much end to end and potted his second of the night, putting BC up a pair once again. Just a mere 12 seconds after Matheson's second of the night, a BC defenseman just gave it to a Friar forward who walked in on Milner and scored. For those that were watching, this was surely one of the most disturbing goals given up all year. BC had the momentum and was playing somewhat solid hockey in the third up to that point. I don't know what happened, it was just another defensive breakdown that has become all too common this season. For the next 18 minutes I thought BC actually did a solid job of keeping the Friars away from getting grade A chances and actually created some golden opportunities of their own but Gilles, who was phenomenal in the third and OT, was there to make the save. I can't even begin to explain how bad this tying goal was. As Providence entered the BC zone with just 15 second left, a BC defenseman thought it would be a good idea to dive for the puck. He missed. Now Providence has numbers going into the zone and one of their forwards made a superb pass to Nick Saracino who had all day to fling it by Milner. Ya, we could only play 5 defenseman, ya guys were hurt, ya it was the last day before break, but in the end there are absolutely no excuses as for why that goal was given up. I actually thought Parker Milner played pretty well tonight. All three PC goals were just flat out defensive breakdowns, nothing more, nothing less.
The final 5 minute OT period was all BC but they just couldn't capitalize. Matheson made a great play to Bill Arnold who moved within 7/8 feet of Gilles for a perfect chance but he was denied. Matheson himself also had a great chance with a booming slapper late in the stanza but as was the case for most of the second half of the game, Gilles was there. All in all, this was a disappointing game for BC as they missed out on a chance to extend their lead in the league to over a game and also a chance to give their coach his record breaking win. On the positive side of things, this was a great learning experience for everybody on this team. Hopefully, they can learn from this disaster and play some great hockey vs the Chargers and the Gophers in Minnesota.
What went well-
1. I thought Mike Matheson played one of his better games of the season. As the year grows older, he may develop into the top player on this team.
2. I really liked the way Kevin Hayes and his line played last night. Call me crazy but right now, Kevin Hayes is the best player on this team along with Bill Arnold.
3. The power play had a goal and continued it's strong play. It's good to see both units start to get back to that form in which they were in earlier this year.
Problems-
1. The first line was invisible, again. Mullane was solid but Johnny G and Whitney looked like their minds were somewhere else besides the game.
2. The third period. For those questioning BC's conditioning late in games, they're way off base. I don't think the Friar goals, especially the last one, were for a lack of being tired on BC's part but rather just a pure lack of execution.
3. As I mentioned earlier, thankfully the break is here. Whitney, Dyroff, and Macleod (who left the game), were all really banged up last night.
Player of the game- Mike Matheson
Next Up- Alabama Huntsville on 12/29 in Minnesota.
Go Eagles !
I thought BC played better hockey in the second period as they controlled the tempo and generated some quality chances on PC goalie Jon Gilles. The second goal of the game was just a bomb from the point by Mike Matheson who was definitely BC best defenseman all night, even though he gave up a bad turnover on PC's first goal. As for that goal, it was the start of a trend of horrific defensive zone turnovers by the Eagles in the third period. However, after the first Friar goal, Matheson went pretty much end to end and potted his second of the night, putting BC up a pair once again. Just a mere 12 seconds after Matheson's second of the night, a BC defenseman just gave it to a Friar forward who walked in on Milner and scored. For those that were watching, this was surely one of the most disturbing goals given up all year. BC had the momentum and was playing somewhat solid hockey in the third up to that point. I don't know what happened, it was just another defensive breakdown that has become all too common this season. For the next 18 minutes I thought BC actually did a solid job of keeping the Friars away from getting grade A chances and actually created some golden opportunities of their own but Gilles, who was phenomenal in the third and OT, was there to make the save. I can't even begin to explain how bad this tying goal was. As Providence entered the BC zone with just 15 second left, a BC defenseman thought it would be a good idea to dive for the puck. He missed. Now Providence has numbers going into the zone and one of their forwards made a superb pass to Nick Saracino who had all day to fling it by Milner. Ya, we could only play 5 defenseman, ya guys were hurt, ya it was the last day before break, but in the end there are absolutely no excuses as for why that goal was given up. I actually thought Parker Milner played pretty well tonight. All three PC goals were just flat out defensive breakdowns, nothing more, nothing less.
The final 5 minute OT period was all BC but they just couldn't capitalize. Matheson made a great play to Bill Arnold who moved within 7/8 feet of Gilles for a perfect chance but he was denied. Matheson himself also had a great chance with a booming slapper late in the stanza but as was the case for most of the second half of the game, Gilles was there. All in all, this was a disappointing game for BC as they missed out on a chance to extend their lead in the league to over a game and also a chance to give their coach his record breaking win. On the positive side of things, this was a great learning experience for everybody on this team. Hopefully, they can learn from this disaster and play some great hockey vs the Chargers and the Gophers in Minnesota.
What went well-
1. I thought Mike Matheson played one of his better games of the season. As the year grows older, he may develop into the top player on this team.
2. I really liked the way Kevin Hayes and his line played last night. Call me crazy but right now, Kevin Hayes is the best player on this team along with Bill Arnold.
3. The power play had a goal and continued it's strong play. It's good to see both units start to get back to that form in which they were in earlier this year.
Problems-
1. The first line was invisible, again. Mullane was solid but Johnny G and Whitney looked like their minds were somewhere else besides the game.
2. The third period. For those questioning BC's conditioning late in games, they're way off base. I don't think the Friar goals, especially the last one, were for a lack of being tired on BC's part but rather just a pure lack of execution.
3. As I mentioned earlier, thankfully the break is here. Whitney, Dyroff, and Macleod (who left the game), were all really banged up last night.
Player of the game- Mike Matheson
Next Up- Alabama Huntsville on 12/29 in Minnesota.
Go Eagles !
Friday, December 7, 2012
Picks for the Weekend
Friday-
Colgate @ UMass- Should be a tight non conference affair but I'll go with UMass in game one, 5-4
Harvard @ Merrimack- Should be a pretty interesting matchup between two solid teams but I think Harvard's skill is too much for the Warriors. Harvard 3-2
Boston College @ Providence- I look for PC to come out hot but Coach York gets his magical win. BC 4-1
Saturday-
Maine @ BU- Would love to see a Black Bear win but they are just not good enough to compete with BU, Terriers 5-1
Northeastern @ Lowell- Northeastern is in full out panic mode with Manno leaving today. Lowell 3-1
Colgate @ UMass- Raiders get the spilt. Colgate 2-1
Monday-
Lowell @ Harvard- This one is interesting to me but I think Harvard completes the Hockey East sweep. Crimson 2-0
Colgate @ UMass- Should be a tight non conference affair but I'll go with UMass in game one, 5-4
Harvard @ Merrimack- Should be a pretty interesting matchup between two solid teams but I think Harvard's skill is too much for the Warriors. Harvard 3-2
Boston College @ Providence- I look for PC to come out hot but Coach York gets his magical win. BC 4-1
Saturday-
Maine @ BU- Would love to see a Black Bear win but they are just not good enough to compete with BU, Terriers 5-1
Northeastern @ Lowell- Northeastern is in full out panic mode with Manno leaving today. Lowell 3-1
Colgate @ UMass- Raiders get the spilt. Colgate 2-1
Monday-
Lowell @ Harvard- This one is interesting to me but I think Harvard completes the Hockey East sweep. Crimson 2-0
Previewing the Providence College Friars
In goal, highly touted freshman Jon Gilles will get the start, making his first appearance vs the defending National Champs. Gilles is off to a solid start for second year coach Nate Lehman as he ranks 3rd in the league in terms of goals against average. For BC, Destry Straight will once again be out, meaning another big night from guys like Linell and Silk will be needed in order to capture two points. Silk showed everybody what potential he has during last Saturday's victory but in order to show that he can stay at that level, he needs to play big tonight. Playing with Arnold and Hayes certainly doesn't hurt. Unlike BU, Providence does not have that go to line that can matchup with BC's big three. I thought the Terriers did a great job of shutting them down last week so hopefully those guys can get it back together and score some goals tonight for BC.
All in all, I think this game will be closer than people think as Providence is sure to come out swinging. Hopefully, the circumstances surrounding the game will enable the Eagles to continue to play at a high level like they have all season long.
Keys for the Eagles
1. A solid game from the second line. An effort like last Saturday's would go a long way in order for BC to get the win.
2. Staying out of the box. When you play against teams that you probably should beat, giving them chances on the man advantage really hurts. Don't give PC chances to stick around in the third.
3. Playing as good in the defensive zone as Saturday's game. I thought the game last week was the best defensive effort of the year. Look for those guys to continue to play like they did that night as the season goes on.
Best opposing players-Schaller, Army, Brown.
All time series-BC leads 105-45-12 and have also won 11 in a row vs PC.
Prediction- BC 4-1
GO EAGLES !
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Midweek Column
In the time that I have been away, there has been some pretty interesting news going around the league. Before I get into my column, let's take a look at what's going on around the world of BC/Hockey East. First, BU forward Yasin Cisse has decided to leave school and go play in the OMJHL, following the steps of former teammate Charlie Coyle. Cisse, a redshirt sophomore, has had bit of a tough start for the Terriers this year as he recorded just two points in 13 games played so far this season. Last year, I thought Cisse was one of BU's better forwards and his absence in the Beanpot seemed to effect the Terriers greatly. In the three meetings this year however, I definitely noticed that Cisse's playing time and production were going way down the tubes. Anyways, an already thin BU team is going to need to do some serious soul searching in order to fill the hole left by the departure.
In other news, Johnny G was named Hockey East player of the month and was also named to the USA Hockey preliminary roster for the WJC is Russia later this winter. I know that Johnny was disappointed about being cut from the team last season so hopefully he plays a big impact for the club in this years tournament. Due to being named to the team, he will miss BC's two games in St.Paul vs Alabama-Huntsville and the Gophers.
In terms of my thoughts concerning the weekend, I think the team can certainly take more positives out of it than negatives. Friday night was the best game of the year for the opposition and probably one of BC's most disappointing efforts over the course of the past two months. It was however really good to see the guys come back out in front of a raucous home crowd and rout the Terriers. As you would know if you have been reading this blog, I was very concerned with the power play of late but I think 4/8 of Saturday certainly gave both units some much needed confidence heading into the second half of the season. The biggest plus for me was the play of the newly formed line of Bill Arnold, Kevin Hayes, and Brendan Silk. Playing with two highly skilled players like Arnold and Hayes clearly had a big impact on Silk's play as he was able to get his first goal of the season during Saturday's contest. Sure, BC lost a game and dropped from the #1 slot but more importantly, they're still #1 in the pairwise and in first place in the Hockey East standings, a point above UNH and a comfortable six points above the Terriers.
As we start to look ahead to Friday, I'm sure everybody has this as the date in which Coach York will break the record but I'm also quite sure that he would rather just win the game and get right back home. Coming off a tough loss to Merrimack, Providence is certainly going to be licking their chops for a win in front of what is an already sold out home crowd. The problem for the Friars is that one of their top forwards, freshman Mark Jankowski, is questionable for the game with a hip injury. With the defense playing a solid game on Saturday for BC, I think it would be hard for a team like the Friars to create quality chances consistently on Parker Milner but again, the Eagles have to keep scoring goals, whether it's five on five or on the man advantage. It would be nice to see the first line, which amazingly did not have a goal on Saturday, put some pucks in the net and really dominate the play when they are out there. Destry Straight won't be back so it would be big if guys like Silk and Arnold can continue to play like they did this weekend.
I'll have my Providence preview up tomorrow night.
GO EAGLES
In other news, Johnny G was named Hockey East player of the month and was also named to the USA Hockey preliminary roster for the WJC is Russia later this winter. I know that Johnny was disappointed about being cut from the team last season so hopefully he plays a big impact for the club in this years tournament. Due to being named to the team, he will miss BC's two games in St.Paul vs Alabama-Huntsville and the Gophers.
In terms of my thoughts concerning the weekend, I think the team can certainly take more positives out of it than negatives. Friday night was the best game of the year for the opposition and probably one of BC's most disappointing efforts over the course of the past two months. It was however really good to see the guys come back out in front of a raucous home crowd and rout the Terriers. As you would know if you have been reading this blog, I was very concerned with the power play of late but I think 4/8 of Saturday certainly gave both units some much needed confidence heading into the second half of the season. The biggest plus for me was the play of the newly formed line of Bill Arnold, Kevin Hayes, and Brendan Silk. Playing with two highly skilled players like Arnold and Hayes clearly had a big impact on Silk's play as he was able to get his first goal of the season during Saturday's contest. Sure, BC lost a game and dropped from the #1 slot but more importantly, they're still #1 in the pairwise and in first place in the Hockey East standings, a point above UNH and a comfortable six points above the Terriers.
As we start to look ahead to Friday, I'm sure everybody has this as the date in which Coach York will break the record but I'm also quite sure that he would rather just win the game and get right back home. Coming off a tough loss to Merrimack, Providence is certainly going to be licking their chops for a win in front of what is an already sold out home crowd. The problem for the Friars is that one of their top forwards, freshman Mark Jankowski, is questionable for the game with a hip injury. With the defense playing a solid game on Saturday for BC, I think it would be hard for a team like the Friars to create quality chances consistently on Parker Milner but again, the Eagles have to keep scoring goals, whether it's five on five or on the man advantage. It would be nice to see the first line, which amazingly did not have a goal on Saturday, put some pucks in the net and really dominate the play when they are out there. Destry Straight won't be back so it would be big if guys like Silk and Arnold can continue to play like they did this weekend.
I'll have my Providence preview up tomorrow night.
GO EAGLES
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Thanks For Coming
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| Brendan Silk celebrates his first goal, giving BC a 5-1 lead. |
As the first came to a close, BU forward Yasin Cisse took an interference penalty giving BC yet another PP to start the second that they had to cash in on. After some quality saves from O'Connor to keep the Eagles off the board for the majority of the PP, Bill Arnold potted in a rebound goal, giving BC a 2-1 lead early in the period. After that goal, the Terriers started completely dominating the game as they had the puck in the BC end for a good five minutes. If it wasn't for some timely saves by Parker Milner, this game could have had a different result. After BC got their feet back under them and started playing better, they were rewarded with a long 5 on 3 which was capped off with a blast by Mike Matheson from the top of the circle making 3-1. Let's give the power play a lot of credit. The personnel was the same as it was last night for the most part but the way both units were moving the puck around was a great sign. I thought BC did a really good job of getting good looks on the man up and capitalizing on them, something they have not done in recent weeks. When you're moving the puck and generating clean looks, more often then not you're going to get some goals. It was amazing that after another Arnold PP goal late in the period, BC could be up three goals going into the third period after being outplayed badly for a long time in the second.
Everybody played a part in the victory tonight but let me start with the play of Brendan Silk. I'm not going to lie, I was a little surprised when I saw the staff move him up to the second line but boy did he play well tonight. He is starting to evolve into that power forward type that he was brought in here to be. His goal, BC's fifth, was all effort on his part as he read the play perfectly and picked off the BU defender inside the blue line, scoring on a quick shot soon after. Silk's linemates, Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes got back to playing some top notch hockey tonight for the Eagles as they were a combined +2 on the night, (+3 if you include Silk). If you had told me that BC would score 5 goals tonight and nobody on the first line would have one of them, I would have thought you were from space. On the defensive side of things, I thought the Eagles were very solid for the majority of the game. There were no real defensive breakdowns except for the breakaway in the beginning of the second so kudos to all six defenseman for answering the call and playing sound hockey tonight. I said last night that I didn't think anyone played very well. Tonight I didn't think there was a guy that had a sub par game.
All in all, Eagle fans have to be really proud of their team tonight. Although he doesn't want people to talk about it, I can't go without congratulating Coach York on his amazing accomplishment. Winning one game in any sport, especially college hockey, is not easy. Winning 924 and 5 National Championships is unprecedented. Of course, having the win come against that team makes it a little bit sweeter.
Why BC Won-
1. A strong power play. Both units really came through in the clutch tonight. Thought they both moved it around with a lot more zip than last night.
2. The play of the second line. No Destry ? No problem. Brendan Silk did a fantastic job of stepping into a bigger role and coming through.
3. Conte Forum was as loud as I've ever heard it. I honestly don't think I've ever heard it so loud. Was cool to be a part of.
Problems-
Any team we beat them, I won't have too much in this category.
Player(s) of the game- Bill Arnold and Brendan Silk
Up next- @ Providence next Friday.
It's a great night to be an Eagle.
GO BC !
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Eagles Fall to Terriers 4-2
I guess you have to lose eventually, right ? Anyways, the Eagles fell tonight to their archrivals by a 4-2 margin @ Agganis Arena, which marks the first loss to BU @ Agganis in over three years. Compared to the Northeastern loss earlier this year, I think this was a better effort for BC as they, unlike in that game, generated a bunch of solid offensive chances but were denied by BU goalie Matt O'Connor who played the game of his young BU career. I thought the first period was one of the more entertaining periods of hockey I have seen in quite some time and really, I thought BC played solid the whole first stanza. Credit BU though, they were the team that decided they wanted to play some defense and prevent BC from getting as many quality scoring chances as they maybe could have. There were very few guys in the maroon and gold that actually played well tonight. There was no one that really stood out to me as I thought Johnny G, Mullane, and Whitney were just completely out of it. All three of their games were just down a little bit and with that being the case, BC is going to have a hard time scoring goals. The bottom two lines were average I mean they didn't give up any goals but the didn't really spend much time in the opponents end either. What I want to talk about is the third BU goal, the one that took the wind right out of the sails. BC had a goal late in the second and had some momentum but thanks to another horrendous collapse in the defensive zone, BU defenseman Matt Grezlyck was able to skate by two BC defenseman and put the puck in on a wrap around. The other two goals were bad but the third goal was flat out disturbing, I mean three BC guys just let Gryzleck go right around them.
Honestly, the better team won tonight. While Milner was average, I thought O'Connor was absolutely outstanding for the Terriers. He made some stops that saved the day for the Terriers just when BC was closing in at the end of the third period. BU's first line deserves a lot of credit as they made Johnny G look like any other player out there tonight. Usually, he makes his out of this world moves and stuff like that but tonight, he just looked like another average player on a team that looked flat out average for a long time tonight. I wouldn't say I'm "worried" like I was after the NU game but I would say I'm utterly shocked that some guys can put on that jersey and play like they did tonight. No matter what the staff does, the power play continues to look out of sorts in every way (even though they had a goal late). Generating good chances can only go so far. Whey you're on a power play, you've got to score in games like this. The Eagles just didn't seem to get it going tonight on the man advantage. BU did a superb job getting in lanes, especially in front of their netminder, and taking away great looks for BC. Just a whole lot of frustration tonight for the guys in maroon.
Tomorrow is the biggest game of the season up to this point. Not only is the record at stake, but when the season comes to a close, this series could have a major impact in terms of tiebreakers. I don't think there will be many changes in the lineup, if any, for BC but I do think some guys need to sit down and think about what they need to do to help the team win tomorrow. With Kelly Rink jumping, BC should be able to build off some success they had late in the third period and turn it into a win tomorrow. Look, tonight was not a disaster in which we should just blow everything up and start over but it was a step in the wrong direction. The best news ? We get to play them again tomorrow night, this time in front of a sold out home crowd.
Why BC Lost-
1. There was not a sustained effort. Ya, there were spurts of solid play but there were too many times in which BU controlled the play. Needs to change for tomorrow.
2. The power play has gone stale. I don't know what to say, it just doesn't look like it was earlier this year.
3. The third goal was a disaster. No one seemed to want to try to take the puck away from Grezlyck.
What Needs to Improve for Tomorrow-
1. The play of the each and every player. No one played very well tonight.
2. Got to start scoring again. The first two lines usually are a bit better at home than they're on the road. A buzzing crowd should get then going tomorrow.
Next Up- Rematch tomorrow @ Conte. 7:30 start.
Honestly, the better team won tonight. While Milner was average, I thought O'Connor was absolutely outstanding for the Terriers. He made some stops that saved the day for the Terriers just when BC was closing in at the end of the third period. BU's first line deserves a lot of credit as they made Johnny G look like any other player out there tonight. Usually, he makes his out of this world moves and stuff like that but tonight, he just looked like another average player on a team that looked flat out average for a long time tonight. I wouldn't say I'm "worried" like I was after the NU game but I would say I'm utterly shocked that some guys can put on that jersey and play like they did tonight. No matter what the staff does, the power play continues to look out of sorts in every way (even though they had a goal late). Generating good chances can only go so far. Whey you're on a power play, you've got to score in games like this. The Eagles just didn't seem to get it going tonight on the man advantage. BU did a superb job getting in lanes, especially in front of their netminder, and taking away great looks for BC. Just a whole lot of frustration tonight for the guys in maroon.
Tomorrow is the biggest game of the season up to this point. Not only is the record at stake, but when the season comes to a close, this series could have a major impact in terms of tiebreakers. I don't think there will be many changes in the lineup, if any, for BC but I do think some guys need to sit down and think about what they need to do to help the team win tomorrow. With Kelly Rink jumping, BC should be able to build off some success they had late in the third period and turn it into a win tomorrow. Look, tonight was not a disaster in which we should just blow everything up and start over but it was a step in the wrong direction. The best news ? We get to play them again tomorrow night, this time in front of a sold out home crowd.
Why BC Lost-
1. There was not a sustained effort. Ya, there were spurts of solid play but there were too many times in which BU controlled the play. Needs to change for tomorrow.
2. The power play has gone stale. I don't know what to say, it just doesn't look like it was earlier this year.
3. The third goal was a disaster. No one seemed to want to try to take the puck away from Grezlyck.
What Needs to Improve for Tomorrow-
1. The play of the each and every player. No one played very well tonight.
2. Got to start scoring again. The first two lines usually are a bit better at home than they're on the road. A buzzing crowd should get then going tomorrow.
Next Up- Rematch tomorrow @ Conte. 7:30 start.
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