Eleven In a Row

 

Photo from BC Athletics

9:37 into last night's game versus RIT, it was nearly impossible for BC players, coaches, and fans not to remember the disaster that took place on the same weekend two years ago. Holy Cross came into Kelley Rink and knocked off an Eagle team that had won six of their past seven games and boasted the best player in college hockey. Looking to replicate the performance of their Atlantic Hockey counterpart, The Rochester Institute of Technology jumped out to a 2-0 advantage thanks to strikes within 1:29 of each other in the first period. It looked like BC would suffer a crushing loss on Thanksgiving weekend for the second time in three years.

Not with this team. 

Thanks to goals from Chris Brown, Ryan Fitzgerald (x2), Alex Tuch, Ian McCoshen, and Casey Fitzgerald, the Boston College Eagles held off a valiant effort from the RIT Tigers to win their 11th consecutive game. Forwards Matthew Gaudreau and Colin White extended their point streaks to eight games while White, with 21 points so far, has the same amount of points in thirteen games played as Jack Eichel did a season ago. BC controlled the entire contest, winning the shot battle by a 36-17 margin, but it was the visitors who jumped on the board first thanks to some luck and bad defense from BC. On the first tally, BC was in the midst of a change when RIT was able to get the puck up to their offensive blue line which resulted in what appeared to be a harmless one on two. Unfortunately, BC's defense did not close the gap quick enough which led to Abbott Dirduckis' second goal of the season. Just under two minutes later, RIT forward Erik Brown snapped a wrister from just inside the blue line, only to see it deflect off a BC stick and into the net. The place went silent. After that though, it was all maroon and gold. Chris Brown capitalized on a terrific pass from Miles Wood just ten seconds after RIT's latest goal and thus, the floodgates opened. Ryan Fitzgerald recorded two goals at the end of the period to give the Eagles the 3-2 advantage after twenty minutes. 

I've said this over and over again but it's remarkable how well the Fitzgerald-White-Gaudreau line has been this season. Coach York admitted in his post game press conference that he did not expect Matthew Gaudreau to be a key player for his club, but he could not be more excited about the way he is playing.  It is not fair to compare him to his brother but one thing they do have in common is a skill level that is heads and shoulders above most college hockey players. I'm not saying Matthew is as skilled as Johnny is- the latter is in a whole other stratosphere. However, Matthew is a terrific distributor of the puck in his own right and is probably more effective in his own end. I think the staff deserves a lot of credit for developing the younger Gaudreau into a reliable top nine player night in and night out. Then again, it doesn't hurt when you're playing with the best player in college hockey. 

I thought the second period was total domination as BC outshot their opponent by a 14-3 margin. Zach Sanford, Adam Gilmour, and Alex Tuch connected to give the Eagles a two goal edge early in the stanza. As good as White and Wood have been, I think we can all agree that it will be very difficult to win a National Title relying on freshmen alone which means they need that line to continue to score goals. Again, they don't need them to pot three goals every night, such as they did a season ago but, if they can contribute a goal or two per game, then BC will be nearly unbeatable (some would say they already are). I thought Sanford was one of their better forwards last night. When he's at his peak, he's dishing out terrific passes and making life difficult for the opponent in the defensive end with his length. I thought he did both of those against the Tigers. 

On another note, it was great to see them get points from the blue line. I've talked about how well Casey Fitzgerald has been throughout the year but it seems as if he improving game by game. I would be absolutely shocked if an NHL team did not take him in this summer's draft. Some fans have expressed their concern about the fact that Ian McCoshen has just three points this year but, I don't think it matters one bit. It's more than just putting points on the board with #3- he's been outstanding in how own end and on the penalty kill, evident by his +17 rating, which is tied for the league lead with Casey Fitz. Scott Savage continues to look like a totally different player from a season ago as he is certainly their most improved guy outside of Gaudreau. 

All in all, it's hard not to be happy about where this team is at. They could have thrown it in the towel after RIT notched two quick goals in the opening frame but instead, they dominated the remainder of the game. BC did not give into their opponent's physical style and limited RIT to just one power play, which is another step in the right direction for a team looking to cut back on it's penalty minutes. I wasn't pleased with the way RIT played for much of the second half but admittedly, if they were going to stay in it, they had to play as rough as possible. Onto Northeastern

Why BC won- 

1. The Gaudreau-White-Fitzgerald line was sensational. This has become a common theme throughout the year. 

2. The D corps chipped in offensively. It's not the end of the world if BC's defense doesn't contribute much on the offensive end (unlike last year) but when they do, the Eagles won't lose. 

3. They stayed out of the box. Two games in a row with less than five penalties. 

Problems- 

I got nothing. 

Players of the game- Matthew Gaudreau and Ryan Fitzgerald 

Note- Coach York indicated that Brendan Silk has nerve damage in his shoulder and will be out for two more months. 

Next- Northeastern on Saturday and Sunday. 

RIT Preview

For the second straight season, Boston College will face-off against the RIT as Wayne Wilson's squad makes its first ever trip to Chestnut Hill. Last year, BC defeated the Tigers 6-2 at the Brick City Homecoming in front of 11,000 rowdy fans. The only other meeting between the two teams was at the 2007 Dodge Holiday Classic in Minneapolis- BC won that game as well. There is a bit of a unique connection surrounding tomorrow's contest between Coaches York and Wilson as the latter helped land the former his first national title in 1984 while at Bowling Green. RIT assistant, Brian Hills, also played for Coach York at Bowling Green.

The Tigers enter the matchup on a bit of a down note after getting swept at home versus Bentley last weekend in a pair of overtime battles. The only common opponent between the two squads is Army, whom RIT defeated and then tied up at West Point earlier this month. The Eagles demolished the Black Knights 5-1 on opening night. Overall, RIT is 3-6-2 on the season with their only wins coming against Army and AIC (x2). They lost two of their top three scorers from a season ago in seniors Matt Garbowsky and Brad McGowan but they do return their entire blue line. In net, junior Mike Rotolo has garnered the majority of the starts but freshman Christian Short has been battling for the starting job, getting four starts of his own. There may not be a more drastic contrast between any two teams in the country than BC and RIT. The Eagles are young and like to play as fast as possible while the Tigers are old and favor a trap like style of play, similar to Merrimack. They recruit from totally different ends of the spectrum as 90% of BC's team has some sort of experience in the USHL while RIT has just three players that hail from that league. The majority of RIT's roster consist of guys from the CCHL, AJHL, and OJHL. Over the past few years, more and more college hockey teams have attempted to land veteran players from these leagues. It's ironic that these two teams are meeting this week as College Hockey News came out with a report on Tuesday sighting a bill voted on by Big Ten coaches that would lower the incoming freshman age from 21 to 20. RIT is the fifth oldest team in the country with an average of 22 years 6 months while BC is the youngest at 20 years 6 months. By my count, RIT has two freshmen that are either already 21 or will turn that age within the next month. For comparisons sake, Ian McCoshen, a junior, just turned twenty this past summer.

After a blowout win at UConn on Tuesday, BC is off to their best start ever under Coach York at 11-1. They will likely be without forwards Brendan Silk and Chris Calnan, both of whom are suffering from shoulder injuries. It will be interesting to see if the staff continues to roll just three lines because it appeared to me that some guys were worn out in the third period vs the Huskies. The best case scenario is that they get out to a big lead so they can play everybody but even when they were up 4-0 on Tuesday, the fourth line never saw any ice time. BC might have a difficult time creating odd man rushes because RIT will likely send in just one forechecker while keeping everybody else in-between the blue lines. Look for them to try to take away the long outlet passes BC has used (very effectively) all season long. The best way for the Eagles to throw these guys off their game would be to forecheck at a daunting pace which should lead to multiple turnovers. If the Eagles get off to a good start, then their opponents will be forced to come out of their shell and play at a more dangerous level.

We all know what happened the last time BC played an Atlantic Hockey team the weekend after Thanksgiving. No matter how good the Eagles may be, there are no gimmies in college hockey these days so they need to be ready to go. A loss at home to RIT would be a pairwise killer that could affect where they end up in March.

Scouting RIT- 

Record- 3-6-2 (51st in pairwise)

Top scorers- Mark Goldberg (2-9-11), Josh Mitchell (1-6-7), Greg Amlong (5-2-7)

Team offense- 2.55 goals scorer per game (T-36th)

Team defense- 3.08 goals against per game (44th)

Power play- 17.4% (32nd)

Penalty kill- 80% (T-36th)

Shots on goal per game 34.18 shots per game (11th)

Keys for the Eagles 

1. Get out to an early lead so RIT is forced to come out of their defensive cocoon. If BC can get the Tigers to play at a higher speed throughout the night, then the maroon and gold should be able to score their share of goals.

2. No stupid penalties. They did a very good job of this on Tuesday night. Hopefully it carries over to this afternoon.

3. Try to play a full sixty minutes. I think it may be a tad unrealistic to believe that they will play an entire game like the first period vs UConn but if they can skate like that for more than twenty minutes, they'll win a ton of hockey games.

All time series- BC leads 2-0

Go Eagles

Revenge

Photo from Hartford Courant

About five minutes before last night's game began, the scoreboard operators at the XL Center thought it would be a good idea to show the highlights from UConn's dramatic win over BC last season. Just as the run through of former Eagle Evan Richardson's power play goal came onto the screen (the only goal scored in that game), Coach York and company hit the ice. As the players made their way to the goal line for intros and the staff glided over to the bench, they could not help but look at the tape from perhaps the most devastating regular season loss in recent memory. The play by play of the last ten seconds engulfed the entire rink and fans began to cheer. If all went according to plan, it would be another magical night for the Huskies and their fans.

Nope.

Thanks to goals from Austin Cangelosi, Colin White, Josh Couturier, Miles Wood, and Matty Gaudreau, the Boston College Eagles won their tenth straight game and at 11-1, are off to the best start ever under Coach York. I can't remember a time like the first period in which BC looked so much better than an opponent. In fact, I'm not sure UConn registered a shot within the first ten minutes, they certainly didn't get any qualities looks. Even though Cav has always been a proponent of playing an uptempo style of hockey, I figured he would have the Huskies playing conservatively because nobody can beat BC in a track meet. For whatever reason, UConn kept trying to make fancy passes through the neutral and offensive zones which resulted in almost a dozen odd man rushes for the maroon and gold. Austin Cangelosi, who played his best game of the year, got the Eagles on the board after digging for a loose puck in front of the UConn goal. There were no highlights and I did not get a good look at the play from where I was sitting but the refs did not blow the whistle which allowed BC to hammer away at the puck and eventually, it crossed the goal line. Under a minute later, UConn was breaking into BC's end but another turnover at the blue line resulted in a three on one for the maroon and gold. None other than Colin White, who continues to scorch the rest of the country with three points on the night, fired home a Ryan Fitzgerald pass to make it 2-0. BC continued to dictate the play when Josh Couturier recorded his first goal which was followed by a bullet from Miles Wood that almost took Rob Nichols' head off. I'm not sure how much they talked about last November coming into the matchup, but clearly, BC was ready to play last night. You're not always going to play at your highest levels because the parity in college hockey is so great these days- but, the first twenty minutes last night should serve as a reference point to how good this team can be. They have showcased their abilities to the full extent at some times this season such as last night, the first period vs Denver, and the second period vs UMass, but if they were able to play at that level for sixty minutes, it would be an impressive sight. I'm not sure why UConn came out so flat. With their season beginning to fall apart, I thought they would be ready to play the best team in the country on their home sheet. For whatever reason, that was not the case.

Although the Fighting Cavs were not able to keep up with the Eagles in the first period, they carried the play in the final two. As was the case vs Michigan State, BC began to feel that the game was over (who can blame them) which allowed the Huskies to manufacture grade A chances in front of Thatcher Demko. Fortunately, the BC netminder continued his stellar play and allowed just one goal on thirty shots. The biggest difference between last night and Saturday was that BC didn't unravel by taking loads of penalties. In fact, the Eagles gave their opponents just four power plays. For the first time all season, the staff rolled three lines as neither Peter McMullen nor Travis Jeke saw any ice time. Joey Dudek was out there for three or four shifts once BC's power plays expired. UConn  became a little more physical and started finishing their checks as the game wore on, which left some BC players visibly frustrated. The Huskies were unable to inch any closer in the middle stanza but sophomore forward Spencer Naas found a hole in the BC defense early in the third to make it a three goal game. Just minutes later, UConn had another golden opportunity when a rebound found it's way to one of their forwards who had all day to fire it home, only to be denied by a Demko diving stop. Perhaps Connecticut would have been able to make it a barn burner if BC had taken a large amount of penalties but for the first time all year, they avoided that predicament.

I thought Colin White, Ryan Fitzgerald, Matty Gaudreau, and Miles Wood were BC's best forwards. The two freshmen make all the difference in the world with their speed and playmaking abilities. It takes special players to raise the levels of those around them like Miles Wood and Colin White have. It's not just their offensive capabilities though, it's their defensive awareness and relentless pursuit of the puck that have made an immediate impact. Ryan Fitzgerald continues to be a magician with the puck as he morphing into an elite playmaker while his linemate, Matthew Gaudreau, has been by far and away the biggest surprise thus far. If you told me in August that he would have a seven game point streak going, I would have wondered if you were on drugs.  UConn did not have a lot of time to make decisions with the puck, particularly in the first period. The reason? BC refused to give the opponent any leeway when breaking the puck out of the defensive zone. As for the blue line, solid as usual. Josh Couturier and Scott Savage were both tremendous as they were a combined +5 on the night, highest out of any defensive pairing. Savage's +3 rating was the best on the team. Demko was awesome as always.

Little bit of a different car ride home for blogger compared to last year. Onto RIT.

Why BC won- 

1. Their top two lines were dominant in the first period. Chris Brown filled in admirably for Calnan as there were no steps back for that line while Fitz/White/Gaudreau controlled the play every shift.

2. Demko held down the fort after the first period.

3. They stayed out of the box. UConn had only four power plays.

Problems- 

1. They can play a heck of lot better than they did in the second and third periods. I would not be surprised to see them roll four lines for the majority of the game on Saturday. Once Calnan (or Silk) is back, they will be able to go with four deep.

Player of the game- Cangelosi (White to, but he gets it every game)

Next- RIT on Saturday

Happy Thanksgiving. Go Eagles !

UConn Preview

I've been following BC Hockey for a long time and have experienced a few excruciating losses. The Beanpots pre-2008 were always difficult to swallow, the 2006 Hockey East Championship was painful (the week after wasn't bad though), Colorado College was shocking, and of course the 2006 and 2007 National Championships top them all. Last November's loss at UConn ranks right up there as the most agonizing regular season loss I have ever seen. I don't know what it was. BC played well and dominated the majority of the game but for one reason or another, the Huskies came out on top, winning the inaugural meeting between the two schools.

Fast forward a year and things are drastically different. BC has a pretty good team this season (we're working on understatements in my English class) while the Fighting Cavanaughs are off to a rough start. I know some BC fans despise UConn because of issues surrounding the basketball and football programs but, I don't. Mike Cavanaugh is an awesome guy who gave a lot to this program. Without his hard work, you would not see four of those five banners hanging over Conte Forum. For that, BC fans should be thankful.

Despite all that, hockey is hockey and when the puck drops tomorrow, old friendships will be put aside. You know Cav will have those guys ready to run through a brick wall in front of what is sure to be a packed crowd. On the other end of the spectrum, Coach York probably has not forgotten the way the Huskies celebrated that victory last season- you would have thought they won the national title. Connecticut enters the contest on a seven game losing streak, highlighted by a stunning upset at the hands of Army two weeks ago. UConn started the season off well, sweeping Alabama-Huntsville on the road before pulling off an upset of Boston University. However, it's been all downhill after that win over the scarlet and white. They have been outscored by a 29-13 margin during this losing streak, which includes an 8-2 drubbing versus Notre Dame. The Huskies are led by former Terrier recruit Max Letunov who was forced to withdraw from BU over the summer due to an issue with his application. The freshman out of Russia has fourteen points this season which is six more than the second guy on this list, fellow freshman Tage Thompson. UConn will be one of the most inexperienced teams BC plays all season as five of their top six leading scorers are underclassmen. They have had a week to prepare for the Eagles after falling to Quinnipiac last Tuesday but as good as the Bobcats are, their team speed is nowhere near the level UConn will face tomorrow night. A year ago, the Huskies, a slick team in their own right, were able to play an uptempo game versus BC and with the Eagles being slow (for BC's standards) UConn was able to generate a lot of chances off the rush. If they try to play that north-south style tomorrow, it won't be pretty. On the defensive side of things, the home team will be without one of it's top defenders- Penguins draft pick Ryan Segalla was suspended one game by Hockey East which means the Huskies will likely be going with two freshmen, three sophomores, and a senior on the backend. BC fans will remember goaltender Rob Nichols who turned in one of the best performances I have ever seen last fall when they beat the Eagles. The junior netminder has posted a .898 save percentage to go along with a 3.17 goals against average thus far.

As for the visitors, they will be without senior Brendan Silk (separated shoulder) and junior Chris Calnan (upper body). The staff will go with the same lineup as Saturday night with the only exception being Peter McMullen taking Chris Brown's spot on the fourth line. Brown will play with Miles Wood and Austin Cangelosi. I think BC's going to be fired up to play tomorrow; nearly every guy in that locker room was there to witness that loss last season and they know it wasn't your typical Hockey East road letdown. UConn tends to play an aggressive style, their defensemen often jump in to try and make plays in the offensive end, and their forwards are, for the most part, small but quick. Another familiar name in their lineup will be Evan Richardson who played his freshman year at the Heights before transferring to Connecticut. I bet this sounds repetitive because I say it every week but the key for this Eagle squad continues to be staying out of the box. They remain the national leader in penalty minutes and gave UNH ample opportunities to tie the game on Saturday due to their inability to avoid dumb infractions. I love the physical brand of hockey they bring to the table each night. I don't think anybody would refute that their style of play is at a higher level than perhaps we've ever seen it. But, in saying that, they keep giving their opponents chances to win hockey games by spending twenty five minutes in the box per game. It doesn't hurt much when you have a terrific penalty kill but let's face it, Calnan was arguably their top killer and now, for the time being, he's not there. I think Brown is perfectly capable of taking that spot but if they give the Fighting Cavs the same amount of chances they gave UNH, the Huskies could certainly take advantage.

Scouting UConn- 

Record- 3-9-0 (52nd in pairwise)

Top scorers- Max Letunov (6-8-14), Tage Thompson (4-4-8), Joe Masonius (3-4-7)

Team offense- 2.50 goals scored per game (38th)

Team defense- 3.68 goals allowed per game (52nd)

Power play- 17.6% (34th)

Penalty kill- 77.6% (47th)

Shots on goal per game- 26.50 shots per game (53rd)

Keys for BC

1. Stay out of the box. They will not win if they continue to take penalties at this rate. Doesn't matter how good you are, you can't kill penalties all day.

2. Score the first goal. Boston College is 9-0 when scoring before opponents. The crowd is going to be rowdy tomorrow night. Hopefully, BC is ready to go early on.

Notes- Calnan and Silk are out.

Go Eagles

Nine In a Row

Teddy Doherty had two goals for BC

In front of a packed crowd of 6,269 at the Whittemore Center, Boston College picked up its ninth consecutive victory, defeating New Hampshire 6-3. The Eagles had tallies from Ryan Fitzgerald, Teddy Doherty (x2), Matt Gaudreau, Adam Gilmour, and Miles Wood. I've said it over and over again but I love the way this team competes. That was not a 6-3 game, it was a battle right up until Gilmour tipped home a Casey Fitzgerald slap shot with under five minutes left to make a three goal game. Give UNH a lot of credit because, despite their rough season thus far, they played a tremendous hockey game. They were fast, physical, and forced BC to take an astonishing fourteen penalties. The trips to the box are a huge problem for BC as they continue to put themselves at risk of losing because of unnecessary infractions. They're going to play a lot of good hockey teams in March and April and if they keep going to the box, they won't be able to win those games.

I thought the first two periods were very even, evident by the 18-18 stalemate in shots. BC's penalty kill continued to light the world on fire as Ryan Fitzgerald rifled one over the shoulder of Daniel Tirone just 6:23 into the game, giving BC a 1-0 lead. The outlet pass from Colin White created the  play but it's astonishing how aggressive the Eagles are, even when a man down. Instead of changing once White got possession of the puck, Fitzgerald had the presence of mind to bolt across the neutral zone and try to make something out of nothing. Heck of a play. The Eagles continued to apply pressure on the UNH net but they were not able to take the two goal advantage. Late in the period, Zach Sanford was called for goaltender interference and the Wildcats capitalized, scoring the first "bad" goal Demko has given up all season. It was an odd angle shot which BC probably should have blocked (something they didn't do a good job of last night) but it wasn't the goal that was tough to swallow, it was the call. I try to avoid negative commentary about the officiating but that call against Sanford was one of the worst I have ever seen. He made a power move to the net and made barely made contact with Tirone, how is that goaltender interference?

The pace of play reached an even higher level in the middle stanza. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Chris Calnan was caught in the middle of a scrum and after being shoved to the ground, appeared to have separated his shoulder. He will miss an extended amount of time but hopefully they can get him back towards the end of January when the schedule gets tough. BC was handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when UNH took a pair on penalties within forty five seconds of each other. Although they moved the puck around beautifully, the maroon and gold were unable to find any twine, resulting in a momentum swing towards the home squad. I don't think UNH cleared the puck out of the BC end and the Eagles certainly had four or five high quality chances but the puck just would not go in. An Ian McCoshen hooking penalty negated the remainder of the power play. A minute after killing off McCoshen's minor, the Eagles were handed another power play and this time they came through as Teddy Doherty potted his fifth of the year with the helpers going to Tuch and Sanford. This was the second straight game in which the Tuch-Sanford-Gilmour line was a force on the ice, they created some terrific grade A chances and maintained possession for the majority of their ice time. There was one mishap in the third which led to a UNH goal but other than that, I liked the way they played. After Doherty's goal, BC started to take control of the game on both ends. Their defensive prowess began to show as UNH did not generate many five on five chances.

Do you remember what happened two years ago when BC played at UMass? The Eagles held a lead midway through the third period when the Minutemen appeared to tie the game. They reviewed the play but since there was no goalie interference or high stick, everyone figured they would call it a goal. It was offsides. No goal. John Micheletto, the UMass coach, looked as if he was going to kill somebody after the game. History almost came back to haunt BC as Matty Gaudreau tapped home a Colin White shot but UNH immediately called for a review. This time around, we all knew what they were reviewing. After a lengthy review, it was called a good goal. Those watching on TV thought it was certainly off but the bad camera angle most likely played into the ref's decision to uphold the call. That makes up for the Sanford penalty. Everything appeared to be fine until UNH capitalized on a BC offensive zone turnover and made it a one goal game with ten minutes to go. I thought BC's forwards could have done a better job of backchecking but they were in the midst of a long shift and probably didn't have enough left in the tank. The two defenseman did a good job of playing their assignments but when it's a 3 on 2, you need the first forward back to pick up that trailer and for whatever reason, it didn't happen. Given the way the Sanford line played, it's not all that big of a deal. The outcome was still up in air until Miles Wood made a sensational play, stopping midway through a rush in the offensive zone and firing a pass to a wide open Teddy Doherty who sent UNH fans to the exits with just over five minutes to go. Just a minute after that, Adam Gilmour tipped home a Casey Fitzgerald bomb to put a bow on the contest. Both teams would add late tallies to make the final 6-3.

I love the way this team battles. They lose one of their top nine forwards, they're on the road, and seemingly can't stay out of the penalty box; yet, they continue to score clutch goals, kill off crucial power plays, and most importantly, they have a goaltender who makes up for any glaring mistakes. I think Thatcher would like to have that first one back but other than that, he was very good. He made some unbelievable saves on a UNH power play in the second period when BC could not clear the puck and also late in the game when the Cats were buzzing. I thought Casey Fitzgerald and Steve Santini were terrific as the former is clearly comfortable with taking the puck up the ice and creating offense while the latter had a terrific bounce back game with three assists and a +3 rating. Ian McCoshen and Ryan Fitzgerald were the only other Eagles to be +3. In terms of forwards, it was the usual cast of characters. White and Fitzgerald led the way, Matty Gaudreau extended his point streak to six games (!!), Tuch continues to improve, and Wood was a force in the second and third periods. The Calnan injury is a bit of blow, especially considering that it was due to a post-whistle skirmish. Look for Chris Brown to take his spot on the third line while either Chris Shero or Peter McMullen fill Brown's void on the fourth line.

The Eagles will head to UConn on Tuesday night. We all know what happened there last season. Let's hope for some revenge on the Fighting Cavanaughs.

Why BC Won- 

1. Great all around play from the blue line. Doherty was the player of the game but Fitzgerald, Santini, and McCoshen were also tremendous. The Savage and Couturier pairing continues to become more reliable as the season progresses.

2. White, Fitzgerald, and Gaudreau are looking like the best line in Hockey East. White is probably the best player in the league but Fitzgerald is giving him a run for his money. Oh, and Matty G is on a roll.

3. Special teams were great. Both the power play and penalty kill are leaps and bounds better than they were last season.

Problems-

1. They take so many penalties. Sure, there were some bad calls (Sanford) but for the most part, BC takes the most unnecessary penalties imaginable. If they stay out of the box, they'll blow everybody out of the water.

Player of the game- Teddy Doherty

Next- @ UConn on Tuesday. In case you needed a reminder- LINK 

Great win for Michigan yesterday as well!

Go Eagles.

UNH Preview

Tonight will mark the 146th time Boston College and New Hampshire meet on the ice, with the Eagles leading the all time series 68-63-14. BC is 10-1-1 in the last twelve matchups. After years of not being able to win anything at UNH, Boston College is 8-1-1 in the past ten meetings on Lake Whitt.

UNH is off to an up and down start, going 3-4-3 in their first eight games. They blew a late lead last night at home vs UMass, a team they allowed to comeback from a 6-1 deficit just over a month ago. UNH lost a good amount of scoring from last season as seniors Gryason Downing, Matt Willows, and Casey Thrush all graduated. On top of that, junior defenseman Brett Pesce signed with Carolina last spring and sophomore forward Warren Foegele signed with Kingston (OHL) just two days after Bracco left BC. While they may be struggling to defend, an issue that could be exposed against the high powered Eagles, UNH boast the top two scorers in the league, Tyler Kelleher and Andrew Poturalski. The dynamic duo has combined for thirty eight points thus far while the next guy on the list has just eight points. The defensive side of things is where Dick Umile's squad has had the majority of it's problems. They're a young group on the backend with just one senior and three underclassmen who are surely to have never faced the type of speed they will see come seven o'clock. Their best defenseman is junior Matias Cleland who will give BC fits with his skating ability and tendency to rush the puck up the ice. On the big sheet, decision making from defenseman becomes critical because odd man rushes are more common with the increase in turnovers. Throughout the season, Umile has placed Kelleher and Poturalski on the same line which doesn't do much in terms of overall depth but they do carry a pair of NHL draft picks in Shane Eiserman (Ottawa) and Marcus Vella (San Jose) on their third and fourth lines. In net, expect to see sophomore Daniel Tirone who has a .876 save percentage and 3.88 goals against average to begin the season.

The #2 Eagles are fresh off a five game home stand in which they outscored their opponents by a 22-7 margin. We all know how well they have been playing as of late but there were certainly some glaring issue in the final two periods of that Michigan State game, a squad that swept UNH two weeks ago. In August, we talked about how there are only two ways this team is going to lose a hockey game- taking dumb penalties and turning pucks over. For a good chunk of that MSU game, they played sound defensive hockey but then gift-wrapped a couple of goals that allowed Sparty back into it. They can't turn pucks over tonight, especially when Kelleher and Poturalski are on the ice. It will be difficult for the staff to get the matchups they want vs that line because they don't have last change but I expect McCoshen and Fitzgerald to be out there as much as possible versus those two playmakers. They could pit Santini and Doherty vs them but that pairing struggled a bit versus MSU so I'm not sure if they will continue to see minutes vs opponents' top line. This will be BC's third game on an olympic surface (Colorado College twice) so hopefully they can make the proper adjustments. In theory, the wider sheet should help them because it creates more room to skate and make plays. When you're fast, such as BC is, you can use that to your advantage.

This should be a fun matchup to watch because both teams play at a high pace and create lots of offense. It will be a reunion of sorts for Coach Ayers as he returns to the school he led to the Frozen Four in 2002 and 2003. I don't anticipate any lineup changes. Ryan Fitzgerald and Scott Savage missed some practice time earlier this week but they should be good to go.

Scouting UNH

Record- 3-4-3, 25th in pairwise.

Leading scorers- Tyler Kelleher (5-15-20), Andrew Poturalski (8-10-18), Dan Correale (6-2-8)

Team offense- 3.60 goals scored per game (10th)

Team defense- 3.70 goals allowed per game (T-53rd)

Power play- 24% (T-13th)

Penalty kill- 81% (31st)

Shots on goal per game- 28.22 per game (43rd)

Keys for BC- 

1. Try to shut down UNH's first line. Poturalski and Kelleher will get tons of ice time, especially if it is a close game. BC might not be able to completely shut these two down but if the staff is able to throw McCoshen and Fitzgerald out there along with the Wood line, it should wear them down.

2. Pucks to the net. Tirone has had a rough start to the season with a sub .900 save percentage. Even if they're from bad angles, BC should do everything they can to get pucks on net.

3. Stay out of the box. Guess who has the most penalty minutes per game in the country? Yup.

Go Eagles !

Staff Adds Defenseman for 2016-17

After missing out on top recruit Dante Fabbro, the staff was in need of a fourth defenseman for next year's recruiting class. It appears as if they have found their man. 1995 birthdate Michael Kim out of the Boston Jr Bruins committed to BC this morning. Kim, a Toronto native, has recorded twenty three points in twenty games for BC alum Peter Masters' squad, which is good for ninth among all league players. Masters described his top blue liner as "a gifted skater and smooth two-way defenseman." Kim was Josh Couturier's partner last season.

This is one of those low risk additions but in all honesty, nobody knows what BC's defense will look like a year from now. Doherty is obviously gone, McCoshen will likely sign with Florida, but I think there is a solid chance Santini returns for his senior season. They bring in four guys, all with very different skill sets. Luke McInnis and Connor Moore are a tad undersized but they're both terrific skaters that will help move the puck of the ice. Mike Campoli, perhaps the best player in the incoming class, is a stay at home guy who plays similar to Santini. I have not seen Kim play so I won't pretend I know a lot about him.

UNH preview tomorrow. Go Eagles.

Recruiting Update

As you may have noticed, I have not been able to post much during the week, but that will change as the season goes on. Tonight, we will take a look at how BC's recruits are faring in their respective junior leagues all across the country.

2016 Class-

David Cotton- The 6th round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes has recorded ten points in fourteen games for the Waterloo Blackhakws (USHL). Cotton will certainly compete for a top nine spot when he arrives next fall.

Graham McPhee- The son of former Capitals GM George McPhee has notched five points in sixteen games for the NTDP U18 squad. Most scouts project McPhee to be selected in rounds 4-6 of the NHL Draft.

Luke McInnis- After a solid season at Dexter, McInnis moved out to Youngstown (USHL) where he is paired with fellow recruit Connor Moore. He is off to a solid start this season, potting eight points in fourteen games.

Connor Moore- The top defenseman in prep hockey a year ago, Moore left the Brooks School in order to suit up for Youngstown (USHL). So far, the Cummings, Georgia native has five points in fourteen games.

Michael Campoli- A 6'2 defenseman out of Pointe-Claire, Quebec (same hometown as Mike Matheson) and the NTDP, Campoli is a stay at home blue liner who is not necessarily a major point producer. His style of play is similar to that of Steven Santini. Many pundits believe he will picked in the top three rounds of the NHL draft.

Joseph Woll- The Missouri native has split time in net with BU recruit Jake Oettinger for the NTDP, but is off to a nice start with a 1.90 goals against average and a .914 save percentage through seven games.

Zach Walker- The Boise, Idaho resident and NTDP forward has notched two goals in sixteen games thus far.

2017 class 

Monte Graham- The staff could hold back Graham one more year but the former Thayer Tiger has recorded one goal in fourteen games with the Tri-City Storm (USHL). He's one of the younger players in the league so it will take him some time to develop.

Joseph Cassetti- The 6'2 power forward out of California has posted seven points in fourteen games for the NTDP U17 team. At the U17 World Challenge, held just two weeks ago, Cassetti recorded three points in five games.

Jacob Tortora- Perhaps the next undersized superstar, Tortora, a 5'6 forward for the NTDP U17 team, has ten points in seventeen games this year. He was one of the top scorers for the US at the U17 World Challenge, recording five points in five games.

Logan Hutsko- BC's newest recruit out of North Caldwell, New Jersey is another top scorer for the NTDP U17 squad with eleven points in eighteen games thus far.

Chris Grando- Like Monte Graham, it is still in the air as to when Grando arrives in Chestnut Hill. The Islip, New York native has two points in nine games with the Green Bay Gamblers in 2015.

2018 class

TJ Walsh- After transferring from Shattuck St Marys to Cushing Academy due to injury, Walsh has not yet begun skating. He will be one of the top players in the New England Prep circuit this winter.

Patrick Giles- The towering 6'3 forward (he's only fifteen years old) is off to a fantastic start for the Skipjacks Hockey Club (USPHL U16) with twelve points in eleven games.

Adam Samuelsson- Another big-time recruit, the 6'3 defenseman has seven points in twelve games for the Connecticut Jr Rangers.

2019 class- 

Patrick Moynihan- No stats available since Nobles has not begun their season.

Spencer Knight- I could not find any stats online. That is not uncommon for a 2001 birthdate.

Character Win

Photo from BC Athletics

In one of the most unusual hockey games I've ever witnessed, Boston College extended their winning streak to eight games, defeating Michigan State 6-4. First of all, I thought MSU played outstanding hockey in the final forty minutes. They took it to BC for parts of the second and a large portion of the third. I didn't expect them to forecheck as hard as they did, especially early in the game but their aggressiveness resulted in far too many BC turnovers. As impressive as it was for BC to rebound from MSU's comeback, Sparty's ability to rally from a three goal deficit in under two minutes is not something that happens often in this building. Give their players and staff a lot of credit.

The first period was BC's best twenty minutes of this young season. They absolutely dominated the green and white, outshooting them by a 17-6 margin. After killing off an early penalty, the Eagles were rewarded with a power play of their own, doing everything but scoring on the man advantage. The staff went with two set units- White, Wood, Cangelosi, Savage, and Casey Fitzgerald as the "first" unit and Ryan Fitzgerald, Sanford, Tuch, McCoshen, Doherty as the "second" unit. Despite just one goal (and it was a big one) both lines moved the puck around well on the power play, as I thought they generated multiple grade A chances throughout the night. They tried to set up Savage and McCoshen for one timers and although some pucks got through, MSU did a terrific job of keeping most point shots away from Hildebrand. The fact that Michigan State got out of the first period without surrendering a goal was nothing short of a miracle.

The visitors controlled the middle period, gaining a majority in shots by quite a large margin (16-8). There is only one reason BC was able to escape the frame with a 2-1 lead, Colin White. The Hanover native continues to be on a tear as he recorded two goals to go along with an assist on Fitzgerald's first strike. That is twelve points in the past five games for the Ottawa Senators draft pick. To be honest, there weren't a ton of guys who played their very best tonight, in fact, the only ones who stood out were White, Wood, Tuch, Gilmour, and the Fitzgerald brothers. Speaking of Alex Tuch, outside of his second period penalty (was not a good call), he played his best game of the season, recording a goal and an assist.

After Michigan State tied the game no sooner then thirty seconds after White's first tally, the Eagles were forced to kill of a Joey Dudek hitting after the whistle infraction. As they have done all season, the penalty kill came through, not allowing a goal for the fourth consecutive game. They're 20/20 since Denver's Will Butcher notched a goal on October 30th. Just minutes after Dudek's penalty expired, White came through once again, finishing a highlight reel goal to regain the lead heading into the third. He is currently tied for the league lead in points with fifteen.

The third period had to be one of the most chaotic I've ever seen. Fitzgerald gave the Eagles a two goal cushion just 1:24 in and that was followed by Tuch's breakaway snipe which seemingly put the cherry on top. Not for Michigan State, as Sparty responded with three goals in under two minutes to tie the game 4-4. I can't remember the last time BC's allowed something like that to happen, especially on home ice. After the fourth MSU goal, Coach York called a timeout and the hockey Gods responded with a BC power play opportunity. After dozens of near misses, Miles Wood was able to redirect a Casey Fitzgerald shot, giving BC the lead for good with 1:56 to go. We could talk all day about the freshmen and their contributions to the team but I've only seen one rookie in this league look like he's on such a higher level than everybody on the ice. That guy was the #2 overall pick in this year's NHL draft. I'm not saying Wood or White are as good as Eichel but no one was expecting either of them to come here and be the top two players in Hockey East so early in their careers.

Being one of the youngest teams in college hockey, there are going to be times when BC is going to face adversity. The fact that they can recover from blowing a three goal lead in under two minutes is a testament to their resiliency and Coach York's ability to keep them fired up despite the devastating blow they had just been dealt. As I alluded to earlier, I thought Alex Tuch was a force out there for all sixty minutes. When he's playing at that level, it adds another weapon the already powerful arsenal. Hopefully it continues. Defensively, there were more miscues than what we've been accustomed to seeing. MSU's second goal was a result of BC not putting any pressure at the top of the zone and refusing to block a shot, the third goal was just a bad break as Fitzgerald lost an edge near the BC bench, and the tying goal was the byproduct of BC failing to rotate around the zone and provide coverage in front of the net. You cannot fault Demko for any of the tallies as I thought he played rather well for the majority of the game.

This concludes BC"s five game home stand as they will travel to New Hampshire next Saturday before heading to Connecticut the following Tuesday. A year ago this week, BC was in the middle of a four game losing streak. Ironically, that skid was ended with a 3-2 win at Michigan State. What a difference a year makes.

Why BC Won-

1. White, Fitzgerald, and Wood were tremendous. Ryan Fitz led the way with four points but I thought Colin White, once again, was their best forward. I've never seen a freshman get so much ice time; he plays power play, penalty kill, and in late game situations.

2. Power play performed when it mattered. If they continue to make plays and get pucks to the net like they did last night, they will become on the most potent units in the country.

3. They were able to bounce back after Michigan State tied it. I wonder what Coach York said during that timeout because they came out of it a totally different hockey team.

4. Penalty kill looked absurdly good. They didn't give up many grade A chances on the man down which is a positive sign.

Problems- 

1. There were too many defensive breakdowns. I know Demko is the best goalie in the country but even when it's 4-1 in the third, you can't expect him to stop 2 on 0's and point blank shots from eight feet out. BC has to do a better job of defending.

2. They have to stop taking so many penalties. As of this morning, Boston College is the second most penalized team in the country, averaging 23.20 minutes per game.

Notes- White and Tuch were both shaken up in the third period but they did not miss a shift.

Player of the game- White

Next- @ New Hampshire on 11/21

Go Eagles !

Michigan State Preview

For the first time since 1996, Boston College will host the school that handed the program perhaps it's most crushing loss, the Michigan State Spartans. It's impossible to discuss the history between these storied teams without mentioning MSU's 3-1 win in the 2007 National Championship in which they scored the go ahead goal with under thirty seconds remaining. On second thought, let's move on. That was an absolute killer.

Since that dreadful game, Michigan State has dropped off the upper echelon of college hockey but after hiring former CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos in 2012, they're looking to get back to being a perennial power. Sparty has only made the NCAA tournament twice since that 2007 title game (2008 and 2012). Anastos' team struggled a bit out of the gate with losses at Denver (x2) and Lake Superior State but they appear to have righted the ship with a sweep over New Hampshire last weekend. MSU's biggest attribute is senior goaltender Jake Hildebrand, one of the top goaltenders in college hockey. Hildebrand has started all eight games for Sparty so far this season, averaging 2.12 goals against per game and a .912 save percentage. Offense has been Michigan State's kryptonite over the past three seasons as they are averaging just 3.12 goals per game this season which comes on the heals of 2.42 goals per game effort last year. They pride themselves on their defensive zone play, evident by a 2.38 goals against rate. The good news is that BC has faced a couple of teams that play a similar style to MSU already this season. Opponents such as RPI and Maine had different levels of success against the maroon and gold by blocking shots, preventing odd man rushes, and doing a stellar job of killing penalties. Expect an identical game plan from the green and white tomorrow.

As for BC, they got a bit of good news today as senior captain Teddy Doherty appears to be ready for tomorrow's game, despite suffering a slight shoulder separation last Friday. Doherty spent much of the week practicing in a no contact uniform but was a full go today. His absence on Sunday was most obvious on the power play where the Eagles failed to get much of anything going until Miles Wood's rebound goal midway through the third period. The bad news for the Eagles is that their opponent does not spend much time in the sin bin. Michigan State averages just 9.25 penalty minutes per game, good for 43rd in the country. I don't think we will see any personnel changes on either unit. As I've said all year long, I'm not worried about the power play because when you have that type of skill, it is not as difficult to manufacture scoring opportunities. I will be interested to see if they go with a set first unit because each of the national title squad has featured one group that was given the majority of the playing time and as a result, generated a higher percentage of the team's power play goals. Last season, they only had one unit to work with so once they were gassed, the third and fourth lines were left out to dry vs opponents' top guns. They could have the luxury of going with an all powerful "top" unit before deploying the third and fourth lines immediately after the penalty expired. The five forward system worked well in 2011 and there is arguably more skill on this team so I wonder if they will leave that door open?

At the end of the day, there aren't any issues to discuss when it comes to this BC team. With that being said, I fully expect Michigan State to come in here and play an excellent hockey game. They haven't been to the tournament in three seasons and for a program like MSU, that is too long. A win at BC would be a huge pairwise boost for their club. They're going to play physical, they're going to block shots, and they're going to get top notch goaltending. Hopefully BC is ready to respond right off the bat.

Scouting Michigan State- 

Record- 4-3-1

Leading scorers- JT Stenglien (5-5-10), Mackenzie MacEachern (4-5-9), Joe Cox (3-3-6)

Team offense- 3.12 goals scored per game (T-23rd)

Team defense- 2.38 goals allowed per game (16th)

Power play- 15.6% (36th)

Penalty kill- 90.6% (8th)

Shots on goal per game- 32 shots per game (19th)

Keys for BC-

1. Stay out of the box!!!! When they play 5 on 5 hockey they're the best team in the country.

2. No turnovers at the offense blue line. Michigan State is going to try and block everything they can. If and when that happens, BC needs to be ready to counter through the neutral zone.

3. Hopefully they can get the Sanford, Tuch, and Gilmour line going. I actually thought they played well last weekend in their own end (blocked a ton of shots) but BC needs them to score.

Notes- Doherty should be a go. Silk still out.

Go Eagles !

Seven In a Row

Photo from BC Athletics

Thanks to yet another stellar performance from Thatcher Demko, the Boston College Eagles picked up their seventh consecutive victory, a 2-0 decision over Maine. It is their longest such streak since winning eleven in a row two years ago. Junior Ryan Fitzgerald recorded a goal in his first game back from suspension while freshmen Miles Wood (one goal) and Colin White (two assists) combined for three points as they continue to lead the team in goal scoring.

I've seen a lot of outstanding performances in my ten plus years of paying in-depth attention to BC Hockey. Nathan Gerbe single-handily won us a national title, the Atkinson-Gibbons-Whitney line was a treat to watch every night, and of course, G was the greatest. However, I've never seen anything like what Thatcher Demko is currently doing to the rest of college hockey. Six shutouts in seven games? Are you kidding me? I don't care if you're playing the Boston Bruins or the Newton mites, six shutouts is six shutouts, especially when you consider the fact he's coming off major hip surgery this summer. It is incredible to watch.

I thought BC played fine but they certainly can take it up a few more notches. I'm going to get into this more later but it is good to see that they can find a way to win games versus teams that present different styles of play. On Tuesday, we a saw a UMass team that attempted to match BC's skill in a finesse, north-south style game. There is not one team in the entire country that can keep up with these guys when the pace of play is at that level. It will be a blowout every single time. Maine, whether you like it not, presents a totally different style of hockey which is sad because they used to be fun to watch with Abbott and that crew. I don't know if the Black Bears were out there to play a hockey game against Boston College because to me, they were more interested in hurting guys. Hockey East needs Maine to return to being a relevant program because at this rate, it's going to be a two (maybe three if PC keeps up on the recruiting trail) horse race for the next four or five years.

I thought it was an average opening period for the maroon and gold. They certainly gave up more "grade A" chances tonight than on Friday but Demko, like usual, was there to cover for any miscues. Ryan Fitzgerald, Colin White, and Matthew Gaudreau continue to play the role of "top" line as Fitzgerald fired home a wrister through traffic midway through the period, with the helpers going to his linemates. That is nine points in the past four games for White and five in the last four for Gaudreau. It's amazing how the addition of two players (White and Wood) has enhanced the play of guys like Matty G, Ryan Fitz, Calnan, and Cangelosi in such a short amount of time. A season ago, we saw Eichel turn what was the worst BU team I've ever seen in 2014 into a national title contender and while I'm not saying BC's two star rookies are on that level, they certainly are not far behind because the lineup as a whole has improved tremendously. I'd say the same thing for Chris Brown but since the fourth line isn't necessarily a goal scoring machine, it goes largely unnoticed by some. A year ago, I'd throw my hands over my arms when the fourth unit was on the ice but now the staff has them going against opponents' top pairings! Huge improvements all around.

The second period was a terrific opportunity for the Eagles to blow the doors off of Maine with three power play chances but they could not cash in. The staff has spent a lot of time tinkering with different combinations so they decided to put White with Fitz and Wood on one unit and the Gilmour line on another. In fact, they had Gilmour and Fitzgerald playing at the point with the absence of Doherty (I'll get to that). Yes, both units struggled but once Doherty gets back, I'm sure they will be fine. Despite the fickle play on the man advantage, BC has a power play goal in seven of nine games thus far.

The final twenty minutes were a total circus. The Eagles started out well as Wood potted his third of the year on the power play fourteen minutes in. After that, all hell broke loose. BC began to create some turnovers at the defensive blue line which gave way to multiple odd man rushes, none of which they were able to finish off. However, after Wood barely missed from point blank range, he was viciously mauled by three or four Black Bears, including goaltender Rob McGovern.  A brawl ensued and the results were game misconducts for Wood, Casey Fitzgerald, and White for the Eagles. Swavely, McGovern (he was in the box), and Renouf for the Black Bears. I honestly don't think this is the type of hockey Red Gendron wants to play. He's been a part of some terrific NHL and NCAA teams full of highly skilled guys that could move the puck, not a pack of goons who were looking to take heads off. The brawl is what it is. What happened after it though, is not.

Before reading the next paragraph, watch this video from the guys at BCI. Please look at the very last one at the very bottom of the page.

I didn't see what happened at the time it took place so I figured Nolan Vesey and Demko just ran into each other and exchanged pleasantries. Clearly, that did not occur. Vesey's actions were vicious, they were intending to harm Thatcher, and there is no place for incidents like that in college hockey. It was an utterly despicable display and I sincerely hope Red Gendron does the right thing and suspends him for five or six games. He went out of his way to deliberately harm a BC player that couldn't even see him. It was disgusting, it was classless, and it reflects poorly on the University of Maine hockey program. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

Anyways, four is four points and the show goes on. No doubt they have a lot of areas that need some fine tuning but the speed, the talent, and the toughness are there. I was reading one of the Maine message boards this afternoon and one of their guys called it the "dirtiest" BC Hockey team he has ever seen. They're not dirty, they're just tough. You hit them, they're coming after you like a freight train and I absolutely love it.

Why BC Won- 

1. Demko. Copy and paste.

2. White and Wood were spectacular. What else is new?

3. Penalty kill. Copy and paste.

Negatives- 

They had a power play goal which is nice but I still think they can improve on the man advantage. Not worried though, there's too much talent for them not to succeed.

Notes- 

1. Demko is first goalie with six shutouts in seven games since Brian Lacher from LSSU in 1994. Kudos to BC SID Mark Majewski for digging that one up.

2. BC is second in the nation in faceoffs (57%).

3. Demko's save percentage this year is .974. Insane.

Injury report- Doherty has a separated shoulder. Out 7-10 days.

Next- Michigan State on Friday.

Six In a Row

Photo from BC Athletics

During the 2013-14 season, BC played a couple of average games in which they came out on top. In those contests, the opponent would, for the most part, outplay the Eagles but due to the brilliance of one individual, BC won a lot of hockey games. It was called "Johnnying" a team. The opposition generated more scoring chances, possessed the puck longer, and probably deserved to win the game. But we had G and they didn't.

That same term can be applied to last night's game, just with a different player-Thatcher Demko. The BC netminder recorded his fifth shutout in six games, denying all thirty Black Bear shots. It's obviously way too early to start talking about the Hobey Baker but if he keeps this up, he will certainly be in consideration for the nation's top award.

Give Maine a lot of credit because I thought they came out and played a tremendous hockey game. It was the first time all year BC played back on their heels at times, especially in the first period. It isn't fun playing against a team that implements the 1-3-1 forecheck but how else is Maine going to compete with BC? They forced turnovers, did a good job of blocking shots, and laid down a lot of hits but they just could not find a way to solve BC's stingy defense. If they play like that tomorrow, they will certainly have another chance at taking down the maroon and gold.

I thought the first period was a bit of a struggle for the Eagles, in fact, Maine outshot BC by an 11-8 margin. That was the first time BC has been outshot in the first period all season. Early on, BC was awarded their first power play of the game but they couldn't muster much of anything in the Maine end. However, just two minutes after the penalty expired, Steve Santini potted his first goal of the season after making a couple of nice moves at the blue line. Colin White and Matthew Gaudreau recorded their second assists in as many games. Other then killing off a Travis Jeke penalty late in the stanza, BC didn't do much to separate themselves from the pesky Black Bears after a period of play, much like Tuesday night vs UMass.

The second period was probably one of the longest periods of hockey I have ever witnessed. In total, there were four misconducts and one player was ejected.  In the opening minutes, the Eagles came down on an odd man rush but after White just missed on a quality chance, he bumped into the Maine goaltender which resulted in another Black Bear power play. I understand why the refs have to make those type of calls but when a player cannot physically stop himself from making contact with the goalie, should it really be a penalty? I don't know. A few minutes after the penalty, Maine's Josh Perez cross-checked Zach Sanford from behind in BC's zone which prompted everybody to lose their minds. Sanford and McCoshen were handed misconducts for the Eagles while Mark Hamilton and  Perez were handed the same punishment for the Black Bears. Perez was the only one tossed from the game. As a result, BC was given a two minute power play (because the original penalty was on Maine) but they couldn't muster much of anything, an unfortunate theme for most of the night. As we talked about in the preview, when teams try to go after BC, the Eagles aren't going to just lay back and let it happen. They've got a little bit of nasty in them this season and they most certainly won't let a team like Maine come in here and try to knock them around.

I thought the final period was one of BC's best defensive efforts so far this year. I think a lot of people in the rink were surprised it even was a one goal game at that point but the home team certainly did not let things get any closer that that. With all the penalties at the end of the second, the refs were looking to call anything borderline and that resulted in three third period power plays for the Black Bears. But, as they have done all season, BC's penalty kill came up in the clutch, preventing Maine from putting anything on the scoreboard.

Looking back on this game, I think it's apparent that BC can play at a much higher level, especially on the offensive side of things. Twenty nine shots vs a relatively below average Maine team is not what this team should be striving for but you have to give their goaltender Rob McGovern a lot of credit. Maine did an exceptional job of shutting down BC's top trio of Miles Wood, Austin Cangelosi, and Chris Calnan, all of whom were held off the scoresheet for the first time since the RPI game. The Eagles put a lot of pressure on Maine's defense, especially at the blue line, but they did not give BC as many 2 on 1's or 3 on 2's as the Eagles were hoping for. I thought Alex Tuch, Zach Sanford, and Adam Gilmour played very well in their own end. Tuch, who scored his first goal of the season on an empty netter, made a couple of key blocks on the penalty kill immediately after White scored to make it 2-0. Gilmour made perhaps the play of the night when he stopped what would have been a three on one for the Black Bears midway through the third period. Colin White was BC's best forward for a second consecutive game, recording a goal and an assist which catapults him into the team points lead (10). He plays a very intelligent brand of hockey and is proving to be an invaluable asset on both the power play and penalty kill.  White's linemate, Matty Gaudreau, continues to quietly produce as he has now recorded four points in the past three games. Gaudreau is just another player who has taken his game up two or three notches this fall. Playing with a guy like White helps but Matty G looks more confident with the puck as each game passes which is key for a BC squad that will be looking for production out of him come March and April.

Tomorrow certainly presents itself a prototypical trap game. One team is flying high off of six straight victories while the other is still looking for their first of the season. I expect BC's offense to play little better with their top playmaker (Fitzgerald) back in the lineup but it will be interesting to see if Demko can stay fresh after two games in a span of four nights. He certainly hasn't looked out of sorts at any point this season.

Why BC Won- 

1. Demko's just a brick wall back there. One way or another, he makes save after save. It's ridiculous.

2. Penalty kill was buzzing. Coach Ayers' unit held the Black Bears without a goal on six attempts. Tuch, Calnan, and Gilmour all had great defensive games.

3. White is budding into a superstar. Obviously I am biased but if you ask me, we have the top three players in this league in Demko, Wood, and White.

Problems- 

1. Power play struggled. In the second period, they started going with set units which resulted in more chances but McGovern stood tall in-between the pipes.

2. I don't think they played a terrific game by any means and a lot of that has to do with Maine. However, a so-so game last season meant a 3-0 loss. This year, it's a 3-0 win.

Player of the game- Demko

Next- Maine tomorrow at 1 PM.

Go Eagles

Maine Preview

BC continues it's five game home stand tomorrow night when the Maine Black Bears visit town for a Friday-Sunday series. The two teams enter the game from polar opposite ends of the spectrum as Maine is 0-4-3 while Boston College, winners of five in a row, is 6-1. It's been a rough go in Orono as Maine has failed to make it back to the NCAA's since 2012. To their credit however, they have recorded victories over the Eagles in each of the past five seasons. They're 2-2 vs BC under second year head coach Red Gendron.

Maine's latest setback was a 3-1 loss at the hands of Princeton in the consolation game of the Capital City Classic in Trenton, New Jersey. In the first round of the tournament, Maine fell to Massachusetts 5-4 in overtime. Their two best players from a season ago, Ben Hutton and Devin Shore, are both in the NHL right now and Maine has certainly felt the impact of their departures. If you take out the game against the defensively inept Minutemen, Maine has scored just six goals in six games, an absolutely astounding number. Their leading scorer is junior Cam Brown but he hasn't exactly blown away the competition with his four points on the year. For comparisons sake, Boston College has twelve guys with four or more points. Up front, the Black Bears are heavily reliant on upperclassmen as they have just two underclassmen in the top ten of their scoring chart. Their best player is probably Pittsburgh draft pick Blaine Byron who has recorded three points so far this season. The first line will likely consist of Byron, Brown, and Will Merchant, all of whom have produced team highs in goals and assists. Maine is one of the few teams BC will play this season that is bigger than they are as the Black Bears are currently the third tallest team in college hockey (average height of 6 feet' 0.8 inches). Ever since Gendron took over, he has made a concentrated effort to bring a lot of size to Alfond Arena and there is no doubt they will attempt to use their physicality to try and throw off the high powered Eagles. Freshman Rob McGovern, a Thayer Academy alum, will likely get the nod in net. He is 0-2-2 on the year with a 2.15 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.

The home team will be without forward Ryan Fitzgerald who was handed an automatic one game suspension after cross-checking a UMass player in the second period of Tuesday's game. Expect Peter McMullen to make his first start of the season. With Fitzgerald out, the Eagles will need some production from Alex Tuch as the sophomore has not recorded a goal yet this season after leading the team in that category just a season ago. Unlike last year, they don't need Tuch to be their best player every night but in order for them to have success, they need him to be playing at a high level. He is the best pure goal scorer on this team so there is no reason as to why he shouldn't have at least two or three goals seven games into the season. I am interested to see how they rearrange the lines, if it all. They will most likely plug Wood into Fitzgerald's power play spot but I'm not sure they will throw McMullen right onto the White's line and have him play top minutes right off the bat. Maybe they will try and mix up combinations as the night goes on but that rarely happens. When you're playing a big, physical team like Maine, the best way to counter is by using your speed and skill in space. The more BC plays a north-south game, the more Maine will have to try and keep with them, and thus, the more goals BC will probably score because not many teams can keep up with these guys. I expect the Eagles to implement a very aggressive forecheck that will hopefully lead to a handful of turnovers, much like we saw on Tuesday night. They did a much better job of staying out of the box vs UMass, something they have not done much of this season. Maine is going to come in here and play their hearts out but they're not going to get many even strength chances. If the Eagles keep the penalties to a minimum, they should be fine.

Scouting Maine- 

Record- 0-4-3

Top scorers- Cam Brown (1-3-4), Blaine Byron (1-2-3), Will Merchant (3-0-3)

Team offense- 1.43 goals per game (58th)

Team defense- 2.71 goals allowed per game (27th)

Power play- 7.4% (53rd)

Penalty kill- 75.8% (48th)

Shots on goal per game- 29.14 (35th)

Projected starter- Rob McGovern (2.15 GAA and .913 save percentage)

Keys for BC- 

1. The Eagles need to use their speed and get to open ice in order to counter Maine's size and strength. That being said, this isn't like the BC of old, they will go right back and punch Maine right in the mouth if necessary.

2. Test this freshman goaltender from all angles. It's his first Hockey East road game so he will certainly be feeling some butterflies early on. Hopefully BC can take advantage.

3. No penalties. I think they're the best team in the country when it's their five guys vs anybody else's five guys. They have to stay out of the box.

Notes- Fitzgerald out, Gilmour should be okay to go.

Go Eagles

White Leads Trouncing Of UMass

Photo from BC Athletics

Thanks to a four point night from Colin White, Boston College defeated UMass 7-0, earning their first Hockey East victory and fourth shutout in five games, something that has never been done in program history. It is BC's seventeenth victory in their past eighteen home games vs Massachusetts.

First of all, I thought White was certainly their best player tonight. Obviously, the four points are what stand out in the box score but he made a couple of tremendous plays in his own zone that helped keep UMass off the board. Late in the first period, UMass forced a neutral zone turnover that resulted in what appeared to be a two on one but White turned on the jets and picked the guy's pocket, ending any threat. The Eagles came out firing in the first ten minutes, in fact, I don't think the Minutemen recorded their first shot until around the ten minute mark, maybe later. BC was handed a power play early in the opening period and although they had nothing to show for it, they moved the puck around  the entire time. Admittedly, UMass does not have the best penalty kill in the world but there were drastic improvements from both power play units. They had a lot of zone time, generated grade A chances, and were rewarded with two goals on five opportunities. The final half of the opening twenty minutes were not BC's best as UMass garnered the majority of the scoring chances. Thanks to the speed and skill of this BC team, they play an extremely aggressive style of hockey, especially when it comes to the offensive side of things. For example, when wingers get the puck on the wall deep in the defensive zone, instead of just trying to chip it out and give up possession (which happened last year), they try to make high end plays. More often then not, these passes result in odd man rushes for the maroon and gold but in those final ten minutes of the first period, UMass did a good job of intercepting those looks and turning them into shots of their own.

The second marked BC's best twenty minutes of hockey so far this season. It was men versus boys out there. It may not be fair to talk about a most improved player over the course of seven games but from my vantage point, Adam Gilmour looks ten times better than he did against Army. The play he made at the offensive blue line in order to create a two on one was a terrific individual effort. A couple of minutes later, Chris Brown turned in the shift of the season when he single-handedly forced another UMass turnover behind their net, wrapped around the zone, and fired a bullet to Travis Jeke, who scored his first goal of the season. We have talked a lot about trying to find consistent four year guys and it looks like we have some real good ones in the making with Brown and Dudek. It has been three or four years since the staff has had the dilemma of deciding which is the "first" line. In 2012 you had the Kreider and Gaudreau lines battling for top minutes but ever since, it's been a one line show. I don't know if anyone could tell you who BC's "best" line is at the moment. Two nights ago I would have answered with Calnan's line but when you have Ryan Fitzgerald, Colin White, and Matthew Gaudreau lighting the world on fire, how can you justify saying it isn't them? Certainly a little bit different than last year when we were trying to figure out if we even had a first line. It's kind of unreal to think that this team can put up seven goals without Calnan, Cangelosi, Tuch, or Sanford registering one point. Don't get me wrong, I thought a couple of those guys played well but seeing the fourth line play as well as it did is highly encouraging.

On the defensive side of things, there isn't anything to critique. They're playing sound hockey, giving up very few odd man rushes, killing penalties, and perhaps most notably, the forwards are back-checking. I used the White example in the first paragraph but it isn't just him. Considering the fact that this team is playing lightning fast hockey and they're the youngest team in the country, it is perfectly reasonable to expect some mishaps. But, when the forwards do turn it over (not often), they're doing a heck of a job of getting back and picking up trailers, which is compensating for any neutral zone lapses.

It's pretty ironic how last season all we talked about was needing to get goals from defenseman but it just never came to fruition. Seven games into the 2016 season, BC's blue liners have combined for seven goals and twenty points. Scott Savage, another one of those guys that has made some major improvements to his game, recorded his first goal in almost two years last night. It's certainly nice to see him playing the way he was freshman year. Do I need to even talk about Demko? It's like having brick wall back there.

All in all, another nice step in the right direction. These guys are starting to morph into the squad I figured we would see at some point this season, an utterly dominating group that is bigger, faster, stronger, and tougher than anyone else. I've never seen a BC team play with such an edge to their game, if you hit them, they're coming right back at you with a vicious right hook. I have not looked at the replay on Ryan Fitzgerald's disqualification but I love the fact that guys are stepping up for their teammates. No word on whether or not the staff will try to appeal the one game suspension.

One final note. How in the world did UMass hire John Micheletto over Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Brown? Are my missing something here?

Why BC Won- 

1. Just total domination, no other way to put it. The speed and size became too much for the lowly Minutemen to handle.

2. The "second" line was outstanding. I don't know what the order is but White, Fitz, and Matty Gaudreau turned in their second straight big game.

3. #28 is pretty good eh?

Problems- 

No goals from Tuch. I know it sounds like I've been talking non-stop about this but it isn't because I think he is playing poorly, it's because everybody knows about his talent and goal scoring capabilities. They need to get him going.

Player of the game- White

Injury Note- Gilmour appears to be a little banged up. Didn't skate today.

Next- Maine on Friday.

UMass Preview

Tomorrow night, Boston College will welcome in cross-state foe UMass for their first Hockey East game of the season. The Eagles are coming off a huge 4-3 victory over Denver while the Minutemen competed in the Capital City Classic, defeating Maine on Friday (non-conference) before falling to a very good Yale team in the final by a 6-1 score on Saturday. This will be the 75th meeting all-time between BC and UMass, the good guys currently lead the series by a 58-13-3 margin, that includes victories in 16 of the last 17 home games vs Massachusetts.

UMass' 4-0-1 start certainly raised some eyebrows throughout the college hockey world, some thought they were legit, others didn't. To be honest, I think they're one of the top offensive teams in the league, if not the country. Dennis Kravchencko is second in Hockey East with 12 points on the season while senior Shane Walsh is not far behind with 10 points of his own. Under the system implemented by John Micheletto a few seasons ago, UMass has scored plenty of goals. In fact, they dropped 5 on the Eagles in his first season at the helm, picking up their first win @ Conte Forum in nearly a decade at the time. Expect McCoshen/Fitzgerald to be out there against their second line (usually Walsh's line) and Santini/Doherty to be paired against Kravchenko's unit. I think the staff likes throwing the Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan line out there against top competition but since Calnan might not play (50/50), I would expect Sanford-Gilmour-Tuch to play the role of "first line".

As for BC, this is the beginning of a crucial week that consists of three Hockey East home games. UMass has played the Eagles very tough at home in each game under their new regime and I expect tomorrow to be no different. Their style of play is similar to BC in a way because they have a lot of guys that can really skate north-south, which means BC has to do a couple things to stay out of trouble. As I said before the season started, the only way this team is going to lose hockey games is by shooting themselves in the foot with stupid penalties. If they stay out of the box, they should win a heck of a lot of games. At the moment, Boston College has an average of 17.17 penalty minutes per game, the second highest total in the country. UMass has spent an average of 13.50 minutes in the box per contest, which is good for 8th in nation. Secondly, BC can't be turning pucks over in the neutral zone, something they have been doing a much better job of since the RPI game.

Short preview tonight due to the homework.

Scouting UMass- 

Record- 4-1-1 (they came back from a 6-1 deficit to tie UNH)

Top scorers- Dennis Kravchenko (7-5-12), Shane Walsh (6-4-10), Austin Plevy (4-4-8)

Team offense- 4.50 goals scored per game (5th)

Team defense- 4.00 goals allowed per game (54th)

Power play- 33% (8th)

Penalty kill- 68% (56th)

Projected starter- Up in the air. I expect it to be Nic Renyard (.910 save percentage, 3.22 GAA)

Keys for BC- 

1. Stay out of the box. The Eagles have only given up two even strength goals this year.

2. Pressure these guys in their defensive end. UMass' weaknesses are their blue line and goaltending. Get pucks deep and force turnovers.

3. Hopefully they get the power play figured out. I think we will see some changes in both units.

Injury note- Calnan is questionable. Didn't practice today.

Go Eagles