Lowell Ends BC's Fifteen Game Unbeaten Streak

Photo from Lowell Athletics

First of all, apologies for not getting this recap up sooner. Trust me, it wasn't because it was a loss (okay, maybe that had a role).

The Eagles suffered their first loss of 2016 last night as UMass-Lowell used a third period shorthanded goal to upend BC, who will now get a week off before hosting a Hockey East quarterfinal matchup on March 11-13. Give Lowell all the credit in the world for the outcome- they looked like the faster, hungrier, and to be honest, better team for the majority of the night. BC had their moments and I'm pleased that they were able to stay in the contest despite bringing their C game, but the team that generated more chances and played better defense won the game. I will never buy into the notion that BC was "not motivated" to play last night because they had clinched at least a share of the regular season title on Friday. Coach York gets his guys fired up more so than any other coach in college athletics and trust me, BC's poor performance had nothing to do with preparation- you don't play in this program unless you're ready to go every single day, it doesn't matter whether you're playing BU in the National Title or the club team in a daily scrimmage.

I actually thought BC came out of the gates well, especially considering the crowd and what was at stake for the opposition. Teddy Doherty had a golden opportunity to give them a lead when he intercepted a Lowell clearing pass in the defensive zone, which led to a breakaway but UML goalie Kevin Boyle made his first of many key saves on the night. Just under ten minutes into the game, the River Hawks took their first lead of the weekend when senior AJ White banged home a terrific backdoor pass from Mike Louria. Obviously, it was a nice play by Lowell but BC's defense just lost track of White who was camping in front of Thatcher Demko. Both defensemen were facing the puck carrier on the right side of the zone and it looked like Louria made a nifty no look pass to fool the maroon and gold defenders. Nothing Demko could do.

Five minutes into the second period, Casey Fitzgerald made a ridiculous pass to a wide open Alex Tuch, who banged home his 13th of the season. With 28 points thus far, Tuch has matched his total from a season ago which, amazingly, led the team. I think Casey Fitzgerald should be in consideration for freshman of the year in Hockey East. After that goal though, it was all River Hawks, all the time. Demko made some unbelievable saves on two Lowell power plays, including a couple where Lowell defenders just walked in and ripped slap shots from the top of the circle- only to see them covered up by BC's star goaltender. The #1 positive to take out of this weekend, and over these past three weeks really, has to be BC's penalty kill. Not only did Lowell go 0 for 10 on the weekend, they didn't generate a whole bunch of quality looks outside of a few point shots. Not to mention the fact that BC was missing one of its go to killers in Colin White.

The turning point in the game came just 30 seconds into the third period. With 2 seconds left in the second, the Eagles were handed a crucial power play but gave up a bad shorthanded goal to UML defenseman Tyler Mueller, who just roofed one past Demko. Now, Blogger's New Years resolution was to stop criticizing officials but if you look at the highlights of the game, they missed a clear trip against Casey Fitzgerald who, because of the missed infraction, fell and turned the puck over to Mueller. It was a blatant trip and I'm sure the league will take a look at it to make sure it does not happen again. Missed calls aside, you can't give up shorthanded goals and I think one of the sour points over the course of both games was BC's power play. Of course, White is their go to man but they didn't create anything at all and there are some of the most talented forwards in the country on both units. I thought they tried too hard to drive the puck into the middle of the zone in order to create backdoor plays that they hoped would lead to goals and when they opted to fire at will from the point, Lowell blocked everything they could. UML put the cherry on top when John Edwardh capitalized on a brutal defensive stretch for BC midway through the period. They just could not find a way to get the puck out of the zone and every time they did, Lowell's neutral zone trap was there to throw them off. We may not like the way Bazin's teams play but no one can deny that if you want to beat teams like BC, there may not be a  better option.

All in all, disappointing result, sure, but it is not the end of the world. This team needs two weeks off in order to gear up for the stretch run because they've played more hockey over the past month than perhaps anyone in the country. Blogger has never and will never be in the "losing is good for them" camp but I do think last night was a valuable teaching moment for the team. Now they know they can't just show up and beat anybody. I thought the fourth line, especially Joey Dudek, had another outstanding game and that is two weekends in a row where they have been a force on the ice. Once Calnan is back, the staff will have some interesting decisions to make with regards to the bottom four or five forwards. Defensively, it was one of their weaker games and it was the first time in a while where they just looked a bit lost in their own end. As good as Demko is, he can't stop everything and I think BC just left him out to dry with the amount of time they spent in their own end. They don't keep these type of numbers in college hockey but I think Lowell dominated time of possession, which does not happen often against these Eagles.

Hopefully, they will use this week to rest up and get healthy for the impending Hockey East and NCAA tournaments.

Why BC lost- 

1. Lowell just outplayed them. Not much more to say. They played a better hockey game than BC did last night and they got the result they deserved. It's not rocket science.

2.  Can't give up a shorthanded goal like that. What a killer.

3. Top lines were off. After an outstanding month of hockey, Cangelosi, Wood, and Gilmour were shut down and had a tough time creating any offense.

Positives- 

1. They're still in a good spot. Yes, PC is now the fourth #1 seed but if BC can win the Hockey East tournament, they will be either the #2 or #3 overall seed. Lots to play for in the coming weeks. It was just an off game- no one can complain about the regular season these guys had.

Go Eagles

Regular Season Champions

Photo from BC Athletics

Towards the end of the summer, when a few Hockey East writers were releasing their preseason predictions, I could not help but laugh when some had BC in second or third. How could you not put these guys in the #1 spot? Laughable.

Despite 7 trips to the penalty box, Boston College picked up its fourth Hockey East regular season title in six years and fourteenth overall. First and foremost, what a performance from Thatcher Demko- I didn't think he could top what he did versus Vermont a week ago but he was a brick wall out there. As good as BC's penalty kill is, when you're in the box for a quarter of the game, you're inevitably going to give up some high quality looks and Lowell got a few those, especially in the second period. One sequence that stood out to me was when the River Hawks made a terrific backdoor pass in the slot for what appeared to be an easy one-time goal but Demko slid over to make the stop. Lowell tried to get pucks to the net through screens and redirects but it was to avail, thanks to BC's star netminder and the Eagles' ability to get in front of shots. The problem, in my mind, was that BC played seven or eight skaters for most of the second half because they were on the penalty kill so often. Miles Wood and Austin Cangelosi played practically the entire game, Ryan Fitzgerald had an outstanding performance despite White's absence, and even Joey Dudek got some quality time on the man down. In my mind, you can't win championships in this sport without having three (or four) legit scoring lines. Look at Yale, Union, and Providence- none of those teams had elite top end talent up front but each consisted of four lines that could play big minutes in clutch situations. Once Calnan is back, I think BC will have four lines that pose a threat at any moment. 

The first fifteen minutes of the game were all BC. They generated a few great looks on goaltender Kevin Boyle and were rewarded when Ryan Fitzgerald tallied his team leading 19th goal of the season after redirecting a Matthew Gaudreau backhander. I don't think anyone thought that Fitzgerald would be playing this well at this point in his BC career. He had a good freshman year, an up and down sophomore campaign, but man has he burst onto the scene in 2016. I was a little concerned as to whether or not he would be able to keep up his production without Colin White (we'll get to that) but he was BC's best forward last night and has been in the month of February. 9 points in the past 5 games for the North Reading native. When you're playing a sound defensive team like Lowell, getting out to a two goal lead is paramount and the fact that Teddy Doherty was able to give BC that edge was an awesome sight. You won't find many players that exemplify all that is right with BC Hockey quite like Doherty does- he is a tremendous leader and will step into any role the staff ask of him. At any level, especially Hockey East, it is not easy to make the transition from defense to forward but he has done so with relative ease. Of course, it helps when you're playing with two of the best players in the league. Sanford made a fantastic play when he blocked a shot on a Lowell power play and went in for a breakaway- only to be the victim of an unreal save. Unfortunately, the two goal advantage did not last as Lowell's Adam Chapie forced a bad turnover in the BC defensive zone before roofing a shot past Thatcher Demko. I said this in the preview and I'll say it again- no team capitalizes on your mistakes more so than Lowell. They don't create a lot of 5 on 5 offensive but when you give them opportunities, they will take advantage. 

The second period was eerily similar to the one versus Merrimack a few Saturdays ago- sans the goals. BC gave Lowell three power plays in a span of 6 minutes but thanks to Demko's heroics, they were able to kill it off. I think it is remarkable that they had the same guys playing for that entire span and still found a way to keep the River Hawks off the board. With White gone, it takes away their #3 penalty killer and they had to scramble to find options but Dudek came in and got the job done. With regards to the penalties, I have run out of things to say. As good as these guys are, and boy are they loaded, you can't win a National Title taking 7 or 8 penalties a game. In my mind, there is a distinct difference between a good penalty and a bad penalty and BC seems to be taking way more of the former. Ian McCoshen played a fabulous game, one of his best of the season, but for the second straight game, he took a bad slashing penalty by wacking somebody's stick 15 feet into the air. You can't do that. Outside of Demko, McCoshen might be their most valuable player and they need him on the penalty kill. The staff will certainly review the tape and pick out what penalties they deemed as "good" or "bad" but when I look back on the game, not many of BC's penalties were awful calls. If they take 7 penalties on the road tonight in a building where they have had little success in the past, it will be a tough go. 

The third period contained one of the most head scratching decisions I have ever witnessed. I should preface my comments by saying that I think Norm Bazin is top 5, maybe top 3, coaches in college hockey. The guy is a hockey wizard and what he has done with that Lowell program is nothing short of remarkable. That being said, I have never seen a coach pull a goaltender down one goal with 3:30 left, while on a power play. Immediately after Sanford won the draw, Ryan Fitzgerald fired the puck 150 feet down the ice and into the net, all but icing the regular season title. I see the reasoning behind Bazin's move- they were not creating any offense on the power play and pulling the goalie early is his M.O. but against this team, in that situation, I don't know if that was the right move. Amazingly, after the man advantage expired and Lowell had another offensive zone draw, Bazin refused to pull Boyle and decided to play 5 on 5 before Lowell took their third penalty of the game. 

All in all, solid defensive performance from BC but I think overall, they can be a lot better. Lowell does a nice job of limiting your offensive zone chances through the neutral zone and it was a boring hockey game but once again, BC showed they can win at any cost. Obviously, the Eagles don't want to play at that pace but they can play as good, if not better, in their own end than any team in the country. I was very impressed with Miles Wood and Austin Cangelosi. Outside of Fitzgerald, they were BC's best forwards due to their stout defense. Together, they put so much pressure on opponents' defenseman at the point and it forces them into some bad errors that usually leads to chances on the BC end of the ice. Outside of Chris Kreider, I don't think any BC forward in the Coach York era has had the size and speed that Miles Wood possesses- he was an animal out there. 

I know it was senior night and even though they will play at least two more games at Conte Forum, I just want to congratulate Teddy Doherty, Brendan Silk, Peter McMullen, Travis Jeke, and the two senior managers on their outstanding careers. All the staff can ask of these guys is that they represent Boston College well in all facets of their lives and they have gone beyond that. Hopefully, they add a few more trophies in the coming weeks. 

Why BC Won- 

1. Thatcher Demko. I think he should be a Hobey finalist without a doubt. 

2. Ryan Fitzgerald, Miles Wood, and Austin Cangelosi all played at a high level. Fitzgerald has been on fire as of late. 

3. Penalty kill. Coach Ayers' unit has gone 21 for 22 over the past three games. Incredible.

Negatives- 

1. BC had over a minute and a half of 5 on 3 in the second period but was unable to convert. Give Boyle credit, he made some great stops. 

2. They have to play better tonight. Lowell plays well in their own barn and BC has had issues there recently. Hopefully, they're ready to play. 

3. Penalties. I've run out of things to say. 

Notes- Colin White was out with an upper body injury (not head). He is doubtful for tonight but should be back for the playoffs. Not long term. 

Players of the game- Ryan Fitzgerald and Thatcher Demko

Next- @ Lowell tonight. 7 PM on NESN. 

Go Eagles

Lowell Preview

Tomorrow night will be Boston College's second chance to take home a major trophy in the month of February. After defeating archrival Boston University to once again lay claim to the Beanpot, the Eagles will face-off against UMass-Lowell this weekend with an opportunity to bring home the Hockey East regular season title. I think this trophy flies a bit under the radar because in college hockey, conference tournaments have much bigger impact on the NCAAs but winning the regular season title means you were the best team from October to March in one of the toughest leagues in the country. The Eagles would clinch the #1 spot with a win tomorrow but they must take three of four points in order to avoid sharing the title with Providence (assuming PC sweeps UMass). Since BC has the tiebreaker over PC, they would own the "Bertagna Cup" (as Coach York likes to call it) in the event that both teams end up with the same amount of points.

That being said, it won't be an easy task for the maroon and gold as they take on a team that has given them fits in the past. Norm Bazin has turned Lowell into one of the perennial powers Hockey East, evident by their 5 consecutive 20 wins seasons. That is a heck of an accomplishment for any program, let alone a program that was almost discontinued a few years ago. The River Hawks will have a lot to play for, even though they cannot win the regular season title. As of tonight, they are 13th in the pairwise and if the tournament started tomorrow, UML would be the second to last team in the tournament. A pair of victories against the Eagles would all but cement their place in the NCAAs. They're also in a fight with BU for the last bye in the Hockey East playoffs- the Terriers travel to Notre Dame for a pair starting Friday night. BU would own the third tiebreaker with Lowell if both teams are swept because they managed a tie against the first place team (BC). When I look at UML, I see a team that does not have a go to star but has one of the deeper lineups in Hockey East. Up front, they're led by sophomore CJ Smith, senior Adam Chapie, and sophomore Joe Gambardella, with Smith and Chapie being the only Hawks to record 30 or more points so far. The past few weeks, Bazin's first line has been Chapie, Gambardella, and Ryan Collins, a Newton native. It is kind of amazing if you look at Lowell's lineup because they have two players on their first and second lines that have recorded under five points but each of their fourth liners have notched more than that. Of course, Lowell is known for their defensive excellence. Ever since Bazin took the reins, they have been one of the top teams in terms of goals against in the entire country year in and year out. They have lost some top tier defenseman like Kamrass, Suter, and Folin but they always seem to bring in these guys that fit their system perfectly. The man to watch on the backend is junior Dylan Zink, who tallied a hatrick against Boston University two weeks ago in a 6-3 Lowell win. In net will be UMass transfer Kevin Boyle, who was cut by the Minutemen a few years back before reigniting his career with the River Hawks. Boyle is one of the top goaltenders in college hockey with a 1.87 goals against average and .941 save percentage.

As for the Eagles, nothing more to say other then they have a chance to win a trophy. It doesn't matter whether it's a holiday tournament or National Title, whenever there is a chance to win a title, you know the maroon and gold will be ready to go. For them to win a regular season championship in front of their home fans would be an unbelievable accomplishment for a team that has overcome so much adversity in the past year or so. The Hawks are going to try and slow the game down, probably more so than any other opponent BC has played this season, but as has been the case all year, look for the Eagles to adapt. I listened to radio analyst Andy Powers do an interview on WEEI this afternoon and he made a great point in saying that no matter what an opponent's strength is, BC seems to take that and use it to their favor. Andy used the first Beanpot game as an example- Harvard had the #2 power play in the country but it was the Eagles who scored twice on the man advantage en route to a 3-2 victory. They have won games against teams that play similar to them (BU, Harvard) and teams that play snooze-fest hockey (PC, UVM). However, there are a couple of issues that need to be addressed. First and foremost, they have to stay out of the penalty box. Lowell's power play is legit and whenever you get five or six chances a game, you're bound to cash in. It's the unnecessary infractions they need to cut back on- there is no need to wack someone's stick out of their hand 30 feet away from the puck or to be mouthing off to an official after yet another missed call. The other worry is injuries. I can't talk about specific players but there may be a surprise or two depending on how some guys feel in the morning. Hope for the best.

Should be a heck of a series.

Scouting Lowell- 

Record- 20-7-5 (13th in pairwise)

Leading scorers- CJ Smith (14-18-32), Adam Chapie (13-17-30), Joe Gambardella (6-23-29)

Team offense- 3.16 goals scored per game (14th)

Team defense- 1.84 goals against per game (2nd)

Power play- 21% (13th)

Penalty kill- 85% (18th)

Shots on goal per game- 32.22 (18th)

Keys for BC- 

1. Stay out of the box. I don't think I have written a preview this season in which this has not been a key.

2. Keep mistakes to a minimum. Sounds obvious, I know, but Lowell makes fewer errors than any other team in the league. They win games by frustrating opponents and forcing them into costly situations. When there isn't a play, get the puck deep.

3. Traffic in front of Boyle. Like our guy, when he sees the puck, he is going to save it 99 out of 100 times. Get bodies to the net.

Notes- There are some injuries outside of Calnan (don't expect him to play). Hopefully everyone feels better in the morning.

Go Eagles

Notes

Fresh off a sweep of Vermont, the Eagles are flying high at #3 in the pairwise and #1 in the Hockey East standings. This weekend, they will face-off against a UMass-Lowell team that is unbeaten in its past three games, which includes a 6-3 drubbing of Boston University.

In terms of team health, the only question mark right now is Chris Calnan, who has been sidelined for the past two weeks due to a lower body injury. Over that period of time, he has been wearing a walking boot but I think there might be an outside chance he plays this weekend- they don't want to rush it. A few fans have suggested resting some guys on Saturday if they're able to pick up the regular season title on Friday but I don't think that will happen. Their goal is to get the #1 overall seed and from what I can tell, that can only be attained if they win out.

Congrats to Mike Matheson who played his first game with the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. In my opinion, Matheson's story is exactly what you want to see in a BC Hockey player. He earned his degree in just over three years and is now in a position to have a successful NHL career.

Here is the projected NCAA tournament bracket, if it started today.

Worcester-

1. Quinnipiac vs 16. Robert Morris (Atlantic winner)

7. Yale vs 10. Boston University

St Paul-

2. St Cloud vs 15. Michigan Tech (WCHA winner)

8. Denver vs 9. Notre Dame

Albany-

3. Boston College vs 14. Cornell

5. Michigan vs 11. Nebraska Omaha

Cincinnati-

4. North Dakota vs 13. Lowell

5. Providence vs 12. Harvard

I could see them switching PC and Michigan but we have a long ways to go until we have to worry about this.

Nothing to report in terms of recruiting.

Boston College announced that it was committing $200 million towards the athletics department on Monday. It appears that this money will go towards a new student recreation center, a practice facility for the football team, and a new stadium for the baseball program.

I was a bit surprised that there was nothing about renovations to Conte Forum but I understand that football is the main concern amongst the administration and alumni. Hopefully, they can put together the funds to refurbish some of the hockey facilities at some point in the future.

That is all I got. Go Eagles.

Revenge

A little under a year after suffering one of the most devastating losses in program history, the Eagles completed a two game sweep of Vermont with a 4-1 win on Saturday night. I guess there is no way to know this but you have to assume that they talked all week about how upsetting that quarterfinal loss was. They saw the videos last March, they saw the UVM bench celebrating like they had just won the National Championship, and I'm sure it left a bitter taste.  With Providence sweeping Notre Dame, the Eagles now hold a one game lead on the Friars for first place in Hockey East and since BC has the tiebreaker, a win on Friday night vs Lowell would clinch the regular season title. More importantly, BC is now third in the pairwise standings, although the difference between them and North Dakota (4th) is marginal. Based on an article I read last night, BC has all but clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament, their 7th consecutive appearance in the dance.

I thought BC played well, much better than Friday night. The opening period was their strongest of the weekend as they put 15 shots on freshman goalie Packy Munson but for the most part, he stood tall. BC dominated the opening ten minutes of the game, which included some point blank looks, but Munson was up to the task and it was the Catamounts who struck first when Mario Puskarich tallied UVM's only power play goal of the weekend. The call that gave UVM the man advantage was suspicious after they let a clear hook on Vermont go before Casey Fitzgerald said a few words to one of the refs. I try not to complain much about the calls, and for the majority of the weekend it was even, but they missed two or three penalties on Vermont before whistling Casey. BC did a solid job in the first half of the kill but after a failed clearing attempt, Vermont had a 2 on 1 down low and Puskarich had the presence of mind to get the puck to the net. I am not sure how it snuck under Demko because I thought he had the post covered but it eventually got through. It was UVM's first power play goal in nine attempts on the weekend. Once again, the Eagles responded with a string of terrific shifts and were given a power play of their own. Just seconds after it expired, Adam Gilmour banged home his 11th of the season. Frankly, Gilmour does not get many accolades but over the past month and a half, he has been one of their most consistent skaters. The staff has obviously noticed his strong play as they placed him on the second power play unit for the first time all season. Interestingly enough, they have him playing the left point but I thought the junior looked fine- he got pucks to the net and made a couple of good looks which resulted in some quality chances.

In the second, BC got back to taking stupid penalties. As you probably know, I'm the first one to call out officials when there is a bad call but the most glaring issue right now is that the majority of BC's penalties are the results of boneheaded decisions. Thankfully, Thatcher Demko was there to save the day. I don't think he was as good as he was on Friday, but it was certainly one of his better performances of the season. Vermont did everything they could to outnumber BC in front of the net and that gave way to a few rebounds that would have been goals it weren't for Demko. The reason why their penalty kill has been so good is because their entire lineup is full of guys that can be relied on to get a kill. Most teams have 6 forwards and 4 defenseman that play PK but in BC's case, 10 of their 12 forwards got regular time on the penalty kill last night, including Travis Jeke, who I thought played his best game of the season. Outside of McCoshen and Santini, the go to defenseman on the man down seems to be Michael Kim. He isn't the biggest player on the ice but he is very good at handling the puck below the net and making smart decisions. The skaters did their part but you can't go 14 for 15 on the penalty kill if your goaltender is not up to the task. Good teams are going to generate chances from all over the ice and Vermont did that, but Demko stoned almost everything they brought.

There were striking similarities between the third period last night and the one from last March. Of course, the latter was a playoff game and had more importance but if BC had lost on Saturday, it could have ended their bid for the #1 overall seed. However, the mentality difference, at least from my perspective, is like day and night. In 2015, if we were tied or down a goal heading into the third period, anyone who told you they thought BC was going to win would have been straight up lying. Fast forward 345 days and there was no chance they were losing that game last night after killing three second period penalties. Two minutes into the final stanza, Austin Cangelosi scored his fourth goal in as many games, which gave BC the lead for good. It was an odd angle shot and I think he was just trying to get the puck on net but Munson made his first glaring error of the weekend. Instead of staying back and allowing the opponent to bring the puck up the ice, which happened far too often against Merrimack, BC continued to pressure Vermont in the neutral zone and forced a bunch of turnovers, one of which led to Ryan Fitzgerald's team leading 18th goal of the season. Colin White, who had a terrific weekend, made a nifty cross ice pass to Fitzgerald, who roofed a snap shot past Munson. How many times over the past three years have we seen Fitzgerald score from just outside the circle thanks to his deadly shot? After failing to get on the scoresheet Friday, he led the way with 3 points on Saturday and is just one behind White for the team lead.

Vermont certainly had its chances to get back in the game as Miles Wood was penalized twice in a span of ten minutes, while Zach Sanford also went off for a hook. BC has to figure out a way to stay out of the box. They can't take 7 or 8 penalties in the NCAA tournament against a team like North Dakota because if they do, it won't be pretty. They're clearly the best team in the country (by a long shot if you ask me) but when they spend over a quarter of the game a man down, anyone in the country can beat them. With regards to Wood, he has been doing a much better job of keeping his composure over the past few weeks (outside of the Beanpot) but the goaltender interference penalty was stupid. Not only is he one of their best players, he is arguably the most reliable penalty killer and when he is not on the ice, it takes away from BC's ability to pressure the points and stretch the zone. As they did all weekend, BC killed off Wood's second penalty and the ensuing Sanford infraction with relative ease.

Overall, awesome weekend of hockey for the Eagles. They didn't play their best, especially on Friday, but they continue to fight back, even when the opponent scores first. On the offensive side of things, Ryan Fitzgerald and Cangelosi led the way which goes to show how far both guys have come in a span of three years. At times last year, some fans were complaining about their stuttering development but their production to this point is just another case where the staff has developed good players into great players. I've said this numerous times already but no one would have thought Cangelosi would have over 30 points on the season, especially not in late February. I've always thought that if you have the speed and skill, which he clearly does, then the staff can help you take your game to another level and Cangelosi is a prime example of that. I can't wait to see what he does over these next few weeks. On the defensive end, Casey Fitzgerald was their best guy. Someone posed this question to me last night and it's a good one to think about- where does he rank in terms of freshmen defensemen in the last decade? For me, Mike Matheson came to mind because his rookie campaign was sensational, as was Brian Dumoulin's, but there is no doubt that Casey Fitz has achieved a tremendous amount of success in his first year on The Heights. Fitzgerald was the only BC blue liner to record a point last night, which is surprising given that BC has had consistent production from the back end all season. Of course, the most valuable player this weekend was Thatcher Demko. Without his performances, they don't come home with four points, perhaps not even two. The players in front of him did a much better job of blocking shots and keeping opportunities to the outside but when UVM penetrated the zone, #30 was there. Going forward, the obvious area of concern is penalties but if they can figure those out, I like their chances against anybody in the country.

Why BC won- 

1. Thatcher Demko and the penalty kill. Coach Ayers' unit went 14 for 15 on the weekend, largely because of their netminder's stellar play.

2. Fitzgerald brothers were sensational. Five points combined for Casey and Ryan.

3. The junior class is making a huge impact on this team. When guys like Gilmour, Cangelosi, and Santini are playing at that level, boy, this team is scary good.

Negatives- 

1. Penalties. You can't be yelling at the ref or running over goalies in games like these when the stakes are high. I'm sure the staff will address this issue over the course of the week.

Players of the game- Thatcher Demko and Ryan Fitzgerald

Next- Lowell next weekend for two. A win clinches the regular season title.

Go Eagles

Eagles Clinch First Round Bye

Photo from UVM Athletics

It certainly was not their prettiest game of the season but thanks to a two point night from Zach Sanford and a 35 save outing from Thatcher Demko, the Boston College Eagles took over first place in Hockey East with a 3-1 win at Vermont. The win assures a first round bye in the Hockey East playoffs for the Eagles, who got goals from Austin Cangelosi, Sanford, and Teddy Doherty while Vermont's tally came from senior Jonathan Turk just 15 seconds into the contest. Despite UVM's poor record, this was a quality win for the Eagles given that they did not play a great game and spent almost a quarter of the night in the penalty box, handing the home team a whopping 7 power plays. Give Vermont credit, I thought they played well and although they couldn't find a way to put the puck in the net late, it wasn't for a lack of opportunities.

The game did not start out well as Demko gave up a goal he saves 49 times out of 50 on the game's opening shift. BC had a defenseman that probably overcommitted on the right side of the zone and for whatever reason, no one picked up the trailer which gave Turk a bit of leeway before firing a wrist shot on goal, only to see it trickle past BC's star netminder. Could it have been stopped? Probably, but #30's performance over the course of the final 59:45 all but made up for the slight error. I thought BC responded well after the goal and it was one of the few times all game where they garnered some sustained offensive zone time. Almost exactly five minutes after UVM's strike, Steve Santini made a terrific outlet pass to Miles Wood who fired a puck on net before Austin Cangelosi cleaned up the rebound, tying the game at 1 and giving the Estero, Florida native his 7th point in the past 7 games. Wood made the play by using his speed to beat a UVM defender wide before finding a way to get the biscuit on net, definitely one of the best games of the year for the Nobles product. A minute after Cangelosi's tally, the Eagles were awarded their first power play of the game and took advantage when Zach Sanford potted home his 12th goal of the season. Colin White and Alex Tuch picked up helpers on the play. Blogger is not right about many things but one of these days, someone will give me a little bit of credit for noticing how good Sanford was before he burst onto the scene. They don't win that game without Demko's heroic effort but Sanford, Wood, and Colin White were certainly the three best skaters on the ice.

Special teams were the name of the game as BC was able to score twice on the power play while UVM went 0 for 7. It was an absolutely sensational performance from Coach Ayers' penalty killing unit. You never want to be in the box every other shift, especially when it's your best defenseman taking the bulk of the infractions, but no matter how well Vermont moved the puck, BC stood tall and prevented everything from crossing the goal line. On nights like those, when your killers are exhausted and it is tough to get any momentum going, you need your goaltender to be your best man and Demko filled that role tonight. BC's defense did a good job of not allowing UVM many chances down low but the Catamounts tipped a lot of pucks and forced Demko to react to multiple changes in direction. Captain Teddy Doherty posted a huge power play tally midway through the second, giving the Eagles an all important two goal cushion. If this team is going to go on a big run over the next month and a half, they need guys like him and Jeke to come through because if you look at BC's most successful teams in the past, all have had major production from upperclassmen. The penalty kill will, rightfully so, get most of the credit for the win but the power play was also clicking on all cylinders, especially the top unit of White-Sanford-Tuch, McCoshen-Doherty. The only issue was that they could not find a way to win a face-off and had to spend the first 15 seconds of each man advantage retrieving the puck and bringing it back up the ice. The Catamounts dominated the dots, winning 36 out of 63 draws, which does not happen often against a BC squad that is one of the top face-off teams in the country. I talked about Sanford, Wood, and Demko but I don't think anyone had the puck on their stick as much as Colin White did. Merrimack did a good job of shutting him down a week ago but last night, he was a man amongst boys and had three or four plays where he just blew by the Vermont defenders. The staff juggled White's line around, going with Chris Brown at wing for the first two periods before opting to plug Matt Gaudreau back into that spot early in the third.

To be honest, BC was lucky to escape the third period without any damage being done. The shots were 11-2 but it felt like 31-2, especially in the opening minutes. BC took far too many penalties, once again, most of which were easy calls for the officials. Vermont managed to get a ton of shots but not many were off of 2 on 1's or 3 on 2's. Outside of a semi-breakaway in the second period, the Eagles limited UVM's odd man rushes despite the lopsided shot total. The problem was that they weren't able to generate any consistent offensive zone pressure because every other shift seemed to end with a maroon jersey skating to the penalty box. It's great that they found a way to kill all of those off but when you spend so much time chasing the puck around in your own end, creating any sort of offense is very difficult. If they give that team more than four or five power plays again, it is hard to believe they can hold the fort down once more.

Despite the somewhat underwhelming performance, a win is a win and first place is first place. This time of year, you need your best players to step up and all of BC's big guns did that tonight, led by Thatcher Demko. I thought each line had their moments but Sanford's unit generated the most shots (10). Defensively, they were very good in the final fifteen minutes of the game and it is clear that the staff put a major emphasis on defending tougher in front of the goaltender as most of Vermont's chances came from long distance. That being said, there were a tremendous amount of turnovers in the first half of the game, many of which were blind passes right to yellow jerseys in the middle of BC's own zone. Vermont has been a much better team on Saturday nights throughout the season so I expect them to come out flying this evening. Hopefully, the Eagles are ready to strike back.

Why BC won- 

1. Thatcher Demko played arguably his best game of the year. I can't think of a better performance thus far, maybe the Beanpot, I guess. He made a couple of tough saves look easy.

2. Sanford line was buzzing. Hobey!!

3. Colin White and Miles Wood were flying. Both have been hampered by injuries over the past couple of weeks but it's beginning to look like they're almost 100%. Scary how good both those guys can be.

4. Penalty kill saved the day. Great response after a tough game at Merrimack.

Negatives- 

1. Way too many penalties. At some point, they have to break out of the habit.

2. Turnovers in the first half of the game. Vermont, realistically, could have been ahead by two goals heading into the third period if it weren't for some spectacular Demko stops.

Player of the game- Thatcher Demko

Pairwise update- Still in fourth but within a few percentage points of third (North Dakota)

Next- @ Vermont tonight. 7 PM.

Vermont Preview

We all remember March 15th, 2015. The Vermont Catamounts pulled off, arguably, one of the biggest upsets in Hockey East tournament history by defeating BC in game three of a best of three series. I remember the UVM players jumping around their goalie like they had just won the national title and a few hours later, Vermont Athletics posted a video of head coach Kevin Sneddon dancing with a broom in the locker room. To be honest, it was a little embarrassing- nobody celebrates like that on BC's ice.

Coach York and his crew will have that series fresh on their minds as they travel up to Burlington for a weekend series with the Catamounts, starting tomorrow night at 7 PM. It has been an up and down year for the Cats as they are 12-16-3, good for 7th place. UVM lost its top player from last season as defenseman Mike Paliotta is now in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization after being traded from Chicago. Outside of Paliotta and goaltender Brody Hoffman, UVM didn't lose much from a squad that stunned the Eagles but they have had a tough time putting the puck in the net at times this year. Junior Mario Puskarich is their best player with 25 points on the season, which is tops on the team by a long shot but unfortunately for Sneddon and his staff, a couple of players have taken a step back. Brady Shaw has only 3 goals on the season after leading the team a year ago in that category with 19. Senior Jonathan Turk's production has decreased a bit, and starting goaltender Mike Santaguida hasn't played in two months due to injury. Freshman Packy Munson is expected to get the start and thus far, he has posted a 2.20 goals against average and .920 save percentage in 15 games played. Despite the inexperience, I think Vermont's biggest asset is their blue line because every year, they seem to be one of the top defensive teams in Hockey East. They will be led the senior duo of Alexx Privitera and Yvan Pattyn, who are, ironically, the only Catamount defenders that played in the BC game last Spring (assuming Abramson does not start). BC's superior speed will undoubtedly cause some problems for a UVM defense that is systemically terrific but might not have the skill set its had in the past-I wouldn't be surprised if Pattyn and Privitera are out there every other shift. Up front, Puskarich is the guy to watch but freshman Liam Coughlin, a CM product, is their only NHL draft pick (6th round, Edmonton) and has put together a solid season. In the games I have watched, Vermont has rolled four lines and just last weekend, the bottom unit produced some points versus New Hampshire. I will be intrigued to see whether they decide to give a regular shift to those guys because if it becomes BC's top 3 lines vs UVM's, I like our chances. 

I never guarantee victories but I can say this with 100% certainty- BC will come out ready to play this weekend. The pairwise and Hockey East standings are obviously of extreme importance but these games are all about exacting some revenge. The display Vermont put on after that game a season ago was nothing but ridiculous, they won a Hockey East playoff series and you would have thought it was the Stanley Cup. The BC players and coaches will tell you that this is a new year and a totally different (and much better) team. True, of course, but they have that series in the back of their minds and I think they're going to play tremendous hockey. Last weekend, outside of the first period on Friday, was a struggle as Merrimack took it to them at times. The first order of business is they have to play better in their own end, particularly in front of Thatcher Demko. They allowed Merrimack to drive to the net and create opportunities in-between the circles far too often and paid the price with a disappointing tie. Look for the Eagles to put an emphasis on getting out in space, creating plays through the neutral zone, and trying to get the pace of the game as high as possible. I can't say too much about injuries but hopefully Matthew Gaudreau will be able to give it a go after that vicious hit last weekend ( I can't believe Hockey East did not issue a suspension). 

If we look at the national picture, depending on what happens with other games, if BC is able to pick up two wins this weekend, they are a lock for the NCAA tournament and in a prime position for the #1 overall seed. That being said, they have to be ready to go tomorrow night. 

Scouting Vermont- 

Record- 12-16-3 (32nd in pairwise) 

Leading scorers- Mario Puskarich (8-17-25), Jarrid Privitera (10-7-17), Brendan Bradley (9-8-17) 

Team offense- 2.26 goals per game (50th) 

Team defense- 2.61 goals against per game (27th) 

Power play-13% (46th) 

Penalty kill-78% (50th) 

Shots on goal per game- 31.87 shots per game (27th) 

Keys for BC- 

1. They must be better in the defensive end. It starts with staying out of the box but they need to limit UVM's chances from the slot and around Demko by trying to keep the majority of their shots to the perimeter. 

2. Force Vermont out of their comfort zone. The Eagles have had success in this building the past few years because they've been able to jump out to early leads and compel Vermont into playing a game they don't want to play. 

3. Capitalize on the power play. Vermont's penalty kill is one of the worst in the country (50th), which means the Eagles must take advantage when given the chances. 

Notes- Gaudreau's status is up in the air- I think he might play. Calnan is still hurting. 

 Go Eagles

Eagles and Warriors Settle For Tie

History told us that last night's game @ Lawler Arena was going to a battle, no matter the discrepancy between Merrimack's and BC's records. That is exactly what happened as the Warriors notched the tying goal with just under a minute left in regulation to salvage a tie with #3 Eagles, who extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games, the longest in the country. Give Merrimack a ton of credit for the way they played, I think they deserved better faith because they controlled the play for a large part of the game and took advantage of some sloppy play from Boston College. Mark Dennehy decided to start backup goaltender Drew Volger and despite the five goals allowed, he made the stops necessary to contain the high powered Eagles down the stretch.

As for BC, it just didn't seem as if everything was clicking. Miles Wood's return to the lineup certainly helped the cause as he recorded two helpers including one in the first five minutes of the game to Austin Cangelosi, giving BC a 1-0 lead. After that though, Merrimack took over. For whatever reason, BC's usually stout defense was running around the entire night and it didn't help that they could not find a way to block a shot from the point. I look at the first, third, and fifth goals as perfect examples of BC just failing to pick up their assignments in the defensive zone, particularly in front of the net. It is easy to point to Thatcher Demko and say he needed a night off but given the way BC played in their own end, you can't really fault the junior netminder. The first goal, a rebound tally, came off a weak wrist shot from the half-wall and on the replay, it actually looks like BC's forward had a chance to get in front of the shot but it did not happen. 

The second period was arguably BC's worst of the year. 5 on 5, they were fine but once again, penalties ruled the day as Merrimack converted on two boneheaded infractions. MC clearly thought they could win the game by getting pucks and bodies to the net and outnumbering BC, which is how they scored over half their goals. I thought their second goal, also a power play tally, was just a nice play that is almost impossible to cover. Seney made an unbelievable behind the back pass from below the goal line and when you're a man down, there isn't much you can do. 

The good news is that the best player on the ice last night was wearing a maroon and gold sweater. Ryan Fitzgerald single-handedly saved the day for the Eagles with two goals and an assist, giving him 35 points for the season. If it wasn't for him, we'd be looking at a deflating loss that would have moved BC down a spot or two in the pairwise rankings. I thought his brother Casey was BC's best defenseman, recording two points on the night, and he was also able to use his speed to help BC break the puck out of the zone, which, on that surface, is no easy task. Adam Gilmour made up for his 10 minute misconduct by tying the game early in the third period before Casey Fitzgerald gave the Eagles the lead on a five minute power play. Outside of the tying goal, the five minute major was the turning point in the game. Fitzgerald's goal game just under a minute and a half into the man advantage so BC had a chance to extend the lead to two which would have put the game out of reach with so little time left but Merrimack's penalty kill stood tall and held the Eagles off the board. I thought they got some good shots but you could tell that the limited space had a negative effect on their ability to move the puck around at the pace they normally do. 

As was the case in the Harvard game, BC didn't allow Merrimack to get any chances between the ten minute and one minute marks but unfortunatly, the lead did not hold up. MC capitalized on an offensive zone face-off to even things up with 55 seconds to play thanks a wrist shot from defenseman Jonathan Lashyn. If BC wins that draw, they're probably able to bang it up the boards and win a foot race in order to score an empty netter but it didn't happen. I don't think it is fair to blame White, the center, but it was a bit surprising that Cangelosi, the #1 face-off man in the league, was not on the ice. That being said, White is one of the best two way forwards in the country so he should have been out there. Face-off aside, I think one could argue that BC could have done a better job of blocking the shot but Merrimack made the play when needed. 

As I said earlier, give Merrimack all the credit in the world for the way they played. I think they will be a tough out for whomever they get in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs.  Despite the disappointing result, there are a few positives to take out of this game for the Eagles. The performances of the Fitzgerald brothers, Cangelosi, and Miles Wood were encouraging and the fact that they scored 5 goals in that building against that system is a great sign going forward. The power play had another solid night, going 2 for 5 although they probably would like to have that final 3:30 of the major back. No one is ever pleased with a tie but the fact that they did not bring anywhere near their A game and still came out with a point is reassuring. For the majority of the nation, when you don't deliver your very best on the road,  it usually means you're going to head home with a disappointing loss but for BC, they salvaged a crucial point that allows them to stay at #4 in the pairwise, just a few percentage points behind North Dakota, who got swept at Denver. After an emotional week of hockey, I would not be surprised if the staff gave the team a couple days off in order to gear up for Vermont because at times last night, a few players looked gassed. 

Positives- 

1. Fitzgerald brothers came to play. Great night for both Casey and Ryan, the latter is now a point behind Colin White for the team lead. 

2. Power play. BC's man advantage went 2 for 5 on the night. 

Negatives- 

1. The final goal was a bit of a backbreaker. So many "what ifs" to talk about but in the end, it was nice execution by the home team. 

2. Penalties. I don't really believe in the notion that BC "plays down" to their opponents but it does seem that they take more penalties in games against "weaker" opponents which allows those teams to stay in the game. 

Notes- Matthew Gaudreau was the victim of a vicious hit that led to a five minute major. Coach York said the team will wait and see how he feels this morning but I think he's going to be okay. Tough ending to what I thought was a great weekend for him. 

Player of the game- Ryan Fitzgerald 

Next- @ Vermont next week for two. Revenge. 

Go Eagles

Sanford Leads Eagles Over Warriors

If you read this blog from time to time, you are probably aware that I get my share of baloney on Twitter for a handful of different reasons. Last week, I tweeted that Zach Sanford should be in the Hobey Baker conversation. To make a long story short, it was not pretty. I realize that there is almost a 0% chance Sanford actually wins the award but #24 made Blogger look pretty good tonight as he recorded 3 points to lift the Eagles to a 6-3 victory over Merrimack. At 21 wins thus far, Boston College has matched their total from a season ago in 9 fewer games. What a difference a year makes.

As was the case last week against UNH, this was the story of two different games. For whatever reason, Merrimack forgot how to play hockey in the first ten minutes of the game and against a team of BC's caliber, that is big no-no. The Eagles were able to capitalize on MC's poor play as Adam Gilmour scored just 1:38 into the contest, thanks to beautiful pass from Ryan Fitzgerald. I probably don't give Fitzgerald enough credit but the season he has put together has been nothing short of incredible. If you told me in August that he would be fourth in the league in points, I would have recommended you to take the first flight to Mars. He is not the fastest player for his size but his play making abilities and lethal snap shot make up for that. Just four minutes after Gilmour's tally, Sanford recorded BC's sole power play goal of the evening and given that it was their only man advantage of the game, I would say it was a successful night at the office for Coach Brown's unit. They have emphasized constant puck movement in order to keep the opposition moving and I thought against BU, they were a bit static but tonight they came through when needed. The onslaught continued when Austin Cangelosi recorded his second penalty shot goal this season on essentially the same exact move he did vs BU in January. Another terrific game for the Florida native who is beginning to run away with the most improved player award in my mind, although you could certainly make an argument for Ryan Fitzgerald. Despite the six goals, Cangelosi, Sanford, Steve Santini, and Gilmour were the only Eagles with more than one point, which goes to show just how deep this team is. Colin White notched BC's 9th shorthanded goal of the season, which is good for second in the country, after banging home a Matthew Gaudreau cross ice pass. Merrimack was able to get on the board late thanks to a snipe from defenseman Jared Kolquist. I think Demko might have been screened but in reality, BC probably should have done a better job of getting in front of the shooter after the puck went around the net on the far side of zone. That minor error aside, BC had a terrific opening period.

I know the final score may not indicate this, but I thought Merrimack played very well over the course of the final forty minutes, particularly in the second period. The first ten minutes of the game were played at a high tempo which obviously favors the Eagles but as time wore on, MC was able to prevent BC from creating chances through the neutral zone. For the most part, neither team allowed many "grade A" chances in the second period but the Warriors were able to take advantage of a BC defensive breakdown with five minutes to go. Merrimack did a nice job of getting the puck below the goal line in order to force BC's forwards deep into the zone and a quick low-high pass resulted in a wide open lane for defenseman Marc Biega who fired home his 2nd of the season. Certainly not the best period out of the Eagles.

Despite the score, it felt as if MC had the momentum heading into the third period because they were able to score two consecutive goals and bring the game down to their level. One figured that they would come out flying in the early parts of the third but that did not happen. Instead, Alex Tuch continued his sensational play by banging home a tally just 13 seconds into the final frame. Make that 7 straight games with at least one point, a career high for the Baldwinsville, New York native. I expanded on this more in the Beanpot recap but ever since the World Jr snub, we have seen a totally different Tuch than the one in the first half. Last year, I was not overly impressed with his skating but it seems to me as if there has been drastic improvements in that department. Just look at how he burned that Merrimack defender. With just under ten minutes to go in the period, Sanford ended the night for the Eagles with a tap in rebound off a Michael Kim point shot.

All in all, I don't think this was BC's best game, by any stretch, but they found a way to get the job done. They didn't give Merrimack many chances on the power play (3) but when they did, the penalty kill came up big with a shorthanded goal and a couple of solid kills. One of the key traits this team possesses is that guys are able to step up when called upon. For example, with Wood and Calnan out of the lineup, BC needed players like Gilmour and Cangelosi to support the top line and they came through. On the defensive side of things, Santini was terrific and despite giving up three goals to a team not known for its offense, I actually thought BC did a pretty good job in its own end. All three of MC's goals came from defenseman and were the result of point shots that probably should have been blocked by a forward so you can't fault BC's blue line for the way they played. With the lopsided score, the fourth line was given some playing time and for the most part, they performed admirably. Since Calnan will not play tomorrow and Wood is back, Chris Brown will likely take over at center for Joey Dudek, who played only his second game since January 15th. Tonight will present a much different test as Merrimack always plays BC tough on their home ice. The smaller surface at Lawler could pose some problems for an Eagle team that likes to use as much space as possible so they need to make sure they get off to a good start. For those wondering if Thatcher Demko will rest, according to Coach York, he will play again tomorrow night. I certainly see why some would want #30 to get a night off but I don't think it is worth the pairwise risk. With North Dakota and Quinnipiac falling tonight, BC has a solid chance of getting that #1 overall seed if they can win out.

Why BC Won- 

1. Outstanding opening ten minutes. I think Merrimack forgot what time the game started. Outside of that though, it was a relativity even game.

2. Zach Sanford is pretty, pretty good. The Hobey might be out of the question, but he is starting to show the nation that he is one heck of a player.

3. Scoring distribution. If you look at BC's games this season in which they have scored five or more goals, it will surprise you how spread out the scoring was.

Negatives- 

Merrimack took it to BC in the second period. They were not skating circles around the Eagles but got the better of the chances and outshot the maroon and gold by a 10-8 margin.

Player of the game- Zach Sanford

Notes- Calnan is out tonight, Wood is back.

Next- @ MC 7 PM.

Go Eagles

Merrimack Preview

The 2016 Beanpot champion Boston College Eagles will continue their push for a #1 seed in both the Hockey East and NCAA tournaments this weekend when they take on the Merrimack College Warriors. This is right around the time of year where teams zone in on their pairwise standing and thanks to a terrific month of hockey, the Eagles are currently the last #1 seed and tied with the Fighting Irish for first place in Hockey East. With BU, Lowell, Notre Dame, and PC all scheduled to play games against each other in the next three weeks, the Eagles have a chance to separate themselves from the pack if they can win these games vs Merrimack and Vermont before the season finale against Lowell.

It has been a difficult year for Merrimack and they're about to head into a building they have not won at in 18 years. Ouch. The Warriors are 8-14-6 thus far but picked up a quality tie last weekend vs UConn, a game where they outshot the Huskies by a 45-23 margin, which, considering MC's offensive tendencies, is an astounding stat. Their go to player is undoubtedly Brett Seney, a sixth round pick of the New Jersey Devils in last year's NHL Draft but the sophomore out of Western Canada has had to deal with some injury problems as he has missed 7 games over the course of the year. As is typically the case with Merrimack's teams, most of their scoring has come from upperclassmen, a group that makes up 4 of their top 5 scorers. Senior Brian Christie is the leading point getter for the blue and gold with 20 on the season, in fact, he is the only Warrior to break the 20 point threshold at this point. On the other end of the ice, Boston College has 7 players who have recorded 20 or more points, which is the most in Hockey East. The style of play that Merrimack brings to the table is the exact opposite of what BC tries to do. As you all know, the Eagles play fast, try to carry the puck into the zone to create plays, and often times have defenseman get involved in the offense. The Warriors, on the other hand, are noted for their neutral zone trap that will often leave opposing fans snoozing by the middle of the second period but to MC's credit, it has worked at times over the past few years, particularly in 2011. The reason for the difference in playing style stems back to recruiting because by and large, you will not see two teams built more differently, year in and year out, than Merrimack and BC. The Warriors make their living off of Western Canadian players who have played, two, sometimes three, years of junior hockey before arriving in North Andover- which is why they are often the oldest team in Hockey East. The good news is that BC has faced teams similar to Merrimack already this season such as RIT and Army (who beat the Warriors last month) and had some success.

To be honest, these are the type of games that make me a bit nervous. On paper, it should be no contest but when you look at BC's recent string of success and the fact that Merrimack is fighting to avoid going on the road in the first round, you can't help but think MC will come out flying. I know they have not had the season they would like to but Mark Dennehy always gets his guys going to face his alma mater, no matter how good or bad they may be. MC might not be the most skilled team BC faces all season but they're going to come out and frustrate the Eagles early on by banging bodies, preventing easy entrances, and attempting to bait BC into taking stupid penalties (which BU did a good job of on Monday). The Eagles will be without star left winger Miles Wood tomorrow night due to his suspension and if I had to guess, either Chris Calnan or Chris Brown will take his spot on a line with Cangelosi and Gilmour. Calnan, who I thought looked great when on the ice earlier this week, might be questionable given that his ankle is still giving him some fits. I don't think there is a need to force anyone who is banged up to play this weekend but with Wood out tomorrow, they will have to move a few parts.

Scouting Merrimack- 

Record- 8-14-6 (41st in pairwise)

Leading scorers- Brian Christie (6-14-20), Brett Seney (6-12-18), Hampus Gustafsson (6-12-18)

Team offense- 2.36 goals scored per game (46th)

Team defense- 2.79 goals against per game (33rd)

Power play- 12% (50th)

Penalty kill- 82% (36th)

Shots on goal per game- 29.21per game (41st)

Keys for BC- 

1. Early and often. I think the best way to get Merrimack out of their system is by getting out to an early lead and forcing them to create offense. The slower the game, the more it plays into MC's hands, the faster, the more it plays into BC's.

2. Power play. BC's man advantage ranks 18th in the country but it has been better as of late, outside of the BU game. It would be nice to see them pot a goal or two tomorrow.

3. Don't take the bait. Merrimack knows that if the majority of this game is played 5 on 5, BC has a huge advantage. Therefore, look for the Warriors to try and bait BC into taking stupid penalties that will lead to power play chances for MC.

Notes- Wood out, Calnan only other question mark.

Go Eagles

Miles Wood Suspended One Game

Forward Miles Wood has been suspended one game by Hockey East for his boarding penalty on Monday night versus Boston University.

Obviously, I do not agree with the suspension but I completely understand why the league issued this punishment. Wood, as good as he has been for the Eagles, has had some issues with staying out of the box dating back to last season at Nobles where he was suspended for getting thrown out of multiple games. Over the past few weeks, Wood has done a much better job of avoiding the sin bin but I think his emotions might have gotten the best of him in this moment and because of that, he will be out of the lineup on Friday night.

On another note, I hope Hockey East takes a look at Mike Moran's vicious slash that forced Josh Couturier to lay on the ice for a few minutes. I don't know how the referees missed that call.

Go Eagles

"BU Invitational"

Could this be National Geographic image of the year? 

When I was just starting to get into BC Hockey a few years back, every time February came around it would be the same old story. The Eagles often had the best team entering the tournament and many thought they would finally end the BU curse but every time BC knocked on the door, it seemed as if the Terriers crushed our hearts with dramatic, late game goals. After Brian McGuirk's tally in 2007, the infamous "BU Invitational" term rang throughout the college hockey world- they owned the tournament and it didn't look as if things would change anytime soon, given that the Terriers once went 20 years without losing to Boston College in the Beanpot (1981-2001). 

My how things have changed. 

Thanks to an overtime strike from Alex Tuch, Boston College took him its 20th Beanpot and 6th in the past 7 years, which is a first in school history. Before diving into details, I just want to say I thought BU played a tremendous hockey game. You can't beat this Eagle team unless you get unbelievable goaltending and Sean Maguire turned in one of the best performances I have seen in that tournament since Sean Fields in 2004. Even David Quinn said after the game that the score would have been 4-0 after the first period if it weren't for Maguire's heroics and while I don't agree with the MVP choice, I certainly tip my cap to him on one heck of a performance. 

I can't count how many times I have sat there at the end of a period this year and said to myself "that is their best twenty minutes of the season." BC just utterly dominated the Terriers in that opening stanza but once again, they could not find a way to put a puck past a hot netminder. It was eerily similar to what happened on Friday night versus New Hampshire- 23 shots and nothing to show for. Obviously, there were two distinct turning points in the first half of the game. At the time the lights went out, BC had been controlling the puck in the BU end for the entirety of the period but as I said earlier, they could not find a way to find nylon. Then, out of nowhere, The Garden's lights went out and both teams were forced to head back to their respective locker rooms, which was huge for BU because they appeared to be chasing the maroon and gold around for the entire game up to that point. Another key moment was when the Terriers were handed almost a minute of 5 on 3 time thanks to two highly questionable calls on Miles Wood and Chris Brown. Wood laid a hit on Ahti Oksanen, who went down like he had been shot but amazingly, he got up and played the very same shift. I haven't seen a replay of the Brown call so I will refrain from comment on that one. Anyway, the BC penalty kill came up big and prevented BU from grabbing the game's first goal, which would have been a total momentum killer given how well BC played early on. 

As I think most BC fans expected, the Terriers came out heavy in the final two periods but not before giving the Eagles a couple of power plays that they failed to take advantage of. BU's penalty kill, a unit that has had its share of ups and downs so far, did a terrific job of keeping the high powered Eagles out of rhythm and to be honest, I can't remember one high quality chance BC generated on the man advantage. Things came to a climax when Jordan Greenway and Casey Fitzgerald exchanged pleasantries after Greenway ran Thatcher Demko and decided to try and rip off  Fitzgerald's helmet.  I never thought I would see a bigger goon than Eric Gryba play for the scarlet and white but the Edmonton Oilers defenseman might have found his match. Greenway, a second round draft pick I might add, wasn't out there to try and make plays, he was out there to hurt people, particularly Demko. I cannot believe they did not call anything when he ran #30 for a second time in the final period. I've seen the replay, there is no reason for him to go barreling in like that on a defenseless goaltender. It was a disgusting display. The teams continued to trade a few unbelievable chances as time wound down in the middle period but still no blood was drawn. 

BU started to find their legs as the game went on while BC had a few shifts where they were pinned down in their own end but once again, I thought the BC blue line did an awesome job of preventing "grade A chances" for the Terriers. Outside of the 2 on 1 in the first period, I don't think BU had a lot of high quality looks, they were mainly from the perimeter and when you're facing a goalie like Demko, scoring goals like that is not going to be easy. Ironically, BU fans spent the entire offseason questioning how BC would be able to recover from the losses of Noah Hanifin and Mike Matheson. Look at how that one turned out for them. Demko deserves most of the credit, he might be the best goaltender BC has ever had (we'll have that debate later) but the play of BC's defenseman cannot go under the radar for much longer. Not to mention the fact they rolled just 5 guys for the entire second half of the game once Josh Couturier went down on a vicious slash from Mike Moran (once again, no call). McCoshen and Santini carried the weight, as always, but I thought the other guys, particularly Michael Kim, stepped up when needed. When you have a forward group that is as talented as BC's is, you don't need your defensemen to take the puck up the ice and create offense every shift, you just need them to be solid in their own end by avoiding turnovers and I thought, for the most part, BC did that last night, especially late in the game. 

I considered walking over the Mass General to watch the overtime in the ICU but just as my thought was gaining steam, Alex Tuch scored a goal that will long be remembered in the annals of Boston College Hockey history. Bill Arnold's tally in 2012 was the strike that officially ended Jack Parker's reign while Tuch's bullet just continued the seemingly perpetual dominance by BC in Boston's midwinter classic. I don't try to play the game of "favorite" players and all that but the fact Tuch scored that goal is pretty darn cool. Here is a guy that has been through a lot in his short time on The Heights. Often criticized all throughout last season and in the opening semester of this year for his seemingly inconsistent play, the fact that he stuck it out and stayed the course says a lot about not only his perseverance but his commitment to his teammates. There aren't many guys who have come here with the type of expectations Tuch had after being drafted in the first round a few years back. Sometimes (Jeremy Bracco) those type of players are so self centered that they could care less about the performance of the team but if you listened to Tuch's post game comments, all he talked about was how much love he had for his teammates, coaches, and school. In my opinion, that is precisely what coming to play hockey at Boston College is all about. Congrats to Alex on a moment he will remember for the rest of his life. 

At the end of the day, it isn't nearly as sweet as a National Championship but beating those guys in a game like that is always special. I always say that BC vs BU is the best rivalry in sports and I often get laughed at for saying it but when you have two teams that play with that much passion and heart for 60 plus minutes, I don't think it can be topped.  When I came home last night, my dad, who played on some talented BC teams that never won a Beanpot, said something along the lines of you don't realize how fortunate you are to see BC win this thing so often because for the first 30 something years of my life, it was the same team winning over and over again. 

So much for that. 

Why BC Won- 

1. Thatcher Demko played outstanding. Despite getting run over a couple of times, the best goalie in college hockey stayed in there and made some huge saves down the stretch. He now holds the BC record for shutouts in a season (9). 

2. Terrific play from the first line. Cangelosi and Gilmour continue to look like totally different players from a year ago while Miles Wood was arguably the best skater out there. 

3. The best players came through when needed. I would love to see a snapshot competition between Tuch and Steven Whitney- both of them have lasers. Zach Sanford is now on a 6 game point streak.....Hobey!! 

Negatives- 

How in the world do you not give Thatcher Demko the MVP? Absolute joke. 

Player of the game- Demko. 

Next- Merrimack this weekend. Home Friday. 

GO EAGLES !!!!

BU Preview

First of all, I apologize for the lateness of this post- Blogger went right to bed after the Super Bowl last night. Anyway, the Eagles will face-off against their archrival for a chance at Beanpot glory tonight at 7:30 PM. For those wondering about a possible cancellation, the TD Garden just tweeted that the games were on but the city of Boston could still call them off if they feel it would be too dangerous for fans to travel.

I say this before every BC-BU game but I don't think anyone who has ever been involved in the rivalry, whether as a player, coach, student, or fan, would tell you there is anything better in college athletics. The disdain between the two programs is obvious but the underlying respect towards one another is unique, especially considering how close the two institutions are and how they compete on so many different levels. It should be a tremendous spectacle not only for the tournament, but for the sport of college hockey.

The Terriers enter this game on a 5 gamer winning streak, which is tied with St Cloud State for the longest in the country although it should be noted those wins have come against Maine (x2), Merrimack, Northeastern, and UMass, five of the worst teams in college hockey. As we saw a couple of weeks ago, they will be led up front by freshman Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, senior Danny O'Regan, and fan favorite Ahti Oksanen. Coming into the season, many (including me) questioned whether or not BU would be able to get consistent scoring due to the fact that they lost their top guys from a season ago. So far, they have proved their critics wrong as they are 7th in the country with 3.67 goals scored per game. Their blue line has accounted for a good chunk of that offense as they are 2nd in the nation in defenseman scoring which is not surprising given the talent they have on that back end. That being said, their best player (in my opinion at least), Charlie McAvoy, is questionable for tonight's game with a lower body injury per Mike Morrelae of NHL.com. Personally, I would be absolutely shocked if he didn't play in a game of this magnitude. One guy that has found his way for the scarlet and white is rookie Jordan Greenway who has recorded 7 points in 5 games since the weekend series with BC. That stretch includes a 3 point outburst vs Maine and a 2 goal performance on Friday night at UMass. BU possesses a good mix of size, speed, and skill. Guys like Greenway and Oksanen are bigger, more powerful forwards who have tremendous stick skills, especially in the offensive zone. However, they also have players like O'Regan, Lane (who has had a great senior year), and JFK who can beat you with their speed to the outside. Entering the weekend series versus BC in early January, many BU fans had concerns about goaltender Sean Maguire but even since those back to back stellar performances against the Eagles, the senior out of British Columbia has stood on his head.

I think one of the more intriguing story lines is the fact that these are the youngest teams in college hockey and there is no way to determine how the players will react to the circumstances. Perhaps the impending snowstorm will have a negative effect on the crowd but I still expect around 9-10,000 people to be there. If you're reading this, you're probably wondering about the status of BC's injured players- in particular Colin White, Miles Wood, and Chris Calnan. While things could certainly change between now and 7:30, I would be shocked if they were not in the lineup given that all three participated fully in practice yesterday afternoon. Obviously White and Wood are the two engines that make the train go but Calnan's value as a fourth liner who can kill penalties should not go unnoticed because in these type of game, the unheralded players are often the ones who make the biggest impact. As was the case in the Harvard game, I would say that whichever team takes the lower amount of penalties will be the team that comes out on top. If you look at the past couple of games these teams have played in this tournament, you will notice just how crucial power plays are. It sounds cliche but in such an emotional game, staying out of the box and preventing your opponent from generating a lot of opportunities on the power play is going to be critical.

Scouting BU- 

Record- 16-7-4 (7th in pairwise)

Leading scorers- Danny O'Regan (10-22-32), Ahti Oksanen (14-16-30), Matt Lane (14-10-24)

Team offense- 3.67 goals scored per game (7th)

Team defense- 2.59 goals against per game (23rd)

Power play- 21.6% (11th)

Penalty kill- 81.5% (37th)

Shots on goal per game- 34.67 (6th)

Keys for BC-

1. Do everything possible to stay out of the box. 5 on 5, I think BC is the better team- 3 of BU's 4 goals against the Eagles came on the man advantage but if BC runs around taking boneheaded penalties once again, the Terriers will take advantage.

2. Contain BU's first line. JFK and O'Regan can really get up and down the ice to create plays so BC has to be aware and they cannot get all three forwards sucked in deep like they did all night vs UNH.

3. Early and often. I think there will be a lot of nervous players who might be prone to making an occasional mistake early on, which is why I think getting out to an early lead is very important.

Notes- Everybody should be good to go. McAvoy is a gametime decision for BU.

Go Eagles!!!!

Staff Lands Top USPHL Forward

Michael Booth committed to BC today, giving the Eagles their ninth commitment in the class of 2016- fourth at the forward spot. Booth, a 5'11 forward out of Illinois who plays for BC alum Scott Harlow and the South Shore Kings, has recorded 35 points in 37 games played after notching 40 points in 45 games for the Bay State Breakers a season ago. I heard that UNH and Harvard were among the other teams Booth had contact with. This seems to be a pretty substantial get for the staff given that they have put an emphasis on finding four year players who will develop into top six guys by their junior and senior years. Of course, it is impossible to predict what will happen down the road but those who have seen Booth call him an exciting, skilled, and fast forward who has a terrific shot.

Looking at next year's projected roster, if they can get one or two guys to stay up front, they could have a very deep roster. A lot will change between now and April but it will likely come down to whether or not Tuch and White stick around, at least in terms of the forward position. Guys like Booth and Zach Walker would be terrific in a third or fourth line role, something BC has not had the past few years, outside of this season. We'll see what happens.

 Go Eagles.

Onto the Terriers

Photo from BC Athletics

It wasn't easy but thanks to a late defensive stand, the Eagles picked up their second victory of the season over UNH and remained in first place. A Michigan loss to Michigan State bumped BC up to #4 in the pairwise, which means that if the tournament started tomorrow, the Eagles would be a #1 seed. It was not the result they wanted but give UNH a lot of credit- they looked like a totally different team than the one I saw in November. I had been skeptical as to whether or not Kelleher and Poturalski were the real deals but after that game, there is no doubt they are two of the best players in the league. There were a handful of NHL scouts on hand to watch them- including Buffalo GM Tim Murray.  I think that team will cause some damage down the stretch and I certainly don't want to see them in the playoffs.

BC's first period was as good as one could ask for- they generated dozens of quality looks but Wildcat goalie Danny Tirone turned in one of the best goaltending performances I have seen in quite some time. In order to beat this BC team, you need your goaltender to stand on its head and despite the 5 goals against, Tirone did that tonight- his defense on the other hand could not make enough plays to stop the high powered Eagles. It is pretty amazing that even though 29 shots were fired on net between the two teams in the first period, no one was able to put one through. BC's had an unbelievable chance when awarded a full, two minute, five on three. The Eagles held the puck inside the New Hampshire zone for almost the entire power play but Tirone came up with some critical saves and the period ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Despite the fact that no blood was drawn, the opening twenty minutes certainly set the stage for what would be two highly entertaining final two periods. Both teams put an emphasis on getting out and skating which led to an absurd amount of three on twos, two on ones, and even a couple breakaways.

The second period was equally as fast paced outside of the fact that there were more whistles, which hampered the tempo. Tirone made one of the best saves I have ever seen (maybe even the best) on Scott Savage in the opening minutes of the stanza but the Eagles struck just a few seconds after that when Austin Cangelosi potted his 12th goal of the season. Obviously, there are a lot of factors that play into stats like this but at this time last season, Cangelosi had just 14 points, as of today he has 24. I think you could certainly make the argument that he has been BC's most improved player along with Matthew Gaudreau. Thirty seconds after Cangelosi's tally, Zach Sanford made a nifty move to  push home his 9th of the season. I tweeted shortly after the goal that the Pinkerton, NH native should be a Hobey Baker candidate and while I am aware that there is no chance he wins it, I do sincerely believe he is one of the top players in college hockey. There are a lot of guys out there who have recorded more points but they play way more than #24 does. When you combine his stellar play making abilities and defensive reliability, I don't think there are many players in this sport who do more for their club than Sanford does for BC. Anyway, after the second goal, BC went into a shell as UNH controlled the play for the remainder of the second period and were finally rewarded when Kyle Smith banged home a rebound off a Matias Cleland point shot. I don't think anyone would deny that the Wildcats deserved better faith in the second.

I think the most compelling part of these past two games is that BC has been able to hold onto a one goal lead in the third period despite facing different levels of adversity. Colin White went to the locker room midway through the final period with an apparent wrist injury (Coach York said it was "kind of sprained" after the game). The staff called for a timeout in order to straighten out the line situation but ironically, it was the Wildcats who notched the next goal and tied the game with 12 minutes to play. Kelleher and Poturalski finally converted on a nice play against a BC top line that was without its go to player. Instead of throwing it in the towel, the Eagles responded with a terrific couple of minutes, highlighted by Mike Kim's first career goal off a slap shot from the point and a funky one timer from Adam Gilmour shortly after. I have talked about it a few times but what Kim has done in under a month on the Heights has been nothing short of remarkable. Can you imagine getting a call one night from your coach saying BC wants you to play for them in the middle of the season? The USPHL is a competitive league but comparing it to Hockey East would be like comparing Winged Foot to Ponkapoag. I'm sure he would be the first to tell you that Monday was not his best game but the ability to bounce back and come up big on a night when the team needed it most is a positive sign moving forward. With regards to Gilmour, every game seems to be a step in the right direction- he has stepped up his game over these past few weeks. Unfortunately, the two goal advantage did not last long as UNH's Dan Correale roofed a pretty backhander past Demko with just under 9 minutes to play. Once again, I thought BC did a great job of finishing the game off and holding on for the victory. Unlike Harvard, UNH had a couple of golden opportunities to tie the game, especially in the last couple seconds, but Demko was there to close the door and allow the Eagles to hold onto first place.

All in all, it wasn't their best game by any stretch but the difference with the this team compared to last season is that they are finding ways to win games. Of course, the main concern right now is health. There is no way to measure this but has there ever been a team ranked this high despite so many injuries? By my count, BC has had 14 different games without at least one player who was in the opening night lineup because of varying ailments. That number does not account for Brendan Silk who has missed every game and will not return for the remainder of the regular season. Calnan is battling a nagging lower body injury. That being said, I do think he will dress next week and test it out early on. Wood should be okay, if the Beanpot was last night, he would have played. As for White, no word yet. I didn't see the actual play where the injury occurred but one has to assume that the medical staff shut him down due to the fact that there was no point in throwing him back out there. As for the guys who played, obviously you know what I think of Sanford and Kim but Scott Savage also had an impressive game tonight, recording two helpers. It could have been a three point night for #2 if it wasn't for Tirone's incredible save early in the second period. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best they could play and 1 being the worst, I thought BC was a 5, mainly due to the fact that they did not play well defensively. It seemed as if there were twice as many odd man rushes for the opponent tonight than there were in the Notre Dame and Harvard games combined. Without a doubt, there is a lot of room for improvement.

Time to refocus, get healthy, and bring the Beanpot back where it belongs.

Why BC Won-

1. Offensive depth prevailed one again. Four different goal scorers for the Eagles, headlined by Sanford who now has a five game point streak going.

2. Penalty kill was outstanding. Coach Ayers' unit went 7 for 7 against Harvard and UNH, two of the best power plays in the country. They need to cut back on the penalties though as 3 of BU's 4 goals against BC were on the power play three weeks ago.

3. Michael Kim played his best game in a BC uniform. Not a bad time to pick up your first career goal.

Negatives- 

1. BC gave up far too many odd man rushes. The forecheck seemed a bit out of sorts as there wasn't always a third forward high to cover- they seemed to get overconfident after that second goal and UNH took advantage.

2. They reverted back to taking stupid penalties.

Player of the game- Michael Kim

Next- Yup.

Go Eagles