Pivotal Victory

Going into the second half of the season, we knew that BC would at least have a golden opportunity to make the NCAA tournament due to their home schedule to finish up the season. They have four potential tournament teams all coming to the not-so friendly confines of Kelley Rink either in January or February. Merrimack, Providence, Vermont (x2), and Lowell are all teams that would have been in the NCAA tournament, had it started yesterday. Thanks to a terrific defensive effort and goals from the two Nobles guys, BC was able to jump one more spot in the pairwise (from 19 to 18), while at the same time, forcing Merrimack to drop from 13 to 17. On a note of much less importance, the Eagles moved into third place in the Hockey East standings, meaning they would host a second round playoff series.

Right off the bat, I thought BC came out and looked like the better hockey team, something they have done in pretty much every game over the course of the past month with the exception of maybe the Dartmouth game. When you have a young squad, I think it really increases the importance of not only getting off to a good start skating wise, but also doing everything you possibly can to score that first goal. BC is 8-0-1 when leading after the first period, 1-4 when trailing, and 5-4-1 when tied up. Although they didn't go ahead in the first twenty minutes, they thoroughly outplayed the Warriors and would have had two or three goals if it wasn't for some tremendous saves from MC goalie Rasmus Tirronen.

With the exception of the first forty minutes last Friday night, the second period was possibly the best period of hockey this team has played all season. They were all over Merrimack, I mean the blue and gold had the puck in our end for maybe two minutes? It looked like men against boys and leading the way was BC's ever developing top line of Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, and Zach Sanford. With the absence of Cangelosi on Sunday, the staff mixed up the lines and had Tuch with Straight and Fitzgerald. All everyone has been talking about is how we don't have a "top" line that can compete with other quality teams' top guys. Don't look now but BC's top unit is as hot as any in the country as Gilmour has 8 points in the last 7 games, Tuch has 7 in his past 7, and Sanford has 6 in his past 7. The Eagles finally broke the ice when Gilmour tapped home a rebound off a Noah Hanifin (also starting to put points on the board) shot from the point. BC dominated the entire middle period but amazingly, Merrimack almost tied it up when they were awarded a penalty shot thanks to a BC turnover just outside their offensive blue line. Like he always does, Demko came up with a big stop. Two minutes after the save, Chris Calnan continued his red hot streak when he sent a Scott Savage pass through Tirronen's five hole, putting BC up 2-0 after forty.

Give Merrimack credit because they came out ready to play in the third period. After a Steve Santini hooking penalty, the Warriors capitalized on what seemed like a well covered play. Their forward beat one of our guys wide but our guy was still on him enough to force the MC guy to the outside but unfortunately he threw what seemed like a bit of a blind pass in front of the net and it slipped under the stick of one of our defenseman and next thing you know, it's a one goal contest. In all honesty, BC didn't have a great third period but it wasn't just because of what Merrimack did. Approximately three minutes after MC's goal, Destry Straight sent a low slap shot on goal, the puck deflected to the right of Tirronen while Ryan Fizgerald was shoved down in front of the crease area, he clearly did not make much, if any contact with the goalie, he certainly didn't "interfere'" with him. A split second later, Austin Cangelosi, the one guy we absolutely need to start scoring, put the puck in the net. Astonishingly, the officials waived off the goal due to goaltender interference, and I'm not kidding when I say this because I say it a lot and usually it's a joke, but that was the single worst call I have ever seen in hockey. I don't even want to keep talking, it's just mind-boggling how often the refs in this league make calls that for one reason or another, have enormous impacts on the outcome of the games that we play in. Think about the call @ UNH, just worst. Here is a link to the replay thanks to the boys @ BCI.

Anyways, really proud of the way BC gutted out a victory last night. Merrimack was buzzing towards the end but BC hung on and picked up another HUGE victory. They're winning (with the exception of Maine) the games they're supposed to win and I don't see any reason as to why we can't run the table at home from here on out. On another note, Saturday night is as big of a revenge game as it gets. I love Coach Cav more than anybody but we can't let him come in here and beat us again, I mean, that loss @ UConn is the most upset I've ever been over a game and I'm not kidding. They MUST win.

Why BC Won- 

1. Defense and Demko were tremendous.

2. First line played at a really high level.

3. BC generated a ton of shots from the grade A areas. I know, two goals is somewhat disappointing but we would have had five goals if it wasn't for the game their goalie played.

Issues- 

1. Something needs to be done about that call on our third goal. What if Merrimack came back and won the game? We've been completely screwed on two calls this year and I'm sick of it. Needs to change.

Player of the game- I don't know, Calnan, Gilmour, and Demko were all great.

Next- UConn Saturday night. Cav !!

On a sad note, it would be awesome if you could keep the family of Erin Van Flandern in your prayers this week. She was a 17 year old student at Newton Country Day who passed away suddenly shortly after BC's victory @ BU on Friday night. She is survived by two sisters, a brother, and her  parents. Rest in peace, Erin.

Go Eagles.

Merrimack Preview

There are games you probably should win, there are games you probably have no business winning, there are games that could either way, and then there are games that you absolutely 100% have to find a way to win. Tomorrow is one of those must wins for the Eagles. If BC had lost to BU, Sunday would have been a must win but to be perfectly honest, coming out of that brutal scheduling quirk 1-1 isn't that bad, IF they can beat Merrimack at home tomorrow night. I've always been under the belief that BC should never, ever lose a Hockey East game at home, perhaps sans BU because they always play well here but anyone else, not good. It's been seventeen years since Merrimack last won a game at Kelley Rink, Halloween 1997 to be exact. Amazingly, perhaps none of the 20 plus trips the Warriors have made here since that game will be as important as tomorrow with MC sitting at 13th in the pairwise and BC sitting at 19th. A win would bump the Eagles up to 18, a loss would knock them down to 20th.

Merrimack comes into Chestnut Hill fresh off a home and home sweep of #20 Quinnipiac and is in the midst of winning three out of their past four games, that streak includes an extremely impressive 3-2 victory @ Minnesota on January 2nd. Whatever you want to say about the way Merrimack plays or the age of their players, the bottom line is they are playing as well as anyone in the country and you have to give them credit. Interestingly enough, this was supposed the be a real down year for the blue and gold as they were projected to finish 10th by the Hockey East coaches but as of today, they're sitting in 9th with three or four games in hand over everyone else in the league. Leading the way for MC has been freshman Brett Seney, sophomore Hampus Gustafsson, and junior Brian Christie, the only three Warrior forwards that have recorded more than 10 points thus far. As is usually the case with Merrimack, they live and die off their defense as they rank 4th in the country with just 1.95 goals given up per game. On the offensive side of things, the Warriors tend to struggle a bit as they average just 2.62 goals per game, good for 36th in the country.

Not much I can say other than this is a must win for BC, no ways around it, the Eagles have to find a way to win this game. Let's assume Merrimack continues to play well the rest of the way and is right around the bubble come tournament time, probably the same spot BC will be in, wouldn't it help if the Eagles took at least 3 of 4 points from those guys? Obviously. Expect sophomore Austin Cangelosi to return to the lineup after sitting out Sunday's contest at Maine. I don't know what others think but I like the way Austin has been playing lately and even if he isn't playing his very best at times, his speed adds an element to that second line that I think scares opponents. I watched the BU tape and I really didn't see anything he did that was absolutely horrible but I'm certainly no expert. Hopefully he gets back to playing at a high level tomorrow because BC will need it.

Scouting Merrimack-

Record- 13-6-2 (13th in PWR)

Leading scorers- Brett Seney (10-11-21), Hampus Gustafsson (6-11-17), Brian Christie (9-7-16)

Team offense- 2.62 goals per game (36th)

Team defense- 1.95 goals allowed per game (4th)

Power play- 16 % (34th)

Penalty kill- 90% (4th)

Shot on goal margin per game- + 1.09 (31st)

Penalty minutes- 11.32 minutes per game (32nd)

Keys for BC- 

1. They have to win. No keys, just win. They have to.

Go Eagles

Tough Loss

I'm not really sure what to say about yesterday's 4-2 loss @ a lowly Maine team. On the positive side, BC played pretty well as they outshot the Black Bears 36-30 and severely out-possessed them for the first 40 minutes but somehow, they were down 2-0 after those two periods. On the negative side, it was a horrible loss to a team that had won just two Hockey East games this season, both vs UMass. I think the biggest person to blame for what happened today would be the Hockey East schedule maker because I don't know how the heck you can possibly play a road game at your arch rival and then somehow get up and travel 4.5 hours to perhaps the toughest environment in college hockey. It's amazing how things can seem like they're looking so good after Friday and now it seems like we're right back at square one.

I thought BC came out and played a pretty solid first period, sans the opening five minutes in which it seemed Maine outplayed us pretty badly. Tonight was just one of those games where the Eagles ran into a goaltender that played perhaps the game of his life such as Black Bear netminder Sean Romeo did this evening. He made a couple of fantastic stops in the opening stanza, particularly on a one timer from Brendan Silk early on and another in the last 10 seconds on Adam Gilmour. The more I watch this BC team, the more I think that when we score the first goal, we are totally different team than when we don't. 

Even in the second period, one in which ended with the home team up 2-0, BC had their chances to take the lead before Maine eventually did. Alex Tuch made a tremendous pass to Destry Straight who rang one off the post about halfway through. The Eagles were also 0 for 2 on the power play in the second, in total they were a horrific 0 for 6.  All seemed OK until Maine tallied the game's first goal with 9 minutes to go in the period as it was certainly a shot that Demko would probably like to have back. Although it may not have been the best goal, I have absolutely no idea why no one tried to get down and block a wrist shot from the blue line. Not Demko's fault. A mere 5 minutes later, defenseman Jake Rutt once again fired a low wrister at Demko from the blue line but only this time it was tipped by freshman Liam Pecoraro, giving Maine a 2-0 advantage going into the third.

Look, BC came out hard in the third and played some solid hockey, making it 2-1 and 3-2 but for some odd reason, we have never responded well to goals when playing at Alfond. If you look at 2012, 2014, and obviously yesterday, it just seems like we never are able to capitalize on the momentum built after scoring a goal. Anyways, credit Maine because although we probably outplayed them for a large amount of time, they put the puck in the back of the net, we didn't. Congrats to the Black Bears.

Anyways, this loss means that BC MUST find a way to comeback Wednesday night and pickup a win over a Merrimack squad that is as hot as anyone in the country. The Warriors just swept a Qunnipiac team that was ranked in the top 20 and also defeated Minnesota @ Mariucci a few weeks back. The good news is that BC's next three games before the Beanpot are all at home so hopefully they can build up some more positive vibes. We learned that this club must bring their A game each and every night to win game. In years past, we could just show up and win because of the talent level. That will certainly be the case again next year but right now, these guys need to play like they did on Friday each and every night in order to make the NCAA tournament. Not the worst loss in the world but they need to find a way to learn from it, rest up, and get ready for a war on Wednesday.

Why BC lost- 

1. Maine executed, we didn't. Plain and simple. Their goalie was absolutely outstanding.

2. Couldn't find a way to score on the power play. 0 for 6.

3. This isn't a reason they lost but I should note that Austin Cangelosi was a healthy scratch, not injury related. Hopefully he gets another shot Wednesday

Positives- 

1. I thought BC played pretty well. That is now two games this year, Maine and UConn, where BC has clearly been the better team but they've just been snakebitten.

Next- Merrimack on Wednesday

Maine Preview

Coming off their biggest regular season win in a couple of years, the Boston College Eagles will hit the road once again tomorrow afternoon when they face the University of Maine Black Bears at 3 PM. Maine is coming off a tough 2-0 loss on Friday night at home vs a very good UMass-Lowell squad, a game in which they were outshot by a 42-24 margin. Unfortunately for the Black Bears and their diehard fans, the days of Spencer Abbott and Gustav Nyquist are long gone and second year head coach Red Gendron has struggled to get consistent production from his top guys, particularly All-Americans Ben Hutton and Devin Shore, both NHL draft picks. Headlining Maine's freshmen class was one of the top scorers in the USHL, Liam Pecoraro, but even he has struggled to put the puck in the back in the net. It won't help that they're going up against a BC team that is playing as good as anyone in the country right now.

If you follow BC Hockey closely, you would know how many times we have struggled up at the Alfond. In my five trips there, BC has just one win so I'm hoping the four hour ride tomorrow morning will be worth it. It will be a battle of two teams headed in opposite directions as we all know the Eagles are playing as well as any club in the country while the Black Bears are 7-15-1 on the season and currently sit in a tie for last place in the league, their only two wins in Hockey East play were at home vs UMass. It seems like Gendron has come in and tried to establish a totally different style of play compared to what Tim Whitehead had the Black Bears doing in years past. Those Maine teams from 2004-2011 were fast, skilled, and played at a tempo very similar to what BC did during their big runs. The new regime seems to have placed an emphasis on size as Maine brought in a 6'3 defenseman in Mark Hamilton, two 6'1 forwards in Jake Musil and Cedric LeCroix, and two 6'2 forwards in Malcolm Hayes and Nolan Vesey.

In our first matchup with the Black Bears, it was yet another example of how BC plays better against those bigger, more physical, teams compared to the ones that are on the smaller side but extremely skilled and fast. However, with The Sheriff back in town, BC matches up well against the best offenses in the country with their D core and goaltending, evident by what we saw last night. The biggest concern I have right now for BC is that they might get a bit too "over confident" and not compete at 100% for 60 minutes, something you must do in each Hockey East game, especially on the road @ Alfond. We proved to the country that we can beat anyone when we are playing at a high level but I know that this team can do even better than they did on Friday. Come to think of it, if it wasn't for some sensational saves from Matt O'Connor and an iffy call on Teddy Doherty late in the second, that game could have been over real quick. It will be interesting to see whether or not Austin Cangelosi is a go. I haven't heard anything but that is usually a good thing when it comes to an injury. Worst case scenario, he got hurt early in the game, tried to come back, made it worse, and left for good. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Anyways, tremendous opportunity for these guys here tomorrow afternoon. With Lowell and Boston University duking it out as well, BC will have a chance to gain even more ground in the Hockey East standings with a win. More importantly, the Eagles would move back into the 15th or 16th spot in the pairwise with a W, setting up a gigantic matchup with Mark Dennehy's Merrimack Warriors on Wednesday evening.

Scouting Maine- 

Record- 7-15-1 (52nd in pairwise)

Leading scorers- Blaine Byron (9-8-17), Cam Brown (5-12-17), Devin Shore (5-11-16)

Team offense- 2.41 goals per game (41st)

Team defense- 3.22 goals allowed per game (48th)

Power play- 13% (45th)

Penalty kill- 81% (39th)

Penalty minutes- 9.96 minutes per game (45th lowest)

Keys for BC- 

1. Need to find out if Cangelosi is a go. Although he's got to start scoring, he has been playing very solid as of late.

2. We are a totally different team when we score the first goal and in a tough environment like Maine, scoring the first goal will be at a premium.

3. Weather the early storm. Maine is really struggling but they, like everyone else in the country, always bring out their best for the maroon and gold. That place will be rocking and the guys have to be ready from the get go, much like they were last night

Go Eagles

Jeremiah York

BC celebrates Hanifin's goal. Photo from The Heights

After a heart breaking game @ Hockey East newcomer UConn and two straight losses vs rivals Boston University and Harvard, both on home ice, I began to have some serious doubts (as you probably read) about the direction of this team. They looked slow, tired, and were being outplayed for large portions of each one of those contest. It appeared as though BC would miss the NCAA tournament for just the second time since 2003.

And now he's got them going.

Thanks to goals from Alex Tuch (x2) and Noah Hanifin, the Boston College Eagles once again invaded the Jack Parker Rink and came out with a potentially season altering victory over a highly touted Boston University team. Let's get one thing perfectly clear before we talk about the game. I'm as big a fan of American hockey as anyone out there and I hope Jack Eichel does great things for this sport in the United States but we need to be really clear here- BC completely shut him down tonight, he was as much a factor as I was out there. Whether it was the return of defensive specialist Steven Santini or the terrific play of Chris Calnan, Mike Sit, and Quinn Smith, the maroon and gold just found a way to totally take him out of the game. They were physical with him, they didn't give him any room, and most importantly, it seemed like he never had the puck on his stick, something that was all too common in the first game. Only two guys in white were -2 tonight, and guess who one of them was?

I thought the first period was undoubtedly BC's best of the season as it seemed like the puck was in BU's zone the entire period and every time the Terriers went the other way, BC kept their chances to the outside. After an iffy call on Quinn Smith early in the game, the officials rewarded BC with their first of two lengthy 5 on 3's following a dirty hit on Thatcher Demko by highly touted recruit AJ Greer. The good guys responded as Noah Hanifin, who was (along with Tuch), by far and away the best player on the ice, fired home a slap shot giving him his 3rd goal of the season. Ever since both he and Tuch have come back from the World Jr's, they have both looked like the type of guys that could carry this team on their shoulders with all the talent they possess and that is exactly what took place tonight. As the period began to wind down, BC caught BU, particularly Eichel, sleeping while attempting to try and get back so Hanifin took advantage by taking one of their defenseman wide, dragging him behind the net before firing a crisp pass to a wide open Alex Tuch who roofed it past Matt O'Connor with about 2 minutes to go in the period.

The Eagles continued their strong play in the second period as they completely dominated the Terriers at times and were once again rewarded with another long 5 on 3 with about 8 minutes to go. Interestingly, BC has received three 5 on 3's in the past four games (one vs Dartmouth, also a goal) and boy are they moving the puck well. In past years, they wouldn't use a 1-3-1, especially in the Gibbons-Atkinson-Whitney era but with the size they currently have up front, it almost forces the opponent to play that guy in the middle (either Sanford or Tuch). The more you get the opponent to move laterally, the more holes that are going to open and that is exactly what happened on Tuch's second goal as BU's defenseman (Hickey), who was supposed to be the guy covering the middle, dropped right down to defend the cross ice pass and next thing you know, it's 3-0 after two.

Give credit to Coach Quinn and the Terriers because like always, they battled back. Say what you want about BU but ever since I've been watching them, they seem to always find a way to avoid a blowout and make it a contest....except for the 2006 regionals. With 14 seconds left in the second, they called Teddy Doherty for tripping and the home team took advantage when St Sebastian's product Danny O'Regan snuck one through a lot of traffic and eventually past Demko early in the third to make it a two goal game with a lot of hockey left. This could have been a real turning point in the game because the crowd was finally into it and BU seemed like they had all the momentum but actually, it was the Eagles who controlled the majority of the play for the middle half of the period. Cam Spiro (who got a lot of playing time due to an Austin Cangelosi injury) and Zach Sanford barley missed out on making it a 3 goal game. Unfortunately, the only mistake BC's third line made all game, a turnover at the blue line, resulted in BU's second goal with 4 and a half minutes to go. Really not much you can say other than it was a good play by their defenseman keeping it on off the wall and of course the initial shot hits something and deflects right on to Matt Lane's stick.

The last four minutes might have been the longest of my entire life but somehow, someway, Zach Sanford blocked an Evan Rodriguez shot at the blue line and sent the puck 77 feet into the empty net, giving BC two more Hockey East points and more importantly, catapulting them into the all important 16th slot in the pairwise. This is the first time since October that BC has been on the right side of the tournament bubble.

Honestly, not much I can say other than Jerry York. This team looked so bad at times before Christmas but somehow he's got them playing as well as any team in college hockey. If they stay healthy, and I'm not sure about Cangelosi's status, then there is no doubt in my mind that we can't be the last team standing there in April. Talk about 2008 all you want but the coaching job he has done with this team thus far has been truly remarkable, I mean one fan in particular thought the world was ending after that loss to Harvard.

"We're going to be a pretty good club after Christmas"- Coach York after the game @ UMass

Positives- 

1. Everything. I absolutely love beating those guys.

2. Hanifin and Tuch were special. Santini makes a bit of a difference, eh?

3. Can we get a Demko for Hobey website going?

Negatives- 

1. Not sure about Cangelosi's status. He sat for 10 minutes to start the second but returned, only to exit again in the third.

Player(s) of the game- Hanifin and Tuch

Next- @ Maine Sunday @ 3

Highlights- LINK

Watch out baby. GO EAGLES !!!!!!!!!

How BC Can Win

Because I am swamped with studying for exams tomorrow night, I decided to write the BU preview this evening but it's not going to be a normal one. We know who they are, you don't need me to run down the numbers and talk about their tendency's and so fourth. Instead, I thought it would be best to take a look at the key things BC needs to do in order to come out with a win that would certainly change the outlook on this season. For the first time since perhaps 2009, we are traveling down the street as the underdog, but as we've proven in the past, we play as well in that building as we do in our own. Since it's inception, the maroon and gold are 10-3-1 all time and amazingly, have won 12 of the past 17 games overall vs Boston University. Everyone wants to talk about Eichel and Hanifin, the implications, the pairwise, the Hockey East standings, etc. I don't care if we were playing for a pack of gum from City Convenience, the only thing that matters when you put on that jersey, from a competitive standpoint, is you do everything you possibly can to beat BU. I absolutely hate when people go "it's just a game, they will play again soon". Sure, we will probably see these guys again soon but the break in-between games is going to be a heck of a lot better if we win.

Obviously, both teams have been playing well as of late but they're very different in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Let's take a look at what BC has to do to stop their high powered offense.

1. Demko has to continue to play at a high level. Outside of Eichel, I don't think there is anyone in Hockey East that has been more valuable to their team that Thatcher Demko has been for this club. Without him, well, let's just say blogger would probably be on Mars by now. Interestingly enough, one of his two poor performances thus far came against BU when he let in a couple of strikes that he would probably like to have back, especially in the third period. I expect him to just continue what he has done all year.

2. Two of Matheson/McCoshen/Santini need to be out there every time #9 steps foot on the ice. It's going to be tough without last change but they should just have one of the managers study the BU bunch for the entire night and tell the staff when that line is going out there. Look for BU to move highly talented senior Evan Rodriguez (who always kills us) up to that line in place of Oksanen....at least that is what they did vs Wisconsin.

3. Either Gilmour's line or Straight's line every time vs #9. I'm going to go to church tomorrow night and pray they don't try and put the third line out there vs this guy because if they do, it may not be pretty. Preferably, I like Sanford and Tuch out there against him but both kind of struggled last time out so I'm not sure if maybe the speed of Cangelosi could give him fits....whatever they think works. Again, it will be tough without last change but they need to find a way.

4. Clog the neutral zone, don't send guys jumping into their end on the forecheck. Look, I'm all for playing aggressive, hard hitting, fast hockey but we are just a different brand this year. Last time, we aimlessly sent one guy in and they were able to transition like they could do it in their sleep. I'm fine with allowing them to get the puck from their goal line to their blue but once they hit that blue, we want the puck out of their hands as soon as possible. They're a better puck possession team than we are but we're better in our end than they are. Maybe the staff could throw some different looks at them early, start aggressive with two guys in hard try and force a turnover, then go back to a more passive style.

5. Win the battle of the special teams. I'd be willing to bet that whatever team does better on the man advantage will win the game because I've seen it happen on so many occasions in this rivalry. The good news is that our PK (thanks to Demko) and PP have been firing on all cylinders as of late but I think they could still tinker with a few things. Number one, have a set first power play unit. I've never seen a BC team use standard lines for two power play units like they're doing this year. I would put all the big guns on one unit and the next best 5 guys on the second one. Sanford, Gilmour, Tuch (that is a line), Matheson, and Hanifin then Cangelosi, Fitzgerald, Calnan, Doherty, and McCoshen. In terms of the penalty kill, just have one of the forwards spy on Eichel the whole time because he just floats around and they try and get him the puck.

6. We have to stay out of the box. Like I said, we can't take boneheaded penalties vs these guys because if we do, it's going to be real ugly.

7. Lastly, I want to see BC throw everything they possible have in the arsenal at these guys. It's been a tough season so far and winning games vs Michigan, Northeastern, and an Xmas tournament are great but a win over the scarlet and red on the road could do wonders for this team and this program. I'm not going to give it the old "if they play hard and still lose I will be happy" because that would be just a flat out lie but I really think they could surprise some people come Friday night. In fact, I haven't heard one person say BC's got a shot but all I know is that the commander in chief will certainly get em going.

Come on....GO EAGLES !!!!

McCoshen Back, Full Squad Expected Friday

Ian McCoshen returned to practice earlier this week after missing Saturday's game vs Northeastern with an illness. It's the third game he has missed so far, the second due to be being sick (other was @ UMass).

Barring any injuries in practice this week, BC will be at 100% on Friday night when they travel to Boston University. The only question still lurking is whether or not Danny Linell will remain in the lineup (I think he should).

Go Eagles

All Attention Turns To Friday

For the second consecutive night, the Boston College Eagles got off to a bit of a slow start in the first 10 minutes of a game but like they have done time and time again over the past month, they rallied and picked up a crucial 4-2 over the Northeastern Huskies. First off, absolutely huge win in terms of the Hockey East standings as first place Lowell was upset by the Fighting Cavs tonight, keeping BC within 4 points of the league leader with a lot of hockey left to be played. I'll start by doing a little nit picking because I didn't like BC's start, at all. They looked slow and allowed NU to cycle the puck in the BC end for what seemed like the entirety of  first 15 minutes. In his first competitive hockey game since October 25th, Steve Santini looked a bit rusty to begin with (had a bad turnover on his first shift) but I thought he got into a bit of a groove as the game went on although he needs to stay out of the box next week. BC was without Ian McCoshen who missed the game because of an illness. Say what you want about this team's scoring abilities but you cannot say they haven't scored big goals in clutch situations and they're even starting to score in bunches. They did it vs UNH, they did it vs Michigan, they did it vs Brown, and they did it once again tonight as Michael Matheson (tremendous game) tied the game up with a rocket from the circle with under two minutes to play in the first period. Just a mere 52 seconds later, Chris Calnan recorded his 10th goal of the season after a scrum in front of the Huskie net.

Eight minutes into the second period, the zebras started to take the pomp pomps off and called Ryan Fitzgerald for elbowing. 45 seconds into the penalty kill, Chris Calnan pounced on a Noah Hanifin rebound, from behind the net, and flipped it past Clay Witt to give BC the 2-1 advantage. Go take a look at who leads BC in goals and by the margin that he does. Hint- you might be surprised. I think its time to take a step back and talk about the type of season Calnan is having right now. He doesn't get the type of minutes that Gilmour, Tuch, and Sanford get but he has made just as much, if not more, of an impact on this team. I don't care if you're Sidney Crosby or a fourth liner on your local high school team, putting the puck in the back of the net isn't something you lead your team in unless you're doing something right. Keep it up, Chris.

While Calnan's goal was big, the turning point of the game was when BC killed off 2 minutes of 5 on 3 for Northeastern at the end of the second through the start of the third. First of all, just going off the reaction from the bench, they were horrible calls and overall, it was a terribly officiated game (they made 2 or 3 offsides calls that were just flat out wrong). But anyways, credit Coach Ayers' penalty killing group because they did a fantastic job of getting out of there without any damage. Talk about Jack Eichel all you want (we'll get to him later) but if you ask me, we've got one of, if not the best, players in all of college hockey in Thatcher Demko. He gives us a chance to win each and every night and I can only imagine what will happen if he stays next season and teams up with BC's star studded offense (They're going undefeated). The only issue I have with the PK is that I'm not sure if I would have had Straight out there for the 5 on 3 instead of Calnan or Sanford. I understand they really like Destry out there, and I think he is doing fine, but if you ask me, I want the biggest guy to stand up and prevent pucks from getting to the net from the point. Small potatoes, no big deal.

Things got a little shaky in the third period when Northeastern, like they normally do, battled back and made it a one goal with 6 minutes to play. Thankfully, the refs finally woke up and gave BC a power play, one in which they game through on thanks to Adam Gilmour's fourth goal in as many games. Basically, BC kept trying to feed him down low but weren't able to until NU overcommitted at the blue line which led to some beautiful passing from Hanifin (real good tonight) to Sanford to Gilmour. Tick-tac-toe. Ballgame.

Anyways, heck of a weekend but its over and now its time to focus everything on Friday. These guys will play in a lot of regular season games in the maroon and gold and hopefully in the NHL but none will be bigger than this game on Friday. I am sick of tired of hearing how good Jack Eichel and BU are. We can beat those guys, heck, we should have beat them two months ago but we let them off the hook. We'll talk about it throughout the week but there is no reason we shouldn't be able to contain that "Oreo" line. They're a one man show, after that it's a bunch of kids that BC didn't even recruit. Now that everyone is healthy, I see absolutely no reason why we can't go in there and beat that son of a gun.

Positives- 

1. Penalty kill was terrific, power play came through when it had to.

2. Calnan was terrific.

3. Demko is making a strong case for the Hobey, as long as this team continues to win games.

4. The defense didn't make as many poor decisions with the puck and in the neutral zone. You could tell BC was more conservative tonight but it resulted in a lot less odd man rushes.

Negatives- 

1. Officials were horrible. If Voss is doing Friday's game, I'm going to have a heart attack.

Players of the game- Demko/Calnan

Let's get ready for Friday. Come on.

Go Eagles.

Late Goal Gives Eagles Tie

After what could be described as a "rough" first two periods, BC woke up and was able to salvage a point tonight @ Northeastern thanks to an Adam Gilmour goal with 2:15 remaining in the game. Give credit where it is due because I thought NU outplayed us in the opening 40 minutes. They created turnovers in the neutral zone which led to about 100 odd man rushes and if it wasn't for another tremendous game from Thatcher Demko, the red and black would have walked away with a win.

There are two ways to look at tonight's game. Early on, BC looked tired and lazy at times. They had a couple of terrible turnovers and  couldn't get anything going on the power play, but somehow NU's only goal was the result of a couple of funky bounces in front of BC's net. This is the second game in a row in which BC has killed off a large chunk of an opponent's power play but thanks to some bad puck luck, they end up going down goal. The biggest concern for me was the amount of 2 on 1's, breakaways, and 3 on 2's Northeastern had. I'd have to look at the tape but the Huskies must have had 15 odd man rushes in the first two periods but thanks to Demko, none of those came to fruition. The bottom line is, BC has got to figure out what they want to do in the neutral zone. They're leaving NU's wingers literally wide open on the blue line and once the Huskies made that stretch pass, it was a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 every single time. It should have been 5-0 NU after the first two.

The other way you can look at this game is the Coach York style. Somehow, someway, BC keeps finding a way to score big goals late in tight games. They did it @ Denver, @ UNH, @ Dartmouth, and once again tonight thanks to a guy in Adam Gilmour that is continuing to play top notch hockey. Gilmour now has goals in 3 straight games and points in the last 4. I thought his line (with Tuch and Sanford) was by far and away BC's best unit tonight. Tuch is beginning to round into that player that has a chance to be a star in this league someday (he told a Minnesota newspaper this morning that he plans on staying at least two years....watch out). The second line of Cangelosi-Straight-Fitzgerald was OK but they really didn't get that much offense going, especially on the power play outside of a chance from Fitz in-between the dots early in the third.

All in all, I look at tonight as a "good" tie. Obviously, the goal is always to win and anything less than that stinks but based on the way BC played tonight, I would have gladly taken the point. If they play like they did in the first two periods tomorrow, they won't win. If they play like they did in the third, they should take a crucial two points before the Game of the Century on Friday. I didn't think BC's defense was nearly as good as it was vs Dartmouth, for the reasons I stated in the second paragraph but if there was one guy that played well back there, it was Danny Linell. There have been a lot of questions as to what the staff will do once Santini is ready to return and I keep assuming they will take Linell out but right now, you could certainly make the argument that he deserves to be playing. Although he lacks in size, his speed is something that no other BC defender possesses besides maybe Matheson. Let's hope he keeps it up.

Big one tomorrow.

Positives- 

1. BC didn't really play like they deserved a point but they found a way to get one. Win tomorrow and that is a huge weekend.

Negatives- 

1. Power play struggled.

2. Way too many odd man rushes

Player of the game- Demko

Tomorrow's game is @ 4 on NESN.

Northeastern Preview

Fresh off a huge road win over Dartmouth, the Eagles will once again hit the ice tomorrow night when they travel 10 minutes down the road to Matthews Arena to face a hot Northeastern squad. The Huskies are 6-1-1 in their last 8 contests, that includes victories over Minnesota, Yale, and @ Providence. Unfortunately for Jim Madigan's club, their recent success does not cover for their early season struggles, a slump in which they opened up 0-8-1. They currently sit in 9th place in Hockey East but are just 2 points behind the 6th place Eagles. Obviously, a win tomorrow night in a rink where we have historically struggled in would be huge for BC's NCAA tournament cause. The Eagles are 10-1 vs the Huskies in Jim Madigan's tenure at the helm on Huntington Ave, that includes a pair of Beanpot championships in 2013 and 2014.

You don't need to look at the stats to see how well NU has been playing as of late. They seem to have hit their offensive stride, as they have scored 20 goals in their past 4 games, which is good for second in the country during that span (it helps when you score 8 vs UMass I guess). The biggest improvement over the course of the season for these guys has been their power play. After an 0-18 start to the season, NU's power play has been striking at 29% over the last 13 games, which is third in the nation and tops in Hockey East over that period of time. While BC's penalty kill has been solid these past 9 games, guys like Szmatula, Roy, and Aston-Reese present a unique offensive threat. Actually, defenseman Colton Saucermann leads Northeastern in power play goals with 4 so far. Let's take a look at NU's projected forward lines, they only dress 11 true forwards with the last guy being former Terrier, Brendan Collier.

Zach Aston-Reese- Mike Szmatula- Torin Snydeman

Kevin Roy- Dalen Hedges- Mike McMurtry

Nolan Stevens- John Stevens- Ryan Rosenthal

Extras- Brendan Collier- Adam Reid

While it's no secret that BC's top guys have been much better as of late, I think the biggest difference has been the play of their third and fourth lines. Brendan Silk seems like he is improving game by game while Cam Spiro continues to show me that he has the potential to be a power play guy. Amongst the fan base, I'm certainly not alone in the thinking that he should get more playing time but as long as he continues to play at a high level, he will be fine. All I've been talking about is NU's power play but give Coach Brown and BC's PP credit because the Eagles have been 100x better on the power play as of late. Not only are they putting the puck in the back of the net, they're starting to get better looks each and every time they hit the ice. Hopefully that continues tomorrow.

Look, huge opportunity for this team this weekend. The rest of the college hockey world knows the Bear is starting to come out of hibernation and no one wants a piece of the Bear when he gets on a roll. Matthews has always been a tough environment to play in but these guys are pretty weak on the back end which is something I think BC should really be able to expose. In the Michigan, Brown, and Dartmouth games, the Eagles forced more turnovers in the opponents end than they have all season. Let's see what they have in store for tomorrow.

Scouting Northeastern- 

Record- 7-10-2 (29th in pairwise)

Leading scorer- Kevin Roy (8-12-20)

Team offense- 2.42 (40th)

Team defense- 3.11 (43rd)

Power play- 21 % (10th)

Penalty kill- 74% (55th)...... BC PP vs NU PK could be a big difference maker in game

Shots on goal margin per game- -1.11 (42nd)

Penalty minutes-12.32 per game (19th)

Keys for BC- 

1. Capitalize on the power play. Look how bad their PK has been this season.

2. Make sure McCoshen/Hanifin are out there with Roy on the ice. Obviously it will be tough to do tomorrow because we don't have last change but I feel like those two should be out there vs opponents' top guys every shift.

Note- Santini is out tomorrow.

Go Eagles !

Santini Out

Steve Santini will not play tomorrow night @ Northeastern due to his nagging wrist injury.

Preview later

Santini Practicing

Yesterday, the Eagles traveled down the road to practice at Larz Anderson rink in Brookline, something they try and do it once every season. If you haven't been, I highly recommend going for a skate there, it's a tremendous experience.

Anyways, the most important news of the day is that defenseman Steven Santini practiced without a red no contact jersey, a sign that he could be good to go in a huge weekend series vs a red-hot Northeastern team. If Santini were to return, I would expect the staff to go back with the pairings they had at the start of the season- Hanifin-Santini, Matheson-Savage, McCoshen-Doherty. They'll probably cut into Doherty's penalty kill time with The Sheriff's return (although #4 proved he can certainly be a reliable penalty killer). Obviously, McCoshen, Hanifin, Matheson, and Dots will remain on the two power play units.

Note- I didn't mention that Santini took warm ups with the team this weekend before taking his equipment off and joining the staff on the bench. 

Once we get a final word, we'll let you know. 

Go Eagles. 

"We're Going To Be a Pretty Good Club After Christmas"

Those were the words spoken by Coach York after BC's 5-3 victory @ UMass on November 21st, a month in which they had lost 4 straight games for the first time since 2004. Last night, the Eagles captured perhaps their biggest victory of the season in a come from behind fashion, defeating host Dartmouth to win the the Ledyard Bank Classic for the second time (2011). I thought there were a lot of guys that played really well last night, obviously the WJC guys were exhausted but they deserve a lot of accolades for making the trip and participating. They wanted to give Demko a break so he didn't dress.

Of the three periods, the first was probably the only one in which the Big Green outplayed the Eagles. The shots were even but it seemed like they possessed the puck for double the time we did. As we talked about yesterday, they like to take a lot of shots from crazy angles but I think BC did a solid job all night of keeping pucks on the perimeter and not between the circles. I was a bit worried about Brad Barone because this is the type of game where you have to be sharp 100% of the time because they just keep coming after you constantly but he played an exceptional hockey game, proving he can be a reliable backup from here on out. The one downside of the first and the whole evening really, was the fact that BC just could not stay out of the box. In fact, both penalties in the opening period were taken in the offensive zone. I didn't see Mike Sit's tripping call but I was shocked that they called a slash on Destry Straight at BC's offensive blue line,  who knows, I could be wrong but it looked weak. Anyways, the BC PK kept the Big Green off the board although they came really close on their second power play as it seemed like they had the puck in the zone for a minute and a half.

Although they ended the period down 2-1, BC played a real solid second stanza in which they struck first on a power play from Adam Gilmour. Two really good things happened this weekend for the maroon and gold. Number one, their special teams were hitting on all cylinders (PK goal wasn't a bad goal), and secondly, Adam Gilmour started to breakout, evident by his solid three point weekend. Look, they probably are not going to score more than 3 goals on many occasions but if they keep up this power play, they will be dangerous, especially vs teams that like to take a few visits to the sin bin. Unfortunately, the next two tallies went to the home team. It looked like Barone couldn't get a good look for the first one, a shot from just inside the blue line but it wasn't his fault because BC got caught in a long shift and those exhausted guys just couldn't get the puck out of the zone. The Eagles continued to keep the pressure on for the remainder of the period and had a couple of great chances, including a breakaway from Mike Matheson after he picked the pocket of a Big Green defender. Although he took the penalty that led to their go ahead goal, Matheson was arguably the best player on the ice for BC all night. Whether I agreed with it or not, the captain took a tripping penalty with about four minutes remaining but for the first minute and a half, BC did a tremendous job of clearing the puck and limiting Dartmouth's chances. As has been the case far too often this season, a puck squirted out of the middle of BC's zone and ended up on the stick of a Dartmouth forward who could have walked out of the rink, come back, and still would have had time to put it in. Tough blow.

The period was a 20 minute mini-lesson on why BC Hockey has been so good over the course of the past fifteen years. They knew it was a crucial game for a trophy and some major pairwise points and they flat out dominated the opponent. Chris Calnan continued his hot streak, five points in the past four games, after putting home a rebound off a Matheson rush. My new years resolution is to try and be a little more positive when it comes to BC Hockey, as my grandfather would always say, "think like York". When Calnan put that one in, Dartmouth might as well have packed it up and went home because there was no chance BC was losing that hockey game. Teddy Doherty continued his magical season as he put the Eagles up for good with about 4 minutes to go in the game after he fired home a sensational pass from Zach Sanford (who continues to be really good). A few minutes and 100 hundred whistles later, the Eagles took home arguably their biggest win of the season.

Things are looking up, there is just no other way to say it. They're winning hockey games, they're getting production from their top guys, and they could be at 100% next weekend vs Northeastern for the first time in three months. Not only are they winning, they're playing an exciting brand of hockey once again. Dartmouth rarely gets outshot, in fact, the shots in their game vs BU were 36-22, but amazingly, the Eagles out-chanced them yesterday.

I'm not ready to go out there and declare they're going to win the National Championship but keep talking about Eichel all you because all I'm going to say is this......watch out for the Eagles.

Go Eagles !!

Dartmouth Preview

In my opinion, the second half of the season consists of games that the Eagles should win (Brown) and games in which they could greatly increase their pairwise standing with an "upset". Tonight would be one of those games. Although BC is starting to round into form, they will be  playing a Dartmouth squad that defeated Boston University a month ago and currently sits two spots above the maroon and gold in the pairwise. Realistically, BC only has one quality road win on their resume (@ Denver) but the new format has placed an emphasis on road wins which means a victory tonight could have some serious implications at the end of the season.

Dartmouth is off to a strong start with quality victories over the aforementioned BU and @ Union. They're a pretty experienced team as their top four scorers are all seniors, in fact their roster is on average, a year older than BC's. Leading the way for the Big Green is forward Tyler Sikura, a product of Canadian high school powerhouse St Andrew's College, who has recorded a team high 5 goals and 8 assists. They've got a pretty good top line with Sikura and fellow seniors Brad Schiehorn and Eric Robinson. I think one of the big keys is BC's big guys continuing to outplay the opponent's top guys, something we didn't really see early in the season. Guys like Fitzgerald, Gilmour, and Cangelosi are starting to find the back of the net at crucial junctures. Dartmouth played an exhilarating game last night vs Denver, a contest that went to overtime before the Big Green toped the Pios in a shootout. I don't think the Big Green are a particularly deep team as they've got 17 guys that haven't recorded more than 10 points but they do have some size and experience on those bottom three lines so maybe BC can ware them down as the game goes on.

I know what you're all wondering and my answer is I don't know if they're going to be just yet. Like I said last night, there are a lot of logistics involved but I don't see why they couldn't be there, it's only a two hour drive from Chestnut Hill. A lot of fans have suggested starting Barone again to give Demko some rest but if Demko is ready, they should certainly give him the nod because it's a huge game. I think it's going to be a real tight, physical game between two teams that desperately need the pairwise points so no matter who dresses, expect the Eagles to come out on fire.

Scouting Dartmouth- 

Record- 6-4-2

Leading scorer- Tyler Sikura (5-8-13)

Goals scored per game- 2.85 (25th)

Goals allowed per game- 2.00 (11th)

Power play- 11% (48th)

Penalty kill- 86% (21st)

Shot on goal margin- + 7.5......they shoot from everywhere, which is part of the reason I think they should try and start Demko.

Keys for BC- 

1. Get everyone back. Captain obvious here.

2. Capitalize on odd man rushes. BC probably could have scored two or three more goals on 3 on 2's and 2 on 1's last night but their transition game through the neutral looks really good right now.

3. Beware of how often these guys shoot the puck. If they fire it wide, BC could be able to turn that into numbers down the other end.

I'll post once I know about the players.

Go Eagles

Eagles Open New Year With Win

Without five of their top guys, the Eagles persevered and kicked off the second half with a strong effort in a 4-1 victory over Brown University. I thought BC was the better team for a large majority of the game especially when it came to special teams as BC scored two PP goals and held Brown to an 0 for 6 mark on their PP. The first period was relatively even (shots were 8-8) but one of the main themes throughout the period and the whole night really was the phenomenal play of BC's top forwards. Zach Sanford, who scored BC's first goal, continues to be, in my opinion, the best forward on the team. They've asked him to come in and do everything, play a lot of minutes, power play, penalty kill, late game situations, and he has answered the bell with a really strong start. I thought it would take a bit of time for him to develop into the forward he has the potential to become but ever since the BU game, he has been playing some top end hockey. Three minutes after Sanford's goal, Brown tied the game up with looked like a rebound goal after a couple nice saves from Barone. I was on the other end of the arena and I haven't seen a replay but it was just one of those garbage goals. While the opponent picked up their game in the middle of the period, I thought BC responded with a lot of pressure in the final five minutes, resulting in Ryan Fitzgerald's first goal since November 7th with 16 seconds to play.

The second period was certainly controlled more by Brown as they outshot BC by a 10-4 margin, assisted by 4 BC penalties. In my entire life watching college hockey, I don't know if I have seen a power play as bad as Browns. Don't get me wrong, BC's penalty kill has been much better as of late but these guys couldn't do anything from below the hash marks, they couldn't get a clean entry, and they even gave up a 3 on 1 while on the power play, something I don't think I have ever seen. There was no scoring in the middle period.

The final twenty minutes were all BC as Brown completely fell off a cliff. Once BC made it 3-1 on a 5 on 3 goal from Adam Gilmour (beautiful set up from Fitz), Brown looked like they didn't want to be there. Apparently, head coach Brendan Whittet called his team an embarrassment and threatened to sit every one of them tomorrow vs Denver. I wasn't there but that's what I was told. Sounds like someone I know. Anyways, the dumb penalties gave BC some much needed confidence on the man advantage, an aspect of their game they will need to be better if they want to make the NCAA tournament. There was a cool "first" tonight as Brad Barone picked up his inaugural victory, a well deserved W for a guy that continues to work hard each and everyday even though he may not get a lot of chances to play.

All in all, solid start to the second half that gives them an opportunity to take home a trophy tomorrow night vs Dartmouth. Perhaps more importantly, a win tomorrow would likely move BC up even more in the pairwise. I'm sure you are all wondering about the five World Jr players. I was told after the game that they're doing everything they can to try and get them there but it will take a lot of logistics because I think they need to fly back to Boston and then drive up. We will see what happens.

Solid start to the new year,

Highlights Link

Go Eagles.

Brown Preview

Five spots out of the NCAA tournament as it stands today, the Eagles will begin the second half minus five of their top players tomorrow afternoon when they face-off vs Brown in the Ledyard Bank Invitational @ Dartmouth. Obviously a lot of guys will need to step up especially with BC's top three defenseman out of the lineup, expect A LOT of minutes from Michael Matheson, perhaps a bunch of double shifts, especially early in the game. Teddy Doherty and Scotty Savage will also get a boatload of minutes, which could be beneficial for both of them but particularly Savage who has made some strides in the past couple of weeks after an up and down start. As we saw vs Denver, a game in which he scored a goal, Travis Jeke has some offensive upside that I think could translate onto the second power play unit. Danny Linell will be the fifth D.

Up front, I don't expect any changes except for the obvious fact that Tuch won't be there. The good news for BC is that Brown is one of the worst offensive teams in the country as they only score 1.64 goals per game, good for 56th in the country. Overall, the biggest difference between what BC did vs UNH and Michigan and what they were doing earlier in the year was execution. They didn't skate around the maize and blue for 60 minutes, they just found a way to put the puck in the net more on their high quality scoring chances, something that has been hard to come by this year. I think both teams are going to come out rusty but those guys last played on December 6th (4-2 W vs RPI), BC last played on the 12th, maybe that makes a little bit of a difference. The Bears only have one win this season away from Meehan Auditorium and that was @ Army.

Like I said earlier this week, it's now or never in terms of BC's pairwise standing. A loss vs Brown, a team that most likely won't get 10 wins this season, would probably drop them into the 30's and no matter how good they play from here on out, jumping 15 spots is a heck of a lot harder than jumping 5 spots. If they lose Saturday night vs a very good Dartmouth team without all the big guns, ok we can somewhat deal with that but a loss to Brown would just be an absolute pairwise killer. They cannot lose this game tomorrow. They will certainly find a way to start winning the games no one thinks they'll win because that's just they way Coach York does it in the second half but if they lose those games they should win, then it's going to be a really painful second half.

To be honest, it's been such a long time since they last played a game and they're missing so many guys, I don't know what to expect, but they know they have to win this game in order to stay relevant in the pairwise. When it comes to January and February, the only thing that matters in the regular season is the pairwise. They just have to find a way to get a ride to the dance floor because once the Eagles are in the dance, things happen. Let's get the new year started on the right foot.

Scouting Brown- 

Record- 3-8

Leading scorer- Matt Lorito (5-1-6)

Goals allowed per game- 3.91 (55th)

Goals scored per game- 1.64 (54th)

Power play- 0.06 % (57th)

Penalty kill- 67% (Last in college hockey)

Shots on goal margin- -6.88 shots per game (51st)

If I had to guess, Billett in goal tomorrow but no official word.

Go Eagles

Santini Not Ready

Don't expect to see Steve Santini dress up for the maroon and gold tomorrow night up in Hanover. The sophomore defenseman is still recovering from wrist surgery although there is a chance he will play next weekend vs Northeastern.

BC will play 5 D- Matheson, Savage, Doherty, Jeke, and Linell.

Go Eagles

Ready For The Second Half

There are a lot of blogs talking about how players on their respective teams faired over the course of the first half, what went right and what went wrong, who needs to step up, what needs to change, etc. We all know what happened to our club in the first half of the season. The guys played really hard at times but unfortunately the rubber didn't bounce their way in a lot of games, particularly @ UNH, BU, and @ PC but we saw what the maroon and gold are capable of two weeks ago vs Michigan. They can play with and beat some of the top teams in college hockey, even though they were without their best defenseman for all but 3 games. I'm telling you right now, if this team can stay healthy, I don't think there is any doubt they will be hitting on all cylinders when it really matters.

The thing that has me most excited right now is Alex Tuch's play up at the World Jr's. Of course, playing with Jack Eichel would make someone like me look good but I think Alex is playing as good as he as all season. In fact, he played a lot better in the vs Michigan and UNH than he had earlier in the season. I can certainly see him developing into BC's "go to" guy if he comes back from Montreal playing the way he has.

As of right now, the Eagles sit 8 spots of the NCAA tournament, ranked 23rd in the pairwise rankings but they're going to have their chances to play some clubs that have proven themselves over the course of the first half of the season. BU, Vermont, Providence, and Lowell are all top 10 teams that have played well all season and BC gets 5 home games against those teams in the second half (BU is really @ BU but Agganis counts as a home game). This weekend's tournament @ Dartmouth is crucial because their first opponent, Brown, has really struggled in the first half meaning a loss to them would certainly drop BC down four or five slots. If they're able to defeat the Bears with a shorthanded roster (no word on Santini yet), they will have a chance to play a Big Green squad which currently ranks above them in the pairwise. If they come out of this weekend with two wins, watch out.

It certainly can be said that a lot of fans, certainly this guy at times, were a little to critical and pessimistic about this team's chances but at the end of the day, they have the best defense in the country, the best goaltender, and last time I checked, the same head coach. I'm not saying that we should expect them to win it all but I really believe they're going to make a run for it. All they have to do is find a way to get into the dance because once we are in the dance, there is not one team out there that wants to face a club with the words "Boston College' etched across the front of their uniforms.

Eagles Fly In Heaven

I don't ever try and talk about anything on this blog except BC Hockey because I intended for it just to be about hockey, hockey, hockey, 24/7 but sometimes you get dealt a couple of curveballs. Two nights ago, my grandfather, a BC hockey alumnus and as big a supporter of the Eagles as you can imagine, passed away.

For those of you that do not know me or my grandfather, and I'm sure that is a large majority of you, then you may find this post irrelevant but the fact of the matter is that I would not have any of the passion I have for Boston College and it's hockey program if it wasn't for my grandfather. He was the strongest, kindest man I knew and even tough he graduated long before Coach York took the helm and revitalized the program, I believe my grandfather epitomized everything each graduate of this program should be when they enter the real world. The hallmark of any Jesuit institution is to be a man or woman for others and I don't think I ever came across anyone that lived by that slogan as much as he did. His family meant more to him than anything in the world and he did more for me than anyone could imagine.

From ages 2-14, I went to every single BC game with this man, including our favorite event, the Beanpot. You all probably know how much I talk about that tournament and how much it means to me but that's only because the chief never passed up on an opportunity to talk about how much winning a Beanpot championship meant to him but he could never actually remember who they beat in the finals because he said Snooks Kelley sat him the whole game. I'll never forget sitting with him at the top of the balcony for the 2010 finals between BC and the defending National Champs, BU. After the second period, the good guys were up 4-1 and he said "Mike, it's over, let's go get some ice cream and celebrate". I just sat their chewing on my nails like they were a pack of Juicy Fruit. BC got in some penalty trouble late and all of the sudden BU made it a one goal game with under a minute left, and they still had a two man advantage with the PP and net empty. I'm standing up tossing my arms up in the air complaining about the officials while he just stayed slumped down in his seat and chuckled, "It's over, relax". At last the final buzzer sounded, we embraced, and he goes "it was over after the second period, never a doubt". I just rolled my eyes and laughed.

I could sit here for hours and talk about all the BC Hockey memories I shared with my grandfather but when it's all said and done, I know he loved his grandson and his Eagles more than anything in the world and I am truly thankful for the awesome times we got to spend together. I know that he will always be watching from above, cheering on his family, his grandson, and his beloved Eagles.

Rest in peace, Papa. I love you.

Go Eagles.

Santini Cut From WJC Team

BC defenseman Steven Santini was the final cut from the United States World Jr Championship team this evening as the roster was finalized with 13 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 3 goalies. US GM Jim Johannson stated "We wanted to see where Steve was after he got his cast removed and it's clear he needs more time before he's ready to play". 

Obviously, tough blow for Steve and the US team because we all know how much he could have helped them contain Connor McDavid but apparently, his wrist just wouldn't allow him to do that. He will be able to take the next couple days off and gear up for BC's January 2nd game vs Brown @ the Dartmouth holiday tournament. BC's defense will be him, Matheson, Savage, Doherty, Linell, and probably Jeke. 

Go Eagles. 

Bracco Final Cut, Wood Makes It, Santini Awaits Fate

Incoming recruit Jeremy Bracco was one of the final two forward cuts for the US World Jr team last night shortly after their 10-5 win over Sweden. Alex Tuch continued his stellar play with three goals while prized recruit Auston Matthews potted two for the red, white, and blue.

Bracco, along with Cole Cassels, were the final two forward cuts for the Americans. In talking to people all week, I gathered that while Bracco was probably one of the more talented forwards on the team, the US staff was probably looking for more size and age for one of their bottom six forwards. I'm not really stunned by the move because it was apparently a strong possibility but it's still a bit of a stunner for some, nonetheless. I'm sure Jeremy is disappointed but he'll have another opportunity to play next year and he could certainly use this as motivation.

The cuts of Bracco and Cassels mean that Miles Wood surprised everyone (except some blogger) and made the team. The only other decision the US staff must now make is that of Steve Santini. His wrist injury has prevented him from skating in any games. It is expected that they will announce whether or not he made it within the next two days, my guess is that he will because if you want to contain McDavid, you have to take Santini.


Go Eagles.

Staff Lands Huge Recruit

Remember how I said Coach Brown was out in Michigan this week? Well, we now know why as he landed a huge recruit yesterday when USNTDP defenseman Mike Campoli committed to the Eagles. The Pointe-Claire, Quebec native (same hometown as Matheson) is a 6'2, 194 pounds  prospect that pretty much all the big guns, including Michigan and BU, were after. They have him slated for 2016 which will be a key date because of the expected departures of Hanifin, McCoshen, and Santini, if they don't bolt after this season. It will be interesting to see if they can hold off the QMJHL because that's always a battle, especially when it comes to Canadian kids. Anyways, huge get!

Go Eagles !

All Eagles Survive First Cuts

The US World Jr team made their first cuts last night following a 5-2 victory over a depleted BU squad in front of a packed Walter Brown Arena. Not unexpectedly, Ian McCoshen, Steve Santini, and Thatcher Demko did not dress which is a strong indication that they will make the roster, possibly with the exception of Santini because of his wrist injury.

The WJC staff, which include Coach Ayers, released Michael McCarron, Jack Dougherty, and Adam Erne. I saw all three of these guys for the first time last night so I don't have much to offer in terms of a "scouting report" but Erne was on the team last year so it came as a bit of surprise to some. 

With those three being gone, it means that BC recruits Jeremy Bracco and Miles Wood survived the first round of cuts. I've seen both play a bunch but if you went out and saw them for the first time, you immediately notice the skill of Bracco and the power of Wood. They're two totally different looking players. Bracco was probably the second smallest kid on the entire ice while Wood, who is an absolute monster, appeared small compared to some of the giants on the US squad. Obviously, it looks really good for BC if they can land 7 guys (Santini, McCoshen, Demko, Tuch, Hanifin, Wood, and Bracco) on the team. It can't hurt in the recruiting race vs BU and Michigan for start forward Auston Matthews. Congrats to Jeremy and Miles, the fact that an 18 year old of that stature (Bracco) and a kid from the ISL are playing on the World Jr team is a strong testament to the development model across the nation. 

As for the current guys, I thought it was the best Alex Tuch looked all season and Noah Hanifin recorded a shorthanded goal in the first period, which I unfortunately missed. 

The future looks bright ! 

Go Eagles

Updates from WJC

The BC guys @ WJC- Coach Ayers, McCoshen, Tuch, Demko, Wood, Santini, Bracco, and Hanifin. Photo from Dave Arnold. I know, the background is awful.

Couple of updates to run through-

World Jr  camp started today @ Walter Brown Arena. Representing the Eagles were Ian McCoshen, Noah Hanifin, Thatcher Demko, Alex Tuch, along with recruits Miles Wood and Jeremy Bracco.

The most important news of the day was that Steve Santini skated but did not participate in contact drills, according to those that were there. He will have surgery to remove the pins in his wrist on Monday. Someone tweeted earlier that he is one of the top contenders for the captaincy but I'm not sure what the deal is there.

McCoshen, Hanifin, Demko, and Santini (if healthy) are all locks. I thought Tuch was on the fence but they had him playing on the top line with Jack Eichel and Tyler Motte (Michigan) so I think it's safe to say he's on the team.

Everyone knows I think Miles Wood is the next big thing so I obviously think he's going to make the squad but from what I've heard, he is squarely on the bubble. I talked with a people who attended practice and they said he is without a doubt one of the quickest guys on the ice (he's also one of the biggest forwards) but his "skills" may not be up to par with what they need. That's insane.

Bracco is without a doubt the most talented player the staff has coming in next year, heck he may be the most talented recruit they've ever landed (that includes G). He's young and jus tone of two guys trying out from the U18 team (Matthews) but I'd put he's chances of making it at 75%.


Lastly, Thatcher Demko's WHL rights were traded from Spokane to Calgary this afternoon but I wouldn't worry about this at all. Even Calgary's GM stated that it's a long shot that they get the BC netminder and Demko seems to be enjoying it @ BC.

Go Eagles.

A Huge Step

Photo from The Heights

Christmas came 12 days in advance for the Eagles last night as the picked up a potentially season altering victory over the University of Michigan Wolverines. It's been a year full of bad puck luck for the maroon and gold but they found a way to change that up last night as they converted on their chances while the maize and blue didn't. BC moved from 31st to 25th in the latest pairwise rankings, their biggest leap of the season. If you were at the game you would agree with me that the score really doesn't tell the whole story. Michigan outplayed us for practically the entire second period, with help from the refs, but the way Thatcher Demko played was nothing short of amazing. In fact, his 41 saves are the most in his young BC career. Within the first four minutes of the game, Michigan hit two posts and were denied on a breakaway chance so if Teddy Doherty doesn't find a way to put home practically BC's first good chance of the night, we might be looking at a different story. We talked about how Michigan's weakness was their play in their own end and I think it was quiet evident in the first twenty minutes last night. BC forechecked hard and forced them to run around for more time than they probably would have liked. Overall, BC was probably the better team in the first stanza but it was their execution that made the difference.

Like I think everyone expected, the Wolverines came out firing in the middle frame but thanks to Demko, they were held off the board until late in the third. The teams had a role reversal from the first as we were running around our end and taking bad penalties but ironically the usually potent Michigan power play wasn't able to come through. I'd say that the penalty kill has been the most improved aspect from day one to today. They're blocking shots, taking away passing lanes, giving opponents less time at the point and most importantly, they're getting great goaltending. It would be nice if we could get a few more power plays here and there. 

I thought there were a lot of guys that played at the type of level the staff needs them to play at in order to win hockey games in the second half of the season. Tuch was tremendous, McCoshen continues to look like BC's best overall blue liner, Doherty keeps finding ways to put the puck in the net, and obviously Demko is playing at of his mind right now. The fourth line of Silk-Gaudreau-Spiro played perhaps it's best game of the semester while seniors Quinn Smith and Destry Straight have been shining as of late. 

Anyone who thinks this is any other win is just flat out wrong. Michigan's got a lot of really good players on their club and we know that no matter how "low" BC may be at times, they still have the best defense, goaltender, and Coach in college hockey. Say what you want about this team but they clearly are working their butts off out there and getting a full roster back January 9th at Northeastern can only help the cause. Big win but still a long ways to go. 

I highly recommend attending the World Jr team camp this week at BU. They will play the Terriers on Friday night @ Walter Brown Arena before making cuts. Tuch, Santini, McCoshen, Demko, Hanifin, Miles Wood and Jeremy Bracco are all on the preliminary roster. 

Go Eagles

Michigan Preview

The Eagles will close out the 2014 year with a huge non-conference matchup tonight @ Kelley Rink vs the University of Michigan Wolverines. After a bit of rough start to the season, Michigan righted the ship with four straight wins, albeit against RPI, Ohio State, and a surprisingly strong Penn State team. Perhaps the most notable result for UM this season and one that BC fans would be shocked by is their 8-4 drubbing of Lowell at Tsongas Arena. Not only are they one of just two teams to beat UML at home this year, I bet they're probably the first and only team to post that kind of number vs a Norm Bazin coached team. In any game, eight goals is absurd but against Lowell? That's unheard of. Michigan followed that win up with a hard fought loss the next night @ Boston University.

This will be a game of two teams that have pretty different styles of winning hockey games. Michigan has a lot of high powered, highly skilled forwards led by first round draft picks JT Compher and Dylan Larkin. Compher hasn't produced quiet as much as he was at this point last season but senior Zach Hyman and junior captain Andrew Copp have picked up their games and are tied for the team lead in goals with 7. Here is a look at Michigan's projected forward lineup.

Tyler Motte*- Alex Copp*- Tony Calderone
Alex Kile- Dylan Larkin*- Zach Hyman*
Max Stuart- JT Compher*- Boo Nieves*
Dexter Dancs-Travis Lynch-Justin Selman

As you can probably tell with the six NHL draft picks, these guys are quick and talented up front. They are 2nd in the country with a 4.07 goals per game average, 4th in the country in shots per game, and 1st in the country in points per game. So, you may be asking, how are they not the #1 team in the country? Well, they struggle in the defensive end especially after the departure of senior leader Mac Bennett a season ago. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Wolverines are 41st in goals allowed per game (2.93), they're 29th in the country in shots on goal against per game (29.43), and 39th in opponent's power play percentage (19%). Leading the way on the blue line for Michigan has been sophomore Michael Downing but other than him, they don't have anyone that really jumps out at you like they have in the past (Trouba, Merrill).

We all know it's been a tough first half in a lot of areas but a win tonight would be absolutely crucial for BC's pairwise standing. The Big Ten is very weak this year outside of Minnesota, Michigan and perhaps Penn State so we can assume that Michigan is going to light it up in league play and will most likely have a strong case for an NCAA tournament bid in March. Other than Denver, the Eagles are missing quality non-conference wins that would help boost their pairwise numbers but a win vs what I consider a very strong Maize and Blue squad would go a long way in helping the cause. If they can find a way to win this game and get healthy and pray for no injuries in the WJC, they'll be fine heading into trophy season because they still have a ton of opportunities for quality wins vs some top end opponents. At one point or another, we are going to need to start making a case for the NCAA tournament and we all know that Coach York will get them going eventually but sooner rather than later would be huge.

On a positive note- Miles Wood recorded three points in the biggest prep game of the season last night as Nobles beat Dexter 4-1. If you haven't seen this kid play, please go do so. It will give you a lot of hope.

Go Eagles.

Staff Picks Up 1995 Defenseman

The staff picked up a commitment today from 6'1 1995 defenseman and former Northeastern commit Josh Couturier from Newbury, Ma. He currently plays for the Boston Jr Bruins and has recorded 13 goals and 7 assists through 20 games.

We've spent a lot of time talking about BC's ever changing recruiting philosophy and it seems like the staff is really putting an emphasis on mixing in solid, four year guys (Couturier) with the higher end guys like Hanifin, McCoshen, etc. No matter how hard they try, it's going to become tougher and tougher to keep top NHL prospects on campus for as long as they have done with Matheson, Kreider, Cross, Dumoulin, etc.

It's perceived as a solid pickup that is probably low risk/high reward although Couturier did get a 4 for 4 from Northeastern a few years back. Don't be surprised if they pickup another former Hockey East commit who plays alongside Couturier in the near future (he's a forward).

Go Eagles

Positive Vibes

It's nice to win, isn't it? Thanks to three goals in a four minute span which included two strikes 16 seconds apart, the Eagles picked up a must needed league victory over New Hampshire by a score of 3-2. Obviously the team probably would have taken any type of win tonight, whether it was 500-499 or 1-0, they just couldn't go into the break without any Hockey East points. I thought a lot of the guys that I thought played well last night showed up and brought their games tonight. The Cangelosi-Fitz-Sanford line is beginning to look like a formidable trio while the second line of Tuch-Gilmour-Straight  continues to generate quality scoring chances while at the same time holding opponents off the board. The most notable statistic of the night, in my opinion, was that Austin Cangelosi was +3 with three points, giving him four on the weekend. A lot of fans have been calling for the highly touted recruited to start producing and I think he's really starting to turn the corner. If you this guy, the reason for his slow start has been because BC hasn't been able to play at a fast pace all season and unfortunately, they may not get a chance to until Wood, Bracco, White, Dudek, and Brown come in but right now it's good to see Austin showing progress.

On the defensive side of things, I thought Teddy Doherty responded with a great game after struggling somewhat on the big sheet last night. As the series progressed, BC did a better job of taking away UNH's time and space once they hit the offensive blue line. For example, their first goal last night was a result of BC giving them too much space once they broke into the zone. The more aggressive BC gets with their highly skilled defenseman, the better the results usually are. In fact, all four of UNH's goals this weekend were due to some very fixable errors on the defensive side of the puck, issues that could certainly be solved once Santini returns. I was a bit worried about Ian McCoshen's play five games through the season but I don't think it's crazy to say that he's been BC's best defenseman in The Sheriff's absence, really happy with the way he's been playing.

Look, the second half of this season is going to be an absolute battle but it can't be any tougher than what this team had to go through in the first 16 games. They lost their best defenseman, they can't find a way to buy a goal, they've had a lot of bad puck luck, and they've had to battle through a good amount of adversity. I'm not saying they're going to win 30 straight games and hoist the National Championship at the end of the season but the more hockey games they win, the more confidence they will possess. You never want to face a confident BC team in February and March.

With all that being said, they will host Michigan next weekend in what will be the final game before Christmas break. Any time you play the Maize and Blue, there's a little more juice in the tank. 1998 will never be forgotten.

Solid weekend. Go Eagles.

Keep Your Head Up

Over the course of the past two months, I've gotten a lot of negative feedback about me, my blog, and the program as a whole because of what I keep writing. Before I get into the UNH game, I want to clarify a few things here. This is the best program in college hockey and to be honest, no one is even close. Me rambling on about the recruiting is just me being a sore loser. Did they make a couple of mistakes three or four years ago? Perhaps. Can they do anything about it now? No. The recruiting class they have slated for next year is without the best one they have ever had. White, Bracco, and Wood are the type of players you only see every so often and oh by the way, Dudek and Brown are NHL draft picks. I know I get upset and my emotions get the best of me but trust me, the people that actually matter, the ones that can actually do something about it, are even more upset and believe me when I say this, they are going to make things better. No coaching staff in college hockey works harder than Coach York, Coach Brown, and Coach Ayers. They have built up a recruiting machine over the course of the past two years and it will only be a matter of time before we're loaded again. I promise.

Games like tonight's tie at UNH are frustrating for sure, especially when you play your heart out and get robbed by the officials. The goal they called back was a clear goal. There is no way around it other than it should have counted. Nothing we can do about it now. I thought Cangelosi, Smith, Sanford, and a handful of other guys were playing at a high level all night long. Demko made a couple of key stops to preserve a one goal deficit throughout the third period. The penalty kill was firing on all cylinders as was the first line of Sanford, Fitzgerald, and Cangelosi. I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that really pays attention to program who doesn't believe Zach Sanford has been a huge plus for this club. I've really been impressed with the way he plays and I think he's one of those guys that's just going to continue to develop as time goes by.

For me, tonight isn't about dissecting what went right and what went wrong, it's about me getting rid of this cloud of negativity surrounding the BC Hockey Blog. Just a little warning, this might be a tough year but if there is anyone in this world that hates losing more than I do, it's the staff and they already have reinforcements on the way. No matter what I may write or what I may tweet, you must know that this program is in good hands because the man in charge will never let this ship sink. When you wake up tomorrow and start getting all upset about how this year is going, just remember these two words.

Jerry York

7 Eagles Named to US National Preliminary Team Roster

Five current and two future Boston College Eagles were named to US National Jr team this afternoon. Thatcher Demko, Ian McCoshen, Steve Santini, Noah Hanifin, and Alex Tuch were the current players named to the squad while Jeremy Bracco and Miles Wood were the two future birds that got the call. Santini, McCoshen, and Demko were all on the team last season.

When the roster was announced, two things immediately jumped out at me. I knew Bracco would make it because he is arguably the most talented 17 year old in the North America but the fact that his teammate and potential first round NHL draft pick Colin White did not make the team was a huge surprise for me. Bracco is more of a Johnny Gaudreau type player who can do magical things with the puck while White is a Brian Gibbons type with more of a pro upside. Obviously, we're happy for Jeremy and hopeful that he gets a chance to play in the tournament (they will still make a couple more cuts) but at the same time, we're certainly dumfounded by the fact that White didn't get a nod.

The biggest surprise of the day for a lot of people was that Nobles forward Miles Wood made the roster as the only high school player. I've said over 200 times that he is the best player I've ever seen in the ISL but people just refuse to believe me. Hopefully this gives blogger a little more credibility.

Congrats to Thatcher, Steve, Ian, Alex, Noah, Jeremy, and Miles and good luck at camp!

Go Eagles.