Eagles Sweep Tigers

Adam Gilmour recorded two goals for BC

Thanks to a third consecutive shutout from Thatcher Demko, who became the first BC goalie to accomplish that since Corey Schneider nine years ago, Boston College defeated Colorado College 5-0 in Colorado Springs. Junior Adam Gilmour played his best game of the year, recording two goals to go along with linemate Zach Sanford's goal and two assists performance. Austin Cangelosi and Ian McCoshen rounded out the scoring for the #4 Eagles who will head back to Boston to kick off a five game home stand, which begins with a rematch vs Denver on Friday.

All you have to do is look at the box score to see how well BC started off tonight. Gilmour's first tally came just under three minutes into the game when he redirected a Scott Savage pass from the sidewall. I am trying to keep the opponents in perspective when I say this but I don't think there is any doubt Savage is playing the best he's ever played during his BC career. Like I said last night, he is making smart decisions with the puck and continues to lay bone crushing hits, something he didn't do much of in his first two seasons. It's no wonder Gilmour is playing his best hockey with the two guys he is most used to playing with, Sanford and Tuch. With all three of them being 6'3 or taller, they make cycling the puck down low look like a piece of art. No one keeps these type of stats in college hockey but there is no doubt those three had the most possession time in the CC end. Unfortunately, there was one problem for that line as Alex Tuch did not come out for the third period. I didn't see any vicious hits so I am assuming it's a precautionary measure after his knee injury at World Jr Camp this summer. We'll see what happens this week.

As we learned two nights ago when UNH blew a 6-1 lead to UMass, this game was far from over going into the second period. BC didn't make things easy for themselves as Colorado College was handed four power plays in the middle stanza, all of which were killed by the visitors. This sounds repetitive but I can't stress just how good the PK has been this season. I said last night they're one of those units that can strike at any time, whether on the man advantage or man down. They made blogger look somewhat intelligent on Saturday as Zach Sanford recorded BC's second short handed goal of the season on an assist from Chris Brown. A lot of credit to Coach Ayers for getting that unit ready to go night in and night out.

How about Thatcher Demko? I don't think I've ever seen a goalie play this well at Boston College. I don't care if you're playing the Detroit Red Wings or Watertown squirts, three straight shutouts is three straight shutouts. It has gotten to a point where I will be genuinely shocked when an opponent scores on this kid because not only is he stopping the puck, he's making it look super easy. I'd love to know just how much that offseason surgery helped because if #30 keeps playing the way he is, I'm sorry, this team isn't losing.

All in all, excellent weekend for the maroon and gold. All four lines were clicking, each defenseman had some solid moments (except for the penalties), the special teams were great, and obviously Demko is standing on his head. I'm sure we'll get into this more as the year goes on but just from a pure fan perspective, this team is a pleasure to watch- they're fast, they're skilled, they're as tough as any BC team I've seen, and they always stick up for one another. Think about where we were last year at this time and compare it to today. Amazing.

Why BC Won- 

1. Demko. He's pretty, pretty, good.

2. Sanford, Gilmour, and Savage were all terrific.

3. Penalty kill was superb. Night in and night out, they just keep getting it done.

Problems- 

Tuch was injured. Not sure to what extent.

Player of game- Demko with Gilmour as a close second.

Next- Denver on Friday. Big one.

Go Eagles

Eagles Take Game One Vs CC

Thatcher Demko became the first BC goalie to record back to back shutouts since Parker Milner did it in 2012-13 vs Lowell and Northeastern as Boston College defeated Colorado College 3-0 on Friday night. Ryan Fitzgerald tallied BC's first two goals while Zach Sanford recorded his 3rd goal of the season late in the final period. Freshman Jeremy Bracco was the most impressive forward on the night as he assisted on all three tallies.

First of all, I thought Demko was spectacular. Colorado College doesn't have the horses BC has but they played an absolutely terrific hockey game. If it wasn't for Demko's performance, CC could certainly have won that game. I'm not sure how much the offseason hip surgery has helped Thatcher but he is playing the best he's ever played at BC. Of course, part of the reason for BC's low goals against total is their stout defensive play (and the teams they're playing) but #30 is playing as well as anybody in the country at the moment which certainly makes for a scary combination. Defensively, I think the Eagles are continuing to make a lot of progress. I was a little worried about the olympic sheet and how it would affect BC's coverage but they always had two guys back which prevented CC from getting the amount of odd man rushes the Eagles had. I particularly liked the way Scott Savage played tonight. He made a lot of smart decisions in his own end, got rid of the puck at the offensive blue line, and threw some huge hits. Outside of Demko, the best part of BC's game right now is their penalty kill as CC was 0 for 4 on the night. If you think about it, this team is built for killing penalties. Not only are they the fastest team in college hockey, they're one of the biggest. Their ability to get in shooting and passing lanes is intimidating but the constant pressure they apply in all three areas is a day and night difference from the passive system they had to use a season ago. Towards the end of the 2012 season, it got to a point where even if BC was shorthanded, you knew they had the potential to strike. It's been a long time since we've had that sense of optimism for a penalty killing unit but with all the speed and depth on this team, they are capable of scoring whenever.

On the offensive side of things, Jeremy Bracco stole the show. Although he had been held off the score sheet in the first three games, many felt the Maple Leafs pick had been playing at a high level, there was just nothing to show for it. That changed tonight as he made three beautiful passes, particularly the one on Sanford's goal which was highlight reel material. Even if you took away the assists, anyone watching the game could see how the freshman out of Long Island was able to slow the game down to his pace, much like G did when he was here. There was one play in the first period when he was behind the net and kept skating towards one side of the ice but had the capacity to do a behind the back pass that should have ended up in the net. It was a treat to watch. Obviously, Ryan Fitzgerald is playing some terrific hockey as he had two deadly snipes from inside the dots. Those two, along with Colin White (1 point), were BC's best line tonight. Cangelosi, Wood, and Calnan continue to play at a high level although they were held off the scoreboard. No one is going to talk about this but I can't get over how well the fourth line is playing. Yes, he's only been in for three games but Joey Dudek has made tremendous strides in just two weeks. Chris Brown and Matty Gaudreau were all over the ice wrecking havoc on CC's defense and even creating a couple odd man rushes of their own. The biggest complaints from fans (and bloggers) the last two seasons was the inability to roll four lines such as the 2010 and 2012 squads were able to. If Brown, Dudek, and Gaudreau keep this up, they'll get a lot more than their fair share of minutes. I thought the second like of Tuch, Gilmour, and Sanford was average, maybe slightly above. Zach Sanford sure looks like a force out there but his linemates are not yet on that level right now. I'm not worried though, they'll be a high scoring machine in the Spring.

It's only been four games so of course BC still has a lot to work on. They're taking some bad penalties, the power play looked out of synch for the first time all year, and they committed a few too many turnovers in their own end. They're a young team that just played it's first game on an olympic sheet so growing pains were expected. However, it is quite obvious that the team speed, combined with Demko's surreal play, help offset a lot of giveaways. Anyways, winning on the road isn't easy in this sport. Back at it tomorrow.

Why BC Won- 

1. Demko is playing out of his mind. I believe it's been 137 minutes of shutout hockey for BC's junior netminder.

2. Jeremy Bracco was off the charts good. He's like a magician with the puck, it's incredible to watch. It doesn't hurt when he has a guy like Ryan Fitzgerald to give the puck to. #19 was also spectacular.

3. Penalty kill didn't give CC anything. Not many quality chances for the black and gold tonight on the man advantage.

Negatives- 

No glaring issues.  0 for 3 on the PP but that is the last thing I'm worried about with all this talent.

Players of the game- Demko, Bracco, and Fitzgerald. Couldn't make a decision.

Next- Vs CC tomorrow at 7:07 Mountain time. 9:07 Chestnut Hill time.

Go Eagles.

Colorado College Preview

For the first time since 1988, Boston College will travel to Colorado Springs to take on a Colorado College team that handed the program perhaps the most devastating loss in it's history. Even if BC won both games this weekend by a combined score of 20-0, it would not makeup for the stunning upset suffered at the hands of the Tigers in the 2011 NCAA West regional semifinals. Since that game, the programs have gone in opposite directions. The Eagles followed it up with a National Title in 2012 while the Tigers have not made the tournament since that dreadful game. In fact, CC fired head coach Scott Owens after the 2014 season. They hired former Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Haviland to help take the program back to it's glory days. In a little over a year at the helm, Haviland has yet to have any on ice success but one can certainly tell that his teams play harder and their staff's efforts on the recruiting trail have been well received throughout the college hockey world.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they're 0-4 on the season, with each loss coming against a Hockey East opponent. They were swept by UMass on opening weekend at home and they followed that up with two more L's at UMass-Lowell last weekend. CC returns 4 of it's top 6 scorers from a season ago. Like BC, their top defenseman, Jaccob Slavin, left early to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. Leading the black and gold up front will be the Bradley brothers, Trey and Cody, the former is the leading scorer on this year's squad while the latter was the team leader in points last season. Eight freshmen have seen the ice in three or more games for Haviland's team but that does not include goaltender Jacob Nehama, who recorded 53 saves on Saturday versus Lowell. The Tigers have 14 freshmen in total. Junior Tyler Marble, the same guy who played vs BC last season, got the nod in the second game vs the River Hawks, stopping 22 of 24 shots. Although their record may not be great, it is clear that CC has improved in every game since their opener. After getting blown out in game one vs UMass, the Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 advantage on Saturday but were not able to sustain the lead in the third period. They allowed 29 less shots in their second game vs Lowell compared to the first game. With limited offensive skill and a young defensive core, CC will almost certainly employ some version of the trap tomorrow night versus the high powered Eagles. I am interested to see who they start in goal because it appears that it would be Nehama's turn but Marble is the more experienced guy and as we saw with Jason Kasdorf of RPI, a seasoned goalie can go a long way in helping you bring down the top offense in college hockey.

The big change for the Eagles comes on the top two lines. Jeremy Bracco will now play with former NTDP teammate Colin White and Ryan Fitzgerald while Adam Gilmour will be reunited with Zach Sanford and Alex Tuch, BC's top trio from a season ago. BC's best line of Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan  will remain intact, as will the much improved fourth line. I like the moves because I think it will benefit both Gilmour and Bracco to be with guys that they have had success with before. The staff believes it will take time for Zach Sanford to fully adjust to his new role as first line center because he's always been a winger but it remains to be seen whether they make a switch and go with Gilmour as center and Sanford back at left wing. Either way, expect more offense tomorrow night. Nothing to report on the defensive side of things, everyone should be a full go.

I feel like I say this every game but everybody knows how much Colorado College has on the line this weekend. It's the biggest series they've hosted in years and they're trying to salvage their season because if they start off 0-6, they're going nowhere. I expect the crowd to be jammed packed and fired up, especially if the home team can get off to a good start tomorrow night.

Scouting CC- 

Record- 0-4

Leading Scorers- Trey Bradley (3-1-4), Temmu Kivihalme (1-3-4), Sam Rothstein (0-3-3)

Team offense- 2.25 goals scored per game (37th)

Team defense- 3.75 goals allowed per game (43rd)

Power play- 22% (14th)

Penalty kill- 71% (45th)

Shots on goal per game- 33 shots per game (17th)

Keys for BC- 

1. Solve the trap. This will be the first time BC plays a team that is really dedicated to just dumping the puck in the zone and hanging back all game. It threw them off at times last year but obviously, they didn't have the speed this Eagle team has.

2. Take the crowd out of it early. I think a big reason why we lost to RPI was due to them scoring the first goal and capitalizing on that momentum early in the third period. BC is a much better team when they score the first goal.

All time series- Boston College leads 13-5-1, 6-2-1 all time in Colorado Springs.

Note- CC just lost Garrett Cecere, one of their top defensemen, to juniors this past week

Off to Denver in the morning. Go Eagles.

Staff Lands Top NTDP Forward

NTDP U17 forward Logan Hutsko, a former Penn State commit, announced his intentions of playing at Boston College this evening, another big get in what has been an outstanding four months of recruiting for the staff. Hutsko, a New Jersey native, has recorded 5 points in 10 games so far this season for the U17 team. Hutsko notched 90 points in 45 games last season for Shattuck St Marys, a program that has certainly produced some terrific players over the years. I have not seen him play so I won't pretend I know what I'm talking about but Over the Boards described Hutsko as "a 5'9 playmaker with elite vision."

I've said it numerous times over the past few weeks and I will say it again, it's hard to put into words how good BC's recruiting has been lately but unfortunately, no one in the media, with the exception of a few guys, wants to talk about. BC's fall of 2017 class that includes Hutsko, Joe Cassetti, Jacob Tortora, and possibly a few more along the road, will provide an enormous amount of offense to an Eagle squad that will probably lose most of it's current big guns by that time. Hutsko and Tortora are more Bracco/Gaudreau type players while Cassetti is a big power forward, similar to Alex Tuch. 

Obviously, it's impossible to predict how these guys will develop and what current players will still be here when that class arrives but for now, we can all rest easy knowing the staff has a couple of fantastic recruiting classes coming in over the next four years. 

CC preview coming later tonight. 

Go Eagles 

Freshmen Lead Boston College Past Wisconsin

Chris Calnan had two assists 

The #1 freshmen class in the country proved to be just that once again as Miles Wood, Casey Fitzgerald, and Colin White combined for six points to lead the #3 Eagles to a 6-0 win over Wisconsin. Thatcher Demko recorded his fourth career shutout, making twenty saves on the night. If you just look at the box score, you would automatically assume that Wisconsin was horrible and BC was tremendous all night but I didn't think that was the case. Ok, Wisconsin was really bad, perhaps the worst college hockey team I have seen in quite some time, but I would argue that the Eagles played better last Sunday than they did in parts of tonight's game. Don't get me wrong, BC played great but they can certainly take it up a few more levels on the offensive side of things.

The crowd was just settling in when Austin Cangelosi notched his first goal of the season, twelve seconds into the contest. That goal really set the tone for the rest of the night as the line of Cangelosi, Wood, and Calnan was all over the ice, especially in the opening twenty minutes. One of the biggest question marks coming into this season was whether or not Cangelosi and Calnan would be able to elevate their games and so far, they have done just that. It certainly doesn't hurt when your freshman linemate is playing like the best newcomer in the country at the moment. It has only been three games vs a couple of relatively weak opponents but there aren't many people who would have thought Miles Wood would be the leading scorer on this team. There was some blogger who had been trying to tell you Wood was real deal but he never knows what he is talking about. Anyways, three minutes after the Cangelosi goal, Steven Santini was whistled for roughing in front of the BC net. Under a minute into the penalty kill (which continues to be tremendous), Teddy Doherty sent a harmless wrist shot in from the red line only to see it take a weird hop right into the net, giving the Eagles a 2-0 advantage. Wisconsin senior netminder Adam Miller was immediately pulled from the game, his first career road start. Towards the end of the period, the Eagles had a chance to make it a three goal lead on the power play but they were not able to capitalize thanks to some quality killing by the Badgers. 

The second period was much less lopsided in terms of puck possession but unfortunately for the visitors, BC's  playmaking abilities up front and stellar goaltending prevailed. If you asked me who the best player on this team is right now, I would have to flip a coin between Miles Wood and Colin White. While the former was terrific in the first period, the latter was easily BC's best player throughout the final forty minutes. After Ryan Fitzgerald and Cangelosi increased BC's lead to 4-0, White scored the goal of the year (to this point) when he split a pair of Badger defenders and fired a wrister past backup goaltender Matt Jurusik. I couldn't have been more impressed with the Hanover native's play over the course of the past two games, he's been absolutely exceptional. On the defensive side of things, I loved what I saw from the entire unit. I know Wisconsin is not the Montreal Canadiens but BC gave up the fewest amount of "grade A" chances they have all year. Even Wisconsin's power play, which entered the game at 30% for the season, couldn't generate anything in the high quality areas. The two guys that stood out to me tonight were Casey Fitzgerald (2 assists, +3) and Scott Savage who made some key plays in his own zone. Towards the end of the first period, the Badgers had a chance to create a 2 on 1 from the BC blue line in but Savage made a terrific play with his stick, clearing the puck out of the zone and keeping the red and white off the board. 

The final twenty minutes were as boring as it gets. Wisconsin stepped up their physicality while BC was just trying to get out of there without any injuries. Ian McCoshen was assessed a ten minute misconduct for contact to the head after one of UW's forwards exchanged a few pleasantries with Demko. He will not miss next Friday's game @ Colorado College due it to being a misconduct, not a disqualification. The league could theoretically review the situation and hand McCoshen a one game suspension but that seems highly unlikely. 

All in all, very pleased with the way BC played, especially in their own end. Demko didn't have to do much but when he was called on, he performed, like usual. The fourth line of Dudek, Brown, and Gaudreau continues to be a major upgrade over what they had last season as all of three of those guys are doing good things in each facet of the game. The power play moved the puck around well, notching a goal in the third consecutive game as Colin White banged home a Ryan Fitzgerald pass on the two man advantage. The penalty kill was probably the best part of BC's game as they killed off every Wisconsin power play, including three minutes of McCoshen's major (the other two were offset by a UW penalty). Nice to get the first home victory out of the way. Onto Colorado College. 

Why BC Won- 

1. Second and third lines were dominant. Austin Cangelosi had by far his best game of the season, Calnan's play has drastically improved since March, and of course, the two Nobles freshmen aren't half bad. 

2. Defense shut Wisconsin down. BC has gotten better in the turnover department throughout the young season. The Badgers weren't able to generate much of anything.

3. The Fitzgerald brothers continue to turn in big performances. Casey is second in terms of Hockey East defensemen scoring while Ryan recorded his first goal and added two assists. 

Negatives- 

First line was not great but give it time, they will start putting the puck in the net sooner or later. 

Player of the game- Colin White 

Next- @ CC next Friday and Saturday

Go Eagles !

Wisconsin Preview

Boston College will play their first of fifteen regular season home games tomorrow night when they host the Wisconsin Badgers. Bucky enters the season with an unusual 0-0-2 record after two come from behind draws vs Northern Michigan last weekend. This will be the 23rd meeting all time between the two perennial powers, Boston College leads the series 13-9. Of course, the Badgers defeated BC in the 2006 national title game before the Eagles extracted some revenge in 2010, defeating the favored Badgers 5-0 in Detroit.

Mike Eaves' squad is looking to turn the page after a horrible 4-26-5 mark last season, by far the worst in the history of their storied program. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they lost perhaps the only bright spot from last season, goaltender Joel Rumpel. According to Wisconsin media reports, senior Adam Miller, who had never started a game before this season, will get the nod tomorrow night against the high powered Eagles. Up front, the Badgers will be led by Grant Besse, the leading returner from last season and the highly touted freshman duo of Luke Kunin and Seamus Malone. I was watching a couple of the highlights from UW's games last weekend and the biggest thing that jumped out to me was the Kunin/Besse duo on the power play point. Although both are forwards, perhaps Wisconsin's two forwards, both have deadly slap shots that certainly made an impact last weekend as Besse scored with an extra attacker on Friday night while Kunin capped off a 3 goal third period comeback with a 5 on 3 bomb. Although two ties against Northern Michigan will never be considered "good" by Badger standards, Bucky's power play was terrific, going 3 for 10 on the weekend. There isn't really a way for me to sugarcoat this game because we all know Wisconsin has struggled mightily the past few years, despite an NCAA berth in 2014 (as a #1 seed, I might add). For whatever reason, they have failed to consistently bring in top end recruiting classes year after year because there seems to be this cycle where they're good every three or four years. The slip in performance has caused many Badger fans to call for Eaves' ousting but to their surprise, AD Barry Alvarez gave the father of two of BC's finest another year at the helm. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I am a Wisconsin hockey expert but from an outsider's point of view, Eaves needs to salvage something out of this season, even if he doesn't make the tournament, he needs to show that his teams are ready to compete night in and night out. A win at Conte Forum against the top program in college hockey certainly wouldn't hurt his cause. There may be no bigger disparity in talent between BC and any other opponent they play the rest of the year but unlike a lot of those other teams, Wisconsin is fighting to save their coach and perhaps their program. In fact, I came across a stat this week which stated that Wisconsin has lost half of it's season ticket holders since the 2006-2007 season. Astonishing.

As for Boston College, they enter this contest fresh off a 2-1 upset loss to RPI. Despite the losing effort, the Eagles were able to muster 37 shots on goal, something they didn't do much of last season. We saw a lot of good things up in Troy, the second line of Colin White, Adam Gilmour, and Ryan Fitzgerald was all over the ice, Casey Fitzgerald continued to impress, and the Eagles' special teams  looked solid. The staff will not change the lineup up front as Joey Dudek will continue to play fourth line right wing in Silk's absence. Miles Wood missed the majority of practice this week due to illness but will be a full go tomorrow. Josh Couturier is expected to get the start as BC's 6th defenseman. It's the first home game vs one of the top programs in the country so I am expecting the maroon and gold to come out firing on all cylinders. They've been doing a good job of getting pucks to the net but hopefully instead of having shots from the point blocked every time, the defense can chip it down low to allow the forwards to cycle it. I think the biggest thing to look out for tomorrow night is the play of the first line. Jeremy Bracco and Zach Sanford have been two of BC's best forwards through two games but they, along with linemate Alex Tuch, need to start putting more points on the board. Sure, Sanford had a pair of power play goals last weekend but that line as a whole can certainly take their game up two or three levels. If they're able to do that, they could be the best trio in college hockey.

Scouting Wisconsin- 

Record- 0-0-2

Top scorers- Seamus Malone (0-3-3), Grant Besse (1-1-2), Adam Rockwood (0-2-2)

Team offense- 2.50 goals per game (T-27th)

Team defense- 2.50 goals per game (T-21)

Power play- 30% (T- 8th)

Penalty kill- 83.3% (T-25th)

Keys for the Eagles-

1. Get the crowd involved early and often. If BC jumps out to a lead in the first period, it will force UW to open up their game which could give the Eagles multiple chances at odd man rushes.

2. Stay out of the box. As of tonight, Boston College is 2nd in the nation with 24 penalty minutes per game. It's only been two games but a costly penalty came back to kill us at RPI. As I said in the beginning of the year, there are only two ways to beat this BC team- you need exceptional goaltending and you better pray the Eagles take some boneheaded penalties. Hopefully, that doesn't happen tomorrow.

3. Look for the first line to be dominant. I make it seem like they're struggling tremendously. That couldn't be further from the truth I just think they have the potential to be one of the top lines Coach York has ever had.

Injury notes- Silk out

That's all I got. Go Eagles

Fabbro Commits to Boston University

BC's top recruiting target, defenseman Dante Fabbro out of Western Canada, committed to arch rival Boston University tonight. The other schools in on Fabbro were North Dakota, Minnesota, and Denver.

Obviously, this is a tough one to swallow for the staff. They have been doing a much better job on the recruiting trail as of late and they will certainly continue to do so but tonight is certainly a victory for the guys down the street. Give David Quinn and his staff a lot of credit, they have been able to haul in one of the most impressive recruiting classes I have seen with guys like Krys, Bellows, Keller, and now Fabbro all on board for next season. As we have seen in the past couple of weeks, BC has taken their recruiting level up a few notches to match that of Quinn and company but there certainly will be some more hated battles throughout the next few months.

Go Eagles

Engineers Stun Eagles

If you have read this blog in the past, particularly during last season, you would know that I'm not a happy camper after losses. I've never been a fan of taking positives out of a loss and I can't recall a time where I walked out of a rink genuinely excited following a BC defeat. That changed yesterday. I've never seen a BC team play so well in a losing effort, in fact, I would say they played much better than they did against Army on Friday night but the puck just didn't bounce their way. Don 't let this be any slight to RPI, they played an absolute heck of a hockey game. Jason Kasdorf turned in one of the best goaltending performances I've ever seen. To go along with their netminder's stellar play, RPI blocked a whopping 45 BC shots and to be honest it felt like 145 shots. Obviously, no one wants to lose but maybe it is a good thing for this young Eagle squad that has yet to face any adversity.

The first period was relatively even (shots were 13-13) but it was BC's penalty kill that stole the show. I can't remember RPI getting any quality chances on the power play throughout the entire game until their second goal of course. BC did a great job of disrupting their breakout to a point where the Engineers couldn't even get the puck into the zone to set things up. Of the 12 forwards dressed, they have 8 of them killing penalties which is a lot considering they could only roll 5 or 6 a year ago. BC had it's chances throughout the period but as was the case all night, Kasdorf made some terrific saves.

The second period was BC's best of this young season. I thought the line of Colin White, Adam Gilmour, and Ryan Fitzgerald was easily BC's top unit as they generated 10 shots on goal. Perhaps the most pivotal moment of the game was when BC had back to back power plays, moved the puck around tremendously, but could not find a way to get it past Kasdorf about midway through the period. It was nearly impossible for BC's defenders to get pucks on net in order to create rebound opportunities thanks to RPI's relentless blocking. In the final two minutes of the period, the Eagles continued to keep the pressure on in the offensive zone but after a miscue, RPI took the puck up ice on a 3 on 3. I actually thought BC covered the play pretty well but Riley Bourbonnias' shot seemed to deflect off Teddy Doherty's stick and into the net. I don't believe Demko ever saw it. Just like that, BC trailed for the first time all season heading into the third period.

Three minutes into the third, the refs whistled Ryan Fitzgerald from elbowing, a penalty in which the Engineers were able to take advantage of. As they had been doing all game, BC didn't give RPI anything on the PP in the first minute and a half of Fitzgerald's penalty but after a neutral zone turnover from Zach Sanford, RPI beautifully executed a 3 on 2, giving the home team the all important 2 goal lead. It's easy for me to sit here and say BC should have just iced the puck instead of trying to make something out of nothing on the man down but Sanford's the type of player that always wants to try and make a play (which is a good thing). Unfortunately, he was the victim of a pretty vicious hit that allowed RPI to gain possession and eventually score. However, as was the case on Friday night, Sanford redeemed himself a couple minutes later when he banged home a Teddy Doherty pass on the power play, cutting the lead in half. BC kept pushing hard to try and even the score and Scott Savage had perhaps the best chance to do that when a rebound squirted out to him near the circle but Kasdorf made an unbelievable diving stop. I have been wondering what the staff would do in late game situations, particularly when down a goal, because you could make the case that anybody on the top three lines should be on the ice. After Coach York called a timeout with about 1:30 left, he sent White's line out there (plus Cangelosi) with McCoshen and Casey Fitzgerald at the point. There were certainly some people on the Twitter waves who were complaining about Bracco, Tuch, and Sanford not being out there but let's be honest here, the staff made the right move. The first line was a non-factor all night long, they're supposed to be the top line in the country and they didn't muster much of anything versus a team that isn't necessarily known for the defensive prowess. I thought Colin White was BC's best player throughout the game so there is no doubt he should have been on the ice. Anyways, the Eagles did everything but score in the final seconds and RPI came away with the biggest upset of this young college hockey season.

Like I said in the opening paragraph,  I could not be happier with the way BC played, especially considering it was the second leg of a Friday-Sunday road trip. There are certainly some things they need to work on but I thought they cut back on the turnovers, the power play moved the puck around all game long, the penalty kill was aggressive, and Demko played a solid game once again. I can't really think of any glaring errors. Some will say they only scored 1 goal and we might be headed down the same road as last season but they generated 37 shots, which was preceded by 40 shots on Friday. Sometimes you run into a hot goaltender and they steal the game, it's hockey. If BC plays like that for the rest of the season, they're going to win a heck of a lot of games. Onto Wisconsin.

Why BC lost- 

1. Kasdorf was a magician. I can't think of many goaltending performances that were better than that. Sean Fields in the 2004 Beanpot final might be #1 but last night is right up there with it.

2.  First line struggled. I wouldn't worry too much about these guys, they're going to be fine, just give it time. I know Bracco doesn't have a point yet but he is still adjusting to playing against guys that are six years his senior. I hope the staff keeps them together.

Positives- 

1. That is as good as I have seen a BC team play in a long time, win or lose. Colin White, Austin Cangelosi, and Ryan Fitzgerald were probably BC's three best forwards.

Injury note- Brendan Silk suffered a separated shoulder on Friday night. He is out indefinitely.

Next- Wisconsin on Friday. Home opener.

Go Eagles

RPI Preview

First of all, great to see Union, a team that tied Sacred Heart Friday night, pick up a stunning 5-3 win over the "#2" Terriers. Always an awesome night when the scarlet and white fall.

Ironically, the arch rivals of both those squads mentioned above will faceoff fifteen miles down the road from last night's battle at Messa Rink when the #1 Eagles travel to RPI for a Sunday afternoon tilt. This will be the 36th meeting all time between Boston College and RPI with the good guys holding a 20-14-1 lead in the series. Their last meeting was in October of 2013 when BC defeated the Engineers by a 7-2 score in Chestnut Hill. The red and black come into tomorrows contest fresh off a 3-0 loss @ Lowell on Friday night, a game in which they were outshot 38-27 overall and 31-14 through two periods. Safe to say that despite it only being one game, fans in Troy are getting desperate for their club to get back it's winning ways of the 80's and 90's. RPI has not made the NCAAs since 2011, which is their lone appearance in the dance since 1995.

Leading the way for the home team will be forwards Drew Melanson (20 points last year), Milos Bubela (15 points), and sophomore Riley Bourbonnais (13 points). The Engineers lost two of their top three point getters from the 2015 campaign and will most likely be without top forward Mark Miller who did not play against Lowell. On the back end, RPI lost two of it's top six defenseman from a season ago and clearly a unit with two or three underclassmen will have their hands full with the #1 team in college hockey. Although they may have some holes to fill up front and on the blue line, RPI boast one of the top goaltenders in the ECAC, if not college hockey. Senior Jason Kasdorf, a Winnipeg Jets draftee, is undoubtedly the best player on Seth Appert's squad and if the Engineers are going to have any chance tomorrow, they will need him to be nearly perfect.

Boston College comes into tomorrow's contest 1-0 after a thrashing of Army up in West Point. The big question for the Eagles will be the status of senior forward Brendan Silk who was hurt in the early-goings on Friday. I do not know his status but I would bet on Joey Dudek getting his first career start tomorrow afternoon on the fourth line. I am interested to see what the staff does with the lines as they have so many options. I don't think they will touch the first unit of Bracco, Sanford, and Tuch but I wouldn't be shocked if they shook up the second line of Fitzgerald, White, and Gilmour. On the defensive side of things, I think Travis Jeke will get his first taste of action as freshman Josh Couturier had a little bit of a tough time on Friday night. They don't have to play Jeke or Couturier on a regular shift throughout the game but if those guys can go in and perform when they're asked to, McCoshen and Santini won't be summoned to play every other shift. In college hockey they don't keep track of playing time but I would say the staff drastically cut back on the two junior blue liner's time in the third period when things got out of hand. If Casey Fitzgerald keeps playing the way he is, he will soon be the Eagles' third guy in the rotation. With a days rest and just one game looming next weekend against lowly Wisconsin, I expect Thatcher Demko to get the nod once again after his stellar performance on Friday. In fact, Demko's first career victory was vs RPI in 2013.

As I said earlier, I expect RPI to come out swinging. It has been a long time since they have had a meaningful win and head coach Seth Appert needs something to fend off the hounds asking for his dismissal. Houston Field House is said to be one of the toughest places to play in college hockey so BC has got to find a way to start out on fire. Like Army, RPI's only chance is to get pucks behind our D and play as physical as possible. If the Eagles are able to move pucks out of the zone and start the transition game, they should be able to pot a few goals.

Scouting RPI- 

Record- 0-1

Top returning scorers from last year- Drew Melanson (9-11-20), Milos Bubela (8-7-15), Riley Bourbonnais (5-8-13)

Power play- 0 for 5 against Lowell

Penalty Kill- 5 for 5 against Lowell

Projected starter- Jason Kasdorf (2.97 GAA and .902 save percentage in 2015)

Keys for BC- 

1. Take the crowd out of it in the first period. This is by far and away the biggest game RPI has hosted in a few years so we can expect a raucous crowd looking for a big win. I am more confident in this year's BC team to come back from deficits but historically, the Eagles are a much better club when scoring the first goal.

2. Cut back on the defensive zone turnovers. Early in the season, one can expect a good amount of errors but hopefully BC cleans things up in their own end. Army forced a lot of blind passes that could have ended up in the back of the net if not for Demko.

3. BC needs better play from a couple of their defenseman. I am interested to see whether they go with Couturier or Jeke as the 6th guy. No matter who gets the start, the bottom three defensemen need to take their games up a notch.

Injury Notes- I would be surprised if Silk played, expect Dudek to be in.

Off to Troy....Go Eagles !

1-0

Photo from Dustin Saltoff and BC Interruption 

Thanks to a three point performance from Miles Wood and twenty three saves from Thatcher Demko, Boston College defeated Army 5-1 in front of a sellout crowd at Tate Rink. This is the first time since the start of the 2011-12 season that BC has won their opener. First things first, give Army a lot of credit for the way they battled tonight. The talent disparity was obvious but those kids fight as hard as any team we've played in a long time. Sure, they were a bit chippy at times but the only chance they had was to bang bodies in order to slow down the high octane Eagles. As serious as we take our hockey in Chestnut Hill, it pails in comparison to what those guys on the other side are going through. In two or three years they will be serving our country against some of the greatest evils the world has to offer and for that I think they should be given the utmost respect.

As for that hockey team from Chestnut Hill,  they're pretty, pretty good. I could not have been more impressed with some of the freshman tonight. Miles Wood was the best player on the ice, Casey Fitzgerald was arguably BC's top defenseman, Chris Brown recorded his first goal, and the NTDP duo of Jeremy Bracco and Colin White was as good as advertised. I thought BC struggled a bit out of the gate as Army really took it to them but Demko was his usual, solid self all night long. Due to Army's imposing size, BC had a tough time in their own end for much of the game as there were a fair amount of turnovers that certainly could have been avoided with a simple chip off the glass. Some of the younger guys had a tough time figuring out whether the defenseman from the blue line was going to come crashing down on them so instead they just fired the puck towards the middle of the ice, which resulted in some quality chances for the Black Knights. On his first shift of the season, senior Brendan Silk was injured and did not return. I do not know the extent of the injury but since he is out, I assume Joey Dudek will get the start on Sunday afternoon at RPI. Almost exactly midway through the opening stanza, Miles Wood ripped home a horrible Army turnover in their own end. This was the start of a big night for the Nobles product and Devils draft pick who led the team with three points.

I thought BC dipped a little at the start of the second but after about five minutes, they really took it to the Black Knights. As a result of the Silk injury, the staff had to jumble around the lines and there were no set pairings but there was one shift when Bracco, Tuch, and Sanford were out there for close to a minute and a half just firing the puck all across the West Point end. Although there weren't any points to show for it, it doesn't take an NHL scout to know how much skill Jeremy Bracco possesses. Some of the passes he made on entries into the zone were borderline Gaudreau like. Tuch and Sanford were fine but it is clear that Army made a point in hitting those two every where they went so by game's end, BC's two sophomores were pretty banged up. Army came very close to tying the score up before junior Chris Calnan ripped home a nasty wrist shot from the top of the circle twelve minutes into the middle period. From what I could tell, it didn't seem like Calnan got a ton of playing time in the first twenty minutes but after the goal, he started to find his stride and ended up playing a pretty good game. As time ticked down in the second, Casey Fitzgerald buried his first career goal with the assists going to Wood and Scotty Savage. McCoshen and Santini were terrific but it was Fitzgerald who really stood out on BC's blue line. He had very few turnovers, some great rushes up the ice, and made a lot of smart decisions at the blue line. I was impressed with his game.

The third period turned into a bit of a wrestling match as Army tried to edge their way back into it. BC gave up it's first power play goal of the season after Sanford was whistled for a stupid slashing penalty. However, the maroon and gold responded well as Sanford exacted a little revenge with a goal the very next shift, putting the game out of reach. After that, the Black Knights really went hard after BC's guys, particularly the freshmen. Miles Wood was cross checked to the head three times in a ten second span after a whistle, resulting in a 5 on 3 for the Eagles. They did not convert. All in all, I'm very pleased with the way things went tonight. Let's be honest, a win over Army isn't anything to crown ourselves over but BC played a heck of a lot better than I thought they would. It's amazing how they take one line off and they come right back out with a some more highly skilled NHL draft picks. The depth up front is better than anything Coach York has had in his tenure at the Heights but in order to win a championship, he is going to need the D to play better. If they turn the puck over the amount of times they did in the first period versus teams like Denver and Lowell, they'll pay for it. Anyways, they'll get the day off tomorrow and prepare to face what is sure to be a hungry RPI team on Sunday. Great start.

Why BC won- 

1. The freshmen were spectacular. Wood, Bracco, White, Fitzgerald, and Brown were all over the ice.

2. Demko looks like he could offset a lot of defensive miscues. Look, we're young on the blue line. There are going to be some growing pains back there as the year goes on but when you have a goalie like that, things won't look so bad.

3. Special teams were pretty good for the first game. I thought the first power play unit was the better of the two but the second did record a goal (C.Fitzgerald). PK was fine, going 5 for 6 on the night. I think we will see different personnel rotate in and out for the first month or so on both the PP and PK.

Problems- 

1. There were certainly a couple of bad defensive zone turnovers but it's the first game so that is to be expected. They will clear it up.

Player of the game- Miles Wood

Next- @ RPI Sunday 2 PM.

Go Eagles

Army Preview

I remember walking out of the Dunkin Donuts Center six months ago with a deep sense of disappointment.  I was stunned and shocked about what had just happened on the ice versus Denver. One of the most frustrating seasons (it wasn't even that bad) in recent memory had just come to a conclusion. Questions swirled all throughout my mind. Would Bracco show? Would Hanifin stay? How many guys would leave school? There was a whole lot of uncertainty surrounding BC Hockey in April of 2015. Fast forward  half year and you've got a renewed sense of optimism that has engulfed coaches, players, and fans. Anybody who knows BC Hockey is aware of how special this season could be. Just under twenty hours from now, the 94th season of Boston College Hockey will commence with expectations higher than they have ever been.

Tomorrow night's matchup will be the 42nd all time between Boston College and Army. The Eagles have taken home 37 of those contests while Army has won 3. The teams have tied once. Two years ago, BC got the better of the Knights by an 11-0 margin at Kelley Rink but I can promise you one thing, tomorrow will not be anything like that. The Black Knights return 18 guys from last season's team, including their top 6 leading scorers. Sophomore Tyler Pham led the way with 9 goals and 20 assists, he was aided by fellow underclassmen Connor Andrie (17 points) and Joe Koziak (15 points). Army finished the 2014-15 campaign with an 8-22-4 record, good for ninth in Atlantic Hockey. Despite their bad record, Brian Riley's squad played national champion Providence to a 3-0 game on the road and also fought hard versus Coach Cav's Huskies. Offensively, the Knights were towards the bottom of the barrel as their 2.00 goals per game ranked 53rd in college hockey. On the other side of things, they gave up an average of 3.18 goals per game, which had them at 47th overall. Expect junior Parker Gahagen to get the nod in-between the pipes. He recorded a .913 save percentage to go along with a 6-15-3 record a season ago.

As for BC,  I'm really excited to see what they can do tomorrow night. There is unbelievable talent all over that lineup. Even during the exhibition game,  I was sitting there thinking about how much deeper this team is compared to last year's club. We have three lines that could be top tier combinations at the majority of Hockey East schools but that doesn't matter if none of those lines can't step up and play like a perennial top line. I always talk about how we need more scoring from the bottom six but at the end of the day, one of the hallmarks of great BC teams is an all world first line. Whether it's Bracco's line or Gilmour's line or Cangelosi's line, one of them has to step up and take control of this game early. The Eagles were 16-2-2 last season when scoring the first goal. Of course, things will be very different this season, especially on the offensive side of things, but I'd like to see them step up and exert their power early and often. Defensively, they don't need to do anything special. When Army gets the puck deep,  all BC's defense has to do is get it to the walls and start a quick breakout. That will allow the forwards to create plays through the neutral zone. Last season, we didn't have enough guys that could make plays in transition. Now we do. If the Eagles avoid turnovers inside their own blue line and put a on dumb penalties, they should be able to win this game.

In terms of special teams, it will be interesting to see what happens with the power play. They worked on it a good amount in practice this week but who knows if that will transfer over to a game. The staff has the luxury of trying different guys in certain spots if they want to. For example, maybe Cangelosi or Wood will get a shot on the second unit if things don't pan out early in the game. Unless something changes between tonight and 7 PM tomorrow, Brendan Silk will get the nod as fourth line right winger. Sophomore forward Alex Tuch missed Wednesday's practice but I think it was just precautionary after his injury at World Jr Camp in August. They seemed pretty set on going with Travis Jeke as the 6th defenseman but I thought Couturier had a solid week of practice so maybe give Jeke the green light tomorrow and the freshman out of Newburyport the start on Sunday. If anything changes, I will certainly tweet it.

I can't tell you what is going to happen a half a year from now in April but I can honestly say that I have never been more excited for the start of a BC Hockey season. This team, I would argue, is the most talented group of players Coach York and his staff have ever assembled. Tomorrow night is a special opportunity for everybody in that locker room to set this program back on the path towards greatness. Army is going to come out swinging like Mike Tyson, especially considering it is the biggest game they've hosted in years. Will this BC team, the youngest in college hockey, be up for the challenge? We'll see.

Scouting Army- 

2014-15 record- 8-22-4

Top returning scorers- Tyler Pham (accounted for 16% of team scoring), Connor Andrie (4-13-17), Joe Kozak (7-8-15).

2014-15 offense- 2.00 goals per game (53rd)

2014-15 defense- 3.18 goals per game (47th)

Top returning goalie- Parker Gahagen (2.83 GAA, .913 save percentage)

2014-15 power play- 11% (54th)

2014-15 penalty kill- 78% (51)

Keys for BC- 

1. Get a first line established early. One would hope that the Bracco, Tuch, and Sanford trio takes the game over in the first period.

2. The more penalties BC takes, the harder it will be to win. This team's formula for success revolves around persistent offensive zone pressure. That ain't happening if they're killing penalties all night.

3. Don't let this be a game in the third period. If the crowd is into it and Army is only down a goal or two, anything is possible. Let's put them away early.

Go Eagles.

Staff Lands Top 2001 Forward

Remember when a certain blog kept complaining about the recruiting? How things have changed.

The staff received a commitment from the top 2001 forward in the United States this evening, Nobles freshman Pat Moynihan. The Minuteman Flames product reportedly received offers from all the big time programs, including arch rival Boston University.

What can I say? BC's teams for the next couple years are going to be very, very good thanks to what the staff has done on the recruiting trail. Moynihan, Knight, and Samuelsson all have the chance to be big time players when they arrive at BC. It's hard to label such a young kid as a "game changing" recruit but this certainly is one of their biggest wins in a long time. USHR described Moynihan as "the most complete player at this stage in his development and a standout player on a very strong team."

Obviously, a lot can change between now and the time this kid arrives on campus but for now, BC has itself one heck of a hockey player.

Walsh, Tortora, Moynihan, Giles, Cassetti, and McPhee on the same team? You?

Go Eagles !!

Another Big Get

Boston College continued it's hot streak on the recruiting trail as they received a commitment from top 2000 defenseman Adam Samuelssson, brother of former Eagle Philip and son of Rangers legend Ulf. The youngest Samuelsson, a product of the Connecticut Jr Rangers, is a 6'3 mammoth that, according to those who have seen him play, has a solid stride and can move the puck. It appears that he plays a style similar to that of Steven Santini. Over the Boards described him as "another serious pick up for BC, imposing, high end defender." Samuelsson will be a strong candidate for the National Development Program next season.

In my opinion, things are really looking good on the recruiting trail. After a couple of rough months last winter, the staff has received several big time verbal commitments from Samuelsson, Pat Giles, Jake Tortora, Joe Cassetti, and Spencer Knight. Obviously, a lot will change between now and the time these guys arrive on campus but the coaches have done a terrific job of solidifying the future.

The two big names to watch out for now are 2001 forward Pat Moynihan of Nobles and 2000 forward Joel Farabee of New York. SB Nation's Jeff Cox reported this afternoon that BC has offered Moynihan who also has interest from several Ivy League schools and arch rival Boston University.

We shall see what happens but as of now, all is well in BC Hockey world.

Go Eagles.

Observations From Exhibition Game

The Eagles suffered a 5-2 setback at the hands of New Brunswick last night. I did not see the entire game but  what I saw was exactly what I expected. BC looked a bit out of sorts which is fine considering they haven't been able to hold an official practice yet. Here are a few quick notes I gathered.

1. Demko looked perfectly healthy when he was in. The first portion of the opening period was all Varsity Reds and they nearly had a goal to show for it (got reversed). I wouldn't read too much into the fact that he wasn't on the bench for the final two periods as he probably getting some care in the trainers room. I would not be surprised if the staff gave him a couple days off early this week to get ready for Friday.

2. I was very impressed with the freshmen, especially Miles Wood. It was an exhibition game versus bigger and older kids so it is no surprise that BC's biggest and oldest newcomer performed the best. The speed his able to generate through the neutral zone is borderline insane for a kid of that size. I think they should put him on the power play because it could really help them transition from break out to set up but what the heck do I know.

3. They need Birdsall to be better. I know the game doesn't matter at all but freshman goalie Chris Birdsall struggled a bit in his first go around. There is no way Demko can go the entire season without skipping a beat so hopefully Birdsall improves as the year goes on. Although I wasn't there to see it, apparently Birdsall was relatively solid in the third period which is a good sign.

4. The most important thing about these type of games is that no one gets hurt. We will see what happens this week in practice but as of now, they should have a full roster for Friday night.

5. Both the power play and penalty kill need some fine tuning. When you consider the fact that they haven't been able to work on either one of these much during practice then it is not a big deal. I think they will experiment with different units throughout the week and see what works and what doesn't.

6. The staff has a tough call to make with regards to the fourth line. I thought Silk was okay but Dudek was better than I expected him to be. That will be an interesting battle to watch as the week progresses.

That is all I got. Game week baby!

Go Eagles

Forward Preview #2

It is time to finish up our season previews that we started a couple nights ago.

Chris Calnan- Although I said yesterday that Austin Cangelosi was the "x-factor" for this team, I think you could certainly make the case for Chris Calnan filling that role. The third round pick of the world champion Chicago Blackhawks has had his ups and downs but I thought there were times last year when he looked like one of BC's best forwards. There was a period when the Norwell native recorded seven points in six games but he failed to record any points in the final fourteen games. I think the best parts to Calnan's game are his skating and his work along the walls. He could rack up a good amount of points if he continues to work hard down low and get pucks to the front of the net. The third line right wing spot with Wood and Cangelosi is the perfect fit for #11 because he won't have to be the playmaker on that line, he will do what he does best- grind. Not sure if he will see power play time right off the bat but he certainly will be a key aspect of Coach Ayers' penalty killing unit.

Adam Gilmour- This is another one of those situations where I'm not sure what to expect. A season ago, Gilmour centered BC's top line with Tuch and Sanford but this year he will switch to the wing on the second line (at least to start). He will likely be a stalwart on the Eagles' second power play unit but will probably see a reduced role in the penalty killing department. If the Hanover native can record anywhere between 40-50 points, it would really take a lot of pressure off of the first line. The past three seasons have been ones in which the maroon and gold have had stellar top units but a significant drop in production after that has led to early playoff exits. If guys like Gilmour, Fitzgerald, and Calnan can expanded their roles as upperclassmen, then BC has a chance to be a very good team.

Chris Brown- The nephew of Coach Brown and son of BC legend Doug Brown is my pick for "surprise" player of the year. I had never seen him skate before a couple months ago and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. As a fourth liner, he probably won't have a ton of points but I think he will morph into a solid two way, penalty killing forward. Due to all the star power in front of him, power play time doesn't seem like a possibility at this point but things always change during the course of a long season. In terms of production, I think anywhere between 13-20 points would be fine. As I said in Gilmour's piece, BC's problem is never the first liners, it's the bottom nine guys who ranged from 6-23 points a year ago. That number has to much higher this time around.

Matthew Gaudreau- Like the aforementioned Brown, Matthew Gaudreau will likely be an everyday player on BC's fourth line. It's amazing to think that there was a time last season when he was playing either first or second line because he is certainly much more fit for that secondary role. The Carney's Point, NJ native does not possess the skills his brother does but for a fourth liner in this league, he's got some pretty nifty moves. Not sure if he will garner much time on special teams. Hopefully he can double up his 6 point total from a season ago, I certainly think he will.

Brendan Silk- For whatever the reason, I've always rooted for Brendan Silk a little bit more than anybody else. Let's be honest, his time has at BC has been full of rough stretches, usually due to injury. Whatever you think of the kid as a hockey player, from what I can tell, he works hard every single day at practice and deserves a chance to play next weekend at Army. Whether it was two years ago against PC or freshman year against Boston University, Silk has had some brilliant bright spots, unfortunately, they have been few and far between. I'm not saying he is going to go out and light the world on fire this season but I do think he could set the tone for this team by doing what he does best- banging bodies and blocking shots. Oh he also has an absolute rocket of a shot, maybe the best of any forward outside of Tuch and Wood. He won't have more than ten or fifteen points but he's got a chance to do a lot of damage outside the box score. I think this is finally the year where fans come to realize Silk's value to this program.

Chris Shero- The son of Devils GM Ray Shero won't get much playing time this season but he's looked pretty solid in the four or five practices I've watched. In the case of an injury, Shero is capable of coming in and playing some minutes.

Joey Dudek- A 6th round draft pick of the Devils, one of three on the roster, Dudek has an outside shot of cracking the opening night lineup. He's not a terrific skater but there's certainly some skill to work with there and he would obviously be the next guy up if somebody went down. There is a chance (usually a high one) that I am completely wrong and Dudek starts opening night but unless he really stands out against New Brunswick, I think Silk gets the nod on fourth line right wing.

Well, that will do it for the player previews. Let's take a look at the top things to watch out for tomorrow night vs UNB.

1. How much will Demko play, if at all?

According to a source, the staff is still considering whether or not to give BC's starting netminder some reps tomorrow night but there is a chance he plays. He has been a full go at practice.

2. Who will man the power play units?

This is what I am looking most forward to. I think the top two units will be- Bracco, Sanford, Tuch, McCoshen, Doherty then Gilmour, White, Fitzgerald, Savage, and then maybe C. Fitzgerald or Wood.

3. How does BC stack up vs UNB?

Believe it or not, the Varsity Reds are a heck of a team. They're ranked #1 in the CIS and just beat the Portland Pirates (AHL) last night.

4. Will they change up the lines as the night goes on?

I think they will stick with what they had earlier this week. They ran the same combinations (sans Dudek) at todays practice so unless something drastic happens, those are what we got.

 Go Eagles. Go Acadia (playing BU) !

Season Preview Part II: The Forwards

A couple nights ago, we began our season previews by looking at BC's defensive core. Tonight, we will look at the forward corps. I will be splitting this into two sections of it's own for time's sake.

The 2015-16 edition of the Eagles will feature, in my opinion, the best forward grouping of the Coach York era. Led by returnees Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, Zach Sanford, and a terrific freshmen class, BC will look to rebuild an offense that took a step back last season after the departures of G, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold the year before. Boston College returns 6 of it's top 7 seven scorers from a season ago and they will lead college hockey with 10 NHL draft picks on the front end. A year ago, BC was a whopping 7th in Hockey East when it came to goals per game (2.82) but I would be shocked if they didn't increase that number by a full point over the course of the 2015-16 season.


Alex Tuch- I almost fell off the roof of my house when I saw that College Hockey News did not have Tuch on either their first or second team. Outside of NU's Kevin Roy, there may be no one more talented in the entire league when it comes to pure puck skills. I expect the staff to match Tuch with freshman Jeremy Bracco and Zach Sanford which is as deadly a combination as you can possibly get in the college game these days. #12 will obviously see time on the first power play unit, it just remains to be seen who joins him there. The staff used him to kill penalties at times last year but I don't expect that to be the case all that often this year because three of the four freshmen will probably get more PK time than expected. Obviously I am biased, but I think the Baldwinsville, New York native has a shot to bring home the Hobey Baker award, especially considering the amount of skill he will have surrounding him.

Zach Sanford- Before his arrival, the Pinkerton, New Hampshire native was expected to come in and hopefully contribute offensively but nobody thought he would have the season he had in 14-15. Like his classmate Tuch, I think Sanford will benefit greatly from a deeper lineup with more skill to help offset everyones strengths and weaknesses. We know how good Sanford and Jeremy Bracco are with the puck on their sticks and if you mix that in with Tuch's shot, the results could be devastating. I could tell that the enormous amount of minutes Zach was getting took a toll in the Vermont series and subsequent Denver game. Teams went after him all the time. This year, he doesn't have to go up against opponents' top defensive pairing every single shift because the staff can just throw out one of BC's other top lines.  I think #24 will be on the first power play unit along with being one of the top penalty killers on the squad. A tall task? Sure, but after the surprise he pulled a season ago, I would not be surprised to see Zach as one of the top scorers in college hockey.

Jeremy Bracco- As far as I am concerned, no forward has arrived at BC with as much hype surrounding him as Bracco has. When a kid goes out and breaks NTDP records set by Pat Kane and Phil Kessel, you know he has got to be pretty, pretty good. My expectation is that the Long Island native will come in and play top minutes right off the bat, something that is very rare at BC. How many freshmen have come in here and played first line right away? Tuch and Gionta are the only two I can think of. Kreider didn't, G didn't, Hayes didn't. Anyways, I think Bracco is basically going to run the power play. He might set the BC record for assists in a season along the way. In fact, he was my pick to win Hockey East player of the year. Not one other media type had him on there. Ridiculous.

Ryan Fitzgerald- A fourth round draft pick of his hometown Bruins, Fitzgerald is coming off a season is which he recorded a team high 17 goals. With the infusion of the freshmen class, one would expect Fitz's role to be slightly reduced but he will certainly be cornerstone of BC's second power play unit and perhaps their top penalty killing team. I think he will play second line with Gilmour and White to start things off. Honestly, I think a lot of fans, including myself, are underrating Fitz because he has been the top player out of that junior class throughout his first two years yet not many think he will be a major player in terms of league scoring. This time around, he won't need to carry the load which could be a blessing in disguise for one of BC's best two way forwards.

Colin White- I always get a lot of heat from people who read this thing because supposedly I don't talk enough White compared to his fellow NTDP alum Bracco. The first round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators could very well be a fixture on BC's second power play unit but even if that is not the case, he will get a lot of time on the penalty kill. The Hanover native and Nobles product will be one of the Eagles' top two way players. With all the weapons up front, maybe it will take some time for Colin to get used to playing a bit of a secondary role but after a few months, he will be one of the top players on this club.

Austin Cangelosi- In hockey, it is hard to pick out "key players" on any team but for me, Cangelosi is the X factor this year's BC team. I believe he was dragged down by having to play with slower players a season ago because he might be the fastest guy in the entire league. Pair him up with a guy like Miles Wood who can also fly, then you've got two players that could really compliment each other. I read some of these message boards and see that fans are ready to give up on #26, who at the time, was a huge commitment for the staff. I am not one of those people. I think the Estero, Florida native will be the biggest surprise out of anybody in that locker room. Cango just needs to be with guys that can put the puck in the net and keep up with his speed. With the addition of the new freshmen class, that is a distinct possibility.

Miles Wood- The only freshman in the entire country to make the US World Jr team a season ago comes to the Heights after a terrific stint at Nobles. I've always thought he plays a lot like Chris Kreider, he's big, he's got a terrific stride, possesses a shot could kill somebody, and sometimes gets a bit fired up and takes a few penalties here and there. I think the staff should put him on the point on the first power play unit, something he did during his time at Nobles, but the odds of that happening are slim. Of course, the biggest question mark for me is how will he make the adjustment from playing against high schoolers to top level division one players? Guys like Bracco, White, Casey Fitz, and Brown have all played against older kids in the USHL but Miles never got a chance to do that, in fact he was the oldest guy in the ISL. Personally, I don't think he will have any issues adjusting after a few games but who knows what will happen.

Season Preview Part I: The Defense

On Saturday night, the #1 Boston College Eagles will take the ice for the first time this season in an exhibition game versus the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, commencing the 94th season in the history of the program. Instead of doing one massive season preview, I am going to break it into a couple different parts, one about the defense and one about the forwards. Let's take a look at this year's blue line.

A season ago, the Eagles boasted one of the best defensive cores in college hockey but after the  departures of Michael Matheson and Noah Hanifin, the staff will be relying on juniors Ian McCoshen and Steve Santini to log big minutes. I expected the Eagles to be the top team in the conference in terms of goals against last year but instead, they finished with a 2.39 goals against average, good for 4th in Hockey East. Of course, many around the league are raising questions about BC's blue line because they will be breaking in two freshmen, Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier. Unlike Hanifin or other recent rookies, these two are not highly drafted NHL prospects but they will be asked to come in and contribute right off the bat.  I expect that McCoshen, Santini, Savage, and Doherty will get the majority of the minutes when it comes to penalty kills but I could certainly see a scenario in which one of those two rookies gets a look on the second power play unit. Going back to the questions about BC's D, I certainly see why people would have their doubts but let's remember that the best BC teams are built from the forward position on out. They tried to play a slower, more defensive style last year and it just didn't click for them. The reason I am optimistic about this back end is because I think they will be given ample opportunities to grow as the season goes on. In fact, Boston College plays just one NCAA tournament team from last season before Christmas break (Denver). The lack of depth on the back end is a bit of cause for concern but I think we will see the staff drastically cut back on McCoshen and Santini's minutes in games that are out of hand. I wonder if they would even consider dressing just 11 forwards and 7 defensemen because they have all the depth they need up front, why not add another guy to the back end to play every couple shifts in order to keep guys fresh?

Here is a bit on the expectations for each of BC's defensemen.

Ian McCoshen- I don't know if there is a guy I would rather want on my blue line than Ian McCoshen. He is tough, contributes offensively, shuts down other teams' top guys, and has the best shot I've ever seen at BC. This season, he will undoubtedly play the most minutes on the team, maybe even the league. I expect that he will anchor BC's top power play unit along with the first penalty killing squad, two things he also did a year ago. The only worry I have this year when it comes to #3 is his ability to stay fresh because he is going to play a ton.

Steve Santini- Like McCoshen, junior alternate captain Steve Santini will garner huge minutes throughout the year, especially vs the top players on the other end of the ice. Since his freshman season, Santini has been thrown right into the fire and has often succeeded. He doesn't have much of an offensive side to his game but he will join forces with McCoshen on BC's top penalty killing unit and will also be on the ice any time the Eagles are in need of a late game defensive stand. Of course, there was a big hole in BC's defensive core when "The Sheriff" missed 16 games a season ago due to injury. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year and become the driving force behind a BC defense that will certainly be relived of the pressure they faced last year.

Scott Savage- First off, I want to say that I'm a big fan of Scott Savage. I think he showed a ton of upside both offensively and defensively freshman year. However, he took a bit of a step back a season ago as he recorded 0 goals and a -7 rating, lowest out of any BC defenseman. Despite the ups and downs of last winter, I think a renewed offense will allow Scott to take more shots at the blue line and spend less time in his own end, an obvious formula for success. I thought the pace at which the team played at a season ago really affected #2 because he didn't have time to make any plays in the offensive zone and since the forwards had such a tough time moving the puck up ice, he often got stuck in his own end. It is my hope that the staff gives him another chance on the power play because he has an absolute rocket of a shot that found the net 4 times in 2014 to go along with 14 helpers. Look for a bounce back year from the junior out of California.

Teddy Doherty- The senior captain epitomizes everything you want in a BC Hockey player. He plays his heart out every game, has improved drastically from year to year due to his hard work, and possesses all the tools necessary to led this team both on and off the ice. The Hopkinton native was second amongst defensemen in points last year with 6 goals and 17 assists to go along with a +15 rating. I would certainly say he was BC's most consistent blue liner a year ago and I think that will carry over to this year. Doherty is an exceptional puck mover, especially on the man advantage. I'm not sure how they will sort out the blue line on the power play but I think #4 should be on the first unit along with McCoshen. With the skill up front, you have to wonder if the staff will go back to a four or five forward first unit. Anyways, I'm thinking big things are ahead for BC's senior leader.

Casey Fitzgerald- Now we get into the unknowns. The younger brother of Ryan comes to Chestnut Hill a bit under the radar after failing to get drafted in June. I've only watched him a few times but I think he will fit in just fine at BC with his smooth stride and offensive instinct. Again, I think there is a chance Casey gets some minutes on the power play early on as the staff plays around with different combinations. I would be surprised if #5 isn't paired with a seasoned vet like McCoshen or Santini in the early going to help offset any miscues in the defensive end. In talking with some people inside the program, there is feeling that if either Fitzgerald or Couturier can play at a high level for a large chunk of the season, it will make this team that much better because let's be honest, playing four guys every night will be tough. The staff doesn't need the newcomers to be the next Bobby Orr or Nick Lidstrom but they have got to find a way to play mistake free hockey this year.

Josh Couturier- The former Northeastern commit is the biggest question mark for me simply because I have only seen him play two or three times. Coach York described the Newburyport native as a "sleeper for us. He's a little older and he will bring good size to our defense. We believe he will be a contributor throughout the season." I think Coach hit the nail on the head, like usual. No one really knows how Couturier is going to adjust from playing in the USPHL to Hockey East but the good news is that he is physically on par with everybody else, he just has to get used to the speed of the game.

Travis Jeke- The senior defenseman out of Pittsburgh will provide some depth for the Eagles this season. I think he will certainly play between 7-15 games, depending on what happens with injuries and the performance of the the two freshmen. Like I said in the first paragraph, I think Jeke is a perfectly reliable 6th guy in the rotation who, believe it or not, has some skill to work with.

Hey, if you're worried about the defense don't get too anxious. Coach Brown will get them going in no time and even if they struggle at times, having the best forward group of the Coach York era won't hurt at all.

Go Eagles

Updates

With only a few days remaining until the start of hockey season, the Eagles continue to gear up for their exhibition game versus New Brunswick on Saturday night. The staff keeps playing around with different line combinations, here is what they had in store today.

Tuch-Sanford-Bracco

Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan

Fitzgerald-White-Gilmour

Gaudreau-Brown-Silk 

I would expect that those are the combinations they will use vs UNB but depending on what works and what doesn't, they could certainly mix it up before Army next Friday. Thatcher Demko was on the ice once again and looked as good as usual. I think we will see him between the pipes on opening night. 

Central Scouting came out with their annual September rankings this afternoon. Boston College landed 6 guys on the list- McInnis, Walker, Casey Fitzgerald, McPhee, Woll, and Campoli. That ties arch rival Boston University and Wisconsin for the most in college hockey

I will have the first part of my season preview up tonight around 8 o'clock. 

Go Eagles

McInnis Named MVP of All-American Prospects Game

BC recruit Luke McInnis took home MVP honors last night at the All American Prospects game in Buffalo, New York. McInnis, who will play for the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) this year, scored the game winning goal in the third period. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to watch much of the game but according to those that did, 2016 recruit Mike Campoli stood out on both ends. SB Nation's Jeff Cox added that another 2016 recruit, Graham McPhee, is one of the most improved players on the NTDP squad along with Wisconsin commit Trent Frederic.

All in all, a solid night for the future Eagles.

I'll have my full length season preview up at some point next week.

Go Eagles

Eagles Pick Up Another Top 99

Coach York and his staff continued their recruiting upswing as USNTDP U17 forward Joe Cassetti committed this evening. The 6'2 forward out of Pleaseanton, California has recorded 3 goals in 4 games this season for an NTDP squad that also features BC commit Jacob Tortora. Cassetti made a strong impression on the staff this weekend at the USHL Pittsburgh Showcase, a tournament in which both Coach Brown and Coach Ayers attended.

This is another strong addition for BC's already potent recruiting pipeline. Their most recent gets of Pat Giles, Spencer Knight, and Cassetti, along with previous verbals from Tortora and TJ Walsh, are strong indications that the Eagles will certainly be contending for National Titles well beyond this season.

Here is a report from Jeff Cox on Cassetti.

Go Eagles !

First Practice Observations

I got my first glimpse of the 2015-16 Eagles today. The first thing observation I had was the pace at which the team was going at, even if it was just their third or fourth time together on the ice. Comparing the tempo of last year's practices to this year would be like comparing the speed of Honda Pilot and a Corvette.

Earlier today, Coach York told the Hockey East media that Thatcher Demko may not be ready for opening night, "He is not 100% yet but by the end of October, early November, he should be fully healed." Demko was on the ice today and from what I could tell, there were no instances in which he showed a lot of pain. Sure, we all want him in the net vs Army on October 9th but the reality is that this team should be able to beat their first four opponents relatively easily before things get a bit tougher in November. It is not the end of the world if he has to miss the first three or four games.

It is still early in the preseason but here are the lines the staff rolled out today.

Wood-Sanford-Calnan

Fitzgerald-Brown-Gilmour

Bracco-Cangelosi-Tuch

Gaudreau-White-Silk/Dudek 

Certainly, there are some interesting combinations but I doubt the staff will have the same exact lineup for opening night. 

On another note, BC was voted #1 in the Hockey East coaches poll for the 14th time in the last 17 years. Not bad. 

Go Eagles. 

Hockey East Media Selects Boston College As Preseason #1

20 of 35 Hockey East media members selected Boston College as the #1 team in Hockey East for the 2015-16 season. BC received 397 points overall, followed by BU who received 374. The Eagles also landed 3 players on the all Hockey East first team.  

Final order- 

1. Boston College 

2. Boston University 

3. Lowell 

4. Providence 

5. Notre Dame 

6. Vermont 

7. Northeastern 

8. UNH 

9. UConn 

10. Merrimack 

11. Maine 

12. UMass 

First team all Hockey East as voted by the media -

F- Tyler Kelleher (UNH) 

F- Danny O'Regan (BU

F- Kevin Roy (NU) 

F- Alex Tuch (BC) 

D- Ian McCoshen (BC) 

D- Matt Grzelyck (BU) 

G- Thatcher Demko (BC) 

Go Eagles

Recruiting Links

I know some of you are not on Twitter so I wanted to pass along these two recruiting links.

The first is a total clown show from the International Scouting Service, which listed the top 30 freshmen in college hockey. Of course, BC had two of the top four guys (White #1, Bracco #4) along with Chris Brown (#17) but in what was perhaps the most stunning thing I saw all day, Miles Wood was not on the list. Sure, it is awesome that college hockey has so many top end guys coming in this year but not one of them made the US World Jr team last season. Miles Wood did. It's a complete joke that he isn't on there. Here is the list

On the good side of things, SB Nation's Jeff Cox, who is as neutral as it gets when it comes to this stuff, ranked BC the #1 recruiting class in Hockey East. It takes someone that really dislikes BC to say that a class with the #21 overall pick, one of the highest scoring players in NTDP history, and the only freshman to make the WJC team, is not the #1 class. Unfortunately, those people are all around the internet but be sure to pray for them because they are in for a long year.

Let's be honest for a second. These rankings don't really matter that much but it just goes to show just how much people will not give BC any credit. How in the world is Miles Wood not on that list? How? How can one take a glance at BC's projected lineup and not say they're the preseason number one team? Am I lenient towards BC? Of course I am, but I've been around long enough to know that this the best forward group Coach York has ever had yet they're not everyone's preseason number one. Insane. Again, all these preseason rankings don't pull too much weight but it just goes to show that the anti-BC media machine is once again gaining steam.


Go Eagles

Possible Lineup Projection

I was on my way home from school this afternoon and I glanced over to my dashboard in order to switch the music that was playing. As I was doing this, the date September 14th jumped right out at me like a bat out of hell, signaling hockey season is almost here. It feels like that Denver loss took place five years ago  but I have to say, the offseason was a heck of a lot better thanks to Nate Leaman and the Providence College Friars. I am going to hold off on any "official" season previews for a few weeks but I think it would be a good idea to take a peek at some potential lineups. Of course, the staff will be welcoming in a ten man freshmen class headed by Jeremy Bracco, Miles Wood, and Colin White. Accompanying this new "big three" will be returnees Alex Tuch, Adam Gilmour, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Zach Sanford. I'm going to say this one last time so we can get it on the record. On paper, compared to the rest of the teams throughout college hockey, this is the most talented squad Coach York has produced at BC. Of course, the 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2014 teams were probably a little more stacked but college hockey as a whole was also a lot stronger in those years. By my count, Boston College will have the most NHL draft picks of any team at 13 (BU has 11).

A lot of pundits have released their Hockey East preseason polls over the course of these past couple days and many have sighted BC's defensive depth, or lack thereof, as a concern. I certainly see why people are hesitant to crown the Eagles after the departures of Mike Matheson and Noah Hanifin but historically, our best teams have been built on high powered offense, not stifling defenses. That is not to say that defense is not important, because of course it is a huge part of the game but let's not sit here and say Scott Savage and Teddy Doherty are minuscule pieces. If Savage can get back to playing the way he was in 2014 and newcomers Casey Fitzgerald and Josh Couturier can play solid hockey, the D will be fine. The biggest key this season for the D core will be it's ability to stay healthy because there is not a ton of depth back there. If Fitzgerald, Savage, and Couturier can show the staff early on that they can be relied on during key situations, that will go a long way in keeping Doherty, McCoshen, and Santini fresh. Sure, it's a little bit of a question mark but I think Coach Brown will get them going by midseason.

McCoshen-Doherty 

Santini- Fitzgerald 

Savage- Couturier 

Of course, the big guns on this team lie within the forward corps. As I said earlier, you could argue (like I do) that this is Coach York's best forward group in the past fifteen years. This is the first time in a long time where will have three lines, perhaps even four, that will have a legitimate chance to play against an opponent's top line night in and night out. For example, we couldn't match up versus teams like BU and Minnesota up front because they had first lines that blew our third out of the water. This time around, you could make the argument that BC's third line is better than anybody else's first line. I think these first three weeks of practice are going to be highly competitive because there are three or four freshmen that have a legit chance to play top nine minutes right off the bat. On top of that, BC returns all of it's top six forwards from a team, that despite all it's struggles, made the NCAAs. I haven't been to any practices yet so I'm not sure what the staff has in mind but I think they absolutely must put Tuch, Sanford, and Bracco together. If you can combine Bracco and Sanford's play making abilities with Tuch's finishing touch, then that would be flat out lethal. Also, the center position is a question mark because both Adam Gilmour and Colin White have a real chance at being the second line center. Perhaps they will move White to right wing and match him with Gilmour and Fitzgerald. Here is what I'm thinking 

Bracco-Sanford-Tuch

Fitzgerald-Gilmour-White

Wood-Cangelosi-Calnan

Gaudreau-Brown-Dudek/Silk 

Of course, things will fluctuate between now and October 9th but it's just nice to be talking some hockey again. 

Recruiting note- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal that BC may be in the mix for 2000 forward Joel Farabee, a former UNH commit. 

Go Eagles ! 

Remembering Welles Crowther and 9/11

It is my hope that you have already seen the video I linked here but I try and get around to posting it on every anniversary of 9/11 to remember what Welles and so many others sacrificed for our country.

Go Eagles

My Preseason Hockey East Picks

Although it is still probably a bit early to do this, I got an email a couple nights ago about my preseason Hockey East projections so I figured I would post them on the blog before I forgot. Of course, I am always a bit biased towards BC guys but I actually think most of the picks will be unanimous. Under a month baby!

My predicted order of finish-

1. Obviously

2. UMass- Lowell

3. Boston University

4. Providence

5. Northeastern

6. UConn

7. Vermont

8. Merrimack

9. Notre Dame

10. UNH

11. UMass

12. Maine

First team all Hockey East- Tuch (BC), Roy (NU), Bracco (BC), McCoshen (BC), Grzelyck (BU), Demko (BC)

That is all they asked for. Go Eagles !

Athletic Department To Provide Cost of Attendance Stipends

Earlier this year, Boston College was the only Power 5 team to vote against the cost of attendance stipends which would give student athletes extra money to spend on living expenses. Although BC was the only "nay" in the meeting, they fully expected that the measure would pass and had always planned on providing funds to athletes on scholarship. I cannot speak for other programs because I don't know what their situation is but I do know that the athletic department will be providing the cost of attendance to men's ice hockey players. I would assume that every other program on campus would get some kind of support, whether it is for all players or only the ones that are on full rides.

The only other teams in Hockey East that have also come out and stated they will provide the COAs are UMass-Amherst, Providence, and Notre Dame. At the end of the day, I think every institution will eventually put this into action, however, UMaine has said that they will not be able to provide their student athletes with this money.

No matter what the actual amount of money is (I assume around $2,700), this should certainly help the staff in their recruiting efforts. Personally, I am an advocate for the payment of student-athletes and I think this is a good start but as time goes on, I think you will see that number of 2,000-3,000 increase substantially.

Go Eagles