Posts Tagged ‘Hockey East’

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

*Tie-breakers are based on head-to-head records. The second tie-breaker is most in-conference wins.*

Vermont Catamounts

7^th, 8-12-5, 21 pts

Tie-Breaker: lose vs. UMass, win vs. Maine

Remaining Schedule: 2 vs. BC

The Catamounts had another solid weekend, capitalizing on an underperforming bu team and scoring a big pair of points at Agganis Arena. On Friday, they dropped a 3-1 contest as the Terriers’ Matt Nieto netted a hat trick. On Saturday, Vermont responded with a 5-2 win. Five different skaters scored for the Catamounts, as they won for the fifth time in their past nine games (5-3-1 in that time). This streak has solidified the team’s grip on a playoff spot; even if Vermont doesn’t get any help, it would need just two points next weekend against BC to clinch a Hockey East tournament berth (and the seventh seed).

Maine Black Bears

8^th, 6-12-7, 19 pts

Tie-Breaker: lose vs. Vermont, lose vs. UMass

Remaining Schedule: 2 @ UNH

The Black Bears played their last two games at Alfond Arena this year over the weekend and took home a huge three points against Northeastern. On Friday, they killed off a five-minute power play to start the third period and then fought back from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1. It was just their second win at Alfond all season. Saturday saw an exciting back-and-forth contest with six total power play goals. Ultimately, the game ended in a 4-4 tie. The Maine offense has really turned a corner as of late, posting 2.75 goals per game in its past 12 contests. This has helped them surge in front of a slumping UMass with two games to play. To get into the tournament, the Black Bears will only have to grab the same number of points as UMass this weekend.

Massachusetts Minutemen

9^th, 8-15-2, 18 pts

Tie-Breaker: win vs. Vermont, Maine (most conf. wins, leads by 2)

Remaining Schedule: @ Merrimack, vs. Merrimack

Massachusetts let a point get away from them on Friday night. After taking the lead with about a minute to go in the third period, UMass surrendered the tying goal to UNH’s John Henrion with just four seconds remaining in the contest. The Minutemen came away with one point, as the game finished in a 2-2 tie. That’s all they got for the weekend; UNH beat them 4-0 the next night on the back of a John Henrion hat trick. The Minutemen now sit one point behind Maine for the last playoff spot, after being unable to capitalize on a UNH team that had won three of its prior ten games coming into the weekend. On top of that, they have only managed to capture five of their last 18 possible points. These missed opportunities will haunt UMass, as the team will need to get at least one point more than Maine this weekend to make the tournament (due to winning the tiebreaker with Maine).

Northeastern Huskies – Eliminated

10^th place, 5-16-4, 14 points

Remaining Schedule: vs. bu, @ bu

As mentioned above, Northeastern managed to grab only one point this weekend in Orono. At this point, there is not much to be said about the Huskies that has not already been said. They had inconsistent and weak goaltending. They were unable to capitalize on their offensive opportunities. They were exhausted by their lack of depth and were unable to find consistency in all three phases of the game. Outside of three power play goals, the lone bright spot was the play of Bryan Mountain. After relieving Chris Rawlings on Saturday, Mountain shut out Maine for nearly forty minutes, saving all 34 shots he faced, including an incredible stick save in the waning moments of the third period in a tie game. It was the kind of performance Husky fans wish they had seen more of from either goalie this season.

Elsewhere around Hockey East –

BC and Providence split a home-and-home set, with both road teams winning. On Friday, BC beat Providence 3-2, but on Saturday, four third period goals led Providence to a 5-1 victory. Jon Gillies was stellar for the Friars and made an amazing, sprawling stick save that ended up being on Sportscenter’s Top 10. Meanwhile, UMass Lowell continued their hot streak with a sweep of Merrimack. Friday’s game saw a 4-0 score in Lowell, while Sunday saw a 3-1 game in North Andover. Lowell is now 16-2-1 since getting swept in a home-and-home with UNH to begin December. On the flip side, Merrimack is now 0-4-1 in its past five games.

The top of the standings is still a free-for-all with two games left. Lowell sits in first, leading by one point over UNH. Behind the Wildcats by one point are Providence and BC, tied for third. In fifth, four points back of Lowell, is bu. Merrimack is in sixth, at five points back of first.

Next Up –

The regular season comes to a close this weekend with some exciting matchups. The highlight of the slate is the Border War – Maine, fighting for its playoff life, will visit UNH, with the Wildcats looking for a first-place finish. The current first-place team, UMass-Lowell, will have its hands full with a home-and-home matchup against Providence. UMass, also fighting for its life, will play a home-and-home with Merrimack. Vermont hosts BC for two games and Northeastern will finish its season with a home-and-home matchup with bu.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

*Tie-breakers are based on head-to-head records. The second tie-breaker is most in-conference wins.*

Vermont Catamounts

7^th, 7-11-5, 19 pts

Tie-Breaker: lose vs. UMass; win vs. Maine, NU

Remaining Schedule: 2 @ bu, 2 vs. BC

Vermont began its grueling, season-end stretch against UNH, bu, and BC over the weekend. It managed to emerge with one point in two games against UNH in Burlington. The Catamounts came up short on Friday, 4-3 and played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Vermont’s Brody Hoffman went toe-to-toe with one of the best goaltenders in Hockey East, Casey DeSmith, allowing five goals on 45 shots on the weekend. Despite only getting one point, the Catamounts did what they had to do this weekend – they minimized the gains made by the teams behind them while they faced a much better opponent. UMass and Maine only gained a point each, and still sit two and three points behind seventh place Vermont.

Massachusetts Minutemen

8^th, 8-14-1, 17 pts

Tie-Breaker: win vs. Vermont, Maine (2nd tie-breaker, leads by 3); lose vs. NU

Remaining Schedule: 2 @ UNH, @ Merrimack, vs. Merrimack

Maine Black Bears

9^th, 5-12-6, 16 pts

Tie-Breaker: lose vs. Vermont, lose vs. UMass, TBD vs. NU

Remaining Schedule: 2 vs. NU, 2 @ UNH

The Black Bears and the Minutemen faced off this past weekend in a key battle for eighth place. Massachusetts was able to maintain its slim, one point lead over Maine, as both teams took home a win. On Friday, Maine shut out UMass 2-0, thanks to 30 saves from Martin Ouellette. On Saturday, three third period goals propelled the Minutemen past Maine 5-2.

Despite the split, Massachusetts’ lead over Maine is on shaky ground. UMass is just 4-8 in 2013 and snapped a five game losing streak with their Saturday night win. On top of that, the last two opponents on its schedule are nationally-ranked teams in UNH and Merrimack. The Minutemen’s goal situation has been a problem too; Kevin Boyle has been plagued by inconsistencies for the past few months. In his last two games, he’s allowed six goals on 19 shots to Lowell and was benched at the end of the second period on Friday after allowing two goals to Maine in just over four minutes. Steve Mastalerz came on and shut down the Black Bears the rest of the weekend, allowing two goals on 33 shots. Since stepping in during Boyle’s first benching in mid-January, Mastalerz has started seven games and allowed more than three goals just once. Look for Mastalerz to start the rest of the way. What he brings to the table will be essential to the team’s playoff push.

Maine, on the other hand, has won three of its past five Hockey East road games, going back to its sweep of BC at Chestnut Hill. However, it still sports a conference home record of 1-5-5. Not being able to finish one or two overtime wins at home may well end up being the difference between the playoffs and sitting at home. This weekend is especially important for Maine. A Northeastern team that is struggling mightily is coming to Alfond Arena; this is a prime opportunity for the Black Bears to put up a four point weekend. With UNH lurking next week, the Black Bears need wins – not more home ties. If they get four points, look for some movement in the standings, as UMass has its hands full with its own trip to UNH this weekend.

Northeastern Huskies

10^th place, 5-15-3, 13 points

Tie-Breaker: win vs. UMass, lose vs. Vermont, TBD vs. Maine

Remaining Schedule: 2 @ Maine, vs. bu, @ bu

It was another rough weekend for the Huskies, as they dropped a pair of games to the Providence Friars. Friday saw a 6-2 score in Providence, while Saturday saw a 3-2 tally at in Boston. With depth issues, weak goaltending, and inconsistent play plaguing the team, the Huskies now find themselves teetering on the edge of elimination. To stay alive, Northeastern needs at least two points this weekend and needs UMass to get two points or less as well. Both of these are very possible, but Northeastern would still have to sweep bu next weekend to even have a chance at postseason play. Winning three out of four games would be a tall task for a team that is 2-8-1 in its last 11 and 5-15-3 on the year. Barring a miracle, the Huskies will be on the outside looking in for the third time in four years.

Elsewhere around Hockey East –

UMass Lowell was the headline this week. The Riverhawks prevailed over bu 3-0 on Friday night at Agganis Arena and beat the Terriers again on Saturday night, 3-1, at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. Lowell finished an undefeated week with a 4-2 win at Conte Forum over BC on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Merrimack, which had been on an 8-2-2 tear, fell back to earth, dropping games to BC and bu by scores of 2-1 (OT, game-winner scored by Quinn Smith) and 5-2 respectively.

It seemed impossible last week, but after this weekend’s games the top six teams in Hockey East are now packed together even tighter. BC, Lowell, UNH, and Providence are all tied for first with 28 points. Merrimack is one point back, with 27, and bu is two points back at 26. The races for home ice and the number one seed are sure to be a dogfight here in the final weeks.

Next Up –

With just two weekends remaining in the regular season, there are plenty of important matchups on tap. Four of the six teams clustered at the top of the standings will go head-to-head, with Boston College and Providence playing a home-and-home, as well as Merrimack and UMass Lowell. Northeastern visits Maine for two contests, with both teams needing to make up some ground in the playoff picture. Vermont visits bu for two games, while Massachusetts visits UNH for two.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

Vermont Catamount

7^th place, 7-10-4, 18 points

Remaining Schedule: 2 vs. UNH, 2 @ bu, 2 vs. BC

The Catamounts came up with a huge performance this weekend, taking all four points from a floundering Northeastern squad. On Friday, they came away with a 2-1 win and on Saturday they pulled in a 3-1 win. The freshman goaltender for Vermont, Brody Hoffman, has started every game so far this season and the reasoning for that was clear. Hoffman was impressive; he saved 55 of 57 shots on the weekend and stonewalled every opportunity Northeastern had. With lackluster weekends from the three teams around them, the Catamounts vaulted to the forefront of the playoff race. They’ve won four of their last five and now sit in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth. However, they still have six games against three of the top four teams in the conference in UNH, BC, and bu.

Massachusetts Minutemen

8^th place, 7-13-1, 15 points

Remaining Schedule: 2 vs. Maine, 2 @ UNH, @ Merrimack, vs. Merrimack

It was not long ago that Massachusetts was the team in control in this playoff race. Appearing to hit their stride a month ago, the Minutemen were cruising towards a Hockey East playoff berth, winning five of eight at one point. That is no longer the case. UMass dropped all three contests this week. They were swept by Lowell with scores of 6-3 and 3-2 over the weekend. Kevin Boyle struggled in goal in the first game, allowing six goals on 19 shots. As a result, Steve Mastalerz received the start the next night and allowed three goals on 32 shots. On Tuesday, Mastalerz started again, but could not deliver as the Minutemen lost to Northeastern, 5-4, in overtime. They coughed up a 3-1 lead in the second period and a 4-3 lead midway through the third. UMass does not have a trusted goaltender and has now lost four in a row and five of their last six. Two of those losses came to direct competition (Vermont and Northeastern). The Minutemen find themselves clinging to a one point lead for the last playoff spot over Maine, headed into a weekend visit from the Black Bears.

Maine Black Bears

9^th place, 4-11-6, 14 points

Remaining Schedule: 2 @UMass, 2 vs. NU, 2 @ UNH

With Massachusetts being swept by Lowell and NU being swept by Vermont, this weekend was a huge opportunity for Maine to move up in the standings with two games at home against a struggling bu squad. However, the Black Bears had another disappointing weekend in Orono, managing to take home just one point. On Friday, the Black Bears and Terriers tied at 3 and on Saturday, bu came up with a 5-4 win in overtime when Matt Nieto scored with 3.8 seconds to go. As much talk as there has been about Maine turning things around, they are still only 3-4-4 against Hockey East in 2013. Failure to convert in overtime is costing the Black Bears; they’re 1-1-6 in overtime this season, leaving eight of ten possible points on the table. Maine will go to Amherst this weekend, looking to take the final playoff spot from the Minutemen.

Northeastern Huskies

10^th place, 5-13-3, 13 points

Remaining Schedule: @ Providence, vs. Providence, 2 @ Maine, vs. bu, @ bu

Northeastern had a frustrating weekend, getting swept by Vermont, by scores of 2-1 and 3-1. NU came into the weekend fighting for its playoff life, desperately needing points. Two games against the Catamounts presented a vital chance at making up ground. The Huskies, though, displayed little urgency, often letting their frustration shine through instead. Vermont’s intense physicality frustrated them, particularly Kevin Roy, who was rendered almost completely ineffective with relentless Catamount hits. Struggles at home will be a big reason why NU misses the playoffs, if it does. Since starting the season 2-0 at home, Northeastern is now 2-8-3 at Matthews Arena. The only two wins came against Alabama-Huntsville.

On Tuesday, Northeastern stepped up its game and showed resiliency. The Huskies fought back, overturning a third period deficit for just the second time in the past four years, and came out with a 5-4 overtime win. Josh Manson had the game-winning goal, the first of his career. Bryan Mountain relieved Chris Rawlings in goal to begin the third period and the decision paid dividends for head coach Jim Madigan. Mountain saved all seven shots he faced and the momentum swung firmly in NU’s favor. The win kept the Huskies alive in the playoff race, but with Providence due up next, they’ll likely need some outside help to keep pace.

Elsewhere around Hockey East –

Friday night saw a huge shakeup in the Hockey East standings, as red-hot Merrimack downed the BC Eagles in overtime, 2-1, allowing the Warriors to claim sole possession of first place in Hockey East. Sunday saw both BC and Merrimack tie, against Providence and UNH respectively. Thus, with three weeks to play, Merrimack leads Hockey East after going 8-2-2 to start 2013. BC is one point back, in second, while UNH is one point further back, in third. Providence and bu, both one point behind UNH, are fighting it out for the final home ice spot. Lowell lurks two points behind them. Both Lowell and bu have a game in hand over the Friars.

Next Up –

The third-to-last weekend of Hockey East regular season play is upon us and there are plenty of important matchups. The highlight series this weekend will be the fight for eighth place, between Maine and UMass in Amherst; the Black Bears visit for two games. Vermont will host UNH for two, while Northeastern will play a home-and-home against Providence. Lowell and bu will play a home-and-home as well, before Lowell visits BC on Tuesday in a blizzard-makeup. BC will visit Merrimack Sunday, before Merrimack plays its own blizzard-makeup at bu on Tuesday.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

Massachusetts Minutemen

7^th place, 15 points, 9 conference games remaining

On Sunday, the Minutemen ran into the buzzsaw that is Merrimack right now, dropping a contest at Lawler Arena 4-2. Kevin Boyle, having reclaimed the starting role, was solid, surrendering three goals on 40 shots. The offense had trouble getting the puck past Sam Marotta, though, as the Minutemen fell for the second time in three games. Massachusetts, despite this speed bump, remains in the driver’s seat. It has a game in hand over both Maine and Vermont, who sit one and two points behind UMass respectively.

Vermont Catamounts

8^th place, 14 points, 8 conference games remaining

Maine Black Bears

9th, 13 points, 8 conference games remaining

Coming into this weekend, the Black Bears were surging, unbeaten in four straight, while the Catamounts were falling, with one win in their past seven. Naturally, Vermont came away with a 3-0 victory and two points against Maine on Saturday, proving yet again that there are no certainties in this league. Brody Hoffman, the goaltender for Vermont, posted a shutout with 19 saves. Sophomore Catamount Kyle Reynolds put up two goals (and now has four in his past three games), while Chris McCarthy put up three points. It was just the second win for Vermont in 2013 and brought the team back into the last Hockey East playoff spot.

Northeastern Huskies

10^th place, 11 points, 9 conference games remaining

Northeastern dropped the 61^st annual Beanpot Championship to Boston College 6-3 on Monday night. Kevin Roy, who became the first player since 2004 to win the Beanpot MVP for a losing team, scored five of the Huskies’ six goals in the tournament. A myriad of problems cost NU the game – a lack of offensive production from skaters not named Roy, defensive lapses, and inconsistent goaltending among them. Regardless, the fact is that Northeastern does not have much depth on the bench right now. With Josh Manson and possibly Garrett Vermeersch now injured, the Huskies may not be able to dress eighteen skaters on Friday night. They may only be three points out of a playoff spot, with a game in hand over their two closest competitors, but the light for the Huskies is clearly fading.

Elsewhere around Hockey East –

Providence and New Hampshire matched up in Durham on Sunday and fought to a thrilling 3-3 tie. UNH scored to draw even with the Friars with three minutes to go in the third. That tie, combined with Merrimack’s sixth win in eight games, propelled the Warriors into a tie for second with UNH, one point back of first place Boston College. In that eight game stretch, the Warriors have taken four of six points from UNH and three of four from Maine. Suddenly, Hockey East finds itself with a three way battle for first. Meanwhile, bu’s struggles continue, as it dropped the Beanpot consolation game to Harvard 7-4, and fell to 1-5-1 in its last seven games.  Harvard pulled out its second win in its last seventeen games – and its second win against the Terriers in that stretch. The Terriers now find themselves one point behind the Friars in the race for the last home ice spot, thanks to Providence’s Wednesday night win over UNH, 1-0. Lowell lurks just three points behind bu as well.

Next Up –

A full slate of games for the first time in several weeks is on tap for this weekend. The Minutemen and the River Hawks will play a home-and-home series in an all UMass battle. Northeastern will host Vermont for two in a crucial set as both teams fight for the playoffs. Maine will host bu for two in Orono. All three teams fighting for first will have their hands full; BC visits North Andover to take on surging Merrimack and then comes home to play UNH. Merrimack will take on Providence in Rhode Island for its second game of the weekend. The week will wrap up with the Huskies and the Minutemen facing off in a make-up contest on Tuesday, thanks to the recent blizzard.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

Massachusetts Minutemen

7^th place, 15 points, 10 conference games remaining

The Minutemen are firing on all cylinders right now. They played their lone game this past weekend on Friday night in Amherst, where they dealt the struggling Boston University Terriers a 5-1 loss. Massachusetts has now won five of its past eight and has picked up six of its last eight possible points. Kevin Boyle played for the first time since 1/16 this weekend, getting the start over Steve Mastalerz, who had started the last four games. Boyle appears to have moved past the struggles that led to his benching, as he stopped 19 of 20 shots. If Boyle can play at the top of his game, as he was earlier this season, Massachusetts may run away with the 7^th playoff spot.

Maine Black Bears

8^th place, 13 points, 9 conference games remaining

Maine came into the weekend looking to prove that it has righted the ship after a sweep of Boston College at Chestnut Hill. The Black Bears were able to deliver, scoring three points on the weekend thanks to their first win of the season at Alfond Arena. On Friday, they tied the Providence Friars 2-2 after senior Black Bear Joey Diamond scored with three minutes left to tie it. On Sunday, Maine won in overtime against Lowell, 4-3, once again thanks to a Diamond goal. The senior put up his third and fourth multi-point games of the season this weekend, with a weekend total of four goals and an assist. He now has six goals in his last five games and may finally be finding his role in this revamped, youthful Maine attack. The Black Bears are 6-3-3 in their last 12 and 3-0-1 in their last four (against BC, Providence, and Lowell). Things are looking up in Orono, as the team is back in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth.

Vermont Catamount

9th, 12 points, 9 conference games remaining

Vermont came into the weekend clinging to the last playoff spot in Hockey East and desperate for points. The Catamounts tried to capitalize on the recent struggles of the Boston College Eagles, but BC ultimately came out on top 4-1. They have now won just one of their past seven games, five of those being at home. They’ve given up four or more goals in five of those seven and have dropped to ninth in the conference. Time’s running out for Vermont; the Catamounts’ remaining games come against two teams they’re competing with for the playoffs, in Maine and NU, and three of Hockey East’s best, in BC, bu, and UNH.

Northeastern Huskies

10^th place, 11 points, 9 conference games remaining

Northeastern failed to put up any points this weekend, falling to UNH 3-1 at Matthews Arena. With the loss, along with Maine’s three-point weekend, the Huskies fell to last place in Hockey East. As troubling as that fact is, Northeastern fans could care less about it at the moment. Thanks to Kevin Roy’s hat trick and Chris Rawlings’ stellar play, the Huskies took down Boston University 3-2 in the Beanpot semifinal, propelling them into the final against BC. Regardless of next Monday’s result, though, this game could serve as a turning point. For most of January, the Huskies matched or even outplayed their opponent, but failed to come away with many points due largely to their inability to finish games.  More than anything else, they proved to themselves Monday night that they can finish tough games in high-pressure situations against strong opponents (even with bu’s recent struggles). Also of note: Chris Rawlings’ play was the strongest it has been all year, saving 32 of 34 shots. Rawlings, much like his team, has been defined by his inconsistencies. If he plays anything close to this level the rest of the way, though, he could carry NU to the postseason.

Elsewhere around Hockey East –

In the other Beanpot contest on Monday, BC put up a 4-1 win over the Harvard Crimson, earning a date with the Huskies in next Monday’s final. In conference play, the Merrimack Warriors made headlines, surging up through the standings with a four point weekend. On Friday, the Warriors knocked off the streaking Lowell River Hawks 1-0 and on Saturday, they beat UNH in Durham 4-1. Merrimack now sits in third place in Hockey East, one point up on bu and one point back of second place UNH. The Terriers now hold just a one point lead over Providence for the last home-ice slot and are just 1-4-1 in their last six games.

Next Up –

The Hockey East conference schedule has had a number of changes due to the incoming blizzard. Northeastern’s visit to Massachusetts was postponed to 2/19. BC’s home game versus Lowell and bu’s home contest against Merrimack on Friday night were both postponed to 2/26. UNH’s visit to Providence was moved to next Wednesday, 2/13, while the Minutemen’s matchup with Merrimack in North Andover was pushed to Sunday. Maine will still travel to Burlington on Saturday night to play Vermont and Providence will still visit UNH on Sunday. Then, of course, will be the Beanpot finale on Monday, as Harvard and bu will play a consolation game before NU and BC duke it out for the championship.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

This is a weekly feature appearing on Thursdays that discusses the four teams in the chase for the last two playoff spots in Hockey East.

Massachusetts Minutemen

7^th place, 13 points, 11 conference games remaining

Vermont Catamounts

8^th place, 12 points, 10 conference games remaining

The Minutemen and the Catamounts currently occupy the final two playoff spots in Hockey East after splitting a pair of games in Burlington this weekend. Friday night saw Massachusetts take home a 3-2 victory. Saturday saw Vermont return the favor, picking up two points with a 3-2 win. Perhaps the most interesting note to come from the weekend is that Steve Mastalerz has wrestled the goaltending job from Kevin Boyle. Boyle, who started 16 of UMass’s first 19 games, struggled in a home game against Providence back on January 11^th. He surrendered five goals on 30 shots, leading to a benching the next night by head coach John Micheletto. Since then, Mastalerz has started four straight games, posting a 2.27 GAA over that span. Massachusetts has now won four of its past seven, including wins against Dartmouth and Boston College, and seems to be trending upwards.

Vermont, meanwhile, snapped a five-game losing streak and picked up its first Hockey East win since taking down Maine in Orono on November 30^th. It was also Vermont’s first win at home, outside of the Catamount Cup, since beating Northeastern on November 18^th. It was an impressive effort against a Massachusetts team on the upswing and gave the Catamounts two important points, pushing them past struggling Northeastern in the standings.

Northeastern Huskies

9th, 11 points, 10 conference games remaining

It was an ugly, ugly weekend for the Huskies, who left three points on the table. They had the good fortune of catching red-hot Lowell on an off weekend and managed to put up third period leads of 4-2 and 4-1 on Friday and Saturday respectively. Inevitably, Northeastern’s inconsistent play showed up again, allowing Lowell back into both games. On Friday, 4-2 became a 4-4 tie, extending the Huskies’ home winless streak to six games. Their last win at home came on November 11^th, against Alabama-Huntsville. On Saturday, a 4-1 Husky lead became a 5-4 OT win for the River Hawks. The River Hawks played like they were on a mission for the last twenty minutes of the game. That kind of killer instinct was in stark contrast to a Northeastern team that, in the final minutes of both games, wasn’t playing to win, but to not lose. The silver lining is that the Husky offense may have figured things out. The team has averaged 4.25 goals over the past four games, against Boston University, Boston College, and Lowell no less. The defense, meanwhile, has dropped to last in the league (3.32 goals/game). It should also be noted that Bryan Mountain started both games this weekend over Chris Rawlings. Mountain looked shaky on Friday, but bounced back on Saturday with a solid performance.

Maine Black Bears

10^th place, 10 points, 11 conference games remaining

Hockey East is a difficult conference to predict, where any team can win on any given day. That being said, Maine’s sweep of Boston College at Conte Forum this weekend was not something anyone could have predicted. This is a Maine team who still has yet to win at Alfond Arena this year, a Maine team who is dead last in scoring with 1.68 goals/game (more than half a goal behind ninth-place Vermont). Yet, they still managed to go to Chestnut Hill and score 4-1 and 3-1 wins over the nationally ranked, first-place BC Eagles. BC started backup goalie Brian Billet on Saturday and was playing shorthanded on defense, with Patch Alber, Mike Matheson, and Colin Sullivan all out with injury. But that doesn’t change the fact that these were two impressive and important wins for the struggling Black Bears. They almost doubled their season point total and now sit only two points out of eighth place.

Elsewhere around Hockey East – Merrimack and New Hampshire split a home and home series, with the Warriors taking a 3-2 win on Friday and the Wildcats rebounding to a 6-2 win the next night. Boston University, having lost four of six, righted the ship against Providence with a 3-2 win at Schneider Arena and a 3-3 tie at home. A large divide has now formed between the top six teams and the bottom four; Lowell and Merrimack are tied for fifth, with 18 points, and sit only five points back of first-place BC. However, they both sit five points ahead of seventh-place UMass.

Next Up – This weekend will not feature a full slate of games, as the Eagles, Terriers, and Huskies all prep for the 61^st Beanpot on Monday night. The latter two will matchup in the early (5 PM) game, while BC draws Harvard in the late (8 PM) game. Before that though, the three Hockey East teams will battle for important points. Friday night will see the Terriers taking a ride out to Amherst to play Massachusetts. Meanwhile, BC and Northeastern play games on home ice, facing Vermont and New Hampshire respectively. The rest of the conference schedule has Maine hosting a pair of games, Friday against Providence and Sunday against Lowell. On Friday, Merrimack will also host Lowell, before heading to Durham on Saturday to finish their season series against UNH.

Ryan Fallon Hockey, The Dog Pound Hockey East

Boston – Northeastern continued the impressive start to its 2012-2013 season with a surprising upset victory over the defending national champions in a packed Matthews Arena. For the second straight game, the Huskies jumped on their opponent early with two first period goals in the first eight minutes of the contest, coming from Ryan Belonger and Kevin Roy. Boston College cut the lead in half towards the end of the first period, scoring just 10 seconds into its first power play opportunity with a quick wrist shot from Steven Whitney. The second period remained scoreless as both teams benefited from tighter defensive play and solid goaltending. The atmosphere in Matthews Arena was electric with the Huskies up by one to begin the final period of play. Just under four minutes into the third frame, Matthews Arena exploded as Colton Saucerman sent a dancing slap shot from beyond the blue line that froze Parker Milner and found the back of the net. With the crowd and momentum in their favor, the Huskies dominated the majority of the play throughout the third period. The Eagles did their best to tie the game with a late flurry of offense, but were denied by a series of blocked shots and impressive saves from Chris Rawlings. The complete performance by the Huskies effectively ended the Eagles’ 19 game win streak and gave the Huskies their first 2-0 start since 1999.

Our Observations

Chris Rawlings – Had another solid outing in only his second win against the eagles in his four years at Northeastern. The senior goaltender was not tested too frequently with only eight shots a piece in the first two periods. Rawlings stood tall when he was needed most at the end of the game with a total of 15 saves in the third period. The late offensive push by the Eagles left Rawlings in the position to keep his team in the game and he did just that. He finished with 31 saves on the night and was a big reason the Huskies were able to hold the Eagles to under two goals for the first time since they shutout by UMass in January of last year.

The Freshmen continue to contribute. With all three goals coming from freshmen on the night, it is obvious that the success of this Husky squad will rely heavily on the contributions of its first year players. With goals scored by Ryan Belonger, Kevin Roy,  and Colton Saucerman, along with impressive play from Cam Darcy, both the coaching staff and Northeastern faithful must be awfully excited about the future of their team.

Johnny Gaudreau was brilliant. He may not have been able to put the puck in the net, but that does not mean that he was not incredibly effective throughout the night. The former Northeastern commit consistently made difficult plays look effortless as he used his speed and vision to set up dangerous scoring chances for his teammates. Whether the Eagles were on the power play, penalty kill, or playing 5 on 5, the sophomore forward was able to generate quality scoring chances out of seemingly broken plays throughout the night. Despite the losing effort, Gaudreau’s talent was consistently on display and proved why he is considered one of the most talented players in the nation.

The Huskies are in unfamiliar territory beginning their 2012-2013 campaign with a 2-0 start. Northeastern has not been 2-0 since 1999. This year’s squad will attempt to avoid the same fate as their 1999 counter part that ended their season with a combined record of 11-20-3.

JThaler Fall Sports, Hockey Hockey East

Last Season: 33-10-1 (19-7-1), Finished 1st, Won Hockey East and NCAA Championship (Defeated Ferris State)

What Happened: Boston College continued to be the poster child for success in college hockey this past season, winning its third national championship in the last five seasons. The Eagles started the season in winning fashion by capturing the Ice Breaker championship over North Dakota and were pretty consistent throughout the season. There were some questions surrounding the team when they lost four of six games from mid-November until early December, including a 5-0 throttling by Boston University, but the team was able to right the ship and came back dominant in 2012. After being swept in a weekend series at Maine in late January, the Eagles didn’t lose another game, ending the season on a 19 game winning streak. In what has become a common occurrence for BC, they were able to collect a Beanpot championship, Hockey East Tournament championship, and NCAA championship all in the same season.

Key Losses:

• Chris Kreider (F) – This past season, Kreider showed why he was selected in the first round of the NHL draft by the New York Rangers. Kreider nearly doubled his scoring from his first two seasons, leading Boston College with 45 points and earning a spot on the All-Hockey East Second Team. Following BC’s national championship run, Kreider signed with the New York Rangers and immediately jumped into their lineup, helping the team make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
• Brian Dumoulin (D) – Arguably the best defenseman in Hockey East, Dumoulin left BC after this year’s national championship to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2011-2012, Dumoulin was named First Team All-Hockey East for the second consecutive season and led all Eagles defensemen with 28 points. His departure will create a big hole on the blue line for BC.

• Barry Almeida (F) – With players such as Cam Atkinson and Brian Gibbons leaving BC after 2010-2011, there was a void on the first line that needed to be filled and Barry Almeida stepped up in a big way to make up for those losses. Almeida’s scoring increased by 19 points in 2011-2012 and he finished the season with a scoring line of 22-18-40, good enough to be named First Team All-Hockey East.

Key Returners:

• Parker Milner (G) – Milner had big shoes to fill with the departure of John Muse, who won two championships in his four seasons as the starter for Boston College, and he didn’t disappoint.  The junior finished the season with a 1.66 GAA and .937 Save Percentage in 34 games played. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Frozen Four and is expected to be one of the top goalies in the conference coming into 2012-2013.

• Johnny Gaudreau (F) – Johnny Gaudreau burst onto the Hockey East scene in 2011-2012, finishing sixth in the conference in scoring with a line of 21-23-44. He was a unanimous choice for the Hockey East All-Rookie team and was a preseason media pick for the All-Hockey East Team. Gaudreau proved to be a big game player, being named MVP of both the Beanpot and the Hockey East Tournament. He finished the season scoring 12 points in his last eight games, all playoff games, including a beautiful insurance goal in the National Championship. Expect Gaudreau to be a key cog in the Eagles high-powered offense in 2012-2013.

• Patch Alber  (D) – With four freshman defenseman this season, the Eagles will need to rely heavily on Patch Alber and Patrick Wey to lead the defense and keep shots away from goaltender Parker Milner. With the loss of top pair Tommy Cross and Doumolin, Alber should see a lot more critical minutes especially at the beginning of the season while the freshmen adjust to Hockey East. Look for Alber to improve upon his scoring line of 1-13-14, while continuing to provide steady defense for the Eagles.

2012-2013 Outlook: Every year the Eagles lose a ton of talent and yet they continue to have success and win championships. 2012-2013 should be no different. The Eagles lost some key players from last season’s national championship run, but don’t expect them to fall off this season. Players such as Gaudreau, Alber, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold return and seem ready to make the jump to elite Hockey East players and they bring in a highly touted recruiting class who will help ease the losses as well. Also, with the return of Milner, the Eagles know they have a solid net presence who knows how to lead the team to a championship. They may not successfully defend their title, but you can bet that Boston College won’t give it up easily.

- Mike Sobel

WRBB Sports Fall Sports, Hockey Fall Preview, Hockey, Hockey East

The TD Garden was the place to be this morning, as Hockey East Media Day marked the unofficial start of the college hockey season for many. As expected, defending NCAA Champions Boston College topped the Coaches Poll (results below), receiving nine of ten first place votes. Northeastern was selected to finish sixth, tied with Providence.

2012-2013 Hockey East Men’s Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Boston College (9)  90

2. Umass-Lowell  74

3. Boston University  73

4. New Hampshire (1)  63

5. Maine  56

6. Northeastern  44

6. Providence  44

8. Merrimack  38

9. Massachusetts  35

10. Vermont  23

We’ll have a full breakdown of media day on the season premiere of Hockey East this Week on Thursday from 8-9. In the meantime, we’ve assembled some of our better audio below.

Northeastern Head Coach Jim Madigan gives his general thoughts about the team.

Vinny Saponari talks about wiping the slate clean in 2012-13, as well as giving his thoughts on being named Captain .

Nate Leaman gives his thoughts on managing expectations and taking the process “one step at a time.”

Dick Umile discusses the offseason coaching carousel’s indirect effect on UNH, the Wildcat’s goaltending duel and a return to the NCAA tournament.

Tim Whitehead says it is more likely to be offense by committee in Maine this year.

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