Written by Scott Waithart, GoTerriers.com
boston – For many Boston University students, when they think of spring break, they think of Cancun, Florida or the sandy beaches of the Caribbean.
Due to the unique nature of this year's schedule, the Boston University men's ice hockey team will also have an unusual 12-day break between games. However, they cannot enjoy the sand or the sea. Perhaps you won't even enjoy the modest grassy knoll behind Marsh's chapel, known as BU Beach.
But there's no need to feel so bad about terriers. BU, currently ranked No. 2 in the national polls and pairwise rankings, has earned home ice for the playoffs and a berth in the national tournament. On top of that, the Terriers are coming off a decisive home-and-home win against UConn over the weekend.
The team is expecting a lot of fun despite their spring break stay.
“I think our spring break will be more fun than a trip to Cancun or something like that,” said the senior center manager. Nick Zabane Speaking after Saturday's 6-0 victory at Agganis Arena. “We know the playoffs are coming up, but every game is very important. This time of year is the time when the whole group comes together. It's the best time of the year. It all comes down to everything that I've been working on.'' It's really fun to go out there and compete with my teammates. ”
vice captain Cade Weber “We're going to keep practicing and training. We've got some big goals we want to come here and accomplish. Of course we're going to take some time off. We have some guys hitting hard. We're going to take this as a positive. , we can get some players healthy and then get some good training and recover their stamina.”
head coach Jay Pandolfo He admitted that 12 days off with two games left in the regular season wasn't ideal.
“I think you always want to keep playing if you can,” Pandolfo said. “Honestly, I don't like having a bye week late in the season, but the schedule just worked out for us this year.”
The goal this past weekend was to make sure the team went into this imposed break in a good mood. Mission accomplished on that front as BU outscored UConn by a 12-1 margin over his two nights.
“We got a big win last night on the road and tonight we were able to finish off a winless weekend,” Pandolfo said after Saturday's win. “I thought the first period was pretty good. I thought we really struggled in the second period. Then we played one of our best third periods. We didn't allow any chances in the third period. So. We need to do this and shut down the team.’ And that’s what we did. I was very happy to see that. ”
It was also great to see the team's goaltending ability and scoring depth.It's easy to overlook just how good the netminder is, as he had two lopsided wins last weekend. Mathieu Caron I've been playing. Over the weekend, the Hockey East goaltender of the week stopped 49 of 50 shots for a .980 save percentage. More importantly, he made some big saves early on before the Terriers managed to take the lead in each game.
Perhaps the high point of Brown's transfer came at 3:50 of the second period Saturday night. With the Terriers leading 2-0, Andrew Lucas had a great chance on a redirect, but Caron made the save with an athletic flash of his pads to his left. Caron held a two-goal lead, but the team scored four goals to make it look easier than it actually was.
When it comes to offense, you never know which player or line will be dominant on any given night.Friday, first grade Macklin Celebrini He led the way with 2 goals and 2 assists. The 17-year-old continues to prove why he is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this June's NHL Draft. He ranks second in the country with 26 goals.
But if you ask most BU fans who currently leads the team in assists, many will probably guess Celebrini or a sophomore defenseman. Lane Hutson. it's not. I'm a 2nd year left winger. jeremy wilmer. Chebrini scored again on Saturday, but the star of the attack on the night was Wilmer, who had one goal and four assists for his career-high five points.
“I don't think it's a surprise to anyone in the locker room,” Pandolfo said of Wilmer's team-leading 29 total assists. “I mean, he's always making plays. You can see it in practice. Real, really smart hockey players finding space, finding open guys on a regular basis. I saw him shoot the puck again tonight. I was happy to see him.''He scored a great goal. ”
In goal, Wilmer benefited from his linemates' excellent play in the neutral zone. Devin Kaplanafter drawing three defenders, he dished to Wilmer, who was alone on the right side, and fired a shot on goal.
“He really took a step forward this summer,” Weber said of Wilmer. “He came in motivated and wanted to get better and I think that came through throughout the year. Every game he's getting better and better. His confidence is growing. He's not the biggest guy. No, but he found a way to get into the dirty area and got the puck and obviously his vision is unbelievable.”
The goal highlighted the complementary talent on the third line. Kaplan is a big, feisty power forward. Wilmer is a small, smart playmaker, and Zabane may be the fastest skater in college hockey. They totaled three goals and six assists on Saturday.
“It's great to play with those two,” Zabane said. “They're very skilled and bring a lot to the table. That makes my job a lot easier outside. Kapp is obviously a great dog, but he also plays very skillfully. And Wilmer is probably the best playmaker I've ever seen or played with in my life. ”
“There's a little bit of everything on that line,” Pandolfo said. “They've been really good for us the last few games. It could be a different line every night who's going to win the hockey game and help us out, and that's what we've got right now.”
In his first two seasons as a Terrier, Zabane's speed led to many chances, but he only scored one goal. He scored eight goals last year, and with his two goals on Saturday, he's already one goal short of that total. Remarkably, six of Zabane's seven goals this season have come in February.
“Just seeing one or two people go in helps a lot. It helped (me) relax a little bit,” Zabane said.
Continued vote of confidence from associate head coach Pandolfo. Joe Pereiraassistant coach Kim Brandvold It had a big impact.
“Earlier this year, Kimer and Pando said, 'Listen, I'd be worried if you didn't have a chance, but you have a chance, so just keep going.' I'm Pando, Kim, Joe P. Just last week, Kimmer took me out early in the morning to get some touches and finish near the net. Things like that help a lot.”
Once they get through this hiatus, the Terriers hope to make big strides in the Hockey East Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
“We're going to take advantage of this and be ready in a few Thursdays,” Weber said. “Our practices are intense. We play like a game. Every practice, our players give 100%. We put a few things in there to keep their feet up on their skates. I know we're going to add in scrimmages. I think we'll be OK.'' And I don't think this will hurt us, along with the players resting and getting healthy. ”
But why not bring some spring break vibes by adding a little sand to your locker room?
“I’ll save that for this year,” Weber said with a laugh. “Hopefully we'll have something to celebrate.”
