Written by Scott Waithart, GoTerriers.com
Boston – The Boston University men's ice hockey team won a season-high seven games in a row from December 1st to January 20th, propelling them to the top of the national polls and PairWise rankings.
Suddenly, the well-oiled engine of the Terrier Offense stalled. They were swept in a home-and-home series against arch-rival Boston College, meaning the Eagles took the top spot. A few days later, the Terriers lost in frustrating fashion to another archrival in the Northeast. A controversial penalty call in overtime led to a power-play goal and the Huskies won 4-3.
We need to change the momentum, Coach Terrier. Jay Pandolfo Playing a pair of jacks gave you a new hand in the lineup.Maintain the feeling of being a rookie Macklin Celebrini At center, Pandolfo records Northeastern transfer. jack hughes As a top-line left winger.Somewhat surprisingly, Pandolfo was also moved up to the first year. jack harvey up to the right wing. Harvey played in only five of his team's first 24 games this season.
Since then, the Terriers have fired up their engines on the scoreboard again. Opening with a satisfying 6-3 road win at New Hampshire, Hughes immediately made his mark with two goals and one assist, with Harvey serving as the primary helper on Hughes' two goals.
That not only gave BU momentum back for revenge against BC, but also allowed them to advance to the Beanpot semifinals with confidence that they were back at full speed. The Terriers jumped out to a 4-1 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the first-place Eagles.
Did anyone else worry about the terriers passing through Merrimack on Friday night? If so, those concerns were put to rest as BU piled up five goals in the second period, including three in the final 90 seconds of the middle.After failing to score in the first seven games of his collegiate career, Harvey scored his first goal. two He scored a college goal in an astonishing span of just 27 seconds.
Suffice it to say, this Terrier team will be doing everything in its power to win another Beanpot Championship on Monday night against Northeastern. That lackluster weekend against BC now feels like a distant memory.
“It was a very exciting weekend,'' said senior right winger. dylan peterson Said. “We may have been a little tough during those two games, but we knew that wasn't going to decide the season. We had a big bounce-back game. Everyone contributed. We knew it was our time. We all feel that change in the locker room, and now we're full steam ahead. ”
terrier captain case mccarthy Joined in on the scoring fun on Friday night. His goals and assists nearly matched his total of three points this season.
”When you see the puck go in the back of the net, everyone relaxes a little bit,” McCarthy said. Our forwards are doing a great job down low. Being at the forefront of the internet isn't necessarily great, but it definitely helps. ”
Moving Hughes and Harvey to the top line certainly looks like a great move for Pandolfo.
“They're both capable of making plays. They're both very calm with the puck,” BU's second-year coach said. “They like to play the give-and-go game and they work well with Macklin. It's nice to see that. They've developed a little bit of chemistry.”
While Terriers fans may have overlooked Harvey due to his lack of playing time in the fall, Peterson made it abundantly clear that his teammates were fully aware of his potential.
“I don't think he's had that opportunity yet,” Peterson said. “Everyone knew he was a very good player. You could see it in practice every day.”
“We have a lot of good players,” Peterson added. “Honestly, it was good. It's competitive to be in the lineup. When he got his chance against UNH, he was in a good position on the front line with Chebrini. He just took advantage of the opportunity. No matter how good he is. I can't say enough about that line. They were dominant tonight.”
More than anything, the repositioning of the lineup emphasizes how deep the Terriers are. Very good college hockey teams always have two lines of his that can score, but top teams often have a strong third line of his. Still, the Terriers have four lines that are legitimate scoring threats in any game.
The current 4th line is: sam stevens (7 goals), Shane Lachance (9 goals) and Devin Kaplan (4 goals, 11 assists).third row left wing jeremy wilmer Scored a goal and an assist against Merrimack, second only to sophomore defenseman. Lane Hutson He recorded 22 assists for the team.
“We have a very deep team,” McCarthy said. “I think a lot of our players are feeling comfortable with each other on the ice, especially lately. You can throw players together no matter where they are, and they'll find each other. ”
Peterson's first goal on Friday was his seventh of the year, and he is on pace to make his senior year his best year for the Terriers.
“I've been battling some things over the years,” Peterson said. “I feel really good right now. I think I'm starting to find my game. I had an identity that I've been chasing for four years. It's just the style of a power forward. Pando in particular has been so picky at me for the last two years. I kept saying, 'About finding that identity, being a power forward who can skate and shoot, and just being a direct player. ”
After playing the Warriors, the Terriers will play in the Beanpot title game on Monday. For the second week in a row, they will have a chance to get revenge against the team they most recently defeated.
It's not easy. Northeastern lost its first seven Hockey East games in the fall, but the Huskies defeated Harvard in overtime, 3-2, in the Beanpot semifinals, resulting in a 6-3 victory over the highly talented University of Maine. This means they have achieved five consecutive wins, including a win. A win over the team and BU.
“The Northeast was not healthy at the beginning of the year,” Pandolfo said. “They're getting healthy and playing really well as a team. We always have tight, tough games against them.”
“Emotions will be high,” Pandolfo added. “It's a great environment. We just have to prepare to play our game. They're very good at playing the neutral zone, they're very good at keeping things on the outside, so we keep the puck inside. We've got to get their end and put the puck in the net. ”
As McCarthy pointed out, it comes down to consistency.
“When you get to the end of a game like this, you have to get to the full 60 points. You can't take your foot off the gas just by changing shifts.”
As the season accelerates towards the finish line, the Terriers will be looking to make their final start in the driver's seat as Beanpot champions.
