As Hockey East returns from a nearly month-long break this weekend, many of its top teams will be looking to re-gain the midseason form they lost over the holidays. No. 4 UNH, felled at home by St. Lawrence last weekend, will have an opportunity to bounce back against two of their own conference’s poorer teams in Lowell and UMass. No. 15 Boston University, who’s only won two of its last nine games after a 6-0-4 start and punctuated its slide with a 4-1 defeat at No. 10 Rensselaer and a 6-1 shellacking at the hands of Brown over vacation, will hope to benefit from good scheduling as well when they travel to Vermont.
It won’t be so easy for No. 3 Boston College, the only ranked conference team to go unblemished over the vacation, as they have a home-and-home set with a feisty Providence squad that looks to start rounding into shape as March nears, nor for No. 9 Maine who travels to No. 17 Merrimack to take on the Warriors in a one-game set.
Northeastern, who faces off at UMass on Friday night, will hope that UNH roughs up Lowell before the RiverHawks come to Matthews Arena for a Saturday night showdown.
No. 3 Boston College (9-4-0, T-1st place) vs. Providence (3-4-4, 6th place) - @ BC Friday, @ PC Saturday
The Eagles continued to improve their stellar play throughout December, going 4-0 for the month. They’ve done most of it with offense, although John Muse (12-3-0, 2.02 GAA, .934 sv%) has been fantastic between the pipes for the defending National Champions. After going 3-3 in their first six games without junior defenseman and assistant captain Tommy Cross, BC has won seven of their last eight, including convincing weekend sweeps of both Maine (4-0, 4-1) and BU (9-5, 5-2) and looks every bit the national champion they were last year.
Cam Atkinson (15-11=26) and reigning Hockey East Player of the Month Brian Gibbons (10-15=25) have carried the brunt of the offensive load, but expect senior Joe Whitney (2-14=16) and BC’s trio of USA junior team stars Chris Kreider (5-6=11), Brian Dumoulin (0-10=10) and Patrick Wey (1-3=4) to each have strong second halves. With Cross healthy and back in the lineup, expect the forwards to get more active leaving the zone and causing even more problems for Providence.
Providence, meanwhile, is still searching for some consistency in a season that they’ve failed to win more than two consecutive games in. They haven’t got it from their forward lines - seniors Kyle MacKinnon and Ian O’Connor lead the team in points with 15, and sophomore Tim Schaller is the only other Friar in double figures - and they haven’t got it in net from junior Alex Beaudry (6-6-5, 3.01 GAA, .905 sv%). Their power play (8 for 82, 9.8%) is worst in the league and they’ve relied heavily on quick starts to earn points (18 points in the first period, 29 in the second two).
Don’t expect BC to be the team to allow Providence those quick starts, although if the Friars can find the hot stick early, the Eagles’ depth will help them to weather the storm. Providence’s next six games are against top-ten teams (BC, UNH and Maine), so there’s no time like the present for the Friars. If they get it right the next few weeks, they could make some noise come March. If not, they’ll likely be watching the Hockey East tournament from home.
No. 4 UNH (8-1-2, T-1st Place) vs. Lowell (2-10-0, 10th place) Friday, @ UMass (2-4-3, 8th place) Saturday
The Wildcats’ 2-1 overtime loss to St. Lawrence on Sunday hurt more than it seemed to: the top line of Mike Sislo (8-16=24), Paul Thompson (11-14=25) and Phil Desimone (4-16=20) never got going; their typically stingy defense caved at the wrong time; the trademark monster second-half game never materialized and Matt DiGirolamo continued to look tired at the end of the game. Sure, UNH didn’t lose any points to a conference foe for their shortcoming, but it was the type of game that can leave a sour taste in a team’s mouth heading into the second half of their season.
Unfortunately for an already abysmal Lowell team, they’re going to be the victims of a week of very hard work by Dick Umile’s charges. UNH started and ended the first half of its Hockey East campaign on extended point streaks - their lone blemish was a 4-2 loss at BU in which they spent too much time in the box to contend. They look to start the second half in the same way, and Lowell and UMass aren’t likely to pose threats - UNH has already shutout both teams in 3-0 victories and a hungry (and angry) Wildcat squad may have worse in mind for their opposition this weekend.
Northeastern (3-6-3, 7th place) at UMass (Friday), vs. Lowell (Saturday)
For a Northeastern squad looking to keep their season from capsizing, there could be little better way for the winter to start. Since a hard-fought 5-4 loss at BU in early December, the Huskies haven’t faced any competition - the month off should prove long enough for Greg Cronin’s baby bunch to forget about everything they struggled with in the fall (see: teamwork) and put their heads together in an effort to make a push over the next few months.
Or it could be just what the team needed to unravel completely. Either way, UMass (8th in scoring defense) and Lowell (10th) should give Northeastern’s promising freshman forward class of Brodie Reid (2-7=9), Rob Dongara (1-3=4) and Cody Ferriero (1-1=2) a chance to find their groove. If the freshmen are able to take advantage of Paul Dainton (3-4-2, 2.79 GAA, .917 sv%) on Friday and - presumably - Marc Boulanger (0-4-1, 4.26 GAA, .864 sv%) on Saturday, Northeastern should be able to roll behind the experience of senior forwards Wade MacLeod (6-8=14), Tyler McNeely (6-6=12) and Steve Silva (3-6=9) and the active two-way defense.
Of course, it helps that Chris Rawlings (3-7-4, 2.44 GAA, .925 sv%) will be facing two of Hockey East’s least daunting offensive attacks. If the guys in front of him are able to stay out of the box, Rawlings should be able to start worming himself back into the discussion for Hockey East’s best goaltender with a strong effort over this weekend.
No. 15 Boston University (6-3-4, 3rd place) vs. Vermont (1-6-3, 9th place)
The Terrier topspin has left everyone in crimson and white a bit dizzy, and they hope to right their ship before it turns into a downward spiral when they play a one-game set on Sunday afternoon in Burlington. Nothing that BU has done since starting the season 6-0-4 and climbing to Number One has been pretty, and while 4-1 and 6-1 losses to ECAC competition ruined the holiday season on Comm Ave, it was the 5-4 victory over Northeastern that should really have BU fans on their toes.
After quickly falling behind 2-0 early to the Huskies, BU clawed back and took a 4-2 lead into the third. But before the Agganis Arena faithful could shout out the few pesky but vocal Northeastern fans that came along for the ride, the Huskies had tied it up and it took a late man-advantage goal by Alex Chiasson to seal the win for a BU team that never should have struggled to begin with.
Coack Jack Parker said the team would get better and would be stronger come January. This just in: they haven’t and they aren’t. despite being in third place in the standings, BU’s looking up quite a ways - not just at BC and UNH, but at the shadow of their own expectations, which the young squad has struggled mightily in.
For a team that has eight scorers with double-digit points, the concern isn’t if things start to click again, it’s when. They get assistant captain Chris Connolly (6-8=14) back from a broken finger that sidelined him since Thanksgiving, and should benefit from his experience and veteran presence on the ice and in the locker room. BU is a very well-coached hockey team and they’re going to be exceedingly anxious to get back on the ice. That’s not going to bode well for Vermont, a team that’s next-to-last in conference in both scoring offense and defense and with the league’s worst overall special-teams play (including the worst penalty kill in Hockey East). Expect BU to start the game jumpy, anxious and maybe even a bit nervous. But once they settle in, expect it to be a long night for Rob Madore (3-10-4, 3.17 GAA, .897 sv%) and the rest of the Catamounts.
No. 9 Maine (6-3-2, 4th place) vs. No. 17 Merrimack (5-4-3, 5th place)
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but if the season ended Monday, this would be a game for home-ice advantage in the Hockey East quarterfinals. So it might be kind of a big deal.
The real story is the battle of juniors: Maine’s Spencer Abbott (11-11=22) and Gustav Nyquist (6-16=22) against Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata (9-4-4, 2.06 GAA, .924 sv%). On the other end of the ice, Merrimack’s Stephane da Costa (8-12=20) will try to have his way with whichever goaltender Maine decides to throw out there - although judging by his recent success, freshman Martin Oullette (2-1-1, 2.17 GAA, .909 sv%) will probably get the call over Shawn Sirman (2-0-2, 2.61 GAA, .911 sv%) and Dan Sullivan (5-4-1, 2.59 GAA, .891 sv%).
If strong goaltending cancels out each team’s top lines, expect Maine forwards Robby Dee (8-11=19) and Joey DIamond (8-7=15) to tilt the ice in Maine’s favor. Joe Cucci (3-11=14) and Karl Stollery (4-10=14) have had strong first halves, but they’re unlikely to be able to generate the kind of offensive power that Maine’s second and third lines can.
It won’t be so easy for No. 3 Boston College, the only ranked conference team to go unblemished over the vacation, as they have a home-and-home set with a feisty Providence squad that looks to start rounding into shape as March nears, nor for No. 9 Maine who travels to No. 17 Merrimack to take on the Warriors in a one-game set.
Northeastern, who faces off at UMass on Friday night, will hope that UNH roughs up Lowell before the RiverHawks come to Matthews Arena for a Saturday night showdown.
No. 3 Boston College (9-4-0, T-1st place) vs. Providence (3-4-4, 6th place) - @ BC Friday, @ PC Saturday
The Eagles continued to improve their stellar play throughout December, going 4-0 for the month. They’ve done most of it with offense, although John Muse (12-3-0, 2.02 GAA, .934 sv%) has been fantastic between the pipes for the defending National Champions. After going 3-3 in their first six games without junior defenseman and assistant captain Tommy Cross, BC has won seven of their last eight, including convincing weekend sweeps of both Maine (4-0, 4-1) and BU (9-5, 5-2) and looks every bit the national champion they were last year.
Cam Atkinson (15-11=26) and reigning Hockey East Player of the Month Brian Gibbons (10-15=25) have carried the brunt of the offensive load, but expect senior Joe Whitney (2-14=16) and BC’s trio of USA junior team stars Chris Kreider (5-6=11), Brian Dumoulin (0-10=10) and Patrick Wey (1-3=4) to each have strong second halves. With Cross healthy and back in the lineup, expect the forwards to get more active leaving the zone and causing even more problems for Providence.
Providence, meanwhile, is still searching for some consistency in a season that they’ve failed to win more than two consecutive games in. They haven’t got it from their forward lines - seniors Kyle MacKinnon and Ian O’Connor lead the team in points with 15, and sophomore Tim Schaller is the only other Friar in double figures - and they haven’t got it in net from junior Alex Beaudry (6-6-5, 3.01 GAA, .905 sv%). Their power play (8 for 82, 9.8%) is worst in the league and they’ve relied heavily on quick starts to earn points (18 points in the first period, 29 in the second two).
Don’t expect BC to be the team to allow Providence those quick starts, although if the Friars can find the hot stick early, the Eagles’ depth will help them to weather the storm. Providence’s next six games are against top-ten teams (BC, UNH and Maine), so there’s no time like the present for the Friars. If they get it right the next few weeks, they could make some noise come March. If not, they’ll likely be watching the Hockey East tournament from home.
No. 4 UNH (8-1-2, T-1st Place) vs. Lowell (2-10-0, 10th place) Friday, @ UMass (2-4-3, 8th place) Saturday
The Wildcats’ 2-1 overtime loss to St. Lawrence on Sunday hurt more than it seemed to: the top line of Mike Sislo (8-16=24), Paul Thompson (11-14=25) and Phil Desimone (4-16=20) never got going; their typically stingy defense caved at the wrong time; the trademark monster second-half game never materialized and Matt DiGirolamo continued to look tired at the end of the game. Sure, UNH didn’t lose any points to a conference foe for their shortcoming, but it was the type of game that can leave a sour taste in a team’s mouth heading into the second half of their season.
Unfortunately for an already abysmal Lowell team, they’re going to be the victims of a week of very hard work by Dick Umile’s charges. UNH started and ended the first half of its Hockey East campaign on extended point streaks - their lone blemish was a 4-2 loss at BU in which they spent too much time in the box to contend. They look to start the second half in the same way, and Lowell and UMass aren’t likely to pose threats - UNH has already shutout both teams in 3-0 victories and a hungry (and angry) Wildcat squad may have worse in mind for their opposition this weekend.
Northeastern (3-6-3, 7th place) at UMass (Friday), vs. Lowell (Saturday)
For a Northeastern squad looking to keep their season from capsizing, there could be little better way for the winter to start. Since a hard-fought 5-4 loss at BU in early December, the Huskies haven’t faced any competition - the month off should prove long enough for Greg Cronin’s baby bunch to forget about everything they struggled with in the fall (see: teamwork) and put their heads together in an effort to make a push over the next few months.
Or it could be just what the team needed to unravel completely. Either way, UMass (8th in scoring defense) and Lowell (10th) should give Northeastern’s promising freshman forward class of Brodie Reid (2-7=9), Rob Dongara (1-3=4) and Cody Ferriero (1-1=2) a chance to find their groove. If the freshmen are able to take advantage of Paul Dainton (3-4-2, 2.79 GAA, .917 sv%) on Friday and - presumably - Marc Boulanger (0-4-1, 4.26 GAA, .864 sv%) on Saturday, Northeastern should be able to roll behind the experience of senior forwards Wade MacLeod (6-8=14), Tyler McNeely (6-6=12) and Steve Silva (3-6=9) and the active two-way defense.
Of course, it helps that Chris Rawlings (3-7-4, 2.44 GAA, .925 sv%) will be facing two of Hockey East’s least daunting offensive attacks. If the guys in front of him are able to stay out of the box, Rawlings should be able to start worming himself back into the discussion for Hockey East’s best goaltender with a strong effort over this weekend.
No. 15 Boston University (6-3-4, 3rd place) vs. Vermont (1-6-3, 9th place)
The Terrier topspin has left everyone in crimson and white a bit dizzy, and they hope to right their ship before it turns into a downward spiral when they play a one-game set on Sunday afternoon in Burlington. Nothing that BU has done since starting the season 6-0-4 and climbing to Number One has been pretty, and while 4-1 and 6-1 losses to ECAC competition ruined the holiday season on Comm Ave, it was the 5-4 victory over Northeastern that should really have BU fans on their toes.
After quickly falling behind 2-0 early to the Huskies, BU clawed back and took a 4-2 lead into the third. But before the Agganis Arena faithful could shout out the few pesky but vocal Northeastern fans that came along for the ride, the Huskies had tied it up and it took a late man-advantage goal by Alex Chiasson to seal the win for a BU team that never should have struggled to begin with.
Coack Jack Parker said the team would get better and would be stronger come January. This just in: they haven’t and they aren’t. despite being in third place in the standings, BU’s looking up quite a ways - not just at BC and UNH, but at the shadow of their own expectations, which the young squad has struggled mightily in.
For a team that has eight scorers with double-digit points, the concern isn’t if things start to click again, it’s when. They get assistant captain Chris Connolly (6-8=14) back from a broken finger that sidelined him since Thanksgiving, and should benefit from his experience and veteran presence on the ice and in the locker room. BU is a very well-coached hockey team and they’re going to be exceedingly anxious to get back on the ice. That’s not going to bode well for Vermont, a team that’s next-to-last in conference in both scoring offense and defense and with the league’s worst overall special-teams play (including the worst penalty kill in Hockey East). Expect BU to start the game jumpy, anxious and maybe even a bit nervous. But once they settle in, expect it to be a long night for Rob Madore (3-10-4, 3.17 GAA, .897 sv%) and the rest of the Catamounts.
No. 9 Maine (6-3-2, 4th place) vs. No. 17 Merrimack (5-4-3, 5th place)
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but if the season ended Monday, this would be a game for home-ice advantage in the Hockey East quarterfinals. So it might be kind of a big deal.
The real story is the battle of juniors: Maine’s Spencer Abbott (11-11=22) and Gustav Nyquist (6-16=22) against Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata (9-4-4, 2.06 GAA, .924 sv%). On the other end of the ice, Merrimack’s Stephane da Costa (8-12=20) will try to have his way with whichever goaltender Maine decides to throw out there - although judging by his recent success, freshman Martin Oullette (2-1-1, 2.17 GAA, .909 sv%) will probably get the call over Shawn Sirman (2-0-2, 2.61 GAA, .911 sv%) and Dan Sullivan (5-4-1, 2.59 GAA, .891 sv%).
If strong goaltending cancels out each team’s top lines, expect Maine forwards Robby Dee (8-11=19) and Joey DIamond (8-7=15) to tilt the ice in Maine’s favor. Joe Cucci (3-11=14) and Karl Stollery (4-10=14) have had strong first halves, but they’re unlikely to be able to generate the kind of offensive power that Maine’s second and third lines can.
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