Northeastern vs., @ UMass
With a season series win over Lowell already in the books, the Huskies will look to wrap up a victory over the Minutemen in a crucial home-and-home series before Beanpot season arrives. Northeastern, which played well enough to beat Maine but just dumb enough to tie them on Saturday at Matthews Arena, wraps up a season-long six-game homestand Friday before traveling to the Mullins Center for Saturday’s tilt.
The Huskies sit comfortably ahead of UMass in the Hockey East standings, up three points on the Minutemen, but UMass has two games in hand, which makes this series that much more important. A sweep by Northeastern - which trails fifth-place Merrimack by one point and fourth-place Maine by three - keeps them in the mix for a home playoff series in the Hockey East quarterfinals, while two wins by UMass will have them firmly in the mix and the Huskies clawing for a playoff spot of any kind.
Chris Rawlings (6-8-5, 2.27, .928 sv%) should get both starts for the Huskies, while Paul Dainton (6-7-2, 2.63, .919 sv%) is likely to see the ice in both games for UMass. Wade McLeod (11-11=22) has had the hot hand lately for Northeastern, and he and Tyler McNeely (7-10=17) will be looked to to spark Northeastern’s charge, while Michael Pereira (9-10=19) will need to lead the Minutemen. The series will be won or lost on the blue lines, though - the rise of Northeastern’s defense has more than made up for their at-times anemic offensive, and it will need to be strong again to secure four points this weekend.
Providence vs., @ No. 7 UNH
Following Friday’s 4-3 overtime loss at the Whit in which they gave up an early 3-0 advantage to UNH, Tim Army’s only postgame comment was the repeated use of the phrase “disgusted.” And understandably; it hasn’t been a good second half of the season for a Providence team that...traditionally doesn’t have good second halves of the season.
When asked if he could take anything from that loss and use it to help prepare his team for two return matches with the Wildcats this weekend, he gave no indication that he could. And if that’s the case, it’s going to be a long weekend for the Friars, who’ve gotten deteriorating goaltending from Alex Beaudry (6-9-5, 3.13, .904 sv%) and who continue to rely almost solely on Kyle MacKinnon (12-6=18) and Ian O’Connor (6-11=17) for offense.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, come into the weekend series looking - for the first time since October - up at a team in the Hockey East standings, after BC took four points last weekend and UNH couldn’t finish off BU at home. Yes, they have three games in hand on the Eagles, but Dick Umile’s squad continues to lack the killer instinct necessary to finish off their opposition. A home-and-home with a floundering Providence squad should help them to find it. Expect Matt DiGirolamo (13-5-4, 2.38, .920 sv%) to again get both starts, and look for the vaunted UNH top line - held completely silent against BU - to have a big bounceback weekend.
Vermont @ No. 14 Merrimack
Prior to a completely unexpected 6-4 loss to Lowell last weekend, Merrimack’s home ice had been, for all intents and purposes, the toughest place to play in Hockey East. The Cats are no Lowell - both in that they’re a more experienced team and in that they’re fighting for a playoff spot - and if UVM is able to exploit whatever weaknesses the RiverHawks found in Merrimack, it could be a long weekend in Andover.
The biggest chink in the Warrior armor last weekend? Joe Cannata (13-5-4, 2.15, .920 sv%), who let in a season-high five goals, and who isn’t too likely to do it again anytime soon. Expect the Warriors to come out angry, and don’t expect the Cats to be prepared. Rob Madore (5-13-4, 3.01, .901 sv%) has been streaky at best, and Merrimack has too much offensive firepower for UVM to handle. Stephane Da Costa (12-18=30) hasn’t had a signature offensive game in a while, and he may be poised to do just that against a defensively shaky Catamounts club that only has two skaters with double-digit points on the year.
No. 16 BU @ No. 12 Maine
After getting beaten by Merrimack and Boston College by identical 3-2 scores last week, the Terriers came back and stole two points at UNH, thereby extending the if-they-don’t-win-this-one-their-season-is-over talk for at least another week.
Well, it’s a week later now and BU’s heading to vaunted Alfond Arena for a two-game set with a team that’s only a point behind them for third place in Hockey East and is just about as unpredictable as the Terriers themselves. Face it, suggesting that either one of these two teams might do something this weekend means they’ll go ahead and do the exact opposite.
That said, Alfond’s a very tough place to play, and it’s not the place where BU’s laissez-faire attitude will earn them points. Yet, the Black Bears are still beat up, still don’t play much defense and still have shoddy goaltending on their best day. If BU wants to make a statement before they likely fall to BC a fourth time this season in the Beanpot, this is the place to do it. They’ll need a big effort from Kieran Millan (8-5-6, 2.85, .913 sv%) to do it, because Maine can still score in bunches, especially if Tanner House (10-8=18) chips in like he did against Northeastern last Saturday. Shawn Sirman (3-0-3, 2.38, .912 sv%) should get the first look in net, and he may see both games for Maine if he plays well enough.
No. 2 BC @ Lowell (Saturday)
The RiverHawks got out to a 1-0 lead against BC at Conte Forum last weekend, and led at 2-1 as well before the Eagles realized who they were playing and took over. This one-game set is interesting because Lowell should still be feeling pretty good about a win at Merrimack last weekend and a strong effort against BC the following night. It’s BC’s game to lose, really - and if you think that Jerry York wants his squad to have a blemish like that on their radar heading into February, you’re dead wrong.
Expect the Eagles to come out flying and dominate this game from beginning to end, but if they slip up and let a young Lowell squad into it, they could be in for a very long evening. John Muse (14-4-0, 2.15, .931 sv%) hasn’t been spectacular lately, but the team in front of him has been good enough to win and shouldn’t struggle against Lowell. If the Eagles continue to get scoring from their D - and that’s been a big part of their success the last eight weeks - you should be able to turn this one off by the first intermission. You know, if somebody were dumb enough to televise it in the first place.
With a season series win over Lowell already in the books, the Huskies will look to wrap up a victory over the Minutemen in a crucial home-and-home series before Beanpot season arrives. Northeastern, which played well enough to beat Maine but just dumb enough to tie them on Saturday at Matthews Arena, wraps up a season-long six-game homestand Friday before traveling to the Mullins Center for Saturday’s tilt.
The Huskies sit comfortably ahead of UMass in the Hockey East standings, up three points on the Minutemen, but UMass has two games in hand, which makes this series that much more important. A sweep by Northeastern - which trails fifth-place Merrimack by one point and fourth-place Maine by three - keeps them in the mix for a home playoff series in the Hockey East quarterfinals, while two wins by UMass will have them firmly in the mix and the Huskies clawing for a playoff spot of any kind.
Chris Rawlings (6-8-5, 2.27, .928 sv%) should get both starts for the Huskies, while Paul Dainton (6-7-2, 2.63, .919 sv%) is likely to see the ice in both games for UMass. Wade McLeod (11-11=22) has had the hot hand lately for Northeastern, and he and Tyler McNeely (7-10=17) will be looked to to spark Northeastern’s charge, while Michael Pereira (9-10=19) will need to lead the Minutemen. The series will be won or lost on the blue lines, though - the rise of Northeastern’s defense has more than made up for their at-times anemic offensive, and it will need to be strong again to secure four points this weekend.
Providence vs., @ No. 7 UNH
Following Friday’s 4-3 overtime loss at the Whit in which they gave up an early 3-0 advantage to UNH, Tim Army’s only postgame comment was the repeated use of the phrase “disgusted.” And understandably; it hasn’t been a good second half of the season for a Providence team that...traditionally doesn’t have good second halves of the season.
When asked if he could take anything from that loss and use it to help prepare his team for two return matches with the Wildcats this weekend, he gave no indication that he could. And if that’s the case, it’s going to be a long weekend for the Friars, who’ve gotten deteriorating goaltending from Alex Beaudry (6-9-5, 3.13, .904 sv%) and who continue to rely almost solely on Kyle MacKinnon (12-6=18) and Ian O’Connor (6-11=17) for offense.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, come into the weekend series looking - for the first time since October - up at a team in the Hockey East standings, after BC took four points last weekend and UNH couldn’t finish off BU at home. Yes, they have three games in hand on the Eagles, but Dick Umile’s squad continues to lack the killer instinct necessary to finish off their opposition. A home-and-home with a floundering Providence squad should help them to find it. Expect Matt DiGirolamo (13-5-4, 2.38, .920 sv%) to again get both starts, and look for the vaunted UNH top line - held completely silent against BU - to have a big bounceback weekend.
Vermont @ No. 14 Merrimack
Prior to a completely unexpected 6-4 loss to Lowell last weekend, Merrimack’s home ice had been, for all intents and purposes, the toughest place to play in Hockey East. The Cats are no Lowell - both in that they’re a more experienced team and in that they’re fighting for a playoff spot - and if UVM is able to exploit whatever weaknesses the RiverHawks found in Merrimack, it could be a long weekend in Andover.
The biggest chink in the Warrior armor last weekend? Joe Cannata (13-5-4, 2.15, .920 sv%), who let in a season-high five goals, and who isn’t too likely to do it again anytime soon. Expect the Warriors to come out angry, and don’t expect the Cats to be prepared. Rob Madore (5-13-4, 3.01, .901 sv%) has been streaky at best, and Merrimack has too much offensive firepower for UVM to handle. Stephane Da Costa (12-18=30) hasn’t had a signature offensive game in a while, and he may be poised to do just that against a defensively shaky Catamounts club that only has two skaters with double-digit points on the year.
No. 16 BU @ No. 12 Maine
After getting beaten by Merrimack and Boston College by identical 3-2 scores last week, the Terriers came back and stole two points at UNH, thereby extending the if-they-don’t-win-this-one-their-season-is-over talk for at least another week.
Well, it’s a week later now and BU’s heading to vaunted Alfond Arena for a two-game set with a team that’s only a point behind them for third place in Hockey East and is just about as unpredictable as the Terriers themselves. Face it, suggesting that either one of these two teams might do something this weekend means they’ll go ahead and do the exact opposite.
That said, Alfond’s a very tough place to play, and it’s not the place where BU’s laissez-faire attitude will earn them points. Yet, the Black Bears are still beat up, still don’t play much defense and still have shoddy goaltending on their best day. If BU wants to make a statement before they likely fall to BC a fourth time this season in the Beanpot, this is the place to do it. They’ll need a big effort from Kieran Millan (8-5-6, 2.85, .913 sv%) to do it, because Maine can still score in bunches, especially if Tanner House (10-8=18) chips in like he did against Northeastern last Saturday. Shawn Sirman (3-0-3, 2.38, .912 sv%) should get the first look in net, and he may see both games for Maine if he plays well enough.
No. 2 BC @ Lowell (Saturday)
The RiverHawks got out to a 1-0 lead against BC at Conte Forum last weekend, and led at 2-1 as well before the Eagles realized who they were playing and took over. This one-game set is interesting because Lowell should still be feeling pretty good about a win at Merrimack last weekend and a strong effort against BC the following night. It’s BC’s game to lose, really - and if you think that Jerry York wants his squad to have a blemish like that on their radar heading into February, you’re dead wrong.
Expect the Eagles to come out flying and dominate this game from beginning to end, but if they slip up and let a young Lowell squad into it, they could be in for a very long evening. John Muse (14-4-0, 2.15, .931 sv%) hasn’t been spectacular lately, but the team in front of him has been good enough to win and shouldn’t struggle against Lowell. If the Eagles continue to get scoring from their D - and that’s been a big part of their success the last eight weeks - you should be able to turn this one off by the first intermission. You know, if somebody were dumb enough to televise it in the first place.
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