Game Day--BU takes on the Friars

It's the final weekend of the regular season and top-ranked BU is still seeking to catch Northeastern which has a one-point lead for first place in Hockey East. The Terriers play a home-and-home series with the Providence College Friars, the last team to defeat BU--back on January 13, by a 4-2 score. Since then, BU has gone 11-0-3 in 14 games.

Junior defenseman Brian Strait will miss the weekend series with a sprained knee, suffered last week against UMass. Senior Steve Smolinsky, who filled in ably for Kevin Shattenkirk during the Denver Cup tournament in January, gets the call to replace Strait. Kieran Millan will be in goal for BU.

If BU and Northeastern, which plays Boston College this weekend, end up tied, BU will earn the top seed for the conference tournament (current standings) because it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Huskies. The second game in the weekend series with the Friars is Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. By then, BU will know whether it can catch the Huskies for the conference crown.

We have game and conference previews from The Boston Globe, USCHO, and Hockey East Online, which also has prepared a rundown of playoff possibilities and tiebreakers. GoTerriers.com provides links to game notes, game tracker and the audio Web cast from Schneider Arena tonight. From College Hockey News, there's a statistical comparison of the teams and links to recent games in the Terriers-Friars series.

Sports Information Director Brian Kelley will provide a live, in-game blog throughout tonight's game. The link is here.

The Daily Free Press focuses on how standout seasons by BU's two Hobey Baker Award candidates, Colin Wilson and Matt Gilroy, in its game preview article.

In his weekly column, INCH's Jeff Howe recounts how Hockey East, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, established with BU Coach Jack Parker relating much of the intrigue that surround the departure of five teams from the ECAC in 1984. A very good read.

USCHO's latest cut at bracketology for the NCAA tournament has the Terriers in the Manchester Regional meeting Bemidji State with UNH vs. Cornell completing that regional.

The Hockey News' annual top prospects issue is out, listing the top ten prospects for each NHL team. The Colorado Avs' list includes three Terriers: #1 Shattenkirk, #6 Colby Cohen and #10 Brandon Yip. We'll post more of these lists as they become available. The issue includes a feature article on BU co-captain Matt Gilroy.