Mr. Clutch delivers for the Ducks

Nick Bonino--who knows something about scoring clutch goals--banged home the overtime game-winner to give Anaheim a 3-2 win against Detroit. A 117-point scorer in his three seasons at BU, Bonino, who earned first-star honors and won nearly 70% of his faceoffs,  now has goals in three of the five games of the Western Conference quarterfinals series, which the Ducks lead, three games to two. 
● Los Angeles Times recap

Former BU assistant captain Brian Strait scored his first-ever Stanley Cup playoff goal in the Islanders 6-4 win against Pittsburgh. Strait registered the game’s first goal on a wrist shot from the point that found its way through a maze of bodies, recalling his goal against BC in the 2009 Hockey East tournament semi-finals. With the series tied at two games apiece, New York and Pittsburgh meet tonight in a game that airs on NBC Sports Network.

● Video: goal and post-game interview

● Newsday feature on Strait

Eric Gryba returned to Ottawa’s lineup for the Senators’ 3-2 overtime win against Montreal, after serving a two-game suspension for a controversial hit in game one of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Gryba doled out seven hits in the game. He spoke with the National Post before the game. The Senators will try to eliminate the Canadians tonight in a game that airs on CNBC.

 

New York, New York

The Muppets took Manhattan; now it’s David Quinn’s turn. BU’s new head coach will make one of his first public appearances at a Meet & Greet of Terrier Coaches at New York City’s Stout NYC. The event for BU alumni and friends, set for June 5, 2013, from 6-8 p.m., also will feature Women's hockey team head coach Brian Durocher, former BU co-captain and Olympic gold medalist Mike Eruzione and Athletic Director Mike Lynch, as well at the head coaches of BU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and the new men’s lacrosse team.  Reservations are required by June 3 and can be made here.

Boston-area Terrier fans will have the opportunity to meet Quinn and the other coaches the following week on June 12 at a Meet & Greet at Tia’s on the Boston Waterfront.  We’ll post details when they are available.

 "Take me to the Garden"

NHL venues continue to see college hockey as great revenue opportunities.Red Hot Hockey IV—Cornell and BU—at New York’s Madison Square Garden is on tap for November 30. Last season during the RHH’s “off year,” the Garden staged The Frozen Apple, matching Cornell with Michigan. And this coming season, national champion Yale will faceoff with rival Harvard at Madison Square Garden on January 11.

New Jersey’s Prudential Center also is getting on the college hockey bandwagon, hosting the Ivy Shootout next October 25-26 with Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth and Brown on the card.

Looking ahead

2014 recruit Shane Starrett was selected in the fourth round of the USHL entry draft by Sioux Falls and is expected to join the Stampede. The 6-5 netminder was a standout at Catholic Memorial High School before spending his senior year with the Selects Hockey Academy U18 squad at South Kent School where he posted a 1.96 goals against average in 46 games. 

2013 recruit Kevin Duane's rights were selected by Des Moines in the seventh round. The 6-4 right wing played for USHL Waterloo and EJHL Jr. Bruins last season scoring a combined 40 points.

Still an inspiration 
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing that caused so many devastating injuries, former Terrier Travis Roy has written for WBUR-FM radio's online magazine, Cognoscenti, about  Life After A Life-Changing Injury.  Roy, whose injury eleven seconds into his first game as Terrier in 1996 left him a quadriplegic, now is a motivational speaker. His Travis Roy Foundation has raised millions of dollars for spinal cord research and individual grants to purchase adaptive equipment to help paraplegics and quadriplegics live their lives.