Thursday, February 05, 2015

More Beanpot analysis and coverage





Terrier TakeAway Today’s entry from blog reader buoldtimer

1. The first period was fast-paced. Each team generated odd-man rushes and scoring opportunities driving out of their own end of the ice. Harvard had a slight edge in solid scoring opportunities.

2. Harvard dominated the first half of the second period. From that point on, BU changed the game's momentum and carried play by a wide margin for the remainder of the game, including the overtimes.

3. For the last 50 minutes of the game, BU established a solid forecheck, limiting the instances in which Harvard had a sustained presence in BU’s D-zone. This was one of BU's best games of the season as far as generating offense via the initial rush.

3. Still, Harvard could've won the game. The scrum in the BU crease that resulted in the "play under review," could've been a goal from what I saw. I haven't heard or read any explanation for the call.  Also, Tyler Moy sailed in a breakaway during the first overtime, but lost control of the puck as he approached BU's net and didn't get off a shot.

4. From a BU perspective, aside from Moy's breakaway, the overtimes were a matter of waiting for BU to finally put the game away. O'Regan and Rodrigues each had a couple of fantastic opportunities. Rodrigues’ best chance resulted from back and forth passes with Eichel that left Rodrigues at the crease and Michalek leaning the wrong way. Michalek stretched his leg back as Rodrigues tried to shovel the puck into the net. Michalek made the stop, but apparently pulled a muscle while doing so.

5. Rodrigues is making the second half of his senior season a memorable one. Seemingly, he does something positive on each shift.

6. The BU puck movement in the Harvard d-zone, even during 5-on-5 situations, was as good as I've seen all season, including the 2nd and 3rd lines.

►SB Nation previews next Monday night’s Beanpot Championship game between the Terriers and Northeastern. The two schools have met in 11 previous finals with BU bringing home the silver Beanpot eight times. In the last championship game meeting in 2009, BU scored three shorthanded goals (two during one penalty kill) en route to a 5-2 win (video).
 

►From BU Hockey Historian Sean Pickett:
Tuesday's BU-Harvard game was the longest Beanpot game ever, beating the 2005 NU-Harvard game by 17 seconds. Most of the earlier overtimes were 10-minute periods, which may cause some confusion.

►BU will appear in its 50th Beanpot final with an opportunity to claim its 30th crown. With BC’s loss to Northeastern, the Eagles’ run of five titles ends one short of the all-time record set by BU (1995-2000). BU is now 9-8 in Beanpot overtime games.

►BU has played nine overtime games this season, winning the last three and going 4-1-4 in those nine games.



►Three Terriers—Jack Eichel (photo), Matt Grzelcyk and Danny O’Regan—were named to the 20-man list of semifinalists for the 2015 Walter Brown Award, presented to the best American-born player competing in New England.  The last two winners from BU were Matt Gilroy in 2009 and John Curry in 2007.

Looking ahead
2016 recruit Patrick Harper scored a goal and added two assists in Avon Old Farms’ 8-1 win over Westminster. John McDermott, also a 2016 BU recruit, had the Westies’ goal.

Looking back
Former Terrier All-American Colin Wilson converted a rebound midway through the third period on Tuesday, providing the game-winner for Nashville in its 4-3 win over Toronto. For Wilson, who also had an assist and earned first-star honors, his 16th goal is a career best, as is his 35 points.


Women’s Team
#7 Terriers were routed by Harvard in the Beanpot semifinal at Bright-Landry Arena in Cambridge. The Crimson scored the game’s first five goals before junior Sarah Lefort got BU on the boards. Harvard extended its lead to 8-1, before freshman Victoria Bach scored a power play goal at the 11:40 mark of the third period.  Bach's 15th goal makes her tops in goal scoring among NCAA D1 Freshman (women). One more Crimson score brought the final tally to 9-2.

GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

No comments:

Site Meter