Monday, October 23, 2023

UPDATED Poll Story; Boudette's Terrier Takeaway; SNL; 3 Game-Winners

 Poll Story

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Terriers fell three spots to #9 in the USCHO Division 1 Poll. Jumping ahead of BU were #6 Michigan, #7 Providence and #8 Michigan State. Next weekend’s opponent, UMass (4-1-0), which swept Minnesota State on the road, entered the top 20 and stands at #19.

All of the top six in last week's USCHO poll suffered a loss over the weekend.

BU also is ninth in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll. In both polls, the top five are: #1 Minnesota, #2 Denver, #3 BC, #4 North Dakota and #5 Quinnipiac.

John Buccigross' D1 ranking pegs the Terriers at #8.

NEW Four Terriers earned spots on Hockey East's weekly list of top performers:

Luke Tuch, BU (Sr., F; Baldwinsville, N.Y.) Tallied three points, all in the first period, in the Terriers’ 8-2 win at Notre Dame on Saturday as he set up the game’s opening two goals. In addition, he led the Terriers with seven blocked shots over the weekend.

Macklin Celebrini, BU (Fr., F; Vancouver, B.C.) Registered two goals in the Terriers’ 8-2 win at Notre Dame on Saturday. Celebrini finished the weekend as a plus-one with one blocked shot and 11 shots on goal.

Aiden Celebrini, BU (Fr., D; Vancouver, B.C.) Scored his first collegiate goal in the Terriers’ 8-2 win at Notre Dame on Saturday. He also added an assist to complete a two-point night and finished the weekend as a plus-three.

Shane LaChance, BU (Fr., F; North Andover, Mass.) Netted the first two goals of his Terrier career in Saturday’s 8-2 win at Notre Dame. His first goal came in the first period when he redirected a Gavin McCarthy shot. He then knocked home a rebound during a 2-on-1 early in the second period to push the Terriers’ lead to 6-1. Lachance was a plus-two for the weekend.

 

Neal Boudette's Terrier Takeaway from Saturday's 8-2 Win 

Now that was what we were expecting from this BU team.

The Terriers dominated Notre Dame on Saturday in the second match up of the weekend, winning 8-2 thanks to a five-goal flurry in the first period that stunned the Irish and dashed their hopes of a sweep.

It had been a disorienting fortnight for the Terriers, following a lackluster 3-2 overtime win against Bentley – a team without a single drafted or even heralded player – and the lackadaisical 6-4 loss at UNH and the 8-2 debacle against the USA National Development Team at Agganis. Three flat, sloppy performances from the pre-season No. 1 team and one many believed (and still believe) can contend for a national championship.

Disorientation turned to dismay when the Terriers lost Friday night at Notre Dame, falling 4-1 after scoring the game’s first goal. Lane Hutson sat out the last half of the third period after sustaining what appears a shoulder injury – perhaps a sprain or mild separation – leaving BU to go into the Saturday game wondering, “What the heck is going on?”

It was like Jay Pandolfo had flipped a switch. Four minutes in, the Terriers had a 1-0 lead. Ten minutes in, they were ahead 5-1 and the game was effectively over. This was the team we thought we had, with Lane Hutson, Macklin Celebrini, a new, highly regarded goaltender from Brown, a new first-rounder on the blueline in Tom Willander, and a couple of last year’s top scorers from the USHL in Shane Lachance and Jack Harvey.

The Terriers played fast. They won races to the puck. They won battles. They were physical. They had Notre Dame on their heels. They harassed and frustrated the Irish on the forecheck. They gave the hosts little room in the neutral zone and allowed few clean zone entries. Notre Dame struggled to get much offensive zone time.

At the other end of the ice, it was the opposite. BU cycled pucks consistently, generating shots and consistently keeping possession in the Norte Dame end for considerable stretches, seemingly shift after shift.

You add all that up and BU was exactly what Pandolfo wants – a team that was very hard to play against. And it was reflected on the scoreboard.

Of course, there’s no guarantee they won’t revert back to their previous casual, low-intensity ways in next weekend’s series with UMass. But I think the chances of that are fairly low. This team now knows what it feels like to play with speed and urgency. They know the level of intensity they have to bring to every game. They know (mostly) that the simple, safe play is almost always the best and smartest play.

Bottom line: I wouldn’t want to be UMass this weekend.

And some observations on a few players:

Lane Hutson – made an appearance at a BU alumni gathering and had a backpack on his left shoulder. That tells me the injury to his right shoulder isn’t too bad. Injure one shoulder and it usually hurts to put weight on either side. He posed for one picture and put his right arm around Mike Eruzione, so he was moving it without much pain. My guess is he will be out this weekend but then back soon.

 Macklin Celebrini – The youngest player in college hockey now has five goals in four games. He showed a flash of brilliance beating three ND defenders on his first-period goal, and showed he does indeed have an NHL-caliber shot on his second of the night. He’s only four games in and he’s showing he can do things almost no one else in college hockey can do. I think he’s just heating up. He’s had to get used to a new cast of teammates and acclimate to the college game. I would put money down that at some time this season he is going to get a on a hot streak and fill the net.

 Mathieu Caron – Two of the four goals he allowed on Friday were on the soft side, and he allowed five against UNH. But on Saturday he stopped 28 of 30 for a .933 save percentage (there also were at least three off the iron that had the BU faithful holding their breaths). At Brown, he didn’t see a lot of NHL-level shots, especially in games against Union, St. Lawrence, Yale, and Dartmouth. It could be he needed – and maybe still needs – time to adjust to the higher talent level BU faces in games against teams like Notre Dame. If so, he took a big step forward on Saturday.

 Ty Gallagher – Great game Saturday, and a big bounce-back from earlier games. Steady with the puck and starting the breakout. Much harder D around the BU net. Blocked three or four shots, so was dialed in on defending.

 Case McCarthy – Like Gallagher, had a nice bounce-back game. In earlier games he lost some pucks around the net and seemed just a little off. On Saturday he was the steady, solid D we saw late last year before his injury.

 Ryan Greene – Excellent, two-way game. Hunted pucks in the offensive zone. Won battles. Consistently hindered Notre Dame rushes through the neutral zone.

 Luke Tuch – Probably the best game I’ve seen him play for BU. Great shot and decision on his goal. Was physical, played hard in the corners.

Devin Kaplan – Had one of those quietly efficient games. Got on the scoresheet with two assists but didn’t’ have a goal of his own. Yet he made an impact with the little things – winning pucks, defending in our zone, making the right pass on the breakout.

 Tom Willander – A first-round draft choice, the freshman from Sweden was the best all-around defender on the ice. Poised with the puck, whether on the break out or on the blue line. Moved the puck smartly on the power play. Like Celebrini, he’s only getting started and I imagine that later in the season he will be a true force on the blueline in the mold of Victor Hedman.

 

 


►The Boston Hockey Blog's Belle Fraser providers analysis of the Terrier turnaround in South Bend with comments from Coach Pandolfo, Macklin Celebrini and Shane Lachance.  (Photo credit Gracie Davenport)

● Boston Hockey Blog Terriers built team game and confidence during Saturday win

 

SNL (Saturday Night Leftovers)

►With five goals and one assist for six points, Macklin Celebrini leads leads the Terriers in goals and points. In Hockey East, he is second in goals behind Lowell's Matt Crasa and tied for sixth in points.

►Terriers put 94 shots on goal in the two games--44 on Friday, 50 on Saturday--against a Notre Dame team with a stated goal of limiting opponents to fewer than 30.

►@BUHockeyStats tweeted that BU had recorded their most goals on the road vs. a team from a western conference since 11/29/1970 when they beat St. Louis University 9-1.  That win, paced by two goals each from Ron Anderson and Wayne Gowing, was the second of 30 wins for the 1971 national champs.

The Celebrini Brothers celebrate Aiden's first NCAA goal. He's now tied for second on the Terriers (4 points) with Luke Tuch and Jeremy Wilmer.

►BU’s first goal in Saturday's game came on what Bernie Corbett calls the “power play hangover, “ within 20 seconds of when the man-advantage ended. Quinn Hutson’s dart from the right circle found the net eight seconds after a Terrier power play ended.

►Bernie’s sidekick and ace hockey “explainer,” Mark Linehan, who authored “Lane Hutson doing Lane Hutson things,” already has a tag line for describing Celebrini magic. When he beat three Irish defenders to score the game's second goal, Mark declared “Holy Macklin!”

►Have another look at the NBC Sports highlights from Saturday night's win.

 

Looking ahead

Three future Terriers scored game-winners in USHL games over the weekend.

On Sunday, 2025 recruit recruit John McNelis second goal of the year sent Sioux Falls past Sioux City, 4-3. 

On Saturday, 2025 recruit Zach Morin converted a penalty shot in overtime, giving Youngstown a 3-2 win over Chicago. It was his third goal of the season. Morin is one of two Canadians in the USHL named to played in the upcoming World U17 Challenge. He'll skate for Canada Red (of course).

On Friday, 2024 recruit Brandon Svoboda's second-period goal was the difference as Youngstown edged Madison, 3-2.  It was the San Jose draft pick's second goal.

 

 

Looking back

Adam Clendening, who has played 90 NHL games with seven teams, has signed a contract with Ilves in Finland's top league, the Liiga. Last season he played with Rockford and Hartford in the AHL.

● Elite Prospects Page   

 

Women's Team

Boston Hockey Blog recap of 6-1 win against Syracuse 

 

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