Wednesday, January 10, 2024

UPDATED Terriers edge Huskies on Wilmer OT goal


Men's ice hockey players celebrating Jeremy Wilmer's overtime goal against Northeastern

                                    Photo credit Fia McCarty

Despite giving up leads twice,  #2 Terriers came away from their first Hockey East game of second semester with a 4-3 overtime win against Northeastern on Jeremy Wilmer's game-winner. The sophomore wing buried a pass from Ryan Greene 1:18 into the extra session--on BU's first shot in the extra session--shortly after Mathieu Caron made a pair of game-saving stops.

With the OT win, BU adds two points in the conference standings and now leads BC by six points, although the Eagles have a game in hand. 

The Terriers, who poured 40 shots on the Huskies' freshman goalie, Cameron Whitehead, received goals from Sam Stevens, Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini. Caron turned aside 24 shots including another huge save at the end of the second period when NU, on a power play, threatened to take the lead.

“Very happy with us being able to stick with it and find a way to win in overtime," said Coach Jay Pandolfo, following the game. "Little disappointed with the fact that we were in complete control of that hockey game in the second period and just some game management for our team let them back in it.”

Pandolfo's prediction of,a close contest with the Huskies proved true and he explained, “I think we’ve seen it all year long how good Hockey East is and how competitive it is. I think Northeastern had a ton of injuries early on. They’re a really good hockey team, as you saw tonight. It’s going to be like this down the stretch.”

BU had a territorial and shot advantage (15-6) in the opening period, keeping the visitors to the outside on most of their possessions. Terriers finally opened the scoring fifteen minutes in. Taking a Jack Hughes pass in the left corner, Wilmer skated out a few strides and quickly reversed toward to goal line extended. He fired a pass across the top of the crease to Stevens, who lost his defender by skating around the net. He rapped the puck into a half-empty net from the right post for his third tally of the season.

Terriers, who had come up empty on two first-period power plays, got their third man-advantage early in the second. As penalty time wound down, Shane Lachance took a pass from Celebrini and slid the puck to Hutson at the right point. Given some space by the defense, he closed to the top of the circle and, with the Huskies expecting a pass, he wristed a shot under the crossbar for his ninth of the season and a 2-0 BU lead.

At 11:36 NU got on the board moments after Ty Gallagher rang a shot off iron. Brett Edwards' shot from the right circle trickled through Caron--confirmed after a long review--and the momentum shifted to the visitors. A minute later, Huskies captain Justin Hryckowian redirected a centering pass home from the right post after gaining inside position on Tom Willander.   

Second period finished with a 2-2 score, thanks to this save.

"I thought in the neutral zone we were turning pucks over and it cost us," Pandolfo pointed out. "And it gave them life. For the most part in the first (period) we managed pucks well through the neutral zone. Most of the second period we did and then we got away from it a little bit.

BU regained the lead at 6:43 of the third period with its second power-play tally. Hutson took a pass from Luke Tuch, arc'd out to center point and pass to Celebrini whose one-timer from the right circle beat Whitehead high to the stick side. It was the freshman's 11th goal and second point of the game, giving BU a 3-2 edge.

► Another look at Celebrini's goal from Bernie Perisie

That lasted just over a minute as Alex Campbell, a transfer from Clarkson, got behind the Terrier defense and beat Caron from the slot.

BU weathered a Devin Kaplan penalty late in the period and with no more scoring, the teams headed to overtime.

After Caron turned away two NU bids, Greene started up ice from the BU end, picking up speed through center ice and into the offensive zone. Two defenders followed him. Wilmer had drifted along the red line as Greene raced by, but when the third defender turned to watch Greene, he sped to the net and buried a centering pass to Whitehead's stick side for his third goal of the season.

►With two points in the game, Wilmer, who has a 3-16-19 line in 18 games, earned the player of the game jacket.

Discussing his success both as a playmaker and more recently as a finisher, Wilmer explained, "“Coach Kim Brandvold is very good with skill development, so I think that’s definitely fed a lot into it. And I sort of know my identity as a player and I just try to stick to that.”

►One more look at the game-winner, again from Bernie Perisie.

►For Lane Hutson, who had the second assist on the game-winner, it was a three-point night. With 23 points (9G,14A), he's Hockey East's top-scoring defenseman and is tied for the conference lead in power-play goals with six. 

►Macklin Celebrini's two points put him back atop the Hockey East scoring chart with 26. His 1.69 ppg is second best in Division 1. 

►BU’s penalty-killers shut down both Northeastern power plays—with the help of that Caron save—limiting the visitors to three shots. Terriers have now killed 20 of the last 22 penalties.

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Video highlights and post-game comments from Pandolfo, Wilmer, Hutson

● Boston Hockey Blog recap  (with a great Molly Potter photo of the game-winner)

● Boston Herald recap and photo gallery

 

►A pair of freshmen were named to Hockey East's weekly top performer's list. Max Lacroix stopped 14 of 15 shots in regulation and all three shootout attempts he faced in the exhibition game with Simon Fraser. Gavin McCarthy fired a goal in regulation and then notched the only tally in the shootout.

 

Looking back

Clayton Keller scored his 14th goal and assisted on the overtime game-winner as the Coyotes skated past the Bruins, 4-3. 

Brady Tkachuk scored his 17th goal in Ottawa's 6-3 loss to Calgary. 

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