Friday, March 22, 2024

UPDATED: Game Day: Terriers take on Maine in the Hockey East semifinals

UPDATE: Defenseman Cade Webber, who had been injured in the Northeastern game, is in tonight's line-up.


              

Game day graphic featuring posed photo of Shane Lachance. BU vs. Maine, March 22, 7:30 PM on ESPN+ and NESN

Seeking to defend the Hockey East championship it won a year ago, #2 BU faces off against #7 Maine in the semifinal of the conference tournament at TD Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm (subject to the length of the first semifinal). NESN will air the contest, which also will be live streamed on ESPN+.

“You work all year to get opportunities like this. This is the fun part when you’re competing for a championship, and I know our guys are excited,” head coach Jay Pandolfo said Thursday. “This is the time of year you get excited for.

"It’s a great environment, taking place at the TD Garden. Our guys have experience playing there in the Beanpot. So it’s [going to be] a lot of fun,” he added.

The Terriers, who claimed their 10th Hockey East tournament title last year with overtime wins against Providence and Merrimack, have won 12 of their past 17 tournament games, including 18 victories in the league playoffs over the past nine tournaments. No other team has won more Hockey East tournament games than BU, which is 80-43-1 all-time.

The Terriers and Black Bears last saw each other in mid-November when BU came away with a pair of one-goal home wins: 3-2, 5-4. Maine rebounded from those losses to reel off six straight wins and finish 2023 at 12-3-1. They struggled in February losing five of eight, but enter the semifinals with four straight wins including a 5-0 statement win against New Hampshire in the quarter finals. The prior weekend, the Black Bears concluded the regular season with a home sweep of UMass, a pair of one-goal wins.   

While Maine’s power play for the season stands at .216, they’ve connected on 7 of 16 opportunities in their last five games.

“They have a really good power play. They use two units, both units spread out evenly, and they both have been producing for them,” Pandolfo said. “There’s no question they’re dangerous.”

The Black Bear offense begins with the Nadeau brothers, who each have 45 points.  They’ve combined for nine game-winners in the Black Bears’ 23 victories. Josh Nadeau has 18 goals and Bradly Nadeau has 19. Senior Harrison Scott, a transfer from Bentley, has 14 goals and 26 points while captain Lyden Breen has eight goals and 29 points.

Maine’s defense features junior David Breazeale and five underclassmen, including sophomores Brandon Charbrier (6-15-21) and Brandon Holt (4-11-15)

When the teams met in November Victor Ostman was in goal, but since mid-February, freshman Albin Boija has taken over the netminding duties. He started the last seven games, winning five and limiting opponents to just 13 goals over that span. 

Men's Hockey players huddle with their goalie before a home game

                               Photo credit Matt Woolverton

Terriers come into the contest on their longest winning streak of the season—six games. And since, Feb. 1, they are 9-1-1.

Led by Macklin Celebrini (55 points) and Lane Hutson (44) BU has averaged 4.11 goals per game over 35 games, but in the six games since a 2-2 tie with Providence last month, they are scoring one goal/game better than that average.

Meanwhile, BU’s team defense has been particularly strong in the second half of the season and, in the last 11 games, yielded just 21 goals .

“Our team defense has gotten much better [in the] second half," Pandolfo pointed out. "First half… we were sloppy in our D-zone…letting way too many chances get to our slot. Now we’ve done a much better job protecting our slot, not giving up second and third chances. It’s all five guys in our system. We don’t play man-on-man; we’ve got layers [of coverage] and you need everyone doing their job."

The Terrier power play is clicking at a .279 rate, which is second best in D1, behind only Michigan.

"I like our special teams, they’ve been much improved [over] this year," Pandolfo said. "Power play has been really good. [Assistant coach] Kim Brandvold has done a heckuva job running that, making adjustments. It’s been really good toward the end of the year.

"Penalty kill has been much improved, too. We started off really slow. Since then, we’ve been really good. [Associate head coach] Joe Pereira runs the PK, so heckuva job. Guys are buying into what we want to do.” 

Junior goalie Mathieu Caron has yielded eight goals in his last six starts and 15 in his last 11, lowering his GAA to 2.14 in conference games and to 2.29 overall.

Cade Webber is the one Terrier whose availability  is uncertain. Recently named Hockey East’s top defensive defenseman, Webber suffered a right-leg injury early in the third period against Northeastern and had to be helped off the ice. To the surprise of many, he returned later in the period and helped BU stave off any late rally by the Huskies. Pandolfo indicated that he’ll be a game-time decision.

►►BU Athletics is sponsoring a pre-game fan gathering Friday at Scores Boston! (166 Canal Street) beginning at 5:30. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres.


● GoTerriers.com preview, Live Stats, Game Notes, BU All-Access (audio), BU Men’s Hockey Twitter

● Live Stream ESPN+, International Stream

● Pandolfo Media Call

● HockeyEastOnline Game Day links and live scoreboard

● Boston Hockey Blog Terriers continue title defense with semifinal against Maine 

● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape, Semifinals preview

● Boston Globe BC and BU will be tested in Hockey East's men's semifinal 

● Boston Herald  BC, BU headline a strong Final Four field in Hockey East

 

 Looking back: This Date in BU Hockey—March 22

Chris Drury's overtime goal gave BU a 4-3 win against Denver in the NCAA Regional Final, sending "a few good men" to the 1997 Frozen Four in Milwaukee.

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