Sunday, December 30, 2018

Terriers Excel in Holiday Tounaments; Eichel Leads Sabres Resurgence




Boston University freshman winger Joel Farabee's natural hat trick gave Team USA a comfortable first period lead of 4-1 and the Americans never looked back as they shellacked Kazakhstan 8-2 in a preliminary round game in the World Junior Championships.  The following night Farabee capped off an unfathomable comeback from a 4-0 third period deficit to Sweden, by providing the primary assist on the game-tying goal with only seconds left in the third period.  Unfortunately, the Cicero, NY native made an errant pass inside the Swedish blueline that led to an odd-man rush and a 5-4 overtime loss to the Swedes.

● USA Hockey US prevails over Kazakhstan
● Summit Daily Joel Farabee has natural hat trick
● USCHO Farabee's hat trick lifts Team USA

 Dante Fabbro scored two goals for Team Canada in a 6-2 victory over the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers in the Spengler Cup.  This club tournament is the oldest in the world and is being played in Davos, Switzerland.

Looking back

Former Terrier and Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel, in his fourth NHL season, has led the Sabres on meteoric rise from cellar dwellers to having the seventh best record in the NHL.  Enjoying a new eight-year, $80 million contract and taking pride in wearing a "C" as a 22 year old, Eichel's leadership has transformed the Sabres into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and the city of Buffalo is now feeling like a great fit for him and his blue-collar work ethic.  The Chelmsford, Massachusetts, native has a 15-34-49 scoring line in 39 games and Sports Illustrated has done a feature story on his success.

Nick Bonino scored two power play goals (seventh and eighth of the season) on Saturday night.  However his Predators lost to former Terrier Coach David Quinn's NY Rangers by a score of 4-3.
● NHL.com recap and video highlights

 Charlie Coyle's second period goal was his sixth of the season and proved to be the game-winner as the Wild defeated the Jets, 3-1.
● NHL.com recap and video highlights

 Matt Grzelcyk played his 100th career NHL game last night in Buffalo and provided the primary assist on an overtime goal that lead his Bruins to a 3-2 win against the Sabres.
● NHL.com recap and video highlights

 Former Terrier netminder Connor LaCouvee turned aside 22 shots and earned his first career AHL win with Laval on Friday night, as the Rocket defeated the Checkers by a 4-2 score.
● AHL.com box score
box score


Looking ahead 2020 recruit Luke Tuch scored his seventh goal of the season on Saturday evening against Chicago, but his USA U-17 team fell to the Steel by a score of 6-3.
●USHL.com box score

 2022 recruit Lane Hutson's commitment to BU is still making news in Michigan.
●MIHockey.com Lane Hutson Commits to Boston University
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Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Trio named to WJC rosters; goalie added; Coach Crocker passes







Three Terriers will spend the next two weeks competing at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championships in Victoria, British Columbia. Sophomore Logan Cockerill and freshman Joel Farabee earned spots on the final U.S. roster while Shane Bowers will skate for Team Canada.

Farabee registered a pair of assists in a 3-2 exhibition game win against Russia. Team USA begins preliminary round play on Wednesday, taking on Slovakia in a 6:30 p.m. ET start.

Bowers scored a goal in Canada’s 6-1 exhibition win over Slovakia, batting a puck out of the air past the Slovak goalie. Defending champion Canada’s first preliminary round game is against Denmark on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET.  

NHL Network and TSN will broadcast the tournament games (with some delayed).
● USA Hockey WJC home page 
● USA Hockey US-Russia exhibition recap and video highlights 
● NHL.com broadcast schedule for NHL Network and TSN 
►Junior co-captain Dante Fabbro will also be in action over the holidays as a member of Canada’s Spengler Cup squad. The tournament begins Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland. Fabbro, who won a gold medal at last year’s World Junior Championships and a silver at the 2017 WJCs, is one of two NCAA players who will suit up for Canada. Last winter, BU captain Brandon Hickey played for Canada’s Spengler Cup champions.
● GoTerriers.com report 

►Freshman forward Jake Wise will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury. A third-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018, Wise had two assists in 12 games and last played in the scoreless tie against BC on Dec. 1.

►Terriers will add goalie Vinnie Purpura to the roster beginning with second semester. The 6’3” native of Lemont, Illinois, had originally been scheduled to arrive next September (THFB report). Purpura had a 2.40 GAA and a .916 save percentage for USHL Omaha in 2017-18. This season he had a 3.71 GAA in eight games for Omaha before being traded to Youngstown, where he had a 1.97 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
● Vindy.com report 

Looking ahead 
BU received its second commitment for 2022 from left-shot defenseman Lane Hutson. A 2004 birthdate from Chicago, Hutson skates for Honeybaked Bantam Major in the HPBHL and has 11 points in 11 games. At the 2018 STX 68 tournament last August, attended by Coach Albie O’Connell and assistant coach Paul Pearl, he earned kudos from NEHJ:

The North Barrington, Ill., native is extremely small, but has exceptional vision. He moves the puck north effectively, both with his feet and by passing it. He was really fun to watch.

Hutson also excelled at the World Selects Invitationals in 2016 and 2018, earning top defenseman honors in 2016. In his first season with Honeybaked, Hutson was coached by his father, Rob, an NHL scout for the Coyotes who played NCAA D1 hockey for the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle in the early 90s.
● Elite Prospects page   





Looking back


Bob Crocker, a former Terrier skater and an assistant coach under Jack Kelley and one of the really good guys in the hockey community, died Friday night at 92.  His passing resulted in an outpouring of tributes and praise for the “Dean of New England Scouts” from all corners of the hockey world.

As Kelley’s assistant for ten seasons, Crocker helped him build four NCAA tournament teams and BU's first two national championship squads. A Navy veteran, he also coached baseball at BU.  After BU, he was head coach at Pennsylvania, then assistant GM of the Whalers before beginning a long career as an amateur scout for several NHL teams, working through last season. Virtually everyone in hockey know him. Was glad to call him a friend.

The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog wrote about Coach Crocker several times: In 2015 he received the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. He was honored by BU during a BU-BC game in 2007. His championship ring collection was featured in this post.

►Former Terriers Jack Eichel, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy are teaming up to raise funds for the Travis Roy Foundation. 



When the Sabres defeated the Bruins at TD Garden on December 16, it was reportedly the first time five former Terriers played in a single NHL game with Evan Rodrigues and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson joining Eichel, Grzelcyk and McAvoy.  Eichel led the Sabres to a win with two goals and two assists while JFK had an assist for the Bruins.
 

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