Monday, March 13, 2023

UPDATED: Finalists for HEA honors; Player of the Week for Zabs; Poll Story; SNL

Hockey East announced finalists for its Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards and BU was well-represented. In the coaching category, BU’s Jay Pandolfo is joined by Merrimack’s Scott Borek and Maine’s Ben Barr. For Player of the Year, it’s Lane Hutson, Merrimack’s Alex Jeffries and NU’s Devon Levi, while top rookie finalists are Lane Hutson, BC’s Cutter Gauthier and UConn’s Matthew Wood. 

   Photo credit Matt Woolverton

Nick Zabaneh's hat trick against Vermont, the first by a Terrier this season, helped him earn this week's Hockey East Player of the Week honors, succeeding Sam Stevens, last week's P.O.W.  Zabaneh's goal-scoring burst was the Terriers' 13th hat trick in Hockey East playoff history and the first since David Van der Gulik's hat trick in the 2006 semifinals, a 9-2 win against New Hampshire.

•  GoTerriers.com report



Poll Story



Terriers remain at #5 in the USCHO Weekly Poll. In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, BU moves up from #6 to #5. BU is sixth in Everything College Hockey's ranking. In the College Hockey News Power Rankings, based on the KRACH system, BU remains at #7.

In the all-important PairWise rankings, BU remains at #5. It will take a specific chain of results in all the conference tournaments next weekend--including a BU win over Merrimack and a Quinnipiac win over Harvard--for the Terriers to overtake Michigan for the #4 slot. Here's one scenario that would yield that #4 seed.


SNL (Saturday Night Leftovers) 

Following the past weekend’s game, BU is one of just four D1 schools averaging four goals a game or more. Minnesota and Michigan are at 4.1. BU and Quinnipiac an even 4.0. For the Terriers: 140 goals in 35 games.  


With two goals in Saturday’s win, Wilmer Skoog is one point shy of last season’s total of 30 and one goal shy of matching his 15 goals last year. After a slow, injury-related start with just four points in his first 10 games, he has a 13-12-25 line in the last 24 games. Skoog was named a Hockey East third-team all-star last week. 

Nick Zabaneh’s hat trick gives him 12 points (8G,4A) for the season, making him the 16th Terrier to reach double-digits in scoring.  

Dylan Peterson had the primary assist on all three of Zabaneh’s goals, registering his second three-point game of the season. He had a goal and an assist in the Jan. 27 win against BC. 

 

Looking ahead  

In Cory Pronman’s latest draft ranking for The Athletic, he has moved 2023 recruit Gavin McCarthy up to the first round in the #30 spot.


#30. Gavin McCarthy, D, Muskegon (USHL) 

Jun. 2, 2005 | 6′ 1.5″ | 182 pounds | Shoots right 

January 2023 Ranking: Not Rated 

Tier: Projected middle of the lineup player 

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average 

Player comparable: Damon Severson   

Background: McCarthy has played a large minute role for Muskegon this season when healthy. He did the same for USA’s Hlinka Gretzky team too. He missed a portion of the season due to a fractured knee suffered at the World Jr. A Challenge. The younger brother of Devils’ draft pick Case McCarthy is committed to Boston University. 

 

Analysis: McCarthy’s toolkit is one that should do well in the pro game. He’s got good size, he’s a right-shot, he skates well, and he’s showing a lot of offense this season in the USHL. I don’t think he’s a natural puck-mover, but McCarthy has good skill and can make the occasional tough offensive play. His skating allows him to transport pucks up ice. Defensively he’s solid. He can run around a little bit, but he’s quite physical, and his skating lets him close on plays well. I think he will play a regular role on an NHL team. 

 

Looking back 

Clayton Keller scored twice--a third-period tying goal and an overtime game-winner—in Arizona’s 5-4 win against Minnesota. Keller now has 29 goals and his 40th assist was a milestone 200th for his career.  Keller had a 4-5-9 line in four games last week and earned the NHL's #1 Star of the Week.

 

Alex Chiasson scored his second goal, a power play tally, in as many games as Detroit defeated Boston, 5-3. Matt Grzelcyk scored his fourth goal and added an assist for the Bruins.  


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