Sunday, December 29, 2024

UPDATED: Game Day: BU vs Yale at The Whale; USA tops Latvia; Celebrini grabs rookie goals lead

 

Game day graphic featuring posed photo of Alex Zetterberg. #13 BU at Yale, Dec. 29, 4 PM, in New Haven, CT on ESPN+

In their final game of 2024, #13 Terriers return to Yale’s Ingalls Arena for a matinee match-up with the Elis. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. with ESPN+ providing the live stream. 

A year ago, also on Dec. 29 at “the Whale,” BU defeated Yale, 6-1, behind two goals apiece from Shane Lachance and Dylan Peterson and three assists from Devin Kaplan. 

With that win, BU is 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings and leads the overall series 33-31-3. Yale won the first 20 match-ups with the Terriers beginning in 1924. The Elis also dealt the 1978 National Champion Terriers one of their only two losses in a 30-2-0 season.

The Elis (2-7-1) have lost five of their last six games and were swept by LIU in their last outings. Freshmen Ronan O’Donnell (7 points), Donovan Frias (6) and Zach Wagnon (6) are their top scorers. O’Donnell and Frias each have four goals. Seniors Dylan Herzog and Kieran O’Hearn anchor the defense. Sophomore Jack Stark has started eight games (2-5-1) with a 3.50 GAA and an .886 save percentage.

For BU, Matt Copponi continues to emerge as an offensive catalyst. He has six points in the last five regulation games plus a goal and an assist in the exhibition win. Alex Zetterberg has a 3-2-5 line in regular-season games but in the exhibition win over the NTDP U18s, he was one of the players of the game with two goals and an assist. 

                             Photo credit Matt Woolverton

Kamil Bednarik, with points in six of the last eight games and some very pretty skill plays, finished the semester with nine points, then added a goal and two assists in the exhibition. Coach Jay Pandolfo noted that he has become more of a contributor “on both sides of the puck” and on BU’s resurgent penalty kill.

In addition to the four Terriers who are at the WJCs, today BU will be without Kaplan who has an upper body injury.

            CHECK @BUHockeyStats for today’s lineup

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

● Live Stream ESPN+

● Stats Sheet game preview

● Boston Hockey Blog BU looks to open second half strong against Yale

● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape

In Episode 10 of Inside BU Hockey, Bernie Corbett reviews the first half of the season with Coach Jay Pandolfo.

 

World Junior Championships

Tom Willander collected his second assist in Sweden’s 8-2 win over Kazakhstan on Friday. His TOI was a team-high 20:56.    

 

Cole Eiserman assisted on a pair of goals in Team USA's 5-1 defeat of upstart Latvia in a preliminary round game of the World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Eiserman, who was involved in physical play throughout the game and also had several scoring opportunities of his own, made a slick pass from behind the Latvia cage to set up Danny Nelson for the first goal of the game.  His second assist, also on a Nelson goal, came in the second period.

Cole Hutson, who had five assists in Team USA's opening game, didn't hit the score sheet but drove chances in the offensive zone throughout the game. Brandon Svoboda delivered another solid effort on Team USA's fourth line and penalty kill unit.

Team USA plays Finland today at 2:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on NHL Network.

● USA Hockey recap

Looking ahead

Cal Hughes scored his fifth goal in Erie’s 4-2 win over Guelph. The 6’1” center has a 5-3-8 line in 10 games since joining the Otters. (His goal is the second one in the video).  

2025 recruit Mikhail Yegorov stopped 36 of 39 shots as Omaha dropped a 4-1 decision to Tri-City.

2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra recorded his 13th assist in Chilliwack’s 8-2 win against Victoria. The 6’0” center from Etobicoke, Ont., has a 3-13-16 scoring line in 24 games.

2026 recruit Tynan Lawrence assisted on a pair of goals in Muskegon's 6-5 shootout loss to Youngstown. He has 19 points (8G,11A) in 25 games.

Looking back

In a battle between two Terrier Hobey Baker Award winners, Jack Eichel’s short-handed goal in the third period proved to be the game-winner as Vegas defeated the Sharks, 6-3. Eichel also recorded his 37th assist, giving him 47 points.  He ranks second in assists and eighth in points.  

Macklin Celebrini displayed some magical moves to set up a Will Smith goal with his 15th assist in the second period.  

Then, last night, Celebrini scored his 12th goal on a power play in the Sharks' 3-1 loss to the Flames, vaulting him into the rookie goal-scoring lead and into a tie for most points, 27, by a rookie--and he's only played 27 games. Lane Hutson is one point behind with a 2-24-26 line.  

Top: White text on a dark gray background reading, "Rookie Points leaders through December 28, 2024". Below are photos of players with their names, team's logo, and points: Macklin Celebrini, SJS: 27 Matvei Michkov, PHI: 27 Lane Hutson, MTL: 26 Maxim Tsyplakov, NYI: 19 Logan Stankoven, DAL: 17

Drew Commesso stopped all 25 Iowa Wild shots to lead Rockford to a 5-0 win.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Site Meter