The Boston University Terriers have generated a hockey warmth wave within the depths of winter.
The No. 3 ranked and Hockey East-leading Terriers (20-6-0, 14-4-0) are using a torrid seven-game win streak going into Monday night time’s (8) encounter with second place Northeastern (13-10-3, 11-5-2) within the seventieth Dunkin Beanpot Tournament on the TD Garden.
“We have a really deep team this year and I think that’s showing right now,” mentioned senior left wing Matt Brown in reference to the current win streak. “We have a really quick workforce and now we have been enjoying effectively in transition and that has been quite a lot of our offense this yr.
“We have had some games that we wish we had back against some pretty strong teams and we’ve had a tough schedule. I think that has helped us progress along the way. I know we are going to keep progressing and keep moving forward through the end of the season.”
BU received its report thirty first Beanpot with a 1-0 victory over NU final yr. The Beanpot had its run of 68 straight interrupted in 2021 because of the world pandemic. Northeastern had received three straight Beanpots earlier than the annual run was disrupted.
No. 8 ranked Harvard (15-6-1, 3-4-0), the lone ECAC workforce within the match, will tackle Boston College (9-10-6, 5-7-5) of Hockey East within the opener at 5.
“It is always good going into something like this and having everybody wanting to take you down,” mentioned Brown. “That brings some added stress with it if you get to play that position.
“I think it is a cool thing to deal with and I think being the team everybody wants to take down is added pressure for you. It’s that backs against the wall mentality again and we don’t want to lose.”
Brown is an enormous motive the Terriers went 7-1-0 in January and vaulted into the higher tier of the USCHO nationwide rankings. Brown leads Hockey East and is tied for sixth nationally in scoring with 12 objectives and 25 assists for 37 factors in 26 video games. Brown performs on the primary line with senior middle Wilmer Skoog and freshman right-wing Devin Kaplan. BU is first in Hockey East and fourth nationally with 110 objectives scored.
“I think he (Brown) uses his speed very well to back defenders up,” mentioned BU first yr coach Jay Pandolfo. “That permits him time to show it up and search for later gamers coming in and discovering the open skater.
“I think he does a really good job of that. But I think it is his speed that gives him the time and space to make a play.”
BU freshman defenseman Lane Huston is second within the convention in scoring with 9 objectives and 26 assists for 35 factors in 25 video games. Hutson is the top-scoring defenseman within the nation and ninth general.
Consistency has been behind BU’s success heading into what former BC coach Jerry York famously labeled “the start of trophy season.” The Terriers are 11-5 towards ranked opponents and haven’t misplaced back-to-back video games this season
“In my mind, a good team doesn’t get swept and for us, we play better when our backs are against the wall,” mentioned Brown. “You must have that mentality that if you lose one, you ensure you aren’t going to lose the second.
“We have kind of gone into every game after a loss with more desperation and I think that has helped us play better.”
Avoiding being swept in a weekend collection has been a trademark of this BU workforce whereas producing sweeps has created the present win streak. The run started with dwelling wins towards reigning Hockey East champion and Nineteenth-ranked UMass adopted by a victory over No. 15 Cornell, the second-place workforce within the ECAC.
BU captured a home-and-home weekend sweep towards BC for the primary time since January 2017. The streak reached seven video games with the Terriers’ 5-3 victory over Maine on Friday night time at Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine, one of the vital virulent snake pits in school hockey. The victory competed a three-game collection sweep of the Black Bears for the primary time since 2007-08.
“I think we can still be better and I think we still have more,” mentioned Brown. “Obviously sweeping a workforce (BC) is nice, particularly in an enormous rivalry like that.
“I think it was the first time in quite a while since either team has swept the other in a weekend. I think it has definitely given us momentum and we are going to use that and keep building.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com