The stretch run in Hockey East has developed into an unexpected aggressive derby and an unranked workforce in the course of the pack is most accountable.
That workforce within the resurgent Northeastern Huskies.
Boston University and Boston College had been the highest two groups nationally within the USCHO rankings on the finish of January and so they seemed to be a runaway practice with Maine within the chase.
BU and BC reversed positions after the Eagles swept a home-and homeweekend collection Jan. 26- 27, however the Terriers received the third assembly within the opening spherical of the 71st Beanpot Tournament on Feb. 5 on the TD Garden. All the whereas, Maine was holding regular nationally within the No. 6 spot.
The once-struggling Huskies skilled a systemic turnaround over the identical interval with some spectacular victories that modified the dynamic in Hockey East. The injury-riddled Huskies fell to 7-12-2 and 2-11-0 with a 2-1 residence loss to UMass on Jan. 20, however they’ve since received six straight, with two wins over BU and one in opposition to Maine.
The Huskies (13-12-2, 6-11-0) actually upset the applecart with a 4-3 additional time victory in opposition to BU within the Beanpot title recreation final Monday night time on the Garden. The Huskies captured their second straight Beanpot and a dynastic fifth within the final six on senior left wing Gunnarwolfe Fontaine’s additional time winner.
Fontaine scored the additional time game-winner in NU’s 3-2 win in opposition to Harvard within the Beanpot opener and was named the event MVP. Freshman Cameron Whitehead captured the Eberly Award because the event’s high goaltender.
“I feel like he (Fontaine) seems to get going the last couple of years heading into the second half of the year,” mentioned NU third-year head coach Jerry Keefe. “He has been heating up these days and never simply within the Beanpot.
“He’s been playing his best hockey and as a coach you see it every day down at the rink. This time of year is when you want to be playing your best hockey and, in these games, he has shown up.”
Northeastern’s Beanpot win over BU doesn’t depend within the Hockey East standings, however the Huskies despatched a transparent message throughout the convention with six video games remaining within the common season. NU begins a house and residential in opposition to final place UMass Lowell on Friday night time on the Tsongas Center.
Because of its gradual begin, NU’s solely likelihood to qualify for the NCAA event’s subject of 16 is to run the desk within the Hockey East playoffs. Considering the Huskies’ latest victories in opposition to BU and Maine and an earlier win over BC, that’s now not past the realm of chance.
“It is definitely something we can build into and I feel like we have been playing pretty good hockey for a little over a month and we like where our game is at,” mentioned Keefe.
“We started to get healthy and this was a huge win. Anytime you can win on the big stage in close games that is huge for us moving forward.”
BC (21-5-1, 13-3-1) dominated Harvard 5-0 within the Beanpot comfort recreation, however its maintain on the No. 1 spot has gotten slimmer. Only one level (949-948) separates BC from second-place North Dakota whereas BU will seemingly fall a couple of locations from the No. 3 spot.
Northeastern isn’t the one workforce enjoying a sound recreation of catch up within the Hockey East standings. No. 11 UMass (16-7-3, 9-5-2) is 4-1 since beating NU on Jan. 20, together with a sweep of UConn final weekend. UMass will play BC in a home-and-home beginning on Friday night time on the Mullins Center in Amherst.
“I caught few games of theirs on TV and they look strong,” mentioned BC second-year head coach Greg Brown. “They play well, they play fast and their power play is very dangerous. We know it is going to be a heck of a weekend and we have to be very sharp.”
BU (19-8-1, 13-4-1) is the reigning Hockey East champion and holds a one-point lead (41-40) over BC for first place within the league standings.
But the Terriers are 3-4 of their final seven and face a formidable Providence College squad in a home-and-home starting Friday night time at Schneider Arena in Providence. The No. 10 Friars (16-9-2, 9-6-2) are tied with UMass for fourth place in Hockey East.
“I like our team,” mentioned BU second-year coach Jay Pandolfo. “We have had just a little little bit of a tough patch right here enjoying three video games in (eight) days however we’ve bounced again fairly effectively.
“I like the way we played well (against NU) but we ended up on the wrong side of it. I think we are in a good spot and I think we just have to come together as a group and get past it. We have to move forward and continue to grow and get better as a team.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com