Seriously.
Let’s talk about this past week in college hockey. Hockey East hockey. The surprises, the disappointments, the expected and the cluster puck that was the league going into playoffs.
Going into the last weekend of the regular season, there were so many different potential outcomes, no one could have predicted what was going to happen. The only assured thing was that BC and UNH would finish one-two, but that was even up in the air. But, as it went, teams battled it out and ultimately it was decided.
That leads me to surprise #1.
NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES ELIMINATED
By one point, the Huskies were booted from the tournament and after quite the season comeback. But as things always go in Hockey East, it wasn’t just a clean and painless exit. No way. Northeastern was cut out not just by losing their game and Vermont winning theirs, but because Vermont managed to come out with a tie (not a win), giving them the one point they needed to move on. That’s just the way things happen in Hockey East--always heart-wrenching.
MERRY MERRIMACK WARRIORS
Speaking of turn-around seasons, Merrimack took hold of their season, with help from its freshman sensation from France, Stephane Da Costa and made a run for it. They ended up sixth in the league, and earned a spot in the tournament after going 9-21-4 last year. I think everyone was happy to see them in it this year, despite the early exit courtesy of Boston University.
A great segway into my next section…
WHAT THE PUCK?
First, starting with perhaps the most disappointing upset of the tournament: UNH and Vermont. As aforementioned, Vermont made it into the playoffs by finishing off their regular season with a tie against UMass-Lowell. So after nearly missing the tournament, they clung on desperately to face the number one seed and regular season champions, the UNH Wildcats. Now, this has complete upset written all over it. Hollywood has filmed movies all about this, but nothing could come close to how it felt when it happened.
Friday night, UNH came up with 4 goals in the 3rd period to boost themselves to a 7-4 win and the first game of the series. In the words of UNH captain Pete LeBlanc, the good thing about winning the first game is that you have two chances to finish them off. Unfortunately, they didn’t do the finishing.
Saturday night Vermont and UNH focused on their defense and Vermont ended up taking the game 1-0. Now, this was the first time UNH had been shut out all season, and the first time they had lost at home to a league team. Needless to say, the tension thickened in Durham, and they went on to play a third game for all the marbles.
But, Sunday…Sunday was the hardest to take of all. After another three scoreless periods, they went into overtime and it was a NH boy that made the difference in the sudden death. But he didn’t play for UNH. Hailing from Wolfeboro, N.H. Jay Anctil found the back of the net for Vermont, and like that, Vermont advanced to Boston and left UNH, for the second year in a row, behind to fester.
Moving on to the other teams in the league who made it to Boston…
BOSTON COLLEGE AND BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Oh man.. Who would have ever thought these two would make it to ANOTHER high profile game? Please, note the dripping sarcasm coming from that statement. Don’t get me wrong, both BU and BC are fantastic hockey schools, but once again you have the same headline and same teams that have the potential of going up against one another. Similar to the Beanpot, it was no surprise that BU and BC faced off against one another, and for non-Boston fans, it just seemed like the same thing over and over again. But, what can you say when they are constantly at the top of the league… just something we will have to deal with on the non-Boston end. While they aren't facing each other in the first round, it would not surprise me if they played each other for the Championship. It would seem just a bit ho hum to me if they did though.
Personally, if I had it my way, I would have LOVED to see the four teams heading to the Championship be BC, Maine, UNH and Merrimack. That would have been something different, yet still exciting enough for people to show up. Maybe they should just have me pick at the end of it all…none of this “potential upset” crap. Oh… but I guess that’s what the national pair wise is for. Ohhhhhhhhhhh SLAM!
Ahem. Moving on.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR
Well, seeing as how I covered UNH all season, I’m going to clue my UNH fans out there with some helpful tidbits while watching the Hockey East Championships this weekend and what to watch for and who to cheer for.
Firstly--don’t sulk, but instead enjoy the hockey being played. You’ll look even more ridiculous sulking than when you leave early from a tie game with 2 minutes left to go on the clock. Just not okay.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about what you DO want to do!
CHEER FOR BOSTON COLLEGE
No, you didn’t read that wrong, and no you aren’t in the Twilight Zone. The way the pair wise stands right now, it will most likely take a win from BC to keep the other three teams that are right on UNH’s tail at bay. Perhaps the best situation would be if Maine beat BU and BC beat Vermont and then BC beat Maine in the Championship game. That would keep Vermont and BU (who are very close) behind, and only advance Maine (who is not as close) a little bit. BC is already up in fourth, so they are a lost cause. Let them win, I say, and perhaps UNH fans will have a reason to come out again before the season’s over.
Also, check out this pair wise predictor from USCHO.com. It gives you an idea of where your team could stand after all is said and done, based on your predictions. Cool stuff.
Pair wise predictor
MAINE
Enjoy watching Gustav Nyquist. He.is.filthy.
BU
Enjoy watching BU try and stop Nyquist. Should be equally as entertaining.
VERMONT
They are coming off quite the high, so this should be a great game between BC and Vermont. It only takes one goal (as we have seen in the all-too-present past) to advance to the Championship game, and there is only one game in which to do it. Madore was the saving grace for Vermont last weekend, so keep an eye on him this weekend and see what he can do.
Regardless of who you are rooting for this weekend, ENJOY this hockey! Hockey East is one of the premier leagues in the nation, so watching the best of the best compete is nothing short of fantastic. The defense should be tighter, the hits harder and the games faster.
Thanks for reading!!
Let’s talk about this past week in college hockey. Hockey East hockey. The surprises, the disappointments, the expected and the cluster puck that was the league going into playoffs.
Going into the last weekend of the regular season, there were so many different potential outcomes, no one could have predicted what was going to happen. The only assured thing was that BC and UNH would finish one-two, but that was even up in the air. But, as it went, teams battled it out and ultimately it was decided.
That leads me to surprise #1.
NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES ELIMINATED
By one point, the Huskies were booted from the tournament and after quite the season comeback. But as things always go in Hockey East, it wasn’t just a clean and painless exit. No way. Northeastern was cut out not just by losing their game and Vermont winning theirs, but because Vermont managed to come out with a tie (not a win), giving them the one point they needed to move on. That’s just the way things happen in Hockey East--always heart-wrenching.
MERRY MERRIMACK WARRIORS
Speaking of turn-around seasons, Merrimack took hold of their season, with help from its freshman sensation from France, Stephane Da Costa and made a run for it. They ended up sixth in the league, and earned a spot in the tournament after going 9-21-4 last year. I think everyone was happy to see them in it this year, despite the early exit courtesy of Boston University.
A great segway into my next section…
WHAT THE PUCK?
First, starting with perhaps the most disappointing upset of the tournament: UNH and Vermont. As aforementioned, Vermont made it into the playoffs by finishing off their regular season with a tie against UMass-Lowell. So after nearly missing the tournament, they clung on desperately to face the number one seed and regular season champions, the UNH Wildcats. Now, this has complete upset written all over it. Hollywood has filmed movies all about this, but nothing could come close to how it felt when it happened.
Friday night, UNH came up with 4 goals in the 3rd period to boost themselves to a 7-4 win and the first game of the series. In the words of UNH captain Pete LeBlanc, the good thing about winning the first game is that you have two chances to finish them off. Unfortunately, they didn’t do the finishing.
Saturday night Vermont and UNH focused on their defense and Vermont ended up taking the game 1-0. Now, this was the first time UNH had been shut out all season, and the first time they had lost at home to a league team. Needless to say, the tension thickened in Durham, and they went on to play a third game for all the marbles.
But, Sunday…Sunday was the hardest to take of all. After another three scoreless periods, they went into overtime and it was a NH boy that made the difference in the sudden death. But he didn’t play for UNH. Hailing from Wolfeboro, N.H. Jay Anctil found the back of the net for Vermont, and like that, Vermont advanced to Boston and left UNH, for the second year in a row, behind to fester.
Moving on to the other teams in the league who made it to Boston…
BOSTON COLLEGE AND BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Oh man.. Who would have ever thought these two would make it to ANOTHER high profile game? Please, note the dripping sarcasm coming from that statement. Don’t get me wrong, both BU and BC are fantastic hockey schools, but once again you have the same headline and same teams that have the potential of going up against one another. Similar to the Beanpot, it was no surprise that BU and BC faced off against one another, and for non-Boston fans, it just seemed like the same thing over and over again. But, what can you say when they are constantly at the top of the league… just something we will have to deal with on the non-Boston end. While they aren't facing each other in the first round, it would not surprise me if they played each other for the Championship. It would seem just a bit ho hum to me if they did though.
Personally, if I had it my way, I would have LOVED to see the four teams heading to the Championship be BC, Maine, UNH and Merrimack. That would have been something different, yet still exciting enough for people to show up. Maybe they should just have me pick at the end of it all…none of this “potential upset” crap. Oh… but I guess that’s what the national pair wise is for. Ohhhhhhhhhhh SLAM!
Ahem. Moving on.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR
Well, seeing as how I covered UNH all season, I’m going to clue my UNH fans out there with some helpful tidbits while watching the Hockey East Championships this weekend and what to watch for and who to cheer for.
Firstly--don’t sulk, but instead enjoy the hockey being played. You’ll look even more ridiculous sulking than when you leave early from a tie game with 2 minutes left to go on the clock. Just not okay.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about what you DO want to do!
CHEER FOR BOSTON COLLEGE
No, you didn’t read that wrong, and no you aren’t in the Twilight Zone. The way the pair wise stands right now, it will most likely take a win from BC to keep the other three teams that are right on UNH’s tail at bay. Perhaps the best situation would be if Maine beat BU and BC beat Vermont and then BC beat Maine in the Championship game. That would keep Vermont and BU (who are very close) behind, and only advance Maine (who is not as close) a little bit. BC is already up in fourth, so they are a lost cause. Let them win, I say, and perhaps UNH fans will have a reason to come out again before the season’s over.
Also, check out this pair wise predictor from USCHO.com. It gives you an idea of where your team could stand after all is said and done, based on your predictions. Cool stuff.
Pair wise predictor
MAINE
Enjoy watching Gustav Nyquist. He.is.filthy.
BU
Enjoy watching BU try and stop Nyquist. Should be equally as entertaining.
VERMONT
They are coming off quite the high, so this should be a great game between BC and Vermont. It only takes one goal (as we have seen in the all-too-present past) to advance to the Championship game, and there is only one game in which to do it. Madore was the saving grace for Vermont last weekend, so keep an eye on him this weekend and see what he can do.
Regardless of who you are rooting for this weekend, ENJOY this hockey! Hockey East is one of the premier leagues in the nation, so watching the best of the best compete is nothing short of fantastic. The defense should be tighter, the hits harder and the games faster.
Thanks for reading!!
Comments
Post a Comment