Weekend Preview: The Maine Event

This weekend, Number 2 BU will host Maine in a two game series featuring Hockey East's two best power plays. BU has scored on 27.3% of their man advantages this season, while Maine has scored on 28%.

A lot has changed since these two teams last met in the middle of December, but one thing remains the same; there are four points on the line this weekend. If BU sweeps, they will be in the driver's seat for the league title and the number one seed in the conference tournament.

From The Vault
Former Terrier Chris Higgins gets stuffed on a one timer by
former Maine goalie Scott Darling in the 2009 Hockey East
Quarterfinals. BU won this game - game one- 2-1 on a power
play goal by Colby Cohen.
(Photo by Matt Dresens) 

Since losing to BU 5-1 at home earlier this season, Maine has lost just one game, a 6-2 loss at Merrimack. Notable wins this year include a sweep of Boston College just last weekend and winning the Florida College Hockey Classic over holiday break. In that tournament, Maine beat Clarkson 6-1, then topped UMass 5-2 in the final.

Scouting the Black Bears
There's no surprise who's leading Maine in scoring this year. The top line of Spencer Abbott, Joey Diamond, and Brian Flynn racked up an impressive 42 points in their last eight games played. Abbott leads the team in points with 38(12 goals, 26 assists) in 23 games played. Flynn is a close second with a line of 13-22-35, also in 23 games played. Diamond, the only Junior on the line, leads the team in goals with 17, but only has 29 points on the year in 22 games played. Obviously put, BU's ability to control/stop this line will dictate the outcome of this weekend's game. Also look out for Matt Mangene, a versatile player who has played both defense and forward this season.

In The Cage
In the last few weeks, Sophomore Dan Sullivan has taken over control in the Maine goal. In 19 games played, Sullivan has an 11-5-3 record with an .896 save percentage. He has allowed 54 goals on 517 shots. Sullivan took the starting job from Martin Ouellette earlier in the year. Ouellette has appeared in eight games thus far and has a 1-3-0 record in games he has started.