Monday Lookback: Missed Opportunity

Player of the Week
Sean Maguire
70 saves, .933sv% for the
weekend
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

Unfortunately I was not able to get to Agganis on Saturday for the second BC game, but I was at Conte on Friday. This weekend was a story of letting leads slip away. BU is usually the team coming back in games and that was not the case this weekend. The Terriers struck first on back to back nights for just the second time this year. The other was the Northeastern weekend.

Unlike the NU weekend, BU won neither of the games. After leading 1-0 and 2-1 vs BC on Friday night, the Eagles scored three of the game's next four goals, including the game winner on the power play with 2:10 left. Saturday night, Matt Grzelcyk got BU on the board in the second, only to have Ryan Fitzgerald score with just over 2:00 minutes remaining in the third. It was BU's inability to close out these games that left them picking up only one point from BC. Saturday's tie was only the third time since the 2014 season that BU had a lead in the third period and did not come away with a win. The other: Providence (November 14, tie 3-3) and the National Championship Game.

From what I have read/heard about Saturday's game, BU was totally dominated in the final ten minutes and the BC tying goal was only a matter of time. Sean Maguire played pretty well on Friday night. He made a spectacular glove save in the second period and then an equally impressive save with the right leg late in the third.

On Saturday, he made 38 saves including four in overtime.

I wish I had more to offer here, but with going to the Patriots on Saturday and moving back into school on Monday, its been a busy week for me. I hope to have more up this week on the upcoming series with Maine.

At the Polls
BU slipped back to 11th in the USCHO poll. Quinnipiac moved up one place to take over the top spot. North Dakota was second, Providence third, BC fourth and St. Cloud closed out the top five.

In the Pairwise, BU fell from 9th entering the weekend to currently 12th.

Around Hockey East
Friday: UConn shutout Maine at the Alfond 1-0… Northeastern doubled up New Hampshire 4-2 at Matthews… Providence tripped up Vermont 3-1 in Burlington… Notre Dame steamrolled Merrimack 7-2 at home… BC topped BU 5-3 at Conte.

Saturday: Maine and UConn skated to a 1-1 tie in Orono… Lowell blanked UMass 5-0 at Tsongas Center… Northeastern completed the sweep of UNH with a 6-2 win at the Whitt… Notre Dame ran over Merrimack again, 5-1… Providence smoked Vermont 6-3… BU and BC tied 1-1 at Agganis.