Needing just two points to clinch its 16th Hockey East regular season title, Boston College men’s hockey will host Maine in a two-game weekend series to wrap up the regular season. The Eagles (16-13-3, 16-6-0 Hockey East) shut out the Black Bears (16-12-4, 10-9-3) on their home ice for the first time in over 18 years last week and have taken five straight against them.
Who is BC playing?
Maine
When is BC playing?
Friday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Kelley Rink, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
How to Watch:
The game will be aired on ESPN3, and available to stream on WatchESPN.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) Logan Hutsko, BC’s leading scorer, is on a four-game point streak. The freshman has come on as of late and has totaled 26 points in 32 games, scoring 11 goals and adding 15 assists.
2) Goaltender Joseph Woll racked up 33 saves against Maine the last time out, earning his first shutout of the season and the Eagles’ second.
3) BC enters scoring 3.2 goals per game in conference play, and have discovered newfound success on the power play. It has now scored a power play goal in nine of its last 11 games.
Maine:
1) Mitchell Fossier is the Black Bears biggest threat, piling up 28 points in 31 games. He’s scored 11 goals and chipped in 17 assists.
2) Maine is the most penalized team in conference play this season, averaging 15.5 minutes in the box per game—a mark that’s over a minute more per game then second-place Boston University.
3) Maine has a better overall record than BC at 16-12-4, but with nine losses in conference that puts them in the fifth spot in Hockey East, just two points behind BU. The Black Bears still have a chance to finish fourth in the standings, which would give them a bye and home ice for the quarterfinals.
Last Meeting:
BC shutout Maine, 5-0, on February 17th at Alfond Arena in Orono. The Eagles have shutout Maine three times in their last five meetings.
BC wins if…
It continues to take advantage of penalties and score during power plays. It also has to minimize the amount of shots Maine takes on goal. If Woll, stays quick on his feet, the Black Bears will be challenged to find the back of the net—after all, he was impenetrable last time out. If Hutsko stays hot and remains consistent with his shots, the Eagles have a good chance at securing another regular season title.
BC loses if…
It allows the Black Bears to move the puck easily on the ice to create open shots at goal. It has to keep a close eye on Fossier who has consistently created shots and can rack up points quickly. The Eagles will also face some challenges if their scoring goes cold and they can’t find the net. Even with a defense that ranks fourth in the league, they could falter late and lose their spot atop the Hockey East leaderboard.
Featured Image by Sanket Bhagat / Heights Staff
