BU 2020-21 Season: The Road to … Nowhere?

[meauxmo]

Is the video stream choppy for anyone else?

ETA - Win or lose today, I’m hoping they spend a couple of full practices working on just face offs.

Team not going far unless they start winning face offs and improving their dismal power play!

[Bomber]

Big last weekend of the regular season and we don't even know who BU is playing. Which got me to thinking ... Let's only tell the road teams where they're going. The home team - along with the fans - first learn who they're playing when they skate out of the tunnel. This would send streaming and TV ratings through the roof!! *smilie*.

BU Hockey: Surprise Me

[Cross Check]

Let's only tell the road teams where they're going. The home team - along with the fans - first learn who they're playing when they skate out of the tunnel. This would send streaming and TV ratings through the roof!!

College hockey meets professional wrestling. I like it!

[Scarlet]

Did you guys see video of that goalie fight on Twitter? Wasn't there a goalie fight at Walter Brown Arena? I'm trying to remember who the goalie was - JP McKersie? Jason Tapp? All I vaguely remember was the BU goalie skating like a bat out of hell from the balcony end of WBA to join whatever fight at the other end of the arena.

[LBSk8r]

Friday's loss was due at least in part to Farrance's return. Any time a leader like Farrance sits for an extended (healing) period - his return causes everyone else to readjust. Was the Team playing well prior to his return? Heck, yes. Does that mean you don't put back on the ice the guy who was in the Hobey Baker running prior to his injury? Heck, no. You have to jam him back in their regardless of the readjustment it causes - because his shot, character and calm, focused leadership will be a difference maker at tight moments in the play-offs. The Terriers remain loaded with talent and speed. The younger guys just need more games under their collective belt. Any way you look at it, they are fun to watch - unless you're coaching the other team. I would not want to face these guys come play-offs. BC and Knight are super aware the Terriers are lethal.

[defkit]

Did you guys see video of that goalie fight on Twitter? Wasn't there a goalie fight at Walter Brown Arena? I'm trying to remember who the goalie was - JP McKersie? Jason Tapp? All I vaguely remember was the BU goalie skating like a bat out of hell from the balcony end of WBA to join whatever fight at the other end of the arena.

I believe it was McKersie, I think the last game of the Regular Season. Like the others in the fight, he was suspended for the first game of the playoffs, but I don't think he was our primary goalie that season, so it wasn't a big deal.

[buoldtimer]

I believe it was McKersie, I think the last game of the Regular Season. Like the others in the fight, he was suspended for the first game of the playoffs, but I don't think he was our primary goalie that season, so it wasn't a big deal.

As I recall, this incident occurred in the final game of the Regular Season vs. Providence, 1993-94.

All players who were on the ice at the buzzer were involved. I agree that the BU goalie was McKersie. Everyone was suspended for a game. I know Pandolfo was among the BU players. I can't recall the others, perhaps Grier, Wood?

I disagree that it wasn't a big deal, because BU's opponent in the first round of the HE playoffs turned out to be Shawn Walsh and the UMO Black Bears. BU survived the first game, and won the second night. Captain Doug Friedman led the guys back out from the locker room for a victory lap afterwards, the last time that's been done that I can remember.

Perhaps, Sean P can provide a finer degree of granularity on the details.

[Sean Pickett]

As I recall, this incident occurred in the final game of the Regular Season vs. Providence, 1993-94.

All players who were on the ice at the buzzer were involved. I agree that the BU goalie was McKersie. Everyone was suspended for a game. I know Pandolfo was among the BU players. I can't recall the others, perhaps Grier, Wood?

I disagree that it wasn't a big deal, because BU's opponent in the first round of the HE playoffs turned out to be Shawn Walsh and the UMO Black Bears. BU survived the first game, and won the second night. Captain Doug Friedman led the guys back out from the locker room for a victory lap afterwards, the last time that's been done that I can remember.

Perhaps, Sean P can provide a finer degree of granularity on the details.

Yes, it was the final game of the regular season vs Providence. As I recall the scrum started in the corner where the Zamboni comes out and after all 8 skaters got into it PC's goalie, Dan Dennis, decided to join in. McKerise at the far end decided that was unfair and charged down the ice and slammed into Dennis at full speed (at least I don't remember him slowing down). BU's videographer caught McKersie's charge and it was incorporated into the team's season ending video highlights. According to the game summary tempers flared at the 14:00 minute mark of the third when Doug Friedman and Brady Kramer both got matching roughing penalties. Twenty-four seconds later Shawn Bates got a 2-minute minor for elbowing and Scott Balboni got a 5-minute major for cross checking, setting off the fireworks. Doug Wood, Chris O'Sullivan, Jay Pandolfo and McKersie were the participants for BU and Ian Paskowski, Brian Ridolfi, Balboni and Dennis were the participants for PC, with all receiving 5-minute majors for fighting and game DQs (yes, Balboni received 2 5-minute majors, but I think that may be a mistake, as one PC skater didn't receive a penalty). It ended up with 3x3 play for 1:36, 4x4 play for 24 seconds and then a three minute 5x4 powerplay for BU (Jacques Joubert scored). There was also another set of matching roughings at 16:02 on Erik Sunquist and Mike Pomichter, but that did not affect the number of players on the ice.

As for McKersie's disqualification, Coach Parker was rotating him with Herlofsky, so it didn't affect the first QF game vs Maine in that it was Herlofsky's turn to start, but it did affect his backup, since if he had been injured (Dr.) Shawn Ferullo would have had to replace him. However, Herlofsky wasn't injured and played the complete game. So, yes a small risk, but one that didn't hurt BU.

Sean

[Rogie21]

Team not going far unless they start winning face offs and improving their dismal power play!

Team face off numbers have been dismal for four seasons. Currently, BU is last in the conference with a .438 FO%. Only Stevens (.562) and Quercia (.522) are above .500 and the centers on the top lines, O’Brien and Skoog, are in the low .400s.
Post-game Saturday, Albie said responded to a question saying “It’s a big concern. It’s like we’re taking a knee in the face off circle….They (Merrimack) started with the puck probably 65% of the time.”

Clearly, the face off problem impacts the struggling power play. Seems like almost every power play begins with a lost draw and a clear by the PKs. But a lost draw in the O-zone often can be retrieved if the forwards quickly converge on the puck.

In-season, it would seem the only solutions are more practice and using the best face off guys, particularly on special teams, even if their line isn’t on the ice.

Last six seasons team face off results with +.500 skaters noted.

19-20 .456 11^th (Skoog .502)
18-19 .482 9^{th (}Bobo .578, DeBoer .500)
17-18 .473 10^{th (}Bobo .579,)
16-17 .507 5^th (JFK .586, Bobo .554)
15-16 .531 3^rd (JFK .590, Bobo .550, Moran .548, O’Regan .522)
14-15 .490 8^th (O’Regan .584, Hohmann .582, Eichel .511)

[Scarlet]

Team face off numbers have been dismal forever.

Fixed your post.

[defkit]

As I recall, this incident occurred in the final game of the Regular Season vs. Providence, 1993-94.

All players who were on the ice at the buzzer were involved. I agree that the BU goalie was McKersie. Everyone was suspended for a game. I know Pandolfo was among the BU players. I can't recall the others, perhaps Grier, Wood?

I disagree that it wasn't a big deal, because BU's opponent in the first round of the HE playoffs turned out to be Shawn Walsh and the UMO Black Bears. BU survived the first game, and won the second night. Captain Doug Friedman led the guys back out from the locker room for a victory lap afterwards, the last time that's been done that I can remember.

Perhaps, Sean P can provide a finer degree of granularity on the details.

And I believe that series against Maine was the one where:

1) their on-ice record was second best in the league behind BU, but due to one of their scandals, many wins were converted to losses, and they ended up in 8th. They were banned from playing in the HE tourney, but found a sympathetic judge who granted an injunction, so they were able to play and we had to play the second best team in the league in the first round.
2) they got the Ferraro brothers back from the Olympics, so they were an even better team.
3) they brought their band to WBA

Thankfully, BU played very well, with guys like Jon Jenkins having great games, and BU swept in two games. On the way to the HE Title and a NCAA title game appearance (my memory gets a little foggy as to what happened in that game :-)).

[buoldtimer]

And I believe that series against Maine was the one where:

1) their on-ice record was second best in the league behind BU, but due to one of their scandals, many wins were converted to losses, and they ended up in 8th. They were banned from playing in the HE tourney, but found a sympathetic judge who granted an injunction, so they were able to play and we had to play the second best team in the league in the first round.
2) they got the Ferraro brothers back from the Olympics, so they were an even better team.
3) they brought their band to WBA

Thankfully, BU played very well, with guys like Jon Jenkins having great games, and BU swept in two games. On the way to the HE Title and a NCAA title game appearance (my memory gets a little foggy as to what happened in that game :-)).

"One of their scandals" - four words with substantial impact. The BU - Maine rivalry was fun during the nineties.

[Sean Pickett]

And I believe that series against Maine was the one where:

1) their on-ice record was second best in the league behind BU, but due to one of their scandals, many wins were converted to losses, and they ended up in 8th. They were banned from playing in the HE tourney, but found a sympathetic judge who granted an injunction, so they were able to play and we had to play the second best team in the league in the first round.

Their on-ice record was third best in the league, behind BU and UML (1993-94 standings with and without forfeits).

2) they got the Ferraro brothers back from the Olympics, so they were an even better team.

Yes and Peter made a huge impact on both games. He was involved in all 5 Maine goals in the first game, going 1-4-5, and all 3 goals in the second game, going 1-2-3. I also remember reading that Coach Walsh tried to get Paul Kariya to rejoin the team as well, but to no avail.

Sean

[Scarlet]

This is a pretty stupid schedule:

Thursday, March 4
New Hampshire at Boston University (Men) – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 6
Boston University at UMass Lowell (Men) – 3:00 p.m.

And really? 3:00pm???

[Lemonade]

So whats really at stake this week? If BU wins both games they end up 12-3 (.800 winning %). If BC loses they go to 15-5-1 (.738) and if they win they go to 16-4-1 (.785). You would think there is a chance BU gets the #1 seed with two regulation wins but who knows with the HEPI as that shows BC with a comfy lead. I think the worst BU can finish is 3rd.