BU: '22-'23 Season: Sail The Boats

[J.D.]

Additionally, I've heard a handful more of the current seniors may use their Covid year. No idea who or how many, just that it's been discussed.

I am always curious how this goes. Like do all of these guys get scholarships in their additional year? Because that would impact incoming freshmen. Or do some of these guys who were on scholarship willingly pay for a year of school for their extra year? A lot more for a college coach to juggle these days and navigate the portal temptations etc.

[brassbonanza]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

Yes, in fact I've heard it's a real possibility due to the potential timeline of his injury recovery and the prospect of playing with his brother. I have no idea if a decision has been made either way, but I've heard it is not open and shut that he's leaving. Additionally, I've heard a handful more of the current seniors may use their Covid year. No idea who or how many, just that it's been discussed.

And no, injuries didn't keep us from being able to skate with that Minnesota team from LW1 to RD3. They're really good. We're pretty good. Just not on the same level, at all.

I could not disagree more with this. Fensore is nursing the leg injury he sustained against UVM and is clearly not at full strength. I'm told Webber has been nursing a nagging lower body injury for the better part of a month too from a blocked shot towards the end of the season. Of course, we're without Case.

Those three injuries alone prevented us from being able to compete against Minnesota's front line Fs. I'm not saying we'd have shut them down, but if you think the loss of Case and two other top D playing at 50-75% had no impact - especially on the increased load on Hutson and Gallagher, I don't know what to tell you.

We skated 4-4.5 D, two of which were healthy, against the #1 team in the country last night and were tied heading into the 3rd period.

This is before we consider Zabaneh's injury and Skoog being unable to contribute.

They just didn't have the horses and the guys who were out there could not handle the load by themselves. It was an extraordinary effort.

[BU Fan 84]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

Everyone that was on any team in any sport for the 2020-21 season is eligible. Apparently even if you used a redshirt or transfer year prior to that season. So for some people it could be a 6- or 7-year college career.

[BU Fan 84]

I think you guys will score plenty of goals next year. You have a good group of freshman forwards in Wilmer, Greene, Hutson and Kaplan. Will still have Lane Hutson and add Celebrini. With that it's probably fine having guys like Tuch and Peterson who don't have a ton of skill but are experienced players. I think the questions will be in goal and on defense. I am assuming Commesso will sign and I believe you will be losing Fensore (did Colby Cohen pronounce his name correctly?) and McCarthy. Hutson is great but I don't see a ton of talent on the backend.

I always get nervous relying on incoming Freshmen for scoring. We've had some top USHL/USNTDP scorers before that don't pan out - Wise, Weiss, Hank something or other are the most recent ones that come to mind. I do think this year's Freshman class is a very good class to build on. I just think it would be good to have a couple 15-goal scorers from Seniors or Juniors and I don't see Tuch and Peterson doing that. Defensively, I am skeptical of Vinnie - could be good based on the limited time he has had, but who knows whether he's actually good enough for a top team. I am worried Webber will leave early. He's solid in his own zone and just seems like the type of player that will go for an AHL contract. I am pretty surprised that none of the Seniors are apparently coming back? Not just Stevens or Armstrong, but I just don't see Skoog or Brown having an NHL career. Maybe Brown will get called up for a few games here and there when someone has some injuries but that's about it. Are we really expecting Fensore or McCarthy to have NHL careers? Fensore is good but small. I think Grzelcyk was better and has gotten lucky with a really rare opportunity. Not sure why the majority of the seniors would leave for a middling AHL career - if that.

[hydrant]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

He is eligible. After breaking his collarbone I'm sure some teams may have backed off wanting to sign him (If he is not signed by 7/1). Looks like next year regardless we will have 2 LHD and 4 RHD for regulars.

[Bomber]

Any chance Case stays to play with his brother? Is he eligible for a grad year? (I'm so confused about the 5-year/COVID rules.)

[hydrant]

Barring any early departures, BU’s top nine forwards are likely to be: Tuch, Peterson, Zabaneh, Greene, Wilmer, Q. Hutson, Kaplan, Celebrini, Harvey and Lachance. The last three currently are the top three goal-scorers in the USHL. They’ll be strong at center with Celebrini, Greene and Zabaneh. Could see adding a portal forward for some extra experience. On the back end, they'll be replacing two four-year regulars--Fensore and McCarthy--with two well-regarded freshmen in Case's brother, Gavin, and Swedish D Tom Willander. Perhaps an experienced portal D, too.

Lot of scoring leaving. I think defense will be better next year than this year. We played 4.5 defenseman for the last 3 games, and only 5 were regulars throughout the year. Will need freshman to step up once again next year, as well as add a decent goalie from the portal.

[Rogie21]

I think you guys will score plenty of goals next year. You have a good group of freshman forwards in Wilmer, Greene, Hutson and Kaplan. Will still have Lane Hutson and add Celebrini. With that it's probably fine having guys like Tuch and Peterson who don't have a ton of skill but are experienced players. I think the questions will be in goal and on defense. I am assuming Commesso will sign and I believe you will be losing Fensore (did Colby Cohen pronounce his name correctly?) and McCarthy. Hutson is great but I don't see a ton of talent on the backend.

Barring any early departures, BU’s top nine forwards are likely to be: Tuch, Peterson, Zabaneh, Greene, Wilmer, Q. Hutson, Kaplan, Celebrini, Harvey and Lachance. The last three currently are the top three goal-scorers in the USHL. They’ll be strong at center with Celebrini, Greene and Zabaneh. Could see adding a portal forward for some extra experience. On the back end, they'll be replacing two four-year regulars--Fensore and McCarthy--with two well-regarded freshmen in Case's brother, Gavin, and Swedish D Tom Willander. Perhaps an experienced portal D, too.

[joen05]

I was kind of hoping to see Lane Hutson do some Lane Hutson things though.

Yeah - this was one of the bigger disappointments to me in this game. I had hoped that not getting into the Hobey Hat Trick would have been a big spark, but that didn't pan out. If anything, I'd say he got a little exposed. The things that he was able to do against almost everyone else this season just didn't work, most evidenced by the penalty he took in the defensive zone trying to do too much.

If this is a learning experience for him and he gets even better as a result, I'll take it.

Very proud of this team. Loved watching them develop, and go on this run. Looking for it to continue. Jay's the guy.

[Scarlet]

No...because they've been doing it all year.

It was a huge problem at the start of the season but they actually were able to do better throughout the rest of the season, give or take a few games so for you to harp incessantly about this, well, I don’t know what to say. Yes, the penalties were an issue. No one here is denying that. Would the outcome have been any different if they didn’t commit any of them? Maybe. Probably not. Give it a rest.

While I don’t want to be one of those “It’s just an honor being nominated” people, it was just a treat to watch this team this year. I love that seniors came back this season and then lead this team to Tampa. I know they’re disappointed but I think they can and should be very proud of the season they had. I didn’t think they were going to win, but like Bomber said, tied at the end of two? There was a teeny glimmer.

I was kind of hoping to see Lane Hutson do some Lane Hutson things though.

[chickod]

did Colby Cohen pronounce his name correctly?

Nope. It was "Fen-SOAR" all night.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Met some really, really great BU fans during and after the game.

hope to see you many, many more times in the future! Maybe next year in St Paul

[J.D.]

Yeah, I think penalties were a problem at the beginning of the year. Before yesterday, I can't remember the last time I thought they were taking too many dumb penalties. Before Thanksgiving?

And no, injuries didn't keep us from being able to skate with that Minnesota team from LW1 to RD3. They're really good. We're pretty good. Just not on the same level, at all. We'll see how we do in the years to come. I am concerned we'll take a step back next season since our leaders are going to be offensive dead weight Tuch and Peterson but maybe, despite not having yet shown anything to make me think otherwise, they can improve drastically out of nowhere.

I think you guys will score plenty of goals next year. You have a good group of freshman forwards in Wilmer, Greene, Hutson and Kaplan. Will still have Lane Hutson and add Celebrini. With that it's probably fine having guys like Tuch and Peterson who don't have a ton of skill but are experienced players. I think the questions will be in goal and on defense. I am assuming Commesso will sign and I believe you will be losing Fensore (did Colby Cohen pronounce his name correctly?) and McCarthy. Hutson is great but I don't see a ton of talent on the backend.

[chickod]

In your utopian world you root for a hockey team that doesn't take any penalties.

Fun fact: PIM BU = 10.68. Opponents = 12.15

Webber's penalty was at 20:00. The period was over. I never said that Jay DIDN'T realize the problem (I get it that he mentioned it in the press conference). I said he wasn't able to CHANGE it. It's just a lack of discipline, that's all. Don't jump all over me because I point out what's true. These aren't trips or interferences...they do NEEDLESS things like elbows and cross-checks. You don't hit a guy when you're looking at his numbers. You don't go up high into his head/neck when you're checking him into the boards. Like someone (I don't know if it was Melrose or Colby) said, all he had to do was keep both hands on the stick. That had nothing to do with Minnesota's "speed." The guy was against the boards and he just slammed him up high. If you don't think that's significant, fine. There's not much else to say.

[BU Fan 84]

Yeah, I think penalties were a problem at the beginning of the year. Before yesterday, I can't remember the last time I thought they were taking too many dumb penalties. Before Thanksgiving?

And no, injuries didn't keep us from being able to skate with that Minnesota team from LW1 to RD3. They're really good. We're pretty good. Just not on the same level, at all. We'll see how we do in the years to come. I am concerned we'll take a step back next season since our leaders are going to be offensive dead weight Tuch and Peterson but maybe, despite not having yet shown anything to make me think otherwise, they can improve drastically out of nowhere.