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

[Lemonade]

To say Fensore is key is an understatement. But if he isn't at least 80%, it doesn't make sense to play him. If they can get past PC, then having him to get past the stifling UML trap or the big Merrimack defense will be huge.

I rather rest him up for the NCAAs.

[Scarlet]

So much for TV ruling the roost (unless they think BU is not a "draw" anymore). But for the people who think the first seed playing the first game is that important, you'll be happy. I'm not, because now I have to record the game and watch later because I'll still be at work at 4:00.

It is important. Sorry you're unhappy but the top seed should get the first game. BU has gotten the first game as a #1 seed in the past. However NESN seems to feel that a BU-BC match up would get more eyeballs, not BU and anyone else. Back in 2009 when BU was the #1 seed, they decided to make that semi final the nightcap and if I recall correctly, didn't the other semi-final go to OT? It seems like every time BU had the second game, the first semi final would go to OT. One time, it went multiple OTs. Anyway, in the past, the first game used to start at 5:00pm. Which was a little easier but I get making it a little earlier so the second game doesn't inevitably end past midnight.

[Scarlet]

As a follow up to all the chatter about the band (of which I was also a member back in the day, with Bomber no less), I thought I'd share this awesome video from St. Patrick's Day weekend seven (?) years ago:

Boston University Band performing Shipping Up to Boston at the Garden with the Dropkick Murphys

[chickod]

It is important. Sorry you're unhappy but the top seed should get the first game. BU has gotten the first game as a #1 seed in the past. However NESN seems to feel that a BU-BC match up would get more eyeballs, not BU and anyone else. Back in 2009 when BU was the #1 seed, they decided to make that semi final the nightcap and if I recall correctly, didn't the other semi-final go to OT? It seems like every time BU had the second game, the first semi final would go to OT. One time, it went multiple OTs. Anyway, in the past, the first game used to start at 5:00pm. Which was a little easier but I get making it a little earlier so the second game doesn't inevitably end past midnight.

I get it. Specifically, in 2008 when BC/UNH went like 85 overtimes and the BU game started at 11:00 p.m. That WAS ridiculous. The place was practically empty and the energy low. It was especially noteworthy because a "big time" (no need to mention the name) BU fan was sitting in front of me and actually left before the game started. I was just caught off guard because (as you said), I assumed that TV would consider BU a big enough draw to put in the second game. So that's what I planned on. But apparently (maybe?) what it does seem to indicate is that BC is deemed to be the draw, so without them we're just another team? Who knows?

[Scarlet]

I get it. Specifically, in 2008 when BC/UNH went like 85 overtimes and the BU game started at 11:00 p.m. That WAS ridiculous. The place was practically empty and the energy low. It was especially noteworthy because a "big time" (no need to mention the name) BU fan was sitting in front of me and actually left before the game started. I was just caught off guard because (as you said), I assumed that TV would consider BU a big enough draw to put in the second game. So that's what I planned on. But apparently (maybe?) what it does seem to indicate is that BC is deemed to be the draw, so without them we're just another team? Who knows?

I do not believe they've ever been in the second game as a #1 seed unless they were playing BC. It's not whether or not BU or BC was the draw. It's the match up between the two teams.

And that 2008 game - yeesh. That was the one I was thinking of.

[J.D.]

I will remind you that a few years back BC was top seed and payed BU in the early semifinal game. I do not know if there has been a shift from the league/NESN to now accommodate the top seed. And as Mookie likes to say, nobody watches college hockey to begin with. Trying to preserve the better TV matchup for the nightcap is silly. #1 seed should always get the early game. With this being the league's feature event they should try to accommodate attendance over TV anyway. So just as an example if Maine was at the Garden I could understand trying to put them in the late game. But really, just keep it simple and give the top seed the early game.

[brassbonanza]

The "TV draw" is absolutely not a consideration in timing. The top seed now gets the first time slot by default.

Stop with the strawmen.

[Scarlet]

The "TV draw" is absolutely not a consideration in timing. The top seed now gets the first time slot by default.

Stop with the strawmen.

Tell that to one of the higher ups in the athletic department who told me that if the semi final match up was going to be BU-BC, that we would have the second game.

[Scarlet]

I will remind you that a few years back BC was top seed and payed BU in the early semifinal game. I do not know if there has been a shift from the league/NESN to now accommodate the top seed. And as Mookie likes to say, nobody watches college hockey to begin with. Trying to preserve the better TV matchup for the nightcap is silly. #1 seed should always get the early game. With this being the league's feature event they should try to accommodate attendance over TV anyway. So just as an example if Maine was at the Garden I could understand trying to put them in the late game. But really, just keep it simple and give the top seed the early game.

I completely agree and I did mention the 2018 game in my previous post where BU-BC played the early game so obviously 2009 was an outlier.

[Bomber]

I was thinking about all-time favorite Hockey East Semi-final games and this one popped in my head. I was proud of myself that I remembered the exact year.

https://youtu.be/EtOqJhpbNYE

[Scarlet]

That game was nuts!

[J.D.]

I took train in for that one and I believe my dad was working an overnight shift so we had to leave early and my mother video taped rest of the game. Pre DVR (at least in my house).

[Sean Pickett]

With all the talk about the highest seed playing in the late game I researched it. Below is a table showing every HE semifinal game, what each team was seeded and when the game was played:

	1st Game	Start Time	End Time	2nd Game	Start Time	End Time
1985	2 BU v 3 PC	5:30 PM		1 BC v 5 UML	8:30 PM		^
1986	1 BC v 6 UML	5:30 PM		2 Bu v 4 PC	8:30 PM		^
1987	2 UML v 3 ME	6:00 PM		1 BC v 5 NU	9:00 PM		^
1988	2 games total goals semifinals played at campus sites						*
1989	1 BC v 4 PC	6:00 PM		2 ME v 3 NU	10:05 PM
1990	played at campus sites						*
1991	3 BU v 4 PC	5:00 PM		2 ME v 8 NU	8:00 PM		^
1992	1 ME v 5 BC	5:00 PM		2 UNH v 3 PC	8:00 PM		^
1993	1 ME v 4 UML	5:00 PM		2 BU v 3 UNH	8:00 PM		^
1994	1 BU v 4 NU	5:00 PM		2 UML v 3 UNH	8:00 PM		^
1995	1 ME v 6 PC	5:00 PM		2 BU v 5 UML	8:00 PM		^
1996	1 BU v 6 PC	5:00 PM		2 UML v 3 ME	8:00 PM		^
1997	1 BU vs 6 UML	5:00 PM		2 UNH v 5 BC	8:00 PM		^
1998	2 BC v 8 MC	5:00 PM		5 UML v 6 ME	12:00 AM	p	^
1999	1 UNH v 4 PC	5:00 PM		2 ME v 3 BC	8:00 PM		^
2000	1 BU v 4 ME	4:00 PM	7:00 PM	2 UNH v 3 BC	7:00 PM		^
2001	1 BC v 5 UML	5:00 PM		2 ME v 3 PC	8:00 PM		^
2002	1 UNH v 4 UML	5:00 PM		2 BU v 3 ME	7:30 PM	10:01 PM
2003	1 UNH v 6 MA	5:00 PM	7:30 PM	2 BC v 5 BU	8:20 PM	11:50 PM
2004	2 ME v 8 BU	5:05 PM	7:37 PM	3 MA v 4 UNH	8:35 PM	11:00 PM
2005	1 BC v 2 ME	5:00 PM	8:52 PM	2 BU v 3 UNH	9:40 PM	12:00 AM
2006	1 BU v 4 UNH	5:00 PM	7:32 PM	2 ME v 3 BC	8:30 PM	10:55 PM
2007	1 UNH v 4 MA	5:00 PM	8:30 PM	2 BC v 3 BU	9:17 PM	11:48 PM
2008	1 UNH v 4 BC	5:05 PM	9:56 PM	2 BU v 3 UVM	10:40 PM	1:00 AM
2009	2 NU v 5 UML	5:05 PM	8:07 PM	1 BU v 6 BC	8:50 PM	11:16 PM
2010	2 BC v 8 UVM	5:00 PM	7:30 PM	3 BU v 4 ME	8:30 PM	11:20 PM
2011	1 BC v 6 NU	5:00 PM	7:40 PM	2 UNH v 4 MC	8:35 PM	10:59 PM
2012	1 BC v 7 PC	5:15 PM	7:37 PM	3 BU v 4 ME	8:34 PM	11:09 PM
2013	1 UML v 4 PC	5:12 PM	7:50 PM	2 BC v 3 BU	8:53 PM	11:22 PM
2014	2 UML v 8 ND	5:00 PM	7:23 PM	3 PC v 4 UNH	8:20 PM	10:38 PM
2015	4 UML v 7 UVM	5:00 PM	7:37 PM	1 BU v 8 UNH	8:35 PM	10:52 PM
2016	2 PC v 4 UML	5:10 PM	9:36 PM	1 BC v 6 NU	10:36 PM	12:56 PM
2017	1 UML v 4 ND	5:05 PM	7:20 PM	2 BU v 3 BC	8:05 PM	10:50 PM
2018	1 BC v 4 BU	5:07 PM	8:29 PM	2 NU v 3 PC	9:18 PM	12:27 AM
2019	3 NU v 5 BU	4:08 PM	7:16 PM	1 MA v 7 BC	8:14 PM	10:47 PM
2020
2021	1 BC v 7 UML	4:30 PM	8:21 PM	3 MA v 5 PC	7:00 PM	9:24 PM	*
2022	1 NU v 4 CT	4:00 PM		2 MA v 3 UML	7:30 PM
2023	1 BU v 7 PC	4:00 PM		2 MC v 5 UML	7:30 PM		^
^ scheduled start times
* played at campus sites

Seven times the top seed has played in the late game. Twice in the first three years, 1991 and then not again until 2009, then back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 and again in 2019. BC played in 5 of those games, NU played in 3, BU played in 2, while four other teams played in one each. It appears that 2009 was an outlier, as it was the only time during 23 years that the top seed played the late game. However, the top seed played the late game 3 times in 5 years between 2015 and 2019, making it odd that the BU-BC game in 2018 was the early game (considering the 2017 late game was BU-BC).

Sean

[Rogie21]

BU will dress 20 for pre-game skate, including Fensore and Getz. Game time decision on which one plays. Or perhaps both and just 12 F.

[J.D.]

They need to tweak the challenge rule. If you lose a challenge you no longer should just lose your timeout. It should be an automatic minor penalty for delay of game. I've seen too much of it this year.

On another note, you guys were a little too aggressive on PK there.