Men’s Ice Hockey: Player Ratings vs. Maine
By: Dan Shulman
OFFENSE: A+
The Terriers exploded for 13 goals in two nights against Maine, and were overwhelming offensively. The passing in the offensive zone was quick and crisp. There were chances aplenty and Maine’s goaltending was no match for BU’s offensive firepower. Overall, it was a positive weekend and a sign of good things to come for a generally productive offensive unit.
DEFENSE: A-
The defense, for the first time all year, played two consecutive strong games against a stingy Black Bear offense. The Terriers allowed one even-strength goal all weekend, and it came on a shot from the point which squeaked through goaltender Sean Maguire. The blue-liners made good decisions with the puck and limited any zone time for Maine. Again, a very positive sign for the rest of the season.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
The Terriers’ power play had an uncharacteristic struggle this weekend, going just 1-9 against Maine’s shoddy penalty kill. The Terriers also struggled on the penalty kill, as Maine, which entered the weekend with a 10.6% success rate on the power play, scored two goals on the man-advantage. The power play is not concerning, but the BU penalty kill must improve as the team heads towards the postseason.
GOALTENDING: A
Sean Maguire once again got the nod in net for both games this weekend, playing in his seventh straight game dating back to December 12. It was a valiant effort from the senior net-minder, who made some great saves and performed spectacularly all weekend. One goal snuck past him in game two of the series, a goal he would want to have back, but it was still a great performance from Maguire.
TERRIERS’ THREE STARS OF THE WEEKEND
The entire second line makes an appearance on this weekend’s three stars, a tribute to the offensive balance this season with BU’s top three lines.
- Ahti Oksanen
The Finnish forward ended the weekend with six points (2G, 4A), took nine shots on net this past weekend, and was +6 overall. Oksanen moved the puck exceptionally well and made plays all over the ice.
- Matt Lane
With nine shots on goal and four points (2G, 2A) over the weekend, Lane was one of the best players on the ice and was a catalyst for his line.
- Jordan Greenway
The third and final member of the Terrier second line, Greenway was tremendous this weekend. He is the best in the game at controlling the puck behind the net, and his four assists against Maine are a tribute to his hard work. He was also +4 for the series.