Men’s Hockey: Terriers to drop banner, open home slate vs Providence

By: Matt Dresens

While the current record might read 0-3-0, BU’s worst start since 2007-08, Friday night will still be a banner night for the Terriers as they raise the 2018 Hockey East flag to the Agganis rafters against none other than the Providence College Friars.

Providence was, of course, BU’s opponent in the 2018 Hockey East Championship game where the fourth-seeded Terriers toppled the third-seeded Friars, 2-0, to capture their ninth conference championship in program history.

“Its great for the guys who were here last year and its great for the program,” said head coach Albie O’Connell about the banner.

BU was blanked 4-0 at Merrimack in their lone game last weekend. Despite outshooting the Warriors 34-28, the Terriers still came away with nothing to show for on the scoreboard and went 0-7 on the power play.

“Its there in the back of your head,” said captain Bobo Carpenter. “We are still grinding away at every power play we get, trying to get pucks to the net and keep it simple. We have skilled guys and if we can get a couple it will turn around for sure.”

Adding to that skilled group should be Chad Krys. The junior defenseman has been sidelined for the first three games of the year, but according to O’Connell, “He should be available… It’s really up to him at this point whether he’s comfortable.”

As far as the power play is concerned, O’Connell talked at length about the importance of not being one and done on the man advantage and having second and third chances.

“Some of it’s not finishing,” said O’Connell. “We have had a couple good looks and in general as long as we are getting chances and looks that’s a positive, but we have to get second chances and retrievals.”

Scouting the Friars

Coming into the weekend, PC owns a 3-1-1 record with wins over Miami, America International and UConn. In last Friday’s 7-2 win over UConn, seven different Friars found the back of the net, highlighting the depth and balance that PC has on their roster.

So far through five games played, Scott Conway and Jack Dugan both have five points on the year. Conway has two goals and five assists, while Dugan has posted a goal and four helpers. Jacob Bryson and Spenser Young have also potted two goals on the young season.

Thayer Academy product and Flyers first-round draft pick Jay O’Brien was listed “day-to-day” by PC Head Coach Nate Leman earlier in the week. He sat out PC’s 2-2 tie with Sacred Heart on Saturday and missed time in practice this week according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal.

In goal, senior Hayden Hawkey owns a .931 save percentage to go along with a 1.51 goals against average in four appearances thus far in the young season.

Notes

– Former Terrier Johnny McDermott will be making his first appearance back at Agganis after leaving BU in 2017. In 14 games played for the Terriers, he recorded just one point, an assist in his first game played at Colgate on October 8, 2016.