By Jake Seiner, DFP Staff
Photo by Sarah Gordon, DFP Staff
Offense – Grade C
The Terriers did a handful of good things in Tuesday’s game, namely getting the puck to the net. But, as has been the case through two exhibition and two regular season games, shot totals don’t always equal goals, and UND netminder Brad Phillips turned away all 34 of BU’s shots, many of which hit him square in the chest. Unlike previous games, crashing the net was not a problem for the Terriers, who made a clear effort to get into the slot once shots were taken from the point. However, the effort was mooted by Notre Dame’s physical, collapsing defenders who cleared pucks away from Phillips’s feet before BU’s sticks could throw the puck back at the cage. Daily Free Bonus Fact of the Night: Tuesday was the first time in exactly 100 games BU was shutout.
Defense – Grade B-
The Terriers made only a handful of mistakes defensively Tuesday. In the first, Notre Dame generated a pair of breakaway chances off poor neutral zone play from BU’s upperclassman defenders –– a familiar story –– but otherwise, the only glaring mistakes occurred on UND’s three goals. On goal number one, Sean Escobedo screened Millan from the puck but failed to block the shot. On No. two, Millan and his defenders failed to communicate properly, and on goal No. 3, the BU penalty kill was caught drifting toward the UND zone as sophomore Chris Connolly failed to convert on a 1-on-1 chance against Phillips. Three mistakes, three goals. Otherwise, BU played very well defensively.
Goaltending – Grade C
Sophomore Kieran Millan has played like an above-average starting goaltender at the Division-I level in 2009-10, which is pretty good. Maybe it’s simply based on unattainable expectations set last year by the Edmonton, Alta. native, but pretty good is almost disappointing for Millan. Last season, if the Terrier offense stalled, it seemed like Millan always picked up his game and kept BU in the contest. Kieran has not in any way lost either game for BU this year –– but he hasn’t won them either, and that’s what Terrier fans expect based on last season. Fair? Probably not, but that’s the curse of success.
Special Teams – Grade D
This category really needs sub-grades. BU’s penalty kill was nearly perfect, with its only slipup coming after Connolly’s failed breakaway. That said, the power play gets a fully deserved ‘F.’ BU was 0-for-8 on the man advantage, and played incredibly slow with no sense of urgency during three power-play chances early in the first. Kevin Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen, Nick Bonino and Vinny Saponari all had turnovers leading to Notre Dame clearing the zone on those three chances alone. Parker classified BU’s efforts on those early PP chances as “inept,” and aside from David Warsofksy, who ripped an astounding nine shots from the left point alone, BU’s blue-liners played sloppy and hesitant all night. The squad improved as the game went on, but Parker and his staff have a lot of work to do with BU’s power play going forward.
Freshman defenseman Ben Rosen is supposed to be very skilled offensively. Maybe he needs to get a shot on the point on the powerplay and maybe some time as a winger if the six defensemen are set.
Nicastro is a huge talent, but needs to find a consistent rythmn.
Bonino and Warsofsky tried to put the team on their backs at times. Really good players try to do that when they get frustrated. But this team will start to score goals and win WHEN THEY START TO PLAY TOGETHER instead of individuals trying to do too much.
I would agree with the prior post. Nicastro looks like he will turn into a defensive leader. BU played too cute over the past two games. Stop fooling around and don’t try to highlight reel every opportunity. I too would like to see Ben Rosen get time now. He was brought in for defense but with offensive ability, get him the chance as he looked good in both exhibition games.
Which of the defensemen would you guys sit to get Rosen time? I agree that he looks ready to play at this level, but Nicastro and Escobedo have played far too well to sit. Gryba has likely been the worst of the starting six defensemen, but do you really sit an assistant captain three games into the season? You sure can’t sit the other three guys.
That’s an interesting question. Nicastro & Escobedo have certainly played well, perhaps the most consistant of the dmen (outside of Wars). Do you keep a player like Gryba in the lineup when there may be a better one sitting? Without giving Rosen the chance, who knows? Wasn’t that essentially how Matty Gilroy started out. Look where that took him and BU. I’d say the “A” doesn’t mean as much as the need for the best d possible. Maybe it is Rosen. I’d give him the shot, he also is an offensive dman, and at this time, BU could use that as well.