By Tim Healey/DFP Staff
This afternoon, Boston University men’s hockey coach Jack Parker was walking back to his Agganis Arena office a little earlier than normal, especially given the fact that it was the day before a game. Typically, the team would have a meeting about the next day’s opponent – in this case Providence College and first-year coach Nate Leaman – after getting off the ice, but today that just wasn’t possible.
“We know absolutely nothing about Providence because [Leaman is] a new coach and they haven’t played a game yet, [so BU has no game video,]” Parker said. “We have no idea how good they’re going to be.”
But when the Terriers (1-0, 1-0 Hockey East) take to the ice in their first away game of the season, and in Providence’s (0-0, 0-0 Hockey East) home and season opener, they won’t go in completely blind. Providence goaltender Alex Beaudry did, after all, manage to keep BU’s win margin to just one goal in all three of its victories over the Friars last year.
“I’ve played against [Beaudry] ever since I was a freshman, and I always thought he was one of the best goalies in the league,” said senior captain Chris Connolly. “We know going into it with just having him in net it’s going to be a close game because he doesn’t give up many goals.”
Rest assured, Parker will counter with his best: senior goaltender Kieran Millan. After a 35-save shutout over University of New Hampshire last week, Millan will start in goal on Friday against Providence, as well as on Saturday when BU hosts No. 3 University of Denver at 7 p.m.
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Here are the projected lines for BU tomorrow night against Providence:
Chris Connolly – Corey Trivino – Sahir Gill
Matt Nieto – Charlie Coyle – Alex Chiasson
Justin Courtnall – Ross Gaudet – Kevin Gilroy
Wade Megan – Cason Hohmann – Evan Rodrigues
Sean Escobedo – Max Nicastro
Adam Clendening – Alexx Privitera
Garret Noonan – Patrick MacGregor
Kieran Millan
Grant Rollheiser
Anthony Moccia
Just curious to hear if you guys have any input on these new DPs. Last year I was always fond of the chemistry that Noonan/Clendening had, but the start of the season has them broken up. Nowadays Clendening looks like a mess, but aside from that what do you think Parker’s reasoning is?
I like the Noonan/Clendening pairing a lot. I think you’re 100 percent right – there’s obvious chemistry there. They’re paired together on special teams. I think right now they’re broken up because in my opinion, the most trustworthy defenseman to pair with Privitera is either Noonan or Clendening. Both Nicastro and Escobedo are too unreliable and MacGregor is still a little green on D. Maybe later in the season, as Privitera starts to become more comfortable out there, Noonan and Clendening will be back together.
Parker should flip flop the third a fourth lines. Megan, Rodrigues, and Hohmman is a much stronger line than Courtnall, Guadet, and Gilroy. Megan has 3 goals in two games, why is he on the 4th line? makes no sense.
I disagree with that last comment. Megan is really strong, I agree, but Rodrigues and Hohmann definitely qualify for fourth line. As a unit, I think Courtnall/Gaudet/Gilroy is way more reliable, and that’s more important than one strong guy on the left with questionable guys still getting their feet wet.
Honestly, the order of the lines doesn’t really matter. Parker runs them out there as he sees fit. The second line could easily get more ice time than the first line, the fourth line has been functioning as a third line . . . the order on a piece of paper doesn’t really matter.