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Pluses and Minuses: No. 11 Terriers turn in six full periods of work in finishing sweep of Maine

PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

In an overall commanding performance on Saturday night at Agganis Arena, the No. 11 Boston University men’s hockey team defeated its conference foe in the University of Maine.

The Terriers (13-7-4, 7-4-3 Hockey East) earned their second series sweep of the season in a 6-1 win over the Black Bears (5-15-6, 2-8-2 Hockey East) after besting them the night prior as well.

“I thought that we really came to play for six periods this weekend,” said BU head coach David Quinn. “We were skating, we were pressuring the puck, and had an urgency to our game. The thing we’re trying to do is make teams earn ice. And I thought we did a pretty good job of that this weekend.”

Here’s a look at what we thought went right and wrong in this edition of pluses and minuses.

Pluses

Bobo Carpenter

Since he was moved back to his natural position of center, freshman forward Bobo Carpenter has definitely shown improvement in terms of production and comfortability on the ice. Andrew has more about this in his sider from tonight.

Six full periods

With some wins this season coming from one or two dominant periods in a game as opposed to a game-long effort, making sure BU is giving its all for the entirety of a contest has become more and more of a focus. As Quinn and his players put it, the Terriers made a conscious attempt to put together two full 60-minute efforts on the weekend.

“We kept our heads in the game,” Carpenter said. “We definitely focused down, and we wanted to play 60 minutes both games, and we didn’t want to let them take control of the game at any part of the weekend.”

While a 5-2 win on Friday and a 6-1 victory on Saturday don’t indicate any sort of lack of control on the Terriers’ part, there was definitely a larger divergence in the latter game of the series. Statistically, where BU and Maine were mostly even on the stat sheet aside from actual goals put in the net, Saturday showed a clearer distinction in all facets. However, senior assistant captain Matt Lane said the team didn’t sense much of a difference from night to night.

“Yesterday’s game we kind of, we felt the same way,” he said. “Both games we skated, both games we were physical. Unfortunately they capitalized on a couple power-play goals [on Friday], not that our penalty kill was too bad, they were opportunistic. But like I said, for the most part, six periods, we felt that we were fast, we felt that we were physical, and that’s why we controlled both games, all six periods.”

Carpenter mentioned that the more hostile atmosphere in Alfond Arena made it difficult for the Terriers, but they were able to hunker down and stay focused and get the win. On Saturday at Agganis, where those in the stands were a little more supportive, “it made it a little bit easier to calm the nerves down” as well.

Lane added that, at this point in the season in the Hockey East standings, “it’s time to buckle down” and “string together some wins.” The Terriers know what they’re capable of, he said, and felt they weren’t meeting their standards so they turned the focus to themselves and not the team they are playing against. With a critical eye on its own game, then, BU was able to play “maybe the first weekend” of six full periods start to finish.

This winger has a first name, it’s O-s-k-a-r
OK, horrible subheading aside, freshman forward Oskar Andrén, while hardly looking out of place in his first couple games, has showcased his skills more and more each time he’s on the ice. On Saturday, the winger had a pair of assists (his first collegiate points), recorded a shot on goal and took part in special teams play, too.

“He’s played very well,” Quinn said. “For a guy to come in here less than a month ago and have the impact that he’s had on our lineup, and I was really happy to see him get rewarded on the scoresheet tonight. He’s a really smart player. Works hard, smart, good vision, he’s really made an impact for us.”

Doyle Somerby

The de facto game-winning goal in Saturday’s game was scored by junior defenseman Doyle Somerby. It wasn’t a blast from the point with a screen in front like a lot of blue liner goals are. Instead, Somerby stole the puck from defenseman Sam Becker behind the Maine goal line and tucked it wraparound style through goaltender Rob McGovern’s five hole for his fourth goal of the season.

“In general and all year, Doyle’s been a little more aggressive,” Lane said. “In the past he’s been more defensive, and this year he’s stepped up. He’s trusting his legs more, and you can kind of tell like that, he just had it in his gut that he was going to win that battle and take it to the net.

“Those are the kind of things that we need as a team, and it’s great to see Doyle getting some goals this year.”

Minuses

I mean…it snowed? No, in all seriousness, there was very little to dislike about BU’s performance on Saturday.

The Terriers limited Maine to just 23 shots while taking 37 of their own, were perfect on the penalty kill, allowed just one goal, held a 35-20 advantage in faceoffs and did damage on the power play. They looked poised and in control throughout and netted five-plus goals for the fourth time in six games.

They’re not giving me a whole lot to pick at today.

31 Comments

  1. Good sweep!! Much needed. I dont care who it was, our guys played very well. Hopefully the momentum is now with them. Happy for Bobo too!
    Now…let’s get a big Pats win and it’ll make for a perfect weekend!!

  2. Glad to see Diffley in lineup; would like to see them get Switzer some playing time. Anyone but McLeod.

  3. Every team in Hockey Easy has to play the same teams so I don’t want to hear anyone say “yeah BU swept but it was against last place Maine”. Good all around effort and, I too, was impressed with Oskar Andren. Picked up a tripping penalty, had two assists, generated offense and almost scored.

  4. Great weekend for the Terriers. They came ready to play and dominated Maine. Their most complete and consistent play for three periods. Congratulations to DQ only 949 wins behind the man up the street.

    • you are obnoxious

    • yeah and only 21 YEARS to try to do it!! God, you just can’t help yourself can you? I know why you’re so angry….I saw you in the Club Room. It all makes sense now.

      • Guest1
        Another humorless individual. Which part of the development due your work for? Why don’t you identify yourself.? I am not angry just expressing my point of view. What makes sense that my opinion differs ?

        • Why do you presume I work for the administration? or development? Because you’re an arrogant angry individual that somehow feels he can say whatever he wants regardless of how rude or derogatory (usually smushed in between false compliments) yet God forbid someone like Quinn and his coaching staff and the things they are trying to do for this program and we are apple polishers, or now we work for him/the team. Just ONE look at you and that miserable look on your face and its quite clear…..you really do NOT like THIS Bu team and anyone that has anything to do with it. Move on Larry, PLEASE!

          • Guest 1
            I am neither arrogant or angry only expressing my opinion. However you are a coward hiding behind a fake identity . Clueless and a truly ignorant individual who cannot see the forest from the trees. You are so desperate that you have to criticize my appearance which has nothing to with the hockey program. Personally I could care less what you think. Who are you to tell me to move on? Are you a relative of DQ or part of the inner circle that pay $2500 to Kiss his you know what.
            Name on thing he has done for Alumni relations or season ticket holders since he became coach. Oh, I almost forgot he dismantled the Friends group and moved many games to four in the afternoon.

          • Ok so no I don’t work for nor am I related to Coach Quinn. I am however an Alum as well. See, I have no problem with Quinn or his staff. It’s funny, you get all mad because you think Quinn wants people to kiss his “you know what” BUT….YOU, Mr. Larry, seem so PO’d that Quinn will not do that for you as you CLAIM Parker did. I hear otherwise. Maybe if you weren’t so cranky and cruel in your comments and to the players themselves you might be looked upon differently. I said nothing of your physical appearance other than you looked miserable (meaning your expression). You constantly say “I’m only expressing my opinion” which is total BS. You jab and dig every chance you get. I hate to tell you, no one cares what you think, not the people that matter anyway. Quinn and Co has secured their jobs, they are doing a great job bringing this program back to the Elite one it once was and in time, even people like you, will see this.

          • Guest 1
            I have no respect for someone who hides behind a phony moniker . You refuse to identify yourself and continue to make disparaging and inaccurate comments about me instead of answering my questions. Obviously you do not know the difference between constructive criticism and my allegedly cruel comments. Why so thinned skinned? I thought this blog was comments concerning team performance or off ice issues and not a cheer leading blog.
            You are !00% inaccurate about my relationship with the former coach and frankly it is none of your business. What does this have to do with this years team?
            You are truly clueless if you don’t believe that many legacy donors no longer participate in the program and that many premium ticket holders are so unhappy that they are considering not renewing.

          • I don’t feel my comments are disparaging….they are MY opinions as you state YOUR opinions. Sean is the name if you must know. Would you like my graduating year? SSN? Address? I don’t see you provide anything but your name so I’ll assume my is fine too. No this is not a cheerleading blog. I happen to respect Quinn and Co and the job they are doing. I apparently don’t hang with the angry alums/season ticketholders that you do because the ones I know are quite thrilled with the program. So I guess you can’t make everyone happy. Some people just don’t like change. Sure things are different. Things aren’t meant to stay the same. You wanna talk thin skin?? That would be you since somehow it’s OK for you to give your negative opinions but when someone else does it they are “personal attacks”. Do you honestly feel you don’t personally attack Quinn EVERY post you make? Now you also want to bring his family into it? Seems pretty low to me. As if only a family member would go against YOU? Well I can assure you I am not a family member and I take offense to probably 99% of your comments. I believe I read on another post you comparing this program to the Patriots organization. Really?? I cant even comment on that its so ludicrous. But please tell me….WHERE are all these angry Alums? and Premium ticketholders you speak of? Thery should probably speak up so their voice can be heard as well.

    • yea and let’s see…about 21 YEARS to try to do it! Larry, you just don’t quit huh? I know why…I saw you in the Club Room and it ALL makes sense now…..I’ll leave it at that.

  5. As for McLeod, I cannot accept that he will not be a significant contributor to our D in the months going forward. He played well on our first pairing last season. He will get it together. Besides, we need his physicality.

  6. Guest
    Clearly you have no sense of humor. What part of the administration do you represent ?
    Introduce yourself, I promise I do not bite. Why do you hide your real identity ? What makes sense, I have stated numerous times I have issues with the way your pal runs the program. However he is the boss and should run it they way he wants.
    I still enjoy the games and want them to win.
    I may be the most outspoken but if you think I am the only person that feels that way then you are sadly mistaken.

    • That coach of ours is unbelievable,I can’t believe he missed that extra-point in Denver!!!!Wait…..do I sound delusional,and make absolutely no sense???Should fit right in…?

  7. please excuse me if i don’t engage in the cat fight

    1. lovin mcguire. wow

    2. NU has the longest win streak ever going into the beanpot which now becomes their year. they will be hungry. drat!

    3. lowell’s victory over PC hurt. that is the team we gotta catch for home ice.

    4. aj greed’s stats for Rouyn-Noranda – 12 games, 1 goal, 4 assists, 7 penalties. Good riddance

    5. not sure if it is the combination of the concussions he had experienced but mac cloud’s game is off from last year, and i like him

    6. liking Andren a lot

    7. not feeling Phelps’ game. he has the pedigree – edina, mn and shattuck-st. mary’s

    8. i admit i was wrong at the beginning of the year about greenway. too quick to judge. man, that guy is a beast when it comes to protecting the puck

    9. how about laner? great senior year

    10. Robbie B continues to disappoint. real lazy clear on maine’s first goal

    11. overall the D is still not in sync. even with the return of Gryz

    that’s it. anyone want to comment on all things hockey

  8. Last year we had a “troller” all year talking about quinn etc… HE’S no where to be found now this year we have this other “troll ” always has a negative comment even when they do win… Please get a hobby and stop trolling… U know who are… Go BU!!

  9. Pardon me if I refrain from engaging in the cat fight

    1. lovin the play of Maguire. With him we have a shot

    2. is too bad that Lowell beat PC. If we hope to get home ice, that is the team we must catch

    3. I totally misjudged greenway at the beginning of the year. That kid protects the puck incredibly. he is a beast out there

    4. i still can’t figure out phelps. he has the pedigree – edina mn. and shattuck-st mary’s, but I don’t see much

    5. how about Matt Lane? What a Great senior year. same with moran

    6. just our luck that NU has the longest win streak ever for them going into the beanpot. this becomes the focal point of their year

    7. Robbie B continues to befuddle. his lazy clearing pass which was intercepted lead to maine’s only goal. against a good team that is a game changer

    8 even with gryz, the D seems out of sync. mac cloud might be gun shy about his series of concussions. because if he can’t hit, his game is weak

    9. any word on olsson? looks like permanently damaged goods. i like his game when he’s healthy

    10 Oh, Max. miss you like crazy. other than eichel, who was a goner anyways, that was the toughest loss this summer FOR THIS YEAR’S TEAM and i include greely in that opinion

    11. kudos to yorkie. cmon, 5 national titles and 1000+ wins. i’ll take it for my team any day. please no comments about being a bc infiltrator

    12. tommy kelly is not half bad

    anyone want to comment on all things hockey?

  10. Bu Hockey 7
    I am still in shock about the Pats but not surprised just disappointed. A bad day at the office for the entire team. I have followed this team from the inception, very bad and unusual circumstances happen in Denver. A true house of horrors for any Pats fan.
    The offense was terrible. Denver must have have picked up something on film about Stork on there snap count because they seemed to know exactly when to rush.
    Brady is lucky to be alive today and just was out of synch the whole game. Even MR Automatic missed a pat! Strange game with bad results.
    However that being said tremendous courage to almost tie it at the end. Wish he threw to Gronk on the two point conversion. I feel Carolina will win the Super Bowl.

  11. Larry,I could not agree more,and when Elway was spending money like a drunk Sailor on free agents,I was afraid this would happen.As great as TB12 is,defense wins Super Bowls.(and hockey games)When Brady was counting on a 3rd string,5’8 running back to haul in key throws in the 4th,I knew it was big trouble.He truly has only had 1 great WR,and has still gone to the show 6x,winning 4…imagine if Kraft spent some of the 3 Billion on a Larry Fitzgerald last off-season.Anyway,Greenway might be breaking out of his shell,I expect big results from him sooner rather than later.And What on earth happened to McCloud??

    • BU Hockey 7
      TB is human like everyone else, probably his worst performance of the season and he still almost did it. I expect Carolina to destroy Denver but you never know.
      Greenway is developing before our eyes, I expect him to continue to get better. McCloud has been a big disappointment and maybe he will transfer at the end of the year. He was the main culprit for two goals in the Finals against Providence last year and I believe he was benched. He played very poorly at Maine and did not play the last half of the game.

  12. the Pats…. really? next it will be BU basketball. ugh! 🙂

    • Vincent
      Perhaps lessons could be learned regarding organizational skills from the 4 time Super Bowl fans. Most of the time the get it right.

  13. Mcloud should be playing over difley… mcloud is a much opposing figure likes to hit while diffley is smooth skater but very soft aka robbie ballerina… that is all for today…go bu

  14. Sean
    You are truly confused. DQ is the HC of nationally recognized collegiate sports program. He is a public figure and as direct result open to praise or constructive criticism as HC. ( not personal only as he runs the program as HC) I am only fan, a private citizen, and although you disagree with my comments , which is fine, you made comments regarding me that are 100% inaccurate. You are entitled to your opinion about DQ and I am entitled to mine.
    I know about the premium level season ticket holders because of a conversation I had with an employee who told me that season ticket renewals were below expectations .This was reconfirmed when during a discussion with a former FOH board member I was told that several legacy donors had left the program due to the dismantling of the friends. This represents millions of dollars that are now gone.
    I believe in positive change not change that makes matters worse. Do you think it is a good idea to rent the FOH room to our opponents alumni and friends ? Name one other school that has the same policy ? Are you satisfied with 5th place in Hockey East and only managing on point against the beagles? What are your thoughts on the gambling scandal
    ? All relevant topics that you seem to avoid. That being said B.U. controls its destiny and things could change dramatically in either direction. Despite my differences with the HC I hope they win every game.

    • Larry,
      I can assure you this program has NOT lost millions of dollars. As a matter of fact, their fundraising has gone up the last 3 years! As far as the FOH room….I’m on the fence about that one. They are making money off it and the Club Room is still ours so….not sure.
      This season has definitely not been what I expected but you must remember….play off hockey is different than league hockey. Scott Young out together a challenging schedule the entire season. I mean come on, PC was what 9-0 in the beginning yet ranked lower than BU in HE standings. They had a cushy beginning of the season….their first HE games? BU…both tied and with VERY questionable refereeing.
      Gambling scandal? Hmm…haven’t heard much about it these days….sort of like Peyton and his HGH use. See, off ice drama doesn’t really concern me. BU is a top notch academic school that also happens to have top notch athletic programs and will always get great recruits. Quinn is THE best in recruiting, like him or not. I’m not really sure how deep your hockey connections run…but I can tell you….Quinn is a highly sought after coach, NHL included. He literally could walk into a job after this season if he chose. You absolutely are entitled to your opinions on him and how he runs this program. I think you forget it’s only year 3. You do a lot of comparing with how Parker ran things….but you must remember, that clout and control was not given over night. So MY opinion are mine…and stand by them. Lastly, ticket holders… I think people forget the luxury boxes…sold out most nights as well. And Agganis is a HUGE rink probably twice the seating as most…so to fill that rink is difficult. I just wish you’d stop acting as if Quinn and Co is going to be the downfall of BU hockey….it’s quite the opposite.

      • Sean
        Thank you for your response. I would expect fund raising to be substantial due to last years run at the National Championship combined with having one of the most dynamic players ever in college hockey history on the team. I am referring to legacy donors that were cultivated over the past half century. Those long time alumni that felt the FOH were like a family and decided to leave money in the their estate. I can assure that millions of dollars have been lost since the dismantling of the FOH. Many long time supporters have distanced themselves or left the program and changed their estate planning . I know this for a fact. So not using the FHO room for its attended use has already had severe consequences.
        I agree with the majority of your assessment of the season. However you cannot blame the refereeing for the loses against Vermont, Merrimack and Connecticut. Those are the ones that are hurting B.U. in the Hockey East standings.
        The gambling scandals still hangs over the program with more questions then answers. Certainly not good only time will reveal how bad and who else was involved. I hope the information that I received is wrong because it would be very difficult for any fan of the program.
        I believe DQ does belong as a coach In the NHL and would not be surprised if he gets his opportunity within the next five years.He is a great recruiter. However I still have issues with the way he runs the program. We can agree to disagree.
        As far as Agganis attendance it is shameful to only sell out one game year. The team up the street has better attendance in an old dilapidated basketball arena.
        DQ failure to have a strong Friends group will eventually cause him lots of problems. In the short term and as long as he wins, he will be fine . However if there are bumps along the road what does he do ? His predecessors always had the FHO who were committed and dedicated to assist the program. Sadly, this connection no longer exists.