Fewer teams have given the Terriers as much trouble in recent years as Northeastern.
“For whatever reason, it’s tough battles every time we play them,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said at practice Sunday. “That just brings out the best in both teams.”
While no matchup can surpass the historic BU-BC rivalry, the Huskies have made their case for a close second. Under the Pandolfo head-coaching era, the Terriers have yet to win a regulation game over Northeastern.
The last time BU bested its cross-town rivals in regulation?
The 2022 Beanpot final.
“They’ve been really tough to play against since I’ve been here for sure,” sophomore forward Ryan Greene said Sunday. “It’s honestly just as big as BC-BU now with Northeastern.”
On Monday night, the No. 3 Boston University men’s hockey team (19-7-1, 13-4-1 Hockey East) will have the chance to right the ship on its quest for a 32nd Beanpot title as it takes on the Northeastern University Huskies (12-12-0, 6-11-0 HE) in the 71st Dunkin’ Beanpot Championship at TD Garden.
BU has turned things around as of late after dropping three games in the span of five days to end the month of January — with the third-straight loss coming in Northeastern’s own barn on Jan. 31.
Taking down No. 1 Boston College in the Beanpot semifinal last Monday was a milestone marker, but the Terriers have a new gauntlet ahead, and they will not be quick to forget the deflating 4-3 overtime loss at Matthews Arena from two weeks ago.
“Obviously, they got the better half of us last time,” Greene said. “It’s time to get payback on them, and we’re gonna be ready to go.”
Despite outshooting the Huskies 41-29 over that contest, the Terriers struggled to find the back of the net through the first 50 minutes.
Since then, BU has strung together a three-game win streak and outscored its opponents 17-7. Fifteen of those goals have come at even strength, including seven during Friday’s monster 7-1 victory over Merrimack.
The Terriers’ new top line of junior Jack Hughes and freshmen Macklin Celebrini and Jack Harvey has been a big reason for the squad’s recent success, and Harvey headlined Friday night’s win — scoring his first two collegiate goals in back-to-back shifts.
Any skater that plays with Macklin Celebrini is going to be better for it, but Harvey makes the entire team better.
“Bad coaching on my part to be honest,” Pandolfo said of not playing Harvey more earlier. “We had different conversations over the course of the year, and he didn’t get discouraged. Never complained…it says a lot about him and his character.”
In just his ninth career game, Harvey will be playing on the top line right-wing during the championship game, as Pandolfo confirmed there will be no lineup changes from Friday.
Monday’s contest will be a big test for the young Terrier, along with the other 11 BU players that will be competing in their first Beanpot final.
“Most teams don’t get to do something until the end of the year, and I think this is a good stepping stone for our team to get comfortable in these high pressure games,” freshman forward Shane Lachance said Sunday. “I think it’ll be good for us down the stretch.”
Despite his class standing, Lachance is no stranger to the Boston-based tournament. Given his family’s ties to the program, the first-year understands the stakes at hand and is eager to get his own taste of BU’s winning history come Monday night.
“I’ve just been bombarded with BU history, and all I wanted to do was accomplish those things,” Lachance said. “You come to BU to win a Beanpot, win a national championship, and I think this is just one step towards that.”
Five things to know about the Huskies:
- Although Northeastern got off to a slow start this season, dropping its first seven conference games, the team is riding a five-game winning streak — including wins over No. 3 BU and No. 6 Maine.
- It took the Huskies 28 years to win their first Beanpot championship, but the annual tournament has now become theirs to lose. Northeastern is playing in its sixth-straight Beanpot final and has taken home the trophy in four of five of those games.
- The Huskies had this past weekend off but battled back in the Beanpot semifinal against Harvard. After the Crimson took a 2-1 lead in the third period, Justin Hryckowian answered back to send the game to extra time. The senior captain’s brother, Dylan, scored the overtime winner over BU on Jan. 31.
- Senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has had great success in these tournaments, scoring both of his team’s regulation goals to secure last season’s championship over Harvard.
- Both teams’ goaltenders will be playing in their first Beanpot final, with Northeastern’s freshman Cameron Whitehead starting every game this season besides one. The Husky netminder holds a .911 save percentage and 2.66 goal-against average over 23 games.
BU is set to take on Northeastern in the Beanpot Championship at TD Garden for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop. The Boston Hockey Blog will have full, on-the-ground coverage so be sure to follow along on Twitter (X) @BOShockeyblog and Instagram @boston.hockey.blog.
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