PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Boston University men’s hockey team that won Monday’s Beanpot final didn’t show up on Friday.
Beanpot hangover? Maybe. A definite — a season-long struggle with consistency.
The No. 9 Terriers (16-11-1, 10-7-1 Hockey East) fell to No. 7 Providence (17-7-5, 7-6-5 HE) 6-3 at Schneider Arena on Friday night.
“I don’t think we played a direct game,” head coach Jay Pandolfo said postgame.
Freshman forward Trevor Connelly opened the scoring for the Friars at 7:09 of the first period. Connelly entered the offensive zone at full speed, cut to the middle of the ice with a nifty move, and beat freshman Mikahil Yegorov.
Pandolfo liked the Terriers game for the first five minutes. He felt like it got away from them after surrendering the lead.
The Friars’ mix of skill and physicality gave the Terriers fits. BU struggled playing through the neutral zone on Friday, and when in the offensive zone, it was unable to get inside regularly.
“They’re very good defensively,” Pandolfo said. “When we did get our chances, their goalie was real good.”
Junior Philip Svedebäck made 30 saves for Providence. Yegorov struggled for the first time as a Terrier, stopping 17 of the 21 shots he faced. He was pulled at 16:29 of the second period after surrendering his fourth goal. Senior Mathieu Caron relieved Yegorov, seeing his first game action since Jan. 24 against Boston College. He made 10 saves in relief.
“Yegorov was not on his game tonight,” Pandolfo said. “That happens.”
“[Caron] hasn’t played in a little bit, so that was the reason behind that,” he added.
BU was sloppy, disjointed, and undisciplined in Friday’s loss — it was never in control. It was out-hustled on several occasions, most evident on the second Providence goal.
From behind the Terrier net, graduate forward Chase Yoder picked junior co-captain Ryan Greene’s pocket, collected the puck, and tucked one past Yegorov with a wraparound to make it 2-0 at 11:30 of the first.
Greene got BU on the board at 5:46 of the second period. Eight seconds into a Terrier power play, Greene blasted home a one-timer from the left circle past Svedebäck.
Twenty seconds later, sophomore forward Hudson Malinoski extended the Friar lead back to two, cleaning up a loose puck in front of Yegorov. BU challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the goal stood.
“You have to keep putting it behind them, keep forechecking, win your puck battles, get to the net,” Pandolfo said. “We didn’t have enough chances.”
After taking a 4-1 lead into the second intermission and extending it to four at 12:53 of the third period, it seemed as if the Friars had run away with the win.
But the Terriers fought back to make it 5-3, courtesy of two goals from junior forward Devin Kaplan. Senior blueliner Taige Harding made it 6-3 Providence with an empty net tally at 18:53.
Kaplan’s first goal came on the power play at 13:48. He redirected a pass from junior forward Quinn Huston past Svedebäck. The second came shorthanded at 15:33. Kaplan received a pass from sophomore forward Gavin McCarthy as he entered the offensive zone and beat a Providence defender to the inside with a spectacular individual effort.
“I thought he played real well,” Pandolfo said. “He was one of the guys that was trying to play the game the right way.”
BU arguably played its best 40 minutes of hockey of the season in the last two periods of its Beanpot final win over the Eagles on Monday but followed it up on Friday with a dud.
Consistency has evaded the Terriers all season. If they want to play into April, they’re going to need to find a way to steady their form over stretches of play. Why has it been a continued struggle?
“I’m not sure,” Pandolfo said. “I don’t have an answer for that.”
Shame on me for thinking they actually figured things out on Monday.
Not much more to say, really. They can beat anybody or lose to anybody on any given night.
They have shown that they get up for the big games. But they also seem to think they can just show up in the other games. Hard to win four straight games in a tournament competition if you don’t have the right mindset.
And the crazy thing is that Providence is not a good home team. I think they are around .500. They’re an excellent road team, but knowing us we’ll come out and play really well and beat them tomorrow.
40 has been great and had his first off night. 19 isn’t a starting D1 defenseman so hard to be upset with him. But there are a lot of guys who didn’t put out the required effort tonight.
Such a frustrating season. We’d have the same record if we just flipped a coin before each game.
🤷♂️
Thankful they won the Beanpot. And it’s good that Hockey East is so strong this season. Will be well represented in the NCAAs.
Mike
i understand if i team loses because of a lack of talent. but a lack of effort/grit— “I don’t think we played a direct game,” head coach Jay Pandolfo said postgame — that is inexcusable, especially at this point in the season.
but as they say about the definition of insanity – to do the same thing over and over and r=expect a different result….
so i got fooled too, thinking that the BP win would right the ship. the BP provided the blueprint of what it takes and they decide not to follow cuz…. why?
I am very disappointed in both our captains; Dom Fensore would not let this happen
you can not just keep turning it off and on and expect to win anything important. it does not work that way
so they win tonight, let’s say. what does that prove? sometimes they want to play and sometimes they don’t
and please do not put Caron in unless Yergy is hurt. #40 needs as much exposure to HE plaY as possible. he is the future
We all kind of knew that this was coming. Big Mike was due for a letdown. The team is not consistent at all. Keep Big Mike in net. TK out!