By Jake Seiner/DFP Staff
Offense: A-minus
The three goals aren’t entirely impressive, but that subpar total is mostly a credit to UVM goaltender Rob Madore. The Terriers were absolutely buzzing around the Catamount net, especially in the first period. Madore had to make a number of dazzling saves to keep BU off the board in the first as the Terriers tested him with nine grade-A chances and 16 shots on goal. In particular, BU’s top lines were outstanding. The top line of Charlie Coyle, Chris Connolly and Sahir Gill combined for 10 shots and five grade-A chances, while Alex Chiasson, Corey Trivino and Matt Nieto totaled 10 shots and 10 grade-A chances.
Defense: A
This writer doesn’t hand out A-grades lightly –– in fact, this is probably the first. But the Terriers were that good in their own end, holding UVM to nine grade-A shots the entire game, including just one in the second period. Parker said postgame he thought freshman Adam Clendening looked like an All American Saturday, while Max Nicastro and Sean Escobedo both played possibly their best games of the year. Vermont isn’t the most talented team in Hockey East, but BU was downright unbreakable in its own end tonight.
Special Teams: A-minus
The Terriers scored both their goals on five-minute power plays, and held UVM to three shots on three power-play chances. BU continued to make big strides on the man-up, moving the puck quickly and effectively, and the PK was as stingy as its been for the last month or so, when it’s been fantastic. The big hang up here is that UVM is an awful team on both sides of the power play, converting just 13.2 percent of its man-up chances and killing just 80 percent of opponents chances heading into Saturday’s game.
Goaltending: A-minus
Kieran Millan lost a would-be shutout with 4.5 seconds to play, continuing a habit of losing potential blankings late in games. Because the defense played so well, Millan wasn’t asked to handle as much tonight as others, but he still had to make a handful of crucial saves. Most notably, the junior robbed Lenz on a 2-on-1 rush in the first period with a nifty glove save that could’ve swayed momentum big time as Madore played the part of Patrick Roy at the other end.
X-Factor: It’s a 60-minute game…
…and BU played it for all 60 minutes. The cliché has been a huge talking point for the Terriers for the past few weeks, as third-period leads have slipped away. Locking this one down with a strong third period is crucial for BU’s psyche, especially after blowing a 3-0 lead in the third period Friday night against the Catamounts. With the power play working and the team settling into a solid mental state, the Terriers could be bringing their full skillset right into for at the perfect time.
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