David Van der Gulik’s answer was “the middle one.”
If the game was Terrier Jeopardy!, even Jack Parker would have had trouble coming up with the question. Some options: Which of your three goals was prettiest Friday? Which card is the ace of spades? What was your favorite Godfather movie?
Try “Which of your knees is it with the torn ligament again?”
That’s right. The middle one. Van der Gulik doesn’t only have guts and guile on the ice, but off it. When he’s asked a question that could possibly aid his enemies, he’s not going to answer it. And that’s the reason why David Van der Gulik is who he is.
It hasn’t been quite the season anyone expected – or wanted – from Boston University’s best (and probably smartest) all-around hockey player.
But now that it has gotten down to it, things are going pretty well for the courageous co-captain, his Terriers and his middle knee. On a night when the senior left wing had a pair of hat tricks (one of goals, another of penalties), he was even more of a hit in the postgame press conference, where the comedic co-captain kept the media contingent in stitches.
“It’s great to get another empty-net goal,” Van der Gulik quipped after his third empty-netter out of eight goals this abbreviated season. “I’m trying to go for the record I think.”
Van der Gulik missed the first 15 games of the season with a sports hernia and an inflamed pubic bone, so he is probably not going to set any records this year. But that’s not really what he’s interested in anyway, and that’s not just the unselfish co-captain in him talking – he just really isn’t interested. On a night when he lit the lamp not once, not twice, but thrice, Van der Gulik was a little more concerned about what the Terriers need to do to get to the Frozen Four.
“Hopefully our other lines can score, too,” Van der Gulik said. “It can’t just be one line. We’re gonna have to get three lines going if we’re gonna beat the good teams.”
One thing is for sure: Van der Gulik isn’t just one of the good players, he’s one of the best. In just 20 games this year, he all of the sudden has 16 points on eight goals and eight assists. And it took him 11 games just to get his first goal.
“He’s a real good college hockey player,” his coach said, “there’s no question about that.”
Friday night, he was the three-goal difference between BU and UMass. The goals weren’t all pretty. The first was from behind the net, off UMass defenseman Topher Bevis and in. The third was an empty-netter with a minute to play to give BU a three-goal lead.
“He knows how to score. He’s always in the right spot, I guess,” said his linemate and classmate, John Laliberte. “He gets goals when we need them. He’s always done that.”
“The middle one” could have also been the answer to which of his was prettiest Friday. Streaking up the left side on a 3-on-2 in the second period – just after the Minutemen hit the crossbar in an attempt to tie the game at one – Van der Gulik spied some space beneath Gabe Winer’s blocker and inside the right post.
“That was one of my only goals this year where I probably actually aimed for where I was shooting it,” Van der Gulik said. “I definitely saw that, and before the game, our goaltender coach, he always tells us little things about the goalie. I knew low blocker side was weak.”
The Abbotsford, British Columbia native nearly had the natural hat trick minutes later, hitting the post after a great setup from Zancanaro. But Van der Gulik will take what he can get.
“It’s nice to get some bounces, cause I know I’ve had a lot of chances since I’ve been back this year, and not a lot was going in,” he said. “It’s nice to get some in.”
Parker also raved about how Van der Gulik’s line was mighty down low Friday, pinning the Minutemen in the corners and moving the puck away at will. When healthy, Van der Gulik might also be the best defensive forward in the league – though his center Zancanaro could win that award this season.
But, of course, those things don’t matter to Van der Gulik either. And Friday’s effort – in which the Minutemen skated with BU for much of the game and frustrated the Terriers at times defensively – wasn’t good enough for No. 7.
“I thought we played pretty solid,” Van der Gulik said, “but we’re gonna have to get a little bit better if we’re gonna go to the Frozen Four.”
His own effort wasn’t perfect – he was in the penalty box three times, including one instance in the third period that created a UMass 5-on-3 and enabled the Minutemen to make it a one-goal game.
“I was pretty angry, because I was letting my teammates down,” he said. “As much as I didn’t agree with the calls, I can’t put myself in those positions to let [referee] Tim [Benedetto] even think about calling it.”
As for Van der Gulik, he’s thinking about one thing. After a sports hernia, an inflamed pubic bone and a torn ligament in his knee, he’s just happy to have one more chance in the playoffs.
Friday night, in BU’s first playoff game, it showed.
KIBBLES AND BITS
As of Friday, in six Hockey East quarterfinal games, the home team has won all six. Boston College, which beat Vermont in overtime Thursday, advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2 win Friday. New Hampshire needed two overtimes Friday, but moved on to the TD Banknorth Garden with a 2-1 win over Providence after a 4-0 rout Thursday. Maine beat UMass-Lowell in overtime, 4-3, for a 1-0 lead in the Black Bears’ series at Alfond Arena … After his power-play goal in the third period, Laliberte limped straight to the locker room, then back within seconds to the ice. The big right wing is still struggling with a sprained knee he suffered against Merrimack in January. “Every game it bothers me, it’s nothing new.” Laliberte said. “It was good enough to go. It’s good enough to go tomorrow.” … The Terriers are now 5-0-0 against UMass in the Hockey East Tournament, and 24-1-0 against the Minutemen at home historically. … Parker likely wants nothing more for his 61st birthday Saturday than a trip to the Garden next weekend.