The Hockey East Tournament probably went as badly as it could have gone.

I mean, let’s be serious here, is there anything worse than losing to Boston College?

The answer, I suppose, is yes. The Icedogs got pulverized 6-2 by the Eagles, leading to an eventual tournament win from the Evil Empire at the end of the Green Line.

In my constant drunken stupor in Jamaica, I was unable to process this information when it was first presented to me. In fact, on numerous occasions, I slapped my roommate high five and got pumped for the Hockey East finals.

So what does this loss mean for the Terrier hockey squad? It’s hard to say.

If we ever have to pull Johnny Curry, that’s a very bad sign. Luckily for us, this doesn’t happen very often – or at all, before last week’s semifinal.

The bottom line is this: The success of this team will largely depend on the success of one of the greatest goaltenders in NCAA hockey history. Obviously, when you’ve had a season and a career like Curry’s had, you’re entitled to a few tough games.

The star goaltender faces moments of intense pressure before, during and after every game. Obviously, with the way Curry has risen to the challenge in the Beanpot Championship year after year, it’s clear he has the capability to have huge games.

For whatever reason, however, Curry has had some difficulty against BC in the recent big tournament games. In fact, if you were to combine the last two big tournament losses (last year’s NCAA tournament loss and this year’s Hockey East semifinals), BC has scored a total of 11 goals against the Terriers.

Ugly.

And honestly, the goals have not all been the netminder’s fault. So, of course, no one would put all the blame on the assistant captain’s shoulders.

But if you look at the NCAA basketball tournament (which BU is not playing in. However, after watching University at Albany get absolutely crushed by University of Virginia, I’m kind of glad we didn’t make it. BU’s got enough embarrassing characteristics – our bball team getting thrashed on national television was the last thing we needed.), the stars always come out when it counts.

But what we need from our captains, and namely from Curry, is what I like to call the “Acie Law IV Factor.”

I think it’s clear from our recent play and the most recent destruction courtesy of Boston College that the Terriers have a slight tendency to become the Terrbsiers. The only way for us to win in this tournament is to rely on our star in a way similar to how Texas A’M University relies on Law.

Law is a point guard that distributes the ball to his teammates while also providing leadership and is absolutely clutch. On the other side of the spectrum, the University of Texas superstar, Kevin Durant, is exactly what our team doesn’t need.

Although Curry is perhaps the premier star on the team, if the Terriers lean on him, we’ll come crumbling down like a Jenga tower at a frat party.

However, if we employ more of the Law Factor than the Durant Factor, it could be what gets us through the first round and ultimately into the Frozen Four. An early score or a few solid defensive plays strung together could give Curry the confidence needed to take some of the pressure off of him.

I’ve heard people say that being a goalie is the loneliest position in all of sports. Because of that, I often wonder what’s going through his head during a game.

I mostly just figure it’s stuff like, “Oh [expletive], there that comes, better deflect that [expletive], let me take a look at that replay . . . All right, I like that.”

Anyway, with all those thoughts traveling through his head during the most important game of the season, we probably don’t want him trying to shoulder the load of every goal scored both for and against us.

I think everyone’s in agreement that Curry has had nothing less than a phenomenal career at BU. His save percentage, win-loss record and Beanpot performances speak for themselves.

Unless BU finally advances to the Frozen Four, however, those statistics are not going to mean a whole lot. What we have to hope for is Curry to put his last performance against BC behind him and for the rest of the squad to pick up its play.

The good news for Terrier fans is this: We’re starting off against Michigan State University. I think with all the local rivalries and student issues that come as a result of Hockey East, the mental breakdowns are somewhat inevitable.

So, while we’ve fallen apart at this juncture, all it takes is one quick victory over a Big 10 team to put us back on the right track.

And hey, even if we lose, I probably won’t accept it for about four years anyway.

Anthony Flum, a senior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].