It took an extra game ‘-‘- the fault of an embarrassing defensive effort ‘-‘- but the No. 1 Boston University men’s hockey team overcame its worst showing of the year to move forward no worse for wear. Whether it was a much-needed wakeup call or just another lackluster effort in a long string of them, Saturday’s 6-3 beating from the University of Maine could prove to be a valuable learning experience for the Terriers.
If last night’s series-clinching 6-2 victory means anything, BU is already working to fix its mistakes as it advances on to TD Banknorth Garden for the semifinal round of the Hockey East Tournament against No. 18 Boston College.
Since winning the Beanpot back in February, the Terriers have not showed the complete hockey that elevated them to the top of the national rankings. Saturday night was the culmination of a month-long stretch of defensive lapses and relaxed play that had BU looking content to coast into the NCAA Tournament and ramp up the energy for the playoffs. Maine reminded the Terriers that there is no room for cruise control in Hockey East, where a loss of focus can easily spell an exit from postseason play.
‘You never get woken up when you don’t lose. We had a long time since we lost,’ BU coach Jack Parker said, referring to the team’s 17-game unbeaten streak that Maine halted. ‘What happened to us these first two games, it certainly got us going better tonight.’
‘We kind of thought we were going to the Garden after Friday night, and that’s not acceptable,’ sophomore Nick Bonino said. ‘The leaders on this team, the seniors, called us out on it, and everyone buckled down and came to play tonight.’
The BU team that left the ice with heads down in disappointment Saturday after the Black Bears battered freshman goalie Kieran Millan for six goals stayed far away from Agganis Arena Sunday night. Parker rotated five defenseman through the first two periods, rather than the usual six, in an effort to keep his best talent on the ice. Senior Steve Smolinsky, who has been replacing injured junior Brian Strait beside senior Matt Gilroy, watched from the bench for most of the game after coughing up a puck that resulted in a goal Saturday.
The defensive corps that was so haphazard in front of its own net the night before starred in Sunday’s turnaround. BU’s defensemen forced the Black Bears to throw soft shots on net from above the circles, allowing Millan to regain the composure he lost in allowing six goals Saturday, the worst performance of his career. The Terriers managed to keep the crease clear of traffic and get the puck to the wings to advance into the offensive zone, where their talented group of forwards had no trouble putting pucks past Maine freshman goalie Scott Darling.
Thorough hockey in all three zones has been a staple for BU this season, but it slipped away in recent weeks. Saturday’s loss, which senior Brandon Yip termed a ‘slap in the face,’ might have been a necessary catalyst for the Terriers to break out of their funk and return to the top of their game.
In the first two games of the quarterfinal series, Maine enforced its physical presence with punishing hits that drained energy from BU, which struggled to put together an offensive rhythm either night. Last night, the Terriers played with a spark from the get-go, beginning with sophomore Colby Cohen’s twine-seeking slap shot on the second shift of the game.
‘Leading up to that game, we haven’t been on our game lately,’ Yip said. ‘We’ve kind of been missing that edge and that intensity that we need and that’s carried us this far. We came out tonight as hard as we can.’
With three weeks left in the season ‘-‘- if BU keeps winning ‘-‘- the Terriers can’t afford to play the careless hockey that was on display Saturday night. Last night’s team, clicking on all cylinders as it turned away an inferior opponent, is the one Parker expects to see until the season concludes. And if he does, he might just have to thank Maine for waking a sleeping giant from its slumber.
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