No. 6 men’s hockey takes down No. 8/9 Providence on road

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — For the first 10 minutes of the No. 6 Boston University men’s hockey team’s game at No. 8/9 Providence College, the Friars controlled the pace of play and possession.

When fourth-line winger Steven McParland ripped a slapshot through a screen and by junior netminder Matt O’Connor, Providence also held the edge of the scoreboard.

This early tally for the Friars (1-3-1, 0-1 Hockey East) could’ve easily spooked the Terriers (4-0, 2-0 Hockey East). But in actuality, it gave BU the scare it needed en route to a 4-1 victory at Schneider Arena on Friday.

The Terriers scored four unanswered goals Friday, giving the Terriers a 4-0 game record to start the year, the first time the program has done this in 13 years.

“As thorough as we were, we kept it simple,” said BU coach David Quinn. “And we just played simple, smart hockey. When you got some talent, and you play simple, smart hockey, good things are more likely going to happen than not.”

What started as an eventful game in net for O’Connor, turned into a game in which he had very little to do at all. After the initial rush by the Friars, PC’s attack was stabilized by a Terrier defense that allowed 18 shots toward goal. In the third period, just three shots went O’Connor’s way.

Led by junior captain Matt Grzelcyk and freshman defenseman John MacLeod, BU pushed the Friars outside of the slot and toward the side boards. Grade-A chances were few and far between. The return of first line forward Mark Jankowski and defenseman Tom Parisi was not enough to poke holes through an almost spotless defense.

“[The Friars] get Jankowski back, and they get Parisi back,” Quinn said. “I know it can happen. I’ve coached plenty of teams. You get good players back, and all of a sudden, the first they come back, you have a little bit of a downward spiral.”

The BU defensive corps not only excelled in its own end. It more than contributed offensively. The unit made playing against All-Hockey East preseason goalie Jon Gillies look easy. MacLeod got the scoring started at 11:26 in the first when he sniped the right corner as junior forward Matt Lane set a screen down low in front of the net.

For MacLeod, his first collegiate goal could not have been possible without his teammates,  he said.

“The puck came right out to me, and I just wanted to get a shot on net — hopefully guys were going to go to the net — and it happened to go in,” MacLeod said. “It was a nice play by Matt Lane to set me up.”

Tied headed to the second frame, the Terriers added a rebound goal each from junior forward Ahti Oksanen and senior assistant captain Evan Rodrigues. Oksanen tapped in a shot from freshman forward Jack Eichel that squirted by Gillies and into an open net on the power play.

A specific strategy wasn’t the road to success for a power play that began the season 0-for-7. Determination to win puck was the key.

“You can talk about a 1-3-1 and an overload and all that garbage,” Quinn said. “You win puck battles, you move the puck, you’re ready to shoot one-timers and you move. I don’t care what system you want to put in place. That’s the remedy for a successful power play. And that’s what they did.”

As Eichel added his fourth goal of the season on a partial breakaway at 3:21 in the third, the Terriers seized the flow of the game. But a game seemingly in hand almost slipped away. Penalties kept the Terriers shorthanded for eight minutes between the second and third periods.

A special teams unit that allowed two goals against the No. 15 University of Michigan made a 180-degree spin at Schneider Arena. Not only did the Friars not score on their power-play opportunities, but they recorded only two shots. And that, in Quinn’s mind, was the most crucial aspect of the win.

“I thought we cleared the puck well. I thought we did a nice job on the forecheck,” Quinn said. “Our sticks were outstanding tonight. I thought a lot of times when I thought they had some good chances, we just got a stick on it. Our penalty kill was huge. And it’s 4-1, and they get a goal, 4-2, anything can happen. I thought our penalty kill was immense.”

A win on the road against a top-10 ranked opponent is a feel-good win for most teams, and rightfully so. Saturday night’s game on the back-end of the home-and-home series though, according to Quinn, will be his team’s biggest challenge yet.

“Once we get on that bus, we’re getting ready to win a hockey game tomorrow night,” Quinn said, “and a very difficult one.”