#1 Boston College hammered #6 Minnesota yesterday in a game that showed that BC can win without much regard to how the game is being played.  Early in the game Minnesota flat outplayed BC, getting by the BC defense and into position to score, but BC goalie Parker Milner was up to the task and denied Minnesota over and over again.  And what BC may have lacked in rhythm, they surely made up for with speed and opportunism, smelling blood the instant it presented itself, and instantly reacting, and seizing the moment.  So while Minnesota put ten shots on the goal in the first, compared to BC’s five, it was on a quick transition that BC beat Minnesota down the ice six minutes into the period as Steven Whitney passed to Barry Almeida at about center ice, and proceeded to skate down with Almeida, taking a last second pass right at the net to score and put BC up 1-0.  Again, Minnesota pressed throughout the first and most all of the second, so it was far from looking like it was lights out.

In the second, about six minutes into the period, BC went on the power play, and in an instant, a pass went to Kevin Hayes on the left side near the face off circle, and Hayes blistered one in to make it 2-0, BC.  Again, the pace of Minnesota’s play made this look far from a lights out situation.  And then late in the second with about two minutes remaining, two consecutive defensive misplays seemed to tell the tale of the game.  Minnesota’s Jake Hansen found himself alone in front of the net, but his shot was rejected by BC’s Milner.  An instant later, Minnesota turned it over to BC and Destry Straight fed Chris Kreider a beautiful pass, and Kreider, I think, defined the game when he blasted a shot in, making it look far, far too easy, and putting BC up 3-0.  At that point it was looking grim for Minnesota, as they had not yet capitalized on any opportunities, and they were just being outskated by a fast and slick BC attack on every opportunity.  It really did not look like it was Minnesota’s day to dig out of a three goal hole with barely more than one period to play.  To make matters worse for Minnesota, BC pretty much did it again with about thirty second left in the period, when again in fast transition, Johnny Gaudreau passed to Paul Carey — even as Gaudreau was being knocked down — and Carey got to the net with everyone out of position, to make it 4-0.

A minute into the third a pass to the middle ricocheted off the skate of Minnesota’s Jake Hansen, and got in, to make it 4-1.  But an instant later it was again Gaudreau to Carey, who quickly one-timed it in to make it 5-1.  And what the heck, BC was on a power play four minutes later, and Brian Dumoulin threw in one more to make it 6-1.

This result, BC advancing to the Championship Game, was picked by 14 of 31 entries in our pool.  Pool standings to date are listed two sections below.

The NCAA Championship Game  Satuday, 4pm Pacific Time on ESPN2

Let’s see here . . . . BC has now won eighteen straight games.  They have not lost a game since late January . . . . They have given up one single goal in three NCAA Tournament games, including giving up one single goal to the highest scoring offense in the nation, Minnesota.  Seems to me we’ve heard of these guys before.  Their appearance in this final game will be their fifth in a seven year stretch . . . .  Ferris State has only allowed one goal per game in each of their three NCAA Tournament Games.  While BC looks awfully unstoppable going into Saturday’s game, you never know.  Should Ferris State show up with the right game plan and the right execution, it could be a heck of a game, and probably an exhausting one to watch!

Our Pool

And speaking of exhausting to watch, try keeping up with all the jockeying for position going on in our pool!  I don’t think I’ve ever given a second update on pool standings after the semifinals before this, but it’s pretty interesting, so here goes.  And where it stops, no one knows!  (Entrants are listed by number of correct picks out of fourteen possible so far)

• 10 OSchreader
• 9 Cruz, Kaycie, Sell
• 8 Krajan, Kramer, Holte, Smigielski, Wienbar
• 7 Bogosian, Peterson, Ramsey, JSchreader
• 6 Allen, BBettendorf, AEsposito, JEsposito, Fairbrother, Ide, Pastor, Ryan, DShymanski, MShymanski, Speare
• 5 MBettendorf, Huberty, GSchreader, TShymanski, Slaughter, Sweeney
• 4 McLean

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom