’Pot full of storylines
The 65th annual Beanpot hockey tournament swings into action tonight at the Garden, and fans will have plenty to focus on amid the haze of all the Super Bowl hoopla. Here are five things that should grab your attention when the puck is dropped:
Keller’s star turn
Over the course of the Beanpot’s storied history, every decade has featured one player who stands out and draws immediate attention virtually every time he steps on the ice. The latest star-inthe-making is Boston University’s speedy freshman center Clayton Keller, who has drawn comparisons to Terriers all-time leading scorer John Cullen.
Keller, a first-round pick by Arizona in last June’s NHL draft, was tabbed one of Team USA’s top three performers at the recent world junior tournament, where the Americans claimed gold. He’s riding a 14-game point streak (10 goals, 14 assists), and Jack Eichel was the last Terrier with that long of a run, in 2014-15.
BU at full strength
While special teams play is always an important consideration during any tournament, it’s interesting to note that BU has been terrific in 5-on-5 play of late. The perennial favorite and thirdranked Terriers have allowed just four even-strength goals in the past eight games, going 6-2-0 in that stretch. Ace freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger went a span of 273 minutes, 17 seconds, without giving up an even-strength goal over four-plus starts before Merrimack connected for one on Jan. 27. Of course, it helps when you can send out a starting defense of six NHL draft picks: Brandon Hickey (Calgary) with Dante Fabbro (Nashville), Chad Krys (Chicago) with Charlie McAvoy (Bruins), and captain Doyle Somerby (New York Islanders) with John MacLeod (Tampa Bay).
Happy returns for NU
A year ago, Northeastern received a spark with the return of defenseman Dustin Darou from a broken ankle. He helped stabilize the back line and lead the Huskies on a run that culminated in their first Hockey East title since 1988. NU coach Jim Madigan is hopeful that tonight’s return of injured junior forward Nolan Stevens (upper body) can have the same type of impact.
“Yeah, he’s day-to-day right now, but we’re excited for Nolan when he returns. I agree that he could have the same impact on the forward position as Darou did last year for the defense,” Madigan said.
Taking offense
Defending champion Boston College does not possess a 30-point scorer, yet the potent Eagles rate among the nation’s top offensive producers with 99 goals, 180 assists and a whopping 279 points. But in two earlier wellplayed games with rival BU, the Eagles lost both and only scored one goal in the process. Said BC coach Jerry York, “We played pretty well, but pretty well isn’t good enough when you’re going against a good opponent.”
By comparison, the Terriers have amassed 49 less points — 84 goals, 146 assists — but won those games by scores of 2-1 and 3-0. It will be interesting to see if that Terriers defense can turn the same trick tonight. “Obviously over the years it’s always a great hockey game,” said BU coach David Quinn. “It usually comes down to one team with its goalie pulled. So we look forward to more of the same this year.”
Breaking the hex
The winner of the opener tonight will have a chance to break its extended Beanpot drought in the final on Feb. 13. Harvard hasn’t won the title since 1993 while Northeastern has to go back to 1988 for its last bit of Beanpot glory. The respective goalies will play a big role in who inevitably gets the chance at the trophy. Harvard junior Merrick Madsen (15-5-2, 2.17 goals-against average, .919 save percentage) and Northeastern sophomore Ryan Ruck (1110-4, 3.14 GAA, .890 SP) both have had some up-and-down moments this season.
“For me, and all of the guys who grew up around here, the Beanpot is life,” said Harvard co-captain Devin Tringal, who hails from Medford. “Just being in it isn’t good enough; we want to win it.”
Said Madigan: “We might not have always gotten the results that we’d like here but we’ve played well. Our guys like playing in the Garden, with the crowd, the atmosphere and the emotion. We’ve been close in the Beanpot but haven’t been able to knock down the door.”