McAvoy: Refs cost BU ’Pot
Former Terrier salty over OT tripping call
Monday night’s Beanpot ending left a lot to be desired for what should have been one of the more exciting game’s in the tournament’s history.
Charlie McAvoy, a former Boston University defenseman, had plenty of feelings about the penalty call on BU’s Patrick Harper that led to Northeastern’s game-winning overtime power-play goal.
“It’s just really hard to end a game like that,” he said. “It’s just, it seems kind of standard with the way Hockey East officials do things. They usually find a way to take a great hockey game and kind of leave their handprint on it for no reason. I think it’s terrible, it’s been the same thing. Whenever I watch their games I’m just seeing bad officiating. It’s frustrating for the players and I feel bad for them, the coaches. Everyone works so hard and you put so much in to try to win that tournament and people that have nothing to do with it like the officials, I think they should ref it like Game 7. Put the whistles away, because at the end of the night someone’s gonna win a trophy and you shouldn’t have anything to do with that. I feel bad.”
McAvoy played in the Beanpot twice in his two years with BU, and had some teammates left from his time there who will end their careers with the Terriers without ever having hoisted the trophy at TD Garden.
That includes Harper, who was a freshman when McAvoy was a sophomore, and ended his hopes of winning the Beanpot while in the penalty box.
“Really, really sad for those kids,” said McAvoy. “This was the last year I had some guys I played with on that team. That senior class, Harper and (Patrick) Curry and (Gabriel) Chabot, those guys, it’s just a shame. I feel really bad for them. It’s hard to take anything away from Northeastern because they won and they’re a really good team and who knows what would have happened if it just keeps going five-onfive.”
BU tied the game with 1.2 seconds left after surrendering four goals in the second period, falling into a two-goal deficit going into the third before battling back. They had their chances to score, too, but the only penalty of overtime went against Harper, which has been nearly universally disputed.
McAvoy, of course, has a dog in the fight, being friends with several BU players, and he was at the game Monday and talked to some players afterward.
Aside from fellow BU alums Charlie Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk, though, the rest of the Bruins didn’t have a vested interest, however they recognize what the Beanpot means to Boston and the international stage its reached.
“All four D1 teams in the Boston area, it’s pretty cool,” said Karson Kuhlman, who played college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth. “All the fans, I’m pretty sure they packed it last couple of Mondays so that’s pretty sweet. … I have (watched) in the past. Monday night, you have good hockey going on.”
The games were on TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States, giving the tournament the widest reach its ever had. In the past, it’s something that might have only been appreciated locally.
“I went to like, every one,” said Chris Wagner. “Until I went to school, pretty much. I always wanted to go to a Beanpot school, but I got some interest, but not a lot. I paid attention to it, though. … I didn’t see the penalty (Monday), I just saw (Northeastern) score, but from Grizz and Chuck … yeah.”