Originally posted by [log in to unmask]
Forwarded to the list by [log in to unmask]
 
Providence College defeated Boston College 5-2 at
Providence last night to take a 1-0 lead in their
quarterfinal Hockey East playoff.
 
I'll have to limit my comments to a few brief
impressions.  Not knowing I would be the lone hockey-l
attendee, I had neither paper nor pen with me, and with
the storm outside my mind was often on the ride home I
still had to face.
 
As best as I can remember it....
 
PC took a 1-0 lead in the first.  For the middle ten
minutes of the period the Friars took complete control
of the game, keeping the puck in the BC zone for
extended periods and quickly turning around the few
rushes the Eagles got and turning them into PC scoring
chances.  Their play was among the best they've shown
in a while.  BC evened things up with just a few
minutes left until intermission.
 
In the second period PC went back up 2-1 when a BC
defender gave up on a puck at his blue line and the
Friars swooped in and converted an easy 2 on 1.  Play
became increasingly chippy with lots of clutch and grab
and a regular parade to the penalty box for much of the
rest of the game.  Referees Cole and Taylor had their
hands full and weren't helped by the penalty clock
going on the fritz.
 
BC scored very early in the third to make it 3-2 and
put the outcome back in doubt but PC countered
extending the lead to 5-2 which is how it ended.
 
I didn't think BC netminder Greg Taylor was at his best
tonight.  He was stung on his left side (arm?
shoulder?) by a close in PC wrister in the first period
and took a minute or two to shake off the effects.  I
can't say if that effected the rest of his game, but he
was clearly frustrated with his own play after the
third PC goal, a soft slap shot right along the ice
that he surprizingly did not stop.
 
Both BC and all but PC's last goal came on the
powerplay.  That's especially good news for the Friars
whose PP has been anemic of late.  I believe the stat
is something like less than 15% over their last seven
games.  They did have one man advantage situation in
the second though where they were so disorganized that
they would have been better off to have declined the
penalty.  B-)
 
Best line of the night came from the PC student
section, an area not usually known for being especially
into the game.  After one non-call a fan yelled "C'mon
ref, that's illegal in 48 states."  If others have used
that line before I'd never heard it, but I sure do wish
I'd thought of it first.
 
In all a good outing for the Friars. Dan Dennis again
looked solid in the PC net on the few BC chances there
were although he was not tested often.
 
The Eagles looked frustrated for much of the night.
Taylor's concentration seems to suffer after he makes a
mistake or is unhappy with the play in front of him,
which of course makes it even harder for his team to
get back into the match.
 
The game was played before a sparse crowd that I'd
guess was about 300.  Among the missing was Ron
Correia, who usually posts the PC boxes.  Sorry I
couldn't stick around to pick one up but I was anxious
to start my battle with the elements and try to get
home.  I was told Ron was off elsewhere playing in the
snow by attaching sticks to his feet and sliding down
hills.  Weeeeeee!!!!  Considering the storm going on at
game time he could have stayed home and saved some big
bucks.  B-)  I also didn't see BC hockey-l'er Rick
McAdoo and will assume he used the sense God gave him
and didn't make the trip down (unlike myself!)
 
Same two teams tonight.  With BC's season on the line
it should be interesting to see if the chippiness
carries over and if PC can wrap things up and get
themselves on a roll just in time for a trip to the
Fleet Center.
 
 -- Bill
 
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