>
> Having watched the HE tourney on NESN (I paid for the channel,
> might as well watch), my impression of BU is that Parker built
> a heckuva balanced team.  Nice size, good speed, plenty of role
> players (Greer (spelling?) scares me), four lines, big defense,
> not great BUT very good goal tending.  The one thing that they
> seem to lack is one or two game breaking, Hobey Baker finalist-type
> forwards.  When they played Maine they seem to wear you down more
> than blow you away.  Do you think that this will hurt them in a
> Michigan or LSSU matchup, or will their overall strength be
> enough?  Recalling last year's final, that seems to have been
> the deciding factor.
>
> Larry latour
> UMaine
>
 
Having watched BU all year, I could not agree with your analysis more.
 
Will the lack of a true sniper, Hobey-calibre forward hurt them?  Yes.
Will it cost them?  I'm not sure.
 
The positive:  They have become a very hard-working team that can just keep
coming at you.  In the HE finals vs. Lowell, the first two lines did not score
while the third got one and the fourth got two.  This team works harder than
some of the BU teams of the early 90's.
 
The negative:  They HAVE to work hard to win.  BU is not a team capable of
scoring a lot of goals in a hurry.  They do not put teams away easily.  The
biggest problem is that, down by a goal late in the game, BU does not have a
"go-to" line on whose shoulders you can put the game.
 
The one wild-card factor that could help BU is the experience they have.
When watching the games coming up, what I would look for is penalties.  The
penalties alone will not kill BU, but it is more of a sign of how they're
going.  If BU is getting even all over the ice, focusing more on hitting than
the game (for an extended period), they might be in trouble.  If, however, the
game seems a little dull, with few penalties and not much up-and-down action,
then BU will win easily.  In a slow, grind-it-out game, LSSU is the only team
that I see as capable of beating BU.  In a penalty-fest with up-and-down action
and many steals on both sides, BU may be in trouble.
 
 
 
Well, good luck to all 4 Hockey East teams in the tourney, especially to
Lowell, who deserved better.  Hey, make it to St. Paul and I'll buy Twombly
and Hendrickson a beer!  Sorry, but I'm not sure if it's legal for me to buy
one for Rolo, being a player at my father's alma mater. :-)  (but a smiley with
a touch of reality)
 
 
Tony  BU'92'93
Former Ogre