Since I know from all the private replies there's a big gaggle of Terrier
fans out there -- who've all been pretty darn quiet this year -- some
idiotic ramblings on BU this year.
Hard to believe that I'm so excited to see BU reach .500 with the victory
over Ohio State. The last time I saw this team struggle like this was in
88-89, when BU captain, Mike Kelfer, would spend entire shifts
cherrypicking on the blue line while his teammates struggled on defense.
Even in shorthanded situations.
Big difference this year seems to be that the guys seem to understand that
their victories will only come when every line, every player is playing at
the top of their potential -- especially Laroque.
The good news is that there are a lot more players with a lot more
potential than the squad in 88-89 had.
The bad news is that this team can't continue to count on Laroque to save them.
Hopefully the return of Tommi Degerman will bring some offense back into
the game -- that is, will bring offense in against stronger opponents like
Ohio State. Given that they faced Jeff Maund and Ohio State, winning a 2-1
game is a strong point for a team without any true offensive powerhouse or
goal scoring magician. However, to put only 4 shots on goal in the third
period against OSU's 15... no matter how good Laroque is, he's not going to
save the team every time, even on his best nights.
It should be interesting to see how long Laroque and the BU defense hold
together; it's definitely a new sensation to see a BU team winning games by
playing tough, clogging defense rather than outscoring opponents. Then
again, it's what got BU past Michigan in the NCAA semis two years ago.
Unfortunately, it didn't get them past UNH last year. Too many chances in
OT for the Wildcats meant BU missed the big dance in its own backyard.
Still, this could be a different team. Many feel that BU simply looked
passt UNH last year, a team that had been struggling towards the end of the
season. Likewise, perhaps more opponents may be looking past games against
BU this year, dismissing the Terriers as a rebuilding team -- in the same
way Princeton and Boston College did earlier this season.
Over the current winning streak of six games, BU has allowed only 12 goals.
Might they actually be able to keep this up? Not when allowing 15 SOG in
the final period, no. Hopefully added offensive pressure up front will cut
down the defensive requirements, but I'm not counting on it yet. For now,
the third period means BU fans hold their breath for 35-40 minutes.
A week from now will come this "new" BU team's first really big test -- a
Walter Brown matchup against Maine. After that there's definite potential
that BU could enter the Beanpot with a winning record, with matches against
Merrimack, Northeastern, UMass and Lowell. While no games are "easy" for BU
this year, January's schedule is the easiest it'll get for the Terriers.
They've got a very tough road to travel in 1999, and would do well to
finish 4th in Hockey East. However, only 9 more wins and they're assured of
a winning season.
Although we've all accepted that this season would be a tough one for the
Terriers, it's really sinking in that BU will be probably missing out on
the tournament this year. 5 more losses -- a strong probability given the
remaining amount of games against Maine, UNH and BC -- and they'll fall
short of an at-large bid, especially considering that as many as two HEA
teams could wind up with at-large bids this year.
As for automatic bids, it's pretty much a pipe dream. The only hope that BU
really has in that department would be to win the HEA tournament, and to do
so they'll have to make it past two of HEA's "big three" -- quite possibly
all three opponents if BU fails to reach .500 by the end of the regular season.
Which I guess is what makes the Mariucci result all the more important;
aside from the Beanpot, tonight's championship against Princeton is most
likely going to be their biggest game of the year, and given their
first-round matchup with BC in the 'pot, the Mariucci represents their best
chance at a trophy for the season.
And on a final note -- it's great to see that so few BU fans have counted
them out this year. Walter Brown has been packing the crowds in all year,
even when the team was 1-8-2. 10 years ago, there were very few games that
would stack fans to the ceiling.
greenie
ps: If they manage to finish the season at .500, just imagine how much
confidence those 16 underclassmen will have for the years to come!
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