At 12:46 PM 2/4/99 -0500, Ed wrote:
 
>Next Monday will be fun, with 75% of the Fleet Center rooting for
>Northeastern and against BU, as usual. :-)
 
Hopefully as usual it means that BU will win [bigger grin]
 
It oughtta be interesting, with both teams outrageously primed to win this
one. For BU it's the Drive For Five and pretty much the only way to salvage
an otherwise depressing season. For NU it's also the opportunity to salvage
a very down year, but an even bigger opportunity to collect the
ever-elusive Beanpot (NU is in fourth for number of titles).
 
Additionally, it's another matchup with BU, who I'd say is NU's biggest
hockey rival (and NU is BU's 2nd rival after Boston College).
 
I expect one of two games for monday:
 
A close, relatively high-scoring game that ius decided near the end,
perhaps 6-4. If this is indeed the case I hate to admit it but I gotta go
with Northeastern as the favorite.
 
But I'm tempted to say that on Monday BU will take the win and a fifth
consecutive trophy. If BU plays the kind of game they had against BC -- or
the kind they've played against top-ranked teams all year -- then NU will
be lukcy to get more than 2 goals in the net, with BU coming out on top as
a 3-2 winner. I'd look for the first period to end 0-0 or 1-1, with most of
the action coming in the third period. Lots of chances for NU -- a lot more
than BU -- but Laroque will save the team.
 
However the key for BU is not in Laroque; he's steady and talented. But no
matter how good Laroque is he can't make up for the defense. No goalie can
deal with every breakaway or screened shot, no matter how fast or lucky.
The young BU defense needs to be focused and strong on Monday for the team
to win. The offense and the goals will come. The defense needs to play
smart. That means no stupid penalties, no leaving an open man in front of
the crease. A defense can be very overmatched and inexperienced (as BU's
defense is this season), but with a goalie like Laroque can keep even the
best teams to 4 goals if they're focused. As long as the offense keeps pace
-- which they can against Northeastern -- then BU will be skating the rink
yet again, and yet another group of seniors will be able to claim the honor
of having won all four of their beanpots.
 
 
Heck, I don't even care about Friday's game [grin].
 
 
greenie
 
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