I know the season has been over for like two weeks now, but up until now I just hadn't had the desire to write about hockey season. It always pisses me off when our season ends early, and I felt I probably needed to wait a little while before I wrote this to avoid ranting the whole time. This isn't going to be comprehensive, considering I'm forgetful and will leave stuff out by accident for sure...
Overview
The 2010-2011 Terriers were, for lack of a better metaphor, a roller coaster ride. College hockey's version of Space Mountain, if you will. They started with a title right off the bat, defeating Wisconsin and then Notre Dame to claim the 2010 Ice Breaker Invitational. They then either won or tied their next 8 games - 4 wins, 4 ties, to put them at 6-0-4 on the year. Because of this run, the Terriers jumped to #1 in the country for exactly one week. It would only go downhill from here...
They then proceeded to win just 2 of their next 9 games, a stretch that included losses to UNH, BC(2), RPI and Brown, as well as ties to Brown and Notre Dame. That left the Terriers with a record of 8-5-4 heading into the second semester, and a knowledge that if this Terrier squad was going to make any noise coming down they stretch they needed some points - and fast. The Terriers got the boost they were looking for by going 5-2-1 to start the second half, beating UNH, UVM, Harvard, Maine and Lowell while losing to BC and Merrimack (and tying Maine).
If the hot start to the season was supposed to be good news for the 2011 Beanpot, it wasn't. BU lost a dramatic overtime game to BC in the opening round, and then compounded that by losing to perennial Beanpot bottom dweller Harvard in the consolation game. With only 6 regular season games remaining for BU (they beat Amherst in between the two Beanpot games), it seemed as if our hopes for a Hockey East playoff run had diminished with the demoralizing Beanpot losses to BC and Harvard...
But as this season often went, the Terriers did the exact opposite of what you expected. In their last 6 games, they lost only one (to Northeastern on senior night) and posted a 4-1-1 record to close out the year. That put them at 18-10-8 on the season (15-6-6 in HE) and 3rd place in the division, earning a matchup with #6 seeded Northeastern in the Hockey East playoffs. If the Terriers wanted to advance to the NCAAs, they need to reach at least the semifinals of HE, meaning defeating N'Eastern in a best 2 out of 3 matchup at Agganis.
But as they tended to do, the Terriers dropped 2 at home against Northeastern, and not even a last minute scramble in game 3 would do BU any good - the season was done, it was time to golf.
(Lack of) Power Play
If there was one consistent problem that plagued the Terriers throughout the season, it was goal scoring - especially on the power play. BU's power play finished the year operating at 14.9%, one of the lowest rates in the country. Essentially, BU would convert every 7th powerplay, meaning many nights going 0-5 and 0-6 with the man advantage. This lack of success on the powerplay often times cost the
Terriers games and cost them momentum as well. If a team knew that they could maintain ground in the game even while committing penalty after penalty, it made it easier for them to play physically and not worry about the consequences. Plus, it just sucks to suck on the powerplay.
Closing Time
One of the more impressive statistics from this season was BU's situational records when leading after the first or second period. When leading after the first period, BU was 10-2-3, and when leading after the second period, BU was 13-1-4. In conference, BU didn't lose a single game when leading after the second period. Although this would seem to be what you would expect out of a team, it's still a testament to their work ethic and ability that once they gained a lead, they rarely choked it away.
Fresh Meat
Another positive that fans can take away from this past season is the emergence of the freshman class. Charlie Coyle, Matt Nieto, Adam Clendening, Garrett Noonan and Sahir Gill all logged serious ice time for the Terriers. Coyle, Nieto, Gill and Clendening all registered in the top-ten in Hockey East freshman scoring, with Coyle winning Hockey East rookie of the year awards for his efforts. They all should be back next year, and if you're a BU fan you have to like that.
Kierantime?
I was trying to rip off "Jimmertime" but it just doesn't work as well with Kieran. Whatever. Point is that Kieran Millan was a force in the net this season, compiling numbers far better than last year with a much younger defense. While Kieran's numbers weren't always otherworldly, he always turned in his best effort night in and night out. He was capable of making the highlight save as well as the routine one, and if there was one thing that I worried about the least game in and game out it was the performance of Kieran Millan. As long as BC wasn't warming up at the other end of the ice, I knew we were fine. He was truly this year's MVP; this team would have been up a river without a paddle without him this season. If the only loss that this year's defensive corps has is Warsofsky, expect to see Millan's numbers get even better next year with a more experienced group in front of him.
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