Preview Week 1 PC @BU, NCAA screws Oksanen

Here we go for the first game of the regular season this year. First off, we have some negative news. According to multiple sources including the Boston Hockey Blog,  Finnish freshman dman Ahti Oksanen has been suspended or forced to "sit out" two games for playing two games with a professional player while in Finland. He was never paid but his teammate was so he is forced to sit out.  The rule is one of the many bullshit rules the NCAA decided to enforce on its players. They haven't had a good week as the NCAA also suspended incoming freshman forward Nic Kerdiles of Wisconsin for interactions with an agent. Kerdiles was suspended for the year however and is most likely heading for the CHL even though he wants to play college hockey,  which is just a shame. The NCAA sucks and needs to get it together before the product on the ice is diminished and disrupted more.

Now, on to the game. BU opens the regular season Saturday night at home against Providence College. Providence finished last season 14-20-4 (10-14-3). They are replacing their goaltender as is BU. PC landed big time recruit Jon Gillies after he decomitted from Northeastern. Gillies will be the starter right away. Their leading returning forwards are Ross Mauremann(10-15), Derek Army(11-11-22), and Tim Schaller. Schaller(14-7-21) led the team in points per game. The defensive corps is lead by senior captain Myles Harvery (7-10-17). Second year coach Nate Leahman has really changed the culture down in PC and it is certainly a program heading in the right direction.

Quack Quack Sr.'s notes from Merrimack-BU game tonight

This is the gist of of what Quack Quack the Elder gave me over the phone after attending tonight's game.
1. Max Nicastro takes too many chances going for big hits when he should stay home and play good defense. Merrimack's second and third goals were a result of this type of play.
2. This team keeps battling no matter the score or how the game is going which is a great attribute to have.
3. Merrimack's rink roof is way too low with four of five live pucks striking the ceiling
4. Merrimack is a punch of goons who refuse to play skilled hockey. The radio call agreed with this as they described their type of play as five goalies in front of their actual goalie.
5. It was a good tie for the Terriers to remain undefeated making a strong two goal third to tie the game.
6. The crowd was very uneducated with many girls caring more about what they are going to wear out and what inappropriate things they were going to do.
7. Merrimack's white out was pathetic attempt to intimidate BU. BU had many fans in attendance and that is nothing to what we are doing BC weekend. Just saying. Merrimack blows!
8. The officiating was average at best. Merrimack makes alot of dumb penalties so that the refs eventually start letting stuff go when normally penalties would be called.

- My opinion of this game was that BU was getting baited into playing undisciplined hockey through the first two periods and taking risks they did not need to take. I'll take this tie and the two points from a Merrimack team that always shows up against the big time schools. In the end of the day, the Terriers keep playing quality hockey and this blog owns the Warrior Rink Rat blog which thinks Merrimack is a better team than BU. Come on buddy, you play ultra conservative hockey and refuse to go on a forecheck because we are better than you in every aspect of the game. Expect Merrimack and their punkass style to get them to fifth or sixth in the conference though and BU has not seen the end of these pesky bitches. The game Jan. 12th at Merrimack will be attended by Redd10 and myself so we can give better notes but we will take QuackQuack's Sr. notes even though his pen broke.

- Overall, BU is playing about to our expectations as the third best hockey team in HE. I know we are ranked #1 for the time being but in reality, Maine and UNH are better than us right now and the rest of HE is lagging behind. Obviously BC is also very good and will turn it on at some point this year but the rest of the league is well behind the top four unless Providence Merrimack or UVM proves they can stick with the big boys over the course of a season

- Stay tuned for the press conference from Redd10