Two Series End, Two Go On in 2024 NHL Playoffs

Two first-round NHL playoff series were extended, and two other series ended tonight in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The visiting Toronto Maple Leafs stayed alive with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins in overtime Tuesday. Matthew Knies (Minnesota) notched the game-winning goal in the extra session, while Joseph Woll (Boston College) made 27 saves in all for Toronto, which had lost the last two games to the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman (Maine) had 31 stops for Boston, which now leads the Eastern Conference series, three games to two. The winner will take on the defending conference champion Florida Panthers, who eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning last night in Game Five of that series.

The visiting Nashville Predators edged the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, to stay alive in their Western Conference series. Quinn Hughes (Michigan) assisted on the Canucks' lone goal, while Gustav Nyquist (Maine) helped set up Nashville's game-winning goal in the third period. The road team has won the last four games so far in the series, with Vancouver now leading, three games to two. The victor will meet the winner of the Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings series, with Edmonton currently ahead there, three games to one.

The Winnipeg Jets saw their 2023-24 campaign come to a close with a 6-3 loss to the visiting Colorado Avalanche in Game Five of their Western Conference tilt. The Avalanche, who won the last four games of the series after dropping the opener nine days prior, got two assists from Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) and one apiece from Cale Makar (UMass) and Casey Mittelstadt (Minnesota). Kyle Connor (Michigan) notched one goal for Winnipeg, while Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 26 saves for the Jets, who outshot, outhit and won more faceoffs on the night than Colorado. The Avs will await the winner of the Dallas Stars-Vegas Golden Knights series, which is tied at two games apiece.

The host Carolina Hurricanes ousted the New York Islanders with a 6-3 win in Game Five of their Eastern Conference series. Jack Drury (Harvard) scored the game-winner early in the third period for the Hurricanes, who tallied the game's final three goals after the Islanders had rebounded to force a three-all tie after 40 minutes of play. Brady Skjei (Minnesota) had two assists in the final 20 minutes for Carolina, which scored eight seconds apart in that stanza to regain the lead. Brock Nelson (North Dakota) scored one goal and set up another for New York, which was eliminated by the Hurricanes in the first round for the second straight spring. Carolina will now face the top-seeded New York Rangers, who swept the Washington Capitals in their first-round matchup.

Boeser Vaults Canucks to Late Win in Game Four

The Vancouver Canucks were missing Casey DeSmith (New Hampshire) in goal, due to an injury he suffered while earning his first career Stanley Cup Playoff victory in Game Three of their first-round series against the Nashville Predators.

That's OK. They still had Brock Boeser (North Dakota) up front.

Boeser scored all three goals for the Canucks in regulation, including two extra-attacker goals in the final three minutes of the third period on Sunday afternoon in Tennessee to force a three-all tie. Elias Lindholm then connected just over a minute into the overtime session for a 4-3 victory, and a three games to one lead in the best-of-seven NHL Western Conference quarterfinal series. Game Five is Tuesday night in Vancouver.

The Canucks are just the second team in NHL history to have three different goalies win each of their first three games in the playoffs. Thatcher Demko (Boston College) won Game One against Nashville with 23 saves before being sidelined by injury, and DeSmith followed up in Game Three with a 29-save effort before Arturs Silovs earned the victory yesterday on 27 stops.

Mark Jankowski (Providence) and Gustav Nyquist (Maine) each scored a goal Sunday for the Predators, who will be seeking to avoid early elimination when the series resumes tomorrow night at Rogers Arena.

Princeton Tabs Syer as New Men's Hockey Coach

Long-time ECAC Hockey assistant/associate head coach Ben Syer has been named the new head coach of the Princeton University men's ice hockey team. He becomes the 18th head coach in the history of the program, and succeeds Ron Fogarty, who helmed the Tigers over last 10 years.

A graduate of Western Ontario, Syer spent the last 12 years as an associate head coach at Cornell University, following one year as an assistant. He helped the Big Red to an ECAC Hockey tournament championship last year, its first Whitelaw Cup since 2010, while mentoring a defense that allowed a nation-low 1.86 goals per game. He also helped Cornell to seven NCAA tournament appearances, seven Ivy League crowns, and three ECAC Hockey regular-season titles in his 13 years in Ithaca, and posted a 13-6-4 record overall while serving as interim head coach on several occasions.

Prior to coaching at Cornell, Syer served nine seasons as an assistant coach at Quinnipiac University, the last two as associate head coach. In his tenure he helped the Bobcats in their move from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference/Atlantic Hockey to ECAC Hockey, and from the community-based Northford Ice Pavilion to the on-campus M&T Bank Arena. Quinnipiac won 151 games in all in his time in Hamden, while also posting a winning record each season and garnering two conference regular-season titles and one NCAA tournament berth.

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Syer, 49, began his college coaching career at Ohio University (ACHA) while earning his master's degree. A first-time college head coach, he takes over a Tigers' team that finished 10-16-4 overall last season, and last qualified for the NCAAs in 2018.  

  

Panthers Take 3-0 NHL Playoff Series Lead

Brandon Montour (Massachusetts) scored one goal and set up another, and Kyle Okposo (Minnesota) registered an assist in his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in eight years, as the Florida Panthers defeated the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, in Game Three of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight. 

Florida, the NHL's defending Eastern Conference champion, now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to none. Tyler Motte (Michigan) scored one of the Lightning's three goals, which put them up by a 2-1 count at the time.

Florida will attempt to sweep the series in Game Four on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, as the Panthers also look to win a playoff series against the Lightning for the first time ever. Tampa Bay, which claimed three straight Eastern Conference titles between 2020 and 2022 while also winning two Stanley Cups in that span, is seeking to avoid a second straight opening-round playoff ouster.

BU's Quinn Let Go by San Jose

David Quinn (Boston University) has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks after two seasons. He posted a a 41-98-25 overall regular-season record, with the Sharks missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs both years while also finishing last overall in the league both times. San Jose went 19-54-9 overall in 2023-24, and was four wins behind Chicago for the worst record in the NHL.

A three-year letterman on the blueline at BU (1984-1987), Quinn, 57, eventually began his coaching career at the college level in 1993-94 as an assistant at Northeastern. He then moved on to Nebraska-Omaha before spending five years as an associate at BU, helping the Terriers to the 2009 NCAA title in his final year there. He went on to coach Lake Erie (AHL) for three seasons, and spent one season as an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche, before taking the top job at his alma mater in 2013. 

In five seasons at the BU helm, Quinn guided the Terriers to a 105-68-21 overall record, including four NCAA Tournament berths, two Hockey East Association regular-season titles, two HEA tournament crowns, and one Beanpot Tournament title, plus the 2015 NCAA Championship Game in Boston. He remained at BU until signing on with the New York Rangers in 2018, where finished with a regular-season record of 96-87-25 in 208 NHL regular-season games, and made one Stanley Cup Playoff appearance. The Cranston, R.I. native spent the 2021-22 season coaching Team USA at both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, and the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland, before joining San Jose in July 2022.

Former NCAA Skaters Star in NHL Playoffs

Dakota Joshua (Ohio State) scored his first two NHL postseason goals and added an assist, while Thatcher Demko (Boston College) made 20 saves in net to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night to start the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver takes a one game to none lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series, following the Canucks' first home playoff game at Rogers Arena since 2015.

In Manhattan, the top-ranked New York Rangers jumped out to a three-goal lead en route to a 4-1 triumph over the visiting Washington Capitals in the opener of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series at Madison Square Garden. Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) tallied one goal and set up another for the Rangers, while Chris Kreider (Boston College) also scored for the Blueshirts.

In Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets outlasted the Colorado Avalanche, 7-6, at Canada Life Centre to claim the first game in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. Kyle Connor (Michigan) scored twice for Winnipeg and also had an assist, while Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 40 saves for the Jets. Cale Makar (Massachusetts) scored one goal and set up two others for the Avalanche.

Bruins, Canes Win as 2024 NHL Playoffs Begin

Johnny Beecher (Michigan) tallied his first career NHL playoff goal, and Jeremy Swayman (Maine) won his first NHL postseason start by making 35 saves in the Boston Bruins' 5-1 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Boston now leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, one game to none. Charlie McAvoy (Boston University) set up two goals for the Bruins.

In the only other game from the first day of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the host Carolina Hurricanes outlasted the New York Islanders, 3-1, in a matinee affair to take a one game-to-none lead in that Eastern Conference matchup. Jack Drury (Harvard) notched one assist for the Hurricanes, while Anders Lee (Notre Dame) assisted on the Islanders lone goal.

The playoffs continue today as four other series get underway, including two in the Western Conference.

NCAA Skaters Signing with NHL Clubs in 2024

The exodus of NCAA players to the professional ranks began before the 2024 NCAA tournament started, and has continued following the conclusion of the Frozen Four last weekend in St. Paul. 

Some of the more notable signings, many of them underclassmen, to date since April 1 have included (players listed in alphabetical order by last name):

PLAYER SCHOOL NHL CLUB
Sean Behrens Denver Colorado
Gavin Brindley * Michigan Columbus
Shai Buium Denver Detroit
Dylan Duke Michigan Tampa Bay
Cutter Gauthier * Boston College Anaheim
Lane Hutson * Boston U. Montreal
Victor Mancini #        Omaha           NY Rangers
Scott Morrow * UMass     Carolina
Bradley Nadeau *        Maine           Carolina
Frank Nazar III * Michigan Chicago
Victor Ostman Maine Seattle
Jacob Quillan # Quinnipiac Toronto
Massimo Rizzo Denver Philadelphia
Luke Tuch Boston U. Montreal 
Cade Webber Boston U. Toronto
Dylan Wendt # W. Michigan New Jersey

# Indicates player has made AHL playing debut 

* Indicates player has made NHL playing debut 

Canada Wins 2024 Women's Worlds

Danielle Serdachny (Colgate) scored on the power play just over five minutes into overtime Sunday night, to lift Canada over the rival United States, 6-5, in the gold medal game of the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, N.Y. The victory marked a record 13th WWC title for Canada, while the host U.S. was seeking its 11th such crown since the tournament began back in 1990.

Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin) tied the contest at five apiece on her goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, after Canada had taken the lead with two consecutive goals. Harvey also had an assist for a two-point night, as did teammate Laila Edwards (Wisconsin). Hilary Knight (Wisconsin) tallied a power-play goal to put the U.S. ahead, 4-3, while Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) made a total of 24 saves in net for the Americans.

Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Boston University) led all players in the game with two goals, while teammate Erin Ambrose (Clarkson) notched a goal and an assist. Ann-Renée Desbiens (Wisconsin) finished with 19 stops in goal for Canada in the win.

Next year's WWC will be held in the Czech Republic.

Denver Wins 10th NCAA Hockey Title Overall

Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored goals less than six minutes apart, and Matt Davis stopped all 35 shots he faced as the University of Denver claimed the 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey title on Saturday night with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Boston College in St. Paul, Minn.

Wright broke open a scoreless game at 9:42 of the second period when his shot from the left side glanced off the crossbar, off of BC goaltender Jacob Fowler (24 saves), and into the net. Lorenz, who assisted on Wright's goal, followed up with a wrist shot over Fowler's stick at 15:16 to give the Pioneers all the offense they would need on the night, before a crowd of 18,694 at Xcel Energy Center.

Davis, who earned Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player accolades, proved to be the difference, with 23 of his 35 saves coming over the final 20 minutes of play as the top-ranked Eagles attempted to claw back into the contest. BC also hit two posts in the game, while Davis stopped Will Smith on a first-period breakaway, and then added a point-blank arm save on Ryan Leonard's one-timer in-close in the final period. The Calgary native finished the 2024 NCAA tournament with a 4-0 record for the Pioneers, while stopping 138 of the 141 total shots he faced.

DU (32-9-3 overall) has earned two of the last three NCAA titles, and has now won a record 10 national championships overall, breaking the tie it had held with Michigan since 2022. BC (34-6-1), which was seeking is first national hockey title since 2012, saw its 15-game winning streak snapped as it was shut out for the first time in the 2023-24 campaign.

Next year's Frozen Four will be held in St. Louis, for the first time since 2007 when Michigan State defeated BC in the final.

BU's Celebrini Wins 2024 Hobey Baker Award

Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) is the 2024 winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Celebrini, 17, from North Vancouver, B.C., led the Terriers in scoring this season with 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points in 38 outings, although BU's 2023-24 campaign ended in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to Denver in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. Celebrini was previously named the 2024 Hockey East Rookie of the Year and the Hockey East Player of the Year, and was also tabbed as a First Team All-America selection. He also earned the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year.

Celebrini is the fourth BU Terrier to win the Hobey Baker Award, and the first since Jack Eichel in 2015. He is also the second straight freshman to garner the award, joining 2023 winner Adam Fantilli (Michigan), and just the fourth freshman overall. He is also the youngest-ever recipient of the Hobey Baker Award. Celebrini is also widely considered to be the likely first overall choice in this year's NHL Entry Draft, which will be held in late June in the Las Vegas area.

Three more major college hockey annual awards were announced on Friday. The Mike Richter Award for best goaltender went to Kyle McClellan (Wisconsin), while Dylan Lugris (Penn State) earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award and Luke Robinson (Air Force) garnered the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award.

BC, Denver to Meet Saturday for NCAA Crown

The national title game is set. It will be Denver against Boston College on Saturday night in St. Paul, Minn., for the 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship, after both teams won national semifinal contests today at the Xcel Energy Center.

In the opening game this afternoon, Tristan Broz scored just over 11 minutes into overtime to lift Denver to a 2-1 win over Boston University. Luke Tuch opened the scoring for BU (28-10-2 overall) with a shorthanded goal in the first period, before Tristan Lemyre tied it for DU in the second. BU outshot DU, 34-29, overall, even though the Terriers did not receive any power plays. Matt Davis made 33 saves in net for the Pioneers (31-9-3), while Mathieu Caron finished with 27 stops for the Terriers.

In the nightcap, Will Smith opened the scoring just over a minute into the opening stanza as top-ranked Boston College blanked Michigan, 4-0. The Eagles (34-5-1), who set a school record for most victories in a single season with tonight's win, broke the game open with goals 49 seconds apart in the second period from Smith and Cutter Gauthier (NCAA-high 38th goal of the year) while the two teams were skating 4-on-4. 

Gabe Perreault, who also assisted on both of Smith's goals, closed out the scoring early in the third period with an unassisted tally for the Eagles. Jacob Fowler stopped all 32 shots he faced in earning his third shutout of the season for BC, which was outshot by a 32-22 margin. Jake Barczewski had 18 stops for the Wolverines (23-15-3), who were making their third consecutive trip to the Frozen Four, and who were shut out for the first time in a Frozen Four appearance.

BC and DU will now meet for the national title on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2). It will be a rematch of a game from October at BC, where the Pioneers edged the Eagles, 4-3. DU is seeking its record 10th NCAA men's hockey title all-time, and second in three years, while BC is after its sixth national championship ever, and first since 2012.

BC's Brown Named National Coach of the Year

 

Boston College head coach Greg Brown is the 2023-24 recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award, which is bestowed annually upon the top head coach in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey. He had previously been named Hockey East Coach of the Year in helming the Eagles to both the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles.

Brown, 56, spent the 2021-22 season as head coach of Dubuque (USHL) before taking the reins at BC, succeeding the legendary Jerry York. Prior to that, he served three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL's New York Rangers, after a 14-year stint as an assistant/associate coach at his alma mater that included three national championships (2008, 2010, 2012).

A product of the St. Mark's School in his hometown, Brown skated for three seasons at BC, not including one year off to skate with the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. In those three campaigns on the Heights, he tallied 24 goals and 96 assists for 110 points in 119 outings . As a junior, he captained the Eagles to the 1990 Hockey East tournament title and the NCAA Frozen Four in Detroit, and and was also a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist that same year. A two-time First Time All-America selection and a two-time Hockey East Player of the Year honoree, Brown was preceded at BC by his older brother, Doug, and later coached his nephews, Chris and Patrick, with the Eagles.

Drafted 26th overall by Buffalo in 1986, Brown collected four goals and 18 points in 94 career NHL games with the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets, and also skated for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. He also played with Rochester (AHL) and Cleveland (IHL), before finishing his professional career with eight seasons in Europe, including stops in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Germany.

Brown will guide the Eagles (33-5-1 overall) in the second NCAA Frozen Four semifinal tomorrow night against Michigan (8:30 p.m. ESPN2).

U.S. Blanks Canada at Women's Worlds

Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin) scored the only goal of the game as the United States edged Canada, 1-0, in overtime in the preliminary round of the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, N.Y.

Simms connected on a wrist shot less than four minutes into the extra session at the Adirondack Bank Center. Assisting on the goal was Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin), while Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) earned the shutout for Team USA with 26 saves, and was also named Player of the Game.

The U.S., which is seeking its second straight Worlds gold medal, finished 4-0-0 in the preliminary round, the best record in Group B. The Americans will begin quarterfinal play on Thursday against an opponent to be named.

2024 Hobey Hat Trick Announced

The Hobey Hat Trick has been announced for 2024. The three skaters left vying for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey are as follows:

• Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota (40 GP, 22-38—60 pts.)
• Macklin Celebrini, Fr., Boston Univ. (37 GP, 32-32—64 pts.)
• Cutter Gauthier, So., Boston College (39 GP, 37-27—64 pts.)

All three are among the top five scorers in the nation, while Gauthier leads Division I with 37 goals. He and Celebrini have also led their respective schools to the NCAA Frozen Four next week in St. Paul, Minn., while Blake's UND squad was eliminated in the regional finals. 

The Hobey Baker Award will be presented to the winner a week from today in Minnesota.

Miami, Stonehill Hire New Coaches

Two NCAA Division I men's hockey schools have already hired new head coaches.

Miami University of the NCHC has tabbed longtime junior hockey coach Anthony Noreen as the next bench boss of the RedHawks. He succeeds Miami alumnus Chris Bergeron, who was let go after managing only 35 wins in all over the last five seasons. A graduate of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he skated on defense and captained the Pointers, Noreen has served as a USHL head coach with both Youngstown and Tri-City, twice earning USHL Coach of the Year accolades, and as a pro head coach with Orlando (ECHL). A Chicago native, he began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater. Noreen, 41, will remain with Tri-City, where he has coached since 2017-18, until the Storm's current campaign ends. As of April 1, he had fashioned an overall record of 236-126-24-18 with Tri-City.

NCAA Division I independent Stonehill College has chosen David Berard as its next head coach. A Providence College product and former Friars goaltender, Berard, 53, was previously the head coach at Holy Cross, compiling an overall record of 96-122-35 over seven seasons with the Crusaders, after assistant/associate coaching stints at his alma mater, Colby, Lake Superior State, and UConn. He spent the last three years in athletic administration at Providence. A native of West Warwick, R.I., Berard succeeds David Borges, who retired from Stonehill last month after 10 seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks.

Penguins Rebound to Down Devils, 6-3

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) set up two goals, and Jack St. Ivany (Boston College) notched his first NHL point with an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied in the third period to defeat the host New Jersey Devils, 6-3, last night in Newark.

Down by a 3-1 score after two periods of play, the Penguins responded with five goals on nine shots over the final 20 minutes, including a empty-net tally, before 16,514 at the Prudential Center. Pittsburgh (34-30-11 overall), which missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for the first time in 17 seasons, is now three points ahead of New Jersey in the race among several teams for the second and final wild card spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

John Marino (Harvard) assisted on both Devils' goals in the second period, after Luke Hughes (Michigan) set up New Jersey's first period power-play score. New Jersey (36-35-4) outshot Pittsburgh on the night, 26-21, but fell to 17-19-2 at home this season. The Penguins are 5-3-2 in their last 10 outings overall.

NCAA Regionals Conclude, 2024 Frozen Four Set

The 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey regionals are in the books, and the last two tickets to this year's Frozen Four have been punched.

In Providence, Boston College overcame several one-goal deficits to edge defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac, 5-4, in overtime. Cornell transfer Jack Malone pushed home a loose puck just over three minutes into the extra session to give BC (33-5-1 overall) its only lead of the afternoon, after fellow New Jersey native Aram Minnetian had tied the contest with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Ryan Leonard tallied two power-play goals for the Eagles, who also got 26 saves from Jacob Fowler. Jacob Quillan, last year's national championship game hero for the Bobcats (27-10-2), scored twice, while Vinny Duplessis had 27 stops for Quinnipiac.

In Maryland Heights. Mo., Michigan (23-14-3) used four third-period goals to break a two-all tie and overcome Big Ten rival Michigan State, 5-2. The Wolverines, who won their third consecutive regional final, got three points from Dylan Duke, including two third-period goals and the game-winner, while Ethan Edwards notched a goal and two assists, and Jake Barczewski made 38 saves. Trey Augustine had 30 stops for the Spartans (25-10-3), who won their first-ever Big Ten regular season championship this year, and then added the Big Ten tournament title eight days ago with an overtime win against Michigan.

Top-ranked BC will now face Michigan in the second Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. on April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The first semifinal will pit Sioux Falls regional winner Boston University against Springfield, Mass. regional winner Denver at 5 p.m. ET. Both contests will be televised live on ESPN2. The semifinal winners will meet two days later for the national championship, which will also be held at the Xcel Energy Center.