Canadiens Oust Lightning in Seven Games

The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021. A third-period goal by Alex Newhook (Boston College) stood up as the game-winner as the Habs edged the host Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday in the seventh and deciding game of their first-round NHL Eastern Conference series. 

Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 28 saves in net for Montreal, which was outshot, 29-9, overall. The Canadiens will now face the Buffalo Sabres in the best-of-seven second round, starting Wednesday in upstate New York.

25 Years Ago Today ... BC 3, UND 2

A quarter-century ago today, Krys Kolanos scored 4:43 into overtime to lift Boston College to a 3-2 win over North Dakota in the 2001 NCAA Division I men's hockey national title game in Albany, lifting the Eagles to their first NCAA title since 1949.

BC's Woll, Leafs Fall to Florida in Five Games

Joe Woll (Boston College) was able to save the Toronto Maple Leafs' season once, but couldn't do it a second time.

Woll, 24, from Dardenne Prairie, MO, made 24 saves on Wednesday in his first Stanley Cup Playoff start to lift Toronto to a 2-1 win over the host Florida Panthers. The victory staved off elimination for the Leafs, who had trailed the best-of-seven NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series, three games to none. 

The bubble burst on Friday, however, as Toronto was eliminated from playoff contention with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers despite 40 saves from Woll. The 6-foot-3 netminder had originally been pressed into service this series in place of the injured Ilya Samsonov in Game Three, another 3-2 OT setback for Toronto despite Woll's 18 saves in relief.

Drafted 62nd overall by the Leafs in 2016 out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Woll is 9-2-0 with a 2.38 goals-against average in 11 career NHL regular-season outings, all with Toronto. He is also 40-34-5 (3.27) in 83 career minor-league appearances with Toronto (AHL), and went 47-45-8 (2.51) in 101 NCAA contests at BC before turning pro in 2019. 

MSU, UAF, BC and Princeton All Still Playing

Michigan State won its first-ever Big Ten playoff series, ousting host Notre Dame last weekend with two 4-2 wins in their best-of-three series following a one-goal loss. The Spartans (18-17-2 overall) will now face top-seeded Minnesota on Saturday in an elimination semifinal.

Alaska (Fairbanks) kept its NCAA tournament hopes alive by sweeping fellow independent Lindenwood, 4-1 and 8-0, to close out the regular season. The Nanooks (22-10-2) are 13th in the Pairwise Rankings.

Boston College dropped its regular-season finale at UConn, 6-5. The Eagles (13-15-6) will host UMass in a single-elimination Hockey East contest this Wednesday.

Princeton (13-17-0) eliminated Union, 6-4, in their winner-take-all ECAC Hockey first-round contest on Saturday. The Tigers will now visit Harvard this weekend in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.

BC's Woll Wins First Two NHL Starts

Joseph Woll (Boston College) took some time in making it to the NHL. When he finally did, he won his first two career starts—both on the road, and the second by shutout.

Woll, 23, who was drafted 62nd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, made his first start as an NHL goaltender on Nov. 13 at Buffalo. The Missouri native made 23 saves as the Maple Leafs outlasted the host Sabres, 5-4. Eight days later, Woll notched his first career NHL shutout, making 20 stops in Toronto's 3-0 whitewash of the New York Islanders.

A product of the St. Louis AAA Blues organization and the U.S. National Team Development Program, the 6-foot-4 Woll played three seasons at BC (2016-2019), going 47-45-8 in 101 NCAA appearances with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and six shutouts. A member of the 2016-17 Hockey East All-Rookie team, he led the Eagles to the 2017-18 Hockey East regular-season title. He also won a gold medal with the U.S. at the 2017 World Junior Championship, before following up the next year with a WJC bronze medal.

After signing with Toronto in 2019, Woll saw his first pro action with the AHL's Toronto Marlboros. He went 20-24-4 (3.66, .885) in 50 games with the Marlies, including two wins in three games earlier this season, before being summoned to Toronto on Nov. 7. He got the start again tonight in net, as the Maple Leafs visited the San Jose Sharks.

Eagles Win Both Games to Start 2019-20 Season

Boston College is off to a good start.

The No. 10 Eagles, who didn't win an out-of-conference contest last season until February, made it 2-for-2 on opening weekend with a 5-3 home victory over Wisconsin on Friday, followed by a 3-0 triumph at Colgate on Sunday.

Freshman goaltender and 2019 first-round NHL draft choice Spencer Knight picked up the win in both games, and recorded his first collegiate shutout with 39 saves at Colgate. He had 23 stops against No. 16 Wisconsin, with two of the goals by the Badgers coming on U-W power plays.

Senior forwards David Cotton and Julius Mattila lead the Eagles in scoring with two goals and four assists apiece so far this season, the first time BC has started off 2-0-0 since last winning the NCAA title in 2011-12.

BC returns to action this weekend with two games at top-ranked Denver.

Boston College Advances to HEA Semifinals

Boston College men's hockey's season is still alive.

Sophomore forward Logan Hutsko's goal midway through the third period on Sunday boosted BC to a 2-1 win in the third and deciding game of the Eagles' first-round Hockey East tournament series at Providence College. Hutsko also scored the game-winner 23 seconds into overtime on Saturday in a 4-3 victory at Schneider Arena that tied the series at one game apiece.

Providence had won the opener, 5-4, in overtime on Friday. BC junior goaltender Joseph Woll stopped 105 of 114 shots by the opposing Friars over the weekend, and made at least 34 saves each
night.

BC will now take on Hockey East's No. 1 seed in Massachusetts, which eliminated New Hampshire in two games, on Friday at 7 p.m. The early conference semifinal, at 4 p.m., will pit second-seeded Northeastern against Boston University. Both semifinals will be played at TD Garden in Boston, with the championship game to be contested on Saturday. The winner will receive Hockey East's automatic berth into the 2019 NCAA Division I Tournament.

Tuch Lifts Vegas Over Boston with First NHL Points

Alex Tuch (Boston College) made his NHL debut a memorable one on Sunday, in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 3-1 win over the visiting Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena.

Tuch, 21, stripped the puck from a defender and skated in to score his first NHL goal 14:38 into the second period to break a scoreless tie. Three minutes later, he set up the first-ever NHL goal by also-debuting teammate Vadim Shipachyov for his first NHL assist, and the game-winning tally. Malcolm Subban made 20 saves to earn his first-ever NHL victory, while Vegas has now won four of its first five outings in its inaugural NHL campaign.

A Syracuse native, the 6-foot-4 Tuch skated two seasons at BC (2014-2016), totaling 32 goals and 30 assists for 62 points in 77 appearances. Originally selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, he went scoreless in six games with the Wild last season before being traded to Vegas in June. He also put up 18-19—37 points in 57 pro games last year with Iowa (AHL).

A product of the U.S. National Development Team Program, Tuch scored the game-winning goal for BC in overtime of the 2016 Beanpot Tournament championship game. He also had a goal in a 3-2 loss to Quinnipiac in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal that spring, in his final appearance with the Eagles.

Eagles Post First Win of New Season

Boston College men's hockey finally broke into the win column.

Playing their first road game of the 2017-18 season at Hockey East rival Providence College on Sunday, the Eagles overcame a 3-0 second-period deficit with four unanswered goals. Junior defenseman Casey Fitzgerald scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, as 13th-ranked BC beat no. 9 Providence, 4-3, to improve to 1-1-1 overall and 1-0-0 in Hockey East play.

Christopher Grando and Graham McPhee scored BC's other goals on Sunday at Schnieder Arena, while Logan Hutsko had two assists. Joe Woll made 31 saves against the Friars, who led by three goals just over five minutes into the second period.

BC opened the season with a 1-1 tie against Quinnipac on Oct. 6, then fell to No. 10 Wisconsin by a 5-2 count on Oct. 13. Both of those games were played at BC's Conte Forum.

The Eagles will now travel to No. 3 St. Cloud State this weekend for pair of games in Minnesota. SCSU is coming of a two-step sweep of visiting Alaska (Fairbanks). The Eagles and Huskies have played just once before all-time, a 2-1 BC victory during the 2004-05 season.

Gibbons Boosts Devils at Buffalo

Brian Gibbons (Boston College) scored one goal and set up another as the New Jersey Devils improved to 2-0-0 on the nascent NHL season with a 6-2 win at Buffalo on Monday afternoon.

Andy Greene (Miami) also posted an assist while Cory Schneider (Boston College) made 23 stops for New Jersey, which last opened 2-0-0 in the 2014-15 campaign. Rookie defenseman Will Butcher (Denver), who notched his first three career assists in the Devils' 4-1 opening night victory over visiting Colorado on Saturday, finished with a plus-two rating.

New Jersey will attempt to remain unbeaten on Wednesday when it travels to Toronto.

NCAA Alumni Change NHL Teams as Free Agency Period Begins

A number of former NCAA players changed NHL teams on Saturday, the first day of the NHL’s free-agent signing period.

The biggest coup was perhaps defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University) leaving the Washington Capitals to sign with the New York Rangers for four years at $6.65 million per year, according to NHL.com. Shattenkirk, who has also played with Colorado and St. Louis in his pro career, tallied 13 goals and 56 points this past season, and helped BU to the 2009 national title.

Shattenkirk wasn’t the only former Terrier on the move Saturday. Nick Bonino (BU), who just won his second consecutive Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has joined the team that Pittsburgh beat in the final. Bonino, also a member of BU’s 2009 NCAA title team, signed with the Nashville Predators for four years and $16.4 million total. Chris Kunitz (Ferris State), a member of three championship teams in Pittsburgh, inked a one-year deal for $2 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) has moved from the Vancouver Canucks to the Anaheim Ducks, while netminder Brian Elliott (Wisconsin) went from the Calgary Flames to the Philadelphia Flyers, and Chad Johnson (Alaska Fairbanks) returned to the Buffalo Sabres after playing last season in Calgary. Miller won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in 2001, while Elliott backstopped the Badgers to a national title in 2006.

Veteran NHL forward Patrick Sharp (Vermont) has rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won three Stanley Cups, after spending the past two seasons with the Dallas Stars. Tommy Wingels (Miami) went from the Ottawa Senators to the Blackhawks, while Brian Boyle (Boston College) will play for the New Jersey Devils after spending last season with Tampa Bay and Toronto. Former Devils forward Mike Cammalleri (Michigan) joined Los Angeles from New Jersey, while Beau Bennett (Denver) left New Jersey to sign with the St. Louis Blues.

Kenny Agostino (Yale) who helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCAA championship, led the American Hockey League in scoring this past season with the Chicago Wolves, St. Louis’ AHL affiliate. He signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins. Matt Taormina (Providence), who led all AHL defenseman during the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs with 20 points for Syracuse, has left Tampa Bay for the Montreal Canadiens.

A full list of free-agent signings is listed here.

Penguins Force Game Seven

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State) combined on an insurance goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, and Nick Bonino (Boston University) tallied an empty-net goal to make it official as the Pittsburgh Penguins survived with a 5-2 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night in Game 6 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 7 is set for Thursday night in Pittsburgh (NBCSN, 8 p.m. ET).

Phil Kessel (Minnesota) scored the first goal of the game on a first-period power play for the Penguins, who built a 3-0 advantage after 40 minutes. Brian Boyle (Boston College) scored both Tampa Bay goals in the third period to pull the Lightning to within 3-2, before Kunitz sent Rust in on a successful breakway with 2:08 left to send the now-tied series back to Pennsylvania for a deciding game.

In the Western Conference final, the San Jose Sharks can clinch their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final with a victory in Game 6 tonight (NBCSN, 9 p.m. ET) over the visiting St. Louis Blues. The Sharks lead the series, three games to two. San Jose captain Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) has three goals in the last two games for San Jose, and has tallied a league-leading 12 goals and 21 points in 17 playoff contests so far this spring.

BC to Meet Minnesota for NCAA Women's Title

Boston College has advanced to its first-ever NCAA Division I Women's Frozen Four national championship game.

The top-ranked Eagles (40-0-0 overall) overcame a 2-0 deficit and seven scoreless power-play attempts to edge No. 6 Clarkson, 3-2, on a goal 58 seconds into overtime by Haley Skarupa, her second goal of the game.

BC will now face No. 3 Minnesota, a 3-2 OT winner over No. 2 Wisconsin in the second NCAA semifinal in Durham, N.H. on Friday. Sarah Potomak scored 15 minutes into the extra session for the Golden Gophers (34-4-1), who will be seeking their sixth NCAA title on Sunday.

Faceoff at the Whittemore Center on March 20 will be at 2 p.m. ET, with the game being streamed live at NCAA.com.

BC Wins 2016 Beanpot Over BU, 1-0

Alex Tuch’s long shot eluded goaltender Sean Maguire just under two minutes into overtime to lift Boston College to a 1-0 victory over Boston University in the 2016 Beanpot Tournament title game Monday night at TD Garden. It was the first 1-0 contest in the Beanpot’s 64 years of competition, and also gave third-ranked BC its 20th Beanpot title overall before 15,000-plus onlookers.

After taking a short pass from Zach Sanford high in the offensive zone, Tuch delayed before uncorking a wrist shot through a screen that beat Maguire on the stick side and clanged in off the post. It was the 11th goal of the season for the Baldwinsville, N.Y. native, who was also assisted on the play by defenseman Steve Santini.

Maguire earned Beanpot Most Outstanding Player honors after making 41 saves for the seventh-ranked Terriers (16-8-4 overall), while Thatcher Demko had 30 stops for the Eagles (20-4-4), who have won six of the last seven Beanpot championships. Demko’s shutout was also his ninth of the season, setting a new school record.

The game was delayed for about half an hour following a power failure that may have been related to snowfall in Boston last night. BC outshot BU, 42-30, including 23-12 in the first period, while the two Green Line rivals combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.

In the consolation game played earlier on Monday, Northeastern defeated ninth-ranked Harvard, 5-1. BU had edged Northeastern, 3-1, in the Beanpot’s opening round after BC outlasted Harvard, 3-2, both on Feb. 1. Either BC or BU has won the Beanpot every year since Harvard (13-7-3) last claimed it in 1993, while Northeastern (10-13-5) last took a victory lap in 1988 in the since-demolished Boston Garden.

Next year’s Beanpot slate will have BC facing BU, and Northeastern taking on Harvard in the first round the first Monday of February.

Eagles Top Terriers, 5-3, in Hockey East Play

Junior defenseman Ian McCoshen scored two goals, including the game winner, and set up two others as fourth-ranked Boston College rebounded to edge No. 10 Boston University, 5-3, in a Hockey East matchup on Friday night at a sold-out Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

A second-round selection by the Florida Panthers in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, McCoshen rocketed a shot from the right point past Terriers netminder Sean Maguire (32 saves) on a power play 17:50 into the third period, after visiting BU had tied the contest just two minutes earlier. McCoshen, a native of Faribault, Minn., then flipped an insurance marker into an empty Terrier cage with 13 seconds remaining in regulation and Maguire having been pulled for an extra attacker.

BU held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes on a power-play tally by Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, who also picked up an assist on the night, before BC’s Austin Cangelosi tied it on a second-period penalty shot. Ahti Oksanen then put the Terriers (11-7-3 overall, 5-4-2 Hockey East) back ahead, 2-1, in a matter of 17 seconds, before Zach Sanford knotted matters exactly three minutes later for the Eagles (15-4-2, 8-1-2).

Colin White made it a 3-2 game for BC late in the second period, before BU’s Bobo Carpenter forged a third-period tie shortly before McCoshen’s late-game heroics. Thatcher Demko finished with 25 stops in his return to the BC net from an injury, as the Eagles outshot the Terriers, 37-28. BU went 3-for-6 on the power play, while BC was 2-for-7 with a man advantage.

The win also marked the 999th victory in the storied career of BC head coach jerry York, the all-time winningest coach in college hockey. York will go for No 1,000 on Saturday night when the Eagles and Terriers face-off cross town at Agannis Arena to complete the home-and-home series.

ADDENDUM: BC skated to a 1-1 tie at BU on Saturday, as Demko made 30 saves and Ryan Fitzgerald scored the tying goal with under three minutes remaining in regulation.

Irish Edge Eagles, 4-3

Just three weeks after Notre Dame outlasted Boston College in football at Fenway Park, the Irish did so again in Beantown in men's hockey.

No. 18 Notre Dame tallied three goals late in the third period Thursday night at Conte Forum to hand No. 3 BC its first home loss of the year, 4-3, and its first loss overall since a 2-1 setback at Rensselaer on Oct. 11. BC had gone unbeaten in its previous 13 outings, while UND has now won four straight games.

After the host Eagles had taken a 3-1 third-period lead on a pair of scores by Florida native Austin Cangelosi, both of which were assisted by Teddy Doherty and Zach Sanford, Jordan Gross got the Irish back within a goal at 8:33 of the final frame. Andrew Oglevie tied it at 15:36, and then Gross set up Dennis Gilbert with 22 seconds remaining in regulation for the winner.

Notre Dame outshot BC, 39-26 on the evening, with Thatcher Demko making 35 saves for the Eagles and Cal Petersen stopping 23 shots for the Irish. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.

It wasn't the first time the Eagles have given up three goals in rapid-fire succession at home this year. Michigan State did the same thing on Nov. 13, tying that game at 4-4 before BC pulled out a 6-4 victory.

The Eagles (13-2-1 overall, 6-2-1 Hockey East) are now idle until facing Ohio State in the first round of the Florida College Classic on Dec. 28. UND (9-4-4, 6-1-2) will return to action on Jan. 1-2 at Denver, before hosting BC four weeks later in South Bend, Ind.

Dennehy Story Now Up at USCHO.com

My profile story about current Merrimack College head coach, and former Boston College defenseman (and classmate) Mark Dennehy, is now up at USCHO.com:

http://www.uscho.com/2011/11/01/career-journey-has-given-dennehy-recipe-for-success-at-merrimack/

Mark has done some great things so far with the Warrior program, including last season's trips to the Hockey East championship game and the NCAA Tournament, and the future definitely looks bright in North Andover, Mass.

Boston College: Top 10 Reasons to Stay No. 1

Have started writing for Bleacher Report, and recently weighed in with my two cents worth on how the alma mater can stay at the top of college hockey this season:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/913026-boston-college-hockey-10-reasons-no-1-eagles-can-stay-on-top-in-2011-12

Of course, it's a long way between now and April for the Eagles.

BC-Northeastern - Football?

Boston College and Northeastern last faced off on the football field on Sept. 5, 2009. BC won by a 54-0 count - and since the Huskies eliminated their football program following that season, it's likely the last time the two schools will meet on the gridiron in this existence.

You almost wouldn't know it by the football-like scores of the last two hockey games between the long-time Hockey East rivals. BC outlasted NU, 7-6, in overtime on Monday at the TD Garden to win the 59th Beanpot Tournament, their 16th title in the annual February gathering, while extending NU's Beanpot drought to 23 years. (I was a freshman at BC that year, hard to believe it's been that long.)

Both schools then skated to a 7-7 tie tonight at BC's Kelley Rink, with the host Eagles tying it up in the last minute of regulation on an extra attacker power-play goal by freshman Bill Arnold to overcome a 7-6 deficit. At least the Eagles seem to be converting their extra points regularly.

Who knows what tomorrow night at Matthews Arena will bring - maybe someone will go for a two-point conversion instead. Seeing how these two teams have combined for 27 goals in two games, it doesn't appear they'll stop scoring on Saturday night as they close out their regular-season series.

Or it could turn out to be a 1-0 contest. Wait and see, I guess, with two more weekends of Hockey East play to go after this one.