Wood Hat Trick Boosts Devils Over Hawks

Miles Wood tallied his first career hat trick and added an assist last night as the New Jersey Devils rebounded from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the host Chicago Blackhawks, 7-5.

Wood tallied the Devils' first goal of the game on Sunday at the United Center, a power-play goal, to forge a 1-1 first-period tie at the time. His second score then pulled the Devils within 4-2 late in the opening stanza.

Wood assisted on a second-period goal by Brian Gibbons (Boston College) to make it 6-4 for New Jersey, while his third goal, which came on the power play in the third period, was the game's final tally. Andy Green (Miami) had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, while Keith Kinkaid (Union) made 39 saves in net for the Devils for the victory.

The 6-foot-2 Wood played one season (2015-16) at BC, tallying 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points to go with 76 penalty minutes while helping the Eagles to the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. He signed with New Jersey, which drafted him 100th overall in 2013, immediately following his sole college campaign.

The son of former NHLer and Yale University graduate Randy Wood, the younger Wood now has 6-3—9 points to go with 21 PIM in 16 games this season for New Jersey. In 77 career NHL games, all with the Devils, he has now recorded 14-12—26 points and 107 PIM.

The Buffalo-born Wood, 22, is part of a BC alumni contingent with the Devils this season that also includes Brian Boyle, Gibbons, Jimmy Hayes, Steve Santini and Corey Schneider. Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy also skated one year (2002-03) for the Eagles before transferring to Dartmouth College for his final three NCAA seasons.

BC's Wood Tallies Two for New Jersey

Miles Wood (Boston College) posted the first two-goal game of his burgeoning NHL career on Saturday night, as the visiting New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1.

Wood tallied the Devils’ third and fourth goals in the victory, his sixth and seventh goals of the 2016-17 campaign. His first score came late in the second period on a rush from center ice, before he finished off the night with a power-play goal in front in the final frame. Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) notched the game-winning goal for New Jersey, while Keith Kinkaid (Union) made 35 saves.

Wood, the son of former Yale University standout and longtime NHL player Randy Wood, played one year at BC, tallying 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 37 games last season in helping the Eagles to the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. Drafted 100th overall by New Jersey in 2013, he has 7-3—10 points in 29 NHL appearances this season, all with the Devils, along with 3-3—6 points in 14 games with their minor-league affiliate in Albany (AHL).

A product of the Noble and Greenough (MA) School, Wood made his professional debut in the Devils’ 2015-16 NHL regular season finale against Toronto.

Eagles Outlast Spartans, 6-4, on Friday Night

Ryan Fitzgerald and Colin White scored two goals apiece, and Myles Wood redirected home the winning score on a late-game power play to lift second-ranked Boston College to a 6-4 NCAA victory over visiting Michigan State on Friday night at Conte Forum. The Eagles improve to 9-1-0 overall, while the Spartans fall to 4-4-1 on the year.

Following a scoreless first period in which BC outshot MSU, 17-6, White put the home side up by a goal when he stuffed a close-in shot past Spartan goaltender Jake Hildebrand (30 saves) just 4:30 into the second stanza. MSU responded 11 seconds later on a goal by Mackenzie MacEachern to tie the game, and also break BC's shutout streak that dated back to a 4-3 win over Denver on Oct. 30. Wood then scored on a backhand several minutes before the end of the period to restore BC's one-goal edge, his sixth goal of the season.

Fitzgerald, who also posted two assists on the night, made it a 3-1 game 91 seconds into the final frame with a sweeping forehand move, and Alex Tuch then put BC up by three goals just under 11 minutes later with an uncontested shot over Hildebrand's glove. Two minutes later, the game was tied, as MSU top goal scorers JT Stenglein, Brennan Sanford, and Mason Appleton scored in rapid-fire succession for the Spartans in a span of just 92 seconds to make it 4-4.

BC rebounded to go back on top for good with just under two minutes remaining in regulation when Austin Cangelosi's shot from the point deflected off of Woods' skate and into the MSU net. The goal, the only one power-play score in a combined 13 man-advantage attempts by both teams, was confirmed following a video review. Fitzgerald then closed out the scoring with just over a minute left, with his team-leading seventh goal of the season, as he wristed the puck into an empty net with Hildebrand having been pulled for an extra Spartan attacker. MSU outshot BC, 37-36, on the night, including 31-19 over the final 40 minutes, but went 0-for-7 on the power play. Michael Ferrantino set up two goals for the Spartans.

Thatcher Demko finished with 33 saves for the Eagles, who will play at Hockey East rival New Hampshire on Saturday evening in another single-game weekend. The Spartans saw their three-game winning string broken, including a two-step sweep of visiting UNH last weekend, and will head home to host Michigan Tech for two non-conference contests this weekend at Munn Arena. (uscho.com photo)