Beanpot Preview

It's that time of year again. And the four college hockey teams of Boston will meet for the 59th time to determine which is best. And once again, the Eagles of BC and the Terriers of BU are the favorites.

BU and BC have won every Beanpot since 1993, and even though they'll be meeting in the opening round, that trend will likely continue. BC stands as the #1 team in the country, and BU is no slouch at 14th.

BC is averaging 4.8 games per game, which is simply ridiculous. And with goaltender John Muse, who has a few NCAA Championships under his belt, it's hard to pick against them. BC has defeated BU twice already. They won 9-5 at Agganis Arena, then 5-2 at Conte Forum. That being said, this is BU's tournament. So don't expect a blowout.

I do think BC will win, though. They're ridiculously deep. They roll so many quality lines, and everyone skates with speed. That speed draws penalties, which lets their Power Play dominate the game. It's just a perfect formula for college hockey. BC is gunning for National Championship #5, and that road starts in the Beanpot. For the last 3 years, the Beanpot winner has gone on to win the NCAA title.

In the early game today, Northeastern plays Harvard. NU has taken a step back this season, but Harvard's taken more than a few. The Crimson are 4-17, with those 4 wins coming against RPI, St. Lawrence, Army, and Colgate. Northeastern's 8-11-6 record is hardly impressive, but they're much better than Harvard.

So I predict BC beats BU 4-2. Northeastern beats Harvard 3-0. Then BC beats Northeastern 5-1, winning their 16th Beanpot.

-The Commodore

Beanpot Semifinals

There's simply nothing like The Beanpot. An intracity college hockey tournament that the term "bragging rights," doesn't do justice. The winner is crowned the King of Boston Hockey.

#14 BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES 6, HARVARD CRIMSON 0
BC utilized their speed to take advantage of some early Harvard penalties. The Eagles scored their first with a man advantage. Then 18 seconds into the 2nd period, BC scored a crushing 4-on-4 goal.

After that, it was just a matter of time. Harvard collected themselves, but BC was simply too fast up front. Harvard never really got a chance to probe the vulnerable BC defensemen, thanks to turnovers and solid neutral zone play.

Harvard amassed 48 penalty minutes. Their average had been 8 coming into Monday night.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS 2, NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES 1
Coming into Monday night, BU was 0-9-0 when scoring less than 3 goals in a game. It's been a disappointing season for the defending Beanpot/HockeyEast/National Champions. 10-11-3 overall, 7-9-2 in conference play, and 6th in the standings. But this is always BU's tournament to lose. And for the 46th time, BU is in the Beanpot Championship game.

BU was more disciplined than their Back Bay rivals. Northeastern got a bit too creative on offense in the 3rd, after tying the game 1-1. BU's Alex Chiasson took advantage during a 2-on-1 breakaway, and BU held on in a frantic final 2 minutes.

So it's BU vs. BC in the finals, for the 20th time. The last two Beanpot winners, the last two Hockey East Champs, the last two Beanpot Champs. Can you say, "There can be only one?"



-The Commodore

Beanpot Preview

First Monday of February = Beanpot. It's that simple.

Game 1:

5:00 PM - #2 Boston University vs. Harvard

For anyone who thinks 4-11-3 Harvard is a pushover, ask last year's Northeastern team, who fell to the Crimson in the opening round. BU won't make the same mistake. The Terriers dominate this one, even though the scoreboard won't really reflect it. 3-1 BU win.

Game 2:

8:00 PM - #3 Northeastern vs. #11 Boston College

NU barely beat BC in a close 4-3 contest back in October. The Huskies have an impressive record at 17-5-2, and an exciting team, but they have yet to convince me. They lost 3-0 to #2 BU, lost 5-3 to #9 Princeton, lost 3-2 to #5 Minnesota, split two home games with #6 Vermont, and went 1-1-1 against #13 UNH. They're the Ohio State football team of college hockey. They beat everybody but the top teams. I think BC takes this one late, possible in OT. 4-3 Eagles.

Championship Prediction:

#2 Boston University vs. #11 Boston College

The classic battle. The Duke-UNC of hockey. The Battle of Comm Ave. The Green Line Rivalry. Of the 56 Beanpots awarded, BU has half (28), and BC has a quarter (14). BU and BC tied 1-1 in their first meeting, but the Terriers have had the edge in their other two, winning 3-1 on Chestnut Hill and 5-2 in Agganis Arena. BU has also beaten #3 Northeastern, #12 North Dakota, #8 Michigan, and #13 UNH (twice). BU 4, BC 2.

-The Commodore