There are games where the goalies play pivotal roles and then there was Monday night’s 64th Beanpot final between the Boston College Eagles and the Boston University Terriers. This was a game that was all about the goalies and on multiple levels.
Anyone who is familiar with Boston hockey is familiar with the Battle of Comm Ave—fought at least twice in a hockey season if not more between two schools separated by less than five miles and served by the same Green Line trolley line. It would not be surprising if one were to look in the dictionary for the word archrival and find a picture of these two schools. They have played each other in the Beanpot final 22 times and the Eagles had something to prove after being eliminated from the final by Northeastern last year.
2016 Beanpot Winners – Boston College (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
While some feel that the tournament should include more teams, there is a reason it is the four teams it is, and while BU and BC have dominated the finals, it merely speaks to the strength of these two programs. However those watching Monday night’s final saw history in the making. As the horn signaled the end of regulation it was the first time in 256 Beanpot games that the final score would be 1-0.
For the Terriers, had it not been for the outstanding efforts of senior goaltender Sean Maguire, it could have been a very different story. Of course it was anything but a normal first period in other ways as well. With approximately nine minutes yet to play in the period, the lights at TD Garden went out. It would take almost 30 minutes for the main lights to come back on and for play to resume. As a result the first period took just over an hour from puck drop to horn.
For both goaltenders there were some intense moments when they ended up on the receiving end of some hard hits. Eagles Thatcher Demko saw his trainer out with him twice after two scary plays. Demko wasn’t relinquishing his net to anybody. In fact, after the game, he commented that he looked at the trainer like he was crazy when asked if he could finish the game.
For Maguire, the night was one of ultimate disappointment when just 1:57 into the overtime period Alex Tuch found a way to get a puck past him and get the win for the Eagles. Maguire stood on his head throughout the evening, especially when his team hadn’t quite realized the game was underway. Over the two games of this year’s Beanpot, Maguire stopped 65 of 67 shots for an amazing .970 save percentage. It earned him the Eberly Award for best save percentage of the two games played in the year’s Beanpot. He also was awarded the Most Valuable Player. However for the senior who sat out last season as the result of a severe concussion he received March 3, 2014 from a freak accident involving fellow teammate and best friend Mike Moran, it was certainly not the hardware he wanted.
It is for the seniors that it hurts the most when the team falls in the final. Yes, there are other important games to come still in the season, but in Boston the Beanpot is special. And when the two teams playing in the final are those Comm Ave archrivals, it is all the more difficult to be on the losing side.
Maguire should hold his head high though. His efforts alone were what afforded his team to even have a chance. And the 2012 4th round draftee by the Pittsburgh Penguins showed Monday night what the future of goaltending looks like.
In a sadly under-attended match between the Northeastern University Huskies and Harvard University Crimson in the 64th Beanpot’s consolation game, the Huskies came out fast and furious in the first and despite some push back by Harvard in the second, much of the game was all Huskies all the time. It was also a relatively penalty free game with just five penalties called (three on Northeastern and two on Harvard).
As the horn sounded the end of the first period, Northeastern had scored three goals off the sticks of Mike McMurtry, Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura. Gaudette would have a three-point night (two goals and assist). McMurtry would have a two-point game (goal and assist), as would John Stevens (two assists) and Nolan Stevens (two assists). With his assist on McMurtry’s first period goal, Huskies captain Kevin Roy reached the top-25 of all-time Beanpot scoring with 12 points (seven goals, five assists). He is the first player since Boston College’s Steven Whitney to reach the top-25.
The second period would see Harvard’s lone goal, scored by Boston Bruins drafted Ryan Donato, who had six shots on goal in the game—the most of all the Crimson, as well as all of the Huskies. Unfortunately for Donato though, freshman goaltender Ryan Ruck stood firm in between the pipes for the Huskies.
Undoubtedly there was some strong talk by Coach Jim Madigan to the Huskies during the second intermission because they had sort of backed off during that middle frame. Coming into the third, they had to kill the remainder of Garret Cockerill’s holding penalty and it appeared from that point they just never looked back. Zach Aston-Reese put the Huskies up 4-1 just 6:15 into the final frame. Gaudette got his second goal of the game on the power play just four minutes later for a 5-1 score.
It was clear that Northeastern had a little extra jump in their skates from the first puck drop. Perhaps it was a result of their disappointment in not coming out as strong during the semi-finals.
While Harvard’s head coach, Ted Donato commented to the lack of push from his team, he was quick to point out how clear it was that Northeastern wanted to win this game.
Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling‘s path from the Chicago suburbs to the city’s professional hockey team wasn’t an easy one. He kept that in mind when he met a man who was down on his luck in Arizona last week.
A story making social media rounds claimed a previously unfamiliar with hockey Uber driver’s experience with the netminder made him a new fan.
The story, shared by Twitter user Kane Van Gate, a men’s league goalie who happened to hitch a ride with the same driver, tells of how Darling’s generosity made the Hawks’ backup goalie someone’s hero–and convinced an Uber driver that “hockey’s the greatest sport in the world.”
Darling, a backup goalie with a near league-minimum $570,000 salary, didn’t think twice about getting groceries and a place to stay for someone who needed it. He confirmed the story to Chicago media after Monday’s Blackhawks practice.
He said he came across a man in need in Scottsdale, Ariz., where the team stayed Wednesday prior to their Thursday matchup against the Coyotes. He didn’t name the man, but said he wanted to do something.
“I just started talking to him, was interested in his life, seemed like a good guy and just needed a helping hand,” Darling said. “That’s kind of how it happened.”
The social media attention starting yesterday surprised him, he said, because he only told his fiancée. (After a long relationship, Darling and Martha Buckley announced their engagement on Instagram over the All-Star break.)
“I had no idea how anyone even found out about that,” Darling said.
Darling is from Lemont, Ill. He played youth hockey for the AA Vikings in Orland Park, Ill., the AA Huskies in Darien, Ill., the AAA Team Illinois, and the Chicago Young Americans. He attended Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Canada starting eighth grade, and played AAA hockey for the Hounds.
“I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for that situation – people battling stuff that other people don’t understand,” Darling said. “But like I said, he seemed like a really nice person. I’m in the position to help somebody like that. I’m happy to do it.”
The Philadelphia Flyers will be without the services of their second line center, Sean Couturier, for the next month due to a lower body injury.
Couturier has been a vital piece of the Flyers’ success this season so he will be hard to replace in the lineup. Philadelphia is only 2-6-2 when he hasn’t been on the ice this season. Couturier does so much for the Flyers, including defending against the opposition’s top line, playing on the second power play unit, killing penalties, and being on the ice late in games to protect the lead. He has 16 points (6G, 10A, 16 points) in his last 16 games played, and 14 of those points have been scored while playing 5-0n-5 hockey.
If Philadelphia wants to stay in the playoff hunt for the next month then more than one player will have to step up his game. Five players who should understand the road ahead and rise to the occasion are:
Scott Laughton is in his first full season with the Flyers. The center has played on the third or fouth line all season and has only averaged 10:17 of ice time per game. This is his chance to prove that he can handle more minutes and the expectations that come with them. He has shown the ability to create offense and score this season, but just has struggled to do so consistently. His faceoff percentage will also need to improve as well as his defensive coverage. Laughton has been used on the penalty kill this season so that is also an option should he chose to embrace it.
Sam Gagner will finally have his chance to be a mainstay in the Flyers lineup this season. He has been a healthy scratch and was even sent down to the AHL for a stretch because of Philly’s salary cap problem. The forward could be a huge boost to the offense, especially to the second power play unit, if he can start producing. Gagner only has two goals, four assists and six points in 23 games played this season. The veteran will need to prove that he can still be a creative playmaker and offensive threat if he wants to keep his place in the lineup.
Brayden Schenn hasn’t had a problem producing on the power play where he has scored 12 of his 29 points. He only has 17 points while playing at even strength, and he’ll have to produce more there with Couturier’s injury. Couturier and Schenn were playing on a line together and had some chemistry prior to the injury so Schenn will need to get used to playing with someone else. Schenn can either play center or right wing, but he may want to consider remaining on the wing because he’s looked better there this season.
Matt Read has been moved up and down the lineup all season, and can play in any situation the Flyers put him in. He will stay on the penalty kill, but will need to get comfortable playing with whoever replaces Couturier, and there are some options there. Read needs to take some chances in the offensive zone and start shooting the puck when it’s on his stick. He’ll need to produce more since the opposition will try to shut down the top line, if there isn’t any secondary scoring coming from the other forwards. Read will also be playing with an inexperienced center in either Laughton or Nick Cousins, who was recalled by the Flyers after the loss of Couturier so he’ll need to be better defensively. He could see more ice time late in games to help the Flyers protect the lead.
Michael Raffl has been a disappointment this season especially on the offensive side of things. He was demoted from the top line and is now playing on the third line. He only has six goals, six assists for 12 points on the year. Raffl needs to shoot the puck more instead of passing, recognizing he has a scoring chance. Once he gets the shot off, he needs to start driving towards the net to get those rebounds that will be there. He may be called upon to pick up some penalty killing duties since he has been on the Flyers’ penalty killing unit in the past. Raffl will most likely stay on the second power play unit, but he needs to start hanging around the crease area looking for the loose pucks.
If the Flyers still hope to be in the playoff hunt when Couturier returns, then these five guys need to step up their game and contribute to the secondary scoring. The Flyers will also need to play team defense.
Saturday night’s back end of the home and home between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres saw the Bruins get on the scoreboard first at 12:22 of the first period followed by the Sabres tying it up at 10:53 of the second period. However, it was really the goalies’ game, as both backstops denied chance after chance and forced the game to overtime.
On paper the game looks a lot more even handed then it really was. In the first period the Bruins outshot the Sabres 13-10, however, what the final sheet doesn’t say is that it took Boston more than six minutes of that period to get their first shot on goal. And there were a number of instances in the game where the Sabres were in full control of the puck and forcing the Bruins to scramble around. If it hadn’t been for Tuukka Rask between the pipes, it could have been a different game. Of course, the same could be said of those shifts where the Bruins were in complete control—Robin Lehner outright robbed the Boston a couple of times to keep his team within reach of the win.
“Yeah I know I felt good. It was one of the really fun games to play, you know? It’s a battle between two good teams,” Lehner shared with media. “We showed we can be up there and compete against a real good team like Boston.”
In the end, like the game two days prior in Buffalo, this one would not be settled in the 60 minutes of regulation. They would have to take it to overtime. Unlike the game on Thursday, they would not have to take it to a shootout, but it would be a penalty shot, awarded to Brad Marchand, that would decide the victor, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of those who lost.
“You know, it’s disappointing. I don’t know what to say. Honestly I’m not even disappointed that we lost, I’m disappointed…,” Lehner struggled in sharing his thoughts on the penalty shot. “I mean like both of those refs are good refs, don’t get me wrong, but that was, oh my God, I don’t know what to say man. That’s just embarrassing. I hope he’s embarrassed. I am embarrassed – it shouldn’t end like that.”
The Sabres questioned the call that allowed Marchand the penalty shot, in light of an earlier instance when Dennis Seidenberg took out Jamie McGinn and the Sabres only got a power play. Inconsistencies in calls are certainly a sour pill to swallow, though with the speed of the game and all that the referees must process during each shift, the necessary lightning fast decisions can be difficult to truly comprehend.
Likewise, being awarded a penalty shot does not guarantee a goal. In fact when talking with media after the game, Marchand was quick to point out that his shots don’t always work.
“When you’re feeling good and you’re confident you seem to bear down a little bit more in situations like that, you know,” Marchand shared. “But I mean, I missed a penalty shot, a very similar play – or a shootout goal last game. So it was nice this one went in.”
Bruins contain Eichel (Photo: Rhonda McClure)
As the season continues to get closer and closer to the end, every point is critical. These two points were important to the Bruins both in regard to their standings, but also to their confidence. They have struggled quite a bit on home ice this season, and as such, every win—regardless of how ugly it is—is a requisite to building their confidence.
This was not the Bruins best game. It was one of the few instances when Patrice Bergeron was only 50% in faceoffs. They couldn’t capitalize on the power play. Despite the 38 shots on goal apiece, there were periods when the Sabres had them hemmed in their defensive zone. However, positives can be drawn from these situations. Earlier in the season similar statistics would have resulted in the Bruins not being able to carry the game to overtime, especially on home ice. And, while the Sabres generated 38 shots on goal, the Bruins were able to limit the chances of rookie phenom, and Boston hero, Jack Eichel, to just two of those shots.
Victories must be taken where they can be found. The two points were huge for the Bruins, but perhaps some of the other areas of their play speak to a growth that, while slow this season, is taking place.
“This is my home. This is where I learned to play hockey, here, professionally… and it’s always going to be that.” – Martin Brodeur, April 13, 2014, Newark, New Jersey to Deb Placey (Photo: Sarah Jane).
This upcoming week will be chock full of Martin Brodeur in the New Jersey tri-state area. The winningest goaltender in NHL history, who retired in 2015 as a St. Louis Blues player had been with the New Jersey Devils for 21 years, which included winning three Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
Brodeur, who now works in the Blues front office, dropped the ceremonial puck at the start of the 1 PM Saturday home game on February 6 between the Devils and Washington Capitals. It was also bobblehead night for currently injured Mike Cammalleri. And at 11 AM, prior to the game, the Devils and Brodeur hosted a private youth hockey clinic at the Devils’ practice facility in Prudential Center, where approximately 20 local skaters and goalies received instructions from Marty.
The weekend also helped launch the Denis Brodeur photography program and other miscellaneous youth hockey clinics.
On Monday, February 8th, the Devils are (still!) selling tickets to “An Evening With Marty” in which his statue will be unveiled, in Newark. Doors open at 5:30 PM and there will be a Q&A session with Brodeur and a viewing party at Prudential Center of the Devils-Rangers game being played across the river in Madison Square Garden. Hearing his thoughts on the Rangers (even if he is still a NHL employee and perhaps can’t be as frank as he was in his autobiography, will be interesting).
And then the most important date on the Marty Brodeur Returns to Jersey tour, will be his jersey retirement ceremony on February 9th. which will begin at 6:15 p.m., with doors opening at 4:30. His Number 30 will join the 2 of Ken Daneyko, 3 of Scott Stevens and 27 of Scott Niedermayer in the rafters of the Prudential Center rafters [for those keeping score, technically only Nieds & Brodeur will be actually lifted in Newark, as the other two ceremonies happened in the Meadowlands in the Devils first arena]. All four players were involved in all three of the Stanley Cups and it will be interesting to see who the next Devil will be to have their jersey retired (Brylin? Elias?).
According to the Devils (and Ken Daneyko during every Devils telecast since he was told the times), they want the Devils fans to be in their seats at 6:15 PM as the ceremony will be hosted by former Devils announcer, and current national announcer, Mike “Doc” Emrick, and in addition to Marty’s family, it will also include appearances by Daneyko, Stevens, Neidermayer, Marty’s favorite former coaches Jacques Caron, Jacques Lemaire and Larry Robinson as well as the widow of Pat Burns. Even Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, will be in attendance.
Oh and besides the banner rising and ceremony, the Devils’ will be playing against the Edmonton Oilers scheduled with an 8:08 PM start.
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Dubuque Fighting Saints will host two exciting home games this weekend at Our House. On Friday night, Alliant Energy sponsors Mommies and Minions Night when the Omaha Lancers come to town. And on Saturday night, A Night With Two By Two features a special jersey auction, and a dynamic atmosphere, as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders take the short trip eastward.
Kevin, Stuart and Bob, the famous Minions, will be in the building for Mommies and Minions Night, in search of their new boss in Dubuque. Little Minions coming to the game are encouraged to dress the part and take pictures with the trio behind section 110.
A Night With Two By Two features a special silent auction that features five signed jerseys—Johnny Gaudreau-signed Calgary Flames and Dubuque Fighting Saints jerseys, Zemgus Girgensons-signed Buffalo Sabres and Dubuque Fighting Saints jerseys, as well as a Brooks Bertsch signed Fighting Saints jersey. The auction table will be located behind section 110.
For one night only, the 50/50 pot will start at $2,300. 50% of the proceeds will benefit Two By Two Character Development, a proud partner and co-developer of the Live Like A Saint Program. The program travels to local schools and teaches children about seven character words to establish how to live like a Saint.
Saturday’s game against Cedar Rapids will count towards the Dupaco Cowbell Cup standings.
Tickets are available by calling the box office at 563.583.6880, or by going online to DubuqueFightingSaints.com.
###
About the Dubuque Fighting Saints
The Fighting Saints returned to USHL play in the brand new Mystique Community Ice Center during the 2010-11 Season, winning the Clark Cup in their first year back in the USHL. The Fighting Saints continued their success with a historic season in 201213, finishing with a franchise best 4511‐8 record. The team claimed the Anderson Cup as the USHL’s regular season champions for the first time in 30 years, and also earned the Clark Cup for second time in three seasons. In August 2013, the team took the Bronze Medal while representing the United States at the Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia. The club has produced a number of players that moved on to NCAA Division I hockey and have been drafted by NHL teams, including Zemgus Girgensons and Johnny Gaudreau. The original Fighting Saints competed in the USHL for 21 seasons (1980‐2001). The Club won the Clark Cup as playoff champions on three occasions (1981, 1983, 1985) under head coach Jack Barzee. One of the most well-known alumni of the original Fighting Saints was Gary Suter, a 17‐year NHL veteran, two time Olympian, Stanley Cup winner, and member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
About Northern Lights Hockey, LLC
Northern Lights Hockey, LLC is the company that owns and operates the USHL franchise in Dubuque, Iowa. The owners of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC collectively provide an extensive background in both business and hockey, and represent interests on a national and local level. Philip Falcone, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of HC2 Holdings, Inc. and former part owner of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is the company’s principal owner. The ownership group also includes Peter Chiarelli, Edmonton Oilers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Mark Falcone, and Brad Kwong, Managing Partner of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC. Philip Falcone, Chiarelli and Kwong all played hockey together at Harvard University in the mid- 1980’s. The group also includes local Iowan partners Mark Falb and David S. Field, M.D. Falb currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Westmark Enterprises, Inc. and Kendall / Hunt Publishing Company. Dr. Field has practiced orthopedic surgery for 30 years and has been the driving force behind hockey in Dubuque. Dr. Field also owned the Dubuque Thunderbirds, the USA Hockey Tier III team that competed in the Central States Hockey League through the 2009-10 Season.
If you’re looking for a fun craft to beat the winter blues, this Painted Hockey Love Sign is a good place to start. It would make a thoughtful, inexpensive gift for a friend, loved one or colleague as well. Lets get started, shall we?
You’ll Need:
1 Bottle Black Acrylic Paint
1 Bottle Color of Your Choosing Acrylic Paint
1 Paint Brush
1 Bottle Wood Glue, I used Elmers
1 Popsicle Stick
1 Piece of Sign Wood in Desired Size
Wooden Sign Letters for Desired Word — I used “Hockey”
1 Package Vinyl Transfer Sheet in Desired Pattern
1 Package Mini Clothespins (Found in the Wood Section at Craft Store)
1 Package Wooden Hearts – I used these pre-made ones that were hanging on the clearance end cap at A.C. Moore, but if you can’t find pre-made ones, a package of mini clothespins and a package of wooden hearts (stars, etc) will work, its just an added step
1 Piece of Parchment Paper
Twine
Scissors
1 Water Container to Clean Brush
A Handful of Paper Towels to Pat Dry Brush
A Few Pieces of Masking Tape and/or Hockey Tape
Directions:
On a surface, such as the kitchen table where you can spread out, place a generous piece of parchment paper down.
Unroll your vinyl transfer sheet, lay your wooden sign piece down over a clear chunk of the pattern and trace the piece of wood onto to paper backing. Cut out your traced rectangle and set your transfer sheet aside, we’ll use this later.
Taking your wooden sign piece, evenly coat the front and sides with desired color and set aside on your parchment paper, it will dry fairly quickly.
Wash your brush. While your wooden sign piece is drying, take your black paint and begin to paint your letters, distributing paint evenly on the front and sides. Once completely coated, double check that you didn’t miss a spot – then set aside on the parchment paper to dry. If you have hearts or stars that need painting, now is the time to paint those as well.
Once your wooden sign piece is dry to the touch, take your pre-cut vinyl transfer sheet rectangle and per the instructions on the package, gently peel off the paper backing and place on the painted side of your wooden sign piece – make sure its straight before you press down.
Step 6
Smooth your hand over the vinyl transfer, working out any bubbles you might have. Next, take your handy dandy popsicle stick, starting at one side of your wooden sign piece, begin rubbing it fairly hard to make sure your vinyl adheres to the wood properly. I went over mine two to three times to ensure it was adhered, if it’s not, the vinyl wont stick to the wood correctly and it will begin to peel up when you start to pull off the backing.
Once you’re content that you’ve given the “smoothing process” your all, starting at one corner of the wood, begin to peel the backing SLOWLY off the wood. If you find a piece of the vinyl did not adhere properly, lay the paper back down in that spot and go over it more vigorously with the popsicle stick so it sticks.
Take your letters, which are dry to the touch, and decide how you’d like them to lay on your now patterned wood piece. Once you’ve decided on a format, I went straight across in the the middle of the wood, take your popsicle stick, and wood glue and begin to place a thin layer of glue on the back of the letter and place the letters, giving them a secure little pressing motion onto the wood.
If you bought pre-made heart clips, you can just adhere them to the wood wherever you’d like to place them using the above method. If you did not buy them pre-made, take your painted heart, or star shape and glue them to your mini clothespin, then glue the clothespin to the patterned board. Set aside to dry.
Cut a piece of twine the desired length. Once your glue on the front has dried, flip the sign over and attach the twine to the back of the sign. I had every intension of using a hot glue gun to do this, but forgot to buy glue sticks – crafters worst nightmare. If you have a hot glue gun, by all means assemble it that way. If you don’t, using 4 small pieces of masking tape, you can attach the twine to the back. I added a few pieces of hockey tape over the masking tape to give it a nicer completed look and feel.
Clip a few of your favorite photos into the mini clothespins and hang your sign!
My favorite part of this project is that it’s extremely versatile, by changing the colors of the paint, the word, etc. It can go from a hockey themed DIY to a child’s or pet’s name, or a favorite word, the opportunities are endless. Changing out the heart and using a star, a football, an animal, a dog bone is easy — everyday the craft store is adding a new small wooden shape to the mix.
From start to finish, this project took an hour or less, had minimum difficulty and a beautiful end product!
Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the Canucks have reassigned forward Brandon Prust to the AHL Utica Comets.
Prust, 31, has appeared in 35 games for the Canucks this season, where he has registered seven points (1-6-7) along with 59 penalty minutes. In 2014.15, Prust notched 18 points (4-14-18) and 134 penalty minutes in 82 games with the Montreal Canadiens. The left winger also tallied four points (1-3-4) and 35 penalty minutes for Montreal during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since his debut in 2006.07, Prust has recorded 115 points (40-75-115) and 1,036 penalty minutes in 486 NHL regular season games split between the Canucks, Canadiens, Rangers, Flames, and Coyotes.
A native of London, Ontario, Prust was acquired from Montreal in exchange for Zack Kassian and a 2016 fifth round pick on July 1, 2015. He was the Calgary Flames’ second pick (third round, 70th overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Prev
