BOSTON — After a gritty three game series in the first round, the Dartmouth Big came out swinging to take down the Harvard Crimson 4-1 in game one of the ECAC Quarterfinals Friday night. The victory was the first for the Big Green at Bright-Landry since 2010.
Dartmouth worked quickly to take away goaltender Merrick Madsen’s vision to force odd-angle shots. The Big Green’s opening few minutes challenged his glove, challenging him early. After a flurry of shots in the opening minutes to test the senior’s glove.
The Big Green got its first against Madsen as Collin Rutherford pulled away from the goal line along the far boards and whipped a shot, which was potted in at the post by Cam Strong for the lead.
The off angle shots would continue, as Daniel Warpecha sent a wrist shot in front from in front on a pass across the slot from behind the net from linemate Kevan Kilistoff, good for the 2-0 lead.
For Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet, the challenge was in making all 21 shots fired on goal meaningful.
“We just want to get pucks to the net as much as we can. If we can get some traffic there and get some opportunity to score rebounds or get some screen type plays,” Gaudet said. “He’s a big kid, he’s got really good hands and we just want to try to pounce on some.”
Harvard ended the final minutes of the middle period with consistent offensive zone time, forcing Mike Richter nominee Devin Buffalo into making difficult saves. Combined with an 0-for-5 power play, Harvard generated opportunities but couldn’t finish.
“We have to be more invested in the hard areas of the ice. They won puck battles and were able to beat us out of the corners a few times and get to the front of the net,” Harvard head coach Ted Donato said. “We came on as the game went on but that’s neither here nor there as far as the outcome of the game.”
“They were the more physical team early, they were more competitive, i thought they looked like a team that had been in the fire a little bit,” Donato added.
Matt Baker stretched the Big Green lead in the third, taking a shovel pass from a Alex Jasiek falling through the nearside circle for a clean look in the slot to make it 3-0.
Devin Buffalo’s bid for his third shutout of the season, and the first Crimson zero against the Big Green since 1923 was broken by Nathan Krusko. Catching Buffalo down on his stomach for a poke check, Krusko’s elevated wrist shot on an open net for his second put Harvard on the board.
Buffalo was still excited by his team’s defensive effort in his 35 save night.
“Our team did a good job clearing the front. When it comes to the playoffs the third circle is the front, offensively and defensively is where you win games,” Buffalo said. “I think our d-men and forwards did a great job, if I made the initial save they were there to clear it out with sticks.”
The senior netminder was also satisfied with the intensity brought to the ice, and the desperation turning into motivation in a best of three playoff.
“Going from St. Lawrence and the adversity we faced, every game is overtime and that’s the mentality we have to have,” Buffalo said.
Ted Donato wants to see some of that effort mimicked in his high-end squad in the second game of the series in Cambridge on Saturday.
“We didn’t have a lot of second and third effort in our game,” Donato said. “We just looked like we wanted to play and not really compete. This time of year there’s a big difference in those two things.”
