Between Boston University’s impressive freshman class, including top NHL prospect Jack Eichel, and the U.S. Under-18 Team, you’d be hard pressed to find a better combination of youth and skill than what was on display at Agganis Arena Saturday night.
In a battle where each team’s impressive top line notched three goals, BU came away with a 6-4 exhibition game victory in front of 3,921. Eichel scored twice and added an assist, while his linemate Danny O’Regan had a goal and two assists.
For the U.S. team, the first line of Auston Matthews, Jeremy Bracco, and Matthew Tkachuk combined for three goals and five assists.
“Obviously, it was nice to win,” BU coach David Quinn said. “People perceive these as games that don’t matter, but they matter to us. I don’t know if we’re going to see a more skilled team than that one. They’re loaded up front; they’ve got a good D corps; they’re well-coached. I’m happy we came out with a 6-4 win.
“I don’t think we played great early. I thought we were spotty. After we got up 4-1, I thought we got sloppy. Give them credit for battling back. … You’re not going to play great every night, but I think I’m really proud of how we played in the third. To not play that well in the first two periods and to play well in the third is a good sign.”
BU took the lead at 14:51 of the first on some eye-popping tic-tac-toe passing from that first line, as O’Regan passed to Eichel who passed to Ahti Oksanen and back to O’Regan for the tap-in. Moving Oksanen from defense to first-line left wing is looking pretty brilliant so far.
“I love that first line,” Quinn said. “Oksanen is playing his best hockey by far, and I thought Danny O’Regan was the best guy on the ice tonight. He did so many things well; he was a man out there. And Jack garners a lot of attention, and rightfully so. There’s a lot of everything on that line.”
The U.S. tied it up a few minutes later when Matthews teed up Jeremy Bracco for a point-blank one-timer to beat BU freshman goalie Connor LaCouvee.
The second period produced a whirlwind of goals, starting just 34 seconds into the frame. BU senior Cason Hohmann won a puck battle with defenseman Caleb Jones and then slipped the puck to Evan Rodrigues for the shot and score.
Then BU made it 3-1 when O’Regan combined with Eichel for a second time. This time, Eichel got the pass on the right wing and looked to return it, only to have his cross carom off a defender and slip by goalie Luke Opilka.
It looked like it could be a runaway when BU made it 4-1 just 62 second later. This time, Eichel rushed up the right wing and wristed a shot past Opilka, catching the goalie leaving just a little space on the short side.
U.S. coach Don Granato wisely called a timeout at that point, and his team responded with two goals before the period was over, both by Auston Matthews, who has yet to decide whether he will play with an NCAA team or go to the Canadian juniors. Matthews was opportunistic around the net, and Tkachuk found him both times.
With the outcome back in doubt, BU’s fifth goal was critical. O’Regan made a terrific play, holding the puck for a long while on the left wing before threading a pass through a defender to Oksanen, who buried it on the back door.
U.S. right wing Christian Fisher got that one back after he blocked a John MacLeod shot from the point and scored on the ensuing breakaway, but Terriers freshman J.J. Piccinich sealed the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Granato had decided to pull the goalie despite being short-handed, but the bold move didn’t work out.
BU (1-0) hosts Michigan State and Michigan next weekend, while the U.S. team plays Cornell and Oswego State.
