{"id":31012,"date":"2010-02-09T23:06:58","date_gmt":"2010-02-10T05:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2010\/02\/09\/tuesday-morning-quarterback-feb-9-2010\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:52","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:52","slug":"tuesday-morning-quarterback-feb-9-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2010\/02\/09\/tuesday-morning-quarterback-feb-9-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Feb. 9, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"
Todd:<\/b> Well, Jim, another Beanpot is in the books, and it’s Boston College, not perennial favorite Boston University, that left TD Garden with this year’s title. I think a lot of people thought that a Beanpot championship may have been a way for BU to start to salvage its season, but the Terriers will have to find some other way to jump start a late-season run. I’d like to get to the Terriers in a second, but first thoughts on what the Beanpot title might do for the Eagles the rest of the way?<\/p>\n
Jim:<\/b> Well, winning the Beanpot has typically been a springboard for Jerry York’s teams. In 2001 and 2008, BC’s Beanpot win lead to a national title (BC’s 2004 title was followed by a Frozen Four appearance). But I’m not ready to call BC a Frozen Four team yet. The Eagles are doing a lot of things very well right now. Goal scoring is through the roof, averaging 5.5 goals per game over the last four contests while allowing just six goals total over that same span. BC got itself back in the Hockey East race last week with a win over Massachusetts while New Hampshire fell twice to Maine. Right now, BC and Maine are just three points out of first place and the final series of the weekend between the Eagles and Wildcats is circled on the calendars of many.<\/p>\n
Todd:<\/b> For my money, I’ll take a team with consistently strong defense over a team with good offensive numbers, at least in a one-off game, because it seems like offense is more fleeting than defense. Who knows how long BC’s offensive surge is going to last. It may be here to stay; it may be gone in a week. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Eagles make it, but I’m with you. What do you think Boston University’s outlook is from here? I’m no expert at predicting the movements of the PairWise, but with a maximum of 13 games left for the Terriers before the tournament is selected, I’m guessing they’ll need the Hockey East playoff title to be in position to defend their NCAA championship.<\/p>\n
Jim:<\/b> Like you, I don’t have the advanced doctorate in math to say it definitively, but I’d think BU’s only bet with be a Hockey East championship and the automatic qualifier associated with it. After Monday night, the Terriers have fallen out of the PairWise and would need to pretty much go on a major run (win all remaining league and playoff games and lose in the title game, maybe) to earn the at-large qualifier. Speaking of the PairWise, another Hockey East team that many wrote off just recently and has quickly moved to the upper echelon is Maine. The Black Bears swept New Hampshire at home last weekend, coming from two goals down on back-to-back nights. Maine currently sits tied for seventh in the PWR and could be close to locking up an NCAA bid after a two-year hiatus. <\/p>\n