Path well traveled

Defenseman Blake Kessel and New Hampshire hope to parlay their top seed into a trip to Boston for the semifinals. (UNH Media Relations)

It was a tight season in Hockey East, but when the smoke cleared, the playoff path had some familiar landmarks.

Kirk's Call

Jordan Knackstedt has made strides since Claude Julien held him out of training camp.

From the mag: Jr. Monarchs goalie Brian Billett has hit his stride.

Atlantic Hockey Journal: Sacred Heart leads pack of challengers in tournament. | More

ECAC Hockey Journal: Brown played its way into the league quarterfinals, and put some demons to rest in the process. | More

Harvard, UNH and BU all received invites to the eight-team NCAA tournament on Sunday night. | More

HockeyJournal.com Poll

Hockey East Journal: The road to the league semifinals goes through some familiar places. | More

AHL Journal: While the NHLs GM's split hairs, the headhunting continues at all levels. | More

Bruins coach Claude Julien deserves a good share of blame for his team's mid-winter struggles. | More

Brian Leetch's lone season with the Bruins didn't work out the way he wanted, but he said he enjoyed the experience anyway. | More