Confidence isn’t lacking for Northeastern freshman Tyler Madden. The Huskies’ first line center showed that once again Monday night at the TD Garden in his team’s 2-1 overtime win over Boston University that will propel them to next week’s final against Boston College.
Less than a minute had gone by in the extra session when Madden jumped out onto the ice and snuck behind the BU defense that was also coming on the ice from a change. After receiving a stretch pass from defenseman Jeremy Davies, Madden rushed in on BU goaltender Jake Oettinger before firing a quick snap shot that found its way to the back of the net.
“BU was going for a line change there. Solow was coming off on the back end. I got out behind their defensemen. Davies hit me for a stretch pass and I had all the time in the world,” Madden explained after the game.
“It was a great play from Davies to (Madden) for the breakaway goal,” added Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan.
Following his goal, his second overtime winner in the last five games, Madden went down on the ice and slid into the boards in another celebration that went viral on Twitter. His teammates mobbed him to celebrate the victory.
“I don’t really know. I just kind of make them up as I go,” said Madden when asked about his goal celebrations. “It was a little warm out today so I wanted to create a snow angel.”
Madden, picked in the third round with the 68th overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks at last summer’s NHL Draft, has nine goals and 12 assists in 22 collegiate games. He also scored three goals for the U.S. National Junior Team at the World Junior Championship in December and January before rejoining the Huskies.
His overtime heroics weren’t the first time he shined on Monday night. There were two separate sequences in regulation in which his stick-handling and shiftiness made BU defenders look foolish. In total, he was able to produce six shots on goal.
“It was unbelievable. I’ve been coming to the Garden for a while watching games. Bright lights out there. I shine in those,” said Madden, whose father John Madden played in 1,039 NHL games after a stellar collegiate career at Michigan.
Part of Madden’s belief in his abilities as a player comes from years of being in rinks, whether it be watching his dad or honing his own skills over countless practices and games.
“I think he’s had confidence his whole life. He’s a confident young man. He hasn’t played any differently from the beginning of the year to now. What has happened is he’s become more seasoned and experienced. It comes a little bit from the pedigree of his father being a terrific player,” Madigan explained.
Madigan and the rest of the Huskies have to be hoping Madden continues playing great hockey down the stretch. When he has a point or more, Northeastern is 11-2-1 compared to 5-6-0 when he doesn’t.
Madden wasn’t the only future pro to shine for the Huskies on Monday night. In addition to his primary assist on the game-winner, Davies had nine shots on goal was on the ice for the other NU tally. With his puck skills and ability to generate possession, the New Jersey Devils are looking like they got a steal when selecting him in the seventh round of the 2016 draft.
BU freshman right wing Joel Farabee picked up his 10th goal of the season with 21 seconds left in the first period. The Philadelphia Flyers’ first round pick had five shots on goal, including two that came on breakaways.
The game likely never would have gotten to overtime had it not been for the efforts of junior goaltender Jake Oettinger who made 47 stops on 49 shots.
BC will join the Huskies in next Monday’s championship game thanks to Joseph Woll’s 27 saves and freshman Jack McBain’s goal with 7:38 to play in regulation that gave the team a 2-1 lead over Harvard.
Another rookie, Patrick Giles, scored his first collegiate goal to put BC up 1-0 just 4:57 into the first semifinal.
