Hockey East: Seven veterans to watch in the playoffs

Playoff hockey is right around the corner.    

In the blink of an eye, five months have come and gone, and the regular season is already coming to a close. Don’t worry, though, because the Hockey East tournament is up next and it’s coming quick: two weeks in the middle of March to decide who will earn the conference crown.

As it has been since 2018, eight of 11 teams qualify for the tournament.

None of those spots have been solidified as of Feb. 27, outside the two teams that have already been ruled out of postseason contention: Vermont, which is winless in league play, and Merrimack. 

As the schedule winds down and the tournament on the horizon, with the quarterfinals set to run from March 13-15, we take a look at a few Hockey East veterans we expect to step up big in the playoffs.

Jeremy Swayman, G, Maine

(Junior; Boston Bruins, fourth-round pick, 2017)

It’s safe to say Swayman has been this season's MVP for the Black Bears (17-10-5 overall, 11-8-3 in Hockey East). Without his play in net, they most likely wouldn’t find themselves in the top half of the standings in the final days of the season. Combine his play with the scoring of fellow veterans Mitchell Fossier and Tim Doherty, and Maine could certainly fill the role of surprise first-round winner.

Swayman’s .938 save percentage is third in the country, and he’s done so while making over 100 more saves than any other netminder in Division 1. Without a doubt, he can steal a big game.

Patrick Harper, C, Boston University

(Senior; Nashville Predators, fifth-round pick, 2016)

The Terriers (12-11-8 overall, 9-7-5 in Hockey East) have never lost a Hockey East quarterfinal series with Harper; they even won the entire tournament when he was a sophomore in 2018. But after last season’s stunning overtime loss to Northeastern in the semifinal, they’re eager to get back to the top.

In his final collegiate season, Harper (New Canaan, Conn.) is especially eager to make it back during his last run at the tournament. Having the best year of his career, with 36 points on 13 goals and 23 assists, the senior captain and mainstay on the Hockey East postseason scene for the last four years, along with fellow senior Patrick Curry, isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.

On the youngest team in college hockey, with plenty of playoff experience and his game picking up at the right time, look for Harper to return to lighting it up offensively after a tough stretch to close out the regular season. 

Ryan Shea, D, Northeastern

(Senior; Chicago Blackhawks, fourth-round pick, 2015)

With sophomore leading scorer Tyler Madden, tied for fourth in the country in points per game, sidelined indefinitely with a hand injury (per CHN), Shea will be tabbed with helping fill the scoring gap until the Huskies’ (17-10-3 overall, 10-9-1 in Hockey East) main point-getter returns. 

In 27 games, Shea (Milton, Mass.) has been lethal from the back end. The senior captain has 29 points on 5 goals and 24 assists, and if a depleted NU squad wants to make a run at defending its league title, it starts with Shea. He’s been there before, is a proven leader and scorer, and knows what it takes to win in March.

Benjamin Freeman, RW, Connecticut

(Senior; unrestricted free agent)

Similar to the Huskies (14-13-4 overall, 11-8-2 in Hockey East), Freeman is on track to record his best season in the last four years: 30 games into the season, the senior captain has racked up a career-high 26 points on 7 goals and 19 assists.

Going into a series with Massachusetts this weekend, coming off wins in five of its last six, if this upbeat UConn team secures a spot in the playoffs, Freeman (Falmouth, Maine) could play a main role in willing it to its first-ever Hockey East playoff win since entering the league in 2014. 

His big-game mentality came out in the Huskies' first-ever sweep of Boston University last week, in which Freeman notched seven points, including a game-tying goal and a game-winning assist. 

Jake McLaughlin, D, Massachusetts

(Senior; unrestricted free agent)

After losing Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro and playing most of the first half without sophomore Marc Del Gaizo, McLaughlin has been the savior the Minutemen (19-10-2 overall, 12-7-2 in Hockey East) back end so desperately needed when the season began. In 31 games, the senior captain has racked up 14 points on 3 goals and 11 assists, but it’s not just his offensive game that’s made him such an effective player.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, McLaughlin’s plus-27 is the highest in the country, which is even more impressive considering his minus-17 as a freshman. It’s all part of a recent transformation for the senior stalwart who is the centerpiece of the leagues’ top defense.

Kenny Hausinger, F, UMass Lowell

(Senior; unrestricted free agent)

On a team led in scoring by a trio of freshman, Hausinger – just one of three seniors – has been the main veteran contributor for the River Hawks (16-10-5 overall, 10-7-4 in Hockey East) throughout their 31 games. 

As a freshman during Lowell’s 2017 run to the conference championship that ended in an NCAA regional final defeat, the Alaska native is one of the only players on this year’s roster with winning playoff experience. As they have all season, the River Hawks will continue to look to the play of their veteran leader as the Norm Bazin-led squad aims to make a big splash in the tournament.

Ben Finkelstein, D, Boston College

(Senior; Florida Panthers, seventh-round pick, 2017)

Much like Jake McLaughlin, simply put, the Eagles (21-8-1 overall, 14-6-0 in Hockey East) are just a better team when Finkelstein is on the ice: his plus-25 is fourth in the country.

Along with his consistent, responsible play with the puck in his own zone, the senior is also adept at using his body to stop it. With 31 blocks on the season, second-most on BC, the senior isn’t afraid to put his body on the line, and that’s a major bonus for any team, especially in the playoffs. 

While the Eagles offense is often the part of their game that turns heads, for good reason, their defense is solid as well. Finkelstein is a big part of that and hopes to keep it that way in March. 

Liam Flaherty can be reached at lflaherty24@gmail.com and on Twitter @_LiamFlaherty.