How Boston College has returned to form

Last season was an odd one for Jerry York and Co. For the first time since 2008, Boston College didn’t win the Hockey East regular season title, the postseason tournament or earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the Eagles finished the year below .500 for the first time since 1996.  

It was a strange season from the start. After being named the preseason favorite by league coaches, BC lost four of its first five games and never truly got off the ground. As the seventh seed in the Hockey East tournament, the Eagles managed to upset the top two seeds, Providence and Massachusetts, and made an appearance in the title game.  

Hockey glory hasn’t been found at Conte Forum since 2017, the last time BC took home hardware, but things appear to be returning to normal on Chestnut Hill. Coming out of winter break into the new decade, the Eagles are 11-4-0 and 7-5-2 in league play. After winning their first three games and then dropping four in a row, No. 5 BC went on a tear and is riding a nine-game win streak into the second half, the second-longest active unbeaten streak in the country.   

So, what’s been different this season?

Goaltending

This couldn’t start anywhere else but with Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.). Entering the season as a true freshman and the only netminder selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft (13th overall by Florida), one of just 10 American goalies ever selected in the first round, the 18-year-old has lived up to the preseason hype, and then some. 

Starting in all 15 games, Knight has been a wall between the pipes, holding opponents to under two goals per game with a .940 save percentage and four shutouts. 

His first half was so stout that Knight was selected as the primary goaltender for Team USA in the World Junior Championship, where he is vying for a medal. The only caveat for the Eagles is that this year’s tournament is being held in the Czech Republic, so BC will be without its star goalie when play resumes on Jan. 4. (The tournament final is Jan. 5.)

Tighter defense

With better goaltending comes better defending, and the Eagles’ back end has been feeding off the play of its dominant freshman in net. 

After finishing last season allowing an average of 2.82 goals per game, 110 in total, BC’s defensive unit is off to a much better start this year. Through 15 games, it’s among the best in the nation, holding opponents to just 1.87 goals per game (28). 

Thanks to their increased prowess in the back end, the defensemen are creating better breakouts, which has allowed them to contribute more on the attack – a feature that was lacking last season.

Scoring balance is better 

In 2018-19, the offense relied too heavily on its top line, the explosive trio of David Cotton, Julius Mattila and Logan Hutsko. The three-headed monster combined for 85 points, but it still wasn’t enough as BC finished the season averaging just over two goals per game, outside of the nation’s top 50.

This season, the Eagles are averaging almost four goals per game and although Cotton, Mattila and Hutsko remain as productive as ever, each averaging over a point per game, others have stepped up to add scoring depth. 

Aapeli Räsänen, Alex Newhook and Mike Hardman have all been productive on the attack, while defensemen Connor Moore and Ben Finkelstein have helped take some of the load off the primary scorers. 

Strong finishes

Another feature that’s benefited the Eagles on their improved start has been their ability to close out games. They’re 7-0 when leading after the first period and 9-0 when leading after the second. Plus, when they get an early lead, the defense keeps it. When scoring first, they’re 6-1. For the fourth-youngest team in the nation, that’s impressive. 

They’ve also gotten better on the road. After going 5-15-1 away from home last season, they’re off to a 7-3 start this year. They’ve beaten No. 16 Harvard and No. 14 Providence on the road, and swept No. 15 Notre Dame in a home-and-home that saw them outscore the Irish 10-1.

... but tests are coming

Currently ranked fifth in the nation and sixth in Hockey East, the second half is chalk full of tests for BC. It’s already passed a few and fell short in others, like the early sweep at the hands of No. 6 Denver, but the only top league foe the Eagles have played is the Friars (10-5-3, 6-4-2 conference). 

That’s about to change coming out of the break, as they face three games against No. 9 UMass, one against No. 13 UMass Lowell, one against Boston University and two against Maine during an arduous January slate.   

How they respond to playing these higher-ranked teams will be key to continuing their momentum in the second half. 

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