Scoreboard Watching (2/12/10)

Full Slate of Hockey East on Tap

This is a weekly feature in which we look around Hockey East at the games coming up this weekend, and give you some friendly advice about which teams to root for, all in the interest of advancing the revival of Your Terriers.

New Hampshire vs. Providence (one game)

Rich vs Poor.  Strong vs Weak.  Handsome vs Ugly.  Tall vs Short.  Good vs Bad.  UNH vs Providence.

The Wildcats are currently the top team in Hockey East, and despite losing two in a row to Maine and tumbling 3 spots in the national poll, they are still miles ahead of the Friars.  That being said, UNH has dropped 3 of their last 4, including a loss to Merrimack.  But all kidding aside, Providence has won two games since November.  Seriously.  Two.  And one of them was over a Maine team without its starting goalie.  You do the math.

You're rooting for UNH to stumble, but it's just probably not going to happen.


UMass Amherst vs. Northeastern

The Minutemen may be the number four seed in Hockey East, but it's not thanks to their recent play.  They have dropped three of four, finding paydirt only in a victory over the Friars.  They are coming off a 7-1 pounding at the hands of Boston College, and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back to that ugly loss.

Northeastern on the other hand, is actually starting to find a bit of a rhythym.  Despite dropping a very hotly contested game to the Terriers in the opening round of the Beanpot, the Huskies have won 4 of their last 5.  But three of those wins came over Mack, Providence and Harvard.  But hey, you can only beat the teams on the schedule.

BU fans should be (sadly) hoping for the Huskies to continue this hot play to aid the Terriers' efforts to catch up to Amherst for the all-important home playoff spot in Hockey East.  UMA and NU will travel from Amherst to Hutington Ave from Friday to Saturday.


Boston College vs UMass Lowell

This series will also be a home and home, and on paper it should be a good one.  Lowell can score a bundle, but their high powered offense has been stymied a bit recently over a tough three game losing streak. 

And although Terrier Nation always hopes that BC will lose, a bad weekend from UML would actually be more helpful for BU.  It's not likely that UML will find a way to win, as the Eagles are running at full speed toward the top of Hockey East as well as the National Polls.  They are 10th in the nation right now, and John Muse seems determined to push them even further.  The Riverhawks better watch out this weekend.


Merrimack at Vermont (twice!)

Merrimack spent most of November, December and January toiling away in a stretch of seven losses in a row as well as ten losses in eleven games.  However since that awful stretch has ended, Mack has shown signs of shaking out of their slumber.  They beat UNH once and took them to OT in another game, they beat Providence once, and they defeated UML. 

BU fans need Mack to be road warriors this weekend when they go to Vermont.  UVM is currently tied with the Terriers in Hockey East with 18 points.