The Inevitable Mascot Battle Just Missed the Cut
You may be surprised to find out that the Terriers have played in 35 outdoor hockey games in program history. However, that is all ancient history. The last time the Terriers took to the pond, Jack Parker was 10 going on 11, and Dwight D. Eisenhower was the leader of the Free World.
So throw that 20-12-3 record the Terriers own in outdoor games right out the window. They are 0-0-0 outside, and they are 1-0-0 in 2010.
This game will also be a completely different animal from the beautifully done NHL Winter Classic just a week ago. It may be played in the same house, but it certainly will not be the same game.
So what will the Big Green Box on Yawkey Way have in store for the boys of Commonwealth Avenue? Here are five things to watch for on Friday night.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Terriers Talk Turnaround
Bouncing Back the Name of the Game
We all know the Terriers stunk up the joint from October to December, but there has been a lot of talk on this blog about the new year bringing a new outlook for BU. The team also realizes it's not too late to escape their awful start with a little change in their attitude.
Coach Parker told ESPN, "[The problem was] their unwillingness to play as hard as necessary. They wanted to play Fancy Dan hockey and see if we could get by with making some pretty plays and win on our talent because 'Do you know who we are?' -- and that didn't work."
The one thing that I really love about Parker is his brutal honesty. Before Christmas, he said a week of practice would serve as open tryouts for that week's game, and he wasn't messing around. Colby had a bad week, he didn't start.
Parker has been known to rip his team when it's necessary, and he doesn't mince words.
We all know BU was trying to skate by on their ridiculous finish last season. It's happened before. A team wins big, they reach the highest of highs and they end up on a hangover to start the next year. But it's refreshing for Parker to say that.
But my favorite part of this story is how the team seems to have really bought into the idea that this thing is a long way from over.
Chiasson told ESPN, "After Christmas was a new season. Now we're 1-0. We've got new momentum and everyone's fresh on the ice. Everyone feels good about themselves."
Terriers Trying to Make Jack A Happy Man
Even better yet, the players have bought into it too.
Alex Chiasson said to ESPN that he was embarassed. "After we lost a couple of games early in the season, I think it was like a slap in the face to everyone," Chiasson said. "Guys were getting nervous, anxious, and it's also with school when hockey isn't going well. You don't really want to show up to class in the morning, and you don't know if you want to do your work at night for school the next day."
Parker has been known to rip his team when it's necessary, and he doesn't mince words.
We all know BU was trying to skate by on their ridiculous finish last season. It's happened before. A team wins big, they reach the highest of highs and they end up on a hangover to start the next year. But it's refreshing for Parker to say that.
But my favorite part of this story is how the team seems to have really bought into the idea that this thing is a long way from over.
Chiasson told ESPN, "After Christmas was a new season. Now we're 1-0. We've got new momentum and everyone's fresh on the ice. Everyone feels good about themselves."
Bonino feels the same way. "We think that we can get home-ice advantage. We think we're one of the best teams in the league, and when we're playing well and when we're competing hard we think we can be one of the best teams in the country."
Now that's what I like to hear! A new season, a new start. I love it.
I really am 100% confident about this team. I was pumped about the second half before I read this story, but after hearing what they have to say I am genuinely excited. Not to mention that I have officially declared 2010 The Year of Colby Cohen.
Game Two is Friday at Fenway folks. Get pumped up.
Video of the Terriers' Skate at Fenway
Awesome Footage of BU practicing in the Great Outdoors
We're almost 24 hours away from the drop of the puck at Fenway Park, and the Terriers finally got a chance to experience what it will be like to skate on the ice at the old yard.
It looks pretty nice out there, but my one question about this has to be visibility from the stands. Will the fans have a decent view of the action once it's dark outside with the lights shining off the ice.
Anyway, the boys look pretty pumped up, and they certainly had a spirited practice on the sheet at Fenway.
We're almost 24 hours away from the drop of the puck at Fenway Park, and the Terriers finally got a chance to experience what it will be like to skate on the ice at the old yard.
It looks pretty nice out there, but my one question about this has to be visibility from the stands. Will the fans have a decent view of the action once it's dark outside with the lights shining off the ice.
Anyway, the boys look pretty pumped up, and they certainly had a spirited practice on the sheet at Fenway.
Get Warm Before the Game at Tequila Rain
BU Hosting Pre-Game Party
Well I was going to hit up Cask 'N' Flagon before the game, but for ten bucks BU athletics is going to feed me, give me a free drink, and give me whatever the hell a "collapsible banner is. So yeah, I'm sold on the rain. I do love that place anyway.
It starts at 5:30, and the only catch is that you have to register ahead of time. But that's easy, and you can do that right here.
Terriers Practice At Fenway
Post Practice Remarks From Parker, Shattenkirk and Gryba
This is starting to get pretty exciting folks. Your head coach, captain and alternate all talked to the media after skating on the ice at "America's Most Beloved Ballpark" today, and we've got some of the highlights.
Jack Parker On the variables of playing at Fenway Park:
"I think it’s different because of the wind and the snow. It isn’t different in one aspect in that it’s going to be the exact same for the other team. That aspect of it equals it out. I don’t think that 35,000 people are going to be a problem. I think it will probably sound less of a crowd than we had at Madison Square Garden or sometimes at the Beanpot because they’re not right on top of you. So I don’t know if it will be played as loud or quiet as exciting that way. I think the biggest problem is the sightlines and the fact that you’re looking up over the boards as you don’t see fans, you see distance before you see anyone else. That might be a problem for goalies. The other situation is that it’s always different for us to get used to an NHL rink because there’s so little room behind the net. It’s really tough for the defensemen to adjust that way sometimes. With this rink in particular it’s small with the corners and the radius being real tight so there are small corners too. Then you add the extra four feet at the attack and blue line so the whole zone is different. In some ways it makes it easier to fore-check but otherwise it makes it more difficult to get the puck out of the zone. It gives you more time on the power play at the points, but it gives you less time at the corners of the power play. There are a lot of adjustments here that both BC and BU don’t play at a rink like this during the regular season but we get adjusted usually pretty quickly when we go to the Garden or Lowell. All the variables are there to make it distracting if you want to make it distracting for both clubs."
Eric Gryba on Skating on an Outdoor Rink:
“Just being outside in this atmosphere has everyone is having a lot fun playing out there. I think the guys really enjoyed it. You could tell guys were having fun. We seemed like a bunch of 12 year olds out there playing hockey again.”
Kevin Shattenkirk on Playing at Fenway:
"I think today everyone walked out there and took everything in. I think Friday nights is going to that much different when there;s close to 40,000 people there watching you. Hopefully guys can get past that. I think it’s great that we played at Madison Square Garden earlier in the year just to have a larger crowd and being used to that might work in our favor in terms of getting past the shock value.”
If you want to read the full transcript of Thursday's press conferences, the wonderful BU Athletics department essentially has the entire day, word for word, posted up here.
Read, and enjoy.
This is starting to get pretty exciting folks. Your head coach, captain and alternate all talked to the media after skating on the ice at "America's Most Beloved Ballpark" today, and we've got some of the highlights.
Jack Parker On the variables of playing at Fenway Park:
"I think it’s different because of the wind and the snow. It isn’t different in one aspect in that it’s going to be the exact same for the other team. That aspect of it equals it out. I don’t think that 35,000 people are going to be a problem. I think it will probably sound less of a crowd than we had at Madison Square Garden or sometimes at the Beanpot because they’re not right on top of you. So I don’t know if it will be played as loud or quiet as exciting that way. I think the biggest problem is the sightlines and the fact that you’re looking up over the boards as you don’t see fans, you see distance before you see anyone else. That might be a problem for goalies. The other situation is that it’s always different for us to get used to an NHL rink because there’s so little room behind the net. It’s really tough for the defensemen to adjust that way sometimes. With this rink in particular it’s small with the corners and the radius being real tight so there are small corners too. Then you add the extra four feet at the attack and blue line so the whole zone is different. In some ways it makes it easier to fore-check but otherwise it makes it more difficult to get the puck out of the zone. It gives you more time on the power play at the points, but it gives you less time at the corners of the power play. There are a lot of adjustments here that both BC and BU don’t play at a rink like this during the regular season but we get adjusted usually pretty quickly when we go to the Garden or Lowell. All the variables are there to make it distracting if you want to make it distracting for both clubs."
Eric Gryba on Skating on an Outdoor Rink:
“Just being outside in this atmosphere has everyone is having a lot fun playing out there. I think the guys really enjoyed it. You could tell guys were having fun. We seemed like a bunch of 12 year olds out there playing hockey again.”
Kevin Shattenkirk on Playing at Fenway:
"I think today everyone walked out there and took everything in. I think Friday nights is going to that much different when there;s close to 40,000 people there watching you. Hopefully guys can get past that. I think it’s great that we played at Madison Square Garden earlier in the year just to have a larger crowd and being used to that might work in our favor in terms of getting past the shock value.”
If you want to read the full transcript of Thursday's press conferences, the wonderful BU Athletics department essentially has the entire day, word for word, posted up here.
Read, and enjoy.
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