BOSTON — Despite blowing a three-goal lead and having to settle for a 4-4 tie against Northern Michigan, Friday’s home opener at Agganis Arena had plenty of positives for a young Boston University squad.
The Terriers entered the third period up 4-1, but gave up three unanswered goals. A lack of discipline led to a lot of BU’s problems in the third period and overtime, which did not sit well with second year head coach Albie O’Connell.
“We knew going in we had to be disciplined. I didn’t like our discipline. We took six penalties,” said O’Connell. “In the third period we took a reckless penalty on the wall. Then it’s 4-3 and we have a chance to go on the power play and we take a penalty at the net front in the offensive zone to even it up.”
Nonetheless, there were plenty of reasons for optimism. After all, Boston University outshot their opponent from the WCHA by a 39-20 margin.
“I thought overall we played a pretty good game. We played well enough to win, but we didn’t close it out,” O’Connell remarked.
Freshmen impress
Freshmen were directly involved in the scoring on three of BU’s four goals Friday night. Trevor Zegras led the way with two assists while Robert Mastrosimone and Alex Vlasic also had helpers.
Zegras, taken ninth overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2019 NHL Draft, was superb. The Bedford, N.Y., native and USA Hockey NTDP alum centered the top line. In addition to his two assists, he had two or three other really nice passes that easily could have resulted in a goal.
Zegras, who now has three assists in two collegiate games, is proving to be an elite playmaker who can use his speed and hockey sense to make plays.
Mastrosimone, who played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel the last two seasons, saw one of his three shots redirected for a goal. While he was -2 on the night, his compete level and desire were there. He stole a puck once on the backcheck and also blocked a shot in the third period.
A second round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Mastrosimone will almost certainly prove to be a fan favorite at BU. He doesn’t have the high-end talent of Zegras, but he hunts pucks and plays hard.
Defenseman Domenick Fensore had a tough night in his own zone, but on the power play and breakout, he showed why the Carolina Hurricanes took him in the third round. His feet and skating ability allow him to walk the blue line, sidestep forecheckers, and make plays with the puck on his stick.
Captain Curry
Senior Patrick Curry is the outlier on the team’s top line. Zegras and Patrick Harper are both NHL draft picks and ooze skill. However, Curry brings other important qualities.
The Schaumburg, Ill., native hunts pucks and plays a hard, physical game, which helps his more skilled linemates gain more time and space. Curry, who will turn 24 in January, has three goals to lead the team through two games. He has four points in total.
“He’s been rewarded for his hard work. He’s been able to pot some goals. He does a lot of the dirty work on that line. He puts himself in spots to score goals. He’s terrific,” complimented O’Connell.
The Terriers have been a young team the past couple of seasons, but this year’s group looks to be a little more driven. That’s in large part due to the ability of Curry to lead by example.
“Curry led the team,” said O’Connell. “The biggest thing is his work ethic. He works hard at everything he does. He’s tenacious on the ice. He’s highly competitive.”
There’s a strong probability you’ll see Curry mixing it up, especially to protect his linemates, and chances are a majority of Curry’s goals will come from hanging around the dirty areas around the net.
It’s not just Curry who has sparked the team. O’Connell also credited alternate captains Logan Cockerill, Cam Crotty and Harper.
“We’re a young team. I really like the way we play. I love the team and I like the leadership,” said O’Connell.
Wise regaining confidence
After notching just two assists in 12 games during an injury-riddled freshman campaign, sophomore Jake Wise matched his career total for assists (and points) during Friday night’s game.
Wise made a low to high pass to find David Farrance at the point for BU’s first goal and he made an even better feed to the weak side, which led to Curry’s goal off the stick of Mastrosimone.
“He played probably one of his better games at BU. He played pretty well at Union. He played a lot better (at Union) after we watched it on video. He was good tonight. He’s shooting the puck well,” said O’Connell.
The North Andover, Mass., native and 2018 third round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks was once one of the more promising 2000-born players in the United States. Even outside of last season, injuries plagued a significant portion of his career at the NTDP. If he can stay healthy, he’d be a big boost for BU to have him as a go-to second line center.
“Every day he’s getting more confident coming back from his injury. He’s a really good hockey player. We hope he can continue to gain his confidence and keep getting better,” said O’Connell.
