Pairwise Implications Loom Large in Beanpot Consolation

WHEN: Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 (4:30 p.m.)

WHERE: TD Garden / Boston

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW
- Radio: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
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BOSTON COLLEGE vs. NORTHEASTERN
Boston College and Northeastern square off for the third time this season and despite both wishing they were playing later, Monday's Beanpot consolation contest has huge Pairwise implications for both clubs. In all, Boston College has dominated the Huskies in the Beanpot, possession an overall win-loss total of 34-10. Monday marks the 18th meeting in the consolation for both squads, including the first early Monday showdown on the second week since Feb. 9, 1998. The Eagles are 13-4 over Northeastern in consolation matchups. Since that last consolation showdown, BC is 7-2 over NU in the Beanpot. The last time they two teams met, Northeastern sent BC to the consolation game on Feb. 3, 2015 with a 3-2 win in the semis. In all, head coach Jerry York is 9-2 against Northeastern in the Beanpot.

HOUNDING THE HUSKIES
Boston College has already swept the regular-season series from Northeastern with a pair of wins on Nov. 29, 2016 (2 - 1) and Dec. 6 (5 - 3), but since that meeting in December, the Huskies have clawed their way back to .500 (12 - 12 - 5) and gone 7 - 5 - 2 since the Eagles last saw them. Northeastern is currently one of college hockey's most lethal offenses, with a significant portion of the offense coming from the nation's second-most successful power play (28.0 percent). Northeastern has converted 45 power play goals (out of 161 chances), which is four more than any other team in the country (Omaha - 41). The generators that conduct the power play are the two-headed monster that is Adam Gaudette and Zach Aston-Reese. Gaudette leads the entire nation in power play tallies (13) while Aston-Reese is on his heels with 12. Aston-Reese, a senior forward, is college hockey's most prolific scorer. Aston-Reese leads the NCAA in both points (24-27-51) and points per game (1.76). Overall, the offense ranks sixth (3.69 gpg) but the defense has struggled, tied for 41st in the game (3.17). By season's end, Northeastern may have three 50-point scorers: Zach Aston-Reese (24-27-51), Dylan Sikura (18-30-48) and Adam Gaudette (20-24-44).

PARSING THE PAIRWISE
With only five games left in the regular season and a Hockey East playoff push to follow, the Eagles are still above the fold in the Pairwise rankings. Heading into Monday, Boston College is tied for 13th (.5472 RPI), one of five teams in the top 16 as of right now. Boston University (3), Providence (T-8th), UMass Lowell (T-8th) and Vermont (16th) are the other teams from the league in the Pairwise mix.

TRACKING TWENTY
If Boston College wins two more games this season, it will mark the eighth-consecutive year BC has won 20 or more games. The Eagles have won 20 or more contests from the 2009-10 season each year and look to match that benchmark again. The eight-consecutive 20-win seasons tops Jerry York's previous (2002-08) of six seasons.

HOCKEY EAST HEAT
Boston College still has the best outlook to capture its 15th Hockey East regular season title as the Eagles can max out with 35 points in the league standings, three more than Boston University. BC is currently in first place (27 points), three points ahead of the Terriers while Notre Dame and UMass Lowell (23 points) are jockeying for third. The Eagles can finish no lower than in sixth place.

AVOIDING HISTORY
In 23 seasons, head coach Jerry York has never finished fourth in the Beanpot Tournament. York owns a BC record nine Beanpot titles, six runner-up finishes and seven third-place showings.

CANGE CANS 50
Senior Austin Cangelosi accounted for his fourth multi-goal game of the season with two goals and an assist against Merrimack on Feb. 10, his first since netting a hat trick at Maine on Nov. 5. The Estero, Fla. native's two goals now put the senior centerman at 50 goals for his career. Cangelosi is four career goals away from tying for 50th all-time in the Boston College career goal-scoring chart.

COOKIN' WITH POWER
One of Cangelosi's goals was a power play for BC on Feb. 10. The extra-man marker ended a seven-game power play goal-scoring drought. The last time BC scored on the power play was at Fenway Park against Providence.

OFFENSIVE OFFERINGS
Heading into Monday's Beanpot consolation against Northeastern, Boston College currently sports SIX 20-point scorers. Only a couple other programs in all of college hockey can support that claim, as well. After suffering a pair of losses, including the Beanpot game against BU and the Merrimack setback on Feb. 10, the BC offense is now ranked 10th, overall, in the nation and third in Hockey East. Boston College is averaging 3.32 goals per game.

HELP ME HELP YOU
Ryan Fitzgerald turned in the Eagles' EIGHTH playmaker (three assists in a game) against Merrimack on Feb. 10. Boston College is one of three teams to have had one individual obtain three assists in a game that many times. Northeastern and American International are the others.

POINT PRODUCTION
Boston College possesses the seventh-most points in all of college hockey (103-188-291), 25 points behind the national leader, Ohio State. BC also possess the fifth-most assists (188) and are one of nine teams to have cracked the 100-goal plateau (103). Boston College's five-on-five game is currently the best in the NCAA, having scored the most points of any other club (213) in even strength. Boston College is also leading college hockey in even-strength points scored (207) and fourth in the nation in most road points scored with 153. BC is in third place in the NCAA in plus/minus differential (+35).

LEADING THE WAY
Boston College's top five point getters through 31 games are Matthew Gaudreau (7-21-28), Austin Cangelosi (14-12-26), Ryan Fitzgerald (7-18-25), Colin White (13-11-24) and Christopher Brown (7-15-22). Cangelosi's 0.47 goals per game ranks tied for 50th in all of college hockey while Fitzgerald's 0.72 assists per game ranks 36th in the NCAA.

STARTING OFF STRONG
Despite a lapse against Merrimack on Feb. 10 when three goals were scored in the first period, BC's defense has been rock solid starting off games thus far. The Eagles' defensive unit has not allowed more than two goals in the first period of play the entire season until Feb. 10. At this point, BC leads all teams in the league in first-period goals given up, surrendering only 17 through 31 games.

DEFENDING THE HEIGHTS
The freshmen goaltending tandem of Joseph Woll and Ryan Edquist have performed at a high level this season as both are keeping the Eagles' defensive corps in the top half of the rankings. In all, Woll has amassed a 14-9-1 (.604 - 23rd in the NCAA) record, with a 2.60 goals against average (32nd in the NCAA) and a .916 save percentage (24th overall). Edquist has been the primary back up with nice numbers, picking up his fourth-career win (4-2-1 in all) after defeating UMass on Jan. 20. In all, Edquist owns a 1.82 goals against average with a .923 save percentage.

NONPLUSSED
Defensemen Michael Kim is currently tied for 15th in the country and seventh amongst all defensemen, with an overall plus / minus of +17 through 31 games. Offensively, forward Austin Cangelosi continues to creep up that column as the Estero, Fla. native is tied for third overall in all of college hockey. Cangelosi is at +24 right now, just three behind Union's Spencer Foo (+27).

DON'T GET ALL DEFENSIVE
Heading into the Beanpot consolation, Boston College has only surrendered four goals or more on seven occasions. The Eagles tout the fourth-stingiest defense in Hockey East and the 17th toughest to score against in the NCAA.

Pairwise Implications Loom Large in Beanpot Consolation

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Players Mentioned

Christopher Brown

Austin Cangelosi

Ryan Edquist

Ryan Fitzgerald

Matthew Gaudreau

Michael Kim

Colin White

Joseph Woll