Maine has the nation’s top-rated defense heading into tonight’s Hockey East semifinal.
If defense wins championships, then the Maine hockey team should be well on its way to a fifth Hockey East crown.
The Black Bears, boasting the top-rated defense in the country and perhaps the best goaltending tandem, face Boston University in the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament today at 5 p.m. at the FleetCenter in Boston.
New Hampshire and Massachusetts meet in the other semifinal game. The two winners face off Saturday at 7 p.m. for the Hockey East championship.
Second-seeded Maine, ranked No. 2 in the country, swept a pair of games from Merrimack last weekend in the opening round of the tournament. The Terriers (12-16-9) advanced by shocking top-seed Boston College in three games, despite getting outshot 108-45.
With Jimmy Howard and Frank Doyle guarding the crease, the Black Bears (28-7-3) lead the nation with a 1.61 goals-against average.
No one has been better between the pipes than Howard, who has not allowed an even-strength goal in nine games, dating back to December. Howard boats a national-best 1.17 goals-against average and is also the NCAA leader with a .951 save percentage. Doyle is close behind at 1.84 and .922.
Since Maine has alternated goalies throughout the season – except during a five-game stretch when Howard was out with a knee injury – both players are expected to see action this weekend if Maine reaches the championship game.
Colin Shields leads the Bears in scoring with 42 points, while captain Todd Jackson tops all snipers with 20 goals, including a team-high five shorthanded tallies. Derek Damon (13-17-30) and Greg Moore (14-8-22), who both played high school hockey at St. Dom’s, are fourth and fifth in scoring. Both local products have a team-high seven power-play goals.
Healthy for the first time in more than a month, Boston University enters the semifinal playing some of its best hockey of the season, losing just twice in its last nine games (4-2-3). However, BU continues to struggle in the third period. The Terriers have scored just 23 third-period goals in 37 games, and have failed to score 19 times in the final frame.
As Boston College discovered, BU is usually a dangerous opponent in the postseason. The Terriers have won 26 of their last 37 Hockey East tourney games. The record is even better at the FleetCenter where they are 20-6. Two of those losses have come against Maine in the Hockey East semifinals.
Maine last won the Hockey East championship in 2000. The Terriers have captured five conference titles, with the last coming in 1997.
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