Boston College 4, Harvard 1: Eagles Roll Into Beanpot Finals

First, let me start off by saying HAHAHAHAHA BU LOST TO NORTHEASTERN THAT IS JUST THE GREATEST. I'll limit my focus on that, but oh God the schadenfreude is just delicious.

As for BC vs. Harvard -- I pretty much nailed exactly how this one went down in my preview, save for the final score.

This game really shouldn't be close. I think we're looking at something similar to the Vermont game -- give us 5 minutes to find our legs and we'll see you next week.

That was exactly what happened. BC took 8 minutes to get their first shot on goal and then is was cruise control from there.

Quinn Smith put home his third of the year with just 29 seconds left in the first period to put BC up 1-0 going into the locker room. BC got 15 shots in the last 11 minutes of the first period.

Smith put home his second of the game late in the second period. Less than a minute later, Michael Matheson score on a CANNON SHOT on the power play to put BC up 3-0 and suddenly the game was pretty much over.

Harvard got cute and put home a goal of their own in the third period, but another masterstroke by Steve Whitney put the game once again out of reach, and the game would end 4-1.

There are a few observations of importance in this game:

• The Smith-Brown-Dyroff line combination might be the single most important factor in BC making a national championship run. That line has been FANTASTIC since getting together against Vermont. Throwing hits, grinding out shifts, scoring goals (WHAT?!), and just winning pucks all over the place. It is exactly what BC had been hoping and praying to find for one of its bottom two lines, and from this point on I would consider the chemistry on that line to be untouchable.
• Steven Whitney has become nearly unstoppable. Whit has shown flashes of brilliance for years, and in the last few months he has just erupted into one of the single best players in the country. He's got finishing ability like no one else. It's nice to have another player who can make plays on his own while....
• ...Johnny Gaudreau just cannot buy a goal. Gaudreau was kept off the scoresheet for the third time in four games. If it weren't for the fact that the kid is still buzzing all over the place, I'd be getting nervous. He was a little quiet in the second half of the game or so against Harvard, but by that point the game was pretty much on lock and the Smith-Drown-Dyroff line was getting a ton more ice time.
• The power play looked sensational. BC only had two power play opportunities, but they had six shots on their first opportunity and scored 7 seconds into their second. It was this point last year when the BC special teams started contributing toward our winning streak, and that appears to be happening again.

It's easy to push this aside by saying that it's "just Harvard," but BC looked good. Sometimes playing these weaker teams lets you find your groove again. That is exactly what seems to be happening with BC.

Before we get all excited for the game next Monday against Northeastern, BC has a game at home on Friday against UMass-Lowell. These mid-Beanpot games tend to be great opportunities for trap games, but given BC's recent struggles it seems hard to imagine the Eagles would overlook anyone at all at this point.