BC Hockey vs. UConn: Final Thoughts & Predictions

#icebus is coming to town. And by the looks of it, a lot of their fans will be climbing aboard. Rumor has it the game is closing in on a sellout, with only single seats available through BCEagles.com. That's a little unusual, as for an average game not against BU or Notre Dame you're likely to see a crowd between 4500 and 5500...so still, plenty of empty seats. So it's probably a fair assumption that a lot of UConn fans are on their way to see their team play at Conte. Either that or someone tricked the BC fanbase into thinking UConn was coming in hoops.

More importantly, it's a chance for BC to right the wrong of a 1-0 loss at the XL Center back in November, which continues to drag the team's RPI down. After Wednesday's 2-1 win over Merrimack, BC can continue to climb a bit with another victory.

BC Roster Notes

Austin Cangelosi returned to the lineup but displaced Brendan Silk, not Danny Linell, who was back in up front.

Projected Lines

Ryan Fitzgerald - Destry Straight - Austin Cangelosi
Zach Sanford - Adam Gilmour - Alex Tuch
Cam Spiro - Matt Gaudreau - Danny Linell
Quinn Smith - Michael Sit - Chris Calnan

Defensive Pairs

Teddy Doherty - Michael Matheson
Scott Savage - Ian McCoshen
Steve Santini - Noah Hanifin

Goaltender:

Thatcher Demko

GAME FACTS

Game Time: 7:00 PM
TV: BCEagles.com
Radio: WEEI 850 AM, BCEagles.com

Record: Boston College 14-8-2 (7-5-2 HEA), UConn 7-11-15 (4-5-2 HEA)

Goal Differentials:
BC: 72 GF, 56 GA - +16 GD
UC: 47 GF, 62 GA - -15 GD

Team Rankings (Nationally):

Team Offense: BC #16 (3.00 G/GM)...UC #54 (2.04 G/GM)
Team Defense: BC #20 (2.33 GA/GM), UC #34 (2.70 GA/GM)
Shot Differential Per Game: BC #28 (+1.42 shots/gm), UC #49 (-6.09 shots/gm)
Power Play:BC #50 (12-for-101), UC #44 (11-for-82)
Penalty Kill: BC #9 (91-for-104), UC #46 (69-for-86)

Pairwise: BC #18...UC T-#34
KRACH: BC #17...UC #34

Last Time Out: UConn had one of its roughest Hockey East experiences yet last Sunday, getting roasted by Notre Dame in Bridgeport.

Common Foes: One another. We know how that ended.

Players to watch: Spencer Naas leads the Huskies with 10 goals. But the biggest story for UConn is goalie Rob Nichols, who has been a brick wall for UConn in a number of big games.

Blast from the Not-Too-Distant Past

We aren't going there.

The Pre-Game Watering Hole

The best thing to do pre-game is get there early—specifically, at 2 PM—for the women's hockey team's 2 PM game vs. #4 Quinnipiac. Should be a good one. Avoid CitySide, as that's apparently going to be UConn HQ.

Scoreboard Watching: Out-Of-Town Notes

Providence plays Lowell in a big home-and-home this weekend. Meanwhile, BU is at Vermont for two in a series that will impact BC in the standings.

Predictions

Joe Gravellese:

BC 3, UConn 2. It won't be comfortable but BC will get the win

Brian Favat:

BC 4, UConn 2

New Guy:

Grant Salzano:

BC 3, UConn 0. We have a shutout coming.

AJ Black:

BC 3, UConn 2

BCI Prediction Standings

BCMike, Brian, and New Guy all tied with 5 points for the game against Merrimack. Splitsies!

STANDINGS

Brian 3.33
AJ 3
Joe Grav 1.83
BCMike22 1.33
New Guy 1.33
Grant 1

BCJacket5 1
Airforce987 0.5
Enzo 0.33
Beerfart 0.33

Can BC avenge their earlier loss to UConn? Will the offense break out? Can they solve Nichols? Leave your thoughts below.