At the start of a wildly inconsistent season, Pandolfo pointed to this issue as the cause of the Terriers’ struggles.
It’s what pushed BU into the NPI hole it spent months trying to climb out of. Pandolfo’s group took steps forward, but slipped back.
After splitting their most recent series against UMass Lowell, the Terriers played two very different games.
In their home game, they fell apart in the second period, surrendering three goals to the River Hawks.
“There are games we are going to lose, but we cannot beat ourselves,” Pandolfo said.
In the second game of the series, the Terriers responded with a 3-0 shutout. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was solid enough to get them back in the win column.
“In the second half you don’t want to have to keep learning lessons that you learned in the first half. But we responded and we’ll move on to the next day,” Pandolfo said.
By some miracle, the Terriers climbed to No. 16 in the NPI, putting them back within striking distance of an at-large bid to the 16-team tournament. But their rise had little to do with their own playing. It happened because almost everyone around them was swept.
Now BU turns its attention to Providence, the highest-ranked NPI opponent it has faced in weeks. A win feels almost essential if the Terriers hope to stay in the mainstream conversation.
Still, Pandolfo claims the team has not focused on the NPI and has avoided delving into questions about how the players are responding to it.
“You don’t have to bring it up because these guys know very well where we stand,” Pandolfo said. “They are well aware of the season we have had so far, so there has to be a sense of urgency.
With time running out on the season clock and no more “easy” opponents in Hockey East, BU is staring at a closing window where every game moment matters.
“We won’t be perfect now, but the margin for error is small for our group right now,” Pandolfo said.
Cole Hutson deserves a Hobey Baker nomination
No one is shocked.
The reigning National Rookie of the Year was the clear MVP for the Terriers. He leads the teams in minutes, goals and assists – and has a knack for sparking the group when no one else can.
“Everyone sees what Cole is capable of and what he does for our team,” Pandolfo said.
In the second game of the Lowell series, he tallied two points (one goal and one assist) in a much-needed performance. His buzzer-beater late in the second period sparked a much more energetic offense from the Terriers, who had generated little sustained offense through the first 40 minutes, which was reflected in their shot totals.
If BU needs him, Hutson can provide.
“He deserves to be in that conversation all day,” Pandolfo said.
Exploring the brothers
Providence owns the highest NPI ranking among Hockey East teams at No. 12 and sits second in the standings. The Friars are coming off a series sweep of Boston College – their first against the Eagles since 2002.
The Friars lost starting goaltender Philip Svedebäck to injury in early January, but freshman Jack Parsons has seamlessly stepped up. Since taking over between the pipes, Parson has haunted Providence in back-to-back Hockey East sweeps, posting a 1.74 goals against average and .941 save percentage over those four starts.
“I think when you lose your ‘so-called’ number one, you can be a little concerned if, you know, a freshman can handle the workload and he’s done a great job,” Pandolfo said.
The Friars play fast and don’t waste mistakes. They quickly convert turnover into opportunities and impose themselves physically.
“I think as a team we have to understand that it’s not going to be easy,” Pandolfo said. “We have to have that mentality going into the game. This is going to be a tough game.”
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