Good evening everyone, PitchMaster has returned and tonight as all Boston sports fans are aware, there are no games on...no Celtics, no Bruins.  I figured it was a perfect opportunity to discuss Hockey East, one of my favorite leagues in the Boston area.  Now, yes I realize this is completely off topic as per the blog title...but you know what— it's a sport, it thrives in Boston and I think it deserves some recognition!

So here are the standings as of 2/7/08:

Hockey East								Overall
	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA		W	L	T	GF	GA
New Hampshire	17	12	4	1	25	56	39		16	7	1	86	64
Boston College	18	8	4	6	22	61	45		13	6	7	95	61
Providence	17	9	5	3	21	50	39		12	9	3	73	62
Northeastern	18	9	7	2	20	50	50		12	9	3	62	64
UMass Lowell	18	7	7	4	18	51	48		12	9	4	72	58
Vermont	17	6	6	5	17	45	60		7	10	7	57	80
Boston University	18	7	8	3	17	66	58		8	14	4	88	87
Massachusetts	18	5	8	5	15	48	48		10	9	6	70	63
Maine	17	4	10	3	11	38	53		8	13	3	56	72
Merrimack	18	4	12	2	10	33	58		10	12	3	56	69

As you can see seedings 1 through 8 are very close, which has not been the case in past seasons.  Traditionally the powerhouse teams have ruled the roost, but this season has been different- in fact the #10 seeded Merrimack College Warriors have defeated Maine twice (once ranked at #16 nationally), Northeastern once (#14 nationally), tied BC (#9 nationally) and tied Providence (#12 nationally).  In other words, all the teams have a chance this year, the only deciding factor has been the consistency of the teams' play.  If one looks at the National Polls (table below) as of February 4, Hockey East has SIX representatives!  SIX! (not including BU)  There has not been this kind of parity in the Hockey East Conference in decades, I assure you...

   Team       (First Place)  Record   Pts   Last Week
 1 Miami               (50)  25- 3-0 1000     1
 2 Michigan                  22- 3-3  902     2
 3 North Dakota              17- 8-2  887     3
 4 Colorado College          20- 7-1  874     6
 5 New Hampshire             16- 7-1  790     7
 6 Michigan State            18- 6-5  764     5
 7 Denver                    18- 8-0  695     4
 8 Notre Dame                20- 9-1  628     8
 9 Boston College            12- 6-7  577     9
10 Minnesota-Duluth          11- 9-6  460    12
11 Wisconsin                 12-11-5  440    11
12 Providence                12- 9-3  426    14
13 Clarkson                  15- 9-2  418    10
14 Northeastern              12- 8-3  407    13
15 Minnesota State           13-10-4  244    NR
16 Quinnipiac                15- 7-4  218    16
17 Mass.-Lowell              12- 9-4  197    16
18 Massachusetts             10- 9-6  186    15
19 Princeton                 12- 9-0  111    19
20 Minnesota                 12-12-6  107    18

Others Receiving Votes: St. Cloud State 50, Union 31,
Niagara 30, Cornell 25, Michigan Tech 18,
Air Force 6, RIT 4, Bowling Green 2, Army 1,
Bemidji State 1, Nebraska-Omaha 1 

Now one might ask why so many schools are playing so well, or are being nationally ranked.  The simple truth is twofold.  1. The level of talent that (a) graduated in 2007 and (b) left to pursue the NHL, has depleted Hockey East of true marquee stars (i.e. Schneider, Boyle, Curry, etc.).  2. The ten schools in the conference have seized this opportunity and have leveled the playing field by recruiting solid young talent.

It has become apparent that more and more teams are leaning on their youth (i.e. Merrimack and Northeastern) in order to succeed.  Oddly enough— it seems to be working!  Take James vanRiemsdyk from UNH for example, he has these numbers after 24 games:  10 goals, 13 assists for 23 points...wow.  Now critics will be quick to point out this young man's supreme talent and that he was drafted into the NHL by the Philadelphia Flyers as the 2nd overall pick in last year's draft.  My defense: he is only 18 years of age.  Trust me, few players have sustained in Hockey East as young starlets- the 18 year old phenom is a rare commodity.

In any event, allow me to break down the season for each college to this point:

UNH- I have seen them play live and let me tell you, they are the real deal.  A solid mix of scoring punch (Radja, Fornataro, vanRiemsdyk) and veteran goaltending (Kevin Regan- 5th year senior) makes it sound like this team will be back in the Hockey East Finals for 2008.  Quite simply this team's only flaw thusfar has been character issues- Radja punched a North Dakota player in the face (but who hasn't?) and occasionally they have come out onto the ice with lackluster periods, but other than that—these guys are rock solid (7 NHLers solid).

BC- Go figure, Boston College excels in athletics?  Yep, it's true they have a veritable NHL team (10 players already drafted) and they have been to the NCAA Championship two years running.  They won neither year, but hey these things happen.  Nathan Gerbe is what Shannon Sharpe would call "Pocket Hercules"...21 goals, 18 assists for 39 points...yeah he's a man child.  The thing I don't like about this team is their lack of goaltending (John Muse...yeah I know, I've never heard of him either).  The only reason nobody notices is because BC's defense is so good that they never let the opposing team get any shots on net.  I anticipate their offense will shoulder the load for a stretch run, but don't expect to see them in the NCAA Finals again.

Providence- Now this team is my sleeper in Hockey East, nobody brings them into the conversation and they keep on beating teams.  They have six kids who are NHL draftees lead by Jon Rheault (23 points).  They have the ability to score, but they can also get under your skin with physical play.  This team's back stop is unsung as well- Tyler Sims, who is a great positional player, but he has not yet won the big game for his team because of the inconsistent play in front of him.  Ideally if they want to stay in it, they need to keep flying under the radar and stick to what got them here- a solid work ethic for 60 minutes...otherwise they will fade.

Northeastern- Ahhh yes the forgotten Bostonian powerhouse, I'll say this: these kids have the talent to go a long way.  Brad Thiessen is really talented goalie, and a tough kid to boot, however he can't do it alone.  NU has built around him this year, attracting solid defensemen and quick, shifty forwards to play for the Huskies.  The only weakness I see here is a lack of scoring punch, the team seems to fall off beyond points leader Joe Vitale (24 points).  But be aware teams of Hockey East: if you let your guard down, they will skate all over you.  The team is certainly good enough to get to the net, but I pose the question- can they punch it in?

UMass Lowell- Now here is a Rudy story if I've ever heard one.  This hockey program almost went extinct last offseason, however the administration ponied up to keep them on the ice.  Now look at em...fifth place in Hockey East leaving Merrimack as the lone cellar dweller left from last season.  This team has a brilliant tender in Nevin Hamilton, who I believe can play equal to any goalie in D1.  However, much like Northeastern— they lack the big oomph to get them over the top.  They do spread the wealth with eight players posting 14 points or more, but I'm not sure it will stick.  Historically, low market teams have sunk against the big boys in conference play and in tournament play.  I give them all the credit in the world for getting this far...but can they maintain?

Vermont- I really like this squad, they have made for a welcome addition as the tenth Hockey East team a few seasons back.  They came into the league with a VERY talented team...Leisenring, Mitchell, Mink, Lenes...but now only Lenes remains.  That pretty much tells the story of this team, except for Chicago Blackhawks draftee goalie Joe Fallon— who has kept this program afloat for the past two seasons.  They have some young talent and some very quick skaters, but they tend to fall to larger and more physical teams.  Once they prove they can hang with the trees, and block some shots, they should have a good shot of winning the league.

BU- What can be said about the Terriers beyond that 7th place is not Jack Parker territory.  This team has historically always been in the mix for the title, but that may change this season for many reasons.  A devastating loss of John Curry as their goalie (Bennett who?) and a loss to BC in the Beanpot are the best indicators I can find.  I will say that their offense has been very well balanced, but their defense has been a tad shaky of late.  The best way to beat these guys: speed through the neutral zone, lots of shots on net and overall, cut their guys down before they enter your zone.  All told, nine skaters who are NHL players in waiting, but unfortunately those days may be their best chance.

UMass Amherst- I'll be honest, at this point in the season I expected a little more from 'Toot' Calhoon and the fellas.  Last year I was shocked they made it as far as they did- almost advancing to the Hockey East title bout, but this season has been anything but a carbon copy.  A 5-8-5 record in conference will not get it done if they want to compete.  They are a well balanced team: good goalie, good scoring, good defense, but nothing overwhelming.  Although, I think this team is a little more desperate than they lead on, there is no doubt in my mind they are a playoff squad, but if they slack at all, they will be dragged into a dogfight...

UMaine-  Oy, can you say disappointment in Orono?  Tim Whitehead had this team ready to compete for a championship, but after two embarassing losses to Merrimack College...they seem to have gone nowhere but down.  Their leading scorer is a defenseman, their goaltender is MASSIVE but incredibly clumsy around the net and their former star Leveille isn't coming back.  I firmly believe this team will finish in the basement, because the team that's under them is beginning to awaken...

Merrimack College- Ah yes the Warriors from North Andover.  Everybody is so quick to dismiss these kids but trust me...they will shock the world in a couple years.  It may not be this year, but if they play well at the end- it very well could be.  Right now they sit 5 points out of playoff spot, which is a daunting task, but I have seen real improvements this year.  This team doesn't fall apart if they are trailing, they fight back and take the lead in many of their games.  Their problem all season has been inconsistent play.  They will go undefeated in one streak then lose four in a row in another.  Rob Ricci's return has been stellar thusfar— 26 points, which puts him eighth in the league.  The emergence of guys like Matt Jones and Chris Barton have been nice suprises too (and by the way watch out for Francois Ouimet, he can burn).  The goaltending looks very good with big Andrew Brathwaite (2.34 GAA) in between the pipes.  Here's the key: they will have to be flawless down the stretch to make it, but hey, crazier things have happened...

Alright folks, that's it for me, see you tomorrow night with an abbreviated Bruins post....stay safe.