CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - On the strength of a perfect night from the power play unit, No. 3/4 Boston College finished off the regular-season sweep of arch-rival Boston University on Friday night in front of an electric, sold out Kelley Rink, helping head coach Jerry York clinch his 950th-career victory.
First-year forward Adam Gilmour broke out with a two-goal, one-assist performance, including the game-winner, while junior Johnny Gaudreau kept the nation's longest point streak intact, netting a pair of goals to extended the hot spell to 17-consecutive games with at least one point.
Rookie Chris Calnan has now scored a goal in consecutive games while junior forward Quinn Smith snapped a 19-game scoring drought with his second marker of the year. Calnan, who also chimed in with an assist, joined senior Kevin Hayes as one of four skaters with a multi-point performance over the Terriers.
The Eagles capitalized on both power play opportunities on Friday evening and have no scored a pair of power play tallies in three of their last five games.
Junior Brian Billett picked up his 11th triumph (11-3-1) of the season while Sean Maguire stopped 38 shots in the loss. BC outshot the Terriers, 44-27.
Boston University struck first, taking advantage of a broken play in the neutral zone. The Eagles tried to force it back up the ice on the red line, but Brendan Collier won the battle up to Robbie Baillargeon. Baillargeon did not have any one in his way and buried the sharp wrister over Billett's glove at 10:47 for the 1-0 Terriers advantage.
Garrett Noonan let the Eagles back in it before the first period closed up. Austin Cangelosi coerced Noonan into an interference call at 17:39 and Boston College cashed in with 46 seconds remaining in the opening period.
First-year forward Ryan Fitzgerald generated the scoring play, wheeling the puck through the circles up to sophomore Teddy Doherty just within the blue line. Doherty crafted a beautiful fake slap shot, fooling the Terriers' penalty kill and deferred to Gilmour on the doorstep. Gilmour corralled the pass and maneuvered through Maguire to tie it up, 1-1, on the power play at 19:14.
Boston College came out firing in the second following the late goal in the first and took its first lead of the game at 4:35 on a Smith tally.
Michael Sit hammered the puck back into the zone on the regroup where junior Danny Linell had a clear lane down the left side. Linell triggered on Maguire and it squirted out to Smith on the doorstep. Smith quickly tossed it to the back of the net to put the Eagles on top, 2-1.
Midway through the second, another Noonan penalty resulted in a second Eagles' strike at 11:05
Gaudreau created the penalty as Noonan fended him off with a hold in the crease at 10:13. BC possessed throughout the duration and the man that generated the penalty finished off the power play at 11:05.
Hayes sought out Bill Arnold on the left dot and zipped the puck through traffic to his tape. With Gaudreau parked on Maguire's far side, Arnold connected with him for the tic-tac-toe goal and a 3-1 lead.
The Terriers cut the deficit on T.J. Ryan's first-career tally at 2:50 of the third frame. Mike Moran rimmed the puck down low to Kevin Duane on the doorstep and Ryan chipped back the rebound to make it a 3-2 affair.
The Eagles quickly reclaimed the two-goal lead after Gilmour and Calnan took advantage of a turnover behind the Terriers' cage.
Boston University tried to start the clearing play deep it its territory, but Gilmour managed to sneak in and break up the play. Gilmour shifted it out to Calnan, who swooped in and lifted it past Maguire for the 4-2 lead at 6:20 of the third period.
The forecheck paid off midway through the third as the Eagles grabbed their largest lead of the evening at 9:27.
Sophomore Brendan Silk won a battle on the near boards, sprawling out with is stick and swatting up to Calnan flying down the center. In stride, Calnan flung it over to Gilmour on the far side for the easy tap-in and a 5-2 lead.
The Terriers responded about a minute and a half later on a funny shot from Mike Moran at 11:11. Noonan relayed it up the ice and Moran took his chance from deep. The puck kicked back out to his stick on the goal line extended and Moran managed to sneak it by Billett to make it 5-3.
With just over three and a half minutes in regulation, Cason Hohmann quieted the BC crowd at 16:32 to make it a one-goal game, but BU coach David Quinn pulled Maguire late and Gaudreau sealed the Terriers' fate with the empty-net goal with 38 seconds to play.
Boston College stays home tomorrow night to host Maine at Kelley Rink. The Eagles look to avenge their loss in Orono, Maine, on Nov. 23 (5-1). BC and the Black Bears square off at 7 p.m.
Game Notes
- Johnny Gaudreau extended the country's longest point streak to 17 games with a pair of goals, one on the power play and one with the empty netter. Amidst this lengthy scoring stretch, the Carney's Point, N.J., native has accounted for 18 goals and 16 assists for a 34-point total. Amidst Gaudreau's 17-game point streak, he has turned in 10 multi-point performances including tonight's two-goal showing. Gaudreau has been held of the scoring sheet just once this season.
- Johnny Gaudreau tied former teammate and last season's captain, Pat Mullane (2009-13), on the all-time scoring list at Boston College. Gaudreau now has 137 points (63-74-137) on The Heights. His 63 goals match Chris Collins' (2002-06) mark for 32nd all-time. Amongst all current skaters in college hockey, Gaudreau's 137 points ranks fifth (Greg Carey - St. Lawrence: 166 | T.J. Tynan - Notre Dame: 148 | Brett Gensler - Bentley: 143 | Mark Zengerle - Wisconsin: 139). Seventeen of the 18 skaters that occupy the top of the career points list in college hockey are seniors. Gaudreau is the only junior.
- The trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes has all accounted for at least one point since being paired together on Dec. 6, marking an eight-game tear for this power unit. In eight games, the three Eagles have combined for 18 goals and 27 assists (45 points) with a +40 plus/minus rating.
- Head coach Jerry York won his 950th game in his 1,624 games as a college head coach. In all, York's record sits at 950-573-101 (.616). York's 950 career victories are the gold standard in college hockey, most of all-time.
- Despite Boston University scoring a power play goal tonight, the Eagles have given up just two of that kind in the last 10 games.
- Adam Gilmour matched a career high three points, but his two goals are his highest output thus far. Gilmour turned in three assists against Army on Nov. 10. Gilmour scored his second-career power play goal and second-career game-winning goal. His first game-winning goal was the overtime walk-off winner at Northeastern on Nov. 2.
- Danny Linell, who has played all season on defense, was transitioned back to forward in his 100th-career game on Friday night. Linell was primarily a forward in his first two seasons at BC. Linell assisted on Quinn Smith's first goal since Oct. 13 this season.
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