Hockey East Semi Finals Preview

Well it is the day after selection Sunday. All 65 basketball teams are in their nice little brackets and a few teams are crying because they didn't make it in. Personally I have had it up to my eyeballs with college basketball, so let's be different and talk some college hockey. Wait you didn't know that college hockey existed, well that is because it doesn't get any love from the ESPNs of the world. One the the best conferences in college hockey is Hockey East and they hold their semi finals and finals this weekend. Let's take a closer look at the action that will take place this weekend at Boston's TD Garden.

Game 1: #8 Vermont vs. # 2 Boston College: The Vermont Catamounts shocked the conference when they knocked off #1 New Hampshire this past weekend. Vermont goaltender Rob Madore bounced back to shutout New Hampshire in the deciding game on Sunday, after being pulled in game one of the three game series. Madore will need to be at his best if Vermont is to take out Boston College. Vermont's team defense will also be a key. The Catamounts will have to have senior Brayden Irwin lead the offense. The Boston College Eagles will rely on their two headed goal tending monster of John Muse and Parker Milner. Milner struggled a bit in the quarter finals against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, allowing five goals on 38 shots. At this moment there is no indication which goalie will be in net for the semi finals. The Eagles will need to tighten up their defense to move on. The Eagles have three scorers in the top 20 in the conference, Cam Atkinson, Brian Gibbons, and Joe Whitney. With that much fire power I think the Eagles have a definite advantage. Prediction: BC 5, Vermont 2.

Game 2: #4 Maine vs. #3 Boston University: The Maine Black Bears are back in the Hockey East semis after missing them the last three seasons. Maine was able to make it to the TD Garden, despite the suspension of their number one goaltender, Scott Darling. Darling will also be out this weekend. Senior goaltender Dave Wilson will step in and try to stop the Boston University Terriers. The Maine offense is led by sophomores Gustav Nyquist and Brian Flynn along with juniors Tanner House and Jeff Dimmen. Nyquist is the leading scorer in the nation. The Terriers will depend on sophomore goaltender Kieran Millan who had the worst goals against average in this conference, of the goaltenders who played at least a third of their team's minutes. The Terriers offense will be powered by Colby Cohen, Nick Bonino, and Chris Connelly. The Terriers will need to stay out of the penalty box, because the Maine power play is the best in the conference. Prediction Maine 3, BU 2.

If my predictions hold true it will be Boston College and Maine in the Hockey East Finals. I think the Eagles will win in a high scoring affair 6-5.