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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Patrick Grasso is one of the team's leadng penalty killers and scorers. (Meghan Murphy photo)
2/13/2020 3:58:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey, UNH Insider
'Cats Open Key Series with 'Blue Out BU' Game Friday at Whitt
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team has picked up the pace in its penalty killing production over the last few weekends.
The Wildcats will be out to stymie an opponent's potent power play again this weekend when they square off against Boston University in a crucial Hockey East series for each team.
UNH and BU are deadlocked in fifth place in the Hockey East standings heading into the weekend. The teams are poised to move up into a coveted top four spot for the fast-approaching league playoffs. But they must also be wary of the teams below them in the standings.
The two-game set starts with UNH's annual "Blue Out BU" night at the Whittemore Center Friday at 7 p.m. The series switches to Agganis Arena at BU for another 7 p.m. start Saturday.
Wildcat winter hats will be given to the first 1,000 fans Friday night at the Whittemore Center and it's also a Dollar Dog night at the concessions stands in the arena.
Tickets are available by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group and individual game tickets are available for all UNH home games. Tickets start at $9.
UNH have had some rough times while killing penalties during the season.
The Wildcats have tightened things up while a man down recently. They have not allowed a power play goal over their last six games. Previous to this stretch, they had held a team without a power play goal in only three games total all year.
"We've been working on it a lot," said sophomore center Filip Engaras. "We're thinking of it and finding small details to be fixed and trying to simplify our game and I think that's helped us a lot."
UNH killed off all eight power plays it faced during its sweep of Vermont last weekend, a 6-3 win Friday night and 2-1 decision on Saturday. What's more, Vermont had a two-man advantage in the first period each night: for 34 seconds on Friday and a one-minute, 30-second span Saturday.
"The 5 on 3, that's a great kill," Engaras said. "It's a momentum switch, obviously, to kill that and transfer that into playing offense."
Before Vermont, the Wildcats killed off all four penalties over two nights against UConn and they started their current run by killing off an even dozen while taking three points against then-No. 7 UMass with a 1-0 win and 1-1 tie.
The week before, No. 11 Providence had scored four power plays in nine chances while the teams split a series.
Head coach Mike Souza credits assistant coaches Glenn Stewart and Jeff Guiliano with changes that have helped the penalty kill.
"Glenn and Jeff have done a nice job at addressing some of the issues," Souza said. "They predominantly do the PK. I think we've made some tactical adjustments on it. It's a couple of things. One, I think we've blocked more shots. I also think we've done a really good job off of lost faceoffs, just changing our points of pressure when teams have control of it."
It comes down to some of the basics.
"Then it's just a matter of executing, to be honest with you," Souza said. "Clearing the puck, faceoffs and blocked shots. I think those are the three areas that you need to be excellent in in terms of killing penalties and I think we've been way better in those areas. Earlier in the year we tried to be a little more aggressive probably. Sometimes in our rink I feel you can get a bit stretched out. Yeah, you can get lost and teams hit a seam on you. I thought we did a better job of trying to reel it back in, playing in lanes. And we've done a way better job clearing pucks, winning faceoffs."
Senior Liam Blackburn, junior Patrick Grasso, junior Charlie Kelleher (before missing the last couple of games with an injury) and sophomore Jackson Pierson have been among the forwards leading the way on penalty killing units.
"We've got a core group," Souza said. "I'd like to get more guys involved in killing penalties. It just hasn't worked out that way recently."
Now comes BU. The Terriers are ranked third in Hockey East in power play with a 23.5 percent success rate, a couple of ticks ahead of UNH, fifth at 21.7.
They've scored power play goals in bunches lately. Each of the last two Mondays, BU has played what has officially gone in the books as a 4-4 tie in the Beanpot tournament against a power teams in Hockey East and the nation.
The games then continued to determine Beanpot winners. BU advanced in overtime against Boston College the first week and then lost this past Monday in overtime to Beanpot champion Northeastern.
The Terriers were two-for-three on the power play against Northeastern and two-for-five against BC.
A few weeks ago, BU went four-for-seven with the man advantage in a 5-0 win over UMass Lowell.
Of particular concern for the Wildcats this weekend will be BU junior defenseman David Farrance. He leads Hockey East in power play goals with nine and leads the league's defensemen in scoring with 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points.
Farrance was a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators (No. 92 overall) in the 2017 NHL draft.
UNH junior defenseman Max Gildon went in the same round of the same draft at No. 66 overall to the Florida Panthers. Gildon leads the Wildcats in scoring and in is fourth among league defensemen at 7-17-24. Six of his goals have been on the power play.
HOME AGAIN
WILDCAT NOTES
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
The Wildcats will be out to stymie an opponent's potent power play again this weekend when they square off against Boston University in a crucial Hockey East series for each team.
UNH and BU are deadlocked in fifth place in the Hockey East standings heading into the weekend. The teams are poised to move up into a coveted top four spot for the fast-approaching league playoffs. But they must also be wary of the teams below them in the standings.
The two-game set starts with UNH's annual "Blue Out BU" night at the Whittemore Center Friday at 7 p.m. The series switches to Agganis Arena at BU for another 7 p.m. start Saturday.
Wildcat winter hats will be given to the first 1,000 fans Friday night at the Whittemore Center and it's also a Dollar Dog night at the concessions stands in the arena.
Tickets are available by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group and individual game tickets are available for all UNH home games. Tickets start at $9.
UNH have had some rough times while killing penalties during the season.
The Wildcats have tightened things up while a man down recently. They have not allowed a power play goal over their last six games. Previous to this stretch, they had held a team without a power play goal in only three games total all year.
"We've been working on it a lot," said sophomore center Filip Engaras. "We're thinking of it and finding small details to be fixed and trying to simplify our game and I think that's helped us a lot."
UNH killed off all eight power plays it faced during its sweep of Vermont last weekend, a 6-3 win Friday night and 2-1 decision on Saturday. What's more, Vermont had a two-man advantage in the first period each night: for 34 seconds on Friday and a one-minute, 30-second span Saturday.
"The 5 on 3, that's a great kill," Engaras said. "It's a momentum switch, obviously, to kill that and transfer that into playing offense."
Before Vermont, the Wildcats killed off all four penalties over two nights against UConn and they started their current run by killing off an even dozen while taking three points against then-No. 7 UMass with a 1-0 win and 1-1 tie.
The week before, No. 11 Providence had scored four power plays in nine chances while the teams split a series.
Head coach Mike Souza credits assistant coaches Glenn Stewart and Jeff Guiliano with changes that have helped the penalty kill.
"Glenn and Jeff have done a nice job at addressing some of the issues," Souza said. "They predominantly do the PK. I think we've made some tactical adjustments on it. It's a couple of things. One, I think we've blocked more shots. I also think we've done a really good job off of lost faceoffs, just changing our points of pressure when teams have control of it."
It comes down to some of the basics.
"Then it's just a matter of executing, to be honest with you," Souza said. "Clearing the puck, faceoffs and blocked shots. I think those are the three areas that you need to be excellent in in terms of killing penalties and I think we've been way better in those areas. Earlier in the year we tried to be a little more aggressive probably. Sometimes in our rink I feel you can get a bit stretched out. Yeah, you can get lost and teams hit a seam on you. I thought we did a better job of trying to reel it back in, playing in lanes. And we've done a way better job clearing pucks, winning faceoffs."
Senior Liam Blackburn, junior Patrick Grasso, junior Charlie Kelleher (before missing the last couple of games with an injury) and sophomore Jackson Pierson have been among the forwards leading the way on penalty killing units.
"We've got a core group," Souza said. "I'd like to get more guys involved in killing penalties. It just hasn't worked out that way recently."
Now comes BU. The Terriers are ranked third in Hockey East in power play with a 23.5 percent success rate, a couple of ticks ahead of UNH, fifth at 21.7.
They've scored power play goals in bunches lately. Each of the last two Mondays, BU has played what has officially gone in the books as a 4-4 tie in the Beanpot tournament against a power teams in Hockey East and the nation.
The games then continued to determine Beanpot winners. BU advanced in overtime against Boston College the first week and then lost this past Monday in overtime to Beanpot champion Northeastern.
The Terriers were two-for-three on the power play against Northeastern and two-for-five against BC.
A few weeks ago, BU went four-for-seven with the man advantage in a 5-0 win over UMass Lowell.
Of particular concern for the Wildcats this weekend will be BU junior defenseman David Farrance. He leads Hockey East in power play goals with nine and leads the league's defensemen in scoring with 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points.
Farrance was a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators (No. 92 overall) in the 2017 NHL draft.
UNH junior defenseman Max Gildon went in the same round of the same draft at No. 66 overall to the Florida Panthers. Gildon leads the Wildcats in scoring and in is fourth among league defensemen at 7-17-24. Six of his goals have been on the power play.
HOME AGAIN
- Season, group and individual tickets for all UNH home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling 603-862-4000.
- Tickets start at $9.
- Friday's game is presented by Kennebunk Savings Bank.
- Friday's game is on NESNplus. Saturday's is on CBS All Access.
- The Wildcats have six regular season games left.
- They are off next weekend.
- UNH plays at UMass Lowell on Friday, Feb. 28.
- The teams meet the next night in Durham at 7 p.m.
- The Wildcats play at Boston College on Friday, March 6.
- The final regular season home game is Saturday, March 7 against Boston College.
WILDCAT NOTES
- UNH and BU are tied for fifth place in Hockey East with 19 points each.
- Boston College and Maine are just a point ahead, tied for third.
- UConn and Providence are tied for seventh, a point behind BU and UNH.
- Northeastern is in ninth, another point back.
- The Wildcats have played one game more than BU and UConn and two games more than BC and Northeastern.
- BU freshman goaltender Ashton Abel joined the Terriers for the second semester.
- He has started most of the team's game since.
- Abel started Monday's game against Northeastern.
- He was replaced 31:23 into the game after allowing four goals in the second period.
- Senior Sam Tucker replaced him and did not allow a goal.
- Abel has a .898 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average.
- Tucker is at .910 and 2.71.
- UNH junior goalie Mike Robinson has a 9-9-2 record with a 2.55 gaa and .901 save percentage.
- Sophomore Ty Taylor is at .873 with a 2.97 gaa and 6-2-0 record.
- Sophomore defenseman Ryan Verrier is fifth in Hockey East with 40 blocked shots.
- Grasso and senior Liam Blackburn are tied for UNH's career lead in scoring.
- Grasso is at 41-38-79 in 109 games and Blackburn is at 33-46-79 in 138.
- Gildon has 21-47-68 totals in 95 games.
- Kelleher is at 13-50-63 in 90.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
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