Why I Have a Quiet Confidence About Tonight

Well, for starters, I am one of the few people out there who picked Lowell in two straight, and I nailed that.

But seriously, while I have a nervous energy about me knowing that in the same way that Appalachian State CAN beat a Lloyd Carr-coached Michigan team in college football team, anytime young men align on opposing sides – yes – conceivably, any result is possible tonight.

And while I certainly underestimated the talent and ability to execute of this Maine squad (and probably most importantly their sheer will and unqualified doggedness NOT to have their season come to an end NOR to have a senior class pass through having never once beaten Boston University), the reason that BU will be playing in the semifinals for the fifth straight year, and the reason that in four of those seasons it took a third and final game before BU won its quarterfinal and advanced to where they fully expect to be and will be next weekend: At the Garden in Boston playing a very stout Lowell squad for the chance to take on the winner of the semi between BC and the winner of tonight’s rubber match between UMASS and Northeastern.

Coach Parker himself went on record last night as saying that before the season this team had six goals, so far they have achieved four of the four, and despite the lackluster performances of the last two evenings he expects that they will be able to advance to the semis – and by no means is he diminishing the amazing run of play that Maine has had over the last 48 hours – and here is why.

To be honest, despite putting together an impressive winning streak, losing last night was in some ways the best thing that could happen to Terrier squad and here is why: The team has been playing rigid and uninspired hockey since the tie at Maine following the first game of that two game series in Orono. And while a good team goes out every night with the expectation of winning, the truth is this team has been playing tighter than Marie Osmond or Valerie Bertinelli PRIOR to joining their weight loss clubs trying to squeeze her way into her “skinny jeans”.

As I just eluded, this team started the season with the goal of winning the tournaments it played in, winning the regular season Beanpot, winning the Hockey East Regular Season Title, winning the Hockey East Tournament Title, and winning the NCAA Title. How have we fared so far? Icebreaker - Check; Denver Cup – Check; The Beanpot – Check; Hockey East Regular Season Title – Check. That is four for four, with two to go. Matt Gilroy and Coach Parker spoke to the team before the season and listed these goals. They have achieved a perfect four for four so far, and with their backs against the wall FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL SEASON tonight there is not a better combination of Coaching and player talent and desire than I would rather have than Coach Parker, and a roster full of Hockey players who shine bright in these types of situation. Led by Mattie Gilroy and fellow Captain John McCarthy, along with future NHL stars like Colin Wilson and Kevin Shattenkirk; coupled nicely by top flight playmakers in Chris Higgins and Nick Bonino and David Warsofsky, and combined with finishers like Jason Lawrence and a reborn Brandon Yip, and I think that this team will relish the challenge of having been outcoached, outhustled, outperformed on Special Teams, showed mediocrity at best in the goal, and they will want to prove to America, but more importantly, prove to Coach and the Agganis faithful that this truly is a team of destiny and that having the ALBATROSS of a winning streak loosen the vice grip on their creativity and their ability to convert at ridiculous levels on the Power Play, that is why I am confident that you can take the last two nights, throw them out the window and this team will do whatever it takes to get to next Friday ON THE ICE in the semis, and the only way to do that is to win BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY tonight, which indeed they will.

The pressure under which this team has thrived all season, the student body being back from break, the players knowing that they let one get away from them last night when they should have buried Maine once gaining a three to one lead, the hapless PK and despite some beautiful passing and execution the inability to finish on the Power Play is not gonna happen for a second straight night at Agganis. So BU might win Big, they might win easily, or they might need a game-tying goal in the final minutes to find a way to send it to overtime and win it their. But I leave for the game tonight knowing that with a SENIOR CLASS led by Messrs. Gilroy, Higgins, Yip, Lawrence, McCarthy, and Smolinsky will not allow this team’s Hockey East run to come to an end.

Scott Martineau is a Regular contributor to Let’s Go Terriers.  You can find him on Twitter at SCOTTCMARTINEAU.

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