{"id":29716,"date":"2008-02-28T09:58:49","date_gmt":"2008-02-28T15:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/02\/28\/this-week-in-hockey-east-feb-28-2008\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:11","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:11","slug":"this-week-in-hockey-east-feb-28-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/02\/28\/this-week-in-hockey-east-feb-28-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in Hockey East: Feb. 28, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"
All Hail New Hampshire<\/h4>\n
They left no doubt about it. The UNH Wildcats wrapped up the regular season title in as impressive a fashion as possible, sweeping then-seventh ranked Boston College, a team on a 13-3-2 run itself.<\/p>\n
“I’m just really excited for our team,” UNH coach Dick Umile said after the Saturday night clincher. “They were very determined. They played very good hockey and I’m proud of them.”<\/p>\n
The sweep began on the road with a 2-0 shutout that featured shut-down defense and big saves when called for by Kevin Regan. All shutouts are impressive by definition, but to blank the league’s top offense in its own barn takes it to another level.<\/p>\n
“That’s as well as we’ve played all year,” Umile said. “We didn’t give [Boston College] any space to create offense, which they can do very well.”<\/p>\n
The Wildcats then gave their fans an abundance to cheer about on the back end of the home-and-home, winning, 5-1. As if to answer every last question, the UNH power play, which had ranked merely in the middle of the pack not that long ago, scored four times. It’s now 8-for-22 (36 percent) over the last four games.<\/p>\n
“The power play has been moving the puck fairly well recently, in my opinion at least, maybe not some of our fans,” Umile said. “Just because you don’t score doesn’t mean you’re not doing a good job. Obviously, the puck went in tonight.”<\/p>\n
UNH now owns Hockey East’s top offense (tied for first with BC and Boston University), top defense, top penalty kill, and third-ranked power play. Small wonder the Wildcats are 13-0-1 in the league dating back to early December. <\/p>\n
Oh yeah, there’s also that leadership factor. The UNH veterans produce. Seniors Matt Fornataro and Mike Radja rank second and fourth, respectively, among league forwards. Senior defensemen Brad Flaishans and Craig Switzer hold similar lofty positions. Senior goaltender Kevin Regan leads Hockey East in winning percentage, goals against average and save percentage.<\/p>\n
“We have a great senior class that is playing as well as they have in four years,” Umile said.<\/p>\n
Strange things can happen in the playoffs, but the Wildcats have become the clear favorite in the Hockey East tournament that starts in a few weeks.<\/p>\n
Folks from the Granite State might also want to start booking their April 9 flights to Denver.<\/p>\n
Two Is Almost The Loneliest Number<\/h4>\n
Not long ago, the PairWise projected five Hockey East teams making the NCAA tournament.<\/p>\n
It’s down to two now. UNH and BC are in great shape, but the other league favorites of a mere month ago have taken a tumble.<\/p>\n
That said, Hockey East might get a third team in after all without an upset winner of the league tournament. Coming up hard on the outside is Boston University. The Terriers didn’t crack the PairWise Top 25 until two weeks ago, but now rank tied for sixteenth.<\/p>\n