Hockey East: A Return to Classic Hockey

By Gabe Souza

Editorial. Photos by AP News

It was refreshing to finally see some good, solid hockey played in the TD Garden this year. And no, I’m not talking about the Bruins’ 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

I’m talking about a tournament that can go overlooked by many, but can create some of the most exciting hockey you’ll find in this country.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby duke it out in a flurry of wristers, slick passing and un-human-like goals just as much as the next hockey buff.

But it’s not in the NHL where you’ll find the deepest passion for the game. It’s not at the professional level where you find fans rocking their favorite team’s sweaters in the middle of July, talking about what the upcoming season will bring.

It’s in college hockey.

It’s there, in the NCAA, where you’ll find fans jawing non-stop about whose international recruit is better. It’s at the college level where diehard loyalists start to debate whether their number one allegiance is; to their hockey team, or their family.

This past weekend’s Hockey East tournament exemplified that spirit. It featured three quality games and three unique atmospheres that made for a frozen treat more delicious than anything Ben and Jerry’s has to offer.

And while Boston College went on to beat The University of Maine on Saturday night to capture its league-high ninth tournament crown, this weekend’s games were about more than just winners and losers. It was about the spirit that filled the Garden for two ice-covered nights and the players and fans that helped create that environment.

Things began with what on the scoreboard looked like a fairly quiet game. Boston College efficiently dispatched The University of Vermont Catamounts in Friday’s early game by the score of 3-0.

Senior BC goaltender John Muse stopped all 30 shots on goal and the Eagles’ offense ran on all cylinders. But it was just as much the crowd that won that game – and every game in the tournament – as it was the players.

The BC “Super Fans” were out in full force, transforming the Garden’s balcony seats from yellow and black to a sea of maroon and red.

After BC freshman Chris Kreider broke a scoreless tie late in the first period, Vermont didn’t stand a chance.

The Eagle chants were so loud, the Catamounts never gained an ounce of momentum. UVM’s shots on goal were just as few and far between as the number of green and yellow sweaters in the stands.

But the crowd from the early game served as a mere warm-up for what was to follow.

In the 8 p.m. showdown between the defending national champion Boston University and Maine, were it not for the Celtic and Bruin banners hanging from the rafters, I would’ve forgotten we were in Beantown. Because for most of the contest, it felt like pucks were flying around the small confines of the Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine.

A loud and boisterous crowd of over 6,000 was on hand, the majority of which were dressed in blue and white to support their Black Bears. A decent following of BU fanatics also turned out, but were constantly drowned by the opposition’s enthusiasm.

The UMaine school song reverberated through the rafters via the Black Bear band and the taunting chants of “Sieve, sieve, sieve!” put BU goalie Kiernan Millan on edge.

The result: a 5-2 Maine victory, featuring a dominant Black Bear offense and a career-best performance from long-time backup goalie David Wilson.

The stage was set for a Saturday night showdown. The resurgent Bears against the perennial champion Eagles. And while the Garden sat empty overnight, awaiting the next day’s game, the school spirit of both teams carried on throughout the city.

After Friday night’s game, bars and restaurants in the North End filled with visiting Mainers, happy to catch up with a fellow Black Bear fan, discuss the game, and prep for the next day’s championship. BC fans were just as prevalent, flaunting their school spirit throughout the city well into the night.

And even though Saturday’s highs reached into the high 60’s and even 70’s in some places, hockey sweaters were the attire of choice for many that ventured into the sunshine.

Whether you were a Maine diehard or a BC “Super Fan,” one thing was for sure: Saturday’s contest was going to be a great one.

Come game time and the Garden was rocking. Competing bands blew out their lips in an attempt to blast the opposition away. It was almost a guarantee that everyone in attendance woke up without a voice the next morning from screaming so loudly.

BC took an early 1-0 lead. But 24 seconds later, UMaine Swedish phenom and Hobey Baker finalist Gustav Nyquist, the nation’s leading scorer, answered to tie it up. And that’s how the rest of the game played out. Every time BC gained a lead, the Maine players, but just as important, the Maine fans, refused to give up.

The Black Bears came back from three different two-goal deficits, culminating in Maine freshman Joey Diamond burying a shot past BC’s John Muse with 27.3 seconds left in the third to tie the game at six and force extra hockey.

Just over five minutes into overtime, BC defensive specialist and tournament MVP Matt Lombardi topped off a hat trick, sending his Eagles to the national tournament.

It was a clash of devotees to the two hockey programs that made the game more exciting than any NHL action I’ve seen in a long time.

Not only were the rivals competing on ice, but they were in the stands, as well.

It was blue and white vs. maroon and gold. Black Bears vs. Eagles. Country kids vs. city slickers. But ultimately, it was hockey fanatics vs. hockey fanatics.

 It was the support of fans at the game, many of whom would offer their right arm for a victory from their team, that made this year’s tournament championship one of the greatest college hockey games of all time.