The defending national champs land at number three in our preseason top 16. The saying goes that “defense wins championships” and BU better hope that’s right, cause they lost a ton of offense. Colin Wilson (17-38-55), and Chris Higgins (14-34-48) are gone, but the Terriers return a ton of defensive studs. The leader is Kevin Shattenkirk, who was probably the best US defenseman at the World Junior Championships last winter, but they also have Colby Cohen who had an extremely solid year last year. In all, 5 of their top 6 blueliners return.
In net, Kieran Millan looks poised to build on a Freshman season that finished with him hoisting a national championship. Millan was first in Hockey East in GAA and 3rd in save percentage.
The offense won’t be able to score a ton like they did last year, but 50 point scorer Nick Bonino is back and will go a long way towards another deep BU run. Look for Alex Chiasson and Justin Courtnall to add some offensive punch as well as the Terriers will be on their way to another NCAA tournament and perhaps back to back Frozen Four appearances.
FanSided
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Unless you did not count former WJC member Brian Strait among BU’s top six, then with Mattie Gilroy and Strait both gone ONLY FOUR OF THE SIX members of the defensive corps return. Also, I was listening to a Northeastern Broadcast the final weekend versus BU of this HE season, and the announcers said that BU ‘has three potential pro prospects along their blue-line, I was wondering who among Gryba, Shatty, Colby Cohen, Warsofsky (MOST agree these four are likely to have long careers not just in the pros but in the NHL in particular), and even NiCastro, THE LAST CUT FROM THIS YEAR’S GOLD MEDAL WINNING WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPS FROM THE USA is considered to have an NHL ceiling by most. Just look at the scoring leaders on BU – they are almost all defensemen (and Zach Cohen) … why the diss of a team that again has, despite its flaws, BY FAR the best and deepest blue line in the NCAA this season. If Millan did not have a sophomore slump OR if Rollie had been given the shot in goal, I honestly think that BU would be either in first or second place with significant points between them and the 3rd HE team and a NCAA bid virtually guaranteed. The fact that VT had to eke its way into the HE tourney (in fact, they probably would have been in better shape finishing ninth as they would not have to go to Whittemore and win two on the road) YET dominated over the big dogs in the West once again proves what a joke the PWR is in getting teams into the tourney. I understand that coaches like the fact that there can be no backroom lobbying, but the fact that a team can be 2-1 versus the 25th PWR team and that gets them BIG BONUS POINTS but another team can be NINE AND ZERO against PWR teams 26th, 27th, and 28th mean nothing is just absurd.