NCAA Frozen Four: The Most Noteworthy Stats from the Second Semifinal Game

In the Jerry York era, the Boston College Eagles have now won 14 NCAA tournament games by a margin of three or more goals. Their latest deposit in that treasure-laden memory bank was Thursday night’s 6-1 throttling of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the national semifinals at Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Goaltender Parker Milner’s shutout streak ended at 192 minutes and 46 seconds with Jake Hansen’s icebreaker for Minnesota, which whittled BC’s lead down to 4-1 with 1:26 gone in the third period.

Hansen’s goal extended his point-getting streak to seven games to close out his collegiate career. The senior will now look ahead to entering the Columbus Blue Jackets’ system.

In the other net, Minnesota senior stopper Kent Patterson closed out his career by matching a career high for his most dreadful drubbing. He previously allowed six goals in a 6-3 loss to North Dakota in this year’s WCHA semifinals and a 6-4 falter against Minnesota-Duluth on Feb. 5 of last season.

BC captain Tommy Cross blocked three of Minnesota’s 23 shot attempts in the first period. Meanwhile, the Gophers’ Taylor Matson saw all three of his bids in the opening frame repelled by Milner. Matson would finish the night with a team-high four stabs at the BC netminder.

Steven Whitney, who had a two-point outing, assisted on Kevin Hayes’ power play goal that made it 2-0 at 6:35 of the second period. With that, he has had a hand in four of BC’s last seven game-winning goals.

BC freshman Johnny Gaudreau, who joined Whitney and three other teammates in the evening’s multipoint club, has appeared on the scoresheet in five of BC’s first six postseason games, the only exception being the regional opener versus Air Force.

Minnesota’s Nick Bjugstad offered one of his team’s few plus points by winning 17 of his 23 faceoffs.

BC’s power play is 7-for-24 over the last six games with at least one conversion in each game. During their 17-game winning streak, the Eagles’ power play has been kept scoreless on only two occasions, including a Hockey East quarterfinal match with UMass-Amherst when they had no man-advantages.

BC has converted at least one power play in 31 of its 42 games so far this season.

The Eagles have now killed each of their last 20 penalties, dating back to the second game of the Hockey East quarterfinals.