Frozen Four 2015: Boston University vs. Providence Date, Time and Schedule
We have the third all-Hockey East championship game on tap for Saturday, as the Frozen Four comes to an end when the Boston University Terriers and Providence Friars square off to determine who has the best hockey team in the country.
Boston and Providence are two very different teams. The Terriers entered the tournament as favorites of sorts, as their school's history in the Frozen Four cannot be denied.
Overall, this is Boston's 22nd appearance in the tournament.
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Providence has not had the same consistency on the ice, as the Friars are in their first Frozen Four since 1985. But the unseeded Friars are a potent foe for the Terriers, and this final figures to be a memorable one given the overwhelming talent on both sides.
Be sure to tune into ESPN on Saturday to catch a few of the NHL's next big stars finish off their college careers on the sport's biggest stage.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: April 11
Watch: ESPN
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Bracket: Interactive bracket via NCAA.com
Boston University
The Terriers took care of Yale, Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota to earn a shot at the national championship. While defeating North Dakota was a mini-upset, it wasn't a shock to see the Terriers pull out a 5-3 win.
That's because they have Jack Eichel.
He totaled three points in the semifinal game, which isn't surprising considering this tweet from ESPN's John Buccigross:
WEEI's Scott McLaughlin added a tweet that puts his scoring output into perspective:
Now with 70 points on the season, Eichel is by far the best player in the title game. He was easily in consideration for the top player of the entire tournament when it began on March 27. He's NHL Central Scouting's second-ranked North American prospect available in this year's NHL draft, making him the player all eyes should be on once the puck drops on Saturday.
He was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Player of the Year and Hockey East Tournament MVP this season.
Arguably the most important part of his game is his speed, something NHL Central Scouting's David Gregory (h/t NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale) thinks makes him special:
"I haven't seen a player, maybe never since I've been scouting, that has the strength to keep his feet on the ice while he's skating and using that long stride. And he doesn't lose speed or his ability to move laterally when he's on the move. That makes him so deceptive and able to create opportunities for himself.
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Of course, Eichel isn't the only player on the Terriers capable of putting the puck in the net.
Evan Rodrigues (61 points, 21 goals) and Danny O'Regan (49 points, 22 goals) are potent secondary options for the Terriers when defenses key in on Eichel. Even focusing all efforts on stopping the first-year star hasn't really helped opposing teams much, though.
Boston will be a tough opponent for Providence because of these three players, among others.
Providence
The Friars' journey began in Round 1 when coach Nate Leaman's bunch upset No. 4 Miami (Ohio), 7-5. It's been relatively smooth sailing since, capturing 4-1 victories against both Denver and Omaha.
Despite allowing five goals in Round 1, this Providence team is a defensive juggernaut.
The charge is led by goaltender Jon Gillies, who averages 1.98 goals against per game. That's an incredible total supported by a save percentage of .930. He has recorded four shutouts on the year and has made 980 saves. There's a good chance he'll reach 1,000 by the end of the championship game.
Those numbers are influenced by the defensemen he has playing in front of him. While his work between the pipes is impressive, it's those who follow the puck out on the open ice who make his job easier.
Providence boasts a speedy defense—one that might actually be capable of keeping up with Eichel—headlined by Tom Parisi, Jake Walman and Anthony Florentino. There are other contributors too, as defenders on each pairing are capable of stopping opponents.
The key for the Friars will be offense, though.
Shutting down the Terriers is crucial, but they can't win if they can't net the puck themselves. Junior Nick Saracino, who leads the team with 38 points (14 goals), must be a constant threat on the attack. Consider Noel Acciari, Shane Luke and Trevor Mingoia equally important.
Those four players all have 30 or more points on the year.
An intense defensive effort will only do so much. Without offense, Providence can't win.
Prediction
These two teams met twice in the regular season. They split the series, but Boston outscored Providence 5-3.
While Gillies and the speedy defensemen of the Friars will surely give the Terriers a look they haven't seen in this tournament, it's impossible to pick against a Boston team with three top-notch scoring options. Even if Eichel is neutralized, Rodrigues and O'Regan can pick up the slack.
Gillies isn't going to implode, however. Three goals will be enough to win this contest. Because of the Terriers' offensive depth, it's a safe bet to pick them to get to that mark and win the national championship.
Prediction: BU wins 3-2.
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
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