5 Things to Watch For Tonight

by Chris Aliano

1.  Will home-ice and the smaller dimensions at Agganis Arena have an effect on the the Terriers' style of play, and to what degree?  Last night marked the second time this season that the Terriers played on a bigger sheet of ice, and they did not fare well again.  They dropped the season-opener against UMass on their Olympic-size rink, and the Terriers looked flat-footed in the third period against UNH last night?  The Wildcats were able to run away with it in the third period, and BU never looked comfortable in the last frame and appeared to be playing catchup the whole time.  It could be conditioning, and it could be the lack of energy outside of the first two forward lines that allowed UNH to control the pace of the contest in the last third, so one would think that the Terriers should be able to turn it around on their home-ice...right?

2.  Can the defense not leave their goalie out to dry for a second night in a row?  Although he gave up four goals, Kieran Millan played solid between the pipes despite taking the loss.  We're beginning to see a developing theme this season: Millan stands on his head, and his defense can't bail him out of a tight spot.  Head coach Jack Parker was unsure if sophomore netminder Grant Rollheiser would be able to play this weekend.  Should Rollheiser get the nod, the Terriers will have to be even more on their toes than usual: Rollie often leaves juicy rebounds on the ice due to his stand-up style of play, and how well he performs is dependent on how aware the defense is and their ability to hang with UNH's quick forwards.


3.  Can Nick Bonino finally find the back of the net?  Aside from assisting on Chris Connolly's goal in last week's 6-4 win against Merrimack, Bonino's return from a month-long absence hasn't brought the anticipated offensive spark.  If the Terriers are to come close to matching even half of last year's effort on the offensive end, Bonino needs to find his groove.  Take a look at the stat sheet and see for yourself.  Having trouble finding Bonino anywhere?  Look farther down and you'll find last year's 50-point scorer mired at the bottom with a meager two points in ten games.  That's not going to cut it.

4.  Will David Warsofsky line up with the forwards again?  Warsofsky made his career debut as a forward last night, and while his efforts on the ice were felt, he was clearly winded by the end of the night.  As expected, the transition wasn't exactly a smooth one.  Despite being the second-fastest skater on the team (behind only Connolly), his speed alone won't be enough against a talented UNH blue-line corps.  His smallish frame isn't exactly a benefit either when going up against UNH's aggressive forecheck, which also makes it tough to set a decent screen in front of the net.  Still, Warsofsky epitomizes what a team player should be, and he plays well beyond his years.  He'll do whatever he's asked to do, and if that's lining up as a forward, fans will have to accept whatever output he gives, because it's the best they have right now.

5.  What kind of urgency will the Terriers display considering how critical of a junction they are at this season?  Parker noted his team's attitude as one of the key problems during the Terriers' 3-7 start to the season.  On some nights, they've played like a team afraid to lose, and on others they play like a team too cocky for its own good.  Not wanting to panic, but this is a team four games under .500 heading into a Red Hot Hockey date with a top-five Cornell team.  Kevin Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen and Eric Gryba need to be leaders and examples, and that starts with eliminating the taking of pointless penalties at crucial moments in games.