2011-12 Boston College Hockey Review: Offense
By Joe Micik
Sadly, the college hockey season is over, but this one in particular brought so many happy memories to Boston College fans that reviewing it will hardly be a chore.
For at least the last several years, the calling card of Boston College men’s hockey has been offense. The Eagles have a steady inflow of guys who can score the puck and post big numbers each season, and with the program firming up as the elite national power, that stream will most likely continue. 2011-12 did not buck the trend, with Boston College coming in as one of the most productive and feared offensive teams in the nation.
First, the Eagles’ final offensive statistics, with some Hockey East and national rankings:
• Goals per game: 3.57 (1st HE; 3rd NCAA)
• Power play: 22.34% (3rd HE; 10th NCAA)
• Shorthanded goals: 11 (1st HE; T-1st NCAA)
• Points leader: Chris Kreider, 46 (T-4th HE; T-15th NCAA)
• Points runner-up: Johnny Gaudreau, 45 (6th HE; T-20th NCAA)
• Goals leader: Chris Kreider, 24 (2nd HE; T-7th NCAA)
• Goals runner-up: Barry Almeida, 22 (T-3rd HE; T-13th NCAA)
• Assists leader: Pat Mullane, 30 (T-4th HE; T-12th NCAA)
• Power play goals leader: Barry Almeida, 11 (T-1st HE; T-1st NCAA)
• Shorthanded goals leader #1: Steven Whitney, 3 (T-1st HE; T-4th NCAA)
• Shorthanded goals leader #2: Chris Kreider, 3 (T-1st HE; T-4th NCAA)
• Game-winning goals leader #1: Chris Kreider, 5 (T-1st HE)
• Game-winning goals leader #2: Johnny Gaudreau, 5 (T-1st HE)
There’s really not a bad number in the bunch, and Eagles fans know for themselves that there are some very, very dangerous players on this hockey team. One name that comes up repeatedly is Chris Kreider, and if we are to assume that his Boston College departure is nigh, then he is going out on an extreme high note. Kreider did just about everything the Eagles asked of him offensively, and he made his case as one of the top players in the nation.
One name that also came up more than once and is sure to become synonymous with BC hockey in future seasons is Johnny Gaudreau. He, a freshman, put up insanely good offensive numbers, and his place in Eagles lore has already been cemented with his third-period highlight-reel goal to put away the national championship against Ferris State. If this young fellow sticks around Chestnut Hill a few more years and plays like this (or better), I would not be surprised to see him haul in a Hobey Baker Award in the future; he’s that good.
Senior Barry Almeida had one hell of a season, and he will certainly be missed. Almeida came up with 22 goals this season, half of which were on the power play. He got it done when the Eagles needed to capitalize on man-advantages, and was a large part of this team’s success in 2011-12.
Those three stood out on what is a very productive offensive team, and the numbers speak for themselves. It is almost scary to consider that guys like Cam Atkinson and Jimmy Hayes were eligible to have played on this team as well; though it was not meant to be, BC fans have to admit that the thought of all these guys on the same club for one season is an absolutely tantalizing dream. What speaks well of this particular hockey team is that those guys were not on the roster, and yet, they were still excellent.
The 2012-13 Eagles are sure to lose some of the firepower that it had this year, but Boston College hockey doesn’t rebuild: it reloads. Chances are that BC will be just fine in the future, but in the here-and-now, we can feel free to marvel at the stellar offensive performance they put together in their championship season.