Boston College 6, Boston University 4: First-Place Eagles Hold Off Terriers

The 264th meeting of two of college hockey’s most hated rivals went the way of the Boston College Eagles.

On Friday night at Kelley Rink, the #4 Eagles defeated the Boston University Terriers, 6-4. With the win, Boston College is undefeated over their past eight games, picking up two more points in Hockey East to maintain their first-place lead. The Eagles are 15-4-3 (9-1-1) on the season.

Boston College has won both games against the Terriers so far this season; they will next meet in the Beanpot semifinals on February 3.

With his second-period goal, Johnny Gaudreau extended his career-best streak to 17-consecutive games with at least one point. The score was his twentieth goal of the season, making him the first Division I player to reach the mark this year; the empty-netter late in the third was his 21st. Gaudreau has amassed 34 points during this stretch.

Goal Sequence
[BU] Robbie Baillargeon (10:47 1st; Collier, Somerby): BU 1, BC 0
[BC] Adam Gilmour (19:14 1st; Doherty, Fitzgerald; PP): BC 1, BU 1

[BC] Quinn Smith (4:35 2nd; Linell, Sit): BC 2, BU 1
[BC] Johnny Gaudreau (11:05 2nd; Arnold, Hayes; PP): BC 3, BU 1

[BU] TJ Ryan (2:50 3rd; Duane, Moran): BC 3, BU 2
[BC] Chris Calnan (6:20 3rd; Gilmour): BC 4, BU 2
[BC] Adam Gilmour (9:14 3rd; Calnan, Silk): BC 5, BU 2
[BU] Mike Moran (11:11 3rd; Noonan): BC 5, BU 3
[BU] Cason Hohmann (16:32 3rd; Baillargeon, Oksanen; PP): BC 5, BU 4
[BC] Johnny Gaudreau (19:22 3rd; Hayes, Santini; EN): BC 6, BU 4

Adam Gilmour also scored two goals on Friday, doubling his season total to four and giving him his first multi-goal game as an Eagle.

The Eagles mostly performed well with what was already the nation’s second-best penalty kill, going 5-for-6 when the Terriers held the man-advantage. Meanwhile, Boston College potted two on the power play thanks to Gilmour and Gaudreau.

Offensively, the game was dominated by Boston College, who outshot the Terriers 44-27. The Eagles buzzed around the net for much of the game, particularly from the second period onward when they were able to sustain pressure for long periods of time. Terriers goalie Sean Maguire kept his team in it as best he could given the number of saves he was required to make.

All Hockey East wins are big, but the Eagles are looking extraordinary once again at about the right time of year.

Boston College will host Maine tomorrow night.