Two of BU’s Hockey East opponents, No. 2 Merrimack and Boston College (tied for fourth) are. But it means little to a team that took a four-game winning streak into December and knocked down BC along the way. The Terriers did fall to Merrimack, but they seem to have corrected their biggest fault of the season since then — inconsistent play.

It’s BU’s improvement more than anything that makes it deserving of praise, although Merrimack and BC sport better records. This Terrier team, as it proved with a couple wins against BC, isn’t the same one that dragged its unmotivated self into the Tsongas Center for their worst loss since 1999.

Statistically, the Terriers aren’t the nation’s gold stars — the only two categories BU leads the nation in are penalty minutes (21.08 per game) and short-handed goals (six). But they’re improving. BU’s defense now ranks 30th in the country, allowing 2.85 goals per game. While that statistic may make you cringe, it’s greatly improved. Even goalkeeper Kieran Millan‘s goals-against average has dropped. At one point it was above 3.00, but now sits at 2.69.

The Terriers have their strengths, such as their seventh-ranked offense. The Terriers score 3.55 goals per game, getting points from almost all of their players, whether it be scoring leader Matt Nieto or fourth-liner Wade Megan.

The statistics won’t make you choke on a drink, but the Terriers just won back-to-back games at Conte Forum for the first time since 1993-94. The combined score of of the two good efforts was 10-3, and the Terriers haven’t played badly since that loss to UMass-Lowell, outscoring opponents 18-8.

By taking down BC, the Terriers gained an edge over the Eagles. But BU lost to Merrimack, so what makes the Terriers better than the Warriors?

Despite the loss, BU dominated the game for roughly 50 minutes. It was also after UMass-Lowell destroyed the Terriers and everyone, from BU head coach Jack Parker to assistant captain Justin Courtnall, was very, very unhappy. It was a huge question mark: Would the Terriers rebound, or would they lose their second game in a row?

The Terriers not only rebounded, they played their best game of hockey this season. The Terriers should have won, and would have, if it wasn’t for a trademarked late-game meltdown. Still, the Terriers came the closest they had all season to playing a full 60 minutes of hockey, and Parker was far from disappointed with their effort.

Also, the Terriers have had a much tougher schedule than Merrimack so far. The Warriors went undefeated — and earned the nation’s top spot — until a Friday night loss to Providence, but the Terriers were the toughest team the Warriors faced. They still haven’t played BC or UMass-Lowell, two of the other top-five teams in Hockey East.

This isn’t October’s Terriers, and their slow start shouldn’t fool observers into thinking BU can’t contend for Hockey East’s top spot. Their record may still have them a little lower than the conference’s top space, but the Terriers will be a threat in the Hockey East Tournament.

Thumbnail photo via Flickr/seriouslysilly

Sure, making frequent trips between the Northeast and Indiana will no doubt be an adjustment, but the tradeoff is much better. In return for constant flights, Notre Dame and the premier teams in Hockey East will have a chance to play against teams of fairly equal talent levels.

First off, the Fighting Irish are a top-tiered team — U.S. Hockey College Online ranked the Fighting Irish No. 1 in the nation — and Hockey East is a good conference that has produced four national championships and an additional five runner-up teams in the past decade. One of those championships came at Notre Dame's expense, as the Fighting Irish lost to Jerry York's Boston College Eagles in the 2008 national championship game.

That was only three years ago, and both teams — including a couple others from Hockey East — can still make it deep into the NCAA tournament. If each year those teams are going to contend for a title, it only makes sense that they should play each other every year.

As it stands right now, BC and Notre Dame will play each other, but only once. The same goes with Notre Dame and Boston University. Both teams are scheduled to play once this year, while Notre Dame will host Northeastern twice. But the Irish will not face off against UNH at all. That's a pity, since the Wildcats have one of the best goalkeepers in the league, Matt Di Girolamo, and it would be an entertaining matchup.

Think of the rivalries this can create. It's hard to say that the Fighting Irish are rivals with any current Hockey East teams, like the Eagles or the Terriers, but it won't take long after 2013-14 for the Fighting Irish to create some new enemies. Notre Dame and BC could generate a particularly intriguing rivalry, considering they are two of the most prominent Catholic schools in the country and already have a football rivalry going.

It should also boost attendance both at Notre Dame and in New England. Fans always want to see their teams take on the best, and there's not much doubt that Notre Dame's presence will bring in fans to BC, BU, UNH, Maine and the lower-level teams of Hockey East. And should Notre Dame fall into a slump and attendance drop, these once-rare matchups can entice fans back into the building.

Lastly, Notre Dame might incite a trend that encourages other teams around the country to break away from their regions and try playing somewhere else. Every division shouldn't just break down, but if a few teams switch to a different division, so many more attention-grabbing matchups could be created.