While the Boston Bruins probably would have liked nothing more than to return to TD Garden, their home ice is reserved Monday for the start of the 70th annual men's Beanpot.
The iconic tournament among Boston's college hockey powers gets underway with two stellar semifinal matchups as Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern and Boston University all vie for the top prize. And while a Beanpot trophy can't be won Monday, all the teams involved will try to prevent from losing out on the hardware.
Here's everything you need to know about each game to start the Beanpot as both contests can be watched on NESN.
Boston College (9-10-6) vs. Harvard (15-6-1), 5 p.m. ET
Harvard, the only team from the ECAC in the tournament, is having tremendous success yet again under longtime head coach Ted Donato as the Crimson are in search of their first Beanpot title since 2017.
Donato's squad is as well-balanced as they come. Harvard is ranked top 10 in the country with 3.6 goals per game while sitting tied for 11th in the nation in goals allowed per contest at 2.41. Harvard's penalty kill is as equally formidable in front of senior goalie Mitchell Gibson, which means the Crimson have a number of different ways they can win on the ice.
It's been a grind of a season for BC under first-year coach Greg Brown, who took over after Jerry York retired. The Eagles don't have much momentum, if any, heading into the Beanpot as they are 0-4-2 in their last six games.
Even though BC has won 20 Beanpot titles, it is viewed as the underdog this season. But the Eagles certainly can cash in on their opponents' mistakes as they have the best power-play percentage (23.2%) in the field.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sean Farrell, Harvard: The skilled junior forward didn't play in last year's Beanpot, but Farrell had a good reason for missing it. Farrell instead led Team USA in scoring at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Hopkinton, Mass., native is a major offensive threat for the Crimson, producing a team-high 34 points off of 12 goals and 22 assists. Farrell, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2020 by the Montreal Canadiens, will surely look to put his imprint on this year's Beanpot.
Cutter Gauthier, BC: The 6-foot-2, 193-pound freshman forward stepped onto BC's campus with high expectations after the Philadelphia Flyers selected him as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Gauthier has delivered a strong debut campaign with the Eagles, leading the offensive charge with 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points.
Boston University (20-6-0) vs. Northeastern (13-10-3), 8 p.m.
To get back on top of the Beanpot hierarchy, Northeastern has to first go through BU in a rematch of last year's championship bout. The Huskies lost that contest, 1-0, denying their bid for a four-peat.
Led by senior captain Aidan McDonough, who has notched 17 goals and 15 assists this season, Northeastern is hitting its stride at the right moment. A win over UConn at Frozen Fenway last month was a springboard to a five-game winning streak, which UConn then put an end to this past Friday.
The Terriers, who split two games with Northeastern in November, come in red-hot as well, having won seven straight and 10 out of their last 11 games under former Bruins assistant and first-year head coach Jay Pandolfo.
BU possesses a dynamic offensive attack spearheaded by senior forward Matt Brown, who leads all Hockey East skaters with 37 points. The Terriers have scored 4.23 goals per game, good for the best mark in the country.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lane Hutson, BU: The freshman defenseman has been a difference-maker from the blue line. Huston is coming off a career-high four-assist performance against UMaine and leads all NCAA defensemen with 35 points and 26 assists.
Devon Levi, Northeastern: The junior netminder won every award imaginable a season ago, including National Rookie of the Year and Hockey East Goaltender of the Year. Levi has posted a 13-9-4 record this season to go along with a 2.38 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, which is second-best among Hockey East goalies.
The winners of each semifinal tilt will appear in the Beanpot championship game on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET, which will be aired on NESN. The consolation matchup will be played at 4:30 p.m. ET.
