BOSTON — Providence toppled Boston University in a thrilling national championship game Saturday night, scoring the final two goals to seal a 4-3, come-from-behind victory at TD Garden.
The tight nature of the contest was reflected in the All-Tournament team, which was evenly split between PC and BU.
Goalie Jon Gillies (the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player), forward Mark Jankowski and defenseman Anthony Florentino were selected from the victorious Friars, with forwards Jack Eichel and Ahti Oksanen and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk representing the Terriers.
A few additional notes from Saturday’s final:
— Eichel almost certainly will be a college one-and-done, leaving BU to become one of the top two picks in the 2015 NHL draft. BU coach David Quinn wouldn’t confirm that his star center is leaving, though.
“I honestly haven’t thought about that,” Quinn said after the game. “As I said earlier throughout the season we had one small conversation regarding that in December. We’re talking about a lot of things, and there’s going to be a lot of factors that go into that decision. And I don’t think a decision will be made anytime soon.”
— Several NCAA tournament records fell Saturday night.
The four seconds separating the Terriers’ first and second goals was the shortest period ever between consecutive goals, breaking the previous mark of five seconds set by Michigan way back in 1948. It also was the fourth-shortest period between goals in any NCAA game, tournament or otherwise.
Additionally, the 40 shots BU put on net through the first two periods set an NCAA tournament record, as did the 37 saves Gillies made over that span.
— There was some controversy among media members and folks on Twitter about whether BU’s first goal should have counted.
One angle of Oksanen’s shot appeared to show the puck going straight through the side netting of the goal, not between the post and Gillies.
[tweet https://twitter.com/ConnorMellas/status/587044570371883008 align=’center’]
Closer examination revealed, however, that the puck did in fact find its way through the minuscule gap between post and goalie.
[tweet https://twitter.com/erikmal/status/587064781254725632 align=’center’]
The zebras got it right.
— In the opposite of getting it right, this guy ran into a bit of trouble when it came time to announce PC as the new national champs.
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— At the postgame news conference, a reporter asked Gillies, Ross Mauermann and Brandon Tanev if they had spoken at all with the members of the 1985 Friars squad.
“I can’t say I’ve spoken to any of them after the game,” said Tanev, who scored the game-winning goal in the third period, “but I guess we can both call ourselves national champions, and we can share that amazing bond that they had in ’85 and that we have after today’s win.”
The only problem was, the ’85 team didn’t actually win the title. It lost in the national championship game.
Gillies and Mauermann immediately caught their teammate’s slip-up, resulting in this comical exchange (begins at 35:00):
— With the Boston Bruins failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday, the next hockey game at TD Garden will not be played until fall.
Hockey season in New England, friends, is officially over.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
