Primeau, Defense Have Northeastern Dreaming

Huskies Advance to Beanpot Final

by Sara Civian/CHN Reporter

BOSTON  "Cayden Primeau is like this," Northeastern coach Jim Madigan started, drawing a straight line with his hand for emphasis. "He's balanced. He's neutral. ...He never goes high or low — he just stays the course."

It was the NCAA's most lethal line — Adam Gaudette, Nolan Stevens and Dylan Sikura — that accounted for the scoring in Northeastern's 3-0 win over Boston College in Monday's first Beanpot Semifinal, but it was the 18-year-old goalie who stayed the course to make it count for the sixth Beanpot shutout in Northeastern history.

Primeau's sometimes-cautious-sometimes-brazen 37 saves handed the Eagles their first Beanpot shutout loss since 1988, when Northeastern took them down 4-0 in the opening round.

"It's big in Boston," Primeau, the New Jersey native, said of the Beanpot’s significance postgame. "I kinda knew going into the year."

Coincidentally, as some are painfully aware, 1988 was also the last time the Huskies took home the Beanpot title. They’ll have a crack at breaking that 30-year drought for the first time since 2015 next Monday, and this time with a team-wide flare of confidence that's been building all season.

It started with 5-2-0, the team's best start in Hockey east since 2008-09. It has persisted through tough losses, including a 4-1 decision against a red-hot BC team in November. After that one, BC coach Jerry York called this Northeastern team "by far, Jim (Madigan)'s best team at Northeastern."

It was apparent as ever Monday night at TD Garden, where a matter-of-fact Gaudette put it simply: "We know we’re the best line on the ice."

BC’s main objective of the game was to play clean and limit chances for the nation's No. 6 power play to strike.

But strike it did, when Sikura fired one from the circle, and it deflected off Casey Fitzgerald for his 50th career goal halfway through the first.

Primeau fed off that to deny the Eagles 14 times in the second, including four minutes of penalty killing. When Stevens capitalized on a Sikura rebound with 4:26 left in the period to make it 2-0, you got the feeling Northeastern might actually finish this thing off. For real. And head into next Monday's final as the unquestioned favorite — no matter the opponent.

The offense had been there, but that goal was created in the defensive zone. Perhaps the team's steadfast confidence this season starts with its defense as well.

"Everybody talks about Northeastern's offense. ... They have the best line arguably in the nation," York said. "But they win with defense, too. Don't underestimate that."

That defense refused to be underestimated again when it entered the third period Monday night and successfully killed two more penalties that just happened to be caused by Gaudette and Sikura. Those penalty kills could’ve been the difference between scraping by and dominating, so when Gaudette knocked in a Stevens shot with five minutes remaining it was actually a sealed deal.

Northeastern has crept up to No. 6 in the nation defensively with a 2.18 goals-against average. That first line might have two legitimate Hobey Baker candidates, and this Northeastern offense might be the only one in the NCAA featuring two players with at least 35 points, sure.

It was Monday night’s defense that did something for the first time in 30 years, though, giving Northeastern the chance to do something else that's been 30 years coming.