The Boston College hockey team has held the No. 1 ranking in the nation for three straight weeks, and the Eagles showed why against 20th-ranked Maine last night, dominating their Hockey East rivals in a 5-1 victory before 6,304 at Conte Forum.
From the first puck drop, BC (8-1-0, 6-0-0) kept sending out waves of offense, while blocking Maine (3-3-1, 3-2-0) from finding a path to the goal. On every broken play, whether Maine’s or BC’s, the Eagles picked up the bits and quickly tried to reshape them into another offensive maneuver.
“I thought that was our most solid game in a long time,’’ said BC coach Jerry York. “We’ve been giving up a lot of shots on goal the last few weekends. I thought tonight our structure and our defense was much better. Plus, Parker [Milner] controlled his rebounds so much better.’’
BC outshot Maine, 27-21, and chased starting goalie Dan Sullivan by scoring four goals on 12 shots, while Milner worked hard to keep every rebound close, refusing the Bears easy opportunities.
In the first period, BC demonstrated its breadth and depth on offense, taking a two-goal lead with a shorthanded goal and a power-play score.
Chris Kreider of Boxford, the left wing on the Greater Boston line centered by Needham’s Bill Arnold and flanked by Dorchester’s Kevin Hayes, opened with a shortie through the 5-hole at 11:33 to start BC’s bonanza. Taking a feed from defenseman Patch Alber, Kreider took off on a breakaway and ripped his seventh goal of the season past Sullivan.
“We got some really big efforts out of different people,’’ said York. “Chris Kreider was just so strong on the puck all night long; that line now has established itself as a really top line and they played that way this evening.’’
Less than two minutes later, with Maine’s Will O’Neill sent off for elbowing, Kreider set up a quick rush with a savvy defensive play. With only his right hand on his stick, he poked the puck off the stick of a Black Bear who was trying to set up in front of Milner. Kreider had enough strength to muscle the puck forward to Bill Arnold, and then take the return pass up the ice. From behind the Maine net, Kreider set up Hayes at the left circle for a snap shot at 13:26.
Kreider is noticeably bigger and stronger in his junior season; his presence is felt every time he’s on the ice.
“The breakaway goal was early in the contest, a shorthanded goal, and that kind of set the tone for us,’’ said York.
“It’s disappointing, obviously, for us,’’ said Maine coach Tim Whitehead. “We didn’t get out of the gate the way we wanted to. BC was just clearly the better team in all facets, all three positions: goalie, D, and forwards.’’
The second period was not half a minute old when Arnold bumped the BC lead to 3-0. Kreider peeled the puck off the boards behind Sullivan and slipped it out to the left circle for a quick wrister by Arnold.
Maine finally found some room as Klas Leidermark carried the puck down the middle of the BC zone, then left a short pass for Jon Swavely, who beat Milner at 1:28 for his second goal of the season.
Steve Whitney made it 4-1 at 2:16, finding the top left corner with a wrister from the right circle and sending Sullivan to the bench in favor of Martin Ouellette (14 saves, 1 goal).
BC didn’t slow down. Barry Almeida’s power-play score at 10:14, when he tucked a shot between the right post and Ouellette’s skate, gave the Eagles a four-goal lead halfway through the game.