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Hockey East Semifinals Preview: No. 4 UConn vs. No. 1 Northeastern

The Huskies will play their first-ever Hockey East Playoff game at the TD Garden on Friday.

By Daniel Connolly
/ new
Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

How to watch

Date: Saturday, March 19
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: NESN | Tom Caron (pxp), Billy Jaffe (color), Meredith Gorman (rinkside)
Stream: NESN.com | SportsLive (outside New England)
Radio: UConn Sports Network | Bob Joyce (pxp), Adam Giardino (color)
Twitter: @UConnMHOC | @GoNUmhockey | @DanielVConnolly

Northeastern Huskies

Record: 25-11-1 (15-8-1 Hockey East)

Seed: 1

Location: Boston, MA

Head coach: Jerry Keefe (first season)

How they got here

Northeastern helped UConn earn the 4-seed in the Hockey East Playoffs. Entering the final game of the regular season, UConn needed a regular win as well as regulation losses from Boston University and Merrimack to finish fourth and get home ice in the quarterfinals.

While Maine blew the Terriers out 8-1, the Warriors were locked in a 0-0 game with Northeastern. The game seemed destined for overtime until Northeastern’s Aidan McDonough scored with nine seconds left to lift the Huskies to their first Hockey East regular-season title and give UConn the four seed.

In the quarterfinals, UConn beat 5-seed Boston University 3-1 at the XL Center while Northeastern survived a late push from 8-seed Boston College to win 3-1 at Matthews Arena.

Previous meetings

UConn went 1-2-0 against Northeastern during the regular season. On Oct. 26, UConn earned a 5-3 victory on the road thanks to two goals from Nick Capone as well as one goal each from Ryan Wheeler, Chase Bradley and Marc Gatcomb.

During a home-and-home series in late February, UConn put 103 shots on goal but walked away with zero points after an incredible weekend from Northeastern goalie Devon Levi, who stopped 100 shots across the two games.

UConn fell 3-1 on the road in the first game but appeared to go ahead 3-2 in the third period the next day at home when Carter Turnbull scored, but the goal was waved off after the officials reviewed the play for goaltender interference. UConn fell apart and allowed three goals the rest of the way en route to a 5-2 defeat. Hockey East later apologized for the goaltender interference call.

Injury report

As of Wednesday, UConn will have everyone available to play on Friday.

“We were good today. So I’m hoping we can get through tomorrow’s practice and we’ll be good for Friday,” Cavanaugh said.

Pregame spot

UConn Alumni is hosting a Husky Hangout at The Greatest Bar in Boston starting at 2:30 on Friday. Click here to register.

Statistical leaders

UConn

Goals: 13 — Ryan Tverberg
Assists: 21 — Jachym Kondelik
Points: 33 — Jachym Kondelik
Blocks: 46 — Harrison Rees
+/-: +12 — Jachym Kondelik, Ryan Tverberg

Northeastern

Goals: 23 — Aidan McDonough
Assists: 16 — Gunnarwolfe Fontaine
Points: 37 — Aidan McDonough
Blocks: 65 — Jordan Harris
+/-: +23 — Jeremie Bucheler

Goaltenders

UConn — Darion Hanson

Goals against average: 2.29
Save percentage: .921
Saves per game: 26.6
Record: 19-14-0
Most goals allowed: 6 (Providence on Nov. 13)
Shutouts: 1

Northeastern — Devon Levi

Goals against average: 1.47
Save percentage: .954
Saves per game: 29.5
Record: 21-8-1
Most goals allowed: 5 — (UConn on Oct. 26, Arizona State on Jan. 13)
Shutouts: 10

By the numbers

UConn | Northeastern

Goals per game: 3.06 | 2.6
Goals allowed per game: 2.53 | 1.7
Shots per game: 33.0 | 26.9
Shots allowed per game: 29.2 | 31.5
Power play goals-opportunities (percentage): 13-101 (.129) | 17-86 (.198)
Penalty kills-opportunities (percentage): 100-115 (.870) | 98-110 (.891)
Penalties-penalty minutes: 131-270 | 145-331
Penalty minutes per game: 7.94 | 8.9
Faceoff wins-losses (percentage): 1017-1039 (.495) | 1052-1055 (.499)
Blocked shots per game: 10.7 | 12.9

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