Game-day information: Game 35 vs. Merrimack - Hockey East First Round (Game One)
When	Friday, Mar. 6, 7 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass.  |  Matthews Arena  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game notes (PDF)  |  2014-15 Yearbook  |  Media Center
Promotions	VOTE: Roy for Hobey Baker  |  Care for Kenya VIDEO: McMurtry previews the playoffs
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey  |  RSVP to the Facebook event  instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use #GoNU

BOSTON -- The Road to the TD Garden begins on Friday night when the Northeastern men's ice hockey team hosts Merrimack in a best-of-three first round playoff series at Matthews Arena. Northeastern is the No. 6 seed in the tournament.

Care for Kenya
Care for Kenya is a project that seeks to provide students and families deemed to be in the greatest of need from various regions of Kenya with the tools that they need in order to be educationally successful. With the inaugural project taking place during the summer of 2014, the Care for Kenya project has provided school supplies to more than 60 different students and families throughout the Nakuru and Eldoret regions of Kenya and plans to maintain those relationships with established students, as well as continue to expand the number of students and families served by this project each year. This year, the Northeastern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will join the Care for Kenya program to enrich the lives of school children in Kenya.

On Friday night, we ask fans to bring items from the following list that are new or gently used that can be donated:
• Book Bags
• Pens
• Pencils (Regular or Colored)
• Notebooks
• Clip Boards
• Frisbees
• Jump Ropes
• Measuring Tape
• Sneakers
• Soccer Balls
• Stop Watches
• Water Bottles

Huskies hockey coverage this weekend
Friday's game will be broadcasted through the Pack Network on HockeyEastOnline.tv. Fans can purchase a league pass for access of to up to 20 Hockey East playoff games for $59.95, beginning with this weekend's opening round games. Individual games can be purchased for $9.95 each. Saturday and Sunday's (if necessary) games will be aired live on NESN and will not be carried by the Pack Network.

Huskies Radio (WRCA 1330 AM) will carry all Northeastern first round games this weekend on the air and at HuskiesRadio.com.

Recapping last Saturday's 6-1 loss to No. 4 Boston University
No. 4 Boston University used a four-goal first period and won 36-of-54 face-offs to skate to a 5-1 victory against Northeastern on Saturday night at Matthews Arena. Kevin Roy scored the lone goal for the Huskies, who were outshot 35-25 and received 20 saves from netminder Clay Witt on Senior Night. Ahti Oksanen (two goals, two assists) logged a four-point night while Matt Grzelcyk (one goal, two assists) Jack Eichel (two goals, one assist) contributed three points apiece.
 
The all-time series with the Warriors
Northeastern and Merrimack will meet for the third time this season on Friday night after the teams split the regular season series, 1-1-0. Overall, the Huskies own a 50-40-10 mark against the Warriors including victories in three of the last four meetings at Matthews Arena, dating back to the 2012-13 season.
 
Scouting Merrimack
Merrimack arrives on Huntington Avenue as the No. 11 seed in the tournament after being swept by New Hampshire last weekend. The Warriors' team offense is ranked No. 11 in the Hockey East, averaging 2.18 goals per game, while their defense comes in at No. 3 in the conference, allowing just 2.32 goals per contest. Despite being the second-most penalized team in the conference, Merrimack's penalty kill is tops in the Hockey East, shutting teams out 89% of the time.
 
Brett Seney is the locker room leader in points with 26 on the season. His 15 assists lead the team, while his 11 goals are tied for the most on the roster. The freshman forward also boasts a team-high plus minus rating of +7. Along with Seney, Hampus Gustafsson and Brian Christie have had strong years offensively, accounting for 25 and 23 points, respectively. Gustaffson is just behind Seney with 11 goals and 14 assists;
 
In net for Merrimack has been Rasmus Tirronen. The senior has started 26 games this season and has an overall record of 10-12-3. His 2.24 goals against average is No. 5 in the Hockey East, as is his save percentage of .925. Tirronen has given up 57 goals on the season, but has made 708 saves in more than 1500 minutes of work.
 
Back to the playoffs
The Huskies are back in the Hockey East playoffs for the second straight season, and 23rd time in program history. It also marks the ninth time in 23 playoff appearances that Northeastern enters the playoffs as the No. 6 seed or higher. NU has advanced past the quarterfinal round eight times, including two of its last three playoff appearances (2009 and 2011).
 
Playoff history against Merrimack
Northeastern and Merrimack will be meeting in the Hockey East playoffs for the first time in league history this weekend. The only other time that the teams met in the postseason came during the 1988 NCAA tournament when Merrimack upset the Huskies in a two-game, total goal series. NU took the first game, 5-3, before the Warriors stormed back with a 7-3 win in the second game to eliminate Northeastern from the tournament.
 
March hockey at Matthews
This weekend will mark the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Huskies will host a Hockey East playoff series. That year, Northeastern knocked off Massachusetts in a best-of-three quarterfinal, 2-1, with an overtime goal from Alex Tuckerman. Overall, NU will be hosting its seventh Hockey East playoff series this weekend. Northeastern is 7-5 in Hockey East playoffs games played at Matthews Arena, and has advanced to the next round in three of their six home playoff series.
 
Down to the wire
When faced with a best-of-three Hockey East playoff series, the Huskies typically use the maximum amount of time. In each of Northeastern's last four postseason appearances, the series has gone to a deciding third game. NU is 2-2 in those series.
 
Offense explodes against Connecticut
In NU's two-game sweep of UConn, the Northeastern offense potted 15 goals, including a 9-0 victory at Matthews Arena on Feb. 13. It was the most goals scored in a two-game span since the 1993-94 season when NU defeated Illinois Chicago on Nov. 6 (10-9) before a 5-4 win against Boston University on Nov. 12. Northeastern's offensive outburst against UConn on Feb. 13 marked the first time they've scored nine goals in a game since defeating Alabama-Huntsville 9-1 on opening night last season (Oct. 11, 2013). NU's nine-goal margin of victory was also the largest for the Huskies since defeating Connecticut 10-1 on Oct. 11, 2012.
 
Sizzling start to the second half
NU was unbeaten in its first four games in January for the second straight season. It's the first time in program history that NU has gone unbeaten in consecutive Januarys. The last time NU was unbeaten in its first three games in January in two straight seasons was the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.
 
Huskies off to a hot start in 2015
Since returning from the holiday break, the Huskies have been playing some of their best hockey of the season. NU is 10-4-3 since the start of the new year and is unbeaten in nine its last 12 games.
 
The Huskies' nine-game unbeaten streak was tied for the fourth longest unbeaten streak in program history and first since the 2007-08 season when NU went unbeaten in 11 straight (9-0-2). The Huskies are also tied for the fifth best winning percentage (.711) in the nation in the last 19 games.
 
Northeastern's grade-A chances
With 97 goals through 32 games of the season, NU has done most of its damage from high-percentage areas. Of Northeastern's 97 goals this season, 87 of them have come from the grade-A area (89.6%).
 
Cardiac canines
NU is 11-4-3 since returning from the holiday break, and has come from behind in six games. NU erased a three-goal deficit in the third period on Jan. 2 vs. St. Lawrence before potting a pair of third period tallies the next night against the Saints. Then on Dec. 6, the Huskies stormed back from a 2-0 deficit in the first period to top No. 19 Yale, 3-2.
 
In the last 19 games, Northeastern is outscoring its opponents 48-32 in the final 40 minutes of regulation, and 24-11 in the third period alone.
 
Power play production
With NU tied for ninth in the nation in power play percentage (32-of-149; 21.5%), several Huskies have upped their point totals while on the man advantage. NU has 95 of its 298 points this season on the power play (31.8%), while Kevin Roy has 17 points on the man advantage, which is tied for 10th in the nation, third in Hockey East and 39.5% of his season total (17-of-43). He is one of only 12 players in the nation with at least 17 power play points.
 
40/40 Club
On Monday night against Boston University, Kevin Roy reached 40 points in a season for the second consecutive year. He's the first Husky to accomplish the feat since Jordon Shields logged 46 points in 1994-95 before another 43 in 1995-96.
 
Help me, help you
Through 34 games this season, Dalen Hedges leads the team with 25 assists apiece, which is 15th in the nation. Hedges has an assist in 20 games this season, including 15 of his last 24 games. He has already topped his freshman year assist total (14), which he reached in 35 games last year. He is of just 15 players in the nation with at least 25 assists.
 
Second act
A trio of sophomores has led the charge for the Huskies through the 2014-15 season. Dalen Hedges (nine goals, 25 assists) is second on the team with 34 points this season, while Mike Szmatula (13 goals, 15 assists), Matt Benning (22 assists) and Zach Aston-Reese (11 goals, 10 assists) trail close behind heading into postseason play. Last season, the now sophomore class was fourth in the nation in rookie scoring with 125 points (42 goals, 83 assists). This year, they lead all sophomore classes with 142 points (44 goals, 98 assists). The next closest is Boston College with 118 points.
 
Roy named National Player of the Month
Kevin Roy, who led the nation with 17 points during the month of February, was named the Hockey Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month for February on Thursday.
 
This marks the second career HCA Player of the Month honor for the Lac-Beauport, Quebec native, who also picked up national accolades in October of 2013. He was also named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Month on Monday.
 
Roy potted eight goals during February, tops in the nation, and added nine assists to lead Northeastern to a 6-3-0 mark during the month. The 5-10, 170-pound winger logged points in all but one of his nine games in February, including multi-point efforts in six contests. Roy did most of his damage during a weekend set with Connecticut, scoring four goals in a 9-0 victory at Matthews Arena on Feb. 13, marking the first time a Husky accomplished the feat since the 2012-13 season. The following afternoon, he added three assists in a 6-1 win at UConn.
 
Roy reaches history on Jan. 6 vs. No. 19 Yale
Winger Kevin Roy is back in the Red and Black for his junior season on Huntington Avenue. He enters tonight's game with 55 goals and 68 assists in 98 career games (1.24 points per game). On Jan. 6 vs. Yale, he became the 47th player in program history to reach 100 career points, and 21st player to do it in three seasons or less.
 
On Sept. 30, Roy was named one of college hockey's ten impact forwards in 2014-15 by USCHO.com. One opposing coach called Roy, "as skilled as any player in the country, especially around the net."
 
Roy has led the Huskies in scoring in each of the past two seasons, one of eight active players in the nation to have led their squads in scoring in at least two consecutive seasons. He is also one of 14 players in the nation to have recorded a five-point game this year.
 
Streaking
Sophomore center John Stevens has been playing some of his best hockey down the stretch, and recently had an eight-game point streak in which we totaled 12 points (three goals, nine assists). It was the longest point streak for any Husky this season.
 
During the streak he tied career-highs with three assist efforts at both Maine (Feb. 20) and No. 4 Boston University (Feb. 27). Northeastern was 6-2-0 during the streak, and is 10-4-1 overall this season when Stevens tallies a point.
 
Platoon between the pipes
For the second straight season, Northeastern's opponents have gotten a look at two of the Huskies' top netminders early in the season. Redshirt senior Clay Witt started the team's first two games of the season before Derick Roy got the nod in six straight games. Roy responded by making a career-high 38 saves on two occasions against two of the nation's top teams (No. 6/4 Colgate on Oct. 18 and No. 6/7 UMass Lowell on Nov. 7).
 
Witt ranks second all-time at Northeastern in bothgoals against average (2.65) and save percentage (.919). He's also in sole possession of fourth on the NU all-time list in career shutouts (five) in 69 career games.
 
On Jan. 3 against St. Lawrence, Roy got his first start in nearly two months, and allowed a season-low two goals while making 21 stops en route to a 4-2 victory. In his last seven games, he's posted a 2.12 goals against average and .922 save percentage. In those games, Roy is 5-1-1 in those games, tied for the third most wins in the nation in that span.
 
NU, Michigan State agree to three-sport deal
Northeastern and Michigan State have agreed to a three-sport, home-and-home series in 2015-16, as announced on Dec. 10 by Northeastern Athletics. The Huskies will host the Spartans in men's and women's basketball, as well as men's ice hockey on Dec. 18-19, 2015, before returning the games in East Lansing, Michigan, the following season.
 
"This is a very exciting opportunity for our athletic department," said Peter Roby, director of athletics and recreation at Northeastern. "We are thrilled and appreciative of Athletics Director Mark Hollis and our friends at Michigan State for their willingness to bring their teams to Boston and help us create such a fun weekend.
 
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