Game-day information: Game 19 at Bentley (7-7-3)
When	Friday, January 5, 7 p.m.
Where	Watertown, Mass.  |  Ryan Arena  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Watch  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and media guide	Game Notes  |  2017-18 Media Guide
Social media	Download the new GoNU App: iOS  |  Android @GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUmhockey  Use #GoNU and #RedBlackOnePack

BOSTON -- The No. 9 Northeastern men's hockey team continues its tour through Atlantic Hockey this weekend when the Huskies battle Bentley in a home-and-home set, beginning Friday at Ryan Arena. The teams will then return to Matthews Arena on Saturday for a 7 p.m. puck drop on N.U.in and Youth Hockey Jersey Night. Kids who wear their youth hockey jersey to the game will receive two free tickets!
 
The all-time series with Bentley
The Huskies and Falcons will meet for the third straight season as NU looks to level the all-time series at 4-4-1. After topping Bentley in their first two meetings in 2008 and 2009, the Huskies went five games without a win against their foe from Waltham. Following a 1-1 tie on Oct. 14 last season, the Northeastern offense exploded in a 7-3 victory over Bentley at Matthews Arena. Zach Aston-Reese, Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura all recorded four points in NU's last victory over Bentley on Oct. 15, 2016.
 
Scouting the Falcons
The Bentley Falcons opened the 2017-18 season with a forgettable start that saw them win one of their first 11 games. However, since Nov. 24, Bentley has rattled off six consecutive wins to improve to 7-7-3. Their win streak features a pair of victories over Robert Morris, a win over UMass Lowell, a 6-2 romp against AIC, a 3-1 win over Brown and a 5-1 triumph over Dartmouth.
 
Forwards Matt Riggleman, Luke Santerno and Kyle Schmidt top the Falcons lineup in scoring with 14 points each. Forward Drew Callin and defenseman Tanner Jago follow closely with 13 points apiece. Schmidt, Callin, and sophomore defenseman Connor Brassard all have two game-winning goals. Despite senior Jayson Argue beginning the season as the starting goaltender, sophomore Aidan Pellino has stepped in as the hot goalie for Bentley. He's been in net for all six of Bentley's recent victories and holds a .906 save percentage.
 
Davies and Sikura capture Spengler Cup with Team Canada
Jeremy Davies and Dylan Sikura, playing with Team Canada, won its third Spengler Cup title in as many years following a New Year's Eve 3-0 win over Switzerland, tying event host HC Davos for most all-time titles at 15.
 
This year's tournament was also used by Hockey Canada as one of the last opportunities for the organization's Canada's National Men's Team management and coaching staff - led by general manager Sean Burke and head coach Willie Desjardins – to evaluate players within a short-term competition setting before selecting the group that will represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
 
Both Davies and Sikura played in all four games during the tournament, with each tallying one assist.
 
Primeau collects Goaltender of the Month honors
After posting a 4-0-1 record in December, Northeastern freshman Cayden Primeau has been named the Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Month, Hockey East announced on Wednesday.
 
Primeau (Voorhees, N.J.) started all five of Northeastern's games in December, posting a 1.19 goals against average that was third in the nation. He allowed two goals or fewer in each game, the fewest of any goalie who played at least 300 minutes. Primeau's save percentage of .957 was sixth in the NCAA during December.
 
Streaking
The Huskies enter this weekend's series unbeaten in five straight games (4-0-1), it's longest of the season, outscoring its opponents 15-6 in the process. A successful weekend against the Falcons would move Northeastern into a tie for eighth for the longest unbeaten streak in team history (seven games).
 
Double digit W's
Northeastern picked up its 11th win of the season last weekend, and is one of 13 teams in the NCAA to have already reached 11 victories. It's also just the sixth time in program history that the Huskies have 10 wins before Jan. 1, and first time since 2008-09.
 
Gaud Is Good
Junior Adam Gaudette is tied for 10th in the nation in scoring (25 points) and tied for eighth in goals (12). His nine multi-point games are also tied for the second most in college hockey, while his seven power play goals are also tied for first.
 
Gaudette's done damage when it matters most. He's either scored or assisted on 11 of Northeastern's last 19 game winning goals (six goals, five assists), dating back to last season, including six of the team's 11 wins this year (four goals, two assists). His four GWG are tied for the most in the nation.
 
On Nov. 28, Gaudette became the 51st player in team history to reach 100 career points, and just the 22nd to accomplish the feat in three seasons or less. He's the fifth Husky in the last three seasons (Kevin Roy, Zach Aston-Reese, John Stevens, Dylan Sikura) to accomplish the feat. No Husky had done it in three seasons or fewer since Kevin Roy during his All-American season in 2014-15.
 
Gaudette's already eighth in career scoring among active players in the NCAA with 107 points, one of just three juniors in the top-10. His 50 career goals are tied for second and his 28 PPG lead all active players.
 
He's Sik
Senior Dylan Sikura is third among active players in the nation with 114 career points, and became the 50th player in team history to reach 100 career points on Oct. 20.
 
What's most impressive about Sikura is his steady progression throughout his career at Northeastern. He went from a seven-point in 25-game freshman campaign to 28 points as a sophomore before a breakout 57-point junior season. Seventy-nine of Sikura's 114 career points (69%) have come in his last 53 games (1.49 points per game).
 
Sikura is currently tied for 23rd in the nation with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in just 15 games this season (1.47 points per game; fourth in the NCAA), which made him the only player in college hockey since 2012-13 to record a multi-point effort in each of his team's first six games, and one of two players in the nation to reach 14 points in that span since 2012-13.
 
Dynamic duo
Junior Adam Gaudette and senior Dylan Sikura and have picked up right where they left off a season ago, recording 25 and 22 points apiece, respectively, through the team's first 18 games. Dating back to 1999, they are the only Huskies to record four straight multi-point games to open the year.
 
They make Northeastern the first team to have a pair of skaters with three straight multi-point games to start the season since Cornell (John McCarron and Joel Lowry) in 2013-14. In the last six seasons, only five players in the nation have recorded multi-point efforts in their teams' first four games.
 
In the 77 games that the two have played on the same line, Gaudette and Sikura have combined for 174 points (Gaudette: 40-43-83; Sikura: 33-58-91), leading NU to a 43-24-10 record in those games.
 
Murphy joins the ranks
Jim Madigan announced that Collin Murphy will join the program. Murphy joins the Huskies after starting the season in Muskegon (USHL).
 
"We are excited to have Collin join the Northeastern community and hockey program for the second half of the season," said Madigan. "We expect him to contribute to our program right away. Collin is a reliable puck moving defenseman who will work well within our system."
 
Murphy (Wilmington, Mass.) appeared in 21 games in Muskegon, recording one goal and one assist along with 29 penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating.
 
How you start is how you go ...
Northeastern is outscoring opponents 21-7 in the first period this season, and it's +14 first period goal differential is the best in the nation. NU's seven goals against in the opening frame are tied for the fewest in the NCAA.
 
... But it's how you finish
Northeastern has been a tough team to defeat when the Huskies lead after two periods. Since 2013-14, NU is 64-9-3 (.862) when the Huskies have the lead through 40 minutes of play.
 
Picking their spots
Despite being in the middle of the pack in the nation in shots on goal per game (30.56; 23rd in the NCAA), the Huskies hit their target more often than not with an 11.3% shooting percentage that ranks eighth in the country.
 
Adam Gaudette leads the team with a 20% shot percentage and is fourth in the NCAA among players with at least 60 shots on goal.
 
Power up
The Northeastern power play has developed into one of the most lethal units in the nation in the last three years. NU led the nation with 55 power play strikes in 2016-17, tied for the most in team history. Northeastern has also led the nation with the power play goals over the last two (94) and three (128) seasons.
 
Junior Adam Gaudette broke the school record for power play goals in a season (16) last year, and currently leads all active players in the NCAA with 28 career goals on the man advantage. He's three PPG away from tying the school record, held by J.F. Aube and Rod Isbister.
 
Gaudette and Dylan Sikura, along with Vermont's Ross Colton, are tied for the nation's lead with seven power play goals this season. The Huskies, who draw an average of 4.78 power play per game, are third in the NCAA with 24 conversions this season.
 
Killing it on the PK
The Northeastern penalty killing unit hit a groove in December, going 14-of-16 (87.5), which was tied for 18th in the nation and fourth in Hockey East in that span.
 
As it continues to climb up the national rankings in overall PK percentage (46-of-58; 42nd in the NCAA), the Huskies haven't given their opponents many chances on the power play. Northeastern is averaging just 10.28 penalty minutes per game, the 12th fewest in the nation.
 
The road ahead
Northeastern resumes Hockey East play next weekend when the Huskies welcome Maine to Matthews Arena for two games, beginning on Friday night at 7 p.m.