Game-day information: Game 17 vs. Merrimack (4-14-1, 2-8-0)
When	Saturday, January 5  |  7 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass. |  Matthews Arena  |  Directions  |  Parking
Broadcast and stats	TELEVISION: NESNplus | TSN.ca Live Stats  |  Watch  |  Listen  |  Tickets
Promotions	Howlin' Huskies Cam
Notes and media guide	Game Notes  |  2018-19 Media Guide
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUmhockey  Use #HowlinHuskies

BOSTON – The No. 11 Northeastern men's ice hockey team returns home for the first time in more than a month when the Huskies host Merrimack on Saturday night at Matthews Arena. Northeastern has won eight straight games, the longest active streak in the nation and the third longest streak in team history.
 
New videoboard to debut on Saturday night!
Northeastern fans attending games at Matthews Arena are in for some big changes to the world's oldest multi-purpose facility beginning at this Saturday's game against Merrimack. The Howlin' Huskies have installed a state-of-the-art, 50-foot centerhung videoboard as part of a significant upgrade to the in-game experience at the 108-year old building.

Fans are invited to stay in their seats after the Northeastern - Merrimack game to watch the rest of the gold medal game at the World Junior Championships between the United States and Finland on the new videoboard!
 
The new centerhung forms a rectangle shape above the playing surface in Matthews Arena. The two sideline-facing displays each measure 13.5 feet high by 50 feet wide featuring an inward curvature, giving Northeastern one of the largest collegiate videoboards in the Northeast. The two end-facing displays each measure 9.5 feet high by 13.5 feet wide. All four displays feature tight 6-millimeter line spacing to provide crisp, clear imagery to fans in every seat of the arena. 
 
Saturday will also mark the debut of Northeastern's new in-game host for men's hockey: Alex Bensley, a senior communications major at Northeastern.
 
Out of the gates in Hockey East
Northeastern is off to a 6-1-1 start in conference play this season, its best since the 1984-85 season (7-1-0). The Huskies are outscoring their opponents by 1.62 goals per game and operating at better than 85% on the penalty kill vs. league foes.
 
Home cooking
Northeastern in 5-2-1 at home this season, including a 5-0-1 mark against Hockey East teams. Dating back to last season, the Huskies are 8-0-1 against league teams at Matthews Arena (including playoffs).
 
Primeau and Madden named to WJC roster
For the first time in program history, two members of the Northeastern hockey team will represent the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championships after sophomore Cayden Primeau and freshman Tyler Madden were named to the final roster on Dec. 23. In addition, Northeastern associate head coach Jerry Keefe will serve as an assistant coach on the United States staff.
 
Entering Friday night's semifinal against Russia, Madden has three goals and an assist, while Primeau is 3-0-0-0 with a 1.33 GAA and .933 save percentage.
 
All-time series with Merrimack
Northeastern holds a 58-43-10 lead in the all-time series with the Warriors, and is unbeaten in the last eight meetings (7-0-1), including 9-1 and 7-2 victories earlier this season. Merrimack hasn't defeated NU since the 2015 Hockey East Opening Round.
 
Streaking
Northeastern enters Saturday's game with eight straight wins, the longest active streak in college hockey and the third longest streak in team history.  It's the longest winning streak since the Huskies' unprecedented 13-game winning streak en route to the 2016 Hockey East Championship.
 
The Huskies were 5-1-1 in November, the most wins in that month since the 2008-09 season. Northeastern then went into the break with a 7-2 win at Merrimack, giving the Huskies 10 victories before Christmas for the second straight season and fourth time in the last 10 years. 
 
Offensive onslaught
Northeastern's nine goals on Nov. 30 were the most since on Feb. 13, 2015 vs. UConn (9-0). The Huskies also potted nine on two other occasions (Oct. 11 vs. UAH, Dec. 2 at Notre Dame) since scoring 10 on Oct. 11, 2002 vs. UConn. 
 
Their 16 goals in consecutive games were the most in consecutive games since Northeastern also scored 16 combined in back-to-back games during the 1992-93 season.
 
Overall NU is averaging 3.81 goals per game this season, good for a tie for fourth in the NCAA.
 
On the plus side
Defenseman Ryan Shea was a game-high +6 on Nov. 30 against Merrimack. Since 2002, the only players to come close to that were Garret Cockerill (Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Colgate) and Jason Guerriero (Dec. 29, 2003 vs. Mercyhurst), both of whom were a +5.
 
Shea followed that up with a +3 performance at Merrimack the following week, and is tied for third in the NCAA overall with a +17 rating. 
 
Access Grant'd
One forward who has stood out in particular for the Huskies this season is junior Grant Jozefek, who is tied for 16th in the NCAA with 10 goals, along with Zach Solow It's the first time since 2016-17 (Zach Aston-Reese and Dylan Sikura) that Northeastern has had two players with 10 goals in 16 games.
 
Ironman
Captain Eric Williams joins Davies and Shea as one of the most seasoned Huskies on the roster. Williams has yet to miss a game in three-plus years, playing in 133 straight contests, the third most among all returning players in the NCAA. Williams is on pace to break the program record for career games played (Wade MacLeod, 149), and is third on the team with 19 blocks this season.
 
Lock down defense
The Huskies, who are third in Hockey East and tied for 13th in the NCAA with 2.19 goals against per game, have some of the best defensemen in the nation on their roster this season, led by 2018 First Team All-American Jeremy Davies. Davies is currently tied for 14th in the nation in points from defensemen with four goals and 12 assists and sixth in points per game among blueliners (1.07). Davies has six points (1-5--6) in his last five games.
 
Davies is also one of six returning players who were named First Team All-Americans last season: Matthew Galajda (Cornell), Adam Fox (Harvard), Cale Morris (Notre Dame), Scott Perunovich (Minnesota Duluth), Jimmy Schuldt (St. Cloud State). 
 
Davies is joined by Ryan Shea, a trustworthy defenseman who is a key component of the penalty killing unit that is clicking at 86.2%. Shea's already tied for 26th in the NCAA with 34 blocks this year, which leads Hockey East, including a game-high five last Friday night vs. RPI.