BOSTON – No. 6/8 Northeastern is back in the Hockey East Semifinals for the 10th time in team history, and third time in the last four seasons, and will take on crosstown rival Boston University on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. on NESNplus.
Since 2016, only the Huskies, Boston College and Boston Univ. have reached the conference semifinals three times, and Northeastern is looking to advance to the conference championship for the third time in team history, and second time since 2016.
Northeastern's 25 wins this season are tied for the most in single-season history. A win on Friday would break the program record for wins in a season.
From the third rope!
Northeastern enters the postseason as the No. 3 seed for just the third time in program history, and first since 1989. The Huskies ended the regular season with wins in six of their last seven games to finish with 15 victories in HEA play for the second straight year and fourth time in team history.
Northeastern is a top-three seed in the conference tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987-88 and 1988-89.
Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals
NU is back in the conference semifinals for the third time in four years, and 10th time in team history. Northeastern is 2-9 all-time in semifinal matchups, capturing the league title in both appearances in the championship game (1988, 2016).
Huskies vs. Terriers in the Hockey East playoffs
Northeastern and Boston University are meeting in the playoffs for the seventh time in league history. It's just the second time the clubs have collided in the conference semifinal (1994), with all other matchups coming in the quarterfinals. NU is 4-8 all-time against the Terriers in the postseason.
Winningest class in Northeastern history
Northeastern's senior class has helped lead Northeastern to 88 victories, making them the winningest class in team history. They've also helped the Huskies to their first Hockey East title in 28 years, two NCAA appearances and back-to-back Beanpots.
All they do is win
Northeastern enters Friday with 25 wins of the season, tied for the most victories in single-season history. It's the first time in team history that NU has won at least 20 games in consecutive seasons.
The Huskies are one of six teams in the NCAA with at least 25 wins this season. A win on Friday would break the program record for victories in a season, set in 2008-09 and 1981-82.
Davies named National Player of the Month
Hockey East First Team All-Star
Jeremy Davies leads the team with 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) this season, and is tied for seventh in the NCAA among defensemen with 1.00 points per game.
Davies was tied for second in the nation in scoring among all skaters in February with three goals and nine assists, earning Hockey East Player of the Month honors.
On Feb. 23, he became the first Northeastern defenseman since Dan McGillis in 1994-95 and 1995-96 to record 30 points in consecutive seasons.If Davies finishes the season leading the team in scoring, he'd be the first defenseman since Jim Fahey in 2001-02 to do so. He is also eight points away from becoming the sixth defenseman in team history to reach 100 career points, and first since Fahey.
Primeau named Richter Award semifinalist
For the second straight year, Hockey East First Team All-Star
Cayden Primeau has been named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division Men's Ice Hockey.
Primeau has put together a stellar sophomore campaign, posting a record of 23-9-1 between the pipes, tied for second-most wins in the nation. His 2.05 GAA and .935 save percentage rank sixth and first in the nation, respectively, among goaltenders with at least 30 starts this season. His save percentage also ranks second overall among all Division I goaltenders.
His 23 victories are also already second on Northeastern's single-season goaltending wins list.
The win vs. UNH on Mar. 8 was the 40th of his young career: he's the only player in program history to win at least 40 games in two seasons or fewer. After just 62 starts, Primeau is already sixth in career wins (40), and is third on Northeastern's all-time shutouts list (eight).
In March, Primeau's gone 4-1-0 with a .967 save percentage (first in the NCAA) and 1.20 GAA (fourth in the NCAA).
Mr. Bright Lights
Hockey East All-Rookie Team selection
Tyler Madden is back after a strong performance at the WJC. Madden is tied for sixth among NCAA rookies with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists this season). He has 18 points in his last 22 games (7-11--18), including a season-high four-point performance (one goal, three assist) at Merrimack on Dec. 8.
The Deerfield Beach, Fla. native is a three-time Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week this season, and was named a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award on Feb. 4, given annually to the best American-born player in New England.
Earlier this year, he became the first NU rookie since Scott Selig (2000) to start his career with goals in three straight games.
Cardiac canines
Austin Goldstein's game-winner on Mar. 15 was Northeastern's fifth overtime victory of the season, the most since 2007-08.
Tyler Madden (two),
Patrick Schule and
Zach Solow have also scored in OT this season for Northeastern. NU is the only team in the NCAA with at least five overtime wins this season.
Since 2012-13, only four other teams have won at least five games in OT. Three of them went to the Frozen Four: Minnesota Duluth (2016-17; national runner-up), Boston University (2014-15; national runner-up), and Yale (2012-13; won national title).
Since the 2012-13 season, Madden is one of just two rookies in the NCAA to score at least two overtime goals in a season, joining BU's Jack Eichel during his Hobey Baker winning season in 2014-15.
The last Husky to score two overtime goals in a season was Vinny Saponari in 2011-12, also against Massachusetts and Boston University.
PK prowess
Northeastern's only averaging 9.2 penalty minutes per game this season, but when they go on the PK opponents have had a tough time scoring. NU is eighth in the NCAA with an 86.5% success rate on the penalty kill, including a 34-of-36 clip (94.4%) in the last 12 games.
The Huskies have also scored seven shorthanded goals this season, the most since 2008-09 and tied for the sixth most in the NCAA this season.
Tight quarters
The Huskies have been comfortable playing in tight games this season. Northeastern is 12-3-0 in one-goal games, the most one-goal wins in team history and tied for the most in the NCAA this season.
Before Northeastern's two wins against Merrimack earlier this season, NU had won four straight one-goal games, the longest such streak in team history. Before that, Northeastern had won three straight one-goal games just four times in team history, the last coming during the 2007-08 season.
