Boston University (15-11-3, 10-7-3 HEA) vs. Northeastern (16-8-5, 11-6-3 HEA)
Date & Time	Monday, Feb. 12 | 7:30 p.m.
Venue	TD Garden | Boston, Mass.
Watch	NESN, TSN2, TSN GO (BU Beanpot Watch Parties)
Listen	TSRN
Live Stats	Stat Broadcast
Game Notes	BU | Northeastern
Podcast	Inside BU Hockey - Episode 17
Twitter	@BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey

The first of several opportunities for the 2017-18 Boston University men's ice hockey team to claim some hardware comes on Monday night when the 20th-ranked Terriers face No. 12 Northeastern in the Beanpot championship game.
 
NESN and TSN2 will broadcast the tilt live at 7:30 p.m. from TD Garden.
 
The nation's hottest team riding a nine-game unbeaten streak at 7-0-2, BU reached the final with a 3-2 double overtime victory a week ago while the Huskies advanced with a 3-0 shutout of Boston College. BU hopes the 2018 Beanpot follows the trend established in the 2015 Beanpot when the Terriers beat Harvard in double overtime before toppling the Huskies in the final to claim their 30^th civic title.
 
BU will have quite a challenge from the current edition of the Huntington Hounds who stand third in the current Hockey East standings, one spot ahead of the fourth-place Terriers. Northeastern might feature the top line in college hockey as Adam Gaudette (44 points), Dylan Sikura (39) and Nolan Stevens (31) rank first, third and 30th in the nation in scoring, respectively. The trio constitutes three of the top four point getters in Hockey East this year. Cayden Primeau has been one of the nation's premier netminders this year, posting a 1.97 goals against average and .925 save percentage, ranking eighth in each category. Primeau leads Hockey East in GAA and is narrowly second in save percentage behind only the .926 posted by Maine's Jeremy Swayman.
 
Northeastern swept a pair of games from BU in November, winning by 4-1 and 6-1 counts. In a series which dates to 1931, BU has only twice been swept in an entire season series by Northeastern, those instances happening in 1963-64 and 1987-88.
 
Beanpot success has followed the Terriers historically, as they have won 30 of the previous 65 editions of the showcase while reaching the final in 52 of those years. BU is 33-8 (.805) against Northeastern in Beanpot action. This is BU's fourth consecutive trip to the final, its longest such streak since a 13-year run from 1995-2007.
 
BU will hope to ride the hot hands of freshman Shane Bowers on Monday night. The Nova Scotian is tied for the national lead in goals scored among freshmen with his 15, matching Mitchell Lewandowski of Michigan State. With 24 points on the season, Bowers ties for sixth nationally among his freshman peers while also leading all Hockey East rookies. Bowers' plus-14 rating also ties for the lead among all freshmen nationally. Bowers has at least one goal in four of BU's last five contests and a point in six of the Terriers' last seven.
 
In Friday night's 3-3 tie against UMass at Agganis Arena, the Terriers converted on their lone power play attempt of the game. BU hopes to get a few more of those against the Huskies and find the same success the Terriers have enjoyed of late. The Terriers have scored at least one power play goal in each of their last seven contests. This is the longest such streak for BU since scoring a power play goal in seven straight games from Dec. 14, 2014-Jan. 23, 2015.
 
BU's power play is operating at a .391 (9-for-23) clip since an 0-for-6 showing against Providence on Jan. 13. Since Jan. 13, BU has the best power play in the nation among schools which have had at least 20 power plays. At nine goals, only Mercyhurst (12) has more power play tallies in the nationally over this four-week span.
 
This will also mark the front end of what could be a historic pair of days on Comm. Ave. as the Terrier men are not alone in seeking to bring a city championship back to campus. BU will attempt a Beanpot sweep this year as the Terrier women also advanced to the Beanpot final with a 3-2 win over Harvard last Tuesday night. BU will face No. 3 Boston College at 7:30 p.m. this Tuesday night at Conte Forum. This is the fourth time that both BU teams have reached their respective Beanpot finals in the same season, most recently occurring in 2012. The Terriers have yet to pull off dual-gender titles, a feat accomplished eight times since the women's Beanpot began in 1979. Boston College (2016) was the last men's and women's winner.