3 Stars of the Week: 1/30

1st Star

Cody Ferriero, F, 2 GP, 4-1-5, +3

Hard to argue with this one.  Hat trick on Friday night and an empty netter to seal it on Saturday.   The hat trick is the first for a Husky since Ryan Ginand pull on off against PC in 2009.  The goals were his first since December 2nd at Notre Dame and he now has 9 goals on the season which is tied for the team lead.  The Massachusetts native has much huge strides on the ice in his second collegiate season.  In 34 games last season, Ferriero had 7 points.  This season, he has 15 points in 17 games.   But he has now missed 7 games (30% of the season) because he cannot get his act together off the ice.    He is a very talented player and weekends like this show how much he means to this team.   Hopefully he can stay on the ice and keep this performance up.   It will be interesting to see how he fares without his linemate if Quailer does miss any time.

2nd Star

Mike McLaughlin, F, 2 GP, 1-3-4, +2

The Captain had a huge weekend.   On Friday night, he scored a rare Power Play goal for the Huskies.  On Saturday, he chipped in with assists on 3 out of the 4 goals.   Some people have questioned his leadership as he doesn’t appear to be a very vocal and in-your-face kind of guy.   But that’s ok, because he leads by example on the ice.   No one can question his commitment.   He is a great penalty killer, reliable on faceoffs (58% on the weekend) and he doesn’t take shifts off.   He is not a guy who lights up the stat sheet, but he is someone you want on your team because he does the dirty work.  This was probably his best weekend of the season.

3rd Star

Ludwig Karlsson, F, 2 GP, 1-2-3, +3

Karlsson continues to state his case for Best Freshman in the conference.  He just continues to put up points week in and week out.   Going into the season, I don’t think there was anybody who expected that a freshman would be tied for the team lead in goals and in points this late in the season.    The decommits hurt this recruiting class, that is obvious.  But Karlsson is turning out to be a real gem and he has made everyone forget about John Gaudreau.   Karlsson is just a great hockey player.   Karlsson already has 22 points and he may be able to match Jason Guerriero’s mark of 35 in his freshman year of 2001 if he keeps up his pace.   Playing on a line with Vinny Saponari has certainly helped him, but he also has shown the capability of making things happen all by himself.

Standings
1. L. Karlsson 9

2. C. Rawlings 8

2. B. Pimm 8

4. G. Vermeersch 7

4. C. Ferriero 7

6. S. Quailer 6

7. M. McLaughlin 5

8. V. Saponari 4

9. J. Manno 3

9. A. Bitetto 3

9. J. Daniels 3

12. D. Cornell 2

13. D. Ellement 1

13. A. Reid 1

3 Stars of the Week: 1/23

1st Star

Garrett Vermeersch’s Unreal Flow

It wasn’t the best of weekends on the ice for the Huskies, they didn’t get much offense, and the play in the defensive zone wasn’t anything to be proud of either.  So since no one really earned the first star, we will give it to what was truly the high point of the weekend:  Garrett Vermeersch’s flow.  You can see here that Vermy takes care of his flow.  But this weekend, it was just unreal.  After the second period, Garrett was being interviewed by GoNU sideline reporter Dani Rylan.  And honoring a request from the Doghouse, she asked him to describe his unreal flow.  His answer: its unreal.  Vermeersch isn’t the captain, so you might wonder why he leads the team out of the locker room.  The only logical explanation is so that everyone can get a good view of the lettuce.  In a weekend where the results didn’t go Northeastern’s way, Garrett’s flow gave Husky fans hope.

2nd Star

Garrett Vermeersch, F, 2 GP, 1-0-1

In addition to having the best hair on the team, Vermeersch also chipped in with a big performance Saturday.   Friday wasn’t his best effort, but that applies to literally everyone who was in the lineup for the Huskies that night.  Saturday night, however, was a great game for him.  In addition to scoring his fifth goal of the season (matching his career high), Vermeersch moved the puck really well and would have had a few assists if it weren’t for Doug Carr coming up huge in net for Lowell.  He won over 50% of his faceoffs on the weekend and also added 9 shots which was second on the team.  Vermeersch has made a big step forward this year and it seems that he is doing the little things better.  He has improved his passing and his play in the defensive zone, which has earned him more ice time.   He already has 14 points this season as he looks to surpass his career high of 23, which he achieved in his freshman year.

3rd Star

Braden Pimm, F, 2 GP, 1-0-1

It wasn’t the best weekend for Pimm as his entire line really struggled for the first time all year.  But Pimm earned the spot with his play on the penalty kill.    Right off the bat on Saturday, you could tell that Northeastern had changed their mentality on the PK and decided to pressure the puck.  The first kill went well, but the second went even better.   Pimm made a good play to take the puck from the Lowell defenseman on the point, then he rushed up ice on a breakaway.   He didn’t get a great shot off but the puck went in after Pimm was pushed into Carr by the defenseman chasing him.  That play really showed what Pimm can do.  In addition to being good in the defensive zone, Pimm has the speed and ability to carry the puck and create space, and he isn’t afraid to drive to the net.  He now has 9 goals, which leads the team.  His goals aren’t because he has a tremendous shot.  He gets goals because he goes to the net and he knows where to be.    He is having a breakout year.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 8

1. L. Karlsson 8

1. B. Pimm 8

4. G. Vermeersch 7

5. S. Quailer 6

6. C. Ferriero 4

6. V. Saponari 4

8. M. McLaughlin 3

8. J. Manno 3

8. A. Bitetto 3

8. J. Daniels 3

12. D. Cornell 2

13. D. Ellement 1

13. A. Reid 1

3 Stars of the Week: 1/17

1st Star

Ludwig Karlsson, F, 2 GP, 2-1-3

With two of the other “best players” on the team sitting in the stands, Karlsson yet again proved why he is best player on this team.  Besides the obvious fact that he didnt get himself suspended, he chipped in with 2 great efforts on a weekend where the team as a whole struggled.  He had 2 great goals on Friday and helped set up the lone goal on Saturday.  The Swede, who is tied for the team lead in goals, will definitely be in the running for Hockey East freshman of the year.  If Brodie Reid can get a max deal, you have to think NHL teams will be lining up the second NU’s season is over to get their hands on the freshman.

2nd Star

Garrett Vermeersh, F, 2 GP, 1-2-3

Dont look now, but Garrett Vermeersch is putting together a pretty good season.  With 13 points, he has a pretty good at beating his career high mark of 25 that he put up in his freshman year.  Moving him to a line with Ludwig Karlsson has really helped him turn into a play maker.   The selfishness that had plagued him has not been an issue recently.   He had 2 good assists on Friday and he worked hard to pick up a goal on Saturday.   Its really good to see the junior putting up a good year after he struggled so bad last season.  He showed potential in his first year, but he is finally starting to live up to it on a consistent basis this season.

3rd Star

Vinny Saponari, F, 2 GP, 0-2-2

It was an emotional weekend for the former Terrier but he handled it well.  Friday night was frustrating for everyone, but I am sure Vinny felt the worst about it.   He did pick up an assist, but he will be left thinking about what could have been when Adam Reid choose to shoot instead of pass to him on a 2 on 1.   Saturday night was another big game for the team and Saponari once again produced an assist.  Saponari’s had a good year.  He is tied for the team lead in assists and 3rd in points, but the goals just haven’t been there.  Many players would have lost their composure by now and tried to do it all on their own, but Vinny hasn’t done that.   He has been a great team player throughout his time here and he has done well as an on ice leader.  With a talent like Karlsson on his line, the assists will keep coming and you have to think the goals will too eventually.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 8

1. L. Karlsson 8

3. B. Pimm 7

4. S. Quailer 6

5. G. Vermeersch 5

6. C. Ferriero 4

6. V. Saponari 4

8. M. McLaughlin 3

8. J. Manno 3

8. A. Bitetto 3

8. J. Daniels 3

12. D. Cornell 2

13. D. Ellement 1

13. A. Reid 1

3 Stars of the Week: 1/2

1st Star

Vinny Saponari, F, 2 GP, 2-0-2, -1

It had been a while since Vinny Sap had found the back of the net, but he started off the second half by scoring in consecutive games.  His goal in the Princeton game was a beauty and it gave the Huskies a 3rd period lead.  His Power Play goal against Minnesota was huge as it tied up the game quickly after Minnesota had gone ahead.  Saponari has been leading the team in assists all year, but the Huskies will be hoping Saponari can pitch in with some goals in the second half.

2nd Star

Braden Pimm, F, 2 GP, 2-1-3, +3

Pimm continues to be a force for the Huskies.  On most nights, he is probably the best forward on the team.  He added 2 more goals to his tally against Princeton and then chipped in with an assist against Minnesota.  In his freshman year, Pimm was -3, with a 3-6-9 line.  So far this year, Pimm is a +16 with an 8-6-14 line.  You can already mark him down for Most Improved and if it werent for Chris Rawlings, he’d probably be the MVP too.

3rd Star

Justin Daniels, F, 2 GP, 0-1-1,  GW Shootout Goal

After 7.5 rounds of the shootout had passed with no goals, Justin Daniels stepped up and won it for the Huskies with a nice move that beat the goalie 5 hole.  The goal meant nothing for the standings put it put the Huskies into the Championship game where they beat Minnesota.   The goals have fallen off a bit for Daniels, who has moved down to third line, but he has been seeing more Power Play time as of late and he chipped in with a Power Play assist against Minnesota.  Daniels was also 7-3 on faceoffs in the victory against Minnesota.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 8

2. B. Pimm 7

3. S. Quailer 6

4. L. Karlsson 5

5. C. Ferriero 4

6. M. McLaughlin 3

6. J. Manno 3

6. G. Vermeersch 3

6. A. Bitetto 3

6. J. Daniels 3

6. V. Saponari 3

12. D. Cornell 2

13. D. Ellement 1

13. A. Reid 1

3 Stars of the Week: 12/12

1st Star

Anthony Bitetto, D, 1 GP, 1-0-1, +2

You can always count on Bitetto for some shut down defending.  And he gave the Huskies that on Saturday.  But his play to set up, and then score, the go ahead goal in the 3rd was just amazing.  No one on this team is more consistent than Bitetto.  His play has been great all season and his leadership has been huge with NU forced to play 2 freshman D every night.  Everyone will remember the goal from Saturday, but Bitetto provided some huge plays defensively like has been doing all season.

2nd Star

Chris Rawlings, G, 1 GP, 38 saves, 2 GA

Another night of seeing over 30 shots, and another win for Rawlings.   The biggest difference with Rawlings is consistency.  He has always shown flashes of brilliance, but his mistake and poor performances had made him frustrating to watch.  That has not been an issue at all this year.  Abe Lincoln has been a huge part of the Huskies’ success.  CHN’s Joe Meloni did a piece on him.  Its a great read.  The quotes from both Coach Madigan and Cody Ferriero show how much Rawlings’ consistency has helped NU.  He has been a big piece of the win streak and Saturday night was no different.  He came up big when he needed to. And now its a nightly occurrence.

3rd Star

Adam Reid, F, 1 GP, 1-0-1, +1

The third star goes to Adam Reid, but it could really go to the whole 4th line.  They had some of the best shifts of the game for NU on Saturday and they played a huge part in wearing down a tired Lowell team.  After picking up the first goal of his college career last weekend, Adam Reid added another tally this weekend.  A Lowell defender helped deflected in, but if Reid didn’t win the battle and put the puck in front of the net, there is no goal.  Reid has looked better every game and he seems to be adjusting well to the college game.  The past two weekends have been big steps forward for him.  He is one to watch in the second half.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 8

2. S. Quailer 6

3. L. Karlsson 5

3. B. Pimm 5

5. C. Ferriero 4

6. M. McLaughlin 3

6. J. Manno 3

6. G. Vermeersch 3

6. A. Bitetto 3

10. J. Daniels 2

10. D. Cornell 2

12. D. Ellement 1

12. A. Reid 1

3 Stars of the Week: 12/5

1st Star

Braden Pimm, F, 2 GP, 3-0-3, +4

Pimm’s sophomore season has been going a lot different than his freshman one did.  Since scoring some big goals in the first couple weekends, Pimm has taken on more of the play maker role.  During the win streak he has been the one racking up the assists, while his linemates picked up the goals.   This weekend, the roles were reversed a bit and Pimm was the one finishing the plays. He put NU on top Friday night just 30 seconds in and it was all Huskies from there.  Pimm would add a second goal later in the game.  Then on Saturday, with the team trailing, Pimm scored midway through the second to tie the game.  They will be plenty of worthy candidates for Most Improved Player this season, but right now I’d say Pimm is the favorite.  He has been a star this season.

2nd Star

Steve Quailer, F, 2 GP, 1-3-4, +4

Quailer saw his 3 game scoring streak end on Friday, but he still managed to chip in with 3 assists on the night.  Saturday, he began what could be the start of a new scoring streak, when he picked up the game winning goal for the Huskies 5 minutes into the 3rd.  Those 3 assists have tied him for the team lead.  And he now leads the team with 15 points, despite missing the first two games of the season.  He is also the team leader in awesome animal facts.

3rd Star

Garrett Vermeersch, F, 2 GP, 2-1-3, +4

Not long ago, there were calls for Vermeersch to be watching the games from the stands.  When the lines were shuffled, the Junior was actually moved up the line chart.  And now the points are flowing.   Yeah, playing with Ludwig Karlsson and Vinny Saponari definitely helps, but Vermeersch deserves a ton of credit too.  He is one of many who has really taken a huge step forward under Madigan.  Vermeersch has always had great talent, but in years past, he has tried to do it all himself.  Now, he is making great (and plenty of) passes and working hard on defense too.  “Mr. Minus” ended up with a Plus 4 this weekend as well as his first 2 goals of the season.  And as if that wasn’t enough, he had the only assists on the game winning goal on Saturday.  This a new side of Vermeersch that I think everyone is enjoying and we can only hope he continues to play like he has.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 6

1. S. Quailer 6

3. L. Karlsson 5

3. B. Pimm 5

5. C. Ferriero 4

6. M. McLaughlin 3

6. J. Manno 3

6. G. Vermeersch 3

9. J. Daniels 2

9. D. Cornell 2

11. D. Ellement 1

3 Stars of the Week: 11/28

Photo Courtesy of Dave Luca

1st Star

Cody Ferriero, F, 1 GP, 2-0-2, +2

What is going with Cody Ferriero these days?  He looks like a completely different guy than we saw for most of last year.  This is the guy everyone expected to see when he came here.   He is slowly becoming an offensive force.  Friday night was his first career multi-point game and it also marked his second career game winning goal (the other came last weekend).  Ferriero is also on a 3 game point streak, which is a career high.  In 8 games this year, he already has racked up 5 points.  He had just 7 in 34 games last year.

2nd Star

Steve Quailer, F, 1 GP, 1-2-3, +2

Back to back 3 point weekends have made Quail Man the team leader in points with 11, despite missing the first 2 games of the season.    7 of those points have come in the last 4 games.  Quailer is currently on a 3 game scoring streak and a 4 game point streak, both career highs.  Friday night marked his first 3 point night in a Northeastern jersey.  After managing just 14 points in 38 games last season, Quailer is currently putting up a point a game so far this season with 11 in 11.  Last year was tough for him.  He was returning from injury and seemed to be snakebitten in front of goal.  This season he looks stronger and faster, and ever since he has been reunited with Cody Ferriero, the results have been great.

3rd Star

Braden Pimm, F, 1 GP, 1-2-3, +3

And where would Quailer and Ferriero be without the third muskeeter, Braden Pimm?  Pimm has also looked like a different player this year. Friday night’s 3 point performance (the first of his career) gives Pimm 8 points on the year.  He had just 9 all of last year.  Pimm worked hard last year, but he was used as more of a grinder on the lower lines.   This year, he has been moved up and been asked to take on some of the offensive load.  He has answered the call.  The tying goal in the season opener was huge, but he has continued to build on that.  His new linemates seem like the perfect fit and all 3 have had resurgences this year.  Its a testament to the coaching staff for putting them together, but also to the players for working hard and rebounding from a difficult season last year.

Standings
1. C. Rawlings 6

2. L. Karlsson 5

3. C. Ferriero 4

3. S. Quailer 4

5. M. McLaughlin 3

5. J. Manno 3

7. J. Daniels 2

7. D. Cornell 2

7. G. Vermeersch 2

7. B. Pimm 2

11. D. Ellement 1