How they got here:
Quinnipiac is riding into God’s Country this weekend after a two-game sweep of Brown in the opening round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs. the Bobcats used an onslaught of goal scoring, notching 11 goals in their two games while Quinnipiac’s goaltender Andrew Shortridge held strong in net, fending away 43 shots en route to the two victories.
The Saints are coming off a weekend away from the ice after they were awarded a first-round bye in the opening round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs. St. Lawrence limped into the playoffs, winning only one game of their final six, including losses to Clarkson, Princeton, and Cornell.
Head to head:
Quinnipiac is 0-1-1 this year against St. Lawrence.
The Bobcats defeated the Saints in a shootout in the opening round of the Friendship Four, 1-0,
With Nick Jermain grabbing the Bobcats’ lone goal. Chris Truehl stood tall for the Bobcats, snagging 32 saves to notch a shutout in a dominant performance.
In the Bobcats first trip up to North Country, Quinnipiac continued to struggled to find the back of the net against Saint’s goaltender, Kyle Hayton, who kept up his hot streak against the Bobcats.
Players to watch
Brosh:
Landon Smith
Smith enters quarterfinal round of the ECAC Hockey Tournament standing second on the team in points during the ECAC Hockey Tournament with 11, just two shy of Connor Clifton. To go along with that, Smith is riding a five-game point streak where he has notched five goals and two assists. If the Bobcats want to snap their scoring woes against a pesky Saints team, they will have to rely on Smith to remain hot in the blistering cold of North Country.
Andrew Shortridge:
Shortridge has taken command of the goalie battle that controlled most of the Bobcats’ first half of the season and seems to be hitting his stride. Faced up against Hayton, one of the best goalies in the conference, the freshman will have to hold strong for a Quinnipiac team that has struggled to get pucks in the net against St. Lawrence so far this season.
Clouts:
Kyle Hayton:
St. Lawrence starting goaltender is arguably the best goaltender in the ECAC, and it’s pretty hard to argue against. Hayton has a .929 Save Percentage, which is the highest in the ECAC. Most importantly, Hayton has been a workhorse for his team all season long posting 1,877 minutes played, and that is the second highest in the ECAC. St. Lawrence’s defense is revolved around Hayton, and it shows because they have given up the third fewest amount of goals in the ECAC this season. Quinnipiac has yet to score on Hayton this season. The only time Quinnipiac has put the puck passed him was in Belfast, Ireland, but it was in a shootout, which doesn’t count. Hayton has had the Q’s number all season, so shooters beware.
Tim Clifton:
Game one is a huge game for the Bobcats, and the Clifton brothers always show up when the team needs a jump. Prepared faceoff plays are going to make a huge difference for the Bobcats being able to score on the Saints, and who better to win that draw than Tim Clifton. He is going to need to have a big game for the Q in order to win. Clifton crashes the net with the best of them and his wrister is as strong as they come. The offensive zone should be a firing range for Clifton tonight, he just needs to make sure those shots aren’t blocked, and that he is following his shot to stuff home rebounds on Hayton.
Prediction
Brosh: A hot team can roll into a building and stay hot throughout a series. However, I expect this series to go three games. I expect the Bobcats to find just enough scoring in this one to strike for first blood in the series. Quinnipiac wins 3-2.
Clouts: I think Quinnipiac has something to prove in game one. They have yet to score on St. Lawrence in regulation, and these players know that. The goals have come in bunches for the Bobcats lately, but not tonight, however I believe Quinnipiac wins 2-1 in a defensive battle.
