The Blue Line Report
Phil Stacey
Every so often, you get a regular season game that has the building buzzing, the fans in a frenzy and an electric atmosphere.
Tonight should be one of those nights at the Rockett Arena in Salem.
Danvers, winners of 10 straight games, plays its final home game against age-old rival Beverly (7 p.m.), which has won five in a row and is one point away from qualifying for the postseason.
Throw in the fact that the Panthers are one of only two teams to defeat Danvers this season, laying a 6-2 beatdown on the Falcons back in mid-December, and there are more juicy plotlines in this contest than there are bad reality shows on TV.
If there's ever a contest where you should get there early and open up the balcony level at the old barn, this is it.
"They always bring their best against us, and we'll bring our best against them. It should be a great one," said Beverly (9-5-1) head coach Bob Gilligan.
Danvers, which has been the story in North Shore hockey this winter, has pushed all the right buttons in taking a 12-2 mark into tonight's matchup. The Falcons, looking for their first conference title since 2002, score timely goals, are responsible defensively and adhere to their systems at all times.
The results have been remarkable. They've beaten NEC preseason favorites Saugus and Winthrop twice each, have developed offensive depth so that all three lines are scoring, use a five-man defensive rotation to great success, and have two senior goaltenders in Seth Kamens and Steve Wilkinson and are comfortable using either one at any time. (Wilkinson will get the call tonight).
Players such as third line senior center Paul D'Orlando (3 goals, 8 points), freshman defenseman Mike Disciullo and junior rearguard Kevin Anderson have played as vital a role to the Falcons' success as have better known stalwarts such as junior center Joe Strangie (16-14-30), senior J.D. Hodgkins (7-12-19) at right wing, and his cousin Nick Strangie (1-5-6) and fellow senior Peter Marshall (1-13-14) on D.
"Playing with structure and discipline and not trying to do too much has worked well for us," said Danvers head coach Kevin Brown. "Everyone being responsible defensively and doing what's asked of them on each and every shift is what's going to get us the results we're looking for.
"Is this a big game for us? It sure is. But the way we look at it, every game we play is a big game."
The same mentality is preached in the Beverly locker room, especially on defense where the Orange-and-Black have given up just five goals during their five-game winning streak. Freshman goaltender Tim Biarelli (8 wins, 2.19 goals-against, 2 shutouts) has been terrific in front of defenders Jack Morency, Sean Munzing, Matt Hamor and Nick Albano.
Sophomore center Connor Irving has been one of the hottest scorers on the North Shore; he has 4 goals and 4 assists in his last two games and his 36 points are second-best in the area. Captain Brenden Mitchell's 8 goals and 24 points have also been key, and the Panthers hope to have defenseman-turned-left wing Andrew Irving (6-12-18) back for tonight after missing his team's last three contests.
Gilligan said his team will look to get pucks in deep tonight and not get caught running around aimlessly in their own end. A huge key to slowing the Falcons down offensively, he said, will be keeping a third man high on the forecheck at all times.
"Danvers isn't overly skilled, but they work harder than anyone and get right in your face," Gilligan said. "Kevin (Brown) and (assistant coach) Kevin McNeill always have their team coming at you, taking the body and jumping on any mistakes you make.
"We need to keep our feet moving, keep our heads up and be ready for anything. We have to be ready for whatever Danvers throws at us."
• • •
A torn spleen, suffered when he was hit last week against St. Mary's of Lynn, has ended the season of Bishop Fenwick captain Joe Shea. The senior winger and team's leading scorer (10 goals) will be a "huge loss", said head coach Dan Lynch, for a young Fenwick team just starting to play its best hockey of what has been a difficult season.
"Joe was playing great and really starting to make some noise offensively," said Lynch.
More than his scoring exploits, Lynch said Shea will be missed for his intangible qualities. As the lone captain on a young squad playing for the first time as a Division 1 entry, Shea helped set the example of what type of hard work and commitment it takes to ultimately succeed at this level.
"Joe will be remembered as being an instrumental part of our program's development and growth. I'll always be proud of him for the hard work, great enthusiasm and effort he put in," said Lynch. "He's a player that Fenwick can look back on as one of its top hockey captains."
Alas, with every injury to one player there are opportunities for others to step up. In this instance, look for talented freshman Chris Carney to earn more ice time, especially on the Crusaders' power play. Others, such as senior center Nick Amirault and junior right wing Mike Napolitano, will be asked to ramp up their own games offensively.
Shea's injury is just the latest that has curtailed Fenwick's (2-12-1) season. Assistant captain Andrew Young, a senior center who was one of the team's top scorers, was lost for the season with a broken wrist. Skilled junior defenseman P.J. Usalis will be out another 1-2 weeks with a bad shoulder, and senior blueliner Andrew Ruby only recently returned after missing three-and-a-half weeks with a concussion. Earlier this winter, Amirault missed two weeks with an injury of his own.
While their record may not show it, the Crusaders are improving based on how they're playing the second time around against league foes.
• • •
In the St. John's Prep locker room following their tournament-clinching 6-0 victory over Austin Prep last Saturday, many of the players were talking about the Beanpot college hockey tournament two nights later and that their former teammate, Colin Blackwell, would be getting the chance to play in it for the first time as a Harvard freshman.
Everyone, it was assumed, would be rooting for Blackwell and the Crimson to win their first round game against Boston University, right?
"Not me," smiled current Prep captain Sam Kurker.
Don't read into anything; the 6-foot-2 Kurker is verbally committed to accept a scholarship to attend Boston University and is already a proud Terrier through and through.
When surmised of his former teammate's comments following Harvard's 3-1 loss to BU Monday night, Blackwell returned the smile and said, "I'll have to talk to Sam about that. Just tell him I'll see him here in a few years."
Blackwell, who has 5 goals and 15 points in 23 games for the Crimson, said he's actually been able to follow the Eagles in between his studies and adjustment to the college game. He skated with the team for an entire week during his holiday break, went to three games during that time and has also been able to watch a couple of others on-line.
"There's a lot of talent and leadership on that team," said Blackwell, who led St. John's Prep to the Super 8 title game last March. "I think they can really go far again this season."
• • •
Speaking of Kurker, I'm not sure the powerfully built, sure-to-be-NHL draft pick is getting his due credit for what he's done this season. Consider:
En route to scoring an amazing 66 points last season, Blackwell had 22 goals and 39 points through his team's first 15 games. Kurker has actually eclipsed that this winter with 21 goals, 20 assists and 41 points.
In addition to goals, assists and points, Kurker leads the Eagles in shots (94), plus-minus (22), game-winning goals (4), power play goals (6) and even penalties (13).
For a player averaging over six shots per game, he's scoring on every 4.5 shots on goal he takes.
• • •
With three regular season games remaining, Swampscott (7-7-3) needs three of a possible six points to qualify for the Division 3 North tournament. After a strong 5-1-1 start, the Big Blue have managed just two wins and a pair of ties in their last 10 games and need a strong finish against Revere, Lynn and Marblehead to earn their postseason ticket.
Two keys if Swampscott is to get in: the continued emergence of their scoring line as a scoring unit, with Corey Carmody, Nunzio Morretti and Robert Serino responded to the offensive challenge presented to them. Also, defenseman Chris Carman has been a beast on defense; the junior not only contributes up front (goal, 9 assists) but also plays physically in all three zones and has a rocket from the point.
• • •
The Blue Line Report, a column on North Shore high school hockey, appears each Wednesday during the winter months in The Salem News. Contact Phil Stacey at pstacey@salemnews.com or 978-338-2650, and follow him on Twitter: @PhilStacey_SN.
Stacey's quick shifts
1. Masconomet doesn't score much (only 30 goals in 14 games), so their defense has to play well for them to have any success. So give credit to freshman Joe Griffin, who joined the Chieftains' varsity three games into the season and has blossomed into the team's top defender, playing the most minutes and in all situations. His partner, sophomore Tyler Costello, may be small (5-6, 135 pounds), but doesn't get hit and makes good decisions with the puck, too.
2. Already the winningest coach in Peabody High hockey history, Mark Leonard will reach 190 career victories if the Tanners (6-7-1) can emerge victorious in two more games this winter.
3. You want to talk about offensive balance? St. John's Prep has scored 22 first period goals, 22 more in the second stanza and 21 more over the final 15 minutes of play. Symmetry, thy name is Eagles.
