NU almost scored in the opening minutes of the game on a jam shot in tight on Connor LaCouvee (26 saves). The puck popped up behind him, off the cross bar and out.
Matt Grzelcyk made his presence known right away, when he scored the game's opening goal ten minutes into the game. Ryan Cloonan worked the puck up the Charlie McAvoy at the blue line before he slid it over to Grzelcyk at the near side point. From the top of the circle, Grzelcyk ripped off a wrister through a crowd, off the post and in behind NU goalie Ryan Ruck (24 saves) for his first goal of the year on his first shot of the year.
BU expanded the lead just over five minutes into the second period. Ahti Oksanen got a shot off from a Danny O'Regan pass in the slot and drove the net hard. He created a rebound that Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson picked up and then dished to Brandon Fortunato, who was wide open back door. The pass left the goal wide open and Ruck could not recover to make the sprawling save as Fortunato roofed a shot from the bottom of the circle.
The Huskies got back in the game less than two minutes later on Adam Gaudette's second goal of the year. Matt Benning threw a knuckleball shot toward the goal from the far point and on it's way to the net, Gaudette tipped it down through LaCouvee's legs and in. It was reviewed for a while to see if it was played down with a high stick, but in the end, the goals stood.
Then, things got weird.
Garret Cockerill picked up a power play goal at 13:50 of the second to tie things up 2-2.
34 seconds later, BU was back on top. Ryan Cloonan scooped up a tough turnover by Trevor Owens at the BU blue line and skated in alone from there on Ruck. Cloonan made shifty forehand-backhand move and tucked the puck behind Ruck's outstretched right leg for his fourth goal of the year.
12 seconds after the Cloonan goal, Dylan Sikura batted home a rebound for NU. I saw none of the play. I was still typing the Cloonan goal into twitter.
29 seconds after the Sikura goal, NU struck again when Eric Williams blasted a slapper up over LaCouvee's left shoulder and in. This one I actually did see.
After all of that, BU took a time out and everyone had a moment to realize what the hell just happened. I honestly don't remember seeing anything like that before. Not four goals that quick.
Three goals? Yes.
Not four, though.
The madness settled down, but the game was far from over. BU killed off a lengthy 5 on 3 early in the third and then retied the game shortly after that on a pretty passing play. Danny O'Regan had the puck poked away from him in the low circle, but it went right to Oksanen, who found Brandon Hickey all alone and looking at a wide open net right in front. Hickey didn't miss.
Oksanen helped set up his own goal just a few minutes later. From the far wall, he sauced a backhand pass across to Matt Grzelcyk at the near point. After making the pass, Ahti broke free and drove to the net. Grzelcyk found him in the low circle, pretty much uncovered, and fed him with with a nice pass through a tight window. Oksanen caught the pass and shot all in one monition leaving Ruck with no chance. It would turn out to be his second game winner in as many games.
The game saw no more goals, but was still back and forth the remainder of the way. NU pulled the goalie with 2:10 left and with 1:28 on the clock, JFK was sent to the box for delay of game. He covered the puck up along the far wall in a scrum with his hand. It was the right call.
NU threw everything on goal, but somehow did not score on the 6 on 4. One chance got in behind LaCouvee and was practically sitting on the goal line, but never crossed.
BU escaped with the 5-4 win and the two teams get to do it all over again tomorrow night at Matthews.
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