Penn State beat Massachusetts-Lowell, 4-1, on Saturday in the second game of two at Tsongas Center over the weekend.

The night before, UML cruised by PSU with a 5-3 win that really wasn’t that close. PSU added a pair of goals late in the third period after C.J. Smith gave UML a 5-1 lead at 8:21 of the period.

Seeing a fledging program like PSU knock off one of the nation’s best team in UML was a bit jarring, it seems, to many. The River Hawks’ 6-1-2 start before last weekend’s games was the best the program has seen since moving to Division I.

Losing to Penn State won’t be great for UML’s Pairwise standing later in the season. However, it’s not exactly a devastating blow either.

Freshman goaltender Jeff Smith, who’s split time with Kevin Boyle to this point, was due for bad start. In his three starts prior to Saturday, he’d stopped 73 of 76 shots. Some pucks were going to sneak past him eventually, and it just so happened to come Saturday night. Moreover, UML as a club wasn’t quite as dominant as its record suggested.

In his first three seasons at UML, Norm Bazin has found a way to make sure his teams are at their best once the second half begins. UML is 38-11-5 in regular-season games after winter break in his three years. There’s no reason not expect UML to get even better than it’s been to this point.

Some things haven’t come together as they will for the River Hawks. A split with Penn State, however, won’t prevent any of that from happening. Relying on a .750 winning percentage in the second half to get favorable league and national tournament seeding can be a dangerous proposition. For UML, though, it just seems like standard procedure.

Merrimack dictates games

Two weeks ago, Merrimack’s record was 5-1-1. None of its wins were particularly impressive. Its loss to Atlantic Hockey’s Mercyhurst and tie with Hockey East newcomer Connecticut (in a non-conference game), however, weren’t great results.

So the four games to follow that start — pairs with Providence and Notre Dame — were pretty important for a team trying to get a good start in conference play and prove its record wasn’t just a product of an easy schedule.

Merrimack went 2-2-0 in those four games, splitting each week. Both losses were by a single goal — Friday’s to Notre Dame in overtime. A bounce or two the other way and Merrimack comes out of the weekend with four wins. It’s works the other way, too, but these are positives results for Merrimack.

Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy wants his teams to play a smart, puck-possession game. Finally healthy and a bit deeper than they were a year ago, the Warriors have played to their coach’s plans more effectively.

Last season, five Merrimack players scored five goals or more. Through 11 games, two players (Brian Christie and Brett Seney) have already reached that mark, and seven players are within two or three goals.

Additionally, Rasmus Tirronen’s play in goal has kept the Warriors in every game. In 10 games, he has a .925 save percentage. Dennehy’s system demands a goalie prevent any soft goals and limits his need to make the spectacular save.

Making teams plays the way it wants to is a sign of good teams. The Warriors have done just that in their 11 games.

BU needs its second line to step up

By now, everyone knows that freshman Jack Eichel is every bit as talented as expected. His six goals and nine assists in eight games put him among the national leaders. Moreover, he’s transformed BU from a rebuilding team to a contender.

Danny O’Regan and converted-defenseman Ahti Oksanen have played on Eichel’s wings most of the time. Each is enjoying a strong start to the season just the same.

But BU needs something more. Injury problems have shaken BU’s top six in the last the few weeks. Oksanen missed most of BU’s game against Boston College then sat out against Connecticut two Saturdays ago.

He was back in the lineup for Friday’s win over Maine. Still, BU was incomplete with Robbie Baillargeron absent from the lineup. When healthy, BU’s top six has Oksanen, Eichel and O’Regan on its top line with seniors Evan Rodrigues and Cason Hohmann surrounding Baillargeron. BU needs more out of that second line. Rodrigues has put up some good numbers to start with three goals and eight assists.

Hohmann and Baillargeron, however, have struggled to score points. Baillargeron has just one goal and one assist, while Hohmann has one goal and four assists. Neither has been particularly poor, but the Terriers can’t win in March as a one-line team.

Taking away special teams and empty-net goals, BU has scored 22 goals in its eight games. Eichel, O’Regan or Oksanen have figured into 14 of those goals. They were on the ice and didn’t get a point for a couple more.

That second line should start to produce points. The amount of talent in the trio, along with avoiding the shutdown players reserved for the Eichel’s line, will yield points. Once fully healthy, BU still can get even better.

UNH’s Tyler Kelleher is ready for the big time

With nine points in 10 games, it’s pretty clear UNH sophomore winger Tyler Kelleher is ready to play a major role for the Wildcats this season.

The small, shifty forward didn’t have a point in Saturday’s loss to Northeastern. He was one of the best players on the ice, though, and generated plenty of scoring chances with his passing and movement with and without the puck.

Replacing Kevin Goumas and Nick Sorkin is still a challenge for UNH coach Dick Umile. However, Kelleher is clearly ready to lead the Wildcats’ offense, along with senior Matt Willows.

Some injuries and a bit of inconsistency have led Umile to alter his lines a bit and be more selective when sending out certain players. Regardless, Kelleher’s influence is clear.

Coming out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, a lot was expected from the Longmeadow, Mass., native. His freshmen year wasn’t poor in any way (five goals and 11 assists), but he wasn’t the impact freshman some expected.

It makes sense for a 5-foot-6 forward to experience some growing pains during the adjustment to college hockey. As it so often does, the growth from freshman to sophomore year has turned him into a major weapon for a UNH team looking for some progress as the season goes on.

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014 - 6:07 pm | Commentary, Hockey East, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings