This year, Boston University has a corps of nine freshman looking to make their mark on the Terriers and Hockey East.  The five forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders come to Comm Ave. with very high expectations.

No doubt the story of the season will be the two freshman goaltenders – Matt O’Connor and Sean Maguire.  Both are big netminders – O’Connor is Pekka Rinne-sized at 6’5″, 201lbs and Maguire is no slouch either at 6’2″, 202lbs.

They probably could stand to hit up Rhett’s or Cranberry Farms at the Student Union just a little more frequently, but we highly suggest taking advantage of BU’s excellent strength and conditioning program.

We also suggest filming said strength and conditioning workouts and posting them on the interwebs.

You know how we feel about hockey workout videos.

Following s statistical info taken from www.goterriers.com

Matt O’Connor
G • 6-5 • 195 • Toronto, Ont. • Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Spent last two seasons with Youngstown, helping Phantoms reach 2012 USHL Eastern Conference semifinals … Finished 2011-12 season with a record of 28-16-5, a 3.04 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage … Tied for second in the league in wins and was second in saves (1350) … Spent two years in OJHL with Upper Canada Patriots and Burlington Cougars … Posted .903 save percentage in 2009-10 … Was OJHL’s only 16-year-old goalie in 2008-09 for expansion Upper Canada club.

Parker on O’Connor: “Matt’s another goalie with great size. He was the backstop of a pretty good USHL team, but he was the go-to guy for that team. He saw a lot of pucks. He had a real good career there, and despite an injury that kept him back a little bit, he emerged as one of the premier goalies in the league. We’re confident that he and Maguire can give us a one-two punch right off the bat.”

Sean Maguire
G • 6-2 • 202 • Powell River, B.C. • Powell River Kings (BCHL)

Played two seasons with Powell River, posting a record of 27-15-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 52 games … Guided team to BCHL finals this past season and back-to-back Coastal Conference titles … Named a 2012 Second Team All-Star … Backstopped Team Canada West to a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge in November and was named tournament’s top goaltender … Two-time co-winner of the BCHL’s Wally Forslund Memorial Trophy (lowest combined GAA) … Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fourth round (113th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Parker on Maguire: “Maguire’s a big guy who fills a lot of the net and he’s got a lot of talent. He had a real good junior career in Canada. We’ve known him for a couple of years and really like him. We knew we were coming to this point where we were losing two senior goalies and we were very fortunate to get him.”

And if that wasn’t enough, they are also both celebrity doppelgängers!   

Liam Hemsworth & Chris Evans’ love child

AKA Finn from “Glee”

Seriously.

We love this.

If this alone doesn’t get you the cheer for them…well, then…you’re just dumb.

Follow them on the Twitter:
Matt O’Connor – @MatttOConnor
Sean Maguire – @smag31

Please, sir. May I have another? YES!

From NHL.com (Goalie matchup: Canadiens-Bruins)

Justin Goldman chooses Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins:Tim Thomas is a true goaltending enigma.

Everything he does is the complete opposite of what today’s elite butterfly goalie is taught to do. He is the world’s finest “read-and-react” goaltender and simply does whatever it takes to stop the puck. He’s a crowd-pleaser, a bold and animated man that wears his emotions on his sweat-soaked sleeves. His everlasting aggressiveness also reveals a fiery side that makes him the ultimate competitor.

When juxtaposed with Carey Price‘s technically sound style, I ask myself which goalie is more valuable in such a heated rivalry. Personally, I choose fire over ice. Give me the guy who has the ability to abandon technique when needed and put forth the sheer effort needed to make the timely save.

Here’s another advantage to Thomas’ style — his shorter legs. With a slightly wider stance, the speed at which he drops down into the butterfly and seals his knees and pads to the ice is slightly quicker than a goalie with longer legs.

Watch when he sets up for a shot. His legs will flare out just slightly so that his knees get closer to the ice. This allows him to drop down and pop back up even faster, which makes him that much more mobile and agile in the crease.

Thomas also enters the playoffs with plenty of swagger and confidence. He broke the modern-day save percentage record with a .938 mark and also notched a League-best 2.00 goals-against average. He accomplished these feats in just 57 games, so he’s also way more rested than Price, who played in a whopping 74 games.

As much as I love Price’s stellar fundamentals and youthful enthusiasm, I have to side with Thomas, the NHL’s true goalie berserker. He’s wild, crazy, and literally attacks pucks in a bloodthirsty manner.

And THAT, my friends, is why the Bruins can make a serious run at the Cup.

If you haven’t seen Thomas play, do yourself a favor.  Tune into Versus tonight.  He’ll totally make it worth your while.

I promise.