Huskies' victory was real snappy

This was one Groundhog Day that had Northeastern's long-skittish, oft-disappointed fans particularly worried. What if the Huskies saw their shadow yesterday and retreated to their subterranean kennel on Huntington Ave. again for the rest of the winter? What if the Garden's bright lights and all that noise spooked them? Was it going to take another two decades for the Year of the Hound?

It may yet. All Northeastern's hockey team has to do now is defeat another bunch of canines that just happens to be ranked No. 1 in the country and has won the Beanpot 28 times. But that's a story for next Monday. Last night's story was about how the Huskies cast off 21 years of frustration and finally beat Boston College to make a final.

"They were a better club tonight," acknowledged Eagles coach Jerry York after NU had gnawed his defending national champions by a startling 6-1 count to make it to the championship round for the first time in four years. "It didn't surprise me, because they've had an outstanding year."

The Huskies have won 18 games now and are ranked third in the country. They handed BC its first loss in October and have been on a high-octane run ever since, with only the occasional sputter. The Eagles have been flapping erratically for much of the season, going 54 days - all of December and most of January - without a victory.

But February in this town is different and has been for 57 years. The big crowd in the big house with a big silver pot at stake and bragging rights for a year on every corner. A team can turn its season around on one inspired Monday night.

Which is why BU coach Jack Parker said at last week's luncheon that Harvard, which at the time hadn't won a game since the middle of November, was the most dangerous team in the tournament. Last night the Terriers had to come from two goals down to win the opener and sweat out a review of a Crimson goal that came within a fraction of a second of sending the game into overtime.

Harvard had trap-doored Northeastern in last year's opener, going up by three goals while most of the crowd still was coming through the turnstiles.

The Huskies weren't ready then. They didn't have the experience or the discipline or the focus or the taste for the jugular that you need on Causeway Street. They do now.

"Last year, I don't think we necessarily knew how to win," said goalie Brad Thiessen, whose 45 saves played a huge part of getting NU to the final. "That comes with experience."

This is one growling, snappish bunch of Hounds that dig their teeth in early and don't let go. That's how they chewed up the Eagles last night. Ryan Ginand, NU's top gun, cashed a five-on-three power play after just 3:24, and the Huskies never backed off.

"We just wanted to stick to our game and grind them down," said Ginand, whose mates have won four of their last five meetings with BC.

What sets this Northeastern squad apart from its predecessors is what it did in 42 crucial seconds in the middle period. With BC a man down and NU a goal up, Eagles goalie John Muse lost his balance behind the net. While he was scrambling back, Louis Liotti fired the puck past him with just 10 seconds left in the penalty. Then, while the Eagles were still clearing their heads, Dennis McCauley fired a slapper from the right point for another goal.

So it was 4-1 for the Huskies, and when Muse lost the puck out of the cage in the last two minutes of the period, Steve Quailer put it into the open net. That's how BU has been beating people in this tournament for more than half a century, punishing rivals quickly for every mistake. Now NU has learned to play the same way.

Last year, NU coach Greg Cronin likened Husky fans to disappointed kids on Christmas morning, rummaging through empty stockings. Last night, as the clock ticked down and the building emptied out, they literally counted down each minute from the balcony, chanting, "We Want BU."

As big as last night's victory was, one over the Terriers would be huge. One of the most remarkable feats in sports is BU's domination of this tournament. It's not merely the 28 titles, but the Terriers' omnipresence in the final, now 24 times in 26 years.

"Places like BC and BU, they go there and put the jersey on and expect to win," said Thiessen. "That's what we're trying to do, to instill that in our program as well. To go out there and believe we're going to win every night."

Time was when the Huskies always saw their shadow because the sun still was up when they entered the Garden for the early game. These hounds come out after dark.

"I didn't know what it was like, and now I know," said Ginand. "It was unbelievable. I can't wait for next week."

John Powers can be reached at jpowers@globe.com.