Howard’s Skill Hard To Top

And you thought Yann Danis was tough.

Sure, Brown’s Hobey Baker Award finalist ranks in the top four nationally in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts. Still, the Crimson snuck seven goals past him in its two game sweep.

Then again, Danis is no Jimmy Howard.

Maine’s sophomore netminder has surrendered just 1.05 goals per game—0.76 fewer than Danis—while recording a .958 save percentage—both tops in the country, while rattling off six shutouts, tied for second-best in the nation and just one behind Michigan State goaltender Dominic Vicari.

But Vicari had 28 chances to land his seven blank sheets. Alvaro Montoya from Michigan, who is tied with Howard at six, stood between the pipes 38 times for the Wolverines.

Howard did it in 20 fewer appearances.

“Maine,” Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni said, “has a great goaltender. His numbers back it up.”

Do they ever.

In Howard’s last 11 games, he has surrendered a grand total of zero even-strength goals.

Zero.

Despite facing fewer than 20 shots just once. Despite facing both Boston College and New Hampshire, each a tournament team. Despite facing a whopping 63 shots in the Hockey East Championship game against UMass, a contest which went into triple overtime.

And it isn’t as if Howard has had the luxury of allowing the puck to sneak past him on occasion. Including that Minuteman marathon and both of his other playoff starts, seven of Howard’s last 11 have been decided by a single tally or less.

And of those seven, the Black Bears have won just three—each of the post-season contests—while notching a pair of ties.

“It is playoff hockey,” Howard said. “Every game is going to be close, so you have to be ready.”

Being prepared has been easier said than done for this backstop, however. After shutting out defending national champion Minnesota in the season opener, Howard fell into a rotation in which he split time with senior Frank Doyle, alternating starts until Doyle assumed complete control of the position between Dec. 5 and Jan. 17.

Not that Howard had been anything less than perfect, surrendering more than two goals just once—in a 4-1 loss against the Golden Eagles—while losing only that start in seven.

But despite the frustrations of performing well beyond expectations, Howard persevered, recapturing a foothold in the starting rotation and once again taking the ice every other contest.

“It helps because you always know that there is someone there to push you,” he said. “And you also know that if you slip up they are going to take your job so you have to stay on top of your game.”

While Doyle didn’t slip, Howard’s stellar play built to a deafening crescendo in the Hockey East semifinal, when he blanked Boston University, streaking following its series upset over BC.

And at that point, continuing to hold his star out of every second contest ceased to be an option for Maine coach Tim Whitehead.

So into the crease skated Howard at the FleetCenter last Saturday evening, marking the first time all season he’d stood his post at the goal line twice in the same weekend.

Through 60 minutes, 36 saves for the newly-anointed first-stringer—just four fewer than his season high.

Then, UMass—always ready to strike at a moment’s notice—launched an all-out assault on Howard’s net, firing 19 shots in the first 20-minute overtime session in an attempt to prolong its season with the tournament champion’s automatic tournament berth.

Howard didn’t even flinch. He wasn’t in there to make mistakes.

Just saves.

“I always think, ‘just hang in there and the other guy is going to crack sooner or later,’” he said.

Almost 30 minutes later, it turned out, after Howard had added another eight stones to his career-high mark.

“Howard could be,” said assistant captain Tyler Kolarik, “the best goalie in college hockey.”

Maybe he is. But then again, maybe he’s just like Yann Danis.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.