Washington Capitals top prospect Ryan Leonard got his first taste of Beanpot action on Monday night. The Beanpot is a midseason tournament involving the four major US college hockey teams in the Boston area.
Leonard’s Boston College team got knocked out by their rivals, Boston University, 4-3 in the semifinals.
The 2023 first-round draft selection didn’t let his Eagles’ team go down without a fight though as he provided the spark for BC’s third goal in the game, a strike from Gabe Perreault.
Perreault scored with 8:36 remaining in the third period to draw BC within one. Leonard did the hard work on the tally, checking a defender off the puck in the corner, winning a 3-on-1 puck battle by spinning towards the red line, and then sending a cross-crease backhand pass to Perreault for the tap-in.
The primary apple was Leonard’s 18th assist of the season. He also fired six shots on goal in the contest.
Ryan Leonard assist appreciation 👏 pic.twitter.com/wirbAKFAJK
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) February 6, 2024
Leonard now has points in nine straight games, including every contest since returning from winning a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championship.
With the loss, the number-one-ranked Eagles will now play New Hampshire in a consolation game on February 12. BU will move on to play Northeastern in the tournament final.
Leonard now has 32 points (14g, 18a) in 25 games in his freshman season. He’ll next be in action on Friday night when the New Hampshire Wildcats come to Boston.
