By Nate Ewell

Back in the Beanpot – Around a dozen freshmen from the area will realize their dream of playing in the Beanpot Monday night at TD Garden. For Harvard senior Colin Blackwell (N. Andover, Mass./St. John’s Prep/SJ), getting back on the Garden ice may be even more meaningful. Blackwell made his Beanpot debut back in 2011-12 as a freshman and played in the tournament again the next year before suffering concussions that cost him nearly two years of hockey and forced him to withdraw from school. The dynamic forward returned to the lineup late last season and was granted a fifth year of eligibility last fall. He has 13 points in 12 games this year, including consecutive multiple-point games last weekend. The Crimson: Blackwell’s Back | The Beanpot can be seen on NESN and TSN (1, 3 & 4); Friday’s game vs. Princeton is on NESN

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Breakthrough Maverick – The other upcoming regional tournament, Minnesota’s North Star College Cup, features No. 19 Minnesota State and breakthrough forward Michael Huntebrinker (Chesterfield, Mo./Waterloo-USHL), who has career highs in games played (26), goals (6), assists (10) and points (16). Huntebrinker – who was head coach Mike Hastings’s first recruit in 2012 – has become the second-line center on the WCHA’s first-place team after not always being in the lineup during his first two seasons on campus. | The North Star College Cup can be seen on FOX Sports North

PSU’s goalie duo – Penn State enters a crucial weekend series with Michigan tied in the Big Ten standings with the Wolverines, and with a chance to make up the six-point gap on first-place Minnesota. Leading the Nittany Lions to their 16-5-3 overall record has been its goaltending duo of senior Matthew Skoff (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sioux City-USHL) and Eamon MacAdam (Perkasie, Pa./Waterloo-USHL/NYI). Each has played 12 of Penn State’s 24 games and ranks among the top four Big Ten goalies in save percentage. The duo – whose hometowns span the state from East (MacAdam) to West (Skoff) – will likely split duties as Michigan visits State College on Thursday prior to the two teams meeting at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. | Saturday’s game is on BTN

Fresh start(er) – After a frustrating first half, Miami is surging entering a four-game homestand that starts this weekend vs. Denver, thanks in large part to the play of senior goaltender Jay Williams (McLean, Va./Sioux Falls-USHL). Williams – who has split duties with classmate Ryan McKay (Palatine, Ill./Green Bay-USHL) throughout his time in Oxford – made only two starts prior to Jan. 3. Since then he is 4-0-1 with a .946 save percentage. | Friday’s game is on CBSSN; Saturday’s is on FOX College Sports

Williams in 2015: 0-2-0, 5.35 GAA, .812 save pct.
Williams in 2016: 4-0-1, 1.43 GAA, .946 save pct.

Oksanen more than OK – A month ago, Boston University senior Ahti Oksanen (Espoo, Finland/Espoo Blues) was thought to be lost for the season, potentially, with an injury after crashing into the boards at Quinnipiac. Not only has Oksanen returned to action, but he has 11 points in 6 games since, helping lead BU into a single game vs. Merrimack Friday prior to the Beanpot. A former defenseman, Oksanen reluctantly moved to wing last season and scored 25 goals. The 6-foot-3, 207-pounder has 13 goals and 27 points this year and could be an intriguing NHL free agent signee.

Most Goals, Last Two Seasons
46 – Jimmy Vesey, Harvard (NSH)
38 – Sam Anas, Quinnipiac
38 – Ahti Oksanen, Boston University
38 – Austin Ortega, Omaha
37 – Ralph Cuddemi, Canisius

Young Laker guns – On a Mercyhurst team that routinely has 10 freshmen in the lineup, two of the top rookies have followed a similar path to the Lakers. Michigan natives who played junior hockey in Springfield, Ill., center Josh Lammon (Jackson, Mich./Springfield-NAHL) and defenseman Lester Lancaster (Ypsilanti, Mich./Springfield-NAHL) have enjoyed strong starts to their collegiate careers. Last year Lammon and Lancaster ranked 1-2 on the Jr. Blues in scoring; now Lammon leads Laker rookies in goals (8, one off the team lead) and Lancaster leads team defensemen in points (17). Another Mercyhurst freshman, Derek Barach (Glenmont, N.Y./Green Bay-USHL) is the top freshman scorer in Atlantic Hockey (20 points).

NHL Note of the Week

Nearly 50% of NHL players under 5-foot-10 played NCAA hockey.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

Northeastern’s six-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the nation and the longest the Huskies have ever carried into the Beanpot. The other three teams in the tournament are all in the nation’s top 10 (No. 5 Boston College, No. 7 Harvard, No. 9/10 Boston University) … Northeastern, Dartmouth and RIT are a combined 20-2-1 since Christmas; they were 11-28-6 before then … After Tuesday’s Brown at Connecticut game, only eight non-conference games remain in the regular season ... Madison Square Garden will host five NCAA games this season (including Saturday's Michigan-Penn State matchup) and announced plans for Big Ten games to return in 2017 and '18.