The moment for which Rand Pecknold will long be remembered in Connecticut, the decision at the culmination of a long and remarkable coaching odyssey, was there to be made.
And Rand Pecknold made it. He didn’t lead Quinnipiac all the way to the brink of a national men’s hockey championship by playing it safe, and there was no being cautious Saturday night with 3:28 remaining and a goal so desperately needed to keep hope flickering.
Pecknold, known to be aggressive in pulling his goalie, did it here, with 30 seconds left in a power play. One bad bounce of the puck on the softening ice and Minnesota, the top-ranked team in the nation, could have easily put the game out of reach with an empty-netter.
