Charlie Russell’s shot deflected off Nolan Renwick’s shin and into the Northeastern net in second overtime to send Maine to the championship.

Officially it’s the Hockey East championship, but during the league’s four decades it might as well have been called the Bay State Invitational. Year in, year out there has been at least one and usually two Massachusetts sextets playing for the trophy at TD Garden.

With all the madness surrounding college basketball, the college ice hockey conference tournaments are heating up.