They tell me that winning the Beanpot can light up your season. If you're going nowhere fast (or nowhere slow, for that matter), the 'Pot championship can be your salvation. Even for the winning team, it's a delightful midseason plum that even the worst performance in the playoffs can't take away.

That's how the three schools on the south side of the Charles talk about the Beanpot. They also carry on about "local bragging rights."

I've never understood "local bragging rights." Maybe that's because Harvard hasn't claimed the 'Pot in my four years here. From my vantage point the phrase sounds like one that gangs fighting for the same turf might use.

As far as I know, B.C., B.U., Harvard and Northeastern players don't regularly gather for cozy barbeques or anything like that. If they did, would the three losers have to get the charcoal lighted and make sure that there were plenty of condiments for the victors?

In Cambridge, they use a different language than the Bostonians do when they talk about the 'Pot.

First, you have to get the Crimson to talk about the Hub hockey extravaganza; in the last several years, that's no easy trick. Start to mention the Beanpot and you'll catch an earful of ECAC standings, national rankings and two NCAA final appearances in five years.

Anything but the Beans.

Monday, after dropping a 5-4 overtime thriller to Northeastern--a team using cruise control to go nowhere fast--the Harvard team had to share its thoughts on its experiences in the 'Pot o' Misery.

The Crimson players weren't talking about winning the Beanpot. When you've performed like the Crimson has of late in 'Pot play, winning is no longer the issue.

They weren't talking about earning that highly-touted official boasting permit, either.

The issue was the consolation game. For the sixth straight year, the Crimson was headed to the first game on the second Monday.

To play a consolation game that offers no consolation.

It's more like the contrition game: three periods of penance for the sporting sin of losing in the opening round.

"We struggle the first night," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said. "We've not played in the nine o'clock game for so long I've forgotten what it looks like."

Of late, the Crimson has been struggling on the first shot of the first night. When the Huskies converted their initial blast, it marked the third straight time that Harvard has surrendered a goal on the opening shot of a Beanpot.