Ouch ... from badly connected BOS to badly connected Kanazawa ...

abmj may well be right with his KIX recommendation ... although I think those KIX flights look better if you're sitting in California than they do from the East coast.

Also, I interpret the OP to mean that there's no time for a Kyoto overnight on the way to Kanazawa? If that's the case, it is feasible (but tiring) to take the Haruka from KIX to Shin Osaka and catch the Thunderbird on the day you arrive. If you want to follow that plan, your last possible departure from KIX is 7.46pm. If you miss that, then you still have a chance to leave KIX at 8.46 and take a Shinkansen from Shin Osaka to Maibara and then a train from there to Kanazawa...

Going by train from NRT is certainly a longer trip, but isn't really all that complicated:
NRT-Tokyo (with Narita Express)
Tokyo-Nagaoka (with Joetsu Shinkansen)
Nagaoka - Kanazawa (with Hokuriku line)

Now ... flights ...

There is a domestic flight from NRT to KMQ (Komatsu) in the evenings. It is feasible to fly BOS-ORD-NRT-KMQ, for example. That's a lot of flying. From KMQ to Kanazawa is a 40 to 60 minute bus ride. Perhaps your conference organizers would arrange for a car to meet you at KMQ? (Perhaps not?)

Hope this helps