Whew! Well that was a crazy season...let's see what did I miss?
-Some goals were scored...
-Some saves were made...
-Won some...
-Lost some....
Annnnnd voila! #1 Seed in the Midwest region, playing Cornell. Sound good?
Ok ok, in all honesty I got really bad with visiting my blog...and I forgot my username/password, but that's a whole different story. Enough excuses though, I was terrible writing on here. Or not writing (I guess). My deepest apologies if anyone was really hell-bent over my 4 month hiatus. But there's something special about playoff time. Snow is melting, playoff intensity, national champions to be crowned. Yup, Michigan is at it again, looking to make their second consecutive Frozen Four appearance. Let's take a look at the region, and how I see it unfolding...
#1 Seed-Michigan Wolverines (24-12-4)
Well, tbh, you're reading a Michigan hockey blog, so you should probably know how we stack up, and what we need to do to get to Tampa. (<--------too many "to"s? Ok, just checking)
#2 Seed- Ferris State Bulldogs (23-11-5)
The #1 team in the CCHA regular season had quite the disappointing ending to their playoff run, losing to Bowling Green in the best of three series. Their top dog, IMO, is Sr. Goaltender Taylor Nelson, who had a .920SV% and a 2.18GAA throughout the regular season. He NEEDS to be the best player on the ice in Green Bay in order for the Bulldogs to win. I think Ferris has a solid 1st and 2nd line, and each player is capable of scoring when needed. They don't have any real offensive stand outs, but what they do have is a set of consistent 2 lines that can go toe-to-toe with any 2 lines in the country. There...I said it. Ferris is a good team. BUT, they're playing a pretty well rounded Denver team who got smacked in the mouth by NoDak in the WCHA championship game. Ferris needs/wants to prove that the BG series was a fluke, and that they belong in the contention for a National Championship.
#3 Seed- Denver Pioneers (25-13-4)
To me, Denver is a sleeping giant. They can play with the big dogs, and if they get some confidence, they can be a very scary team. Let's start in goal with Sam Brittian (who should get the start against FSU, but ya never know). 67 saves against UMD in the WCHA semi-final. Granted they played roughly 88 minutes of hockey, but still...to fend off the defending national champions for 88 minutes is quite impressive to say the least. If Gwozdecky can't figure out that he's got a good goaltender right there, maybe he should be re-evaluated as Head Hockey Coach at DU. Just saying. But nevertheless, I think he'll make the right decision and throw Brittian between the pipes, which means we should have a great goaltending match up in the DU/FSU game.
Next up, the DU forwards...holy buckets they've got a few studs on this team, and if they get rolling, there might not be any stopping them. Jr. Drew Shore with 52 points (21g, 31a) on the year, Jason Zucker with 46 (22g, 24a), and little brother Nick Shore with 41points (13g, 28a). These are some pretty serious numbers, and like I feel like I've said 3299 times in this post, Denver is not to be messed with. They are for real, mark my words. And, on top of the three forwards with 40+ points, add Freshman Defenseman Joey LaLeggia contributing 38 (11g, 27a) points from the blue line, and Denver seems primed to make another post-season push.
#4 Seed-Cornell Big Red (18-8-7)
Anyone that knows me, knows that if there's three things I hate about college hockey, it's that there's no NCAA hockey video game, the Michigan State Spartans, and the fact that the ECAC gets too much attention in the NCAA tournament. Prime example, look at Yale last year. Ranked #1 in the nation for how long? Bounced in the first round? C'mon this is getting ridiculous. When was the last time a ECAC team made a serious run in the national tournament? I honestly can't remember (maybe because I don't choose to remember, but whatever). To me, the ECAC is a joke of a conference, and...........I just happened to ponder what would happen if the Big Red upset Michigan. Let's just say I'll stop here, and say good luck to the Big Red.
How I see it unfolding...
Michigan beats Cornell 5-2
Denver beats Ferris 4-3 in OT (I'm hoping this game goes into OT, 2OT, heck maybe even 3OT just so the winner is gassed for the next game).
Michigan beats DU 3-2
That's how I see it happening. Expert prediction if I may say so. I'll be in Rochester MN for an adult hockey tournament, but will be extremely focused on the games this weekend. Good luck to all teams (except for those playing UM). Hopefully we see some exciting games.
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