Will three Michigan teams make it to Frozen Four? Predictions and analysis for regional finals
· Yahoo Sports
Las Vegas might feel like Detroit’s personal timeshare two weeks from now. That’s because all three Michigan college hockey teams in the NCAA tournament are playing for a spot in the Frozen Four there.
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Michigan State, Western Michigan and Michigan all won their first-round games in the NCAA hockey tournament this week, avoiding any upsets as three of the top four overall seeds in the tournament. Now, there’s business to take care of in the regional finals.
After downing UConn 2-1 with a 41-save performance from goaltender Trey Augustine, Michigan State will face Big Ten peer Wisconsin in the Worcester regional final at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be played at DCU Center in Massachusetts and broadcast on ESPN2.
Western Michigan takes on NCHC foe Denver at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Loveland regional final after it took care of Minnesota State, 3-1. The game will be played at Blue Arena in Colorado and broadcast on ESPN2.
Top-seeded Michigan draws Minnesota-Duluth in the Albany regional Sunday at 5:30 p.m. following its 5-1 win over bottom-seeded Bentley. MVP Arena hosts Sunday’s game, to be aired on ESPN.
Only once before has the state of Michigan sent three of its college hockey teams to the Frozen Four. That happened in 1992, when Lake Superior State, Michigan State and Michigan all made the four-team field. Under head coach Jeff Jackson, the Lakers went through Michigan State and Wisconsin to capture the second of three national championships (1988, 1992, 1994).
Western Michigan has won the state’s most recent national championship — last season, when the Broncos beat Denver and Boston University to win their first NCAA title. That was the first Frozen Four appearance in five decades of program history, and the Broncos made it count. A second trip is on the line Sunday.
Michigan State is looking to crack its Frozen Four drought dating back to 2007, when it last won the title. That is still the most recent NCAA championship among the seven teams now in the Big Ten, though it came in the days of the old CCHA.
Michigan could get to its fourth Frozen Four in five years, the third in four years under head coach Brandon Naurato. However, Michigan hasn’t won an NCAA title since 1998, with nine trips to the Frozen Four since coming up short including 2011’s title game loss to Minnesota-Duluth — the same foe that it faces Sunday.
No. 1 seed Michigan vs. No. 2 seed Minnesota-Duluth
When: Sunday, 5:30 p.m.
Where: MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y.
TV: ESPN
Records: Michigan 30-7-1, Minnesota-Duluth 24-14-1
Analysis: Michigan handled Bentley without much trouble, even though star sophomore Michael Hage, a first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, missed the game with an apparent injury. Even at 5-on-5, there were stretches that looked like a power play against Atlantic Hockey’s auto bid inclusion to the field.
Matching up against Minnesota-Duluth will be decidedly tougher. Playing for his family’s alma mater, Detroit Red Wings draft pick Max Plante (49 points) is the star of the show alongside his brother, Zam, and best friend Ty Hanson. That triumvirate, aided by setupman Jason Shaugabay (31 assists), has helped Scott Sandelin’s squad get back to the tournament after a three-year drought followed seven straight appearances and back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.
This is a dangerous Duluth team, especially when goaltender Adam Gajan is settled in. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick missed time with Slovakia at the Olympics, and that was after playing for the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup alongside UM captain T.J. Hughes. That team won silver against European pros.
Speaking of Hughes, the senior had a hand on three of the Wolverines’ five goals as a clear pace setter. The Hobey Baker candidate has scored a goal in six of his past seven games. Another good sign for Michigan: freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped 24 of 25 shots in the win over Bentley. He’ll need to be dialed in as the quality of the opponent rises.
Prediction: Michigan wins, 3-2
No. 1 seed Western Michigan vs. No. 2 seed Denver
When: Sunday, 3 p.m.
Where: Blue Arena, Loveland, Colo.
TV: ESPN2
Records: Western Michigan 27-10-1, Denver 26-11-3
Analysis: Minnesota State felt like it could’ve been a trap, but Western Michigan never trailed even as it played the bulk of the third period with a one-goal lead. Three different lines scored, counting Owen Michaels’ empty-netter, and defenseman Sam Sjolund played a strong two-way game that can make a difference this time of year. It helps that Hampton Slukynsky stopped 23 out of 24 shots, including 10 of them — some of the 10-bell variety — in the third period.
It’s a twisting, turning history with Denver that makes this game hard to predict. It was just two weeks ago that the Pioneers forced overtime on a late power play tally and won 2-1 in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. That kept alive a streak of 14 games unbeaten, the only blemish a tie at rival Colorado College won in the shootout. All of those date back to freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks taking the net from injured classmate Quentin Miller and never giving it up without a loss to his name.
And that streak came after losing five out of six to bridge the New Year, including the back end of traded road sweeps between the Pioneers and Broncos.
Oh, and how about the Frozen Four last season, when Michaels scored 26 seconds into double OT en route to the title? Believe me, that’ll be a motivator this weekend.
Denver has depth all over, not just in talent but in trust. Four of its five goals in the win over Cornell came off deflections, and a mobile blue line led by Eric Pohlkamp, Boston Buckberger and Kent Anderson influences the game at both ends.
This one feels like it’s destined for OT again. I’ll give the toss-up to Denver as the incumbent winner.
Prediction: Denver wins 3-2 (OT)
No. 1 seed Michigan State vs. No. 3 seed Wisconsin
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.
TV: ESPN2
Records: Michigan State 26-8-2, Wisconsin 22-12-2
Analysis: “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” once wrote Mark Twain. Or maybe these Badgers.
Wisconsin bounced back from six straight losses in the second half of the year to squeeze into the tournament field as an at-large bid. It breezed past a good Dartmouth team in game one for its first NCAA tournament win since 2010. Now it’s a Big Ten showdown in the regional final, following these teams’ split sweeps in the regular season.
This is it for Michigan State. The moment of truth. The pieces are all there to make it to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2007 — one of its players, Swedish center Eric Nilson, wasn’t even born yet.
The scoring from MSU’s top line of freshman phenom Porter Martone plus seniors Charlie Stramel and Danny Russell. The experienced blue line with Matt Basgall and Maxim Strbak leading the top two pairs. The goaltending that can steal a game, like the Spartans might have to open the tournament against UConn with 41 saves from Trey Augustine.
Wisconsin will be a tough out, with its strong crop of forwards — upperclassmen Quinn Finley, Christian Fitzgerlad and Simon Tassy alongside sophomore Gavin Morrissey.
This is the game that the entire season boils down to for Michigan State. And after coming up short in two NCAA tournament runs, and with a short Big Ten Tournament run giving some rest, the Spartans are due.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 5-3
@ConnorEaregood
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Will three Michigan teams make it to Frozen Four? Predictions and analysis for NCAA hockey tournament