Does anyone else wanna talk Frozen Four?
Providence:
BC vs Michigan Tech
Wisky vs Quinnipiac
Springfield:
Denver vs UMass
Maine vs Cornell
Sioux Falls, SD
BU vs RIT
Minnesota vs Omaha
Maryland Heights, Missouri:
Michigan State vs Western Michigan
North Dakota vs Michigan
There are plenty of great storylines here...
1) Does Will Smith cement his family's BC legacy in just one season in Boston? I think this team is even more loaded with high end offensive skill than last year's Michigan team which fell short of a Natty.
2) Will QU repeat? I think everyone doubted them last year but Pecknold just keeps winning despite lacking big name prospects. I don't think they mind being doubted again.
3) Three very high end draft prospects with one last chance to flash on game tape for the scouts: Macklin Celebrini (BU), Levshunov (Michigan State) and Zeev Buium (Denver). Celebrini is the slam dunk #1OA and sounds like Levshunov is a legit candidate to go #2OA and Buium looks like a top ten pick as well.
4) At least three sets of very talented brothers playing in this year's tourney. Buium boys @ Denver, Hutson boys @ BU and the Nadeau boys @ Maine.
5) Which is the best conference this year? Last year I think the Big Ten was considered the best and QU rolled through three consecutive Big Ten teams to win the championship. This year I think Hockey East is the best. Besides being very top heavy with BU and BC, UMass and Maine are both very good and Providence and UNH might have made it six teams if the field were 20 instead of 16.
Side note: I think watch for UNH next season, team is on the upswing again.