Nolan Moyle scored just 33 seconds into the game. (0:33) The Frozen Four of the NCAA men's hockey tournament will be held in Boston on Thursday and Saturday. Michigan, the Big Ten tournament champ, is one of the teams that will be going to Boston. The games of the Frozen Four can be streamed in the ESPN app. The way the regionals played out was the way the western conferences played out. Minnesota State made its first appearance in the national semifinals last year and is back in the Frozen Four. Michigan is in the Frozen Four for the 26th time and has won nine national titles, Minnesota is in the Frozen Four for the 22nd time and Denver is in the national semifinals for the 17th time. What will it take for each team to win it all? Dave Starman, Paul Caponigri and Sean Ritchlin are college hockey analysts for the network. More: NHL prospects to watch |
Regional takeaways | Field at a glance At the Garden in Boston.
All times Eastern; all games also available on ESPN app
Frozen Four
April 7
National semifinals
The Denver vs. Michigan game is on the air.
Minnesota State vs. Minnesota, 8:30 p.m., ESPNU
April 9
National championship game, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Dave Starman says if the second and third lines impact the game and the third line with Stapley creates matchup issues against Michigan, they will be in great shape. The possession game of Denver in the offensive zone could get the younger team running around and impatient. The Pioneers score a lot of goals off offensive possession play.
The power play will be huge. It didn't click in the regionals, but the Pioneers still found a way to win, so you have to give them a lot of credit for that. When Denver needs to score a few goals to win, the power play needs to be at its best.
Bobby Brink, Cole Guttman and Carter Savoie will need to lead the way on the offensive side. Denver has an average of 4.3 goals per game, they are deep and can come at you in waves, with eight players scoring at least 10 goals. They can win a hard-fought game and take down Minnesota Duluth in the regionals, which should give them the confidence to win a title.
Dennis, who passed away during last year's Frozen Four, used to say that the team that gets off the bus with the best players usually wins. Michigan's skill players can turn a game. The Wolverines need to win more defensive zone faceoffs. Denver and Michigan are both good faceoff teams.
Michigan needs to manage the puck. I think the UM will win the whole thing if they play their best game, but they need to make good decisions with the puck. They will be in good shape if they make the skill plays and manage the puck well. I don't think Michigan will take its foot off the gas when it gets a big lead.
The speed and skill on the team has been documented with seven first-round NHL draft picks. They can push the pace all game long and are lethal on the man advantage. They can create from anywhere on the ice and turn defense into offense. They will need to compete for 60 minutes in the Frozen Four in order to hoist the trophy.
If Matt Knies is the game's best player, Minnesota wins. The key for the Gophers will be to create off the rush and get their key scorers good looks quickly. They will look to use their speed on the back end to create good outs so they can beat Minnesota State. They will need their goalie, Justen Close, to avoid making mistakes.
The Gophers need to keep doing what they are doing. Brock Faber and Ryan Johnson played more than 30 minutes against UMass in the regionals, and they are leading the way as a dominant pair on defense. Close needs to play a good game. He doesn't have to be great, just make the saves.
Minnesota will look to its defense to set the tone. Bob Motzko's six blueliners may be the most complete group in college hockey and they do a masterful job of getting pucks out of their zone with impressive exit passes. There is also great leadership up front with Ben Meyers. With their strong D core, the Big Ten champ can bring another title to Minnesota.
The goalie needs to play as advertised. He doesn't have to be great, but rebound control and managing the crease will be critical. They need to win the possession game with no bad turnovers and use their size and experience to force their opponent to go 200 feet to earn chances. They need to stay out of the penalty box and keep the opposition from driving the middle lanes.
Minnesota State will want to stay true to its identity. There is no reason for the Mavericks to change their style of play. They have to attack Minnesota. They need to be physical with him and try to wear him down. Mike Hastings teams try to pound you and beat you with their strength, then score the big goal at the right time.
The Mavericks will follow their leaders. McKay has been the goalie for Minnesota State all season. Nathan Smith continues to impress, scoring massive goals for the Mavericks and will be relied on heavily by Hastings. The combination of offense and defense seems to be a great recipe for winning a national title.
There is a place called Loveland.
Denver is able to find a way. Denver found different ways to win than was all offense. They came in as a high-octane offense with the big power play, but that wasn't really clicking for them and they were playing really good defensive teams. They found other ways to win. David Carle has to be happy that his team can find different ways of winning.
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A high-speed chase in Boston. Denver and Michigan are going to be great opponents. The Pioneers offense will see a team that likes to run and shoot. The power play and top line are going to be important again and they should be able to get back to what they were used to. It is going to be fun.
Crowds maximize excitement. A full house of over 7,000 people attended the Denver-Minnesota Duluth final on Saturday. The NCAA can figure out how to maximize the best crowds. Logistics can get complicated when you have to do it five days in advance, but in women's college basketball they play the first two rounds on campus, so that could be a way to go. They have to look as hard as they can to figure out what can be done.
The state of Albany.
The Mavericks are tough to break. Notre Dame had about five seconds of possession between the dots under the offensive blue line. Keeping a team on the perimeter is a great way to keep them from scoring. The middle of the ice is taken away from anyone who comes at them because they gap very well to slow down attacks and back-check very well. Can Minnesota State do what it did to everyone else? The way Minnesota is playing, it will be the best team the Mavericks have faced.
Smith has a wrister. Nathan Smith, who scored the lone goal in the regional final, has as good a wrist shot as anyone in the nation, he has an NHL release and he is accurate. His goals come with the puck on his stick in less than a second. The team can score, but it isn't the 86 Eskimos. Even though the team is built to win in the paint, it still scores a lot of goals on first shots.
North Dakota is on the rise. Don't be surprised if most of Harvard's guys come back next year. They have so much skill, now they have to figure out how hard this game is, and that there is more to it than just going up and down the ice. It could be frightening. Despite the fact that Notre Dame didn't give him an inch, Riese Gaber still stood out. He is special, he knows how to score, and he has a lot of resilience. The Hawks are one of the best teams in the country. Notre Dame has the speed and skill to create and isn't going anywhere.
The city of Worcester.
It pays off for the Gophers. The Minnesota hockey team played a lot of hockey. I was impressed with how thorough the Gophers were defensively. They have plenty of future NHL stars among their 14 draft picks, but their commitment to playing as a team was impressive.
There is NHL talent on display. Minnesota has a number of guys who could be playing in the NHL this season, including Brock Faber and Matthew Knies. If Attard goes to the NHL, he will wear orange and black next week.
Despite the loss, UMass makes a statement. The University of Massachusetts planted a flag as a college hockey powerhouse. There was a great atmosphere for the game at the DCU Center because of the loud and proud Minuteman fans.
ALLENTOWN.
Michigan has elite talent. Michigan's fourth line scored three huge goals to win the regional. Brendan Brisson scored on the power play, but the top line was kept off the board. The power play is lethal and the puck movement and skill are elite. The unstoppable force is being turned into by Luke Hughes. Owen Power had four assists in the regional final and had some defensive plays.
There are vulnerabilities for the mooches. Michigan did not play a full three periods in either game over the weekend. The team has a weakness in the defensive zone. The attention to detail fades when the Wolverines get ahead by a few goals. They have been able to score their way around it, but they will have to shore that up in order to get to the Frozen Four.
The resolve and leadership of Quinnipiac is impressive. The top defensive team in the country gave up an uncharacteristic number of goals over its two games, but showed its resolve with a huge push in the third period against Michigan. The three-goal flurry made it a one-goal game. Sean Ritchlin said there is great leadership with that group.
The Albany (N.Y.) region.
March 24 No. 1 Minnesota State 4, No. 4 Harvard 3
No. 3 Notre Dame 2, No. 2 North Dakota 1 (OT)
March 26
Minnesota State 1, Notre Dame 0
The regional is located in the state of Colorado.
March 24 No. 2 Minnesota Duluth 3, No. 3 Michigan Tech 0
No. 1 Denver 3, No. 4 UMass Lowell 2
March 26
Denver 2, Minnesota Duluth 1
The regional is in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
March 25 No. 1 Michigan 5, No. 4 American International 3
No. 2 Quinnipiac 5, No. 3 St. Cloud State 4
March 27
Michigan 7, Quinnipiac 4
There is a regional in Worcester (Mass.).
March 25 No. 1 Western Michigan 2, No. 4 Northeastern 1 (OT)
No. 2 Minnesota 4, No. 3 UMass 3 (OT)
March 27
Minnesota 3, Western Michigan 0
How did they get here?
Seed: No. 1 in Allentown
The UM roster includes four of the top five picks in the NHL draft in 2021. They had players miss time to play in the Olympics and the World Junior but still finished second in the Big Ten behind Minnesota, and avenged four regular-season losses to Notre Dame by beating the Irish in the tournament semifinals.
Michigan has 39 NCAA appearances, tied with Minnesota for the most all time. The last time the Wolverines won a national championship was in 1998.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 2 in Allentown
The ability to keep opposing teams off the board is hard to comprehend, but the Bobcat also are great at putting the puck on the net. They outshot Harvard in the ECAC final. In 40 games, the Bobcat's have allowed 42 goals, with freshman Yaniv Perets posting a 0.97 GAA and 11 shutouts.
This is the eighth NCAA appearance for Quinnipiac and the seventh in the last nine tournaments. They made the Frozen Four twice and were national runners-up once.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 3 in Allentown
In its last 16 games, St. Cloud has just four regulation wins, including a sweep at the hands of Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC quarterfinals. Even so, the defending national runner-up cannot be taken lightly because of their experience in big games. The best power play in the country is by the Huskies.
Since 2000, St. Cloud State has 15 NCAA appearances. The Huskies have made the Frozen Four twice.
How did they get here?
Seed: No. 4 in Allentown
In the Atlantic championship game, AIC defeated Air Force by a score of 0-7. The Yellow Jackets started the season with a 3-9 record, but have been on a tear since then and are currently averaging 5.4 goals in their last five games.
AIC has appeared in the NCAA for the third straight year. St. Cloud State was the No. 16 overall seed and they were upset by the Yellow Jackets.
CCHA champ how did they get here?
Seed: No. 1 in Albany
The Mavericks beat Bemidji State to win the CCHA tournament. They average nearly three goals a game more than their opponents and are the top scoring team in the nation.
Minnesota State has made the NCAA tournament in four of the last five years. The Mavericks made the Frozen Four for the first time last year, but lost to St. Cloud State in the semifinals.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 2 in Albany
After winning nine of 10, North Dakota lost to Western Michigan in the NCHC semifinals and lost to Western Michigan in the weekend series. Jake Sanderson is one of the best defensemen in the country but his status is unclear, which is a big issue for North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks were 11-3 this season.
The Fighting Hawks have missed out only three times since 1997. North Dakota has been in the Frozen Four 22 times and won eight national titles.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 3 in Albany
The Irish lost to Michigan in the Big Ten semis, but had won 13 of 16 in the second half of the season, including a win over Minnesota and a weekend sweep of Michigan. The Notre Dame team is balanced, ranking sixth in goals against average and 11th in goals scored per game.
Notre Dame has appeared in the NCAA six times and 13 times overall. Four times the Irish have made the Frozen Four.
How did they get here?
Seed: No. 4 in Albany
Harvard is on a roll. Despite being outshot 49-17, the Crimson scored three goals with an extra attacker in the last 3:42 of regulation to beat the Engineers and win the ECAC title. It is part of a 13-3-1 spurt and an NCAA appearance. Harvard is just outside the top 10 in both scoring offense and defense.
Harvard has 26 NCAA appearances, and has five opportunities. The Ivy League did not play hockey in 2021. They have been to the Frozen Four 13 times and won one national championship.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 1 in Worcester
After a February skid, the high- scoring Broncos were rolling with 21 goals over five straight wins before getting blanked by Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC title game. Western Michigan is fourth in the country with 3.8 goals per game, with Ethen Frank leading the way.
Western Michigan has seven NCAA appearances, its first since 2017: The Broncos have never won an NCAA tournament game.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 2 in Worcester
The Big Ten regular-season title was lost to Michigan in the championship game. Minnesota is in the top 10 in both goals per game and goals allowed per game.
Minnesota has 39 NCAA tournament appearances, tied with Michigan for the most all time. The Gophers have been to the Frozen Four 21 times and won five national titles.
Hockey East champ how did they get here?
Seed: No. 3 in Worcester
The Hockey East title was defended by the defending national champ, who beat the University of Connecticut in overtime. Bobby Trivigno, fourth nationally with 48 points, had three goals and two assists in three tournament games. Nine of the last 18 power-play chances have been converted by the Minutemen.
This is the fourth NCAA appearance for the University of Massachusetts. The last two years, the Minutemen have been to the Frozen Fours, winning the title last year and finishing as national runner-up in 2019. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the flu.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 4 in Worcester
Northeastern won the Hockey East regular-season title but lost in the tournament semifinals. The third-ranked goalie in the nation, Devon Levi, makes the Huskies dangerous.
Northeastern has eight NCAA appearances and its third in four tournaments. The last time the Huskies advanced past the first round was in 1982, when they lost in the semifinals.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 1 in Loveland
The best team in the best league, Denver, won the regular-season title in the NCHC, but lost to Minnesota in the conference semifinals. The Pioneers have scored five or more goals 20 times this season. Bobby Brink has 14 goals and 41 assists.
The Pioneers had a streak of 12 straight appearances snapped last year. They have been to the Frozen Four 16 times, winning eight national titles.
How did they get here?
Seed: No. 2 in Loveland
Someone may have woken a sleeping dog. Ryan Fanti turned in back-to-back shutouts over top seed Denver and third seed Western Michigan this past weekend, as the Bulldogs won the NCHC tournament after going 6-9-3 in the second half of the season.
Minnesota Duluth has made it to the last four Frozen Fours and is making its seventh consecutive NCAA appearance. They have won three national titles.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 3 in Loveland
Michigan Tech won 11 of 12 in the second half of the season, but lost two one-goal games to Minnesota State. Bemidji State beat the Huskies in the semifinals after they beat Ferris State. Tech is fourth in the nation in scoring defense.
Michigan Tech has appeared in the NCAA four times since 2015, with 10 coming from 1956-1981.
How did they get to this point?
Seed: No. 4 in Loveland
The River Hawks scored seven goals in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Merrimack before losing to the University of Massachusetts in the semifinals.
This is the ninth NCAA appearance for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The River Hawks have lost in the first round only once, but have lost in the semifinals once.
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