"Meet me in St Louis, Louis...meet me at the fair. Don't tell me the lights are shining...any place but there."

Two years ago was supposed to be THE YEAR. It wasn't. Last year was not supposed to be THE YEAR despite having THE PLAYER. It also was not. This year was not supposed to be THE YEAR. So, will it be? I don't know. That would be very college hockey, though. For a long time, it looked like Michigan wouldn't even make the Tournament. Their PK was in shambles; their defense gave up Grade As like Michigan State professors; and their roster looked like a MASH unit. However, as winter turned to spring, both the Kill and Blue Line units picked up their play. The bottom six rounded into form. Sans some erratic play in net over the last month, this team has never looked better. 

Last year's freshmen are now sophomores. Transfers (grad and otherwise) have filled out several holes in the roster. The draft picks and elite talent are still there. The team really is starting to gel. The only issue is the draw. They'll most likely have to beat two top ten teams in order to make it to their third straight Frozen Four. Did they mess around too long and make their road too difficult?

First up: the long time Badland-laden foe, North Dakota.

 

The Field

Michigan’s Regional (Maryland Heights, MO )

(1) Michigan State, (2) North Dakota, (3) Michigan, (4) Western Michigan: Hoo boy! Hello, death, old friend. Well, at least MSU is the best possible option of a #1 seed to get. Obviously, they're good...we've certainly seen that. But are they significantly better than Michigan? Eh. Plus, after last Saturday night's fiasco sans Big Ten refs? I'll take it. North Dakota as the #2 seed, though? Ouch. Michigan doesn't exactly have the best tournament record against the Fighting Sioux Hawks. Since 1998, the Wolverines are 1-3 against NoDak in the NCAAs. This isn't one of THOSE North Dakota teams, though. They're good, but not UH OH good. The Brooooooooncos are the final team. MSU does not get a pollywog as their opening game. They're at at-large #4 seed. Also...if we're going to have three teams from one state, maybe we should just play it...oh, never mind.

 

(2) North Dakota vs (3) Michigan

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
North Dakota	21	26%	82%	11	4	2.47	.906	2-3	60%
Michigan	12	35%	79%	10	7	2.83	.907	4-1	40%

 

Last time... [Patrick Barron]

Things Michigan Needs to Do Against North Dakota (because David likes stealing Alex's thunder from the full preview on Friday):

1. Make a Save. For most of the year, Jake Barczewski has been fine. Not elite, but good enough. It's mostly been the defense that has been the letdown. That has not been the case over the last month or so. Michigan's in-zone defense has been very good...aided by great back-checking from the forwards. However, four of Barzo's last five games have been questionable. While there are ways to make up for a struggling netminder, it's much harder to do in a single elimination tournament. If Michigan wants to take down a quality opponent, they're just going to need a great game from Barczewski.

2. Keep Shooting. Ludwig Persson's SV% is just a tick lower than Barczewski's. Not drawing a Trey Augustine or Ryan Bischel in the first game is ideal. Only 6'0" tall, the NoDak netminder is forced to come out and challenge shots. Persson has given up at least three goals in six of his last ten games. He can be beaten. Michigan generally does well in puck possession and they do have shooters. Pepper Persson and pour pucks into the net.

3. Bracket Blake. Jackson Blake, son of former New York Islander Jason Blake, is the best player for the Fighting Hawks. While they do have other goal scorers, Blake leads the team in assists...by 13. He's averaging 1.51 points/game. Jackson has also scored at least a point in his last 10 games and in 20 of his last 21. That's how you become the nation's second leading scorer. It goes without saying that he needs to be watched and tracked every time he's on the ice. 

Final Thoughts: Hmmm...I'm not really sure. I don't hate this matchup for Michigan. It actually feels really even. Michigan might have the slight advantage on special teams, but how many calls will there be in the Tournament? It kinda feels like this will be a tight game that will come down to the end...maybe even OT. Of course it will be OT. I think this could be Michigan's biggest obstacle in the Regional. Oh no...what if Keaton Pehrson scores the winner?

Alex's Take: you can read my answer on Friday

Peter's Take: There is not a lot of difference statistically between these two team teams as they enter this game. Michigan scores almost a 1/2 goal a game more, but NoDak gives up 1/2 goal a game less. The Fighting Hawks have a goal differential of +47 and Michigan has a +44. The goaltenders, Persson for North Dakota, and Barczewski for Michigan, have almost identical save percentages at .906 and .907 respectively. The difference is going to come down to 3 things:

1. Who will win the special teams battle? With the #1 powerplay in the NCAA, Michigan will need to cash in when the opportunities arise, having gone 1/3 last weekend against MSU. NoDak's penalty kill is 22nd in the nation, but what helps them is they are only whistled for 7.7 penalty minutes on average per game. The Hawks need to stay out of the box and minimize the opportunities that Michigan gets. 

2. Who will play better team defense in their own zone? In last Saturday's game against MSU, the Wolverines started off playing good team defense, which was reflected by only surrendering 6 shots in the 1st period, but old habits kicked in and they started trading chances and ended up giving up a number of Grade-A opportunities. North Dakota did a total overhaul of their defense this year and at times it has looked good, but there have been a number of games where they were running around giving up a ton of scoring chances, and it bit them in the hindquarters in the semi-final last week against Omaha.

3. Which team will win the transition game? This is an area where Michigan can excel. When Michigan forwards track back hard from the offensive zone, which they've been doing a lot this past month (noticeably the bottom 6 forwards), it allows the defense to stand up in the neutral zone and break up plays which gives them the puck back and allows them to reload and re-attack. If Michigan wins these three areas, it will be on to the Regional Final on Sunday.

[AFTER THE JUMP: All of the games that don't involve Michigan]

 

[Bill Rapai]

Michigan’s Other Regional Game:

(1) Michigan State vs (4) Western Michigan

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Western Michigan	1	21%	84%	6	6	2.41	.905	3-2	31.5%
Michigan State	10	26%	81%	5 (+1)	5	2.88	.913	4-1	68.5%

David’s Take: This is a tough draw for MSU, I think. Great PK. Some talent, depth scorers. Also, the Broncos control possession. This will be a very interesting game. You know what? The rule states that Not All One Seeds Advance. Maybe this is that one. Is Cameron Rowe trustworthy in net, though? Probably not. But one time? Oh, alright. I'm convinced! The Broncos stampede to the Regional Final!

Alex’s Take: This is a very interesting matchup. The state of Michigan accounts for 25% of the NCAA Tournament field this year, a fact that makes my Michigander DNA very happy and this matchup is the beauty of it. MSU was the top dog in the B1G this season, while WMU was middle of the pack in the NCHC, albeit in a very strong NCHC. MSU has an edge in goaltending, as WMU is still trotting out one-time Wisconsin goalie Cameron Rowe, who is thoroughly meh. Both teams take a lot of shots (2nd and 3rd in shots/game nationally) and neither team has a horde of NHL-caliber finishers. They score through shot volume and systems rather than pure talent. Ultimately if both goalies are getting peppered, I trust the better goalie and Augustine is clearly better here. Give me MSU.  

Peter's Take: After getting a number of live views of both of these teams, this should be a really fun game to watch. Western has stumbled quite a bit winning only four of their last ten games, and 2 of those were against woeful Miami. One advantage the Broncos have coming into this game is they had an extra week off, which gave them time to heal up any bumps/bruises and practice. Michigan State comes into this game fresh off their OT win last Saturday night but will be facing a team that is older, bigger, and has a lot more experience on the back-end. Goaltending, puck battles and puck retrievals will be keys to how this game unfolds. Both goalies have had a strong season, senior Cameron Rowe for Western and freshman Trey Augustine for the Spartans. Similarly, the two teams have almost identical in puck retrieval numbers, with Western having a miniscule 50.1% to 49.9% edge. The Broncos hold a 52% to 50% advantage in winning puck battles throughout the season. This feels even but ultimately, I'm looking for the #4 seed to upend the #1 seed. I'm taking WMU. 

Regional Winner - David: I think the Michigan/North Dakota winner wins the Regional. I want to say Michigan wins and then wins again on Sunday night, but...I'm just not sure with this team. I think they've definitely tightened up a lot of their weaknesses, but...there always seems to be one thing. In the end, the Fighting Hawks outlast the Wolverines, probably in overtime. Something goofy happens and it sums up too much of the season, unfortunately. NoDak continues their NCHC dominance over Western in the Regional Final and books their trip to St. Paul.

Regional Winner - Alex: Idk, I end up picking 1 seeds in all the other regions so I guess that means I have to pick against MSU here. Doesn't really feel like Michigan's year and NoDak was the #3 team all the way up until they flopped this past weekend in the NCHC semis. Give me Dakota over Sparty I guess. 

Regional Winner - Peter: I project a Michigan battle with Western Michigan on Sunday where once again, I see Michigan heading to the Frozen Four. 

 

[David Wilcomes]

Springfield, MA Regional

(1) Denver, (2) Maine, (3) Cornell, (4) Massachusetts: Wow, this is ROUGH for the Pioneers. They're the #3 overall, and they're sent across the country to face all local teams? Yikes. Now, their offense will be up for it, but can they hang on at the back? Remember the Maine! The Main Maines have qualified for the NCAAs for the first time since 2012! Or...maybe it's just the freshman Nadeau brothers. Cornell is also back! They were left for dead, but Massive Maroon ran the ECAC Tournament and is still skatin'. Lol the #4 seed is the host. The Minutemen backdoored their way into the NCAAs with the right combination of wins by other teams on Championship night. So, now they get a home game against a travel-weary one seed. #collegehockey

 

(1) Denver vs (4) Massachusetts 

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Massachusetts	26	20%	77%	13	2	2.66	.910	2-3	34%
Denver	15	23%	77%	12	9	2.64	.905	5-0 (11-1 in last 12)	66%

David’s Take: This is absurd for DU. Not that I care about them, but...if this doesn't tell you things are broken, I don't know how to help you. UMass isn't great, but their goalie -whom Michigan saw in the second game of their series in Amherst- seems like the real deal. The crowd should all be fired up for this one. But the Pios are too much. Their offense makes Michigan's look meh. The Cale Makars hold their own for a while, but Denver is too much. Wagons...roll.

Alex’s Take: Denver has been red hot as of late as their goaltending has improved significantly in the back-half of the season (Matt Davis has a .926 in the last nine games). UMass isn't very good, though I do love Michael Hrabal as a goalie prospect. Denver scores the most goals in college hockey by a wide margin, which my sources tell me is a good thing. Maybe Hrabal could steal this game for the Minutemen but Denver is clearly better and I'll take them. 

Peter's Take: The UMass Minutemen have been riding the wave of freshman goalie Michael Hrabal, who established himself as the #1 goalie early in the season in a series against Michigan. UMass is a team that scores by committee and didn't have a single player score over a point per game, and only two were above 0.75 per game. Denver comes into this game as the highest scoring team in the NCAA, with Jack Devine leading the way scoring 27 goals and 55 points in 40 games. The Pioneers have nine players who have scored 0.75 points or more per game this year BUT Denver has struggled to keep the puck out of the net. They have used three goalies this season which has given them a combined 2.92 GAA and .893 Save Percentage. The Pios only lose when they run into a hot goalie and even if Hrabal is good, I don't think it will be enough to stymie the high scoring Denver attack. Look for Denver to pull away late in this game and then face Maine in the Regional Final.

 

[Michael Riley/Bangor Daily News]

(2) Maine vs (3) Cornell 

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Cornell	17	19%	80%	6	4	1.70	.922	5-0	38.9%
Maine	6	22%	81%	1	3	2.53	.900	4-1	61.1%

David’s Take: The Sizeable Scarlet didn't seem to figure into the postseason plans, but then St Lawrence beat Quinnipiac in the ECAC semis. So...here they are! I wanted to play Maine so badly. Stupid NoDak losing to Omaha. Cornell is hawt, get good goaltending, have some NHL draftees...seems like that's where logic lies. BUT I'M CHEERING FOR MAINE! They play like a lion's headdress, Bearing down into the Regional Final. 

Alex’s Take: It's been very neat having Maine back on the national scene this season. They're a fun story led by the Nadeau brothers, but the lack of depth scoring is pretty concerning. Cornell squeaked into the tournament by winning the ECAC Tournament, a pretty classic Ivy outfit as a team with really good numbers in part because they ain't played nobody. Well, sorta. Cornell mostly played doormats but they did beat Boston U and QPac, while tying UMass. Goalie Ian Shane is pretty good, with two great efforts in the tourney last year. I'll take Cornell's elite goal prevention unit and good goalie over a rather light offense in the Black Bears. 

Peter's Take: The Black Bears of Maine made huge strides in their program this year, which has been completely overshadowed by the two Boston teams, but they are not a team to be taken lightly. Maine is led by freshmen brothers Bradley and Josh Nadeau, whose 37 combined goals accounted for 31.4% of Maine's total goals. Cornell won the ECAC Tournament and are led by junior goalie Ian Shane, who surrendered a measly 1.70 goals per game and has a .922 save percentage in 32 games this season. The Black Bears are hungry and will chew up Cornell. 

Regional Winner - David: This seems like a one seed that has it stacked against them. But, I honestly don't love any of the matchups against them. Even if you wanted to argue Cornell...it's not going to happen two years in a row. Maybe, in the end, this is a great Regional for Denver? I guess it is. Wagons rollin' up to St. Paul!

Regional Winner - Alex: Denver is the clear best team in this region. If they get goaltending, as they have been recently, they're probably the best hope to stop BC from winning the title. They've got a good mix of veteran college hockey talent without a ton of pro interest (Jack Devine, Massimo Rizzo) with some more legit pro prospects, like the Buium brothers and Tristan Broz. More importantly, DU is impeccably coached by David Carle, who is going to be an NHL head coach sooner or later. I don't love Maine or Cornell, let alone UMass, and so I see Denver taking this one. 

Regional Winner - Peter: Denver and Maine will meet in the Regional Final in my projections and while adding to the lore of Maine's miracle season would be neat, the Pioneers roll on to the Frozen Four. 

 

 

[Bill Rapai]

Providence, RI Regional

(1) Boston College, (2) Wisconsin, (3) Quinnipiac, (4) Michigan Tech: This is why the Number One overall seed matters. Boston College is a WAGON. Absolutely loaded. First rounders for days and elite goaltending? Yikes. The Cheese Rodents had a better start to the season but could not find a way to beat Ohio State (!) in their final month, losing four times in five games. They have good goaltending numbers, but does anyone believe it? Quinnipiac is Quinnipiac, but not quite last year's National Champion version. The Techies...are also there...much to Alex Drain's chagrin. 

(2) Wisconsin  vs (3) Quinnipiac

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Wisconsin	14	20%	87%	13	3	1.92	.931	2-3	53.5%
Quinnipiac	2	22%	84%	3	4	1.93	.918	3-2	46.5%

David’s Take: Does it really matter? Will either team clips the wings of the Mighty Eagles of Chestnut Hill? Probably not. But...still a game to play! Wisconsin feels like a little better version of the Pollsters. However, Q-Pac hasn't lost in two months...except for a couple of games to St. Lawrence. Of course. I don't think Q repeats as champions, but their defense does not end in the first round. The Badgers are frauds! Frauds, I tell you! 

Alex’s Take: Wisconsin is one of the turnaround stories of college hockey and Mike Hastings did a phenomenal job with this group. It did seem like the Badgers lost some of their luster as the season went along, starting 19-4 and finishing the year 7-7-2 in the final 16 games, including a number of stumbles against Ohio State. Quinnipiac has a lot of similar players off their title team from last year but lost goalie Yaniv Perets. Their record and possession metrics are elite like always, but they play in the ECAC so take it fwiw. I don't really like either of these teams and I think this is a very favorable draw for BC. Flip a coin and that can decide it. My coin says QPac. 

Peter’s Take: This is a matchup between regular season champion QPac and Wisconsin, who narrowly lost out on the B1G regular season title. The Bobcats still play a very disciplined defensive system and are led offensively by senior Colin Graf with 48 points and 22 goals in 32 games. Their goaltending has been very good, with senior transfer Vinny Duplessis coming in and posting a 1.93 GAA and a .918 save percentage but Quinnipiac's defense gives him help. Wisconsin brings a lot of depth to their scoring attack, with 13 skaters who registered double digits in scoring. Their undisputed leader is goaltender Kyle McClellan who led the nation with a .931 save percentage in 36 games played. This battle will be more than Quinnipiac can handle, so look for the Badgers to beat up on the Bobcats.

 

When we played Tech long ago [James Coller]

(1) Boston College vs (4) Michigan Tech

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Michigan Tech	9	23%	79%	1	2	2.28	.920	5-0	6.7%
Boston College	23	29%	90%	12	7	2.21	.923	19-2 (in last 21!)	93.3%

David’s Take: Michigan Tech is not a pushover program (Alex snickers). But...look at these number for BC! WHAT IS THAT?! Elite PP, PK, Goaltending, Superstars, Depth. How do they lose? Random plink-o tournaments. Check! Regardless...it won't be in the first round. In fact, I expect a stomp. Perhaps Blake Pietila plays out of his mind and keeps the Techies in it for a while. Like last year, though, eventually the dam breaks and the Eagles swoop the net and carry the Huskies away. BC and it's not close.

Alex’s Take: Hockey is hockey and Tech is hot, *yada yada* but this is not a good Michigan Tech team and Boston College is insanely good. We've seen how the 1/16 matchups between elite NHL talent teams and the sacrificial lamb teams have gone in recent years. Blake Pietila is definitely a good college goalie but is he ready for the assault of NHL shooters? Probably not to the extent that is needed to deliver a victory for the Huskies. 

Peter’s Take: Boston College is the juggernaut of the NCAA this season, the only team this year to win over 30 games… 31 so far. They boost the 2nd highest scoring lineup (trailing only Denver) and have a staggering +86 goal differential. They have four of the top seven scorers in the NCAA and freshman goalie Jacob Fowler leads the league in wins, is 5th in Save Percentage, and is 10th in Goals Against Average. The chances of Michigan Tech keeping this game closer than a four goal loss are bleak at best, and their only chance of a stunning upset would be their 5th year standout goalie Blake Pietila channeling the goalie ghosts of Ken Dryden and Terry Sawchuck to shut down what is sure to be an onslaught by B.C. Look for the Eagles to advance to the Regional Final.

Regional Winner - David: This regional sets up perfectly for Boston College. They're an hour south of their campus. Their two seed has faded in the second half of the season. They draw an upset automatic qualifier. Maybe Quinnipiac goalies their way to a monumental upset? I don't think so. It's really hard to see anyone but BC coming out of this group.

Regional Winner - Alex: If you go off of KRACH ratings, this Boston College team is the best college hockey team of the past 20 years and the best of the past decade by a wide margin. It will be a substantial surprise if they do not win the national title. If you were making a list of the top drafted prospects not currently in the NHL, roughly 3 of the top 6 or 7 would be on this BC team and they also have .925 goaltending from the 6th goalie off the board in last year's NHL Draft. None of QPac, Wisconsin, or Tech are anywhere close to that level. BC has to be the pick until they actually lose. 

Regional Winner - Peter: I have Wisconsin and Boston College doing battle in the Regional Final, where the Badgers will see their
season come to an end unless McClellan can have the game of his life. He won't and BC advances. 

 

[Bill Rapai]

Sioux Falls, SD Regional

(1) Boston University, (2) Minnesota, (3) Omaha, (4) RIT : I really wanted to go to Sioux Falls. Oh well. So...BU has Macklin Celebrini. He's pretty good. They also have a couple Hutsons. Also not too bad. But they get shipped to Sioux Falls because of a #4 seed host. LOLege Hockey. Minnesota is...unremarkable. Michigan played them three times in the last few weeks, and I came away...bored? The last couple iterations of Minnesota were a lot better. Omaha is...hosting...the Sioux Falls Regional? HUH? Do they own Interstate 29...two states away? I don't even. So, let's send RIT to South Dakota, too. Sure...that's completely fitting with everything else. 

(2) Minnesota vs (3) Nebraska-Omaha

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
Nebraska-Omaha	40	18%	78%	5	2	2.68	.912	3-2	43%
Minnesota	34	23%	80%	13	5	2.33	.923	3-2	57%

David’s Take: If there's a game to miss, this might be it. I'm not even really sure what to diagnose about either of these teams. I suppose if UNO plays their cards right, they have a good chance at an NCAA Tournament win. Minnesota probably gets some magic from Jimmy Snuggerud, and I'll have to listen to Ryan Zuke tell me about how awesome he is again. Are you betting on Minnesota, Zuke? The Gophers play a couple of Draw 4's to Skip their way to the Regional Final.

Alex’s Take: Minnesota has been a solid tourney team all year, doing a lot of things well but nothing excellently. They have some pro talent, have some scorers, can check and defend decently well, get solid goaltending from ole Justen Close. Nothing jumps off the page but they've been comfortably a top 10 team nationally all year. Omaha on the other hand had to win two games with their season on the line to get by CC in the quarters of the NCHC Tournament, then had to beat NoDak in the semifinals to officially crack the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota's the better team, Omaha is probably hotter. I'm predicting that this one goes to OT and Minnesota squeaks it out. 

Peter’s Take: This game has the potential to be one of the most heated games in the first round of any of the Regionals. Omaha has been one of the hottest teams in the country the last 2 months, going 12-3 in their past 15 games. Sophomore goalie Simon Latkoczy has been a rock between the pipes, surrendering only 22 goals in the past 14 games. Minnesota, last year's Tournament runner-up, comes into this game looking to find their offense. Ranked 10th in the nation scoring 3.5 goals per game, they were only able to score 3 in an OT winner over Penn State and then 1 goal against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semi-final game. Jimmy Snuggerud has 21 goals on this season but the big question will be how Minnesota's defense and goalie Justen Close will respond to the relentless forechecking and net front presence that Omaha brings. Look for the Mavericks to pull out a close one.

 

 

[Patrick Barron]

(1) Boston University vs (4) RIT  

Team	Corsi Rank	PP%	PK%	Players Drafted	Skaters >.75 ppg	GAA	Save%	Record in last 5 games	KRACH Prob of winning
RIT	8	24%	86%	0	6	2.18	.928	5-0 (7-0 in last 7)	16.7%
Boston University	25	29%	80%	14	6	2.33	.916	4-1 (8-1 in last 9)	83.3%

David’s Take: While my hometown Tigers do have good numbers across the board (sans the drafted skaters), this is where quality of competition comes into play. They did beat Notre Dame and New Hampshire this year. That's something. It's also not beating BU. I don't think they're beating BU. No, they aren't beating BU. The Terriers send the Tigers to the dog house. BU gets an extra couple days in Sioux Falls...lucky!

Alex’s Take: Hmmmm top notch team with NHL talent against the Atlantic Hockey autobid... I feel like I've seen this one before. Give me the Terriers with no explanation needed. 

Peter’s Take: In any other year, Boston University would be considered the best team in the country, but their nemesis Boston College earned that honor which leaves BU as the bridesmaid. That being said, they are a really good team that features the offensive wizardry of likely Hobey Baker winner Macklin Celebrini and the dynamic defenseman Lane Hutson. After that there is a noticeable drop off in skill but that is overcome with a lot grit. Their opponent, RIT, won the Atlantic Hockey Tournament (as expected) and received the auto-bid to the tournament. They bring a balanced attack in scoring and have the 13th ranked power play in the nation along with the 4th best penalty kill. Unfortunately, RIT played in the weak Atlantic Hockey Conference and their only game played against a tournament team was against Maine when they lost 5-2. Look for the Terriers to roll past the Tigers into the Regional Final.

Regional Winner - David: Boston vs Minnesota! Just like Tampa! Just like the late 70s! #RealCollegeHockey Okay, I'll give you the clips. First. And Second. Yeah, that's the stuff. Give me more Minnesota and Boston. Lucky Sioux Falls. Last year, I watched Minnesota shut Boston down and run them outta the rink. This year, it's the opposite. The Terriers want their revenge. They'll get it...in spades...and neutered Gophers. 

Regional Winner - Alex: BU got out to a terrible start to the season, getting skunked by the NTDP and losing to a not good Notre Dame team and an iffy New Hampshire team, while barely beating Bentley. Since then they've only been seriously stopped by their arch-rivals in BC, with a couple of flukey one-goal losses to Northeastern (both in OT) and tourney teams Cornell/NoDak tossed in. If BU goes down in this regional it'll probably be a one-goal OT loss. I don't think they will though, because they've been so good and I don't think terribly highly of the other teams in this regional. Like Adam Fantilli last year, Macklin Celebrini wills his team to the Frozen Four. 

Regional Winner - Peter: I have Omaha and BU doing battle for a trip to the Frozen Four and I'll take the better team, the Terriers advancing to St. Paul.