5 Best Stories Of The 2014 NHL Playoffs

While the conference championships are in full swing, the 2014 playoff have brought quite a few interesting story lines.  Here are the 5 best so far.

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Ryan Miller Won’t Stay –The St. Louis Blues acquired Ryan Miller from the Buffalo Sabers right before the trade deadline and he was supposed to be the missing piece of the puzzle for the Blues going deep into the playoffs.  After winning the first 2 games of the first round, the Blues lost 4 straight games against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Blues recently signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a 3 year extension and will not be bringing Ryan Miller back. I thought Miller would be the Blues’ answer, especially with the great team they had around him.  Ryan will be a free agent this summer, so don’t feel bad.  He can sit back and wait for a team to give him a lot of money.

Kings Do What Few Have Done, Ever – The Los Angeles Kings came back from a 0-3 deficit in the first round to beat the San Jose Sharks in 7 games. 

Only 3 other teams have done this before. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1975 New York Islanders, and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers.  To put this into even more perspective, outside of hockey, only the 2004 Boston Red Socks have come back from a 0-3 deficit.  No team in the NBA has ever done this and no NFL team has ever done this either (NFL is 1 game elimination).

Milan Lucic Inspires T-Shirt – It was no surprise that the child like antics of the Boston Bruin’s Milan Lucic inspired a T-shirt that went viral shortly after their game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadians.  Lucic was on camera saying some pretty unsportsmanlike things to the Montreal players during the post game handshake

Needless to say, if you can’t read his lips, the t-shirt says it all.

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Canadians Skip to 3^rd String Goalie – It is always unfortunate when a starting goaltender gets injured during the playoffs and even worse when it’s your best player.  Montreal’s Carey Price went down in game 1 of the conference finals and in game 2 the Canadians skipped over their backup goalie Peter Budaj and started their third stringer, AHL’s Dustin Tomarski.  

Tomarski had 10 total NHL games before the start and is expected to play the rest of the series.  Good luck Montreal.

Rangers Keep Winning – Well well well.  I will be the first to say I was wrong about the New York Rangers this playoff season.  They have survived 2 game 7s and are two wins away from going to the Stanley Cup finals.  

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Henrik Lundqvist has played well and the Rangers’ offense has scored when they needed to.  Is this the year they end their 20 year Stanley Cup drought?  With Chicago or Los Angeles coming out of the west, probably not.

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Detroit Red Wings Get New Arena

Before I talk about the new arena the Detroit Red Wings were recently approved for, let’s take a look back at how they got there. 

Olympia Stadium

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The Detroit Red Wings were founded in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars and after their inaugural season in Windsor, began playing at Olympia Stadium on October 26, 1927.  The arena initially held 11,500 seats.  It was one of the premier venues at the time and held championship boxing matches as well as circuses and concerts.  The Red Wings won 7 Stanley Cups at Olympia, however over time the arena became run down and in 1979 the Wings played their last home game at the historic venue.

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Joe Louis Arena

In the same year Olympia closed its doors, Joe Louis Arena opened next to Cobo Hall.  With 20,000 seats and originally planned to host both the Red Wings and Detroit Pistons, the Joe became the sole home of the then nicknamed “Dead Wings.”  There was much speculation the Red Wings' franchise needed to be sold after compiling 2 decades of terrible seasons. 

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 In 1982 the owner of Little Caesars Pizza chain, Mike Ilitch, bought the Red Wings and although the team struggled in the 80s, turned things around in the 90s.  Beginning in 1991, Detroit has made the playoffs 23 consecutive seasons (current sports record), made 6 finals appearances, and won 4 Stanley Cups.

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I never made it to Olympia but I have been to at least 75 games at the Joe.  It is one of the funnest venues for any sporting event.  It is old and worn down but the atmosphere is better than anywhere I’ve ever been.  It’s bitter sweet they are leaving Joe Louis.  

Game 4 of this year's playoffs from my phone

Warm ups from game 4 of playoffs from my phone

New Arena

Now after 35 years playing at Joe Louis Arena, the Detroit Red Wings finally get a new home.  A new arena was recently approved by the City of Detroit and is set to begin construction this spring with doors scheduled to open for the 2016 – 2017 season.  The news comes as no surprise as Ilitch Holdings, owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch, have been discussing the possibility of moving from Joe Louis since 2010 when they renewed their lease of the arena.  The new arena will be located on the corner of Woodward and the I-75 service drive, across the street from Hockey Town Café.  

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The venue is expected to cost $450 million and generate some 8,300 jobs for Detroiters. No name or design of the arena has been made public, but we do know it will hold 18,000 seats.  This is a big deal for the Detroit Red Wings, their fans, and most importantly a revenue booster for the City of Detroit.

King, R., & Littmann, D. (2014). Hat Trick. dbusiness, 9(3), 69-73.

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2014 NHL Award Finalists

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The NHL has announced its 2014 award trophy finalists.   Some are obvious nominees and some may be a little surprising.  Winners will be announced on June 24 during the 2014 NHL awards ceremony at the Wynn in Las Vegas.  I break down the awards, the finalists, and who will be going home with the hardware.

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Lady Bing Trophy(Player with best sportsmanship) 

Finalists:  Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks), Ryan O’Reilly (Colorado Avalanche), Martin St. Louis (New York Rangers).

Prediction:  Patrick Marleau.  He captured his seventh 30 goal season in 9 years and helped San Jose to another 100 point season.  He’s the heart of the San Jose Sharks and leads by example. This is his 2^nd nomination for the trophy.

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Calder Trophy (Top rookie)

Finalists: Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay Lightning), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Ondrej Palat (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Prediction: Nathan Mackinnon.  Nathan was electric for the Avs in his rookie season.  He led all rookies in points (63) and broke a Wayne Gretzky record for single season point streak (13 games with a point) for a player 18 or under.  Anytime you break a Gretzky record you deserve to win something.

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SelkeTrophy (Best defensive forward)

Finalists:  Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins), Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings), Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)

Prediction: Anze Kopitar.  Anze is one of the premier back checkers in the league.  He logged the most shorthanded ice time among the top 30 scorers in the league and is tied for fourth in the league in plus-minus (+34).  Having seen all 3 players in person he is the best choice for this award.

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VezinaTrophy (Best goalie) 

Finalists:  Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning), Tuukka Rask (Boston Bruins), Semyon Varlamov (Colorado Avalanche)

Prediction: Tuukka Rask.  Helping lead the Bruins to their first Presidents Trophy (best team) since 1990, Tuukka was the only goaltender in the league to be top 5 in all major statistical categories.  He was 4^th in GAA (2.04), 5^th in wins (36), 2^nd in save percentage (.930), and 1^st in shutouts (7).  He also led Finland to a Bronze medal in the Sochi Olympics and is currently having a good playoff performance.

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NorrisTrophy (Best defensemen)  

Finalists:  Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins), Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks), Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)

Prediction: Zdeno Chara.  He is a 6’9”, 255 lbs menace and may be the best defensemen in the league.  Boston was ranked 2^nd in the league with goals against (177) and Chara was ranked top ten among defensemen with goals (17), plus/ minus (+25), power play goals (10), and game winning goals (3).

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JackAdams Trophy (Best coach)

Finalists:  Mike Babcock (Detroit Red Wings), Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning), Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche)

Prediction: Patrick Roy.  As well as Mike Babcock did this year with half of his team being new and under the age of 25, Patrick Roy got the Colorado Avalanche back into the playoffs with new purpose.  This was Roy’s rookie season and after the Avs finished 29^th overall last year, Patrick propelled them to 112 points and 2^nd place in the west.  Colorado also tied a franchise record with 52 wins.

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HartTrophy (MVP)

Finalists:  Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)

Prediction: Ryan Getzlaf.  With a career high 31 goals and 87 points (second in the league), Getzlaf helped the Ducks take the top spot in the West this season.  Ryan posted a 14 game point streak and set a career high with game winning goals (7).  He was also part of the gold medal winning Canadian hockey team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Don’t forget to follow me @EJ_Hockey_Post on twitter or my Facebook fan page ericjhockeypost

7 Reasons to Watch Game 7

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As the first round of the 2014 NHL playoffs come to a close, tonight we are given not 1, not 2, but 3 game 7’s.  This many games 7s in one night has not happened since 2003 and one can only hope they live up the hype.  If the idea of 3 game 7s in one night is not enough, I give you 7 reasons why you should be watching.

1. The Sharks Blow another Season – 2014 was once again the year the San Jose Sharks were going to win the Stanley Cup.  They brought back the same cast of high level scorers, tough guys, veteran defensemen, and a goaltender with a Stanley Cup ring.  The Sharks went up 3 games to 0 against the Los Angeles Kings 1 week ago and within this past week, have lost 3 straight games.  Tonight they are trying not to blow their season and lose game 7 at home to an LA Kings team who have every intention of winning 4 in a row.   Besides, I predicted the Kings in 7.

2. Patrick Roy – The former goaltender and 2 time Stanley Cup champion for the Colorado Avalanche looks to make his first game 7 appearance as a head coach.  Still as animated and crazy as ever, his stress level is at an all time high after his club gave up 3 unanswered goals in the third period of game 6.  If Colorado gets down early or a bad call goes against them, look for Roy to lose it and bring some entertainment value behind the bench.

3. Henrik Lundqvist – I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; Henrik Lundqvist is not an elite goalie. He has been praised by analysts and writers for years during the regular season and when the big games come, he is not reliable.  His stats are great in the regular season and playoffs, but he is not stellar in clutch games (look at the Olympics most recently).  His confidence is shaky after letting in 4 goals in 23 shots in game 6.  King Lunqvist loses this one.  

4. Minnesota Upsets The Avalanche – I’ll be the first to say I was wrong thinking Colorado was going to roll the Minnesota Wild in 5 games.  However, Minnesota’s veteran players have risen up in the clutch games this series and the Avs are having trouble scoring on the Wild’s third string goalie.  My main reason Minnesota wins is the curse of the 7 seed beating the 2 seed. Last year Detroit beat Anaheim and Ottawa beat Montreal.  In 2012, Washington beat Boston who was a 2 seed.  The 7 seed beats the 2 seed more times than you think.

5. Rangers Lose, Again - Look at any headline today and it feels like déjà vu.  The New York Rangers, with 1 win left to clinch the series, are pushed to game 7, again.  The Rangers are supposedly a destination city where star players come from small markets to showcase their talents.  However the opposite effect seems to keep happening.  Players do worse there than their previous city.  Rick Nash came to New York to be the playoff goal scorer they were missing.  He has 0 goals in the series.  Flyers take game 7.

6. The Fans – Let’s all be honest, we know fans get rowdier the further their team gets in the post season.  No one fights when their team loses in the first round, but when a team loses in the finals there’s a high probability police with riot gear are waiting outside.  Whether it’s because fans know they are closer to a championship or because they drank just a little more than they should have, the fans bring excitement to the game.  Game 7 brings out the craziest fans and they’re not afraid to show it.  There was even a brawl last night at the Flyers Rangers game 6.

7. Because its game 7 – Any sports fan knows game 7 is when you see the best performances by the best players.  Game 7 for hockey is the pinnacle of any playoff game in any sport.  The crowd, the atmosphere, the players and coaches, everyone involved in the game knows it’s do or die.  All three game 7s tonight could go in either teams favor.  That’s what makes it special.  Enjoy!

Don’t forget to follow me @EJ_Hockey_Post on twitter or my Facebook fan page ericjhockeypost

Top 5 Must Have Equipment of 2014

Every spring brings us the newest and most innovative products and equipment hockey manufacturers can make.  This spring is no exception with Bauer, CCM, Reebok, and Warrior all introducing their newest products to hockey players of all ages.

Bauer Supreme TotalONE MX3 Skates

As one of the premier products in hockey, Bauer Supreme represents top level quality and performance.  Bauer is introducing their newest skate, the Bauer Supreme TotalONE MX3.  Innovations of this top level skate include Curv composite upper and outsole, Tuuk fusion LS runners (blade holder), injected stability lacing system, and Quickfit footbed.

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As an owner of Bauer TotalONE skates, I can tell you this is the best skate on the market.  Bauer is also claiming this is the lightest stake to ever hit the market which is impressive considering how light their current sticks are.  The coolest part about this skate is how easy it is to take the blade out of the chassis, watch the video.  These will retail for $849.99.

Bauer Nexus 8000 Stick

Bauer’s Nexus 8000 Stick replaces the current Nexus 1000.  This particular stick uses a classic mid kick profile for optimized shooting at any angle.  The carbon composite used in this stick, TeXtreme Carbon, is 20% lighter than normal carbon.  The blade on the Nexus 8000 uses a higher grade foam layer which prevents the blade from breaking down as fast.

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I like the new look of this stick.  I have used current model Nexus sticks and they look very plain.  The quality and feel of Nexus sticks are great because they are somewhat of a hybrid between Bauer’s Vapor and Supreme sticks.  The Bauer Nexus 8000 sticks retail for $259.99.

CCM RBZ Hockey Pants

RBZ has become synonymous with Taylor Made golf clubs and over the past year has teamed up with CCM hockey sticks.  Now CCM is using the RBZ name for their protective equipment, like their new CCM RBZ hockey pants.  The back of the pants are constructed of high density foam and the thighs, kidney, and hip are made CCM’s Crazy Light U Foam which offers pro level protection.

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I like the look of these pants.  I’m glad CCM is continuing to use their lightweight Crazy Light U material.  CCM pants are very protective and are made to last multiple seasons.  No word yet on how much these pants will retail for but CCM’s current top of the line pants debuted at $199.99.

CCM Tacks Skates

For those of you who remember the iconic CCM Tacks skates, which have been in hiatus for a decade, CCM is finally bringing them back.  New for 2014, CCM Tacks are reborn offering their Speed Blade 4.0 holder which lets you stand 4 mm higher, giving you a shorter turning radius.  

I grew up wearing CCM Tacks and if these are anything like the old skates, which they should far exceed; these skates will be one of the hottest items on the market.  Currently Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche is using these.  He will be the front runner for rookie of the year.  Cost of these skates will start around $899.99.

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Warrior Dynasty AX1 Gloves

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Warrior’s top of the line gloves, the Dynasty AX1 will replace the current AX2.  The AX1 is the latest and most versatile glove Warrior has ever made.  These use classic styling and offer pro grade protection as well as mobility. The AX1 has Warrior’s Hi-Quality Clarino Authentic Pro Palm which prevents tears and helps the palms last longer.

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Warrior Dynasty AX1 gloves retail for $179.99.

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NHL Playoff Preview

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It’s that time of the year again.  The NFL draft is closing in, the Masters has kicked off the PGA season, and Major League Baseball is on every channel, every day.  More importantly, professional hockey’s regular season has come to a close which can only mean one thing; the NHL playoffs are upon us.  The greatest playoff of any sport starts tonight and will consist of hockey’s best teams.  While 14 teams are scheduling tee times and planning summer vacations, 16 teams have earned the right to compete for the biggest and most sought after trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup.  

Eastern Conference

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(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Montreal Canadians

Starting this year’s tournament, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the most historic franchise in hockey, the Montreal Canadians.  The Lightning won 3 of the 4 match ups against their new division rival this season. Led by 2014 gold medalists’ goaltender Carey Price and defensemen P.K. Subban, the Canadians will look to their defense to win this series.  Prediction: Montreal in 7 games.

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(1) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Detroit Red Wings

In one of the more intriguing matchups, the President Trophy winning Boston Bruins will host the best 4 seed in the playoffs.  Making their 23^rd consecutive playoff appearance (longest active streak in professional sports), the Red Wings are a young team and may be without captain Henrik Zetterberg.  The Bruins come into the post season with minimal injuries and highly skilled at all positions.  With Detroit relying on their young players who lack in playoff experience, the advantage goes to Boston.  Prediction: Boston in 6 games.

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(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) Columbus Blue Jackets

Not much of a matchup in this one.  The Penguins are possibly the best team in the east with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup.  Columbus’s only chance is if their goaltender and 2013 Vezina trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky stands on his head and shuts down Pittsburgh’s offense.  Prediction: Pittsburgh in 4 games.

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(2) New York Rangers vs (3) Philadelphia Flyers

One of the oldest and most hated rivalries in all of sports, the Rangers - Flyers series will be physical and high scoring.  The winner of this series will be the one who wins the battles in the corners and in front of the net.  Both teams have good goaltenders but can be easily rattled if scored on early.  Look for lop sided wins by both teams.  Prediction: Philadelphia in 6 games.

Western Conference

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(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (4) Dallas Stars

Finishing 1 point behind Boston in the standings for the top team in the league, the Ducks are looking to not repeat last year's 1st round exit.  They host a Dallas Stars team who got into the playoffs the last week of the season.  Anaheim is loaded with talent, but they will only go as far as their starting goalie will take them.  Look for the Ducks to win this series early.  Prediction: Anaheim in 5 games.

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(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (3) Los Angeles Kings

If you pick one series to watch during the playoffs, this is the series you want to watch.  Two of the best all around teams in the NHL, the Sharks and Kings are division rivals who hate one another, and it shows.  Los Angeles is two years removed from their Stanley Cup Championship and San Jose has never been able to get over the hump of making it to the finals.  Look for a long series with home ice being a key to winning.

Prediction: Los Angeles in 7 games.

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(1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (4) Minnesota Wild

Former goalie and now coach, Patrick Roy, has the Colorado Avalanche playing the best hockey they've played in the last few years.  Young goal scorers and a solid goaltender have given the Avs the top seed in the Central Division.  The Wild are the top wild card team and although they acquired all-star and Olympian free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last summer, they do not have the depth to stay with Colorado.  Prediction: Colorado in 5 games.

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(2) St. Louis Blues vs. (3) Chicago Blackhawks

The St. Louis Blues’ offense has been plagued by injury during the last few weeks of the regular season.  With many of their top scorers needing a game or two to get back into things, the Blackhawks have a great opportunity to get ahead early in the series.  Newly traded goalie Ryan Miller has also been shaky for the Blues.  Chicago has virtually the same team as last season when they won the Stanley Cup and are full of veterans with plenty of playoff experience.  Prediction: Chicago in 6 games.

Check out your favorite team’s playoff schedule

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2014 Frozen Four

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For those of you not familiar with NCAA hockey, the Frozen Four is its version of the final four.  Unlike this year’s NCAA basketball final four with one number 1 seed and 3 other teams not favored to get there, the 2014 Frozen Four is set for 2 match ups of hockey powerhouses.  The top three teams in the nation (Boston College, University of Minnesota, and Union College) will make an appearance as well as a team very familiar with the NCAA tournament, the University of North Dakota.

Boston College is hockey’s version of Alabama football; they are always in contention to win the national championship.  Since 2000, the Boston College Eagles have been to 7 national championship games and won 4 of them.  Not to mention they wear the best looking jerseys in the sport.  This year the Eagles come into the Frozen Four having won their regular season conference championship, Hockey East, and are ranked number 2 in the country.  Led by Hobey Baker award finalists, forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Kevin Hayes make up two thirds of the best line in college hockey combining for 140 points in 39 games (SB Nation).  The Eagles take on Union College (NY) in the national semifinals Thursday April 10^th at 5 PM which may ultimately decide the national champion.

Hailing from Schenectady, NY, the Union College Dutchmen are no newbies to college hockey’s elite tournament.  They lost in the national semifinals in 2012 and lost early in the tournament last year.  This year the team is led by veterans like defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere, a finalist for NCAA hockey’s top honor.  The Dutchmen won the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and even though they are the only division III school in the tournament, they play like one of the top teams in the nation.  Union’s main weapon is speed and tempo, not only from their forwards, but their defensemen as well.  They look to upset Boston College in route to their first national final appearance.

On the other side of the bracket, the number 1 team in the country, the Minnesota Golden Gophers look to make their first finals appearance since winning back to back national championships in 2002 and 2003.  With the CCHA gone and the emergence of Big Ten hockey conference, the Gophers were dominant in winning the regular season.  I watched a lot of Gopher hockey this year and even though they did not win the Big Ten tournament, they were hands down the best team in the Big Ten.  Minnesota is heavy on skilled freshmen like forward Justin Kloos and linemate Nate Condon.  As one of the top three defenses in the country, the Gophers rely heavily on their goaltender, Hobey Baker finalist Adam Wilcox. Wilcox was also named Big Ten player of the year.

The dark horse in this year’s tournament is actually no dark horse at all.  Despite coming into the tournament as a number 4 seed, The University of North Dakota is making their 20^th Frozen Four appearance.  Only four other teams have more appearances in the tournament’s history.  The team’s best player has come from between the pipes in goaltender Zane Gothberg, who stopped 44 of 45 shots in the regional final game against Ferris State.  Their defense it top notch but they lack scoring depth which has forced them into tight games during the tournament.  North Dakota will try to emulate what Yale did last year in making a late season run at a national title.  They will do their best to upset the number 1 team in the land Thursday night at 8 PM.

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