College Hockey: Power Edition

We are about 2 weeks away from the end of regular season college hockey. 2 weeks! That means that at this moment, a good portion of the races in college hockey are in the final stretches with only a few positions really up for grabs.

I normally like to cover every single conference during this edition, but this year I'll briefly touch a couple of conferences and then highlight the NCHC.

First, the Big 10.

I'm very disappointed with the B1G this season. It's probably more to do with Wisconsin than anything, but the traditional teams in this conference will only be Minnesota and Michigan. In all likelihood, WI will ride the dark horse position all the way to a loss at the B1G tourney. Their season will be over, and so might their head coach.

I expect Minnesota and Michigan to be the only teams remaining at the NCAA selection show. Penn State looks good every now and then, but only two will come from the B1G, and I don't think this year will be an upset.

Hockey East has finally settle down. After three years of fielding 4 teams, they will likely sink to 2 or 3 teams this season. BC, BU, and Providence are the 3 right now. Of those, I think BU is tied directly to the success of Jack Eichel. I think BC is a little better prepared, and Providence doesn't possess the same elite level talent it had a year ago.

Hockey East could still be an upset in the tourney, but barring that I don't think we'll see more than 3 teams in post season play.

The WCHA has finally come on strong. Nothing like the old days, but they are surely better than last season. My guess is that Bowling Green drops out with Minnesota State and Michigan Tech the representatives. I don't know how to gauge Michigan Tech. In the past, they have always had trouble against top talent. I don't know if this is due to a relatively weak WCHA, or they are that good.

My pick: WCHA fields 2.

The ECAC has finally come down to earth. Quinnipiac is as strong as they were 2 years ago during their frozen four run. Out side of the bobcats, no one will be representing this conference.

Finally: The NCHC

This has been the year the NCHC has been talking about since it's formation. They talked about power hockey, and that's what this season has been. So many people wrote Miami off after last season, but they came back strong to beat expectations.

First, top tier team: North Dakota. They have played a strong field and have done really well this season. Taking on some of the best talent in college hockey, the no named (formerly Sioux) team has found itself nearing an NCHC regular title. They play well in all situations, but can be shaky when teams present fairly good power plays.

Next: Middle tier teams:
1. Miami: Just because Miami isn't #1 this season, doesn't mean they won't be the last one standing. Like UND, they have the talent to take Boston. Their defense is strong and their offense is steady. They don't have the extra stride in their game that UND does, but they will still show strongly in the NCAA tourney.

2. Denver: I don't really know where to put Denver. They are the kind of team that is on one night, and off the next. With no net minder standing out over this entire season, it's up to the defense to maintain. The Pioneers play well against all teams, but are not in a position to claim of the last spots in the NCHC playoffs. I expect the Pioneers to make the tourney, unfortunately their goaltending situation will need to stead in the next 4 games. This is something that has not happened all season long.

3. Nebraska-Omaha: I like UNO. I like their presence in net, and their team in front of it. They play hard and skate really well. I would say that UNO is a lower mid tier team and can skate hard enough to compete with teams like Miami. They have the push to take down the best, but when the chips are all on the line I don't expect UNO to be able to stay consistent.

4. Minnesota-Duluth: UMD is a team on the brink of being low tier. They have just enough power in their skates to manage decent plays, but lack the overall vision to go end to end. They remind me quite a bit of the 2013-14 Wisconsin team. Power in certain area's but real weaknesses that will likely contribute to their demise.

Lower tier:

1. SCSU: It was only 2 years ago that SCSU was in the frozen four. They've fallen a long way since then. This is probably just a simple attrition problem, but not one likely to be fixed. They have big play ability, but have shadowed this all season long.

2. Western Michigan: Here is a team riding the rocks. Last year they were a team ready to beat down any opponent. This year they have lost their way. I don't think they are too far off from returning to the glory days of 5 years ago, but they have some rebuilding to do. Their season will likely end on Miami's campus.

3. Colorado College: The bottom of the list. The cellar dweller, that is CC. Not every team fires their coach and leaves behind a massive wave of good talent and recruits (DU). CC is rebuilding for a reason. It will likely take 2 more years for Coach Haviland to have his own system all to himself. He's got some of the best goaltending in the NCHC at his disposal, and that's one of the best things to have. CC looks very lost this season. I think this is mostly a clash of the old system with the new. Either way, CC won't give UND much trouble to end the season.

My final picks:

If it were to end today:
Frozen four: North Dakota vs. Quinnipiac and BU vs. Miami

I don't see the Big 10 making a big play this year. I think it's the year of the NCHC. My pick: UND win's it all.