NCAA Frozen Four Tournament Preview

NORTHEAST REGIONALS – WORCESTER, MASS.

(1) Boston College Eagles vs. (4) Denver University Pioneers (Mar. 29 – 4 p.m., ESPNU/WatchESPN)

This is a game between two of the NCAA’s most storied college hockey programs, with 12 national championships between them.

Apr 5, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston College Eagles forward Johnny Gaudreau (13) skates with the puck as Minnesota Gophers left wing Sam Warning (11) defends in the second period during the semifinals of the 2012 Frozen Four at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Boston College has the most successful NCAA program of the last decade, especially with national championships in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

Seeded second overall, the Eagles are in a heck of a position to win once again. They have arguably the most potent offense in the country, led by highly-touted Calgary Flames draft pick Johnny Gaudreau, who terrorized the NCAA with 69 points in 37 games, 12 points clear of New Hampshire forward Greg Carey. Gaudreau led the nation in goals (32), and finished second in assists (37).

Though they didn’t touch Gaudreau’s numbers, Kevin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks) and Bill Arnold (Calgary) are both lethal options for Boston College, finishing second and fourth in Hockey East Association scoring, respectively, and both were top 10 in the NCAA.

However, after the big three, the secondary scoring is a bit of a drop-off, though 28 points from Patrick Brown and another 27 from freshman Ryan Fitzgerald (Boston Bruins draft pick, son of former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald) is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Boston College has split its goaltending pretty evenly, though draft-eligible prospect Thatcher Demko has been the guy lately for the Eagles. However, Demko will need to play better to keep his place in the crease, as he allowed 13 goals on 65 shots (.800 save percentage) in Boston College’s three-game series loss to Notre Dame in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

He’s shown he’s more than up for the challenge, though, as he had a stretch from Dec. 7 to Mar. 1 where he didn’t allow more than three goals in a game, right before the Notre Dame series.

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On the other side, Denver University is making its seventh straight Frozen Four appearance, though they haven’t won it all since winning back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005.

Freshman Trevor Moore, who turns 19 on Monday, led the Pioneers in scoring with 31 points, while Ottawa Senators prospect Quentin Shore (brother of current Florida Panther Drew Shore) had 25 points for a Denver squad more focused on balanced scoring than having any one superstar, helping Denver earn its first National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship since 2008.

However, as we alluded to in the Minnesota-Robert Morris matchup in the West, a hot goaltender can make all the difference, and Florida Panthers prospect Sam Brittain certainly provides stability for the Pioneers. Brittain led just about every NCHC goaltending statistic imaginable, with 19 victories, a .932 save percentage, and five shutouts. He was third in goals-against average while facing (and stopping) more shots than any goaltender in the conference.

He’s certainly consistent, posting a .930 save percentage and a 2.16 GAA in his last seven games.

(2) University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks vs. (3) Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks (Mar. 29 – 7:30 p.m., ESPN3/WatchESPN)

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UMass-Lowell makes a return trip to the NCAA Tournament after its Frozen Four appearance in 2013, having won its second straight Hockey East championship after defeating New Hampshire.

The River Hawks effectively live and die with sophomore goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick. He led the NCAA with a .943 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average in 27 games, and he’s been in exceptional form throughout the season, not having allowed more than three goals in a game since Jan. 24.

In that time period, Hellebuyck is 9-3-2 with four shutouts, a .938 save percentage, a 1.74 goals-against average, and a current shutout streak of 141:55.

Offensively, UMass-Lowell is led by senior Joseph Pendenza with 29 points in 39 games, the only River Hawk to rank in the top 20 in Hockey East scoring (he was 19th). However, Pendenza’s value goes beyond the scoresheet, having won more faceoffs than anybody other Hockey East player, with 484.

Christian Folin is another player worth keeping an eye on for UMass-Lowell, as a few NHL teams are reportedly pursuing the big Swedish defenseman’s services as a free agent.

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Meanwhile, Minnesota State is a school on the rise, making its second straight tournament appearance since Mike Hastings took over as head coach, and winning its first Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship this season.

The Mavericks had two of the WCHA’s top three scorers this season in juniors Matt Leitner (first, 44 points) and Jean-Paul Lafontaine (third, 40 points), helping fuel a season that saw Minnesota State finish second in the conference behind Ferris State in the regular season.

Minnesota State also has American World Junior Zach Stepan, cousin to New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan.

If Connor Hellebuyck is the stabilizer for UMass-Lowell, freshman Cole Huggins does the same for the Mavericks. Huggins had an outstanding rookie season, leading the WCHA with a 1.91 goals-against average and six shutouts, posting a 21-7-1 record. Huggins has turned it up over the past eight games, posting a .944 save percentage, a 1.31 goals-against average, and three shutouts.

This is a game that could well be decided by the guys between the pipes, so keep your eyes on this one.