East Regionals
Location: Providence, RI
Dates: March 30-31
(1) Minnesota St. Mavericks
How they got here: WCHA Champions
NCAA Ranking: #3
Player to watch: Dryden McKay (Fr – G)
Other teams may get more press, but few teams in the NCAA Hockey tournament are scarier than the Minnesota State University Mavericks. The WCHA regular season and tournament champions are absolutely deadly, and a legitimate threat for the national title.
Minnesota State has been one of the best teams in the country all season long, and for good reason. They are third in the nation in both goals for and goals against. They have a top-10 power play and penalty kill. Their goaltender, Dryden McKay, just posted a .933 season save percentage.
Possession-wise, the Mavericks are an elite team in terms of shot-attempts percentage. In most levels of hockey, dominating play and getting such a high level of goaltending almost always leads to postseason success.
The games still have to be played, but on paper, Minnesota State are just about as dominant of a team as they come. It is just a shame that they got such a difficult first-round matchup (more on that later).
(2) Northeastern Huskies
How they got here: Hockey East Champions
NCAA Ranking: #5
Player to watch: Cayden Primeau (So – G)
If I seem to be choosing a lot of goaltenders as the players to watch, it is only because I truly believe that for most teams, their chances of winning rely on the play of their goaltender. Northeastern is in that group, as the play of Cayden Primeau has carried them this far.
Primeau is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, something he exhibited for Team USA in the World Juniors. He has been an absolute stud this year, posting a .936 save percentage while leading the Huskies to allowing among the fewest goals in the country.
Unfortunately, Northeastern is absolutely horrendous offensively. They control just 46.3% of shot attempts at even strength, and are carrying a shooting percentage of 10%. An off-day from either Primeau or the offense would spell disaster for this group.
(3) Cornell Big Red
How they got here: At-Large Bid (ECAC Runner-Ups)
NCAA Ranking: #10
Player to watch: Morgan Barron (So – F)
In normal circumstances, I would have Cornell down as another team that needs its goaltender to come up big to have a chance, but for the injury-ravaged Big Red, their most important player will be New York Rangers prospect Morgan Barron.
The two-time NCAA Hockey champions tied for their second straight ECAC regular-season title, before falling in overtime to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament. The biggest loss in that game, however, may have been starting goaltender Matthew Galajda, who is doubtful for the first-round.
As a result, sophomore Austin McGrath will likely be in net for Cornell, making it even more important that they can handle themselves offensively. In past years, they have been carried by stellar defense before faltering to high-octane offenses in the tournament.
They cannot rely on that this season, which is why Barron, their top scorer, will be so crucial. If he can help lead the offense, that in conjunction with their trademark shutdown defense could help them make a run. It helps that they get such a weak first-round opponent, but they need more.
(4) Providence Friars
How they got here: At-Large Bid (Hockey East)
NCAA Ranking: #11
Player to watch: Josh Wilkins (Jr – F)
If you are one of those people who likes to predict Cinderella stories in tournaments like this, then here is the team for you. The Providence Friars have the chance to take a lot of teams by surprise in this year’s NCAA Hockey tournament.
Perhaps the most underrated team in the tournament, Providence does not have a lot of flash. While Josh Wilkins is their top scorer, they really do not have anybody in any position who stands out significantly.
What they lack in pizzazz, however, they make up for in structure. The Friars consistently dominate the opposition in shot attempts, are great at limiting goals, and are above-average in scoring them. Plus, they essentially have “home-ice” with this region being hosted in Providence.
It is a shame, then, for both them and Minnesota State, that they have to face each other in the first round. For the fans, however, this is a godsend, as this could be the best game of the entire weekend. Get ready for some high-octane stuff, folks.