Roses and Thorns: Two Boxes Left to Check

UND celebrates their 5-2 win over Michigan in the Midwest
Regional final on Saturday. Coupled with their 6-2 victory over
Northeastern on Friday, the Green and White punched their ticket
to the Frozen Four for the third-straight season. (Photo: GF Herald)

When UND men's hockey coach Brad Berry took over the 2015-16 squad from the NHL-departing Dave Hakstol, he immediately met with the team and made sure they knew that expectations weren't changing.

The Green and White had finished their past two seasons in the national semifinals and Berry made it clear in his first meeting as bench boss that the team had two boxes left to check -- get to the national title game and bring home green banner No. 8 to the REA rafters.

After two convincing wins in the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional in Cincinnati, North Dakota, once again, has just two boxes left to check.

The Green and White took the crown in the Queen City, overwhelming red-hot Northeastern 6-2 and shutting down Michigan and the vaunted CCM line, 5-2 and punched their ticket to Tampa and the Frozen Four for the third-straight season.

It was an impressive weekend for UND and here's what stood to DDC is his Roses and Thorns column, NCAA tournament style.

Roses

No. 1 -- Relentless Defense

UND head coach Brad Berry
after the 5-2 win over Michigan:

"I truly believe we have a special group
in our locker room," Berry said.
"They do the right things on and off
the ice. It's a team culture. It's a team-first
mentality. We've got a lot of high-end
players in that locker room.
They check their egos at the door.
It's team first and I think you witnessed
that this weekend."

The lead storyline coming into the Midwest Regional, outside of Northeastern's second-half success, was the offenses. The Huskies had the 12th-best scoring offense in the NCAA and the 7th-best power play, UND's was 8th led by the vaunted CBS line and the Wolverines, headlined by a trio of Hobey Baker Finalists, the CCM line, carried the best scoring offense and best power play. Who was going to score the most goals and head to Tampa? Well, simply put, it was the tenacious effort by the UND defense that stole the show and led UND to another Frozen Four. All weekend, the Green and White did not let either the Huskies nor the Wolverines time and space to create. They were incredible in the neutral zone. After dispatching NU in the first round, UND kept the CCM line of JT Compher, Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte at bay and made them do something that no other team had all season -- play dump and chase hockey. The CCM was a combined -7 on Saturday. This allowed the Green and White to control play and let their offense go to work. UND outshot their opponents by a 75-53 margin, allowing Michigan just 27 in the title game.  It was an amazing effort of sticks in lanes, board battle wins and net front efforts that led North Dakota. Goaltender Cam Johnson was solid, allowing just 2 goals per game to earn regional MVP honors. What a weekend from this defense against two tremendous offenses.

No. 2 -- Luke Johnson and the "Heavy Line"

The Junior forward has often been maligned by UND fans for his play in his career due to some ill-timed penalties and inconsistent play. But, Johnson has been nothing short of impressive in the NCAA tournament. Grouped on the newly dubbed "Heavy Line" with Rhett Gardner and Austin Poganski, Johnson notched a goal in each game this weekend and earned all-regional first team honors. The Grand Forks native has now scored a goal in five-straight NCAA tournament games, netting the eventual game winner on Friday and adding a crucial goal on Saturday with just 45 seconds left in the second period to give UND a 2-1 lead. Johnson and the Heavy Line's impact wasn't just offensive. The trio had a major part in shutting down the CCM line on Saturday with a terrific forecheck. Hats off to this trio, lead by Johnson.

UND's Rhett Gardner and the newly coined "Heavy Line" with Austin Poganski
and Luke Johnson had a tremendous weekend, notching 3 of UND's 11 goals and
leading a staunch defensive charge allowing just four goals in two games.
(Photo credit: Jesse Trelstad, Grand Forks Herald)

No. 3 -- UND's Depth

UND So. F, Johnny Simonson
scored a huge goal on Friday
with the Green and White trailing
1-0. It was Simonson's first goal
since October. The forward tallied
one of eight non-CBS line goals
on the weekend for UND.

For much of the season, a consistent storyline for the Green and White was their ability, or inability, of players outside of the top-flight CBS line to score goals. Once again, this is clearly in the rear-view mirror. The CBS did their part as both Brock Boeser and Drake Caggiula scored on Friday while Caggiula netted UND's first goal on Saturday, but the rest of the team did the heavy lifting on the weekend. The Green and White scored 11 goals on the weekend and the effort was from all over the lineup. Johnny Simonson scored UND's first goal on Friday, with the team trailing 1-0 in the first, his first since October. Then, Tucker Poolman, Luke Johnson and Bryn Chyzyk tallied the next three to put Northeastern away. On Saturday, it was more of the same. Caggiula opened the scoring for UND, but with the game tied 2-2, the Green and White depth took over with goals by Rhett Gardner and Coltyn Sanderson just 1:14 apart in the third period to send the Green and White to Tampa. Paul LaDue added an empty-netter to round out the 5-2 win. Scoring 11 goals in a regional is impressive. Even more impressive when just three of those came from UND's best forward line. This is a huge statement for the Green and White. This squad is absolutely not a one-line team.

Thorns

No. 1 -- John Siminson, Cam Jansen, UND's CCM line and the TV Announcers

Woof. DDC knows this is silly, but it's worth mentioning -- who were these guys calling the games at the Midwest Regional? Ok, ok .... yes, this doesn't matter, but it certainly was annoying listening to the color man mention how many times he was the MVP of the regional when he played for Boston University while butchering simple names for UND. He certainly knew the names of the CCM, except when he called the CBS line the CCM. The Green and White dominated both teams in the regional, but somehow, the game always seemed close with this duo's constant love for non-existent consistent offensive pressure. Thank you for the coverage of this tournament, ESPN, but c'mon, let's get these guys to do a little pregame prep, eh? *Deep breath* ok... rant over.

No. 2 -- The Ref Check Heard 'Round the World

Ok, so this might be a bit of a rose, as it was hilarious, but where in the heck did that ref come from that delivered a huge check behind the net after Caggiula's goal on Saturday? If you haven't yet seen it, check out this bomb of a hit.

Cag was just about to go for a big celly, but this ref wasn't having it. DENIED! UND has done more celebrations this season than in years past with a more relaxed team style, so maybe former head coach Dave Hakstol got in this guy's ear to not allow this anymore. Great form. DDC is dying to know what Caggiula said to the man in stripes, but Troy Stecher did a good job to keep this laughable. Good stuff.

For fans of the Green and White, we've been here before. Up next, it's UND vs. Denver in the national semifinals in Tampa. Check back this week for more as North Dakota's chase for No. 8 continues. Thanks for reading!

NCAA Tournament -- MW Regional: From The Queen City to Tampa

Midwest Regional at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio
Game times and TV information:

Regional Semifinals, Friday:
No. 1 UND vs. No. 4 Northeastern, 1 p.m. CT, ESPNU;
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 4:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU.

Regional Final, Saturday, 5 p.m. CT, ESPN2

It's time for "one and done" and "win or go home".

It's time for "season's over" and "survive and advance".

For the 16 teams left across the men's hockey landscape, including the four in Cincinnati's Midwest Regional, it's time for the Big Dance and for each team's chance at the one prize all 60 teams vie for at the beginning of the season -- a national championship.

Take a deep breath. It's time for the NCAA tournament.

It's UND vs. Northeastern and Michigan vs. Notre Dame in the first round. The two winners advance to the regional title game for a chance to skate to Amalie Arena in Tampa for the Frozen Four.

The Green and White are the only team from last year's tournament that are playing this weekend in Cincinnati. UND has advanced to back-to-back Frozen Fours, but are looking to break through with a national championship for the first time since 2000.

The Green and White are familiar with U.S. Bank Arena, winning the Midwest Regional there in 2014.

Here's DDC's "Who? What? How?" breakdown of what will be a terrific weekend in The Queen City. Who will punch their ticket to Tampa?

Who?

Players to watch

NU Sr. F, Kevin Roy

Northeastern University Huskies

Jr. F, Zach Aston-Reese, 14 goals, 29 assists -- 43 points; So. F, Nolan Stevens, 19g, 22a -- 41 pts; Sr. F, Kevin Roy, 10g, 15a -- 25 pts; So. D, Garret Cockerill, 8g, 13a -- 21 pts; Fr. G., Ryan Ruck, 20-10-4, 2.26 goals against average, .912 save percentage.

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 25g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, 4th overall in NCAA), 26a -- 51 pts (2nd in NCAA in rookie scoring, 8th overall); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 19g (T-3rd in NCAA in game-winning goals with 7), 25a -- 44 pts; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 10g, 32a (3rd in NCAA in assists per game with .97) -- 42 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 8g, 19a -- 27 pts; Mike Richter Award Finalist So. G, Cam Johnson, 20-4-2 (2nd in NCAA in win percentage), 1.64 GAA (2nd in NCAA), .935 SV PCT (T-3 in NCAA).

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

So. F, Anders Bjork, 11g, 22a -- 33 points; So. F, Jake Evans, 8g, 25a -- 33 pts; Sr. F, Thomas DiPauli, 13g, 18a -- 31 pts; Sr. F, Mario Lucia, 12g, 12a -- 24 pts; So. D, Jordan Gross, 9g, 22a -- 31 pts; So. G., Cal Petersen, 19-10-7, 2.19 GAA, .928 SV PCT.

Michigan Fr. F, Kyle Connor

Michigan Wolverines

Fr. F, Kyle Connor, 35g, 34a -- 69 pts; (Hobey Baker Finalist, No. 1 in NCAA in goals, points, 2nd in power play goals (10) and 4th in assists), Jr. F, JT Compher, 14g, 46a -- 60 pts (Hobey Baker Finalist, No. 1 in NCAA in assists, 2nd in points); Jr. F, Tyler Motte, 31g, 23a -- 54 pts (Hobey Baker Finalist, 2nd in NCAA in goals); So. D, Zach Werenski, 10g, 24a -- 34 pts; Sr. G, Steve Racine, 19-5-3, 2.89 GAA, .913 SV PCT.

What?

Standout Stats

UND

The Green and White own the NCAA's third-best scoring defense allowing just 1.85 goals per game and has the NCAA's eighth-best scoring attack with a 3.55 goals per game average.

Drake Caggiula leads the country with a +39 while linemates Nick Schmaltz and Brock Boeser are tied for fourth at +35. Caggiula is tied for third in the NCAA with seven game-winning goals.

North Dakota is 23-0-3 when leading after two periods and has not lost a game when leading after two in an astounding 70 straight games.

Northeastern

The Huskies are 12th in the NCAA with 3.30 goals per game and 20th in goals allowed at 2.48.

Northeastern's power play is 7th in the NCAA, converting 23.5% of their opportunities while their penalty kill has struggled, stopping just 79.4% of opponents chances, which is tied for 46th in the country.

The Huskies are a stalwart 19-2-0 when leading after two periods on the year, but are a paltry 1-10-4 when trailing after two.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are 15th in the NCAA in goals per game (2.31), 14th in goals against (2.31), 10th in power play (21.3%) and 20th in penalty kill (83.7%).

Notre Dame has lost five of their last six games and scored just 11 goals in those six.

The Irish are 18-4-5 when scoring first, but just 1-6-2 when allowing the game's first goal.
 

Michigan

Michigan's explosive offense leads the NCAA in goals per game (4.89) and power play (31.8%). However, they are a below average defensive team, allowing 3.00 goals per game (30th in NCAA) and killing just 79.8% of their opponents power plays (45th in NCAA).

The Wolverine's vaunted trio of Hobey Baker Finalists, the CCM line of Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Tyler Motte are first, second and fourth nationally in points.

Michigan is a +50 in the third period this season and are 17-1-0 when leading after two periods.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 3 UND (30-6-4) lost to Minnesota Duluth 4-2 and tied Denver 1-1 in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. The Green and White are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. The Green and White are in the NCAA tournament for the 14th-straight season, the best current mark and second best streak all time.

No. 9 Northeastern (22-13-5) won the Hockey East Championship with wins over UMass-Lowell and Boston College. In the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009, the Huskies are 20-1-2 in their last 23 games after starting the season 1-11-2.

No. 13 Notre Dame (19-10-7) were swept by Northeastern 3-1, 6-4 in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Fighting Irish have lost 5 out of their last 6 games. The Fighting Irish are back in the NCAA tournament after missing last season for the first time since 2012.

No. 5 Michigan (24-7-5) beat Penn State 7-2 and Minnesota 5-3 to win the Big 10 tournament. The Wolverines have won four-in-a-row after dropping three straight. The Wolverines are back in the NCAA's for the first time since 2012. Before then, Michigan had made 22 straight tournaments, most all time.

The Pick(s)

So now that you're all caught up on the ins and outs of these four teams, let's get right to it.

North Dakota vs. Northeastern

UND So. G, Cam Johnson
leads a Green and White
defensive attack that is third
best in the NCAA allowing
a 1.85 goals per game mark.

It's pretty crazy to think that a team who has lost just six times all season has been lauded by many as an underdog coming into the NCAA tournament. While UND spent the season piling up wins, going 30-6-4 on the year, they are surely not nearly as hot as the Huskies coming into this weekend.

If you're at all plugged into the college hockey world, you've no doubt heard all about Northeastern's incredible stretch run. After starting the season 1-11-2, the Huskies have rolled, going 21-2-3 the rest of the way, including an active 13-game winning streak and a Hockey East tournament championship.

Stripping all the hype away from this one, this game should be a fantastic start to the tournament. These two teams play with pace and are both explosive offensively. However, this isn't the regular season, the Frozen Faceoff, nor the HEA championship. This is the NCAA tournament and defense usually decides these games.

DDC has heard all the stats from the NU side about how great they are offensively, but the consistent thought has surrounded the Huskies defensive corps. All season long, UND's back end has been nothing short of tough to beat. Sure, they've had their ups and downs, but defensively, the Green and White are as good as anyone in the NCAA.

This is where UND makes its hay. Sophomore goaltender Cam Johnson does it again, slows the hottest team in the country and moves the Green and White to the regional finals.

UND TOPS NORTHEASTERN, 5-2.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan

The Fighting Irish are arguably the coldest team entering the NCAA tournament, dropping five of their last six games after being swept by Northeastern in the first round of the Hockey East tournament two weekends ago.

This is a bad development for Notre Dame as they face the nation's best offensive team in Michigan, who are led by the Hobey Baker Trio CCM line of Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Tyler Motte.

The Wolverines are not a good defensive team, but they score too much to be slowed against an only decent Irish defense.

Michigan rolls into Saturday night.

MICHIGAN BEATS THE IRISH, 6-3.

Midwest Regional Final -- UND vs. Michigan

UND Fr. F, Brock Boeser's
25 goals is second among NCAA
rookies, behind only Michigan's
Kyle Connor in freshman goals.

The college hockey world is salivating.

It's Big Blue vs. the Green and White. It's nine national titles vs. seven. It's the CCM line vs. the CBS line. It's North Dakota vs. Michigan for the chance to advance to the Frozen Four.

These two teams can light it up and the pace in this game will be tremendous. However, Michigan's defense is a huge chink in this team's armor.

The Wolverines are allowing 3.00 goals per game on the season and UND has lost only twice this season when scoring at least three.

Simply put, Michigan has not seen a team this season that can play shutdown defense and despite their eye-popping numbers, they have yet to play a team like North Dakota that can score with them and play tough defense.

DDC expects a huge effort from the Green and White as they slow the CCM line, while the CBS line finds time and space to bury chances against a below average defense. Watch Brock Boeser in this one. His electric shot will devastate Michigan goaltender Steve Racine.

For the third-straight season, the Green and White move on to the Frozen Four.

UND TAKES DOWN THE WOLVERINES, 6-3.

It's time to exhale. Check back later to see if UND can keep it's season alive in their run for green banner No. 8.

 

Roses and Thorns: The Two Dogs Have Their Days

St. Cloud State became the third team to capture the NCHC
Championship Trophy in three seasons of the event, topping
Minnesota Duluth 3-1 in the Frozen Faceoff championship
on Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

DDC did it again. It was UND vs. Denver and St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota Duluth on Saturday at the Frozen Faceoff.

Nailed it!

Wait... so you're telling me DDC went 0-3-1 this weekend in his picks?

Damn you, Target Center.

Much to UND and the DDC's chagrin, the Green and White again struggled at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis dropping a 4-2 decision to UMD on Friday afternoon and playing to a 1-1 tie on Saturday against Denver, moving to 1-4-1 in three years of the tournament.

St. Cloud State topped Denver 4-2 in the other semifinal on Friday and capitalized on their chances in the Finals en route to a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs despite being outshot 34-18.

The two sets of Dogs had their days as SCSU won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy and UMD, despite the loss in the final, punched a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

Here's what stood to the DDC in the Frozen Faceoff version of Roses and Thorns.

Roses

No. 1 -- The CBS Connects

UND So. F, Nick Schmaltz
scored two of three Green
and White goals this weekend.
The winger has goals in five
straight games for UND.

It's hard to be rosy when talking about UND's play this weekend as the Green and White didn't do much all weekend to keep the partisan Green clad crowd happy. However, it certainly started well. Just 49 seconds into Friday's game, the CBS flashed its scoring touch, as Nick Schmaltz buried a one-time feed on a nice drop pass from Drake Caggiula. It was a hot start for UND's electric line and this bodes well going forward. While the results didn't continue, it was good to see this line get a big goal early. Schmaltz scored two of three UND goals on the weekend and now has a five-game goal scoring streak heading into the national tournament. Harnessing that kind of play will be absolutely essential for the Green and White in the NCAAs.

No. 2 --  A Green and White Gathering

DDC had the pleasure of attending the Frozen Faceoff with Mrs. DDC and several of his closest friends and despite the results, he genuinely enjoyed his time this weekend. The Pourhouse again hosted a fun and raucous UND gathering and that energy moved across the street to the Target Center. For the 14th-straight season, North Dakota fans ascended on the Twin Cities and brought their passion and lively attitude and it made the Frozen Faceoff an amazing weekend, once again. Cheers to the fans. The NCHC, the city of Minneapolis and surrounding establishments, DDC is sure, also gives you all thanks.

Despite the results across the street at the Target Center, the Green and White faithful again turned out in droves to Minneapolis. For the 14th-straight season, UND fans made the Twin Cities their second home for a conference postseason tourney. Cheers to you, UND fans. Well done, once again. (Photo Credit: Logan Werlinger, GF Herald)

Thorns

No. 1 -- What Could Have Been

UND head coach Brad Berry
decided not to challenge a
potential goal late in the
first period on Friday, believing
the play was inconclusive.

Up 1-0 with the seconds ticking down in the first period on Friday's game against Minnesota Duluth, UND missed out on an apparent goal late in the period when officials decided not to review a shot by Tucker Poolman that may have been stopped by UMD netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo behind the goal line. UND bench boss Brad Berry explained that he decided not to challenge the call for fear of losing his timeout early in the game. “We tossed it around a little bit,” Berry said. “From our side, it looked like the pad got stuck out. We looked at it after the period and it looked pretty inconclusive to me. When you only have one timeout, you have to be very selective of when you use it. Asking all of the coaches on the bench, we decided not to take it. I thought it was inconclusive.” This could have made a big difference as Duluth took over in the second, but we will never know.

No. 2 -- Missed Opportunities

In both games, UND squandered leads and in both nights, the Green and White had their chances to extended leads, but failed to do so. Whether it was the decision to not challenge Poolman's close attempt against Minnesota Duluth or hitting several pipes and missing open nets against Denver, UND will need to remedy these missed opportunities immediately as it's one-and-done time starting on Friday in the NCAA tournament. Fans of the Green and White can take solace that their team had chances to make plays in the Frozen Faceoff, but these cannot be misses anymore. Duluth did a tremendous job on Friday in limiting UND's time and space. This cannot happen starting on Friday. The players must bear down and bury. Simple as that.

No. 3 -- Moving On Away from the Target Center

Another Frozen Faceoff, another disappointing weekend for UND.

UND Jr. D, Troy Stecher.

Whatever the reasons, the Green and White are mired in a paltry 1-4-1 record at the Target Center with the loss and tie this weekend. However, UND fans can take heart as they aren't playing in Minneapolis for the NCAA tournament.

"I can't point to one thing why we're losing here," UND defenseman Troy Stecher said after Friday's loss to UMD. "But it's better to lose now than next weekend in my mind."

Well said, Mr. Stecher. It's time to move on and UND will do just that and coach Berry sees no reason to panic. “We hit four pipes tonight,” Berry said after UND's tie with Denver. “Hopefully some puck luck will go our way next week. We need to make sure we play hard to get the puck luck and go forward. I think we’re in a good spot. Our guys are working hard. We’ll make sure we’re ready for next weekend.”

Thanks again for reading. Check back on Friday morning for DDC's preview of the Midwest Regional as UND takes on red hot Northeastern and Notre Dame battles Michigan.

Frozen Faceoff Preview: Top Four for the Title

Semifinals and Final on CBS Sports,
Third Place Game on NCHC.tv:

Game times:

UND vs. Minnesota Duluth, 4:08 p.m.;
St. Cloud State vs. Denver, 7:38 p.m.

Third place game, Saturday, 3:38 p.m.;
Championship game, Saturday, 7:08 p.m.

When the National Collegiate Hockey Conference was born, league brass picked the Target Center in Minneapolis to host its league postseason tournament with hopes that the central location would create a must-see weekend.

With UND, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth all just hours away from the Twin Cities, the possibilities were ripe for a full arena.

While the first two incarnations of the Frozen Faceoff drew good numbers, this weekend's version could be the best ever.

All four quarterfinal series ended in sweeps by the top four seeds, with the three attendance golden geese, UND, SCSU and UMD all included. Throw Denver into the mix, a team in the midst of the nation's best 11-game winning streak, the NCHC tournament looks like it will fulfill all the dreams that officials hoped for in 2013.

The Bulldogs look to be the team who has the most to gain this weekend in Minneapolis as the Green and White, Huskies and Pioneers are all locks for the national tournament. UMD sits at No. 13 in the Pairwise Rankings and will look to cement their own spot. UND and SCSU look to be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA's and Denver is playing for a shot at their own.

Attendance. National tournament implications. Rivalries.

Strap in, folks. This is going to be a fun weekend.

Here's DDC's Frozen Faceoff preview in traditional "Who? What? How?" fashion.

Who?

Players to watch

UMD Sr. F, Tony Cameranesi

Minnesota Duluth

Sr. F, Tony Cameranesi, 10 goals, 24 assists -- 34 points; Sr. F, Austin Farley, 13g, 15a -- 28 pts; Jr. F, Alex Iafallo, 7g, 13a -- 20 pts; Sr. D, Andy Welinksi, 6g, 13a -- 19 pts; So. G., Kasimir Kaskisuo, 17-13-5, 1.89 goals against average, .924 save percentage.

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 25g (Most goals in NCHC, 2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, 4th overall in NCAA), 23a -- 48 pts (NCHC scoring champ, 2nd in NCAA in rookie scoring, T-7 overall); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 19g, 23a -- 42 pts; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 8g, 32a (2nd in NCAA in assists per game with 1.03) -- 40 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 7g, 19a -- 26 pts; Mike Richter Award Finalist So. G, Cam Johnson, 20-3-1 (1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.58 GAA (1st in NCAA), .938 SV PCT (T-1st in NCAA).

DU Fr. F, Dylan Gambrell

Denver

Fr. F, Dylan Gambrell, 15g, 27a -- 42 points (3rd in NCAA rookie scoring); Jr. F, Trevor Moore, 9g, 32a (T-5 in assists per game .91) -- 41 pts; So. F, Danton Heinen, 18g, 22a -- 40 pts; Jr. D, Will Butcher, 6g, 23a -- 29 pts; Jr. G., Tanner Jaillet, 15-3-5, 2.19 GAA, .928 SV PCT.

St. Cloud State

Sr. F, Kalle Kossila, 14g, 34a (7th in assists per game .89) -- 48 pts; Sr. F, Joey Benik, 21g, 23a -- 44 pts; So. F, Patrick Russell, 19g, 19a -- 38 pts; Sr. D, Ethan Prow, 8g, 27a -- 35 pts (NCHC's lone Hobey Baker Award Finalist and NCHC player-of-the-year); Mike Richter Award Finalist Jr. G, Charlie Lindgren, 28-8-1, 2.08 GAA, .926 SV PCT.

What?

Standout Stats

UND

The Green and White own the NCAA's third-best scoring defense allowing just 1.82 goals per game and has the NCAA's seventh-best scoring attack with a 3.66 goals per game average.

Drake Caggiula leads the country with a +38 while linemates Nick Schmaltz and Brock Boeser are tied for fourth at +34.

Sophomore goaltender and Mike Richter Award finalist Cam Johnson leads the NCAA in win percentage (.854), goals against average (1.58) and is tied for first in save percentage (.938).

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs own the NCAA's eighth-best scoring defense allowing just 2.03 goals per game and is tied for sixth in the country on the penalty kill with a 86.2% kill rate.

UMD has struggled on the power play this season converting just 15.8% of their chances with the extra man. That mark is 41st in the NCAA.

Denver

The Pioneers own the NCAA's 14th best scoring offense at 3.22 and is 12th in the country in scoring defense, allowing 2.28 goals per game.

Denver's special teams have been average this season with the NCAA's 25th best penalty kill (82.9) and 29th best power play (17.9%).

DU's top line of Dylan Gambrell, Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen have accounted for 36% of the team's goals this season.
 

St. Cloud State

The Huskies have the second-best scoring offense (4.32 goals per game) in the NCAA and is tied for first in power play (29.5%).

SCSU's scoring defense is allowing the 10th least goals per game in the NCAA at 2.16.

Defenseman Ethan Prow is the league's lone Hobey Baker Finalist and NCHC player-of-the-year and goaltender Charlie Lindgren is one of five Mike Richter Award finalists as the nation's best netminder.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 UND (No. 1 in PWR, 30-5-3) swept CC 7-1, 5-1 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Green and White are on a eight-game winning streak, the third best current streak in the NCAA.

UND swept CC last weekend in the NCHC quarterfinals. The Green and White
take on the UMD Bulldogs in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals at 4:08 on Friday.
Denver and St. Cloud State play in the other semifinal at 7:38. (Photo: GF Herald)

No. 16 Minnesota Duluth (No. 13 in PWR, 17-14-5) swept Miami 5-4. 3-1 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Bulldogs are on a six-game winning streak since being swept by UND in Geand Forks on February 19-20.

No. 4 St. Cloud State (No. 3 in PWR, 29-8-1) swept Western Michigan 4-3 (OT), 4-2 in the first round for the NCHC tournament. The Huskies are on a four-game winning streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

No. 6 Denver (No. 6 in PWR, 23-8-5) swept Nebraska Omaha 5-2, 4-3 (2 OT) in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Pioneers are on a NCAA best 11-game winning streak.

The Pick(s)

Four teams playing in four important games with four positions in the NCAA tournament on the line. Who is going to skate away from the Target Center with the Frozen Four Championship trophy?

North Dakota vs. Minnesota Duluth

UND and So. G, Cam Johnson
are 4-0 against UMD this season.
Johnson has allowed just two
goals in those four games.

The Green and White have beaten the Bulldogs four times this season, sweeping both series. In those four games, UND netminder Cam Johnson has allowed just two goals. All four contests have been tight-checking, playoff-type affairs. To expect anything different would just be silly.

UMD looks to have more to gain with a win as they are still trying to get into the NCAA tournament, but UND is still battling for the No. 1 overall seed.

The Frozen Faceoff has not been kind to UND in the first two years of the tournament as the Green and White are 1-3 at the Target Center. DDC sees this as a major motivation factor for North Dakota and expects to see a lot of jump from the Green and White on Friday afternoon.

UND EDGES UMD 4-3

St. Cloud State vs. Denver

SCSU Sr. D, Ethan Prow is the
NCHC's lone Hobey Baker
Award finalist.

This one will be a barn burner. These two team can fly up and down the ice with team speed and both have tremendous scoring touch.

St. Cloud's offense and power play seem to give them the offensive edge, but it's hard to go against Denver's 11-game winning streak.

If the Pioneers can limit slot chances and stay out of the penalty box, the line of Dylan Gambrell, Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen could take over. SCSU defenseman and NCHC player-of-the-year Ethan Prow and the rest of the Huskies will need to slow DU's top line.

DDC expects a lot of goals in this one and DU takes it late.

DU TOPS SCSU 5-4.

Third Place Game -- SCSU vs. UMD

With a loss to UND in the semifinals, the Bulldogs will officially be on the bubble.

UMD swept the Huskies in St. Cloud in late February in which the Bulldogs held the nation's second-best scoring attack to just two goals in the series. This series could go a long way in terms of how UMD plays SCSU in this match up.

Duluth will be a bit more rested and desperate in this one and they punch their ticket to the big dance with a win.

UMD BEATS ST. CLOUD 4-2

Championship Game -- UND vs. Denver

DDC thinks UND will take home the NCHC Frozen
Faceoff Trophy, topping DU in the championship game.

Depending on how everything shakes out, UND could be playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs and Denver could be fighting for their own No. 1.

This game would feature two of the best top lines in the country with UND's CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz and DU's line of Gambrell, Heinen and Moore.

DDC's guess in that battle, they cancel each other out, so that means this game comes down to depth. The Green and White have shown over the last month or so that they are as deep as any team in the country. DU swept UND in Denver mid-February igniting a huge run for both teams. Since that series, UND has won eight in a row and DU pushed their streak to 11.

In that series, the Green and White defensive corps was leaky and DU's top line went to work. With a trophy and the No. 1 overall seed on the line, DDC thinks UND will remember that performance, shake off the Frozen Four demons and take home the hardware.

UND WINS AND TAKES HOME THE HARDWARE 3-2

Thanks for reading. Enjoy what should be an incredible weekend in Minneapolis and check back later to see how it went down.

Roses and Thorns: Moving on to Minneapolis

NCHC playoffs first-round results:

No. 1 UND sweeps No. 8 CC, 7-1, 5-1;
No. 2 SCSU sweeps No. 7 WMU, 4-3 (OT), 4-2;
No. 3 Denver sweeps No. 6 Omaha, 5-2, 4-3 (2 OT);
No. 4 UMD sweeps No. 5 Miami, 5-4, 3-1.

DDC noted in his "Who? What? Where?" preview of UND and Colorado College's National Collegiate Hockey Conference first-round playoff series that it's tough to end somebody's season.

The Green and White evidently didn't agree.

With a 7-1 drubbing on Friday followed by a 5-1 shellacking on Saturday, the UND men's hockey team put the Tigers out of their misery in front of a lively Ralph Engelstad Arena crowd and punched their ticket to the Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

For the 14th-straight season, the Green and White earned a berth in the conference postseason tournament with the last three in the NCHC.

North Dakota pounced on CC both nights with an aggressive pace and scoring punch that saw them pot six goals combined in the two first periods (two Friday, four Saturday).

It was a dominant weekend for UND as they turn their focus to the Frozen Faceoff that hasn't been very kind to the Green and White. North Dakota is just 1-3 in their two trips to the Target Center including two embarrassing losses last season.

Here's what stood out to DDC in this week's Roses and Thorns.

Roses

No. 1 -- Killer Instinct

Another cliche: Let a sleeping dog lie.

Well, Colorado College was just that having lost nine-straight games coming into the series and UND didn't give the Tigers a chance to wake up. The six goals combined in the two first periods buried CC before they even got a chance to get going. UND smelled blood from the drop of the puck on Friday night and never let the Tigers off the mat.

UND's Joel Janatuinen celebrates a goal on Saturday night. The Green and White
were dominant in every facet in the 7-1, 5-1 NCHC playoff sweep of CC, the team's
14th-straight first round playoff series win. (Photo credit: Jesse Trelstad, Grand Forks Herald)

One telling segment for DDC was the first period on Saturday. With Colorado College netminder Jacob Nehama laboring with an obvious injury, UND stepped on the Tiger's throat, dominating the play and peppering the CC net with 14 shots and four goals. North Dakota outshot CC 62-33 on the weekend. This killer instinct is huge for the Green and White. While there will be ebbs and flows in each game left, being able to put away a team when the momentum is clearly in their favor will be extremely important. CC was an inferior opponent this weekend and while games going forward will likely be much more tight, having this killer instinct to bury chances when their opposition is on the ropes could prove vital.

No. 2 -- Extra Man Eruption

UND Fr. D, Hayden Shaw
netted his first two career
goals against the Tigers.

UND has been an average power play team this season despite owning a Top 10 scoring offense. On Friday night, the Green and White exploded for four goals with the extra man. Luke Johnson netted a power play goal just four plus minutes into the game while Joel Janatuinen, Nick Schmaltz and Hayden Shaw added three more. Shaw's goal in the third period was the first in his career. UND looked comfortable with the extra man setting up their attack with precision passing and finishing their chances from all over the zone. The Green and White have shown the ability to dominate while 5-on-5 and with the rest of the season being one-and-done games, adding a significant power play could very well decide games. UND's penalty kill has been one of the best, if not the best, in the NCAA since the start of 2016 and pairing that with the type of power play they showed against CC will be a huge development.

No. 3 -- 'D' Does it's Job

UND allowed just 33 shots and Cam Johnson held the Tigers to two goals on the weekend as the Green and White flexed their muscles defensively. With captain and arguably the team's best stay-at-home defenseman Gage Ausmus out for the weekend due to injury, UND did not miss a beat. Hayden Shaw was great in this series, playing responsible defensively and adding his first two career goals. If Ausmus can't go this coming weekend at the Frozen Faceoff, UND knows it has a reliable substitution in either Shaw or Christian Wolanin. North Dakota sports the third-best goals allowed mark in the NCAA with a 1.86 average and as playoff games tighten up defensively, UND will lean on their blue line. The kind of effort they showed against CC will continue to be absolutely necessary.

No. 4 -- Depth Does it Again

UND Fr. F, Joel Janatuinen
had a three-point weekend,
with 2 goals and 1 assist.

The CBS line of Drake Caggiula (1 goal, 2 assists) , Brock Boeser (5a) and Nick Schmaltz (3g, 3a) were great this weekend tallying 14 points, but for the second weekend in a row, the depth of UND also stepped up with a huge series. The rest of the Green and White notched 22 points on the weekend, including two goals from Shaw, two assists from Paul LaDue and a three point weekend (2g, 1 a) by Janatuinen. As the CBS goes, so goes UND, but if the Green and White can see this kind of consistent depth scoring, they will be very tough to beat going forward.

Thorns

No. 1 -- A Farewell to the Ralph

There's no more pure home-ice advantage for UND.

The Green and White turned out the lights on the Ralph Engelstad Arena for the 2015-16 season with another successful weekend and rounded out a tremendous home record. UND went 16-2-1 in front of the REA faithful this year and for the 14th-straight season, it ended in style with a first-round conference playoffs series win. For the four seniors, Caggiula, Coltyn Sanderson, Colten St. Clair and Bryn Chyzyk and any player potentially leaving for pro contracts, it was their last game at "The Palace on the Prairie." It's always tough to know that UND won't play again in Grand Forks until October, but hopefully, the next time the lights go on at the Ralph, an eighth green banner will join the 16th white one in the rafters.

So that's it. Check back later this week for DDC's preview of the NCHC tournament as UND travels down I-94 to Minneapolis for the Frozen Faceoff from the Target Center. Thanks again for reading.