Friday Gameday: Time for a Test

Oh hey, Denver. Remember me? Nick Schmaltz celebrates his game-winning goal in the 2016 Frozen Four semifinals.
Sure, this has nothing to do with this weekend when No. 3 UND takes on No. 1 Denver at Magness Arena, but so be it.

Coming into the season, there was really one sure-fire hypothesis across the college hockey landscape -- the Denver Pioneers were going to be really good again after winning the national championship last season.

Sure the Pios lost 2017 Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, but they returned five big stars from their title run -- the forward trio of Henrik Borgstrom, Troy Terry and Dylan Gambrell, All-American goaltender Tanner Jaillet and head coach Jim Montgomery. All five of those who returned spurned NHL offers to come back to DU for another run at college hockey glory.

The Pioneers had a hiccup two weekends ago when they were swept by Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, but after a convincing sweep of then No. 1 and undefeated St. Cloud State last weekend, all is right again in Denver with the Pios back on top of the polls.

So far, the hypothesis is still spot on -- DU is really good.

For the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, the Green and White faithful had plenty of questions coming into the season. With the departures of three NHL players Tyson Jost, Brock Boeser and Tucker Poolman, who would pick up the slack for UND?

The Hawks sport the nation's third-best team defense allowing just 1.75 goals per game and all things considered, UND has had a heckuva start to their season. Going 7-2-3 with good weekends against Minnesota, Wisconsin and a five-point weekend last series against Miami, it has indeed been a good start, but this weekend is a different story. It's time for a test.

UND travels to the Rocky Mountain state to take on the Pioneers in a weekend that could very well show the Hawks where they stand in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and NCAA landscape in a match up of No. 1 vs. No. 3.

A rivalry rooted in history renews and DDC has his take and says what he's watching in this weekend's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to Watch

DU So. F, Henrik Borgstrom
leads the NCAA with 11 goals.

University of Denver Pioneers

Jr. F, Troy Terry, 5 goals, 13 assists -- 18 points (second in NCAA); So. F, Henrik Borgstrom, 11g (leads NCAA), 6a -- 17 pts (leads NCAA in points per game); Jr F, Dylan Gambrell, 5g, 11a --16 pts; Jr. F, Jarid Lukoesevicius, 4g, 6a -- 10 pts; Jr. F, Colin Staub, 2g, 7a -- 9 pts; Sr G, Tanner Jaillet, 5-1-2, 2.46 goals against average; .911 save percentage.

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks:

Fr. F, Grant Mismash, 4g, 7a -- 11 pts; Jr. D, Christian Wolanin, 3g, 7a -- 10 pts; Jr. F, Nick Jones, 5g, 4a --9 pts; Jr. F, Shane Gersich, 4g, 4a -- 8 pts; Jr. F, Rhett Gardner, 3g, 4a -- 7 pts; Sr. G, Cam Johnson, 5-2-1, 1.63 GAA (5th in NCAA), .925 SV PCT; Fr. G, Peter Thome, 2-0-2, 1.92 GAA, .929 SV PCT (9th in NCAA).

What? 

Standout Stats

Denver:

The Pioneers are 42nd in the NCAA in penalty killing at 77.8%, but are 4th in power play, clipping at 27.7%.

Denver is the nation's 2nd best scoring attack, netting 4.20 goals per game.

Sophomore sensation Henrik Borgstrom leads the NCAA in goals (11) and in goals per game (1.22). He's third in points (17). Teammate Troy Terry is second in points with 18 and Dylan Gambrell is tied for 7th with 16.

UND:

UND is tied for 3rd in team defense nationally, allowing just 1.75 goals per game and is second in the NCAA with a 95.8% penalty kill.

Senior netminder Cam Johnson is tied for 5th nationally with a 1.63 goals against average. Teammate Peter Thome is 10th with a 1.92 mark and 9th in save percentage at .929.

Freshman Grant Mismash is tied for 4th in the NCAA in rookie scoring with a 1.00 point per game mark. 

How?

How’d they get here?

No. 1 Denver (6-2-2; 2-2-0 NCHC) swept then No. 1 SCSU at home 4-2, 5-1. Sophomore Henrik Borgstrom continued his early-season tear, notching two goals and an assist on Friday and added an assist on Saturday for a four-point weekend.

No. 3 UND (7-2-3, 2-1-1 NCHC) took five points last weekend at home against Miami, winning 4-1 on Friday and winning a shootout after a 3-3 tie on Saturday. Freshman goaltender Peter Thome started his third- and fourth-straight games for the Fighting Hawks as senior Cam Johnson nurses an injury.

The Pick

It's hard to not get nostalgic when UND vs. Denver faceoff.

One of DDC's fondest hockey memories, the Green and White's victory over the Pioneers in the 2016 Frozen Four semifinal capped by Nick Schmaltz's dramatic game-winner with just a minute to go in the game, will always come to mind when these two teams tussle.

Just for funsies, shall we?

What a memory.

Anyway, sure, Denver won it all last year, but UND actually served Denver its last loss before the Pios ran the table to a title last year, a 1-0 win in the NCHC semifinals last year.

Ok, back to the business at hand.

Again, Denver is really good. They sport a top trio in the aforementioned Borgstrom, Terry and Gambrell. They are good in net with Jaillet. The only question mark Denver had coming into this weekend was on the backend and after a leaky weekend against WMU, the Pioneers held an explosive St. Cloud team to just three goals last weekend.

For most of the season, Denver grouped their big three together and their offense was great, but the defense struggled a bit. Last weekend against the Huskies, Borgstrom, Terry and Gambrell were split up and that paid dividends.

Can UND slow DU's dynamic trio of Henrik Borgstrom (11 goals leads NCAA)
Troy Terry (17 points, second in NCAA) and Dylan Gambrell (16 points)
who've combined for a whopping 51 points in 10 games this season?

With last change against a UND team defense who's been really good this year against some good offenses, will Montgomery split the three up in hopes of spreading the offense around? Or will the trio be grouped together to avoid the Hawks top D-pairing of Christian Wolanin and Colton Poolman?

For UND, their scoring this season has been about depth. Against the Pioneers, DDC thinks the Green and White scoring punch needs to step up. Junior Shane Gersich and senior Austin Poganski have had slow starts to this season, but are more than capable of putting this team on their backs.

This weekend will come down to UND playing defense and picking their spots on offense. Expect to see bodies consistently hitting Borgstrom, the NCAA leader in goals (11) this weekend. If the Hawks can slow down Denver and get good goaltending from freshman Peter Thome, who has yet to lose in four starts, they should be able to keep up. Senior netminder Cam Johnson will miss his third-straight weekend due to injury.

Just in case he wasn't clear, for the third time, DU is really good. DDC also thinks UND is pretty good, too, but the question is how good? Will the Green and White score enough this weekend? DDC thinks the Hawks make a statement against the champs and leave Colorado with important early-season points.

UND COMES OUT FIRING ON FRIDAY WITH A 3-2 WIN AND GETS A POINT ON SATURDAY WHEN THE PIOS WIN IN A SHOOTOUT, 5-4.

Come back after the weekend to see if UND passed its test. Thanks for reading!

Roses and Thorns: It's Back and It's Still Fun

UND goalie Cam Johnson fights off Minnesota forward Brannon McManus during UND's 4-0 win over the Gophers
on Saturday in Grand Forks. Johnson earned his 10th-career shutout with the victory. (Photo: GF Herald)

Well, it's back and for all intents and purposes, this past weekend's series between UND and
Minnesota lived up to its billing.

The Green and White played incredibly well on Friday, outshooting the Gophers handily, allowing just 18 shots on goal, the first time Minnesota was held under 20 shots in a span of 110 games. However, the Gophers got two transition play goals, one in the first period and the other halfway into the third to pace a 2-0 lead late into the game. UND got a Rhett Gardner goal with just under seven minutes to play to make it 2-1, but that's all they could muster as Minnesota took the opener.

On Saturday night, Minnesota upped their game and played better overall, but a power play goal on a five-minute major penalty taken late in the first staked UND to a 2-0 first period lead. The Fighting Hawks tallied twice more on that power play in the early parts of the second and the 4-0 lead held up as UND earned the split.

While DDC certainly would have loved a sweep, he'll take a split in two good performances.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his Roses and Thorns recap of the series with the Gophers.

Roses

No. 1 -- The Rivalry is Back

Regardless of the scores, this weekend was flat out fun to watch. Midco Sports color commentator and former Sioux goaltender Jake Brandt noted a few times in the past handful of weeks that the Ralph Engelstad Arena had lost a bit of its mojo and hadn't been too tough a place to play recently. Well, that went out the window on Friday from the very first shift as UND pushed paced early on and the REA faithful responded. Down the stretch in the front end of the series as the Green and White tried to rally back to tie the game, the crowd was loud and fully involved. Then on Saturday, three goals on on a five-minute major kept the barn rocking. Two good paced games with high energy made things clear -- The Rivalry is back. Cheers to five more consecutive years of this series.

No. 2 -- Christian Wolanin

UND Jr. D, Christian Wolanin
leads the team in goals,
points and shots on goal

While UND fans certainly saw a glimpse of what was to come from the junior defenseman from Detroit down the stretch last season, particularly in the NCAA tournament game against BU, Wolanin has certainly lived up to his stature this season. Wolanin was dynamic against the Gophers with an assist on Friday and two goals in a span of four and half minutes with UND on a five-minute power play to pace the 4-0 win on Saturday. The junior now leads the Fighting Hawks in goals (3), points (6) and shots on goal (23). Quarterbacking the power play, Wolanin had lead UND to a stellar 22% mark. Known for his offensive prowess during his career, Wolanin has been solid defensively, as well as the Green and White lead the nation in goals against, allowing just 1.17 goals per game on the season. It's been a heckuva start for Wolanin.

No. 3 -- Defense and PK

UND lost a senior captain in Gage Ausmus and an All-American now playing in the NHL in Tucker Poolman from last year's blue line, so it was easy to think that the Fighting Hawks would struggle at the outset defensively, this year. However, this has simply not been the case. As previously mentioned, the Green and White lead the nation in goals against (1.17) is second in penalty kill (96.3%) and net special teams (+7). Minnesota has always been known for a dynamic power play that can move the puck and pepper the net with opportunities over the years, but UND simply shut the Gophers down this past weekend killing off all 11 chances down a man. Senior netminder Cam Johnson earned his 10th career shutout on Saturday and is now third in the nation in goals against average (1.16) and 10th in save percentage (.942). As the Fighting Hawks look to find more scoring punch, their blue line is holding up incredibly well. Adding freshman Gabe Bast to the lineup this past weekend proved to be a good experiment as Bast added a tremendous offensive presence. Great start for the blue liners and Cam.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Don Lucia

Fr. F, Casey Mittelstadt
sat out Saturday night's
contest against UND

Alright, DDC is going to make this short, but Minnesota head coach Don Lucia is officially on this blogger's nerves. Lucia skipped a fan luncheon that has been attended by each visiting coach as long as DDC can remember. This can be dismissed easily as gamesmanship and so be it if that's the case. However, it did not end there. After a tough battle on Friday, Lucia decided to sit freshman star Casey Mittelstadt for Saturday night's game after the rookie took a shove in the lower back area on a net-front scrum. Lucia noted that Mittelstadt was sore and maybe he was just protecting his player. Again, this can be dismissed, but should it be? Lucia noted that Mittelstadt said he wanted to play, but the head coach held him out. To DDC, this is a disappointing move. What is this doing for Mittelstadt? Taking him out of probably the most heated game he's ever played isn't going to help the freshman as he's going to need to play in this type of environment at some point. Let the kid earn his stripes, coach. Well, that wasn't short, but so be it.

Thanks for reading, everybody! Comeback for a look at DDC's preview of UND's trip to Colorado Springs as National Collegiate Hockey Conference play beings against the Colorado College Tigers.

Roses and Thorns: Starting Hoff on the Right Foot

UND freshmen Matt Kierstad and Grant Mismash (16) celebrate a goal on Saturday from the Ralph Engelstad Arena
in Grand Forks. All six rookie skaters notched at least one point as the Fighting Hawks rolled
the Manitoba Bisons 6-2. (photo: GF Herald)

It'd been six months since we saw our boys in Green and White on the ice for competitive hockey and after a 6-2 exhibition drubbing of the Manitoba Bisons, the game was less about the score and more about who did the scoring for the Fighting Hawks.

UND got at least one point from all six of its rookie skaters, including a goal and an assist from second-round pick Grant Mismash and two assists from Collin Adams while the entire group looked like the college game would suit them fine.

Not to be undersold, the Hawks got a big performance from a returning skater in Ludvig Hoff who, centering the top line for the first time in his career, potted two goals leading the top group with Shane Gersich and Austin Poganski to a +6 performance.

Depth was the story before the start of the season and that held through in the exhibition as all four foward lines and two of three defensive pairings notched points against the Bisons.

It was a good start for the Green and White and here's what stood out to DDC in 2017-18's first installment of Roses and Thorns.

Roses

So. F, Ludvig Hoff
netted two goals
against Manitoba

No. 1 -- New Man in the Middle?

For the past two seasons before the start of 2017-18, UND's top line featured a dynamic, game-breaking name that centered the Green and White's clear best group. With Nick Schmaltz and Tyson Jost, both now in the NHL, UND has to find someone new to find that role. With two goals, including laser from the spot to open the scoring for the Fighting Hawks, sophomore Ludvig Hoff has firmly planted his name on the line chart, to start this year. Centering Shane Gersich and Austin Poganski, Hoff looked very much in control as the trio notched four points and were a combined +6.

No. 2 -- Newbies Step Right In

As DDC mentioned in his previous of this season, UND's season could come down to its depth and having a contributions from the crop of new faces would be a big development. Well, at least for this night, this rang true as all six rookie skaters notched a point. Standing out from that group were Grant Mismash with a goal and an assist. Mismash looked like he belonged with heady vision and a couple fantastic moves with his hands. Jordan Kawaguchi also scored a nice goal off a terrific pass from fellow freshman Josh Rieger from cross ice. This will be a group that is tremendously important to UND this season and the exhibition was a great start.

No. 3 -- Top Players Start Quick

Jr. D, Christian Wolanin
recorded a goal and an assist

Not to be forgotten during the underclassmen bonanza, the Green and White got great performances from a few established stalwarts. Junior Shane Gersich looked incredible, skating and creating chances all night while adding and assist while fellow Junior Christian Wolanin netted a goal and an assist. Arguably UND's two best pure playmakers, Gersich and Wolanin looked ready to start the season on a high note as both saw significant special team's time, as well. Wolanin quarterbacked the Power Play and looked calm and collected in doing so. Not to be left out, senior netminder Cam Johnson played well, too. While he let up two goals, one was on a clean breakaway after a turnover and the other on a bit of an off bounce. Johnson made a couple of key saves early in the second, as well. Good performance from some of UND's key players in this one.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Bad Turnovers

Turnovers were a bit of a problem last year and unfortunately, this hasn't wholly changed following the exhibition. Whether it's trying to go too quickly out of transition or completely missing open sticks on passes, UND had couple bad lapses against the Bisons. Sure, this can be attributed to knocking off a bit of rust, but it's a trend that has roots from 2016-17. Here's to hoping that's left behind before the Hawks travel up to Alaska.


Thanks for reading and check back later this week as DDC previews the Green and White traveling to Anchorage to face off with the Seawolves.

Let's Drop the Puck -- DDC's 2017-18 Season Preview

It's been six long months since we've last seen our beloved UND men's hockey team in action, but that changes as
the puck drops on Saturday when the Fighting Hawks take on the Manitoba Bisons in exhibition action. (Photo: Fargo Forum)

Holey moley, it's frickin' hockey season.

Maybe it's the fact that it was 90 degrees last weekend that makes it feel like we are still in the dog days of summer, but alas, here we are. It's nearly October and it's about time to drop the puck on the 2017-18 season.

Denver is the clear favorite for a back-to-back run at the Penrose Cup as National Collegiate Hockey Conference champions as well as the favorite to defend their national championship, but as we UND hockey fans well know, it's pretty dang hard to repeat.

It's been six long months since the Fighting Hawks lost in heartbreaking OT fashion to Boston University at the West Regional in Fargo and UND has gone through some serious changes. Gone to the NHL are stalwarts Tyson Jost, Brock Boeser and Tucker Poolman. But, the cupboards are certainly not bare. The Green and White return a great nucleus of players that will lead UND in their run to a potential shot at Green Banner No. 9 when the Frozen Four rolls around from St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center in April.

Captaining this year's squad, senior Austin Poganski leads the way with Shane Gersich, Christian Wolanin and netminder Cam Johnson helping pace UND in it's new pursuit of greatness. Accompanying the returners, the Fighting Hawks bring in a nice group of freshman that are hoping to make an immediate impact.

So, let's take a look at what storylines will write the history for this year's UND men's hockey team. DDC delves into those storylines as well as preview his view of the NCHC and NCAA picture and predicts the Hawks' exhibition game against the Manitoba Bisons. Without further ado, let's get it going, shall we?

1) Depth, Depth, Depth

This team, unlike the past two seasons, isn't loaded with elite-level scoring, but it does have a lot of depth. The Fighting Hawks lose a combined 99 points from the trio of Jost, Boeser and Tucker Poolman, all having moved on to professional hockey contracts, but return 7 of their top 10 scorers from last season including last year's team leader in Shane Gersich (21 goals, 16 assists -- 37 points). UND looks to young players like Dixon Bowen and Ludvig Hoff to expand their roles as this team should be able to roll four deep lines if newcomers can come in and instantly contribute.

2) Fresh Meat

UND's rookie class doesn't have the blue chip name like Jost, Boeser or Nick Schmaltz like they have had in the past few seasons, but that doesn't mean this isn't a good class of rookies. In fact, neutralzone.net had the Hawks rated as the top class in the NCAA coming into this year. Grant Mismash is a 2nd-round NHL draft pick while Jordan Kawaguchi and Nicholas Jones are coming off BCHL playoff runs that saw them posted No. 1 and 2 in scoring.

3) Can Cam Return to Form?

2016-17 wasn't a terrible season for UND netminder Cam Johnson, but it wasn't to the level of what it was like during the Hawks' 2015-16 title run in which Johnson was a Mike Richter finalist as the NCAA's top goaltender. Loads of new freshmen defensemen getting used to college hockey was a big part of this, but Johnson was nevertheless not at his top form. With a returning group of D-men in Christian Wolanin, Colton Poolman, Hayden Shaw, Andrew Peski and Casey Johnson that logged significant minutes last season, Cam will have a chance to improve and be the backbone of UND once again. If this happens, the Green and White will have a chance to be in every game this year.

DDC's Preseason NCAA Top 10

1) DU
2) Providence
3) Boston University
4) UMass-Lowell
5) Penn State
6) Wisconsin
7) UND
8) St. Cloud State
9) Minnesota
10) Notre Dame

DDC's NCAA Take

It's DU's world and we're all just living in it. In all seriousness, all the top contenders have big question marks while DU pretty much just has the least. Returning the talent they have on the front end, they are the best team in the country until that is proven differently. Boston University lost a lot of talent, but still has a lot of with Jordan Greenway, Patrick Harper and Jake Oettinger leading the way. 

Penn State and Wisconsin are wholly unproven, but are loaded with talent. The Badgers lost Luke Kunin, but gained a legit No. 1 goalie in graduate transfer, All-American Kyle Hayton, formerly of St. Lawrence. DDC believes that UND can make some hay with a lot of depth, but lacks dynamic scoring that they have had the past two seasons. If Cam Johnson plays like he did during the Fighting Hawks' 2015-16 title run, the Green and White could be right there in St. Paul for the Frozen Four in April.

NCHC Picks

1) Denver
2) UND
3) St. Cloud State

Denver sophomore forward is DDC's
NCHC preseason Player of the Year pick

4) Minnesota Duluth
5) Miami
6) Western Michigan
7) Colorado College
8) Omaha

DDC's All-NCHC Team

F -- Henrik Borgstrom, DU

F -- Dylan Gambrell, DU

F -- Shane Gersich, UND
F -- Troy Terry, DU

D -- Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State

D -- Louie Belpedio, Miami

G -- Cam Johnson, UND

Player of the Year: Borgstrom

Defenseman of the Year: Schuldt

Rookie of the Year: Grant Mismash, UND

DDC's NCHC Take

DU is No. 1 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and the NCAA polls and rightfully so. Losing last year's Hobey Baker Will Butcher is a big blow to their blue line, but returning stars in Henrik Borgstrom, Dylan Gambrell, Troy Terry and goaltender Tanner Jaillet, the defending national champs are poised for another deep run.

DDC likes UND's depth this season, but who will stand out as scorers? Contributions are needed from a nice group of freshman led by 2nd round NHL draft pick Grant Mismash. Cam Johnson ala 2015-16 would be a nice piece for North Dakota.

St. Cloud State looks like a team that will contend both in the NCHC and nationally with Jack Ahcan, Will Borgen, Mikey Eyssimont, the Poehling trio and Jimmy Schuldt leading the way. They are a legit goaltender from being really, really good. Can Slovakian rookie David Hrenak be they guy for the Huskies?

UND is 13-0 all time against the Manitoba Bisons

Bring on the Bisons

UND is 13-0 all-time against Manitoba and topped the Bisons 5-1 last year, but that game was more about raising banner No. 8 to the Ralph Engelstad Arena rafters. In this one, the Fighting Hawks starts its run to No. 9 and are trying to see who can make an early impact. Nicholas Jones has experience in college hockey, leaving Ohio State and heading to the BCHL before coming to Grand Forks. After a huge playoff run, can he make an early impression on his new teammates?

How about Shane Gersich? Can he build of an impressive sophomore campaign and bring the Hawks the elite scoring they are looking for? Will Cam Johnson once again become the man between the pipes or will freshman Peter Thome make his push?

DDC sees UND's depth taking hold here. The Green and White get scoring from all over the lineup as Gersich nets two, captain Austin Poganski gets one to go, while freshmen Jordan Kawaguchi and Grant Mismash endear themselves to the REA faithful with their first tallies. Ludvig Hoff and Johnny Simonson round out the scoring for a successful start to 2017-18.

UND ROLLS, 7-2

It's hockey season, ladies and gents. Let's do this!

Come back next week to see how it went down. Thanks for reading!

Roses and Thorns: Trying to Take the High Road

UND and Minnesota Duluth scuffle after UMD's Neal Pionk (4) ran over North Dakota goaltender Cam Johnson (33)
in the first period of the Bulldogs' 4-3 win over the Green and White in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game
from the Target Center in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pionk was issued a five-minute penalty for the play. (Photo: Eric Hylden, GF Herald)

This must be said ...

DDC isn't "that guy" to criticize officiating. He's truly not. Refereeing sports is incredibly hard, having it done it at the high school level, DDC knows it's a no-win job.

This must also be said ...

DDC has never been one to question a team's leadership and/or integrity (other than maybe the Gophers ;) ).

With those things said, there were some ... we'll call it... questionable ... calls and some ... questionable ... penalties committed this Saturday night when the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs topped the UND men's hockey team 4-3 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Frozen Faceoff championship game from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Green and White used a 5-on-3 power play goal to tie the game with just under three minutes to go in the third period. However, UMD would have the last laugh, netting their own 5-on-3 goal with under a minute left in regulation to take the Frozen Faceoff tournament title.

Below are some video highlights from this wild game, thanks to Goon and his blog. There are a few points to note, well, more than a few, actually ... DDC is going to take the high road and let you make the calls:

1:15 -- Neal Pionk takes out Cam Johnson; 2:00 Commentary on Previous Hit; 4:00 -- Kyle Osterberg Falls After Clear Penalty by Johnny Simonson; 4:20 -- Willie Raskob Falls After Scuffle with Hayden Shaw; 5:10 -- Dom Toninato Reacts to Call; 7:00 -- Hunter Miska Falls Down; 7:45 -- Dan Molenaar Falls Down -- Note Commentary After Fall.

With all of that said, while the Green and White aren't back in Grand Forks with a new piece of hardware, they come back with a lot of reasons to be happy.

UND topped Denver 1-0 on Friday night, holding Denver to just 21 shots on goal, a season-low total for the Pioneers, and broke a 0-3 skid in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. The win mathematically clinched North Dakota a spot in the NCAA tournament for the 15th-straight season.

However, DDC Baby No. 2's magic ran out on Saturday night, as Duluth took the NCHC's autobid.

But hey, 5-1 ain't so bad.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his Frozen Faceoff edition of his Roses and Thorns column.

Roses

No. 1 -- Breaking the Target Center Curse

Finally, UND faithful left the Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday with smiles on their faces and not gonna lie, that felt pretty darn good. After three years of lethargic play and bad bounces, the Green and White played with pace and passion against Denver and got a bounce off those lovely, springy end boards and got a win in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. Fans in the Target Center saw a team that was hungry and their defensive effort was tremendous on Friday night. It was a good win against arguably the best team in the country. Coupled with another great effort the next night against UMD, the Green and White showed they can hang with (and outplay) anyone in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

UND Jr. F, Austin Poganski and Shane Gersich celebrate Poganski's goal in the third period
of the Green and White's 1-0 win over Denver on Friday (Photo: Eric Hylden, GF Herald)

No. 2 -- Offensive Creativity

While this weekend wasn't a dynamite offensive effort, it was a very good one. What's more important in the eyes of DDC were the chances UND created, particularly on the power play. Outshooting the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the PairWise on a particular weekend isn't a small feat, particularly since both Denver and UMD are among the defensive teams in the nation. In a game that was largely played with special teams on Saturday night, the Green and White scored all three of their goals on the power play. Sure, they had 10 chances, but even when they didn't score, UND moved the puck well and broke the Bulldog PK box with sharp passing and created loads of chances. The top power play unit has started to become something special with Boeser, Jost and Gersich consistently finding each other in soft spots for scoring chances. Outside of the power play, Jost and Boeser paired together at times and are showing once again why they are NHL first rounders. When UND gets this kind of effort from its top forwards, the bottom six becomes that harder to handle and those lines have been creating a lot, too (see: Trevor Olson). For the Green and White, it's all about effort and speed. They brought that game to the Target Center this weekend and it turned out two great performances.

No. 3 -- Defensive Effort

UND Fr. D, Colton Poolman

What would you have said if DDC told you UND would shutout Denver, the best offense in the nation since January 1st, on Friday? What would you have said if DDC told you the Green and White would lose the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year in Tucker Poolman to injury in the first period on Saturday and that UND would hold Minnesota Duluth down for large chunks of the game and nearly win? Crazy on both accounts, right? Well, not this weekend. As mentioned previously, North Dakota's game is all about speed and effort right now and that is showing up. On Friday, the Green and White held DU to just 21 shots, a season low for the Pioneers. On Saturday, it took a goal off a teammate's skate during a 5-on-3 penalty kill to beat netminder Cam Johnson for the game winner. The D-corps' physicality was tremendous. Colton Poolman and Hayden Shaw played with an edge this blogger has rarely seen. While Tucker's injury looms large, UND's young blue line took a big step this weekend in Minneapolis.

Thorns

No. 1 -- 27 Penalties and Four 5-on-3s

Simply put, this shouldn't happen. Like mentioned previously, DDC is going to take the high road and not overly criticize, but no way should a tournament championship be decided on a 5-on-3 power play. Nor should the game end up tied with less than 3 minutes to go on a 5-on-3 power play. The fact that the stripes reviewed Neal Pionk's contact with Cam Johnson and gave him a five minute penalty without tossing the sophomore defenseman is what, in DDC's opinion, let this game get away in terms of penalties. This was too good of a weekend for it to be hijacked by penalties. A bit of a shame, to say the least.

No. 2 -- An Injury and a Big One

Jr. D, Tucker Poolman
left Saturday's NCHC
Championship game
in the first period due
to injury and did not return

Tucker Poolman is a NHL defenseman. He has the frame, the offensive skill, the skating and the defensive prowess to be playing for the Winnipeg Jets, his draft team, as we speak. So, when he went down in the first period on Saturday against Duluth and did not return to action, a collective groan could be heard across NoDak nation. Head coach Brad Berry brought fans a little solace in the postgame presser, saying that Tucker is the toughest player in the NCHC and expects him to play on Friday when the NCAA tournament starts. It goes without saying that Tucker is invaluable to UND. Cheers to him hopefully being ready to go.

There you have it, hockey fans. Welp, the conference tournaments are over, the field is set and the NCAA Tournament starts in four days. UND will be in Fargo in a pretty eyebrow raising regional, considering history and this past weekend's event.

Check back on Friday as DDC previews the West Regional from Scheels Arena in Fargo -- Minnesota Duluth ( 😁 ) versus Ohio State and North Dakota vs. Boston University.

Thanks for reading!

Friday Gameday: A 20-Something Sweep, Not a Dirty 30 Geritol, Please?

DDC turns 30 on Saturday and is
feeling spry with no supplements needed.

This is DDC's last post as a 20-Something as he turns 30 on Saturday and he'd love a birthday present from his beloved UND men's hockey team and he's not asking for medication for any elderly ailment.

Much like DDC's 29 years on this wonderful earth, it's been an up-and-down first half for the defending national champions. (Pretty much kidding with DDC's up-and-down life 😀)

The UND men's hockey team started their title defense 5-0 then went on a six-game winless streak, the Green and White's longest since the 2002-03 season. UND followed that up with an impressive sweep in St. Cloud for the first time since 1998 and then slipped again the next weekend as North Dakota lost and tied Michigan State, who entered that weekend near the bottom of the PairWise rankings. Last weekend, the upswing came back as UND topped rival Boston College 4-3 in the College Hockey Showdown game from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

So, in short, DDC really has no idea what the heck is going to happen as the No. 18 Western Michigan Broncos travel to Grand Forks to take on the No. 8 Green and White.

This is DDC's last "He's in his 20s, he wears it well and still doesn't need any Little Blue Pill or Geritol" series preview. Here's what to watch for as DDC brings back his "Who? What? How?" look of this last National Collegiate Hockey Conference tussle of 2016.

Who?

Players to Watch

WMU So. Matheson Iacopelli
leads the NCHC with 13 goals.

Western Michigan:

So. F, Matheson Iacopelli, 13 goals, 4 assists -- 17 points; Sr. D, Taylor Fleming, 0g, 13a -- 13 pts; So. F, Griffen Molino, 4g, 7a -- 11 pts; Fr. F, Wade Allison, 7g, 3a -- 10 pts; Sr. F, Sheldon Dries, 4g, 6a -- 10 pts;  So. G, Trevor Grouch, 4-3-2, 3.07 goals against average, .894 save percentage.

UND:

So. F, Shane Gersich, 11g, 11a -- 22 pts; Fr. F, Tyson Jost, 7g, 10a -- 17 pts; So. F, Brock Boeser, 7g, 9a -- 16 pts (likely out this weekend); Jr. D, Tucker Poolman, 4g, 10a -- 14 pts; Jr. F, Austin Poganski, 3g, 7a -- 10 pts; Jr. G, Cam Johnson, 8-5-3, 2.24 GAA, .907 SV PCT.

What? 

Standout Stats

Western Michigan:

The Broncos are 9th in the NCAA in goals per game with a 3.64 average and are 11th in power play at 22.1%.

Sophomore Matheson Iacopelli leads the NCHC with 13 goals for the year after scoring just once in his freshman season in 27 games played.

WMU has just one win in their last five games (1-2-2).

UND:

UND is 11th in the country in goals against, allowing just 2.31 goals per game and are 26th in goals scored with a 3.06 per game average.

UND is 15-1-0 all time against WMU, with their lone loss coming in 2013-14, costing UND a Penrose Cup title in the NCHC's first season. The Green and White won all four games between the two teams last season. Netminder Cam Johnson won all four of those games with a sterling 1.56 goals against average and .948 save percentage.

Sophomore forward Shane Gersich is tied with Omaha's Austin Ortega for the NCHC scoring lead with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists).

Freshman forward has six points in his last five games (4 goals, 2 assists) including a pair of goals in two separate games (last week against Boston College and Nov. 25 at home against Michigan State).

How?

How’d they get here?

No. 18 WMU (PWR: 11, 7-4-3; 3-4-1 – 11 points, 3^rd in NCHC) fell 3-0 at home against St. Cloud State on Friday and tied 5-5, but won in a shootout to gain the extra conference point on Saturday.

No. 8 UND (PWR: 7, 8-5-3; 2-3-1 – 8 points, 6^th in NCHC) topped No. 3 Boston College 4-3 in the College Hockey Showdown game from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Pick

UND Fr. F, Tyson Jost celebrates one of his two goals in the Green and
White's 4-3 win over Boston College last Saturday from Madison Square
Garden in New York City. (Photo credit: Russell Hons/UND Athletics)

This is a different looking Western Michigan squad from their recent incarnations as they can score goals (9th in the NCAA in scoring) and have beaten three ranked teams, including Denver. 

On the other side of the ice, like DDC previously mentioned, UND has been wholly an up-and-down team. They've looked dominant at times and completely lost and uninspired at others. 

The Green and White took to a big stage last weekend in NYC and outplayed the No. 3 BC Eagles, particularly when 5-on-5, and got scoring from their top-end players as well as third and fourth liners. This development will be huge for UND, going forward. 

With Brock Boeser likely out for another weekend as he nurses an arm injury, Tyson Jost and Shane Gersich will need to continue to lead the way in the scoring department. Where UND gets tough to beat is when players like Trevor Olson, who scored his first goal in 57 games, the game winner against BC, find the back of the net. 

Again, this isn't the plodding and overly physical WMU team that UND has seen in recent years and the Green and White will need to slow a Broncos squad that is scoring plenty of goals, this season. 

UND must stay out of the penalty box as they have played very well when 5-on-5 this season but are a lowly 79.7% on the penalty kill and WMU is clicking with a 11th-best in the NCAA power play (22.1%). If the Green and White can stay out of the box and give open viewing lanes to Cam Johnson in net, UND has shown the ability to score enough goals and deny chances and win games.

UND GIVES DDC A "20-SOMETHING" FRIDAY WIN AND "DIRTY 30" VICTORY FOR A BIRTHDAY SWEEP, 4-2, 4-3.

There you have it. Thanks for reading and for all birthday gifts, feel free to comment and DDC will send you his address. Cheers!

Friday Gameday: DDC's Apology, A Quick Recap and Battling the Beavs

Sophomore forward Joel Janatuinen (25) celebrates his first goal in a hat trick performance on Saturday in UND's 5-2
win over RPI. Janatuinen has helped pace a Green and White attack that has lead to a 3-0 record. (Photo: GF Herald)

Did you all miss me? No? Well, DDC is sorry, anyway.

A busy schedule, including starting his MBA earlier this month, has led DDC away from his readers and for that, he is truly sorry! Time management, people!

Let's get right into it.

Since DDC last wrote, the defending national champion UND men's hockey team hasn't skipped a beat. Just in case those reading rely on DDC as their only way to follow college hockey (He knows better, but just in case), here's what's been happening with your Green and White.

Two Weeks In, Still on Top

DDC noted in his season preview that the three main storylines for the 2016-17 UND men's hockey team were defense, an emergence of a new, dominant top line and a battle between the pipes. Well, it seems that the script is going to plan for the Green and White.

Offense From Top to Bottom

UND So. F, Brock Boeser
leads the team in points
with seven (1g, 6a).

The CBS line of last season saw consistently dominant play. The only returner from that vaunted line, sophomore sensation Brock Boeser is starting his potential Hobey Baker campaign off on the right foot and freshman Tyson Jost is living up to expectations. Boeser tallied six points (1g, 5a) in an opening weekend 6-0, 4-1 sweep of Canisius, earning NCHC Player of the Week honors and added an assist in a 5-2 win over RPI last Saturday, leading the team with seven points on the year. Jost and Shane Gersich, who has filled out the top line in the first three games, are tied for third with four points a piece.

But, the top line isn't the end of the story. UND has seen scoring from all over the lineup through their 3-0 start, highlighted by sophomore Joel Janatuinen's hat trick against RPI last Saturday. The Espoo, Finland native is second on the team with five points (3g, 2a). Along with Janatuinen, the Green and White has gotten a big season start from another European product. Freshman forward and Norway native Ludvig Hoff scored his first-career goal last Saturday against Canisius and assisted on two of Janatuinen's goals against RPI to bring his point total to three (1g, 2a) through three games. In total, 16 players have tallied a point, so far and seven players are averaging at least a point per game. It's been a solid start for UND's depth to see scoring from all over the stat sheet.

The 'D' is Dominant

Through three games, UND's D corps hasn't allowed an opponent more than 17 shots, outshooting teams 118-42 and outscoring them 15-3. Cam Johnson has started where he left off his 2015-16 Mike Richter award finalist season, allowing just three goals (1.00 goals against average) and posting a 92.8 save percentage. With a couple of freshmen defenseman anchoring spots No. 5 and 6 in all three games, UND's defense is definitely doing its job. 

Bring On the Beavers

For the sake of length, DDC will forgo his usual "Who? What? How?" preview and will summarize who's to watch when UND takes on the Bemidji State Beavers this weekend from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

After a relatively easy pair of weekends, the No. 1 Green and White will be tested against BSU. The Beavers are No. 18 in this week's USCHO.com poll on the heels of a 4-0 start after a pair of sweeps of WCHA opponents. The first came against preseason top pick Bowling Green 2-1, 4-1 on opening weekend and the second last weekend against Northern Michigan, winning 2-0 both nights.

Junior forward Myles Fitzgerald leads the Beavers with five points (1g, 4a) and sophomore forward Jay Dickman's team-leading two goals. Junior netminder and Moorhead native Michael Bitzer has dazzled through four games, starting in each, with a 0.50 goals against average and a 97.7 save percentage with two shutouts.

The Pick

The Beavers are coming into the weekend hot, just like the Green and White and they are looking to prove to the college hockey world that they are here to stay in 2016-17. This is always a tight series with two teams that know each other very well. After a couple of weekends where UND dominated, this series isn't going to come that easy.

DDC has been very impressed with UND's play through three games. This team has had a lot of contributions from top to bottom of their lineup and their defense has shutdown their opposition through three games.

While Bowling Green and Northern Michigan certainly are not weak opponents, BSU hasn't seen the depth of talent that UND will bring to the Ralph in this weekend's series. Plus, they are coming to UND's barn where they have lost just four times in their last 43 games at home (35-4-4).

The battle between the pipes will loom large in this one and while Bitzer has absolutely had a stellar start and has been a quality netminder in his career, Cam Johnson has proven his meddle on the big stage against top tier teams and DDC thinks this is where North Dakota has the advantage.

UND KEEPS THE HOME SUCCESS ROLLING AND SWEEPS THE BEAVERS TO STAY UNDEFEATED, 4-2, 3-1.

Thanks for coming back and cheers to another weekend of college hockey.

DDC's 2016-17 Season Preview -- UND's Top 3 Storylines, NCAA Top 20, NCHC picks and A Peek at the Bisons

The UND men's hockey team were presented with their National Title
rings earlier this week. Their season kicks off tonight against Manitoba.

We've made it. It's hockey season.

The defending national champions, the University of North Dakota men's hockey team, kicks off its repeat bid as they take on the University of Manitoba Bisons in exhibition fashion tonight at 7 pm from the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Let's say that once more, shall we?

The defending national champions, the University of North Dakota men's hockey team. Man, that feels good.

UND has already gotten its rings and green banner No. 8 will be hoisted into the REA rafters tonight and the memory of last season's incredible run has DDC thinking, will the Green and White do this again next year and potentially raise No. 9?

Well, we shall see, but these three storylines are going to go a long way to decide if UND can celebrate in Chicago in April.

1) Can the 'D' do it Again?

The 2015-16 UND squad was simply loaded. They were a special team that could score in bunches, but also completely shutdown an opponent defensively. While the Green and White return four defensemen that played heavy minutes last season in now two-time Captain Gage Ausmus, dynamic offensive defenseman Tucker Poolman, Christian Wolanin and Hayden Shaw, outside of that top four, the final two spots will needed to be figured out quickly.

UND carried the second-best scoring defense in the NCAA last season, allowing just 1.84 goals a game. Losing Troy Stecher, Paul LaDue and Keaton Thompson to professional contracts doesn't just leave a hole in UND's 'D', it leaves a chasm. The Green and White still sport Mike Richter Finalist Cam Johnson between the pipes, but will need to figure out the last two spots on the backend to make a deep run this season.

2) CBS 2.0?

Can freshman Tyson Jost
jump into a key role for
the Green and White?

The CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz is no more. While Boeser remains and is a legitimate Hobey Baker preseason front runner, the loss of Caggiula and Schmaltz to the NHL ranks means UND needs to figure out how to replace a combined 97 points. That's a lot of scoring. The CBS line was a special blend of speed, power, defense and scoring touch. Can the Green and White find a duo to pair with Boeser on the top line? What about the rest of the lineup? Who is going to step up to produce? 

Austin Poganksi, Shane Gersich, Rhett Gardner and Chris Wilkie could go a long way to help shore up the top 6 forward group. Can highly-touted freshman Tyson Jost turn into the playmaker Schmaltz was last year? He certainly appears to have the talent. DDC believes we may see Jost and Boeser paired together and he'd be surprised to see Gardner and Poganski split up because they spent so much time playing together last year. Can the speedy Gersich step into Cagguila's game-breaking, goal-scoring role? We shall see.

3) Battle Between the Pipes

Can Matej Tomek push
Cam Johnson for the
starting role in net?

Coming into last season, UND was looking to replace an all-world goaltender in Zane McIntyre with three netminders who had barely seen the ice in their college careers. Well, with all those questions, Cam Johnson became as much as a sure thing as UND has ever seen, becoming a Mike Richter Finalist with a tremendous year. Matt Hrynkiw proved he was a solid backup, too, going on a great, early season run with Johnson shelved with an injury. What about NHL draft pick Matej Tomek? Highly regarded coming into the 2015-16 season, an early injury hindered Tomek's chances of seeing any ice time. 

So, once a huge question mark, the goaltender spot for UND is now a strong point and we could very well see a battle for playing time between these three. DDC believes Tomek will get his shot, this season. NHL teams don't draft goalies early in the draft for a player that isn't incredibly talented. As we start the season, Johnson deserves to be the starter. But, was Cam's year a product of an incredibly special defenseman group? DDC thinks it helped, but Johnson certainly held his own. However, this will definitely be a battle for time this season. 

DDC's Preseason Top 20

1) UND
2) Boston University
3) Denver
4) UMass-Lowell
5) Quinnipiac
6) Providence
7) Northeastern
8) Boston College
9) Notre Dame
10) Minnesota Duluth
11) Harvard
12) Minnesota
13) Bowling Green
14) Michigan
15) Wisconsin
16) St. Lawrence
17) Michigan Tech
18) St. Cloud State
19) MSU-Mankato
20) Air Force

DDC's NCAA Take

Despite losing a lot to graduation and professional contracts, UND is still well suited to make a deep run with key players in each position group. So, until they get topped, DDC has the Green and White on top.

Boston University brings in one of the most dynamic freshmen groups in recent history, with NHL first-round picks Clayton Keller, Dante Fabbro and Keifer Bellows while returning fellow first-rounder Charlie McAvoy. Can all that young talent produce big results? Denver lost a lot, but brings back all-NCHC picks Dylan Gambrell and Will Butcher in front of veteran netminder Tanner Jalliet. BU vs. DU in early October will be a true test for both teams.

Can a budding team like Bowling Green or Wisconsin get all their pieces in place to make a run? It'll sure be fun to watch and find out.

NCHC Picks

Sophomore Brock Boeser is the clear-cut favorite as NCHC
Preseason Player of the Year. Can he improve on his dynamic
2015-16 season as UND looks to repeat in 2016-17?

1) UND
2) Denver
3) Minnesota Duluth
4) St. Cloud State
5) Omaha
6) Miami
7) Colorado College
8) Western Michigan

DDC's All-NCHC Team

F -- Brock Boeser, UND

F -- Dylan Gambrell, DU

F -- Tyson Jost, UND

D -- Will Butcher, DU

D -- Neal Pionk, UMD

G -- Cam Johnson, UND

Can Omaha's Austin Ortega
take an all-NCHC spot?

Player of the Year: Boeser

Defenseman of the Year: Butcher

Goaltender of the Year: Johnson

Rookie of the Year: Jost

DDC's NCHC Take

Call DDC a homer. He's fine with it. Like he said before, until someone takes down the defending national champs, UND is tops of the league. Jost looks like a generational-type player and while players like Austin Ortega from Omaha and UMD's Tony Camoranesi may have something to say about that final forward spot, DDC leans Green and White. UND has the most pieces in place right now and the rest of the teams seem to have a few more question marks.

UND is 12-0 all time against the Manitoba Bisons

Bring on the Bisons

UND is 12-0 all-time against Manitoba, outscoring the Bisons 72-21 in those 12 games. Tonight isn't about wins and losses, but more about taking a look at some new pieces. Who will group with Boeser on the top line? Will Jost show of his Top 10 NHL draft pick talent? How about Tomek? How much time does he get in an effort to earn time between the pipes? 

Last season, the Green and White rolled to a 8-3 victory and tipped off the REA faithful that something fun was brewing in Grand Forks. DDC thinks this happens again. 

Jost gets his first and adds an assist, Johnson and Tomek start their battle and slow a hyped-up Manitoba squad and Boeser shows while he'll be a Hobey front-runner this year with a pair of goals. 

UND RAISES THE BANNER IN STYLE, 6-2

It's here, hockey fans. It's time to RAISE 8 and start the run to No. 9.

Come back next week to see how it went down. Thanks for reading!

DDC's Top 10 Moments of 2015-16, Part II

UND Sr. F Drake Caggiula celebrates one of his two goals in the Green and White's 5-1 win over Quinnipiac in the
national championship game. Caggiula earned Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player honors. (Photo: Melissa Wade, USCHO.com)

DDC had a fun recollection today.

Just in case you've forgotten...  the UND men's hockey team is national champions. Just thought you all needed a reminder :).

Anyway, thanks for coming back for Part II of DDC's Top 10 Moments of the 2015-16. In this edition of the countdown, you'll see moments No. 8 through No. 6. All three aren't necessarily single moments, but all were incredibly important in the run to national title No. 8, the Green and White's first since 2000.

Let's get it started again, shall we?

No. 8 -- Battles with the Pios -- December 4-5, 2015, Grand Forks, N.D. and February 12-13, 2016, Denver, Colo.

The NCHC is a very young conference, but it in no way lacks tradition. Outside of the battles that the conference's eight teams have developed in the first three years, the NCHC is chocked full of rivalries that have spanned decades.

UND vs. St. Cloud State, UND vs. Minnesota Duluth, Colorado College vs. Denver all have seen huge games in big time spots.

But one truly stands alone and the 2015-16 season showed why UND vs. Denver is the best rivalry in the NCHC.

In December, the Pioneers traveled to Grand Forks with both teams on a significant roll. Two dominating performances by UND later in 5-1, 4-0 fashion, Denver headed back home as their head coach Jim Montgomery heralded the Green and White as the best team in the country. The CBS line put up 10 points and were a +15. DDC noted it was possibly the most dominating performance he'd seen out of any UND team over an entire weekend.

UND Fr. F, Brock Boeser pots a goal during the Green and White's 4-0 win for
a sweep over Denver in Grand Forks on December 5th. (Photo: Unheralded.Fish)

Denver would get it's revenge in February when UND traveled west to Colorado. Much like the CBS line had dominated in Grand Forks, the Pacific Rim line of Trevor Moore, Danton Heinen and Dylan Gambrell rolled North Dakota with 18 points in a 6-4, 4-1 sweep. Friday's game was one of the most exciting he's ever seen as the two traded blows in an intense and high-paced game.

Two teams played a fifth game in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff third place game, but it was the first four that truly set the stage for the legendary national semifinal game in Tampa. We'll get back to that later.

All things considered, these two series showed again why this rivalry is one of the best in college hockey.

No. 7 -- Back-to-back Banners -- March 4, 2016 -- Grand Forks, N.D.

Heading into the weekend of February 25-26, the race for the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions was as tight as it could be.

UND and St. Cloud State we're tied atop the standings with just two weekends to go.

The Green and White got a huge sweep of Nebraska Omaha on the road and saw St. Cloud State go down in a stunning home sweep at the hands of Minnesota Duluth, leaving UND with just one point left for an outright Penrose Cup title for the second year in a row.

After clinching a share of the title against Omaha, the Green and White made it clear they had no intentions of "sharing that thing" and crushed Western Michigan 8-1 to take the Cup outright.

While it was just another step towards their ultimate goal, it's certainly no small feat to win in this conference and the Green and White enjoyed their celebration the next night after sweeping the Broncos with a 5-4 win.

No. 6 -- A Question Mark Becomes an Exclamation Point

UND Jr. G, Matt Hyrnkiw

Outside of the UND having to replace longtime head coach Dave Hakstol with Brad Berry, the biggest question mark coming into the 2015-16 season was between the pipes.

Who would replace all-world goaltender Zane McIntyre, the 2014-15 Mike Richter Award winner who left following his junior season for the professional ranks?

Coming into the season, UND had one goaltender who had played any time in a Green and White sweater -- sophomore Cam Johnson. The Michigan native had played just 21 minutes in his college career, getting chased from the net after allowing three goals against Lake Superior State on just 12 shots.

Other than Johnson, UND sported freshman Matej Tomek, a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers and walk-on Matt Hyrnkiw who also had never played a minute of college hockey.

The murky situation got even more complex as Tomek suffered an injury in preseason and Johnson left with a leg injury against BSU just three games into the season.

In stepped Hyrnkiw and the walk on exploded onto the scene. The junior rolled off a stunning 8-1 record. Johnson returned in a blowout loss at St. Cloud State, relieving Hyrnkiw in the third period.

Huge props to Mr. Hyrnkiw during this incredible run, but the rest of the way, it was Cam's net.

UND So. G, Cam Johnson was a key cog in the Green and White's run to No. 8.
The Michigan native's scoreless streak of 298:25 from December 5th to January 2nd
is the second best mark in college hockey history. (Photo: UNDsports.com)

Johnson was incredible after returning from injury and was a key cog in UND's run to No. 8.

In a stretch from December 5th to January 2nd, Cam shutout four consecutive opponents, not allowing a goal until late in the second period of a 4-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville, a span of nearly 300 minutes of game time. The 298:25 scoreless streak slated Johnson with the second-best mark in NCAA history. His four-straight shutouts is also second best all time.

298:25. What a run.

From question mark, to exclamation point, the UND goaltending situation marks another historic run in a season full of historic moments.

That's it for Part II. Come back later this week for moments No. 5 and No. 4. A preview -- Caggiula dangles for a game winner and one of DDC's favorite movies of all time becomes incredibly applicable.

Thanks for reading.

The Pick(s) -- Frozen Four Semifinals

Frozen Four National Semifinals, Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay, FL:
Both games on ESPN 2.

Semifinal No. 1 -- Boston College vs. Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.
Semifinal No. 2 -- Denver vs. North Dakota, 7:30 p.m.

The ice is fresh, the teams are rested and the hype is high.

It's win or go home.

Boston College versus Quinnipiac. Denver versus North Dakota.

It's time for the Frozen Four from Amalie Arena in Tampa.

In semifinal No. 1, the top seeded Bobcats are looking to permanently stamp their names on the college hockey landscape. The Eagles are trying to continue their decade plus of dominance and advance to the title game for the seventh time since 2001.

In semifinal No. 2, legendary rivals Denver and UND faceoff for the sixth time on the year. Thursday's contest is by far the biggest. Can the Green and White snap out of their national semifinal funk and head to the title game? Can the Pioneers upend their NCHC foe and advance to the championship for the first time since 2005?

DDC has delved into both Thursday semifinals and is ready to give you his picks as to who will move on to Saturday's national championship game.

The Pick(s)

Semifinal No. 1 -- Boston College vs. Quinnipiac

To say these two teams are evenly matched statistically is nothing short of an understatement.

Both are in the top 5 in scoring offense and top 7 in scoring defense. Both sport top 9 power plays and top 5 penalty kills. Both have game-breaking goaltenders that are near the top of the stats pile. Both are undefeated on the season when leading after two periods.

While QU Michael Garteig is certainly a solid netminder, Boston College goaltender Thatcher Demko is a Hobey Baker Hat Trick and Mike Richter finalist and with his huge size and excellent mobility, is an absolute force. Demko has a ridiculous 10 shutouts on the year and gives the Eagles the slight edge in the nets. He will need to keep that going against the Bobcats if BC plans on playing on Saturday night.

So, where does the advantage lie?

As it often does come playoff time, DDC sees this game won with special teams as it's all but a toss up 5-on-5 and one stat stood out most to DDC when looking at this matchup -- BC is fifth in the country in penalty minutes, averaging 14.4 per game.

Despite that high number of PIMs, the Eagles are fourth in the NCAA in penalty kill. On the other side, Quinnipiac has the fourth-best power play.

Quinnipiac So. F, Sam Anas
is DDC's pick for semifinal
No. 1's game breaker.

This is where DDC thinks the Bobcats capitalize.

QU junior forward Sam Anas and senior forward Travis St. Denis have been game changers this season with the extra man as the pair is tied for second nationally with 10 power play goals a piece.

DDC sees one of these two potting a big-time extra man goal in a big-time spot to move the Bobcats on to Saturday.

Semifinal No. 1's game breaker: Quinnipaic forward, Sam Anas. Look for the dynamic forward to net the game winner on the power play late.

QUINNIPIAC EDGES BOSTON COLLEGE, 4-3.

Semifinal No. 2 --  Denver vs. North Dakota

Hold on one second. DDC needs a Xanax. Ok, thanks. Let's make a pick.

DDC noted in his preview of this game that the rivalry is a mere side note, but the familiarity of these two teams, particularly in 2015-16, is very important. Denver knows UND is loaded offensively and sports a dynamic D-corps that is capable of taking over a game. The Green and White knows the Pioneers are tremendous on the rush and have a top line that can score with anyone in the country.

So, much like in the first semifinal between QU and BC, where does the advantage lie?

DDC believes it's in the line matchups.

North Dakota has the advantage of the last change being the higher seed and this has proved incredibly important for the Green and White down the stretch.

Throwing out the Frozen Faceoff 1-1 tie, in the other four contests between the two this season, the team with the last change got home sweeps.

When UND swept Denver in Grand Forks in December, the Green and White were able to pair their top 4 defensemen against DU's top line. Then, when the Pioneers got their sweep of UND in Colorado in February, the newly minted Pacific Rim line of Danton Heinen, Dylan Gambrell and Trevor Moore got good matchups and took advantage.

With the last change on Thursday, UND will have the opportunity to group their top D-men and their "Heavy Line" of Luke Johnson, Rhett Gardner and Austin Poganski against DU's top line. The Heavy Line was the difference in the Midwest Regional as the trio went to work with a monster forecheck against Northeastern's top forwards and the vaunted CCM Line of Michigan that denied time and space.

UND Sr. F, Drake Caggiula
is DDC's pick for semifinal
No. 2's game breaker.

With the Heavy Line occupying the time of DU's Pacific Rim, UND's CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz should have more opportunities to create and pace the North Dakota attack.

If UND can lock it down defensively and get solid netminding from Cam Johnson like they did in Cincinnati, they should have plenty enough scoring to move on.

Semifinal No. 2's game breaker: UND forward, Drake Caggiula. The senior has had a penchant for big goals in his career and DDC sees Caggiula netting the Green and White's fourth goal to put away the Pioneers.

NORTH DAKOTA SHAKES OFF THEIR NATIONAL SEMIFINAL STRUGGLES AND BEATS DU, 5-2.

Exhale.

There you have it. Who will be left standing after the semis? Check back later to see who's moving on and who's going home. Thanks for reading.