Chiclets Game Notes Frozen Four Preview - So Simple Even Biznasty Can Read It
One of the most incredible NCAA hockey seasons in a long time has come down to the last dance. This preview is a good read for the normal college hockey super fan but is perfect for fans like Biz, who never went to college but want to jump on the College Hockey bandwagon this weekend.
More importantly, we give our picks on who to take in case you lose your company credit card and have to pony up for the team dinner.
When: The Frozen Four starts Thursday and the Spittin' Chiclets Crew will be in attendance!
Where: The National Champion will be crowned in the State of Hockey…. St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Current Odds to Lift the Trophy on DraftKings Sportsbook:
Game 1 Boston University vs. University of Denver 5 pm EST.
Boston University Terriers
Game Notes: Hockey East Runner-up, Beat RIT 6-3 and Minnesota 6-3 in the NCAA Opening Rounds. The team out of Boston has enough talent to compete with anyone and also can bury any team they face. The Terriers are a fast-paced high-octane team who roll lines and keep coming after you for 60 minutes. The fact that my boss Whitdog is an alumnus does not change the fact that this team has all the ingredients to win the last game of the season. If they were able to Uber Eats T Anthonys to Minny then this team is going to be an issue.
Players To Watch:
Murls - Lane Hutson - Montreal Canadiens 2nd Round pick, is a small defenseman who buzzes around and makes the game look easy. He's an offensive threat every time he steps on the ice.
Grinnell - Macklin Celebrini - The likely 1st overall pick will have all the eyes of the hockey world on him this upcoming weekend. How will he perform under the bright lights? I have Celebrini winning the Hobey, he was the best player in college hockey from start to finish. He’s also the YOUNGEST player in college hockey. Just wild.
Famous Alumni: Ryan Whitney, Jack Eichel, Kevin Shattenkirk, Keith Tkachuk, Chris Drury, Mike Grier, Mike Sullivan, Travis Roy
Fun Fact: I scored the first goal in my first college game against BU, but lost to the Ryan Whitney-led Terriers my Senior year hitting the post with:01 left and have been a mush ever since.
The University of Denver Pioneers
Game Notes: NCHC Champion, Defeated UMass- Amherst 2-1 in OT and Cornell 2-1 to reach the Frozen Four. The powerhouse out of the Rocky Mountains is back in the mix for the biggest prize in college hockey. This team feels more comfortable in big games that come down to the wire than I have seen in a long time. They are big and well-disciplined and rely on their goaltending to bail them out when there are breakdowns. The balanced team might not have the names that will be called on the first day of the draft but this team is as well put together as a Sherman tank. They will not give an inch and can make life very difficult through the neutral zone and will have to in their attempts to slow down this BU team.
Players To Watch:
Murls - Jack Devine - Florida Panthers 7th Round Pick is currently 7th in the Nation in scoring and was the most impressive player at the Regional games in Springfield.
Grinnell - Zeev Buium - The 2005-born defenseman came into the year on most people’s radars, but now the kid is likely going to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. From his dominance at the World Juniors to his dominance so far in the tournament, this kid is a stud.
Famous Alumni: Troy Terry, Trevor Moore, Danton Heinen, Logan O’Connor, Bobby Brink, Ryan Caldwell, Drew Shore, Mark Rycroft
Fun Fact: Current Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was the coach here before making the jump to the show and won the Championship there in 2017.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook:
How I see it going down:
BU is going to get a lot of attention based on the names on the back of their jerseys. This team is loaded with talent that we will all be yelling at to score more goals at Icecons for years to come. If BU can get out to a lead early it will be tough for Denver to catch these monsters. The longer this game is kept low scoring and if the game is a trench warfare style this will favor the Pioneers. The nerves of Denver will show up early and they give up an early goal but then settle in and make the sledding tough for the talented BU team. Denver will want the refs to keep their whistles in their pockets and do not want this game to turn into a shootout.
Murls - BU 4 Denver 2
Denver struggled in both games to get here and Boston University cruised through both of their games with all the top-end talent they have. BU takes care of business in the first leg to give us the dream BU vs. BC national championship matchup.
Grinnell - Terriers 3 Pioneers 1
Celebrini takes over.
Game 2 Boston College vs. University of Michigan 8:30 pm EST.
Boston College Eagles
Game Notes: Hockey East Regular Season and Tournament Champions, Blew out Michigan Tech 6-1 and took down the reigning champs Quinnipiac 5-4 in OT during the opening weekend of the NCAA tourney.
The Eagles players are unreal to watch during the games and the Eagle parents are even more fun to watch before, during, and most importantly after. This has to be one of the most talented teams in the history of the NCAA and the style they play with has the look of a confident group that knows they should win if their game shows up. They want to play fast and loose and keep their opponents on their heels. Let us keep an eye on Biz’s newest bandwagon and that is Cutter Gauthier who if he stays hot will cause a ton of issues for any defenders he is matched up against.
Players to Watch:
Murls - Ryan Leonard - Washington Capitals 1st Rd pick is everything you want in a hockey player. He obviously can score as he broke Brian Gionta’s freshman-year goal-scoring record at BC, but he also has a way of getting under the skin of every player and fan from the other team.
Grinnell - Will Smith - Coming off being snubbed for the Hobey, the Lexington Mass native and San Jose Sharks 2023 4th overall pick, is coming into the tournament with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. After one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history, leading the nation in points (by 5), to not get a Hobey Baker finalist nominee is a joke. Smitty is going to have himself a weekend.
Famous Alumni: Johnny Gaudreau, Alex Tuch, Matt Boldy, Noah Hanafin, Brian Gionta, Rob Scuderi, Brendan Buckley, Brooks Orpik, Chris Kreider, Jimmy Hayes, Kevin Hayes, Mike Motteau, Joe Mullen
Fun Fact: Most players to play in World Juniors from the same college hockey team: 7
University of Michigan Wolverines
Game Notes: Big Ten Runner-ups, Snuck by North Dakota 4-3 and avenged Michigan State 5-2 to reach the National Semi-Final.
Is Michigan being greedy? Not if you ask El Presidente. The NCAA football champs are in the mix for this championship and have the players and the experience to upset Whit's dream final. The Wolverines are in the last four for the 3rd year in a row and even knocked off their state rivals to get here. This team is talented and tough and can skate with anyone in the country. This team thrives on momentum, they showed how scary they can be when they scored two goals so quickly in the Michigan State game to get them out of their region.
Players To Watch:
Murls - Rutger McGroarty - Winnipeg Jets 1st Rd pick was Captain of the USA Gold Medal winning team at the World Juniors back in January. Known more for his playmaking but if Michigan is to pull the upset here, he will be the guy you notice playing physically and scoring that big goal to get to the final.
Grinnell - Seamus Casey - Will we see the New Jersey Devils 2022 2nd-round pick? According to Coach Naurato, he’s 100% playing. Will he be a factor is the biggest question mark? Every time Casey steps on the ice he is a difference maker. I expect nothing less this weekend.
Famous Alumni: Dave Portnoy, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Andrew Copp, Kyle Connor, Dylan Larkin, Max Pacioretty, John Madden, Marty Turco
Fun Fact: Record tying 9 National Championships
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook:
How I See It Going Down:
This game will be fast-paced, up and down the ice and the winner will be the better team in transition. Both teams are fast and talented but can Michigan backend keep up with the talent the Eagles will roll out each shift? Michigan has to play with a lead and hope their Grad transfer goalie can make some saves that he shouldn't. Another game where the refs can play a role and hopefully they stay out of the way and let the players decide. The Eagles will spread out the Wolverines and make them try to cover the whole surface.
Murls - BC 5 Michigan 3
Michigan is always a tough out, but BC has been the best team all season and will continue to ride the top-end offensive talent they have up front to the final. The Smith, Leonard, Perreault line is one of the most ridiculous lines ever assembled in college hockey.
Grinnell - Eagles 6 Wolverines 2
Boston College is the best team in the country. They have the best players in the country. They have the best goalie in the country. I love the Eagles in this one and I love the over.
National Championship 6 pm Saturday
Murls - BU 4 BC 3
Vodka legend and BU Alum/Senior Advisor will have boots on the ground with us in Minnesota so I have no choice but to pull for BU to figure out a way to shut down that deadly offense of BC and grab the hardware. If BU wins, the Pink Whitney will be flowing like the salmon of Capistrano for everyone over 21 on the team.
Grinnell - BC 3 BU 1
Like I said before, Boston College has better top-end talent and they have the better goalie. Leonard, Smith, and Perreault are going to be buzzing. It’s going to be close and not as high-scoring as everyone might think. I think the Eagles win in an absolute barn burner, with some big goals from Cutter Gauthier.
Twitter: mattmurley19
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