Spittin' Chiclets College Hockey Rankings (Week 26 - The Frozen Four)

1.) Notre Dame

2.) Ohio State

3.)Minnesota Duluth

4.)Michigan

5.) St. Cloud State

6.)Denver

7.)Northeastern

8.)Minnesota State

9.)Clarkson

10.)Providence

We are down to four. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Minnesota Duluth, and Michigan are the four remaining teams left in college hockey that will head to St. Paul Minnesota next weekend. But how did we get here? How did the two best teams get knocked out of the tournament and not make it to the Frozen Four?

First, we’ll start with Denver. Denver was the team just about everybody had penciled into the Frozen Four, everybody except Ohio State. The two teams faces off in the Midwest regional final in what was expected to be a close, hard fought battle with two of the top teams in the country. And it was anything but that. Ohio State dominated Denver from start to finish, beating the top team in the country 5-1 to head to the Frozen Four. Ending the colleges careers of Troy Terry, Henrik Borgstrom, and Tanner Jaillet who won the National Championship just one season before. Is Ohio State now a hockey school? Potentially.

Next we’ll look at Michigan. Who definitely did not have an easy path to the Frozen Four. First, having to beat a loaded Northeastern team. Winning 3-2 and ending the college careers of Adam Gaudette, Nolan Stevens and Dylan Sikura. All of whom would go on to sign an NHL contract just days later. Michigan then had to go up against Jordan Greenway and a loaded BU team with a chance to go to St. Paul on the line. And Michigan put on an absolute show. Winning 6-3 over Brady Tkachuk, Jordan Greenway and the Terriers.

And how about Minnesota Duluth? They are a team I kind of dogged all year. I always gave them praise, saying they are a hard team to play against. But they weren’t in the top-10 as often as they should have been. That’s on me. But UMD had to beat a talented Minnesota State team before playing Air Force in the West Region final, winning 4-1 to punch their ticket to St. Paul. So the Bulldogs definitely deserve to be here.

Lastly we have Notre Dame who everyone really expected to be here. You don’t win for two months straight without a loss and not expect to make a tournament run. The Irish had a tough road to get here though. Winning in overtime against Michigan Tech in the East Regional semifinal game. Followed by a 2-1 win over Providence to punch their ticket. Cale Morris is a god damn stallion and if he keeps playing the way he has, the Irish are going to be virtually impossible to beat.

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Goal of the week:

Has to go to Jordan Gross of Notre Dame. What an electric goal. Whats better than an overtime winner in the tournament? Nothing, that’s what.

Save of the week:

Air Force wouldn’t have even been a thing if it wasn’t for Billy the Greek Christopoulos. Kid single handedly beat the best team in the country by playing out of his mind. This kid can play.