No. 1 Denver
Record: 27-7-4 (19-5-4 WCHA)
Pioneer Note: Denver has had seven Hobey finalists, and one winner (Matt Carle in 2006) since the trophy was first awarded in 1981, but prior Thursday, the school had never had two finalists in the same season. Rhett Rakhshani and Marc Cheverie changed that.
How DU Wins: Do what you do. Namely, score goals in waves, play close to your opponents and dominate with the most balanced talent in the league. And if all that fails, fall back on the top goaltender in college hockey.
No. 2 Wisconsin
Record: 24-9-4 (17-8-3 WCHA)
Badger Note: Wisconsin has won 11 WCHA playoff titles but has yet to advance to the title game under Mike Eaves. The Badgers’ last Broadmoor Trophy was won in 1998 when they defeated North Dakota for the title. Incidentally, that 1998 Final Five in Milwaukee was the only other time Minnesota did not make the field.
How UW Wins: Keep playing great defense, and protect their goalie. The Badgers have a wealth of talent that can play defense and score goals, including Hobey finalists Blake Geoffrion and Brendan Smith. Goaltending has been their weakest link all season, but if they score as we know they can, it won’t matter.
No. 3 St. Cloud State
Record: 22-12-5 (15-9-4 WCHA)
Husky Note: God bless the sports information folks at St. Cloud State, who clearly know their clientele. They put out a bevy of press materials on what to look for on the ice, and also issued a release to let Husky fans know which St. Paul bar (Eagle Street Grill) is their official 2010 gathering place.
How SCSU Wins: Play through the pain. Like for most teams who get this deep into the college hockey season, there are plenty of bumps and bruises for the SCSU trainers to attend to. The players we’ve talked to say the importance and intensity of the Final Five make it easier to forget the pain and play hockey.
No. 4 North Dakota
Record: 23-12-5 (15-10-3 WCHA)
Fighting Sioux Note: By stopping all 22 shots he faced in Thursday night’s WCHA Final Five play-in game, Sioux goalie Brad Eidsness snapped a streak of 84 games in which Minnesota Duluth had not been shut out
How UND Wins: Stay warm. North Dakota is perhaps the hottest team in college hockey, having won 10 of the last 11 games entering the WCHA Final Five semifinals. But Denver presents a daunting task, having beaten the Sioux four times this season already.
