So You're Saying There's a Chance?
Minnesota's win on Friday mathematically eliminated Minnesota State from MacNaughton Cup contention. But there's still hope for the Mavericks to make a run at possibly sneaking into that 5th playoff spot.
So what needs to happen and who should MSU fans be cheering for this weekend?
Minnesota State at North Dakota: WIN! Any points the Mavericks can get will be absolutely huge this weekend. There were a dozen different places the Mavs could have picked up the one extra point they needed to finish in 6th place last season, and the REA was one of them. If MSU had swept that series last season, they would have been the ones hosting UND instead of the other way around. It won't be easy, but even getting a split would really help keep the rest of the pack behind us.
Denver at Michigan Tech: Go Denver. Tech has an advantage in that they're playing at home and it's Winter Carnival, meaning they'll probably play their best games of the season, but Denver is the better team and is fighting for second place in the WCHA. If DU can sweep, any points the Mavs get will be ground gained on the Huskies.
Anchorage at Wisconsin: Meh. Somebody has to get some points this weekend, and it doesn't really help MSU regardless of who gets them. It's probably better off that Anchorage wins for three reasons. 1)They're farther away from the Mavs in the standings 2)Wisconsin has games in hand on us, so it'd be nice to seperate ourselves 3)The Mavs play Anchorage next weekend, so we'd still have more control over our own destiny.
Colorado College at St. Cloud: This one doesn't really matter too much. On one hand, Colorado College has a very tough schedule the rest of the way(the top three teams in the league, plus us), and they're still catchable if they struggle and we play great hockey. On the other hand, if there is a decisive loser in this series, that team will likely finish in 4th place, while the Mavericks could quite possibly finish in 7th. Certainly the Mavericks' record in St. Cloud is much better than at Colorado College.
Oh yeah, did I mention that MSU needs to WIN this weekend?
So what needs to happen and who should MSU fans be cheering for this weekend?
Minnesota State at North Dakota: WIN! Any points the Mavericks can get will be absolutely huge this weekend. There were a dozen different places the Mavs could have picked up the one extra point they needed to finish in 6th place last season, and the REA was one of them. If MSU had swept that series last season, they would have been the ones hosting UND instead of the other way around. It won't be easy, but even getting a split would really help keep the rest of the pack behind us.
Denver at Michigan Tech: Go Denver. Tech has an advantage in that they're playing at home and it's Winter Carnival, meaning they'll probably play their best games of the season, but Denver is the better team and is fighting for second place in the WCHA. If DU can sweep, any points the Mavs get will be ground gained on the Huskies.
Anchorage at Wisconsin: Meh. Somebody has to get some points this weekend, and it doesn't really help MSU regardless of who gets them. It's probably better off that Anchorage wins for three reasons. 1)They're farther away from the Mavs in the standings 2)Wisconsin has games in hand on us, so it'd be nice to seperate ourselves 3)The Mavs play Anchorage next weekend, so we'd still have more control over our own destiny.
Colorado College at St. Cloud: This one doesn't really matter too much. On one hand, Colorado College has a very tough schedule the rest of the way(the top three teams in the league, plus us), and they're still catchable if they struggle and we play great hockey. On the other hand, if there is a decisive loser in this series, that team will likely finish in 4th place, while the Mavericks could quite possibly finish in 7th. Certainly the Mavericks' record in St. Cloud is much better than at Colorado College.
Oh yeah, did I mention that MSU needs to WIN this weekend?
posted by Chris at 11:38 AM
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