So I thought with the season just a few weeks away (and the other thread discussing everything but the product on the ice), that I would start up the season thread.
I always like to start off the season thread with my expectations for the squad:
1) A top 2 finish in the WCHA - I think this season really comes down to Minnesota and North Dakota fighting for the MacNaughton. The Gophers have the far easier schedule, so they certainly have the advantage (not to mention the lone series between the teams is at Mariucci). That being said, there is no reason this team should finish below second, and could very well win the MacNaughton one last time.
2) Make the Final Five Championship Game - Assuming this team gets a #1 or #2 seed, they should have no issues with getting to the Final Five and winning a game. I would love to see this squad four-peat, and I think they actually will. That being said, winning the Final Five is probably a bit too much to expect from any team, so I will leave it at playing for the title.
3) Make the NCAA Tournament - This is almost a no-brainer, but shouldn't be overlooked. This team is talented, and they should be able to garner a Top seed if they play up to expectations.
4) Frozen Four Appearance - This is a bit of a stretch for an expectation because the NCAA Tournament is so unpredictable, but I think North Dakota has the talent and ability to make it back to the Frozen Four this season. Anything less would be somewhat of a disappointment, so I threw it in the expectations category.
5) 25-28 wins - Our OOC schedule is a little more difficult this year (2 up in Alaska, BU, @ Notre Dame, Holy Cross), but we should be able to win 5 of those games. Throw in that in the WCHA 1st or 2nd place usually is somewhere around 34-40 points (equivalent to 17-20 wins). Throw in a first round WCHA win and a win at the Final Five, and that gets us to 25-28 wins.
So then, what equals exceeds expectations?
1) Winning the MacNaughton
2) Winning the Final Five
3) Winning the National Championship
4) 30+ wins
This team is talented enough to accomplish all of these goals. It certainly should be a whole lot of fun this season watching this team develop and seeing some of the new talent on the ice. Hopefully it ends the way it started...with a giant party, but this time on the ice in Pittsburgh.
I always like to start off the season thread with my expectations for the squad:
1) A top 2 finish in the WCHA - I think this season really comes down to Minnesota and North Dakota fighting for the MacNaughton. The Gophers have the far easier schedule, so they certainly have the advantage (not to mention the lone series between the teams is at Mariucci). That being said, there is no reason this team should finish below second, and could very well win the MacNaughton one last time.
2) Make the Final Five Championship Game - Assuming this team gets a #1 or #2 seed, they should have no issues with getting to the Final Five and winning a game. I would love to see this squad four-peat, and I think they actually will. That being said, winning the Final Five is probably a bit too much to expect from any team, so I will leave it at playing for the title.
3) Make the NCAA Tournament - This is almost a no-brainer, but shouldn't be overlooked. This team is talented, and they should be able to garner a Top seed if they play up to expectations.
4) Frozen Four Appearance - This is a bit of a stretch for an expectation because the NCAA Tournament is so unpredictable, but I think North Dakota has the talent and ability to make it back to the Frozen Four this season. Anything less would be somewhat of a disappointment, so I threw it in the expectations category.
5) 25-28 wins - Our OOC schedule is a little more difficult this year (2 up in Alaska, BU, @ Notre Dame, Holy Cross), but we should be able to win 5 of those games. Throw in that in the WCHA 1st or 2nd place usually is somewhere around 34-40 points (equivalent to 17-20 wins). Throw in a first round WCHA win and a win at the Final Five, and that gets us to 25-28 wins.
So then, what equals exceeds expectations?
1) Winning the MacNaughton
2) Winning the Final Five
3) Winning the National Championship
4) 30+ wins
This team is talented enough to accomplish all of these goals. It certainly should be a whole lot of fun this season watching this team develop and seeing some of the new talent on the ice. Hopefully it ends the way it started...with a giant party, but this time on the ice in Pittsburgh.
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