Michigan Tech Huskies 2020-21: * Our 100th Anniversary * No Catchy Title Needed *****

[Redridge]

from Joe’s hour... sounds like just stiches for Misiak (and Thorne). Tech showed really good discipline, not retaliating. NMU has really taken a lot of goon penalties lately. Playing with this type of discipline will be a key against Mankato.

[Lost_Husky]

from Joe’s hour... sounds like just stiches for Misiak (and Thorne). Tech showed really good discipline, not retaliating. NMU has really taken a lot of goon penalties lately. Playing with this type of discipline will be a key against Mankato.

If we can play most of the game 5 on 5, we should have a competitive weekend. I'm hoping we get no more than 3 minors each game.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Top teams rarely get a hangover from winning (as that is what makes them a top team) but maybe we can hope that Mankato has a bit of a hangover from drinking out of the Cup last weekend. Unfortunately losing to Bemidji may have already relit that fire. Tech really needs at least one win in Mankato to keep themselves in the NCAA conversation. Getting swept by MSU makes it too easy for outsiders to look at Tech's schedule and say that they only beat teams they should beat (Ferris, UAH, NMU).

While Tech's 17 wins looks great on paper, they have only three wins against teams with records over 0.500 (MSU Dec 6, BSU Dec 13 and LSSU Feb 23). Tech has racked up 14 wins over FSU, UAH and NMU who have a combined 12 wins between them (0.162 win percentage). I realize you can only play the teams on your schedule, but Tech needs quality wins over MSU to put something of substance on their resume. They are also going to need to beat LSSU, BGSU and/or BSU in the WCHA tourney or have those teams fall on their face to give Tech any chance to make the NCAA tourney. Tech looks likely to finish 5th or 6th in a conference of 8 active teams that will be lucky to get three teams in the tourney.

[Lost_Husky]

Top teams rarely get a hangover from winning (as that is what makes them a top team) but maybe we can hope that Mankato has a bit of a hangover from drinking out of the Cup last weekend. Unfortunately losing to Bemidji may have already relit that fire. Tech really needs at least one win in Mankato to keep themselves in the NCAA conversation. Getting swept by MSU makes it too easy for outsiders to look at Tech's schedule and say that they only beat teams they should beat (Ferris, UAH, NMU).

While Tech's 17 wins looks great on paper, they have only three wins against teams with records over 0.500 (MSU Dec 6, BSU Dec 13 and LSSU Feb 23). Tech has racked up 14 wins over FSU, UAH and NMU who have a combined 12 wins between them (0.162 win percentage). I realize you can only play the teams on your schedule, but Tech needs quality wins over MSU to put something of substance on their resume. They are also going to need to beat LSSU, BGSU and/or BSU in the WCHA tourney or have those teams fall on their face to give Tech any chance to make the NCAA tourney. Tech looks likely to finish 5th or 6th in a conference of 8 active teams that will be lucky to get three teams in the tourney.

Agreed with your assessment. I would say where we sit right now, we would need to win the WCHA tournament to get in the NCAA. All 3 points from Mankato gets us is an outside chance at home ice in the first round. Yes it is a quality win, but we would need to be at least #2 in the WCHA to get an At-Large look.

[John J. MacInnes]

Top teams rarely get a hangover from winning (as that is what makes them a top team) but maybe we can hope that Mankato has a bit of a hangover from drinking out of the Cup last weekend. Unfortunately losing to Bemidji may have already relit that fire. Tech really needs at least one win in Mankato to keep themselves in the NCAA conversation. Getting swept by MSU makes it too easy for outsiders to look at Tech's schedule and say that they only beat teams they should beat (Ferris, UAH, NMU).

While Tech's 17 wins looks great on paper, they have only three wins against teams with records over 0.500 (MSU Dec 6, BSU Dec 13 and LSSU Feb 23). Tech has racked up 14 wins over FSU, UAH and NMU who have a combined 12 wins between them (0.162 win percentage). I realize you can only play the teams on your schedule, but Tech needs quality wins over MSU to put something of substance on their resume. They are also going to need to beat LSSU, BGSU and/or BSU in the WCHA tourney or have those teams fall on their face to give Tech any chance to make the NCAA tourney. Tech looks likely to finish 5th or 6th in a conference of 8 active teams that will be lucky to get three teams in the tourney.

Let's start with this part - Tech cannot finish 6th, since they hold the tiebreak with NMU who has no games left.

Quinnipiac has the same problem in the East, except they have 4 wins over anyone with a winning record (2 against Clarkson who they are 2-2-2 against, and 2 against AIC). St. Lawrence and Colgate are putrid, Sacred Heart too, and LIU is a first year program - those account for 12 of their 16 wins. They got punked the same way as Tech did against BG, but in their own barn.

But most everyone has them safely in the tournament even without winning the ECAC title, if you can call it any more than a weekend tournament. I'm having a hard time seeing the difference.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Let's start with this part - Tech cannot finish 6th, since they hold the tiebreak with NMU who has no games left.

Yep, quite right. I should read my own posts.
Here are the possible scenarios prior to tonight's first game between BSU / LSSU.

UPDATED THROUGH 2/28/21

TEAM	POSSIBLE SEEDING	POSSIBLE PTS
MSU	#1 LOCKED	33-39 pts
BGSU	2-3	27 pts **
LSSU	2-5	20-29 pts
MTU	3-5	20-26 pts
NMU	5-6	20 pts *
BSU	2-6	16-28 pts
UAH	#7 LOCKED	08-14 pts
FERRIS	#8 LOCKED	03-06 pts

FIRST ROUND MATCH-UPS
FERRIS at MANKATO
T.B.D. at BGSU

NMU at T.B.D.
UAH at T.B.D.

* NMU loses tiebreaker "B" to MTU and LSSU; Tie breaker "B" is win percentage
** BGSU can not finish lower than 3rd; LSSU & BSU will split 6 potential pts between them (games 3/2-3/3), only one of those two teams can potentially pass BGSU

[Redridge]

I believe our best chance is a #4-5 series against LSSU. That will earn a #1- #4/5 game against Mankato. Getting swept at MSU the prior weekend is a bad recipe for the playoffs, so I do hope we take a game.

Of course, getting blown out might actually be a strategy too....

[JohnsonsJerseys]

I believe our best chance is a #4-5 series against LSSU.

I think that is by far the most realistic option at this point, but our BEST CHANCE would be to finish 3rd and get NMU at home. But finishing 3rd for Tech at this point is a huge stretch.

Regardless of where the mid-pack teams finish, I think the 3/6 and 4/5 match-ups will be toss-ups at best. Other than two teams have home ice, I wouldn't call any of the four teams coming out of that group upsets. I don't see any chance UAH or Ferris advances out of the first round regardless of who they play. If we want to hope further (assuming we are in the 4/5 series), pull for #6 (almost certainly NMU) to win their first round (I know, cheer for NMU??? Sometimes we must.) and give Tech a rematch with BGSU rather than Mankato.

[MavsFan]

I just wish this was a normal visit from Tech. You guys are my favorite visiting crowd; you always bring a fun, spirited bunch to the arena.

[Lost_Husky]

I just wish this was a normal visit from Tech. You guys are my favorite visiting crowd; you always bring a fun, spirited bunch to the arena.

As we all do. Here's hoping that next year there are no restrictions on fan attendance.

[Lost_Husky]

I think that is by far the most realistic option at this point, but our BEST CHANCE would be to finish 3rd and get NMU at home. But finishing 3rd for Tech at this point is a huge stretch.

Regardless of where the mid-pack teams finish, I think the 3/6 and 4/5 match-ups will be toss-ups at best. Other than two teams have home ice, I wouldn't call any of the four teams coming out of that group upsets. I don't see any chance UAH or Ferris advances out of the first round regardless of who they play. If we want to hope further (assuming we are in the 4/5 series), pull for #6 (almost certainly NMU) to win their first round (I know, cheer for NMU??? Sometimes we must.) and give Tech a rematch with BGSU rather than Mankato.

You give NMU too much credit. I would say the 4/5 match-up no matter the combination is a coin flip game. I do think whoever gets NMU has a distinct series advantage. Tech going 6-0 against NMU this year might have tainted my opinion of the Mildcats.

[Redridge]

21 wins probably gets us into the tournament. 20 wins will be a fine season, but comes up short...

[manurespreader]

I'm done worrying about it. Let's just play the teams we have and do our best and that's all we can control. I do think we have a realistic chance against all of them.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

21 wins probably gets us into the tournament. 20 wins will be a fine season, but comes up short...

We currently sit at 17 wins. I agree, not because 21 wins is going to be a magic cut off point for the NCAA selection committee, but 21 wins for Tech means the Huskies did one of the following, all of which should make them tourney worthy in my opinion:

• Got swept by Mankato, won our WCHA first round series and won the WCHA tourney (NCAA auto-bid invite so getting swept by Mankato and who we beat doesn't matter)
• Beat Mankato once, won our WCHA first round series, WCHA semi-final win and advanced to the WCHA title game (four quality wins)
• Beat Mankato twice and won our WCHA first round series (four quality wins)

[Redridge]

We currently sit at 17 wins. I agree, not because 21 wins is going to be a magic cut off point for the NCAA selection committee, but 21 wins for Tech means the Huskies did one of the following, all of which should make them tourney worthy in my opinion:

• Got swept by Mankato, won our WCHA first round series and won the WCHA tourney (NCAA auto-bid invite so getting swept by Mankato and who we beat doesn't matter)
• Beat Mankato once, won our WCHA first round series, WCHA semi-final win and advanced to the WCHA title game (four quality wins)
• Beat Mankato twice and won our WCHA first round series (four quality wins)

yes, that I what I came to as well. We will need a couple wins over MSU, out of 3 opportunities; or advance past them in the WCHA tourney.