Re: CC @ Minnesota State 11/13-14
I feel as though I'm just starting to form some opinions about this year's team. I think many of us suspected that some of the underclassmen who haven't had much playing time in previous years - due to a heavy reliance on the stars like Chad Rau - are pretty good. The defense is also very good, especially the defensive specialists who don't get much notice from the press and other teams' fans. Kris Fredheim has been an incredibly solid defenseman, and has taken his game to another level as a senior. Nate Prosser is another anchor for the team. With those guys and some talented younger players I think CC can put out 4 defensemen that are even with or not far behind the best top 4 from any other team. Goaltending was the biggest question mark coming into this season, and Joe Howe has answered that question very well so far.
But, even with those positives, there are still some concerns. I do worry that with the season ending injury to Vlassopolous the team doesn't have the top-end offense or depth at forward they needed to break into the top 3 in the WCHA. I think the forwards have been playing much better defensively than in past years, but CC is still minus in 5 on 5 play. The good news is that their PP and PK have been outstanding, but teams don't win championships if they lose 5 on 5. I also worry that CC has racked up wins against weaker teams and will struggle against the top teams in the league.
For the Tigers to have a chance to earn home ice this year, I think they must go 3-1 in their next 4 league games (MSU and UAA). With the MSU series on the road and UAA scoring some very impressive wins against DU and UND, 3-1 will be a real struggle.
