The MSU hockey team prepares to play Boston tonight in Grand Rapids in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Sports editor and hockey guru Eric Fish examines the possibilities of the Spartans advancing to the Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo.
Question: What are the chances of the Spartans winning the Midwest Region?
Answer: Every game is a battle come tournament time, but the Spartans caught a huge break playing Boston in the first round and likely Notre Dame, should they advance, only an hour away from East Lansing. Considering that Boston has been on a losing skid and one of Notre Dame's six losses of the season came at the hands of the Green and White, I like MSU's chances to come out of this weekend. By no means is it a guarantee, but it's a much easier road than playing in a region with North Dakota and Minnesota, say, um, like those Wolverines have.
Q: Boston's John Curry and Notre Dame's David Brown are really good goaltenders, — They're Hobey Baker Award finalists. How do you score on them?
A: This time of the year it's all about hard work in the offensive zone and getting traffic in front of the net. The Spartans will be lucky to beat either of those goalies with a straight shot, and against defensive teams like the Fighting Irish and Terriers, breakaways are almost unheard of. They'll have to get it done by screening the goalie, tipping shots and fighting for those rebounds in front of the net. Maybe head coach Rick Comley should put together a Tomas Holmstrom and Ryan Smyth highlight-reel tape to show the team just how important battles in front of the net can be.
Q: Is this hockey season a bad one for the Spartans if they don't win a game this weekend?
A: Yes and no. Obviously after last year, this year's preseason talk was all about getting to the Frozen Four. But it didn't take many games to play before you could really appreciate last year's senior class and the job Drew Miller did before leaving MSU early to sign a pro deal. Considering Comley still has a struggling freshman class and inconsistent scoring, I think just getting to the tournament at this point is a success. The Spartans won a Great Lakes Invitational title back in December and have won 22 games so far this season. I'd say that's a good year taking certain things into account. But two wins this weekend would up that "good" status to "great."
Q: Which team has the best shot at winning the national championship?
A: I don't mean to take the cop-out pick, but I really like Minnesota. They're just loaded with future NHLers and have all the potential in the world. Keep in mind that the Golden Gophers were upset last year in the tourney's first round to underdog Holy Cross, which should only make them hungrier this season. Another team to watch out for is Boston College, which has been streaking as of late.
