The best way to advance in the playoffs is to have your team peaking at that time of the year. On paper, Minnesota should have destroyed Holy Cross, but Minny definitely wasn't peaking.
Regardless of my opinion of whether or not Notre Dame should be #1 right now, it doesn't surprise me in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who has followed USCHO for any amount of time knows that the team with the best record will pretty much always be #1. If Jackson can get his team playing strong hockey in March, you just may see Notre Dame advance one or two rounds, if not more.
As a Sioux fan, I'm very comfortable with Hak, as he has proven the past two years that he knows how to prepare his team to get ready for a playoff run.