RedFrog

Here is my take (bubble spots are #13, #14, and #15 in NPI): AHA: Eliminates the NPI #16 ECAC: Quinnipiac is a lock (Down 1-0 in best of 3 v Clarkson) Cornell is a lock (Down 1-0 in best of 3 v Harvard) Dartmouth is essentially a lock (Up 1-0 in best of 3 v Colgate) Princeton is up on Union 1-0 in best of 3 If anyone other than Queue, Cornell or Dartmouth wins the ECAC, they take a bubble spot away. Union has a slim chance to get in as an at large, but that would likely only be possible by winning the auto bid anyway. NCHC: All remaining teams are locks (UND, UMD, Denver and Western) and won't take any bubble spots. B1G: Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State are locks and still alive. Ohio State is the only one here who could steal a bubble spot. Wisconsin is essentially in, but would be a team that could sweat with multiple conference upsets. Hockey East: Providence is the only lock. UMass and UConn could get in if they get to the championship but don't win it ... but will likely need to win it to get in, which would also then put them in the top 15 of NPI. Merrimack, BU, Northeastern, and BC would steal a bubble spot if they won the AQ. CCHA: Augustana has the best chance of making it as an At Large ... Michigan Tech will need to win it to get in and would steal a bubble spot. St. Thomas and Mankato need to get to the championship game to have a chance at an at large. Conclusion: There are essentially 12 locks (current NPI 1-12) leaving 3 bubble spots up for grabs (AHA takes one of the 4 remaining spots). Out of those ranked 13-18 in the current NPI, current NPI #13 Augustana has the best chance of getting an at large without winning their conference tournament, but they would be sweating out the other conference tournament results leaving 2 bubble spots for the other five teams to battle over. UMass (14), UConn (15) and BC (17) from Hockey East and St. Thomas (16) and Mankato (18) are 5 teams battling for those 2 spots. 14-18 are currently separated by only 0.328. After tomorrow we'll know who is still in the running from the CCHA, If St. Thomas and Mankato win, they along with Augustana would still be alive. If either of them lose, their season will be over. The Hockey East is only in their quarter finals and will have their semi finals and finals next weekend, so less will be decided. Providence is the only one who can lose tomorrow and not have their season essentially ended. UConn and/or UMass would still have life, but would need Providence to win Hockey East, Augustana win the CCHA, and for Ohio State to lose in the B1G.

Good goal ... Bentley wins.

Announcers aid they have no video of the review to show. Wonder what the stripes are looking at then? Still under review.

Would be nice to see replays of the Bentley goal ... still under review.

Was thinking that earlier as well ... what happened to having the crest on the front?

Bentley scores ... this will be reviewed ...

Bentley and Holy Cross going to OT ... playoff style 3-0 Clarkson ... 2 empty net goals.

2-0 Clarkson ...

Down 1 the Queue pulls their goalie with 4 minutes to go ... Clarkson hits a post on the empty net.

Holy Cross scores to go up 2-1 with less than 6 minutes in regulation against Bentley.

Clarkson still up 1-0 on Queue, but the Queue going on the PP with less than 7 minutes to go in regulation.

If anyone is eager to run some scenarios, here is an early predictor tool: https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-bc-eagles-mens-womens-hockey-ranking-calculators/51511/what-if-the-2026-ncaa-mens-hockey-tournament-npi-predictor-frozen-four

Ohhhh ... no Zellers or Strinden (or Klee) tonight due to illness.

Rickwood

How many Grade A opportunities did Zellers have on Saturday? He was so snake bit that he scored the game winner for Western in OT.

Strinden ... OVERDUE!!

Good Lord, I just don't want to see this team playing for overtime in a tie game with more than 2 minutes left in the 3rd period ... if even then. Play to win. Someone else said it somewhere ... but I am glad Arizona State has something to play for. Not only do they need wins to avoid the 9th place elimination spot, but they have some opportunity to move up as high as 6th. Maybe they can sneak a game or at least a point or two from Denver this weekend. Ultimately, I'm happy that we have a 5 point lead going into the final weekend. The last couple of weeks have been dog fights and I think will help this team realize what it takes and that teams are going to be giving you all they have in the playoffs. I'm optimistic they'll be able to take another step forward this weekend and gain at least a split v WMU.

While the playoffs don't officially begin for another week this is, in all reality, a playoff series. This weekend will go a long way to showing if this team is a legitimate title contender or if they are just a good team that has a chance to make a run. Question for the group: Is this WMU team as good as last year's WMU team? Don't they have a couple key D-men out with significant injuries?

I would be agreeable to this as an alternative to campus sites and the current neutral site format.

Honestly, I think the way this year is shaping up is giving more fuel for those who want to keep it the way it is by having neutral regional sites. With the top 4 seeds all likely being from the west there will be the argument that there wouldn't be any games in the east.

Being toward the top of the rankings also provides more opportunities to fall than to rise, which also applies to the Michigans above us. First thing first ... take care of business against St. Cloud.

I don't know ... I understand what you are saying, but I think it is harder to change when it is chalk to the rankings (1 v 8 v 9 v 16). Maybe not harder to change, but more easily justified? This is the problem with the "neutral site" system that is currently in place. If the desire is to have the #1 overall seed to have the advantage, play the games in a system where higher seeds host games on campus. Until they are willing to do that, I don't think there should be any consideration to "protecting" the seeds.

Dylan James

Ollie Josephson

Thank you for the clarification ... would have been ice if the article had stated that.