jk

In the grain of salt category, CHN still has OSU with a 7% chance of getting the Big Ten autobid. Interesting since the title game will be played by two other teams.

If you believe CHN's probabilities, the field is almost set. They have WMU, Omaha and CC at 99%, 93% and 84% to get in. There are three possible big bubble events left: SC winning the NCHC, UMass winning HE, and any school not starting with the letter Q winning the ECAC. If all three happen, you'd have to be in the top 11. The ECAC with Cornell is perhaps the most likely of those. There are only 23 teams left, and 41 done.

When Hastings left Mankato he left the conference autobid door open, and Bemidji will host MTU for the right to walk through it.

This weekend didn't do UND any favors, or Denver either for that matter. Whichever teams survive the other two series will arrive in St Paul battle tested and in playoff mode. UND will have to re-learn, in a hurry, what it's like to play a team that's just about as good as they are. I guess the couple good things they got were some confidence with the puck and added belief in their backup goalie.

I also like that Ludwig didn't have to stick the knife in his old team.

It's not rubbing it in when your third and fourth lines are scoring late.

More good news for the bubble teams as UNH is down big late.

Save some goals for the next few weeks. Guessing we see a lot of the Ness line in the last ten minutes.

Bubble teams breathing easier with OSU out.

CHN has MI at 99.8% to make it.

27 teams are golfing. 37 left. Tonight should be a big elimination night.

The last four weeks: Swept at CC. Sweep of bad UMD. Sweep at home over WMU, but needed to hot goalie them one night. Swept at Omaha. Definitely iffy. But they have an offensive punch and a goalie who can steal one, so they can beat anyone.

Just saw that also. Lovely even numbers. UNO probably playing for their season tomorrow. Western not much room for error either with their RPI. I would guess another loss would be enough to end them as well. UND's lead over Denver keeps shrinking. Beating Miami doesn't help at all.

With that goalie and their ability to play the tight checking game made for the playoffs, CC is a threat to beat anyone.

And 8 of those were in the first 20 minutes.

19-1 in the third is a little reminiscent of the Sioux comeback against MN in the late 90s.

CC on the 5 minute PP, nothing but failed entries. CC since the PP ended, nonstop pressure.

Jammer is just an absolute machine out there now too, one of the team's most important players.

So there were actually quite a few scoring chances on the PP. They've had plenty of worse ones.

Sandelin would have been an assistant (likely working with defensemen) when Curtis played, and there could be a strong relationship there.

It's doubtful there's a bad guy in this story. Sometimes players don't turn into what the projection was at age 16, and they find a better fit.

Hopefully Blake talks to Oshie, because he's the prime example of staying the extra year. Could it have gone just as well for Oshie had he left a year earlier? Maybe, we'll never know. Hard to imagine his spectacular pro career going any better, though.

Generally, if you're a desirable destination program, the portal gives you an edge and you should use it. Not a ton, but a little every year. It lets you be older and you know what you're getting as the guys are pretty much fully developed. It's admittedly at least a little uncomfortably unfair, but you can do it and better your team or you can adhere to an imaginary standard beyond the actual rules.

We've all seen the flaws, but I think he'll overcome them and have an NHL career, whenever he goes. He's not strong enough, he's not fast enough, but he is **Special** in ways I've just about never seen. Of course it would absolutely be in MY best interest for him to give it another go in GF next year.

With his pro size and game, Berg's going to get a shot at some point. Not sure if that's this year. Hopefully the hometown team thing and the chance to do something special next year is appealing enough.