The Mavericks are in Grand Forks, N.D., this weekend (unfortunately, PucKato is not on the trip so no live blog tonight; you can get updates on Twitter, though) to play North Dakota in the final series of the regular season. MSU needs help to improve its playoff position, but 11th (and a trip to Minnesota Duluth or Minnesota) appears to be the likeliest landing place. The Mavericks are all but stuck there despite not having back-to-back losses since 2012 began. They are 7-6-1 in that span. However, they haven't won at Ralph Englestad Arena since the 2005-06 season.
Minnesota State continues to be led by the outstanding rookie tandem of Jean-Paul LaFontaine and Matt Leitner, both of whom should get strong consideration in the WCHA's all-rookie team voting. Read more about them here. The Free Press' gameday preview can be found here.
As for North Dakota, it is battling injuries but has clinched home ice for the WCHA playoffs. It is not only trying to move up the standings but is trying to get off the Pairwise bubble for NCAA tournament consideration. Read more coverage of the series from the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman here and follow his outstanding and informative blog here.
Going around the WCHA ...
Wisconsin at Minnesota: The Gophers can clinch the MacNaughton Cup championship with a win and a UMD loss or tie tonight. It would be the first regular-season title for Minnesota since 2007 — before any of the current players joined the team. As for the Badgers, they're hoping to overcome injury issues and make a late-/post-season surge. Also Wisconsin State Journal writer Andy Baggot makes a case for Justin Schultz to win the Hobey Baker Award. More on this series from College Hockey News.
Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State: The Bulldogs are still in the hunt for the MacNaughton Cup and will try to somehow overcome their two-point deficit to Minnesota this weekend with one of the best offensive lineups in the WCHA. For the Huskies, Little Falls' Jared Festler needs just four points to get to 100 for his career. St. Cloud also has a slim shot at home ice. Also, read a Q&A with UMD standout Jack Connolly here.
Denver at Nebraska Omaha: The Pioneers could lock up the third seed for the WCHA playoffs but have other concerns right now, including where they are in the Pairwise rankings and when half of their hockey equipment will catch up to them in Omaha. The red Mavericks, meanwhile, are also wondering what it will take to get in the NCAA tournament, while freshman Jayson Megna will give LaFontaine and Leitner some competition in all-rookie voting.
Michigan Tech at Colorado College: The Huskies, believe it or not, are playing for home ice this weekend. They haven't hosted a WCHA playoff series since 1993. Currently, they're one point out of the upper-division — right behind the team they're playing this weekend. As for the Tigers, they, too, are well aware of how much this series means. Perhaps the two teams will meet again next week. But where?
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage: This will be the final home series for four Seawolves seniors; then they will embark on trying to pull off a big upset in the playoffs. The Beavers, meanwhile, recently had their home-ice hopes dashed and now will try to build momentum for the postseason.
Read more WCHA coverage at USCHO.
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