NCAA Hockey Championship Preview

With 8-1 and 7-1 thrashings in the national semifinals, the championship game of the Frozen Four will be contested by Wisconsin and BC. Both teams dismantled their opponents in the semifinals it will be some great hockey when they meet Saturday night.

FORWARDS

BC
The BC forward group is among the deepest in the country. They roll 4 lines every game, and every line can score at any given time. The checking line of Matt Price, Matt Lombardi and Barry Almeida spends the majority of the game countering the other team's top line, and have had great success this year in shutting down opponents. The top 2 lines for the Eagles, however, are simply dynamite. The first line of Joe Whitney, Cam Atkinson and Brian Gibbons features the top 2 Eagle point scorers. The second line of Chris Kreider, Ben Smith and Jimmy Hayes came together recently and have been game-changers. Chris Kreider is the fastest skater in the NCAA (would likely be top 5 among NHLers) and has shown a goal scorer's touch recently. Jimmy Hayes and Ben Smith are very strong along the boards, and the line has recently begun to cycle at an almost unstoppable rate. The final line of Paul Carey, Steve Whitney and Pat Mullane also can cycle with the best and provide consistent pressure in the offensive zone.

Wisconsin
The Badgers have two lines that can absolutely dominate any defense in the country. The first line featuring Blake Geoffrion simply bowled over RIT, and will be a force that the Eagle defense will have to deal with. The second line, which features a 40 assist man in Derek Stepan, is always dangerous whenever the great playmaker Stepan has the the puck. The Badgers can score with any team in the country, but are heavily dependent on their top two lines

Advantage: BC
The Eagles simply have more depth than the Badgers, and can run and gun with anyone who tries to match them. The Eagles have scored 7+ goals in 3 of their last 4 contests. (And these have been NCAA tournament-level opponents)

Defense

BC
The BC defense features four freshmen defensemen, including the leading plus/minus player in Hockey East this season in Brian Dumoulin. The only upperclassman is Carl Sneep, who has given the Eagles 28 points this season, but is still prone to haphazard play at any point in the game. The BC defensive corps is young but talented, and have played well when they have needed to.

Wisconsin
The Badgers have arguably the most talented blueline in all of the NCAA. Their back line features 3 first round picks in Ryan McDonough, Brendan Smith and Jake Gardiner. Brendan Smith was the top defensive scorer in the nation with 45 points in the regular season. McDonough is an efficient 2 way defensman who has been the best defender for the Badgers throughout the season. Along with these first rounders, the Badgers feature 2 second round picks and a player who will be picked in the top 2 rounds in the 2010 draft.

Advantage: Wisconsin
The Wisconsin defense is more talented and has contributed significantly to the Badger season. They have more experience and talent than the BC blueline

Goaltending

BC
The Eagles are dependent on goalie John Muse at this time of the season. Muse has never lost a game in the NCAA tournament, and only 2 in March throughout his BC career. He sat some games in the 2nd half to rest his hip, but has been largely sharp(outside of the Yale game) in the NCAA tournament, and has the experience

Wisconsin
The Badgers have in their net Scott Gudmandson, who has been solid if unspectacular throughout the season. If there has been one potential reason for the Badgers getting beat, it is because Gudmandson is unlikely to steal a game for them. If the forwards and defense do not play a good game, it is unlikely that their goaltending will be able to bail them out.

Advantage: BC
John Muse has been here before, and has an unreal winning percentage this time of the year. While it is not a position of particular strength for either team, John Muse has a bigger chance of shining in a game of this magnitude.

Prediction
While the Badgers are certainly playing some great hockey as of late, I'm (big surprise) going with the Eagles in this one. The way that BC has been rolling over every team it faces is hard to ignore. The Badgers are certainly a great team, but if the Eagles can stay out of the penalty box, they can take this one. If the Eagles are unable to stay out the box, it is likely that the Badger powerplay will be able to take advantage and make this game a tossup. In a matchup of two great college hockey teams, I'm taking the scoring depth of BC in a great hockey game.

5-3 (with an empty netter) BC

-THE-A-TRAIN-