November 24, 2025 • 25 mins
This week on Weekend Review, Jim Connelly fills in for host Ed Trefzger and he and Derek Schooley talk about key moments from the weekend in college hockey including:
- Wisconsin’s two-game sweep of then-No. 1 Michigan State
- An impressive weekend for Princeton’s Kai Daniells
- Michigan’s offense: Can anyone stop it?
- Some key sweeps around the country
- And an early look at the NPI rankings with Thanksgiving approaching
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Frozen Four April 9 & 11 in Las Vegas. Visit ncaa.com/mfrozenfour for tickets.
Find all of our podcasts at USCHO.com/podcasts
- Wisconsin’s two-game sweep of then-No. 1 Michigan State
- An impressive weekend for Princeton’s Kai Daniells
- Michigan’s offense: Can anyone stop it?
- Some key sweeps around the country
- And an early look at the NPI rankings with Thanksgiving approaching
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Frozen Four April 9 & 11 in Las Vegas. Visit ncaa.com/mfrozenfour for tickets.
Find all of our podcasts at USCHO.com/podcasts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to us CHO Weekend Review for Monday, November twenty fourth,
(00:05):
twenty twenty five. I am not ed Trevsker. I am
Jim Connolly joined by Derek Schooley. Ed is on location
at the Friendship four in Belfast this week, so Derek
and I will try to hold the fourth down here. Derek,
good to see.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You, good to be seen, And I am not ed
Trutsker either.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
This episode is brought to you by the Men's NCUBLEA
Division one Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas.
Go to NCAA dot com slash m Frozen four four tickets.
All right, schools, let's jump right in here. We're going
to get start rob with Wisconsin. Wisconsin, they entered the
weekend number seven in the US Echo poll. They went
(00:46):
to Michigan State and they did what maybe none of
us saw coming, and they swept number one Michigan State,
a Michigan State team that had won nine in the
row coming in. They were playing their best hockey, a
five to four win on Friday night to to one
in overtime for the Badgers on Saturday. What's your take
away from that? That's a pretty big weekend for Wisconsin.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Well, I think that the reason that nobody saw it
coming is I don't think anybody's given them the respect
they deserve.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I don't think they have the superstar power that a
Michigan or Michigan State has.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
They haven't got a lot of the fanfare that all
these other schools had, and I think that's one of
the points that they're not anymore. And I think that's
one of the things that they are. They have the
same amount of wins as Michigan has. They have one
less point than them, but they've got bounce scoring. They
got a lot of guys that have the same amount
of points, and they're just a Mike Castings team, structured detail.
(01:44):
They just play like Mike Hastings teams. It just took
them a little bit of time to get there. Everybody
expected the Mike Castings magic touch to happen last year
and it didn't. And we're finally getting there. And now
now you're seeing Wisconsin just kind of pop up there
and now here we are the seventh ranked team in
(02:04):
the nation or whatever they're going to be and sweeps
the Spartans at month.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Certainly they will be a team that we talk about
a lot this week. They are now number two in
the NPI. That's something we're also going to talk about,
especially in the second half of this episode of the NPI.
We're almost a Thanksgiving now, so it's about time we
talk about that. But schools, when you look at it,
they went on the road and did this, is that
what is most impressive for this Wisconsin tine that they
(02:32):
took care of business away from.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Home and it just proven road wins and you talk
about the NPI, that's going to be the big thing
that you're really going to see the NPI. Those are
massive wins. And when they're doing it, they jump here
right towards the top, and I think that that's really
exciting because you want to get the old saying is
(02:56):
you want to split on the road and sweep at home,
and then when you could sweep on the road, those
are big enthusiastic excitement for your group, especially when you
get road sweeps. I know Brian Riley used to take
his team when they would sweep at Army on the road.
They'd stop for ice cream on the road, not just
something different that it's not the same as a home sweep.
(03:19):
They'd stop for ice cream it's something different, it's something
more exciting. I know Wisconsin probably got on their charters
so they didn't stop to get ice cream. But it's
just something more exciting for your team than sweeping at home.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Any concern about Michigan State at this point, that was
a really nice streak of nine to row after losing
an opening night to New Hampshire. They are three losses
come at home, which I guess when we talk about
NPI in the second half of the show, that probably
has a little bit to do with them not being
right at the top of the NPI. But are you
concerned at all about the Spartans.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I'm not, are you No?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Not real?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I mean, I think if I would Mike pursue him,
my radio guy of Michigan.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
S Alum would probably jump down my throat this weekend.
But I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I think it's just a bump in the road. I
just think it's one of those things that it's gonna
happen during a long year, and we'll see if it
becomes a long if it's a slide, if it continually happens,
But right now, it's just a bump in the road.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, let's move on here. And a topic that I
didn't probably have ready to put on the sheet today,
But after watching this weekend, Kai Daniels and a five
goal game for Princeton on Friday night against Saint Lawrence.
Then on the Saturday night game he had a goal
and assist against Clarkson a big weekend for Daniels, but
(04:48):
it's also a big weekend for Princeton that's suddenly a
team in the Ivy League and the ECAC that we're
talking about. I know you, you and I were talking
a little lofty air. You want to slow the role
on Ki Daniels a little bit.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But let me let me you say to this, well,
I mean if everybody's everybody wants to jump this and say, oh,
this is the next this is the next Hoby Baker Award,
sneaky under the radar award candidate to Hoby Baker type deal.
(05:21):
Ky Daniels very nice player. I watched him play a
lot in junior hockey. We've got one of his teammates here.
Had nineteen points his freshman year, eight goals eleven assists
in thirty games. Last year, two goals to assist in
eighteen games this year, eight goals in seven games. But
this is a really really good weekend. I need to
see more before I now annoint him as the next
(05:44):
Toby Baker, the next Player of the Year, the next
everything that coming out of the ECAC. Really great weekend,
good weekend for Princeton. Most goals in Princeton since what
nineteen sixty something before we were born. Really cool, really cool,
really really neat story. But let's just let's see where
(06:05):
this takes Princeton. Great story the Ivy Leagues, I think
it's a big story right now, and the SAC with Dartmouth,
Princeton doing really well, and the bigger story is Harvard
having a good start Cornell. The Ivy League's really the
story of the ECAC right now.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, certainly it had been fourteen years since a player
had a five goal game. That's certainly quite some time.
And I agree with you got to slow down a
little in terms of what Ky Daniels is. But this
Princeton team is suddenly a team that we have to
at least look out for, and the Ivys feel a
little skewed right now. You've got Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton,
(06:46):
and I'm missing one in there. Dartmouth Harvard, Yale, Princeton.
All of the Ivy's are strong right out of the
Oh Cornell, I somehow left Cornell out of it. I mean,
they're all strong out of the gates.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Here.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Are we finally seeing the IVY League start to catch
up after that COVID break?
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Maybe I think that that's the one thing that we
talked about. I think a couple weeks ago with Dartmouth
is the shutdown really hurt them and they're finally kind
of getting there.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
But I think I think you're really going.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
To start to see the big test, at least for
Princeton coming here. Their trip to Bowling Green this weekend.
Bowling Green's been pretty good. Bowling Green's got a lot
of major junior players, and I think you're going to
see that.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
This is a big test. If they go into Bowling
Green and do better.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Than a split, then you're gonna say this Princeton team
may be for real.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And I think that's the big key.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
If they come out with two losses, then you're probably
going to say, because the CCHA has been hovering around
that forty forty five percent in non conference, if they
come out and they get swept, then Princeton was just
a nice little story so far. If they come out
and they sweep Bowling Green, if they get let's say
(07:58):
they go a tie in a win, or a shootout
a win because of whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Let's just say they get let's say it was a league.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Game, and they get four plus points on the weekend,
then it's then they're.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For real open your eyes.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yes, then it's something you really look at.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I'll tell you nobody has their eyes closed on
Michigan right now. Their offense is rolling. It has been
all year. A five to two and an eight one
wins this weekend over Ohio State. The Wolverines are now
thirteen to three to zero overall, six and two in
the Big Ten. They are averaging five point one to
(08:37):
nine goals per game twenty one power play goals in
their first sixteen games. Here, this is off the chart
scoring here schools is this as aggressive a scoring line
as you've seen from a team in quite some time.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
They pop ten the next night, they popped eighteen on Merciers.
I mean, if you go down the list of they
gave up, they scored eight on Providence, they got fourteen
on Us, they got six on Western and then they
got when they get on Notre Dame and they got seven.
I mean, those are just absurd numbers that they're just
eight on Wisconsin. On Penn State they got nine. Those
(09:15):
are weekend numbers. Now thirteen, I mean, those are video
game numbers, and that's why they're averaging five plus. We
talked earlier about megastars and stars. These are Obie Baker
numbers being put up in that locker room, and they've
got a few of them. You got what eleven players
with double digit points, six players over a point a game,
(09:36):
and not just that. Their team defense is quiet at least,
and I think they've got just over two goals a game.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
They've got a good goalie, they've got firepower, offensive structure.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
The one thing that got me we had we scored
a goal to make it three two halfway through the
second period and we went to.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
A four on four scenario.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I'm like, oh, and we came out of that four
on four down five to two. They got a power
play goal about a minute later, and it went from
with six minutes to go, it went from three to
two to six two before I knew it. And that
was a four on four and a five on four
without even a blink of an eye. Their firepower is
(10:23):
UnrealEd in different scenarios. So if you play four on four,
watch out, you put on the power play, watch out
pure firepower. We talked about Wisconsin being structured. This is offense,
but they also have goaltending to go.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
With it, and I guess we see this sometimes schools.
Over the course of a season, we'll see offenses start
to explode. I don't know that in the last ten
to fifteen, even twenty years, I can remember a team
that does it consistently. And if we get to the
point that we're seeing these same numbers in March in April,
(11:01):
I mean we're talking about Las Vegas. We're talking about
a frozen four for this Michigan team. This and especially
if their goaltending keeps performing well being their strength of
the team as well. If they can keep a goals
against around two and you're scoring five, it's not even
going to be a contest.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I mean, have you seen a team the scoring differential
that we're.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Talking We're talking Maine, Maine from nineteen ninety three. That's
the last time I can remember an offense like this.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
I mean, you're talking to scoring differential of plus three.
It's a lot, Yes, it is. And that's back in
the old college hockey stats days where the scoring differential
for plus one and you're like, now you're talking to
plus three. I mean that's a big scoring differential. Yeah,
those are video game numbers.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's crazy. Let's move on to a few more of
the sweeps around college hockey this weekend. Western Michigan and
they get a much needed sweep of Omaha. They are
back on the right track, seven two, four to two wins.
They are Quinnipiac, they get the sweep of clarks and
Saint Lawrence they were them and Princeton both swept Clarks
(12:13):
and Saint Lawrence, and Cornell sweeping Union and RPI. All
three of those feel like pre significant suites for top
twenty teams. Any one of those three really stand out
to you.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I think Western getting back on kind of back into
doing what they're doing was big. I think those are
really all kind of just what the doctor ordered and
what they needed to do. I think that's really kind
of the story behind it. Western over omadw doing what
they needed to do, Quinnipiac doing what they needed to
(12:47):
do at home, and Cornell doing what they needed to do.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I mean both at home.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
I think those are I think the thing I think
Quinnipiac's would have been more impressive if it was in
the North country, but it was at home. I think
those are all what they needed to do. So those
are big sweeps. I mean sweeps or sweeps hard.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
To do.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
When you look it back at this weekend. Is there
anything in the top twenty that really makes you change
your mind? And we already talked about Michigan State. I
still think I believe. I think I had them on
number two on my ballot. They didn't fall that far
from me. Is there anything in your mind that really
changed this weekend?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
No, I think pretty much everything's still as part.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I think the bigger thing, and we're going to take
a deeper dive, is the NPI is all messed up.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
That's the shocker.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
And I think that's a perfect segment to go to
segment two. Segue, I should say, and to segue and
the segment two because that's the shocker as we are
right now, and the USCCHO put out a great graphic
that's got a lot of people talking right now.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Well, we will get to that. Next is we've got
to step aside here and we will talk NPI eds
away this week. We will talk NPI first. This episode
is brought to you by the Men's NCAA Division one
Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas. Go
to ncublea dot com slash m frozen four four tickets.
(14:17):
Welcome back to usc CHO weekend Review and let's talk NPI.
Let's start it here, Derek. People still might not know
pairwise as the term that's in the past. NPI the
NCUBA Power Index, similar to the pair wise. It's being
touted as the better math that will replace the selection
criteria this season.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Dartmouth number one, Cornell number three, Michigan state that many
people feel as the best team in the nation at thirteen.
Just those how about some of the brand the brand names,
some of those down in the twenties. Ah, what about
Arizona state that we feel it's pretty good down in
the forties.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well though, I guess the first thing that stands out
for me is looking at the IVS and there's four
teams in the top fifteen right now. You mentioned it,
Dartmouth six, oh and oh they're number one, Cornell six
to two, and oh their number three Harvard five to
one in one their number eight in Princeton six five, two,
(15:19):
and oh their number fifteen. Now, the one thing I
think we're learning, and maybe we know this with the
pairwise two, we'd maybe be in the same situation if
we were talking pairwise right now. But as we look
at this early, it does feel like the IVS are
a little skewed. They've had some success early. But do
you think as we get into this that we're gonna
(15:41):
see four IVY League teams staying in the middle all season.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I think the rewards wins and right now it's rewarding
wins because they haven't very few losses because they haven't
played many games. I think you're gonna start seeing them
get some games. We talked about Princeton going to Bowling
Green or Earl in the show. You're going to start
seeing some more non conference games coming into the mix.
And when they lose a game like that or when
(16:08):
they if they win oh bye, Yes, I think you're
going to start seeing that happen. But if they lose
one of those games or they drop a game they shouldn't,
then I think you're going to start seeing some of
those teams dropping. So I mean rewards who you beat,
where you beat him, and whether it was regulation or overtime.
And I think that that's when you're going to see
that happening.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
If I told you Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard Princeton, only two
of those teams can stay in the top fifteen all season.
Which two do you think would be in there?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Dartmouth and Cornell? Dartmouth and Cornell right now. I think
we've been touting Dartmouth for a while now with reed
cash men, and Cornell obviously has been there the last
couple of years, been really close. They were really close
to getting the Frozen four last year. They returned a lot. Obviously,
Casey taking over for Mike hasn't missed a beat with
(17:01):
Casey being there last year. So I would say that
those two Harvard's close, Harvard's.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Been rebuilding a little bit.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But I would say right now that if you told
me those two, I'd dart the Cornell.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Let's look around the rest of the top fifteen right now,
and there's brand names in here, and these are programs
we've talked about all season. Wisconsin currently number two, Michigan
currently number four, Denver five, Minnesota Duluth six, Northeastern nine,
North Dakota ten, Penn State eleven, Western Michigan twelve, Quinnipiac fourteen.
(17:37):
All of those teams we've been talking about since the
beginning of the season. Maybe not as much some Northeastern
has come on, Wisconsin's come on, but every one of
those teams has been in our conversation. Even Minnesota Duluth
maybe wasn't there at the start of the year. So
I guess in terms of the names that are actually
in there, take those IVY leagues out, I don't think
(17:58):
there's a lot of surprise, do you agree, Derek.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Well, I mean to loose the surprise.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
We've kind of talked about that they're having a great year,
but I mean, any we knew you could change that
name to any team in the NCCHC that would be
having a good year at twelve and four, and they
would be up there just because of the strength of
that league. Minnesota State having a really good year the CCHA, Yeah,
I think that that's not really a surprise, but as
(18:27):
high as they are right now, but once again, you're
a mini slide away from them dropping a massive amount
of points in spots because of the league and where
the league, of the strength of schedule is right now,
and they're non conference records. You've talked to Tim Denny
a lot, and I'm going to throw this back at you.
(18:48):
I know you're there's only two of us this week,
so you're playing the host. But you know this NPI
a little bit more than I do. Is this sustainable
from Minnesota State where they're at with the non conference
record of the CCHA.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
On a massive run, that's the big question right there.
You know, a two and four right now. Again, you
said the NPI favors wins, and they have won games
thus far. Their conference overall hasn't been that strong out
of conference. But I still think in terms of Minnesota
State staying up there, they're there in a really good
(19:25):
position right now. And as long as they don't go
on some sort of a six game losing streak or
lose you know, six and eight or something like that,
I don't think that they have to fall. I think
you're going to have to see somebody from the CCHA
sit up there. You know. I guess Hockey East is
the conference that maybe makes me wonder a little bit.
(19:45):
They have a lot of teams in the middle. Northeastern
is the only school I mentioned in that top fifteen school,
So I guess when I'm looking at some teams on
the outside, maybe that's one. And I guess that brings
us to Michigan State too. They were consensus number one
the last two weeks in the poll. They've lost two games.
All three of their losses this year came at home.
(20:07):
One came to Unah, a team that's down in the
forties of the NPI. So when you look at the
resume from Michigan State, I think it looks impressive, but
those three home losses are really weighing them down. They're
sitting down at thirteen right now.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Which is a surprise to me.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I mean, you would think that because of what they've
done and who they've beat, and obviously three home losses
are just crushing them right now.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Nine and three and impressive nine wins.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
It's not like their wins have been against It's not
like their wins are all like cupcakes. Their nine wins
have been impressive, like you said, consensus number one until
at least in the voter's eyes. And that shows you
the difference between the voting and the NPI right now.
Can you imagine if this was the end of the
year right now, can you imagine this is the end
(20:58):
of the year and the voters people like who don't
know the difference between what the NPI, because like you're
looking at Michigan State right now is a four seed
right in the in the tournament, and people would be like,
oh my god, there are number two overall, Like the
like the random fan who just looks at the polls,
they're a force seed. I mean, who don't don't pay
(21:22):
attention to what the new NPI is. I mean, yeah,
this would have been This would have been a mass
that people would have been like, oh my god, why
are they a four seed and Dartmouth's the number one
overall seed. I mean, that's the crazy thing about the
NPI right now. I think it's going to end up
right siding itself here eventually, But I don't know. I'm
learning the NPI just like you. We took us a
(21:43):
long time to figure out the nuances of the pairwise.
Now we're going to see this NPI. And I've been
told it's better maths. You keep telling me that, Tim Dennehy,
even when I was on the committee. We were talking
about this, and I've been off the committee for three
years ago. This new math, we'll see if it ends
up being it. Well, you know what we're gonna see
is we're gonna see some teams that are really, really
(22:07):
good that are gonna go ooh, I don't like this math.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I like the pairwise math a lot better. Well, the
other thing, too, is how different would it be? And
we haven't run those comparisons. I know that we are
working on some stuff behind the scenes to kind of
compare the numbers, so we will have that. But let's
look at some of the teams that are on the
outside looking in, and there's some pretty big names here.
Boston College they are twenty third right now. Maine, they
(22:32):
just split with Boston College. They are twenty eighth right now. Miami.
We talked about how fast of a start they had.
They're eight and four. Now they are twenty ninth. Boston
University a game below five hundred, they're thirty fifth. We've
talked a lot about Minnesota's struggles, Arizona State struggles out
of the gate. They're forty two and forty three. You're
(22:53):
talking about the possibility if the season ended today, you're
talking about NCAA tournament. NOBC, NOBU, I mean no Miami,
no Minnesota, no Arizona State. Miami, let's take those out.
They had their team that's been down for a while now,
but they had a nice start. The other five teams,
to think of all five of them missing the tournament
right now feels crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I mean you if you would have said Miami's even
a team at twenty nine, I think Anthony Hereen would
have like, yeah, we had a that's real. That's a
really good jump. I mean, they didn't win a game
after October last year, so this was a really good
year for Miami. But Maine we were touting down I
know you were, because you're the kind of the hockeyast guru.
You were touting them as a top five team. Boston College,
(23:38):
bu Minnesota, Arizona State, all in the twenties on down.
That's the brand names being on the bottom end of
the new NPI. And I think the one thing I
think people they're probably three to four weekends away from
(24:00):
make some big jumps. If you have a couple of
good weekends, maybe two to three weekends.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Full sweep weekends. If you take all six points. So
you're talking about winning in regulation. If you take all
six points out of three consecutive weekends anytime, you're gonna
make some sort of a move in the NPI and
your conference standings for that matter. We're just not seeing
a lot of six point weekends right now. I look
at Hockey East this week, every single series was a split,
(24:28):
and that's been pretty common in that league. So I
think when we look at some of these teams that
are on the wrong side of the bubble, it's needing
to take more than three or four points in a weekend.
Five and six has to be the number of your thinking.
With that, we will rap it up here. This episode
has been brought to you by the NCAA Division one
Men's Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas.
(24:51):
Go to NCAA dot com slash m Frozen four for
tickets and a reminder of this and all of the
podcasts we cord here on us e h O are
now available on our YouTube channel. Check us out and
visit www dot YouTube dot com slash us c h O,
click like and subscribe watch all of our episodes there.
(25:14):
Make fun of us, do whatever you'd like school. This
was pretty fun.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
We'll get to do we miss ad or not?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
I think we did. I'm not going to try to
say that this is easy hosting without D Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I tried to throw a little back to you every
once in a while.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You did a good job of that. Well, we'll wrap
up for here and we will join you again on
Wednesday for upon further review.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Stop recording
Welcome to us CHO Weekend Review for Monday, November twenty fourth,
(00:05):
twenty twenty five. I am not ed Trevsker. I am
Jim Connolly joined by Derek Schooley. Ed is on location
at the Friendship four in Belfast this week, so Derek
and I will try to hold the fourth down here. Derek,
good to see.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You, good to be seen, And I am not ed
Trutsker either.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
This episode is brought to you by the Men's NCUBLEA
Division one Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas.
Go to NCAA dot com slash m Frozen four four tickets.
All right, schools, let's jump right in here. We're going
to get start rob with Wisconsin. Wisconsin, they entered the
weekend number seven in the US Echo poll. They went
(00:46):
to Michigan State and they did what maybe none of
us saw coming, and they swept number one Michigan State,
a Michigan State team that had won nine in the
row coming in. They were playing their best hockey, a
five to four win on Friday night to to one
in overtime for the Badgers on Saturday. What's your take
away from that? That's a pretty big weekend for Wisconsin.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Well, I think that the reason that nobody saw it
coming is I don't think anybody's given them the respect
they deserve.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I don't think they have the superstar power that a
Michigan or Michigan State has.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
They haven't got a lot of the fanfare that all
these other schools had, and I think that's one of
the points that they're not anymore. And I think that's
one of the things that they are. They have the
same amount of wins as Michigan has. They have one
less point than them, but they've got bounce scoring. They
got a lot of guys that have the same amount
of points, and they're just a Mike Castings team, structured detail.
(01:44):
They just play like Mike Hastings teams. It just took
them a little bit of time to get there. Everybody
expected the Mike Castings magic touch to happen last year
and it didn't. And we're finally getting there. And now
now you're seeing Wisconsin just kind of pop up there
and now here we are the seventh ranked team in
(02:04):
the nation or whatever they're going to be and sweeps
the Spartans at month.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Certainly they will be a team that we talk about
a lot this week. They are now number two in
the NPI. That's something we're also going to talk about,
especially in the second half of this episode of the NPI.
We're almost a Thanksgiving now, so it's about time we
talk about that. But schools, when you look at it,
they went on the road and did this, is that
what is most impressive for this Wisconsin tine that they
(02:32):
took care of business away from.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Home and it just proven road wins and you talk
about the NPI, that's going to be the big thing
that you're really going to see the NPI. Those are
massive wins. And when they're doing it, they jump here
right towards the top, and I think that that's really
exciting because you want to get the old saying is
(02:56):
you want to split on the road and sweep at home,
and then when you could sweep on the road, those
are big enthusiastic excitement for your group, especially when you
get road sweeps. I know Brian Riley used to take
his team when they would sweep at Army on the road.
They'd stop for ice cream on the road, not just
something different that it's not the same as a home sweep.
(03:19):
They'd stop for ice cream it's something different, it's something
more exciting. I know Wisconsin probably got on their charters
so they didn't stop to get ice cream. But it's
just something more exciting for your team than sweeping at home.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Any concern about Michigan State at this point, that was
a really nice streak of nine to row after losing
an opening night to New Hampshire. They are three losses
come at home, which I guess when we talk about
NPI in the second half of the show, that probably
has a little bit to do with them not being
right at the top of the NPI. But are you
concerned at all about the Spartans.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I'm not, are you No?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Not real?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I mean, I think if I would Mike pursue him,
my radio guy of Michigan.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
S Alum would probably jump down my throat this weekend.
But I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I think it's just a bump in the road. I
just think it's one of those things that it's gonna
happen during a long year, and we'll see if it
becomes a long if it's a slide, if it continually happens,
But right now, it's just a bump in the road.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, let's move on here. And a topic that I
didn't probably have ready to put on the sheet today,
But after watching this weekend, Kai Daniels and a five
goal game for Princeton on Friday night against Saint Lawrence.
Then on the Saturday night game he had a goal
and assist against Clarkson a big weekend for Daniels, but
(04:48):
it's also a big weekend for Princeton that's suddenly a
team in the Ivy League and the ECAC that we're
talking about. I know you, you and I were talking
a little lofty air. You want to slow the role
on Ki Daniels a little bit.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But let me let me you say to this, well,
I mean if everybody's everybody wants to jump this and say, oh,
this is the next this is the next Hoby Baker Award,
sneaky under the radar award candidate to Hoby Baker type deal.
(05:21):
Ky Daniels very nice player. I watched him play a
lot in junior hockey. We've got one of his teammates here.
Had nineteen points his freshman year, eight goals eleven assists
in thirty games. Last year, two goals to assist in
eighteen games this year, eight goals in seven games. But
this is a really really good weekend. I need to
see more before I now annoint him as the next
(05:44):
Toby Baker, the next Player of the Year, the next
everything that coming out of the ECAC. Really great weekend,
good weekend for Princeton. Most goals in Princeton since what
nineteen sixty something before we were born. Really cool, really cool,
really really neat story. But let's just let's see where
(06:05):
this takes Princeton. Great story the Ivy Leagues, I think
it's a big story right now, and the SAC with Dartmouth,
Princeton doing really well, and the bigger story is Harvard
having a good start Cornell. The Ivy League's really the
story of the ECAC right now.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, certainly it had been fourteen years since a player
had a five goal game. That's certainly quite some time.
And I agree with you got to slow down a
little in terms of what Ky Daniels is. But this
Princeton team is suddenly a team that we have to
at least look out for, and the Ivys feel a
little skewed right now. You've got Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton,
(06:46):
and I'm missing one in there. Dartmouth Harvard, Yale, Princeton.
All of the Ivy's are strong right out of the
Oh Cornell, I somehow left Cornell out of it. I mean,
they're all strong out of the gates.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Here.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Are we finally seeing the IVY League start to catch
up after that COVID break?
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Maybe I think that that's the one thing that we
talked about. I think a couple weeks ago with Dartmouth
is the shutdown really hurt them and they're finally kind
of getting there.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
But I think I think you're really going.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
To start to see the big test, at least for
Princeton coming here. Their trip to Bowling Green this weekend.
Bowling Green's been pretty good. Bowling Green's got a lot
of major junior players, and I think you're going to
see that.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
This is a big test. If they go into Bowling
Green and do better.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Than a split, then you're gonna say this Princeton team
may be for real.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And I think that's the big key.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
If they come out with two losses, then you're probably
going to say, because the CCHA has been hovering around
that forty forty five percent in non conference, if they
come out and they get swept, then Princeton was just
a nice little story so far. If they come out
and they sweep Bowling Green, if they get let's say
(07:58):
they go a tie in a win, or a shootout
a win because of whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Let's just say they get let's say it was a league.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Game, and they get four plus points on the weekend,
then it's then they're.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For real open your eyes.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yes, then it's something you really look at.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I'll tell you nobody has their eyes closed on
Michigan right now. Their offense is rolling. It has been
all year. A five to two and an eight one
wins this weekend over Ohio State. The Wolverines are now
thirteen to three to zero overall, six and two in
the Big Ten. They are averaging five point one to
(08:37):
nine goals per game twenty one power play goals in
their first sixteen games. Here, this is off the chart
scoring here schools is this as aggressive a scoring line
as you've seen from a team in quite some time.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
They pop ten the next night, they popped eighteen on Merciers.
I mean, if you go down the list of they
gave up, they scored eight on Providence, they got fourteen
on Us, they got six on Western and then they
got when they get on Notre Dame and they got seven.
I mean, those are just absurd numbers that they're just
eight on Wisconsin. On Penn State they got nine. Those
(09:15):
are weekend numbers. Now thirteen, I mean, those are video
game numbers, and that's why they're averaging five plus. We
talked earlier about megastars and stars. These are Obie Baker
numbers being put up in that locker room, and they've
got a few of them. You got what eleven players
with double digit points, six players over a point a game,
(09:36):
and not just that. Their team defense is quiet at least,
and I think they've got just over two goals a game.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
They've got a good goalie, they've got firepower, offensive structure.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
The one thing that got me we had we scored
a goal to make it three two halfway through the
second period and we went to.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
A four on four scenario.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I'm like, oh, and we came out of that four
on four down five to two. They got a power
play goal about a minute later, and it went from
with six minutes to go, it went from three to
two to six two before I knew it. And that
was a four on four and a five on four
without even a blink of an eye. Their firepower is
(10:23):
UnrealEd in different scenarios. So if you play four on four,
watch out, you put on the power play, watch out
pure firepower. We talked about Wisconsin being structured. This is offense,
but they also have goaltending to go.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
With it, and I guess we see this sometimes schools.
Over the course of a season, we'll see offenses start
to explode. I don't know that in the last ten
to fifteen, even twenty years, I can remember a team
that does it consistently. And if we get to the
point that we're seeing these same numbers in March in April,
(11:01):
I mean we're talking about Las Vegas. We're talking about
a frozen four for this Michigan team. This and especially
if their goaltending keeps performing well being their strength of
the team as well. If they can keep a goals
against around two and you're scoring five, it's not even
going to be a contest.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I mean, have you seen a team the scoring differential
that we're.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Talking We're talking Maine, Maine from nineteen ninety three. That's
the last time I can remember an offense like this.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
I mean, you're talking to scoring differential of plus three.
It's a lot, Yes, it is. And that's back in
the old college hockey stats days where the scoring differential
for plus one and you're like, now you're talking to
plus three. I mean that's a big scoring differential. Yeah,
those are video game numbers.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's crazy. Let's move on to a few more of
the sweeps around college hockey this weekend. Western Michigan and
they get a much needed sweep of Omaha. They are
back on the right track, seven two, four to two wins.
They are Quinnipiac, they get the sweep of clarks and
Saint Lawrence they were them and Princeton both swept Clarks
(12:13):
and Saint Lawrence, and Cornell sweeping Union and RPI. All
three of those feel like pre significant suites for top
twenty teams. Any one of those three really stand out
to you.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I think Western getting back on kind of back into
doing what they're doing was big. I think those are
really all kind of just what the doctor ordered and
what they needed to do. I think that's really kind
of the story behind it. Western over omadw doing what
they needed to do, Quinnipiac doing what they needed to
(12:47):
do at home, and Cornell doing what they needed to do.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I mean both at home.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
I think those are I think the thing I think
Quinnipiac's would have been more impressive if it was in
the North country, but it was at home. I think
those are all what they needed to do. So those
are big sweeps. I mean sweeps or sweeps hard.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
To do.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
When you look it back at this weekend. Is there
anything in the top twenty that really makes you change
your mind? And we already talked about Michigan State. I
still think I believe. I think I had them on
number two on my ballot. They didn't fall that far
from me. Is there anything in your mind that really
changed this weekend?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
No, I think pretty much everything's still as part.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I think the bigger thing, and we're going to take
a deeper dive, is the NPI is all messed up.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
That's the shocker.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
And I think that's a perfect segment to go to
segment two. Segue, I should say, and to segue and
the segment two because that's the shocker as we are
right now, and the USCCHO put out a great graphic
that's got a lot of people talking right now.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Well, we will get to that. Next is we've got
to step aside here and we will talk NPI eds
away this week. We will talk NPI first. This episode
is brought to you by the Men's NCAA Division one
Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas. Go
to ncublea dot com slash m frozen four four tickets.
(14:17):
Welcome back to usc CHO weekend Review and let's talk NPI.
Let's start it here, Derek. People still might not know
pairwise as the term that's in the past. NPI the
NCUBA Power Index, similar to the pair wise. It's being
touted as the better math that will replace the selection
criteria this season.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Dartmouth number one, Cornell number three, Michigan state that many
people feel as the best team in the nation at thirteen.
Just those how about some of the brand the brand names,
some of those down in the twenties. Ah, what about
Arizona state that we feel it's pretty good down in
the forties.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well though, I guess the first thing that stands out
for me is looking at the IVS and there's four
teams in the top fifteen right now. You mentioned it,
Dartmouth six, oh and oh they're number one, Cornell six
to two, and oh their number three Harvard five to
one in one their number eight in Princeton six five, two,
(15:19):
and oh their number fifteen. Now, the one thing I
think we're learning, and maybe we know this with the
pairwise two, we'd maybe be in the same situation if
we were talking pairwise right now. But as we look
at this early, it does feel like the IVS are
a little skewed. They've had some success early. But do
you think as we get into this that we're gonna
(15:41):
see four IVY League teams staying in the middle all season.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I think the rewards wins and right now it's rewarding
wins because they haven't very few losses because they haven't
played many games. I think you're gonna start seeing them
get some games. We talked about Princeton going to Bowling
Green or Earl in the show. You're going to start
seeing some more non conference games coming into the mix.
And when they lose a game like that or when
(16:08):
they if they win oh bye, Yes, I think you're
going to start seeing that happen. But if they lose
one of those games or they drop a game they shouldn't,
then I think you're going to start seeing some of
those teams dropping. So I mean rewards who you beat,
where you beat him, and whether it was regulation or overtime.
And I think that that's when you're going to see
that happening.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
If I told you Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard Princeton, only two
of those teams can stay in the top fifteen all season.
Which two do you think would be in there?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Dartmouth and Cornell? Dartmouth and Cornell right now. I think
we've been touting Dartmouth for a while now with reed
cash men, and Cornell obviously has been there the last
couple of years, been really close. They were really close
to getting the Frozen four last year. They returned a lot. Obviously,
Casey taking over for Mike hasn't missed a beat with
(17:01):
Casey being there last year. So I would say that
those two Harvard's close, Harvard's.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Been rebuilding a little bit.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But I would say right now that if you told
me those two, I'd dart the Cornell.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Let's look around the rest of the top fifteen right now,
and there's brand names in here, and these are programs
we've talked about all season. Wisconsin currently number two, Michigan
currently number four, Denver five, Minnesota Duluth six, Northeastern nine,
North Dakota ten, Penn State eleven, Western Michigan twelve, Quinnipiac fourteen.
(17:37):
All of those teams we've been talking about since the
beginning of the season. Maybe not as much some Northeastern
has come on, Wisconsin's come on, but every one of
those teams has been in our conversation. Even Minnesota Duluth
maybe wasn't there at the start of the year. So
I guess in terms of the names that are actually
in there, take those IVY leagues out, I don't think
(17:58):
there's a lot of surprise, do you agree, Derek.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Well, I mean to loose the surprise.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
We've kind of talked about that they're having a great year,
but I mean, any we knew you could change that
name to any team in the NCCHC that would be
having a good year at twelve and four, and they
would be up there just because of the strength of
that league. Minnesota State having a really good year the CCHA, Yeah,
I think that that's not really a surprise, but as
(18:27):
high as they are right now, but once again, you're
a mini slide away from them dropping a massive amount
of points in spots because of the league and where
the league, of the strength of schedule is right now,
and they're non conference records. You've talked to Tim Denny
a lot, and I'm going to throw this back at you.
(18:48):
I know you're there's only two of us this week,
so you're playing the host. But you know this NPI
a little bit more than I do. Is this sustainable
from Minnesota State where they're at with the non conference
record of the CCHA.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
On a massive run, that's the big question right there.
You know, a two and four right now. Again, you
said the NPI favors wins, and they have won games
thus far. Their conference overall hasn't been that strong out
of conference. But I still think in terms of Minnesota
State staying up there, they're there in a really good
(19:25):
position right now. And as long as they don't go
on some sort of a six game losing streak or
lose you know, six and eight or something like that,
I don't think that they have to fall. I think
you're going to have to see somebody from the CCHA
sit up there. You know. I guess Hockey East is
the conference that maybe makes me wonder a little bit.
(19:45):
They have a lot of teams in the middle. Northeastern
is the only school I mentioned in that top fifteen school,
So I guess when I'm looking at some teams on
the outside, maybe that's one. And I guess that brings
us to Michigan State too. They were consensus number one
the last two weeks in the poll. They've lost two games.
All three of their losses this year came at home.
(20:07):
One came to Unah, a team that's down in the
forties of the NPI. So when you look at the
resume from Michigan State, I think it looks impressive, but
those three home losses are really weighing them down. They're
sitting down at thirteen right now.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Which is a surprise to me.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I mean, you would think that because of what they've
done and who they've beat, and obviously three home losses
are just crushing them right now.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Nine and three and impressive nine wins.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
It's not like their wins have been against It's not
like their wins are all like cupcakes. Their nine wins
have been impressive, like you said, consensus number one until
at least in the voter's eyes. And that shows you
the difference between the voting and the NPI right now.
Can you imagine if this was the end of the
year right now, can you imagine this is the end
(20:58):
of the year and the voters people like who don't
know the difference between what the NPI, because like you're
looking at Michigan State right now is a four seed
right in the in the tournament, and people would be like,
oh my god, there are number two overall, Like the
like the random fan who just looks at the polls,
they're a force seed. I mean, who don't don't pay
(21:22):
attention to what the new NPI is. I mean, yeah,
this would have been This would have been a mass
that people would have been like, oh my god, why
are they a four seed and Dartmouth's the number one
overall seed. I mean, that's the crazy thing about the
NPI right now. I think it's going to end up
right siding itself here eventually, But I don't know. I'm
learning the NPI just like you. We took us a
(21:43):
long time to figure out the nuances of the pairwise.
Now we're going to see this NPI. And I've been
told it's better maths. You keep telling me that, Tim Dennehy,
even when I was on the committee. We were talking
about this, and I've been off the committee for three
years ago. This new math, we'll see if it ends
up being it. Well, you know what we're gonna see
is we're gonna see some teams that are really, really
(22:07):
good that are gonna go ooh, I don't like this math.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I like the pairwise math a lot better. Well, the
other thing, too, is how different would it be? And
we haven't run those comparisons. I know that we are
working on some stuff behind the scenes to kind of
compare the numbers, so we will have that. But let's
look at some of the teams that are on the
outside looking in, and there's some pretty big names here.
Boston College they are twenty third right now. Maine, they
(22:32):
just split with Boston College. They are twenty eighth right now. Miami.
We talked about how fast of a start they had.
They're eight and four. Now they are twenty ninth. Boston
University a game below five hundred, they're thirty fifth. We've
talked a lot about Minnesota's struggles, Arizona State struggles out
of the gate. They're forty two and forty three. You're
(22:53):
talking about the possibility if the season ended today, you're
talking about NCAA tournament. NOBC, NOBU, I mean no Miami,
no Minnesota, no Arizona State. Miami, let's take those out.
They had their team that's been down for a while now,
but they had a nice start. The other five teams,
to think of all five of them missing the tournament
right now feels crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I mean you if you would have said Miami's even
a team at twenty nine, I think Anthony Hereen would
have like, yeah, we had a that's real. That's a
really good jump. I mean, they didn't win a game
after October last year, so this was a really good
year for Miami. But Maine we were touting down I
know you were, because you're the kind of the hockeyast guru.
You were touting them as a top five team. Boston College,
(23:38):
bu Minnesota, Arizona State, all in the twenties on down.
That's the brand names being on the bottom end of
the new NPI. And I think the one thing I
think people they're probably three to four weekends away from
(24:00):
make some big jumps. If you have a couple of
good weekends, maybe two to three weekends.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Full sweep weekends. If you take all six points. So
you're talking about winning in regulation. If you take all
six points out of three consecutive weekends anytime, you're gonna
make some sort of a move in the NPI and
your conference standings for that matter. We're just not seeing
a lot of six point weekends right now. I look
at Hockey East this week, every single series was a split,
(24:28):
and that's been pretty common in that league. So I
think when we look at some of these teams that
are on the wrong side of the bubble, it's needing
to take more than three or four points in a weekend.
Five and six has to be the number of your thinking.
With that, we will rap it up here. This episode
has been brought to you by the NCAA Division one
Men's Frozen four April ninth and eleventh in Las Vegas.
(24:51):
Go to NCAA dot com slash m Frozen four for
tickets and a reminder of this and all of the
podcasts we cord here on us e h O are
now available on our YouTube channel. Check us out and
visit www dot YouTube dot com slash us c h O,
click like and subscribe watch all of our episodes there.
(25:14):
Make fun of us, do whatever you'd like school. This
was pretty fun.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
We'll get to do we miss ad or not?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
I think we did. I'm not going to try to
say that this is easy hosting without D Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I tried to throw a little back to you every
once in a while.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You did a good job of that. Well, we'll wrap
up for here and we will join you again on
Wednesday for upon further review.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Stop recording
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