CCHA Quarterfinals Update

aside from the fact that the one and two seed would be gone, it would mean we'd face 7 seed BGSU in the semis and someone out of the 4/5/11 seed remaining. Obviously a lot has to happen to even consider that, but avoiding ND and Miami would be awesome

Actually, you could make a really good case that the ecac has been better than the CCHA this year. And don't forget that cornell team hammered Michigan at MSG this year.

No chance whatsoever of advancing to the NCAA Tourney without first winning this final-ever CCHA Tournament first.  Our icers just didn't play well for most of the season and will be sidelined for the season unless they win this championship.

Let's give Red and his men a good show of support tonight---they struggled most of the season before finally getting it together over the last third of the season.  Red and his staff have had to do one helluva coaching job to turn things around.  We're now playing our best hockey since last season and IMHO (though I'm biased) might just be the best team in the CCHA at this point.

There are still a lot of tickets available at Lawson in Kalamazoo for this game (and tomorrow's, too, if needed); from what I found out by calling the WMU ticket office yesterday, section 20 has been designated the "Michigan section" , although they are also seating Michigan Fans in sections 18 and 22.  I'd love to see our fans take over the place and quiet down their "lunatics" .  I'll be in section 18 doing my part.

BTW, I like the idea of having a B1G Hockey conference, but I'll miss the short drives to WMU and ND for mid-winter Michigan Hockey.

To illustrate the difference, a little bit: last time, Michigan needed to win the CCHA tourney, but just barely.  They were close enough that, even though losing at any point in that tournament would have kept them out of the tourney, getting those wins bumped them all the way to a 3 seed (there are four 1-seeds etc. up to 4-seeds).  This year, if Michigan wins the next three games to win the CCHA, they will be 1 game above .500.  If they split the next two with WMU, but win the CCHA, they're at .500 for the season.  Anything less and they'll finish the season with a losing record.  At this point, assuming seeds in other conference tourney's hold, or are at least close, Michigan is likely the lowest 4-seed, if they get the autobid, even below the Atlantic Hockey Champion (the conference that never/almost never gets anybody in without their autobid, generally regarded as by far the weakest conference).

I remember playing with the PWR predictor in 2010, like probably a lot of people, trying to get Michigan in and the frustration when they were always just barely out, without the autobid, at which point they would get in on their own merits!  This time, there's not even any point in trying the predictor. Think Penn State basketball.  Well, maybe Nebraska basketball.  That's how far Michigan hockey is away. 

If we had Merrill and Bennett healthy all year though, I think we'd at least be a TUC.  But the major difference seems to be the fire somebody lit under PDG and Guptill's asses.