{"id":102087,"date":"2019-12-17T05:30:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T11:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/?p=102087"},"modified":"2020-08-24T11:08:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T16:08:00","slug":"tmq-discussing-how-the-road-to-the-national-championship-runs-through-the-nchc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2019\/12\/17\/tmq-discussing-how-the-road-to-the-national-championship-runs-through-the-nchc\/","title":{"rendered":"TMQ: Discussing how the road to the national championship runs through the NCHC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tyson<\/a>
Denver and North Dakota are two NCHC teams that can be considered Frozen Four favorites next spring in Detroit (photo: Candace Horgan).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men\u2019s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.<\/i><\/p>\n

Paula<\/strong>: It\u2019s surprising that there\u2019s so much to talk about this week, Jimmy, given how light the weekend\u2019s schedule was, but there are a few things that jump out at me immediately.<\/p>\n

The first is the tutorial that North Dakota is giving on how to finish up a first half strongly. The Fighting Hawks take a 13-game (12-0-1) unbeaten streak into the second half of the season having swept Western Michigan on the road two weekends ago.<\/p>\n

In that 13-game stretch, North Dakota has averaged a little over four goals per game while keeping opponents to 1.25 goals per game on average, having allowed more than two goals in that span just twice. The Fighting Hawks have three overtime wins in those 13 games and an overtime tie with the extra point.<\/p>\n

With Minnesota State\u2019s loss to Northern Michigan Saturday \u2013 breaking the Mavericks\u2019 10-game win streak \u2013 the poll voters put North Dakota No. 1 in the nation. But the Mavericks and Cornell still received votes for first place.<\/p>\n

Looking at the variety of ways that North Dakota has been able to find success in this first-half streak, the Fighting Hawks\u2019 break until Jan. 3 and the strength of North Dakota\u2019s remaining NCHC schedule, is it fair to say that the Fighting Hawks may be setting the tone for the rest of college hockey in the second half, a team that seems to control its own destiny from now until April?<\/p>\n

Jim<\/strong>: North Dakota is as strong as we have seen in the last three seasons, and that\u2019s no exaggeration.<\/p>\n

This team has plenty of offense and defensively they can stymie teams. They certainly know how to win in different ways. In close games, they battle. But they also see the jugular and know how to blow away a team.<\/p>\n

If anything could plague North Dakota in the regular season, it is the strength of opponents they will face in the NCHC. But one of our fellow college hockey writers, Brad Schlossman, had an interesting stat on Monday via Twitter:<\/p>\n

\n

Weeks at No. 1 (last six seasons)
84 – NCHC
15 – Big Ten
13 – Hockey East
11 – WCHA
10 – ECAC
… NCHC fans, you're spoiled (UND 22, SCSU 22, DU 21, UMD 19 have all individually spent more time at No. 1 than any entire conference outside the NCHC in that span).<\/p>\n

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n