Denver faces defending champs, while Maine and Providence clash. Union seeks a repeat upset against red-hot Quinnipiac. Thrilling college hockey awaits!
With the Spengler Cup and World Juniors, fans and programs can look forward to an exciting weekend of restored college hockey.
Each week on The Hockey News, we’ll preview some of the best matchups there are on the slate for each respective weekend.
Top Matchup: #6 Western Michigan vs #7 Denver
Denver faces another weekend of a tough task, welcoming in the defending national champions. This will be the second and final series between these two teams, dating back to November 7th and 8th.
In the previous series stationed in Kalamazoo, the Broncos were silenced at home, losing 1-3 and 3-6. Western Michigan outshot Denver in both contests, but two sensational goaltending performances anchored by Quentin Miller helped Denver prevail in both contests after stopping a total of 76 shots on 80 total combined.
The Pioneers saw a loss and a tie out of their previous weekend at home with a deep Maine team. They are winless in their last three games, the previous win on December 12th as they seek their first win of the calendar year.
Meanwhile, Western Michigan has won its last five games, including a Kwik Trip Holiday Face-off championship where they had to knock off two ranked teams in Boston College and Wisconsin.
#12 Maine vs #18 Providence
The Black Bears and Friars will clash for the first time this season, both ranked at the time being. Providence fell two spots in the recent USCHO poll, trying to cling to a top 20 ranking with a tough test awaiting.
Maine has been red hot with an impressive weekend after going unbeaten against Denver across the country. They’re now 4-0-1 over their last five games, with five or more goals each game in those four wins.
The Black Bears are statistically showcasing their best offense since the 2006-07 season, with a current average of 3.8 goals per game.
For Providence, the Friars will have home ice advantage for the second consecutive season against Maine, with Schneider Arena seeing a top 20 matchup.
Providence split most recently at home against Alaska Fairbanks, but Schneider arena will stay busy after this weekend with a home-and-home against #13 Boston College the following weekend.
Safe to say both these teams get the gauntlet going forward in a parity-filled Hockey East, but all eyes look towards the present with this sensational series on tap.
Union vs #8 Quinnipiac
Could you say on paper that Quinnipiac is more impressive than Union? Probably.
That didn’t matter last time.
Union beat Quinnipiac previously, thanks to a 31-save shutout from Brayden Gillespie, still slated as their most impressive win of the season.
Nonetheless, Quinnipiac has only gotten hotter since that defeat. They are 2-0 in ECAC play since, with dominant wins over Harvard and Dartmouth. First-year forward Markus Vidicek has also become a threat on the offensive end, with six goals in the past five games.
These two only meet once this weekend on Friday, but they will go their respective ways to finish their weekends. Union will head from Hamden to Princeton to take on the Tigers, while the Bobcats will stay put to host RPI the following day.