Michigan hockey: NCAA Tournament hopes riding on stretch run
Michigan Wolverines hockey is currently on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament picture, and time is running short to change that reality. U-M has made the tournament each of the last three seasons, including making back-to-back Frozen Four appearances.
The Wolverines did not appear in United States College Hockey Online’s projected tournament field on Feb. 14, before they split a weekend series at Penn State, winning 5-3 Feb. 15 and falling 4-2 the following evening. They didn’t do enough in those two games to change their outlook.
Coming out of the weekend, the Maize and Blue rank No. 16 in the PairWise rankings, which compares every team by three criteria: record against common opponents, head-to-head competition and the RPI.
There are only two regular-season series remaining before the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, a home set with Notre Dame Feb. 23-24 and a pair of tilts at Minnesota March 1-2.
It took Michigan until early February to notch its first Big Ten series sweep, beating Ohio State in two times in Columbus Feb. 2-3. But the Maize and Blue failed to carry over momentum the following weekend, falling 5-1 to No. 9 Michigan State at Yost and 3-2 to the same team in the annual ‘Duel In The D’ at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
At 15-12-3, Michigan must start winning series like it hasn’t before this season to get back on the right side of the bubble, with No. 13 or above in the PairWise currently being viewed as favorable territory for an at-large invitation to the NCAAs. Losses in regulation will hurt. Otherwise, its hope will come down to winning the Big Ten Tournament — a feat U-M accomplished last season — to capture an automatic bid.
“I mean, just from looking at the Pairwise, as of today if we don’t win the Big Ten Tournament then we can’t make the NCAA Tournament,” head coach Brandon Naurato said Feb. 12, according to The Michigan Daily.
There are six automatic bids, including one that goes to the Big Ten Tournament champ, while the other 10 spots are up for grabs.
“Whatever we do in the future, we’ll have to earn,” Naurato added.
Michigan has top six point scorers in Big Ten
At 1.34 points per game, sophomore forward Gavin Brindley one of six U-M players who rank top 25 in the country in point, checking in 11th overall and second on the team behind classmate Rutger McGroarty (1.52). In fact, the Maize and Blue have the top five point scorers in the entire Big Ten. From a team standpoint, Michigan paces the Big Ten and slots second nationally behind Denver with 4.37 goals per game.
