Husky Hockey Weekend Predictions and other Links

This weekend the Huskies will face Bemidji State for the first time as a conference rival since 1987 when the teams competed in Division III hockey. Here are a couple of predictions on this weekends games:

This is the WCHA...

"The Beavers scored their first point in conference play last week and were within a few seconds of gaining another one Friday night against No. 2 Minnesota Duluth. That's a good sign, considering how badly BSU was outplayed by North Dakota in their previous series. The difference for Bemidji was junior goaltender Mathieu Dugas, who made 28 saves in his first start of the season Saturday in a 1-1 tie. The Huskies have yet to get on track, splitting last weekend at home against Quinnipiac. In eight games, Garrett Roe has just one goal. That number will need to go up if the Huskies hope to get more than a split. 

BSU at SCSU - St. Cloud State sweep"

Goon's World

"Last weekend the Beavers lost and tied the Bulldogs in Bemidji and the Huskies split with Quinnipiac in St. Cloud.

The Beavers are still trying to get their first WCHA conference win, with this weekend being their first WCHA road games. BSU came close last weekend with a pair of overtime games. The Huskies have been sporadic to start the year, win here a lose there, repeat. SCSU had/has high hopes for the season, and the league coaches thought the Huskies were/are going to be one of the top teams in the league. This early in the year, you have to look past the standing some, SCSU sits in 10, but they have only played 2 games, where most played four or six games. BSU is winless in four games and sitting in the basement. The Beavers might have too big of a hole to dig out of, if they don’t get some points, and soon. SPLIT"

Goal Gophers

"Peter: BSU has started out sluggish and maybe the pressure of getting the first win in the new building has been too much. They played UMD really tough this weekend and they can’t stay winless for long. SCSU has been wildly inconsistent, looking great one minute and very average the next. ... Split"

"Roman: Who made up the Beavers schedule? Their first three foes: North Dakota, UMD and SCSU are the top three teams in the preseason WCHA polls. BSU lost 3-2 in OT to the 'Dogs last weekend and played them to a 1-1 tie. St. Cloud State split with Quinnipiac. Who is playing better? .... Beavers sweep ON ROAD"

So much like the Huskies play this season, these predictions are all over the place. I have to say that the most ridiculous prediction is that the Beavers will sweep on the road. I don't know if Roman Augustoviz at Goal Gophers does his homework, but the last time a WCHA team has swept St. Cloud at the National Hockey Center was back in 2007 when Denver won 3-2 both nights (thus meaning BSU has been swept in their own barn by WCHA opponents more in the last 2 weeks than SCSU has in the last 2 years). Think of all the games SCSU has played since then at the NHC against UND, DU, UMD, UW, UofM, etc... and he believes it will be Bemidji to break that record? Now I know that St. Cloud has yet to find their "groove" but I believe at worst SCSU leaves this weekend with a split. Hopefully, the team can start clicking a put together a couple of solid wins for our first WCHA sweep of the season.

Other Links

• The Bemidji Pioneer previews this weekends games in its piece, "Bemidji State men's hockey team faces St. Cloud State in first road trip of the year". The article has some good quotes from Bemidji players and Coach Serratore. The NHC's Olympic sheet of ice is one concern of theirs. 
• In a piece on the Husky Hockey lines you can read about the players that will be seeing ice time this weekend and those that wont. The semi-surprise of this weekend is the sitting down of Husky freshmen Mitch MacMillan. The goalie rotation continues as Mike Lee takes his usual spot in net on Friday night. 
• You can also read a blog post titled, "Preseries comments from Bemidji State men's hockey coach Tom Serratore" over at Mick Hatten's blog. Serratore on this Husky hockey team: "The St. Cloud team is extremely scary. They've got nine seniors and the bulk of their juniors are highly skilled and they have a very good power play."

See the video below for Bemidji State hockey players Jordan George and Jake Areshenko opinions on their first road series of the season this week against WCHA opponent St. Cloud State:



Go Huskies!