College Hockey Stock Report: October 28, 2019

It's hard to believe October is already nearly over! At this rate, the season will fly by. Heck, even the Ivies finally started to play! (Well, the women's teams did. The men still wait until next weekend.) October ending means the start of full conference play is around the corner, as teams begin to discover their identities and contenders start to emerge.

As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.

Photo credit: Ohio State Hockey

Up: Being Able To Read Ohio State's Numbers

For a second consecutive year, Ohio State unveiled black sweaters against Minnesota. For a second consecutive year, Ohio State wore the black sweaters in both October games.

And for the first time, I can read the numbers on Ohio State's black sweaters.

After last year's illegal uniforms (link), the Buckeyes made sure version 2 can be read. Ohio State can continue to want to be Darth Vader (Link) and pull off continuing to give Minnesota fits on and off the ice. (The Gophers also wore gold third sweaters in Friday's game, which saw OSU defeat the previously undefeated Gophers.) At this point, I wouldn't expect anything other than these every time Ohio State faces Minnesota.

After all, it's working.

Monday Morning Gophers: Minnesota Sweeps Niagara, St. Cloud State

Don't take a Battle Hymn for granted.

Each weekend leaves several lessons to take away, but if there's one to sit and chew upon, it's the above sentence. Sweeps are not a gimme.

Minnesota went nearly the entire season in 2018-19 without sweeping a team at home. The Gophers needed exactly two games in 2019-20 to match the total after a 3-2 overtime win on Friday and 4-2 victory Saturday.

On paper, it's easy to write, "It was just Niagara. Of course, the Gophers should win. Why didn't they win by more?" That would be further from the truth for Minnesota.

No matter what from a name perspective, Niagara was set up to be a tricky team for the Gophers. In a way, the Purple Eagles are at the point Minnesota would like to be.

A season ago, NU added 11 freshmen and one transfer to a team that was in need of a makeover. The Purple Eagles come into the season with the top sophomore class from a scoring perspective and one who played its best hockey towards the end of the season. Niagara came within an overtime goal of making the NCAA Tournament.

Niagara also plays a very constricting defense, which makes it difficult for a team finding its chemistry in October to find success. It's a good lesson for Minnesota, with its 11 freshmen and one transfer, given the team faces the two-time defending champions next weekend in Minnesota Duluth, who do not give many opportunities.

All of these things are those which challenge Minnesota. By sweeping, the Gophers passed its next test. Enjoy the Battle Hymn that comes with a home sweep on Saturday night.

Truth is, it's not easy to sweep any team.

Five Quick Thoughts:

1. It wasn't the prettiest pair of wins, but the pair of wins didn't need to be pretty. There was a difference between coming through Friday after turnovers and a mishmash of failed plays with Saturday's much cleaner win.

However, in both games, it was nice to see a trailing Minnesota keep their foot on the pedal after scoring. The Gophers scored back-to-back goals in under 75 seconds in both games, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 game. Add in a pair of goals in back-to-back shifts in the win against Colorado College and that makes three in a row.

2. It's early in the season. Sometimes that means time to get used to new players and new numbers. In this case, I'm getting used to
Brannon McManus being the upperclassman on a line with freshmen Jonny Sorenson and Ben Meyers. In a very college hockey way, it's less about age and more about experience. McManus is younger than Meyers and two months older than Sorenson.

3. Once again both goaltenders played this weekend with veteran Jack LaFontaine starting Friday and rookie Jared Moe getting the nod Saturday. Both kept Minnesota in the game when needed. It'll be interesting whether the rotation continues. Friday's game is in Minneapolis while Duluth hosts Saturday.

4. Tyler Nanne left Saturday's game following being checked into the boards and did not return.

5. Friday marked Charlie Beattie's debut as the Gopher hockey play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports North. Based on my timeline, it seemed like he got positive reviews. I really enjoyed his call of Sammy Walker's OT game-winner. Beattie had a perfect combination of making Walker's winner seem like a big deal mixed with letting it breathe and allowing the crowd and band noise at Mariucci to take over. There was nearly 20 seconds between the winning call and when Ben Clymer next spoke.

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! Sammy gets his second of the year at the perfect time and wins this one for the #Gophers in OT. pic.twitter.com/FdwJnrzUop

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) October 19, 2019

Gopher Women Sweep St. Cloud State to move to 8-0-0

Minnesota ends its opening month with a perfect record after sweeping St. Cloud State at home. Sydney Scobee finished with a 21 save shutout on Saturday before the Gophers won 4-2 on Sunday. (The game was further apart than the score indicated. Minnesota outshot SCSU 40-15 and the second goal came with 10 seconds left.)

This was a weekend where the Alex Woken-Taylor Heise-Grace Zumwinkle line shined, led by Woken scoring on Saturday's first shift. After the Potomaks and Wente line made the most of the trip to Pittsburgh, the group was only on the ice for a single goal, scored by defender Emily Brown. Alex Gulstene remained out, as Scobee started both games.

On paper, the next month gets difficult for No. 2 Minnesota, who received two of 15 first-place votes in the USCHO poll. The Gophers face Ohio State and Wisconsin in the next two weeks. Still, as much as the opening month was supposed to build to this stretch, here's something to keep an eye on: Minnesota's opponents are playing well. Colgate has not lost since facing the Gophers, Minnesota State just tied the Buckeyes twice, and Robert Morris, who gave Minnesota its biggest scare, tied and lost by a goal to another perennial winner in Clarkson.

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College Hockey Stock Report: October 21, 2019

Another weekend gone answered some questions.

We learned Wisconsin can win defensive battles. We learned the Stefanos Lekkas and Jeremy Swayman experiences continue on for another season. We learned it's never too early for a players-only meeting, as was the case after Penn State followed up a 7-0 shutout win with a 4-0 shutout loss. (We're also learning that Hockey Bear is taking no prisoners this year.) We heard the Battle Hymn in Minneapolis, had an amazing matchup in Mankato, first wins for Merrimack and Colgate, and upsets in Columbus and Boston.

We saw the first-ever instance of 3x3 OT in women's D1 hockey when Minnesota State "defeated" Ohio State to take the extra conference point. Once again, Robert Morris took it to a perennial powerhouse, tying and falling 6-5 to Clarkson.

All in all, it was a quality weekend. Here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape as this week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down and what trends should be followed.

Podcast: The Pipeline Show (October 18, 2019)

Earlier this week, I went on The Pipeline Show with Guy Flaming to discuss the Big Ten as part of its college hockey segment. We touched on all seven Big Ten teams and who to watch as kind of a preview to the season.

You can listen below.


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College Hockey Stock Report: October 16, 2019

It's the offseason no more.

Besides the Ivies, the season is now underway. D1 women's hockey is nearing the end of its first month while a large portion of D1 men's hockey teams opened their season last weekend. Ohio State took home the Ice Breaker trophy. Several teams took home surprising results. I'm still not sure what to make of Colorado College's Friday sweaters.

Anyways, it's time for another edition of the college hockey stock report, recapping who is doing well, who is on their way down and what trends should be followed.

Slightly different than previous editions is ending this with who I thought won the week. It can be a team, a player, a coach, or anything that signifies the best in college hockey. Let me know who you think should win the week in the comments.

At the very least, talk of last season is trending downward.

Up: Players scoring first goals and getting first wins

One of the highlights each September and October is seeing players score their first collegiate goal or goaltenders getting their first win. There is something special to witness decades of work coming together into a single moment of celebration. It comes annually. The leaves fall and red lights get lit, but that doesn't make it any less special.

Couple firsts for the #Gophers last weekend in Colorado...

Congrats to Jared Moe (First Win) and Matt Staudacher (First Goal)! pic.twitter.com/5BZezNGsDL

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) October 15, 2019

Hold: Any Minnesota Duluth championship hangover storyline

Banner raising night did not go well for the Bulldogs. After losing an exhibition game to Alberta, Minnesota Duluth opened the season with a 3-2 loss to UMass Lowell. The team did follow up the next day with a 2-1 win but lost the No. 1 ranking to Denver.

Sure, this wasn't the best opening stretch for UMD, but you know what else wasn't a great opening stretch? Last season. The Bulldogs tied and lost to Minnesota. Neither game was as bad as the scoreboard made it seem, which can also be said about this past weekend. UMD nearly came back from a 3-0 deficit, however, more importantly, the team outshot the River Hawks by a 2:1 margin. On Saturday, UMass Lowell had nine shots on goal at even strength.

It's not the result wanted, but the Bulldogs continue to give itself opportunities. If that continues, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a repeat of where Minnesota Duluth followed up its opening weekend last season with eight straight wins.

Monday Morning Gophers: Minnesota's Opening Weekend Ends Up Like CC's Sweaters

Minnesota's opening weekend ended up like the new sweaters Friday of its opponent. There was a bit of everything to take away. Put together, I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

Photo Credit: @CC_Hockey1

The Gophers began 2019-20 by splitting with Colorado College, falling 3-2 Friday before coming back to win 4-3 Saturday. Neither game featured a complete performance, which can be expected in early October for a team with 12 freshmen and two completely new goaltenders starting.

University of Minnesota Men's Hockey 2019-20 Full Preview

Throughout the summer, a building under construction greets me each morning, smiling with glass windows for teeth as it stands over the rest of the skyline.

It’s surrounded by some of the nicest buildings in town, many of which are newly completed. A pair have seen their best days after being recently overhauled, reaching new heights and reputations. One is making the most of its latest name change. Another nearby building seems to be the envy of the neighborhood and town. That one is an old friend who keeps winning awards and enjoying being considered the model building of both the area and town. All of them are moving on yet continue to judge themselves against the one currently under construction.

As the neighborhood continues to undergo changes, it joins a town where new, splashy buildings making an immediate impact on the scene mixed with some forgotten ones finding a renaissance, growing in favor.

Construction has made the skyline unrecognizable from the beginning of the decade. Many of the ones who perennially grab attention have been overshadowed and dropped off lists as new tastes emerge, challenging the old guard. Several of those buildings are making cosmetic and wholesale changes to keep up with the rest of the neighborhood.

That’s been the case for the building which greets me. Scaffolding exists, along with a crane and an observation deck devoid of people in its second year of renovations. Signs of change slowly appear on its young face.

Obviously, 600 words are not enough to preview Minnesota’s 2019-20 season and the job Bob Motzko is doing in Dinkytown. The Gophers enter Motzko’s second year as head coach still a work in progress with 12 newcomers in a group that’s largely of his own choosing. By age the youngest D1 men’s hockey team on average and by size the biggest, they add to a team which finished 7-2 over its final 9 games and third in the Big Ten. At the same time, Minnesota missed its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and third in the past four years after a run of six straight Big Ten and WCHA regular-season championships.

Let’s break it down more in-depth.

What does St. Thomas going D1 mean for college hockey?

Hello, Division 1 hockey, it's us the University of St. Thomas?

Those are unexpected words to open a story. St. Thomas reportedly received an invitation to join the Summit League, which would make the St. Paul school the second Division 1 school in the state of Minnesota. If it happens, the Tommies would require a waiver by the NCAA to move directly from D3 to D1 beginning in the fall of 2021. Normal protocol sees schools moving up one division at a time.

The move has major ramifications for the Summit League as the Tommies, after earlier this year being kicked out of Division 3 MIAC, would give the conference the minimum six teams needed to play football. Fans of teams in the Summit League seem open and happy to UST joining compared to some of the other options.

Sadly, the move would also bring to an end one of the great Catholic rivals between St. Thomas and St. John's/St. Benedict's.

Since this is a place for college hockey discussion, you didn't come here for football takes. You came to answer the big question a splash like this brings to a growing realignment landscape. The one I wrote about earlier this summer. The Tommies currently sponsor 20 sports, including both men's and women's hockey.

Assuming that stays the same, what does St. Thomas going D1 mean for college hockey? Short answer: It's complicated.

Which teams enter 2019-20 with the biggest chips on their shoulders?

'Tis the season, so let's talk rankings.

Rankings: They're fun, highly debatable, and in college hockey, they don't actually matter. Only a math equation does. That doesn't stop us from analyzing every single ranking. We can't get enough.

Around this time year, it would be easy to make preseason rankings. That's not what I'm going to do, though. Instead, these are rankings where Minnesota Duluth doesn't automatically get placed first.

These are rankings for which teams can claim the biggest chips on their shoulders.

Playing the "proving them wrong" song can be a lifeline in sports, even if it ends up sometimes ringing hollow. College hockey is no exception. Let's be clear. All 60 teams would like to use the Rodney Dangerfield card. No respect!

Several players come to mind as those who used "us versus the world" and a chip on their shoulder as a motivation tactic. Both Denver and St. Cloud State got far with it last season after losing players early and head coaches to the NHL and Minnesota, respectively.

Without further adieu, here are the top 20 college hockey teams with the biggest chips on their shoulders. It's a ranking fitting for a year where the Frozen Four takes place in a city where "Detroit versus Everybody" exists as a mantra and lifestyle.

60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): College Hockey Previews By Conference

With the men's college hockey season officially beginning this week, it's time to be prepared before any banners are raised and pucks get dropped.

Photo Credit: Nathan Wells

Since July, I've profiled all 60 teams, one by one and 600 words at a time. All can be found in order here, but rather than forcing all to go back, it seems easier for people to find them by publishing all teams by conference. Read up on your team, your rivals, your conference mates and that team with the NHL draft pick from your NHL team.

Atlantic Hockey

Air Force
American International College
Army West Point
Bentley
Canisius
Holy Cross
Mercyhurst
Niagara
RIT
Robert Morris
Sacred Heart

Big Ten

Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Penn State
Wisconsin

ECAC

Brown
Clarkson
Colgate
Cornell
Dartmouth
Harvard
Princeton
Quinnipiac
RPI
St. Lawrence
Union
Yale

Hockey East

Boston College
Boston University
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
Merrimack
Northeastern
New Hampshire
Providence College
UMass Lowell
Vermont

Independent

Arizona State

NCHC

Colorado College
Denver
Miami
Minnesota Duluth
North Dakota
Omaha
St. Cloud State
Western Michigan

WCHA

Alabama Huntsville
Alaska
Alaska Anchorage
Bowling Green
Bemidji State
Ferris State
Lake Superior State
Michigan Tech
Minnesota State
Northern Michigan


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If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. Thanks!