With the Huskies idle last week and the rest of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in action, there was a lot of movement in the conference standings. As the race for the MacNaughton Cup and playoff seeding moves into high gear, now is a good time to see where things sit and to discuss Michigan Tech’s prospects in that battle.
The Conference Standings
The CCHA website has a very detailed standings page, but for those of you that don’t want to leave THG’s website for any reason (we love you, we really do), here is what those standings look like:
Minnesota State, still rated the #1 team in the country, has a firm hold on the first slot and is the overwhelming favorite to win the MacNaughton Cup yet again. Bowling Green has crept into third place ahead of the Huskies after taking 5 of 6 points last week against St. Thomas. Bemidji State swept Lake Superior State last weekend to tighten their hold on second, while the Lakers and Northern Michigan round out the middle tier of the conference.
Tech has two games in hand on most of the teams, but a big four games in hand when compared to Minnesota State and Lake State. They also have two games against every team in the league left on the schedule. That’s an advantage for the Huskies, but only if they can convert most of those games into 3 point regulation wins.
And that’s what the Old Dog has been saying for some time — just win and things will work out. Lose and Tech will be on the road in the conference playoffs, out of the Pairwise-Ratings Percentage Index race, and once again on the outside looking in when the NCAA Tournament starts.
The Immediate Future
Them Dogs will travel to the Soo this weekend to face the Lakers. To be blunt, the Lakers looked bad last week in their two losses at Bemidji’s rink. For some reason though, LSSU seems to play some of their best hockey against the Huskies. Is it Damon Whitten’s tactics and game plan? Or does Tech somehow not take the Lakers seriously? One thing has been clear about LSSU this year and for the last couple of seasons — if they score the first goal of any game, they are very tough to beat. When they fall behind, they are far less successful.
You don’t need a degree from Tech to figure out what the Huskies have to do both nights.
The Rest of January
After the LSSU series, MTU will play their second home-and-home with Northern Michigan, a team that is performing very well lately despite their position in the CCHA standings. Then Bemidji State comes to Houghton for two games, and the Beavers just dominated Lake State last weekend.
18 conference points are at stake in three difficult series. If Tech gets less than 15, they could be scrambling to finish fourth and get the last home ice slot in the playoffs. Sure, there are other scenarios that could play out, but the Old Dog believes the Huskies need momentum heading into February.
My Crystal Ball Is Broken
More than any other Tech squad I can remember, this year’s team is the hardest to figure out. The Old Dog has groused about Them Dogs repeatedly, and to be totally honest, I just never seem to have a good feeling about their play. When they are pressing for offense and not turning the puck over in their own end, they look like a valid NCAA tournament team.
They just need to score 3 or more goals on a regular basis. The defense is generally solid and at times superb.
What seems to be missing is a sense of desperation, a fever pitch among the players and coaches that this is it — the opportunity to accomplish something special—and now is the time to lay it all on the line. During the 2017-2018 season, captain Brent Baltus reached deep inside and almost willed the Huskies into the NCAA tournament with his play down the stretch.
They have a chance to create a legacy that will live for as long as MTU plays hockey, a set of memories that these players will have for many years. And Husky Nation never forgets an NCAA tournament team.
Brian Halonen has been doing that all season, but his efforts haven’t been enough, as opponents have thrown everything they can at Halonen. That should leave opportunities for other Huskies, but no one has yet raised their game to take advantage of the double teams and physical play that Halonen has fought through.
Each series will be “the” series from here on out, or at least if and until the Huskies fade from contention. Let’s hope they don’t do that any time soon.
Mike Anleitner is a 1972 Michigan Tech grad, and he was in the first class of what has become the Scientific & Technical Communications program. He also has an engineering degree from Wayne State and an MBA from Michigan-Ross. He spent forty seven years in various manufacturing and engineering positions, and is currently a semi-retired freelance engineer. He lives during the fall and winter with his wife of 49 years Carol–also a ’72 Tech grad–in Addison, TX, a Dallas suburb with more restaurants per capita than any other municipality in the US. During the summer, Mike and Carol reside in Elmira, MI and avoid the Texas heat.
Dead nuts on once again, IMHO. I especially agree with your comment about the lack of fever pitch desperation. It’s a little late to bring that feeling out when you’re down a goal with 2 minutes left in the 3rd.
Thanks for the comment, Martin. This is a frustrating group to watch. I hope they make me eat my words.
Well, gentlemen, that fever pitch was there this weekend, especially on Saturday, once the cobwebs were shaken out. They were out to win. Lanenegger was as hot as a pistol on Saturday, so Joe made an adjustment, and BAM! We had three goals, superb defense and Blake was a monster in net. Clearly, with two shutouts. Lakers came out Saturday trying to hurt people, something they tend to do when they are not playing well, and the boys handled it. It was a wonderful weekend..
But now Northern. Did you watch the game against Mankato? Mankato playe like St. Thomas and McKay could not stop a breakaway. We can beat Northern. We need to be smart, quick, and much like we were in the Soo, but need to crash the net. It’s another sweep if the boys are on it. Yeah, they will be. Then Bemidji. We need those two games as well. If we get those four games, the rest of the schedule is in the bag, but not with complacency.
And finally, we come up against Mankato. With the moves this weekend, have you noticed that we have a real shot at winning the whole thing? Might want to mention that.
Lots of games left and maintaining that intensity and focus will be a challenge. I’ll have my say this week in my next column. Thanks for your comment.
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