The Harvard Crimson are looking for their first NCAA Hockey Title in almost 30 years. The Crimson last won college hockey’s biggest prize back in 1989 and have been looking to match the feat ever since. They will finally get another chance this season, but first must defeat the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. UMD last won the title six seasons ago, with a thrilling overtime victory over Michigan in St. Paul. Of the four teams left, they are the most recent champion and will have the biggest target on their backs.
Don’t miss the action on the ice from the United Center in Chicago at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN2. We will have NCAA hockey odds at BookMaker.eu available for both Frozen Four college hockey matchups.
College Hockey Odds at BookMaker.eu
The chalk pretty much held out in the NCAA hockey tournament this season, with three of the four seeded teams making it to the Frozen Four. However, whereas Harvard cruised in its opening matchup over Providence 3-0 and squeaked by Air Force 3-2, Minnesota-Duluth had to earn the trip with two overtime victories over Ohio State and Boston to reach this point.
How They Got Here
These were two of the hottest teams in hockey to end the season, but one of these two will see a long winning streak come to a screeching halt. Harvard hasn’t lost in 18 straight games and has won outright in 16 straight heading into this one and has knocked off some quality competition. The Crimson played 11 ranked teams on the season and ended up with an 8-3 overall record in those games.
UMD doesn’t have the long winning streak Harvard does, but has been very impressive this season in its own right. The Bulldogs have won seven in a row and are 15-1-3 over their last 19 games. They have beaten four straight ranked opponents heading into this game dating back to the NCHC Tournament.
Matchup to Watch
For the Crimson, the story this season has been the offense. Harvard is currently averaging 4.14 goals per game and boasts five of the top 30 leading scorers in the country. Tyler Moy and Ryan Donato lead the way with 21 goals on the year, but a familiar name is the most sure-handed scorer on the team. Luke Esposito has 16 goals this season, but has scored those on just 66 shots. That makes his 24.2 percent shooting percentage one of the best in hockey.
As for Minnesota-Duluth, it’s been the goaltending that has carried them this far. After Kasimir Kaskisuo surprisingly left early last season there were doubts about how good this team would be in net, but freshman Hunter Miska has delivered. Miska has a save percentage of .919 and a 2.21 GAA on the season and has four shutouts to boot. He will need to keep Harvard’s high-scoring offense in check if the Bulldogs want to win.
Free College Hockey ATS Picks
These teams did not play this season, but although Harvard had the better record, Minnesota-Duluth deservedly got the lower seed because of its better body of work. The Bulldogs played 23 ranked teams on the year and finished with a great 17-3-3 record against them. They went 5-0 against North Dakota most impressively and should definitely be favored here.
Expect Minnesota-Duluth to be a slight to moderate favorite over Harvard in this one once the lines come out. The Bulldogs have a great goalie and can manufacture just enough offense to be able to squeak by if need be. Additionally, they have already proven they can win in close games with those two overtime wins and won’t let the moment get the better of them. That’s why you have to back the Bulldogs here.
College Hockey Odds: Minnesota-Duluth 4, Harvard 3
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