Men's Hockey Wraps Up Regular Season This Weekend
Mavericks to host Colorado College in final tune-up before playoffs
by Dan Myers
Issue date: 2/22/07
Section: Mens Sports
The Minnesota State men's hockey team will wrap-up its regular season this weekend with plenty of questions still unanswered.
Perhaps the biggest being where the Mavericks (11-17-6 overall, 8-13-5 WCHA) will play in two weeks in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
One thing is for sure in that regard, however: it won't be Midwest Wireless Civic Center.
After a mid-season stretch that saw the Mavericks put themselves in position to make a run for home-ice, MSU has played inconsistent hockey over its last four games. Combined with North Dakota's stellar play over the last two weeks, the best the Mavericks can hope for is a sixth-place finish.
Even that seems like a long shot, though. Wisconsin currently leads the Mavericks for that spot by three points and the Badgers have a pair of games to play next weekend while MSU sits idle.
A more likely scenario keeps the Mavericks slotted either 7th or 8th in the standings, meaning they could face any number of opponents when the puck drops for the playoffs in 15 days.
Fifteen days is a lifetime in a conference that separates its second-best team from its eighth-best by just nine points. But with the playoffs right around the corner, it won't be easy to keep their sights set solely on the No. 15 Tigers (16-13-3 overall, 12-10-2 WCHA).
"All year we have focused on just that weekend," said senior defenseman Chad Brownlee. "You don't want to look too far ahead because you lose focus on the task at hand.
"[The playoffs] will be in the back of our minds, but come game time, all we will be thinking about is the drop of that puck."
Unlike years past, where superstar forwards with Hobey Baker-aspirations dotted the landscape, CC is surprisingly balanced. Chad Rau and Jimmy Kilpatrick lead the team in scoring with just 25 points each.
To contrast, Brett Sterling tallied 31 goals last season.
"Would I rarther play them with [Marty] Sertich and Sterling? No, I wouldn't," said Mavericks head coach Troy Jutting. "Are they a tough team because they are more balanced? Yeah, they are. They are a very good hockey team."
Matt Zaba has played in 36 games this season for CC, and has established himself as one of the league's best. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in a start since a miserable Dec. 8 outing against Alaska-Anchorage.
"I think their goalie is one of the best in the country," Jutting said. "I think Zaba is a great goaltender and I always have."
Solid goaltending was one of the reasons for the Mavericks' second-half turnaround, as Mike Zacharias used an injury to starting netminder Dan Tormey to cement himself in the crease. After a rough start, Zacharias worked his goals against average under three and his save percentage above 90, before struggling against North Dakota and in game two at UAA last weekend.
Now with Tormey - fully recovered from the hand injury sustained in a December game at Minnesota - back in the fold, it is imperative that whomever starts in net the rest of the way turns in solid performances if the Mavs have any chance of making a run deep into the WCHA playoffs.
"I don't think there is any question," said Jutting, "that at this level, it's all about how great your goalie is playing. If they are playing great, you have a crack every night."
Jutting said Zacharias will start Friday's game against the Tigers, followed by senior Chris Clark on Saturday. Clark will likely give way to Tormey sometime during the first period.
Offensively, the Mavericks have scored at least four goals in three of their last four games. And it hasn't just been leading scorer Travis Morin doing the work.
Jon Kalinski scored a pair of goals last Friday and is tied with Morin for the team lead with 16 goals this season. Kalinski has scored a quarter of those goals shorthanded, tops in the WCHA. He also leads the conference in shorthanded points, as well, with five (4-1-5).
"He's a kid who scored four goals last season and has 16 already this season," Jutting said. "He's still a young kid and with young kids, their upside is better.
"He has 16, but it seems like he could have 30 with all the opportunities he's had."
Mick Berge and Joel Hanson also expect to play critical offensive roles this weekend, as they have all season. Berge (10-7-17) and Hanson (12-11-23) have seen some of their best success on a Maverick power play that ranks in the middle of the WCHA pack at 18.6 percent.
On the blueline, Steve Wagner has provided an offensive spark to go with the bruising defensive styles of Brownlee and Brian Kilburg. Wagner leads the team and is sixth in the WCHA with 21 assists and is second on the team with 27 points (6-21-27).
"He's having a great year and it's really good to see," Brownlee said. "He is just getting a bunch of confidence. He gained it early and has blossomed ever since."
Brownlee, Kilburg and freshman Nick Canzanello all sat out the first series against CC because of injuries. But now, all three are healthy and plan to play this time around.
This weekend's series will also mark the final home games in the careers of Morin, Brownlee, Clark, defenseman Lucas Fransen and forward Kurtis Kisio.
Face-off from Midwest Wireless Civic Center is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday. CC swept the Mavericks earlier this season, winning 5-2 and 7-2 at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. in November.
Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor