After a week of in-depth analysis of what it would take for PSU to get an at-large bid, things have suddenly gotten a lot simpler.
The abysmal performance in Ann Arbor has totally eliminated any chance. Our only route to the NCAAs is by winning the Big Ten Tournament. Given that we failed to secure a first round bye, that’s now a mighty tall order. We now have to win back-to-back-to-back games against Wisconsin, Michigan, and (Likely) Minnesota on consecutive days. While hockey players are used to back-to-back games, tossing in a third one really takes its toll on a team’s legs. To make it worse, we quite possibly might have a very depleted roster. We were only able to suit up 15 skaters for the final Michigan game due to injury. No work yet on the seriousness of the injuries that took out Luke Juha and Alec March for the game, but Vince Pedrie, suffering from a high ankle sprain, is reportedly sidelined for the tournament.
Still, as much as a long shot as it is, it’s not an impossibility. In 2004, Ohio State won the CCHA championship with wins over Notre Dame, Miami, and Michigan on consecutive days, so it can be done. Still, they won’t be able to do it with performances like we say in Ann Arbor. The team needs to do some deep soul searching and start playing a lot better. Eamon McAdam, who has been a rock all year, suddenly looks very mortal. While he statistically still leads the Big Ten save percentage, his efforts the last couple of weeks have opened the door up for Minnesota’s freshman goalie, Eric Schierhorn, to claim All Big Ten honors. Eamon needs to find his game again (admittedly, his team did Eamon no favors by putting him in some very difficult circumstances, but his confidence clearly is shot after getting pulled for the third straight game).