Conference playoff update, looking at the teams on the PairWise bubble: Season 7 Episode 22

03/17/25 • 45 min

1 Listener

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
We look at quarterfinal results in Hockey East, NCHC, and ECAC Hockey, including Northeastern's upset of Boston College, North Dakota's road sweep of Omaha, and Cornell's sweep of Colgate.
In semifinal results, we look at the AHA and Bentley's sweep at Sacred Heart and Holy Cross winning two at home against Army West Point, bringing an end to Brian Riley's tenure as the Black Knights' head coach. In the Big Ten, Ohio State advance in overtime past Penn State and Michigan State's lone goal vs. Notre Dame advanced the Spartans and meant the final game for Jeff Jackson as coach of the Fighting Irish. In the CCHA, both Minnesota State and St. Thomas advanced, but the Tommies' ineligibility for the NCAA tournament means the Mavericks picked up the autobid.
We also look at the PairWise rankings, where 12 teams are in and on the bubble are Michigan, Penn State, and Quinnipiac. Only the Bobcats control their own destiny among those three.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Northeastern's upset over Boston College and Hockey East Quarterfinals recap
04:54 Hockey East Semifinals preview
07:32 NCHC Quarterfinals recap
10:14 ECAC Quarterfinals recap
15:25 Atlantic Hockey Semifinals recap
22:43 Big Ten Semifinals recap
26:37 Ohio State's remarkable season
27:06 Jeff Jackson's legacy
27:56 Michigan State and tournament seeding
28:26 CCHA championship scenario
32:35 NCAA Tournament bubble wWatch
44:02 Potential Regional matchups
46:19 Wrapping up and final thoughts

Previous Episode

Playoff upsets, next round previews, does a PairWise bubble really exist? Season 7 Episode 21

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Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
In this episode, key games and outcomes in the Big Ten, Atlantic Hockey, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East, and NCHC are examined, with special attention given to underdog victories and their implications for the upcoming semifinals and NCAA tournament. The hosts also delve into the complexities of the Pairwise rankings and what teams need to do to secure their spots. Special mentions include Jeff Jackson's 600th win and, sadly, the conclusion of AIC's program.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:42 Big Ten upsets and highlights
04:06 Big Ten semifinals preview
06:28 Atlantic Hockey playoff drama
12:47 CCHA playoff recap and upcoming games
16:06 ECAC playoff overview
18:31 Hockey East playoff scenarios
21:17 NCHC playoff matchups and predictions
25:46 Pairwise bubble analysis
38:37 Closing remarks and notables

Next Episode

Selection Sunday special analyzing six conference champs, initial takes on NCAA brackets: Season 7 Episode 23

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Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review the championship games of the weekend and look at the 2025 NCAA men's D-I hockey brackets.
Notable tournament outcomes include Maine's victory in Hockey East, Cornell's success in the ECAC, and Western Michigan's NCHC title. They discuss the implications of the bracket setup, team matchups, and potential underdog threats. The episode concludes with a preview of their upcoming in-depth analysis of the four regions and matchups in Monday's regularly-scheduled episode.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour