2016 Frozen Four Predictions team previews and players to watch

Boston College is seeking its fourth national title since 2008. (USATSI) This week is about as good as it gets when it comes to being a hockey fan. The NHL playoff race in the East remains intense, seeding is still yet to be decided and on top of all that, you throw in one of the most fun, unpredictable events in the hockey world. The 2016 NCAA Mens Frozen Four will get rolling in Tampa Thursday night with an absolutely loaded field. Thursday nights first semifinal will features top-seeded Quinnipiac against perennial powerhouse Boston College, while the nightcap will feature conference rivals North Dakota and Denver. Each team po se ses an explosive offense and their fair share of NHL prospects to bring a bit of star quality to college hockeys main event. If youre thinking about checking it out this year, heres a quick primer on each team, some players to keep a close eye on and at the end, trying to predict the unpredictable. Quinnipiac Bobcats (31-3-7) How they got here: 4-0 vs. RIT, 4-1 vs. UMa s-Lowell Four to watch Sam Anas : A dynamo with the puck, Anas played through injury in the regional. He is a college free agent that should draw NHL interest after putting up 50 points as a junior. John Stallworth Jersey Connor Clifton : One of only two drafted players on QUs roster, Clifton is a skilled blueliner with a bit of a nasty streak. He put up 27 points as a junior and isnt shy about jumping into the rush. Michael Garteig : Every meaningful minute of hockey the Bobcats played this year featured Garteig in net. The senior goalie posted a .926 save percentage and eight shutouts over 41 games and will likely garner contract offers from the NHL. Tim Clifton : Another undrafted free agent that should draw interest, Connors older brother is third on the team with 41 points. Its been a breakout campaign for the big forward after collecting just 27 points total in two prior seasons. Preview Despite owning the best record in the country, with only three lo ses all year, the Bobcats are still going to be considered an underdog by most in this tournament. Two of the last three championship teams may have come from the ECAC, the conference Quinnipiac calls home, but it still doesn't quite get the respect it probably deserves. On top of that, the Bobcats are still the new guys. Theyre still a bit of an unknown. They dont have the draft picks like other teams do and theyre not yet a national brand when it comes to college hockey like their Frozen Four opponents. What they are, though, is a really good hockey team. Head coach Rand Pecknold, recently named the nations coach of the year, has built a program that continually exceeds expectations. After building it e sentially from the ground up, QU is becoming a hockey power. Now they have a chance to prove they belong with the big dogs. In just their second Frozen Four appearance, Quinnipiac has a roster loaded with offensive talent. Sam Anas might be one of the most skilled players in the Greg Lloyd Jersey country, while the team also gets an exceptional amount of production from its blue line. That makes them difficult. If theres one concern going into the semifinal, its their size. Boston College has a lot of big, fast, skilled forwards that are going to give Quinnipiac trouble. That puts more pre sure on goalie Michael Garteig to be sharp, but it also means the Bobcats have to manage the puck well and play to their strengths. This team is going to be dangerous. Boston College Eagles (28-7-5) How they got here: 4-1 vs. Harvard, 3-2 vs. Minnesota Duluth Four to know Thatcher Demko: Perhaps the best goaltender in the nation this year (and a Hobey Baker finalist), Demko showed why he is a touted NHL prospect for the . He led the nation with 10 shutouts and posted a sparkling .936 save percentage this year. Alex Tuch: One of two first-round draft picks in the forward lineup, Tuch has a knack for scoring big goals. The prospect had two in the regional semifinal against Harvard and scored the game-winning goal in the Beanpot tournament championship game. Colin White: Selected in the first round by the last June, White has been a sensational freshman for BC. He is second on the team with 42 points and might remind some of rookie . Steven Santini: A second-round choice of the , this blueliner is all about defense first. However, his skating and pa sing make him more than your average stay-at-home defenseman. Preview The Eagles are in the Frozen Four for a record 25th time. Head coach Jerry York has another loaded roster with 12 NHL draft Alejandro Villanueva Jersey picks including a pair of first-rounders and several second-round picks as well. They are big, fast and talented, just like always. The biggest challenge they offer to Quinnipiac is the depth of their talent. Once you stop the top line, you have to try to slow down the second and third line. Even the fourth line has some pop. Thats not something every college hockey program can boast. Demko had to be excellent for them in their regional final win over Minnesota Duluth, but in general, their defensive group is very good. They also have enough veterans on this team where they can be opportunistic and try to take advantage of Quinnipiacs aggre sive style. The last time Boston College won the national title, a young guy named was leading the way in 2012, scoring a huge goal late in the championship game. This year, it could be White providing the freshman heroics as he has been one of the best players for BC all season. North Dakota will hope to exorcise some demons in their eighth Frozen Four since 2001. (USATSI) North Dakota Fighting Hawks (32-6-4) How they got here: 6-2 vs. Northeastern, 5-2 vs. Michigan Four to watch Brock Boeser: Its not often a freshman leads one of the top programs in the country in scoring, but Boeser was a scoring machine for UND. He led the squad with 26 goals and 54 points, showing why he was a first-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks last summer. Drake Caggiula: One of the top college free agents this year, Caggiula has made the most of his four years at UND. This year, he was exceptional, posting 21 goals and 46 points alongside Boeser and Nick Schmaltz. Troy Stecher: Another top college UFA, Stecher is a heady two-way defenseman who put up 28 points this year and gives teams trouble at both ends of the ice. He should have a bunch of offers when the season ends. Nick Schmaltz: A first-round pick of the , Schmaltz led the team with 34 a sists as the brilliant playmaker on UNDs vaunted CBS Line. There are few players as creative with the puck in the college game. Preview This Frozen Four, like the last several trips, is all about exorcising demons. Since UND won its last national title in 2000, theyve made it back to the seasons final weekend eight times including this year. They have managed to win zero titles and only reached the championship game once in that span. The head coach for six of those previous Frozen Four trips was Dave Hakstol who left the school after last season for a job with the . Now trying to lead the Flyers into the playoffs, Hakstol often drew criticism for not being able to win the big game as opposed to being praised for making it to that stage of the season so often. Now the team belongs to Brad Berry and the Hakstol narrative would only get more fuel if his former a sistant leads the storied program to its eighth national title. It might not be fair, but that's how these things work Rod Woodson Jersey . Either way, Berry has done a fantastic job with this group. This year might be UNDs best chance to do what teams that featured , T.J. Oshie and could not in previous years. The depth of this particular North Dakota team is what stands out as they could be the most complete team in the country. They have an outstanding goalie in Cam Johnson, who has a .935 save percentage this year. The defense is tough and unafraid to get up into plays and contribute offensively. The forward group is loaded, led by the teams CBS Line, which features three players listed above, Caggiula, Boeser and Schmaltz. After failing to win their conference tournament, UND rolled through the regional with 11 goals against two of the better teams in the country in Northeastern and Michigan. It was a busine slike effort. If that carries over in Tampa, theyre going to be really, really tough to beat. Denver Pioneers (25-9-6) How they got here: 7-2 vs. Boston University, 6-3 vs. Ferris State Four to watch Danton Heinen: Since Jan. 22, no one has been able to keep this prospect off the scoresheet. The sophomore forward has 34 points over his last 18 games and 48 for the season. He is as exciting as any player in the country right now. Dylan Gambrell: Undrafted out of the USHL, Gambrell is still eligible to be selected this June. He is second behind Heinen with 47 points as a 19-year-old freshman and will have a lot of scouts watching him. Will Butcher: This draft pick is a smart puck-mover from the blue line and should draw a lot of attention from the opposition. With 31 points this year, Butcher was one of the top scoring defensemen in the country. Quentin Shore: Part of Denvers senior cla s, Shore has been his cla ss most productive player with 28 points. Hed like to be the third of his brothers to play in the NHL after Drew ( , ) and ( ), also DU alums, have already had a taste. Preview Led by head coach Jim Montgomery who had great succe s with two titles in the USHL, the countrys top junior league, Denver comes into the Frozen Four on a bit of a hot streak. Theyve only lost two of their last 24 games and ran roughshod over their regional by scoring 13 goals over two games. Their Pacific Rim Line that features Heinen, Gambrell and Trevor Moore gives teams a lot of trouble. Heinen actually had eight points in the season series against North Dakota, so look for him to lead the way. The Pioneers also have good secondary scoring and solid goaltending. Denver will be playing North Dakota for the sixth time this season after going 2-2-1 against their conference rivals heading into the big event. UND obviously has that same familiarity, but it will be interesting to find out which team that favors. When two teams know each other so well, it could come down to a coach throwing a wrinkle in here or there. Montgomery, who also won a national Sean Davis Jersey title as a player at Maine, can be pretty crafty. His history of winning was the major reason they brought him in to replace George Gwozdecky who won two national titles for the school. Denver will be seeking their eighth national title overall. The last time they were at the Frozen Four, they were repeating as national champions with a win over who else, but North Dakota. The 2016 version of that matchup should be a lot of fun, too. Predictions Semifinal 1: Boston College 4, Quinnipiac 3 Semifinal 2: North Dakota 4, Denver 2 Championship Game: North Dakota 4, Boston College 1