ESPN

The ShowGirl

  (4:04 PM)

Welcome to The Show! The Inside College Hockey boys will be here any minute. Send in those Frozen Four questions now!

Nate Ewell

  (4:05 PM)

Sorry for the delay folks ... busy day here at the Schott, but there's lots of excitement for tomorrow.

Nate Ewell

  (4:05 PM)

We're ready for your questions ...

bobby ironwood michigan

you think that denver can win it again?

Nate Ewell

  (4:06 PM)

Absolutely. The Pioneers have a much different approach this season, it seems -- more businesslike. They're playing the role of the favorite this year.

Nate Ewell

  (4:06 PM)

They definitely have a terrific shot.

Dougie (Reston)

Error on A-Rod.... tie game

Nate Ewell

  (4:07 PM)

He'd be the fifth-best goalie here. Maybe sixth, if you count Glenn Fisher.

Todd (Alaska)

Who is Denver going to start in net tomorrow? How important wiil that decision affect the outcome of the game?

Nate Ewell

  (4:07 PM)

They're going with Peter Mannino ... we'll have more on that decision on ESPN.com shortly.

Nate Ewell

  (4:08 PM)

He's the hot hand ... you can't fault coach Gwozdecky for that decision.

Chris (Nashville)

Who is the most surprising player so far in the tournament?

Nate Ewell

  (4:09 PM)

Jordan Parise gets our nod. He was great for North Dakota in the East Regional, and they were the most surprising team in the regionals.

Jay (Denver, CO)

Does any team have an edge over any other team in the Frozen Four?

Nate Ewell

  (4:10 PM)

One edge you'll see tomorrow: Denver and North Dakota both play on NHL-sized rinks at home, and their games are more suited to this size surface. I think that helps them.

Chris (Nashville)

Do you see a Martin St. Louis type player in the tournament that maybe flyining under the scouts radar????

Nate Ewell

  (4:12 PM)

Maybe not someone that good, but there is a worthwhile St. Louis comparison. Joe Gladziszewski on our staff noted today how much the St. Louis-Perrin combination from back at Vermont reminds him of Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling, Colorado College's two Hobey finalists who play on the same line.

Nate Ewell

  (4:12 PM)

Sterling is drafted; Sertich isn't. If you haven't had a chance to see them play, be sure to watch tomorrow afternoon.

Todd ( Anchorage, AK)

What one player from each team do you see being the biggest difference maker this weekend?

Nate Ewell

  (4:14 PM)

It's impossible to look past goalies, because you need your goalie to star in a weekend like this. But other than that, and beyond the superstars, here are four I'll be keeping an eye on: Travis Zajac for NoDak, Tyler Hirsch for Minnesota (back in the lineup after missing three games), Paul Stastny for DU and Joey Crabb for CC.

Chris (Nashville)

Thank you for the insight. Don't get to much college hockey here in Nashville. Keep up the good work. Should be a great frozen four

Nate Ewell

  (4:15 PM)

It is gonna be great ... thanks for the compliments. Everybody who has missed hockey should definitely tune in. You'll like what you see.

Nate Ewell

  (4:15 PM)

I'm going to turn it over to my colleague James Jahnke for a spell ...

CC Grad 98" (Tucson, AZ)

I have to believe the Tigers will be disappointed to be seeing Mannino again. Do you think facing a goalie that has had your number will change the gameplan?

James Jahnke

  (4:20 PM)

It had better not change their game plan - and I'm sure it won't. They'll play the same way as usual. If anything, it would change their mind-set/confidence level. But if they let something who's playing for the other team get to them, they have big problems.

Tommy (Denver)

Do you see the Denver-CC winner taking it all?

James Jahnke

  (4:21 PM)

A lot of people see that game as the de facto national championship, but that doesn't give nearly enough credit to UND or Minnesota. Parise is playing well enough for the Sioux to beat the DU-CC winner. And Minnesota's at least as talented, if a little younger.

Ben (campus of UND)

Who do you expect to prevail in the North Dakota/Minnesota matchup, and do you think the all the time off is to the Siouxs disadvantage since they were so hot in their last few games?

James Jahnke

  (4:25 PM)

If I had to pick, I'd go with UND. The time off isn't as big of a deal as everyone thinks. UND will stay hot until something cools them off during the game. Minnesota would be wise to start fast.

Trevor (Fargo, ND)

What is the conference affiliation of the officials for the semifinal games? Just wondering if the Sioux are going to spend half the game on the penalty kill?

James Jahnke

  (4:27 PM)

We've been told all officials will be from the CCHA. No word on which officials will do which games. The men in the stripes should be fine.

Chris (Nashville)

Do you think college hockey will make it's way further south and do you think those teams could compete with the more northern teams?

James Jahnke

  (4:30 PM)

In time, college hockey will expand in all directions. Alabama-Huntsville has had success against northern teams in College Hockey America, and I don't see any reason why southern schools would be at a disadvantage in the future. It's surprisingly easy to lure kids down from Manitoba and Alberta with the promise of a long golf season.

Shawn (Sioux Falls(soon to be Vegas))

Will the Gophers getting Hirsch back, will this serve as a distraction or help a team struggling to score, esp. on the power play?? Also, do we know anymore about why he sat out??

James Jahnke

  (4:32 PM)

Indications are that Hirsch will be in the lineup this week, but that's not set in stone. It shouldn't be much of a distraction to the Gophers - if anything, it's more of a distraction if he sits out because then you're noticing when he's not out there with his usual line.

Shawn (Sioux Falls(soon to be Vegas))

Will the Gophers getting Hirsch back, will this serve as a distraction or help a team struggling to score, esp. on the power play?? Also, do we know anymore about why he sat out??

Dan (marquette,Mi)

NMU deserved to be in this!!!!

James Jahnke

  (4:34 PM)

Did you SEE the UAF game?

Dennis (Denver)

Do you think the DU-CC match will be determined by special teams? I'm hoping for back-to-back for DU!

James Jahnke

  (4:36 PM)

The old playoff standbys are that goaltending and special teams make the difference in games. Obviously, there's a lot of truth to that. If one team outscores the other on the power play, it has a big leg up in a tight-checking game.

Tim (Colorado Springs)

Why is NCAA Hockey relegated to the bottom of the pile? Why is the Frozen Four (CC vs. DU) shown on a Thursday afternoon? This is really lame.

James Jahnke

  (4:39 PM)

It's at the bottom of the pile because there aren't enough people like us. The game is growing, but the sad reality is that more people would rather watch poker than the Frozen Four (or even the NHL from what people say). As the sport gets more popular, it will wield more power in scheduling negotiations.

Riley (U of MN, MN)

After the Gophers win this years Frozen Four (yep, I just said it), what do you think their chances are to make it 4 championships in 5 years for next year with the highly recruited class coming in (ie Kessel, Wheeler, and company)?

James Jahnke

  (4:42 PM)

IF they win this year, they very well could be the favourite heading into 05-06. With young talent like Irmen, Potulny, Goligoski, and plenty of others coming back, plus Kessel and company, you'd be hard-pressed to answer otherwise.

Chris (Grand Forks, ND)

How can people say the NHL is more exciting to watch than college hockey? College hockey seems more physical and in general much better to watch, and you never have to worry about there not being a season!

James Jahnke

  (4:43 PM)

Amen, brother. Our thoughts exactly.

Bruce - Duluth, MN

We heard all year long that the WCHA wasn't as diligent with the "points of emphasis" as other leagues were. With the Frozen Four being worked by non-WCHA officials, do you think we will see a high number of penalties in these games?

James Jahnke

  (4:47 PM)

We know that a lot of fans like to worry about the officials, but, in most cases, the best team wins regardless of how good or bad the calls are. This weekend's crews will be some of the best in the nation. No worries here.

Steve (Shoreview, MN)

How legitimate are the Gopher's chances? They outplayed ND earlier in the season and split. Then played very uninspired but stayed close (and could have won with a better effort) to the Sioux in the Final Five. Now they have beaten two very good defensive teams with exceptional goalies and Cornell was a bigger more physical team. Now Hirsch rejoins the team. What do they need to do to win it all?

James Jahnke

  (4:53 PM)

Amazingly, Minnesota is probably the least-heralded team here in Columbus. North Dakota is on the huge roll, and Denver and CC are the top-ranked teams remaining. So, flying under the radar could actually help the Gophers because there won't be (as much) undue pressure on the young players. My best advice to Lucia is jump on the Sioux early to shatter their ultra-high confidence.

joe (cubicle hell)

who wins the hobey?

James Jahnke

  (4:54 PM)

Sertich seems to be getting the most love, but if he split votes with linemate Sterling, it's possible that McKee could sneak up there. Tough to say. Sertich is my bet.

Joe (Ohio)

who will win the frozen four

James Jahnke

  (4:58 PM)

Before we wrap up at 5 p.m., Nate Ewell, Joe Gladziszewski and I will take a crack at this one. I'm going to go with CC winning the title over North Dakota. The Tigers have a slight aura about them - it seems like it might be their year. It will be tough to get past DU, though. I like Parise shutting down Minnesota in the semi.

Joe Gladziszewski

  (4:59 PM)

I think Minnesota's experience at the veteran levels of their lineup will make a big difference. Guys like Guyer, Tallackson, and Stevens have won this thing before, and they'll get another ring, beating Denver on Saturday night.

Nate Ewell

  (5:01 PM)

I'll go with a third option ... Denver has the goaltending, experience, coaching, and game for the NHL rink. And just so we don't ignore NoDak, they're my pick in tomorrow night's game.

Nate Ewell

  (5:01 PM)

Thanks everybody ... we'll be back a lot this week to keep talking college hockey.