Michigan HockeyCast 8.21: Banner Time

1 Hour and 35 Minutes

With David Nasternak and Alex Drain

This Podcast Has a Sponsor: Michigan Law Grad Jonathan Paul is the guy with the C you want skating next to the ref and pleading your case. He's also a good guy to sit next to at the hockey games.

Segment 1 There is no need for the NCAA hockey tournament selection show to be drawn out as much as it is. It took 20 minutes to find out anything interesting. It's just hostage-taking for fans just wanting the bracket. What are the pros and cons of neutral site games? Campuses are better atmospheres but at least it's fun to explore host cities if you travel. Hosting the tournament in smaller, less prominent locations makes the tournament feel like the minor leagues. Empty arenas diminish the viewing experience. Anyways, Michigan won the Big Ten Tournament. Some penalties felt controversial and rewarded embellishment. Michigan's depth and skill took over late. Hopefully Hage is okay. There's a perfect satisfaction that comes with beating Ohio State in the championship game more than anyone else. Segment 2 What do the other conference championship games mean for the tournament? Bentley beats out Sacred Heart, Dartmouth beat Princeton, and Merrimack wins a surprising Hockey East title. Discussions of Pierre Maguire's broadcasting quirks. Denver was resilient in not blowing it in double overtime after having a big lead in regulation. Michigan should be a heavy favorite over Bentley but they're better than a typical low seed. Michigan's scoring should be sufficient if they keep out of penalty trouble. Are they more likely to play Minnesota-Duluth in the 2nd round than Penn State? Alex likes Western Michigan over Denver in a regional game in... Denver. Are there enough UConn fans to watch their hockey team play instead of either their men's or women's basketball games? Who is possibly going to come out of Sioux Falls alive? North Dakota hasn't made the Frozen Four in ten years. Michigan plays Friday at 5:30 on ESPNU. MUSIC

• NHL on ESPN Theme
• "Wolf Like Me" -- TV On The Radio
• Ice Hockey (NES) theme