Around the NCHC
• The NCHC continues to boast the best non-conference record among the six conferences by a wide margin with a 48-24-4 (.658) mark (Hockey East is second at .573). The NCHC has a winning record against all conferences except Hockey East, going 7-7-1 against Hockey East teams this season. The NCHC is 3-2-0 against Atlantic Hockey teams this year and No. 2/3 North Dakota can build on that when they host Niagara this weekend in the only non-conference games in the NCHC.
• NCHC teams are 18-14-2 against ranked non-conference foes this year. The NCHC’s success shows in the national polls as the NCHC leads all conferences with four teams in the top 10 of both national polls, while the four ranked NCHC teams tie for the most by any conference in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. The NCHC also has four teams ranked in the top seven of the latest PairWise Ratings.
• Eight NCHC players have tallied a hat trick so far this season, which is more than any other conference. A total of eight NCHC players recorded a hat trick all of last season. The latest to record a hat trick was UND senior forward Brendan O’Donnell last Saturday. Denver, UND and WMU have each had two players tally a hat trick already this season.
• Omaha sophomore forward Austin Ortega leads the NCAA with eight game-winning goals this season and has five in his last nine games, including last Saturday. Miami junior forward Sean Kuraly is second in the country with his seven game-winners while no other player in the NCAA has more than five game-winners so far this season.
• Miami senior forward Austin Czarnik is tied for the NCAA lead with 21 assists this season. Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Dominic Toninato and Ortega, meanwhile, are tied for eighth nationally with 13 goals on the year, which is tops in the NCHC.
• The NCHC is home to three of the top 10 power play units in the country, led by Denver at fourth nationally at 24.4 percent. WMU ranks seventh on the power play at 22.9 percent while SCSU ranks 10th with a 22.2 percent success rate on the power play.
• Denver freshman forward Danton Heinen leads all NCHC rookies with 23 points this year (8g, 15a), which ranks second nationally among freshmen and ties for second in the NCHC in overall scoring. UMD freshman netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo, who has made 17 consecutive starts in goal, leads all NCAA rookie goaltenders with 12 wins on the season.
• Miami junior goaltender Jay Williams is tied for the NCAA lead with four shutouts on the season and ranks fourth nationally in GAA (1.64) and win percentage (.812). Omaha senior goalie Ryan Massa, who returns from injury this weekend, is seventh nationally with a .934 save percentage.
• The NCHC’s Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy Tour continues this weekend at Magness Arena for No. 13 Denver’s series against St. Cloud State. The Pioneers are the current owners of the trophy after claiming the inaugural NCHC Frozen Faceoff last season.