NCHC Icecast: Surprises From Pre-Holiday Play

Denver split a road series with Western Michigan in a battle between two of the top 11 teams in the PairWise Rankings. The Broncos picked up a 7-3 win in the opener and the Pioneers picked up a 6-5 win in overtime on Saturday. St. Cloud State had lost four of its last five games at Baxter Arena, but picked up a win and a tie last weekend at Nebraska Omaha. The Huskies take a four-point lead in the NCHC standings going into the holiday break. Minnesota Duluth and Miami went into last weekend both looking for their first NCHC wins of the season. The Bulldogs picked up five points with a shootout win on Friday and a 3-1 win on Saturday. Through eight games, there are a few surprises when you look at the NCHC standings. Denver, which was picked to win the conference in a preseason media poll, is in fourth place and nine points behind SCSU. The Huskies, who were picked to finish third, remain undefeated in conference play at 7-0-1 and are the biggest surprise. The Rink Live's Jordan McAlpine and Mick Hatten discuss all this and a lot more on this edition of the NCHC Icecast. Plus, an interview with Western Michigan senior center Luke Grainger, who is tied for third in the nation in points with 25.