Season Winds Down, Gophers Wind Up

It's crunch time for the Golden Gophers as the season winds down. After splitting with the 10th ranked Fighting Sioux over the weekend, 5th ranked Colorado College and 1st ranked Wisconsin loom in the next two weeks.

But the Gophers are getting great production from freshmen Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel, both are recently returned from the junior national team with added jump, and the squad in general seems to be peaking at the right time. Guys like Mike Howe (pictured) are quietly starting to pile up points. Ranked second in the nation, the team needs only find a way to get past Wisconsin to be poised for another national championship.

We'll know exactly how each team has progressed since their meeting earlier this season in just two weeks. I predict a split, but am hoping for a road sweep.

The next two weeks are crucial for the Gophers. They will no doubt qualify for the final four regardless of how they do, but it would be nice to head into the playoffs knowing they can handle two of the best teams in the league. If they continue to cycle the puck down low and are able to maintain their intensity it should be a great couple of weekends of hockey.