Weekend results around college hockey have made the climb steeper.
If the tournament started today, 11 of the 16 teams included -- and 5 of the top 6 seeds -- have yet to win a championship. 1 of the former champions won a title when the tournament was still just an 8 team field, another when it was just 4. Somebody who has never won is going to play for all the marbles again in April, mark my words.
The combination of the potential of this team, the tournament experience and the way the season started (11-4-1, 5-2 in the conference) are making me believe this season might be shaping up as the most disappointing of Jackson's tenure here. 2010 the team was wracked with injury. The 2015 team never got off the ground on the way to wasting the first true home ice in the tourney in years. The 2012 team comes close in terms of disappointing finishes, but that team did not have the live fire experience in post season play that the current team has.
Put together a winning streak and make the friggin' tournament. It's bad enough being associated with the Big Ten but if I have to watch OSU win their first title while living among the cult of their fans, there won't be enough alcohol in the world to ease that misery.