The stage was set for last year's Irish hockey team for a memorable Frozen Four experience.  After being soundly thumped by eventual champion Denver in the semifinals though, most Notre Dame fans would just a soon forget.

Playing for the national title in practically their own back yard, the Irish were overwhelmed both mentally and physically by the magnitude of it all.  Back for a second straight year, that crushing defeat to the Pioneers may very well be the thing that helps Notre Dame the most.

After slumping a bit in the second half, the boys from South Bend have regained their swagger just when it matters most.  Having clinched the B1G regular season title with nearly a month remaining, it's understandable to lose focus just a bit.  But dropping four out of the final five games is no way to go into tournament season.

Yet the Irish seemed unfazed by both the late season slide and the heightened expectations.  They bookended their regular season title with a B1G Tournament championship, downing Penn State 3-2 and outlasting Ohio State 3-2 in overtime.

The Cardiac Kids continued their streak of nailbiters in the NCAA Regional tournament, first nipping Michigan Tech in overtime 4-3 and then scoring the game winner over Providence with less than 30 seconds left.  While Head Coach Jeff Jackson may have a few more grey hairs as a result, he can't complain about how his boys have responded under pressure.

Much maligned in the preseason, the B1G Conference has three representatives amongst the final four.  Although Notre Dame swept the conference titles, the Buckeyes would love nothing more than to extract a measure of revenge and win the one that matters most.  To get to that point, Ohio State will need to get through a scrappy Minnesota-Duluth squad, while the Irish face a Michigan team that seems to have found it stride at just the right time.

Only one thing can be said for certain:  this is going to be one helluva weekend.

To get you primed for the Frozen Four, here's a few links to some of our favorite articles on the tourney:

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2018/04/04_Stability-at-the-Top.php

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2018/04/01_Frozen-Four-Preview-Notre.php

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/23026371/college-hockey-previewing-2018-frozen-four-players-watch-keys-team?redirected=true

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/23030211/how-frozen-four-team-win-all