By Nate Ewell

Michigan’s difference maker – Michigan’s NCAA-leading offense (4.79 goals per game) and the dynamic CCM line (Kyle Connor-J.T. Compher-Tyler Motte) get the headlines, but the play of senior goaltender Steve Racine (Williamsville, N.Y./Georgetown-OJHL) has Michigan in the Big Ten title mix entering a series with first-place Minnesota Thursday and Friday. Red Berenson called Racine the “difference maker” in last week’s win vs. Ferris State. Racine – who interned in investment banking last summer on Wall Street – has been especially strong down the stretch, with a .930 save percentage in the last four weeks. MLive.com: Racine the ‘difference maker’ | Michigan Daily: The greatest show on ice | Thursday and Friday games are on BTN

Must Read/See/Hear Material

GoCrimson.com: Around the Yard: Devin Tringale
Democrat & Chronicle: RIT’s Kuquali defined by work ethic
Boston Globe: Carpenters have all the tools for hockey success
Buffalo News: Oh, brother: Another Conacher nears milestone for Griffs
Daily Free Press: BU’s Lane leads through example
MGoBlue.com: Connor’s path to greatness includes the company he keeps
St. Cloud Times: Walk-on Lizotte races into SCSU lineup
The State Press: ASU point leader Masters dedicates career to brother

Five More Storylines No One Should be Without

Schmidt’s strides aid Bentley – The final home-ice spot in Atlantic Hockey could come down to this weekend’s home-and-home between Bentley and Army. Bentley – which plays at AIC Wednesday night – boasts one of the nation’s top lines, fueled in part by the emergence of sophomore Kyle Schmidt (Menomonee Falls, Wisc./Sioux City-USHL). Schmidt – not to be confused with the overtime goal scorer of the same name in Minnesota Duluth’s 2011 NCAA championship – has 18 points in a 10-game point streak and is the most improved player, points-wise, in the nation.

Biggest Point Improvement, 2014-15 to ’15-16 (among top 100 scorers)
+26 – Kyle Schmidt, Bentley
+21 – J.T. Compher, Michigan (COL)
+21 – David Gust, Ohio State
+19 – Andrew Poturalski, New Hampshire
+16 – Nolan Stevens, Northeastern
+16 – Tim Clifton, Quinnipiac
+16 – Greg Gibson, Robert Morris

Perfect Wildcat – Northern Michigan’s 7-2-0 run has the Wildcats in contention for home ice and even with an outside shot at the MacNaughton Cup entering the last two weekends of the regular season. Senior goaltender Mathias Dahlstrom (Smedjebacken, Sweden/Chicago-USHL) has a perfect 7-0-0 record, with six of those wins since Jan. 16. After battling injuries for much of the season, NMU’s three-year starter is playing as well as ever entering the stretch run.

WMU’s fab freshman – Western Michigan freshman Griffen Molino (Trenton, Mich./Muskegon-USHL) helped the Broncos snap an 11-game winless skid with a hat trick Saturday, the 10th freshman hat trick of the season. Molino has been a bright spot for WMU, which hosts surging Denver this weekend, and leads the team with 21 points. Molino tied for fourth in the USHL in scoring last season while taking a full course load in the spring semester at Muskegon Community College in preparation for his NCAA debut.

Potential giant slayer? – Union is 2-2-3 against teams currently in the top 10 and shaping up as the proverbial team no one wants to face in the playoffs. Saturday the Dutchmen tied No. 1 Quinnipiac, 3-3, thanks in part to a goal from leading scorer Mike Vecchione (Saugus, Mass./Tri-City-USHL). Vecchione’s numbers are off slightly from last season’s 50-point effort but he has been producing lately, with 10 points during a seven-game point streak. A national champion as a freshman, the junior will be key to Union’s upset hopes in the postseason.

Home run – Merrimack has emerged from a 10-game losing streak with a 2-2-2 stretch and could capture home ice in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs this weekend vs. Vermont. The Warriors are 5-4-5 at Lawler Arena and 4-12-2 elsewhere this year. Senior team captain Brian Christie (West Chester, Pa./Topeka-NAHL) has 6 of his 7 goals and is +11 at home, heading up a solid senior class that leads a relatively young group, with 14 freshmen or sophomores regularly in the lineup. | Friday’s game is on American Sports Network/NESNplus

NHL Note of the Week

With Michael Matheson (Boston College) and Kyle Rau (Minnesota) making their NHL debuts this week, there have now been 20 players who played NCAA hockey last season who have played in the NHL.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

Colgate’s 56-year-old Starr Rink hosts its final games this weekend; the new Class of 1965 Arena will open on campus next year … Quinnipiac and Boston College (both 14-1-5 in conference play) play their final two regular-season games this weekend and could become the first team(s) to finish with one loss in an automatic-bid conference since Maine in 1992-93 (22-1-1) … RIT senior Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, B.C./Alberni Valley-BCHL) has averaged 1.43 points per game after Jan. 1 the past two years and RIT is 24-10-6 in those games (0.81 points per game, 10-17-5 record prior to Jan. 1) … The 35,144 at Coors Field for Denver’s 4-1 win vs. Colorado College on Saturday marked the largest crowd for a college hockey game in more than two years (45,021 for Ohio State at Minnesota on Jan. 17, 2014).