First-round playoffs vs. Alaska-Anchorage

CC clipped through a series of transition drills two minutes at a time in a quick 45-minute skate Thursday.

From the notebook:
--The Tigers hit the post several times in shooting drills.
--Back-up goaltender Drew O'Connell looked confident and ready to go this weekend if needed.
--One of the funnier moments of practice this season happened towards the end of practice when coach Scott Owens told the top power-play unit to use the full ice to run the power play and "try to be really (bad) because they're watching." Alaska-Anchorage was in the stands near the visitors' side. Defenseman Jack Hillen ripped a shot from the high slot which bounced off the right post, hit the left post and smacked against the back of the net -- a gorgeous shot -- to which Owens said with a grin: "What did I just say?"
--Defenseman/forward Brett Wysopal did not practice (sick-virus).
--Players were reminded to set their alarms and get up for breakfast Friday because they don't have class. CC is on Spring Break until March 24.
--Right wing Derek Patrosso will play on the fourth line and goaltender Richard Bachman will be in goal on Friday, Owens said.
--Anchorage arrived in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, as it did in January's series.

Projected CC lines for Friday:
21 Bill Sweatt--14 Chad Rau--25 Mike Testwuide
26 Scott McCulloch--19 Andreas Vlassopoulos--23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald--17 Tyler Johnson--22 Eric Walsky
18 Matt Overman--9 Brian McMillin--16 Derek Patrosso

Fun facts:
--The Tigers finished with a league-best 92.9 percent clip on the penalty kill in WCHA play (104 for 112). Their overall mark is 91 percent (131 for 144). CC allowed just eight power-play goals while scoring eight short-handed goals in 28 conference games.
--CC's last home sweep against a WCHA team came against Anchorage in January. The Tigers split with their final two WCHA opponents at World Arena
--The last time CC gave up a shorthanded goal was against Anchorage on Jan. 12
--CC hasn't won more than three games in a row since it put together a six-game winning streak between Jan. 4 and Jan.19, which ended with a tie at Michigan Tech on Jan. 25.

History:
--Alaska-Anchorage has only won once in 20 games at World Arena, a 5-4 overtime victory last season.
--Friday is the 60th all-time contest between CC and Anchorage, with the Tigers leading the series 45-11-3, including a 30-2 mark in Colorado Springs.
--In seven previous post-season games, CC swept the first-round series at home in 1995, 2002 and 2003, while Anchorage won the play-in Final Five game in 2004. Captain Scott Thauwald played right wing in that game as a freshman.
--During that 1995 series, CC set a school playoff record for goals in a game with an 11-3 win over the Seawolves on March 10, 1995. Eric Rud had five assists in that series, also a school playoff record.
--CC's all-time record in WCHA playoff games is 42-56-1 (.429).
--Of the nine regular-season championships CC has won in its 70-year history, six have happened in the last 15 seasons and three in the last six seasons.