The puck is set to drop on the WCHA playoffs this weekend, where regular-season champion Minnesota State has earned the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year, but individual X-factors should make for an exciting opening round with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The top eight teams of the regular season have been seeded for the conference tournament excluding Alabama Huntsville and Ferris State, which missed the cut.

The underdogs and their X-factor will have the opportunity to join the conference’s probable at-large bids of Minnesota State (No. 3 nationally, No. 2 Pairwise) and Bemidji State (No. 10 nationally and Pairwise).

Catch every game of the best-of-three format live, right here on FloHockey, with the opening round beginning this weekend. Go here for the best ways to watch.

(1) Minnesota State vs (8) Alaska Anchorage

Sitting at 29-5-2 overall, there is not much the Mavericks struggle with. With a deep offense built on five double-digit goal-scorers and 10 players with at least 20 points, every line is capable of tipping the scoresheet in its favor.

Given their offensive consistency, the Mavericks’ tournament success will come down to netminder Dryden McKay. That is not to say the sophomore has not been lights-out in 2019-20, because he is among the NCAA's leaders in every category.

McKay has kept up with a 28-4-2 record, .943 save percentage, 1.30 goals against average, and 10 shutouts, but having started 34 of the team’s 36 games, fatigue could be an issue. He will need to stay sharp with expectations of a long playoff run, both within the conference and nationally.

Men's Hockey | McKay Gains WCHA Goaltender of the Month Plaudits https://t.co/JF2wuT8Mmn

— Minn. St. Athletics (@msumavericks) March 3, 2020

A 4-23-7 Seawolves team will certainly have their work cutout for them against the national powerhouse that is the Mavericks. In two series this season, the Mavericks hold a 3-0-1 record over the Seawolves with a pair of 7-1 wins, in addition to 3-0 and 2-2 finals. But Seawolves goalie Kris Carlson played just fine in his two starts against the Mavericks.

Carlson faced a combined 72 shots, allowing five total goals, giving him an honorable .930 SV% and 2.46 GAA against the Mavericks. Carlson has been the best netminder for the Seawolves this season with a 2-14-3 record, .906 SV%, 3.06 GAA, and single shutout.

With the opportunity to steal Game 1, Carlson would receive at least one more start in the series and could carry the Seawolves to a dramatic upset over the nation’s No. 3 team.

(2) Bemidji State vs (7) Lake Superior State

The Beavers fell just six points short of the Mavericks for the regular-season conference title with an impressive 20-9-5 season. A deep offense, stingy defense, and goalie Zach Driscoll sitting top three nationally in save percentage (.937 SV%) and goals-against average (1.62 GAA) make them a serious contender for some national tournament success.

Yet, they are running into a hot Lakers team far improved from their four contests back in November, where the Beavers went 3-0-1.

Leading scorer Adam Brady is enjoying the best season of his NCAA career with 17 goals and 31 points in 34 games and will need to sustain that success to help the Beavers hold off the Lakers and fight for their case and a potential seed improvement for the national tournament.

After a rocky start, the Lakers’ second half of the season pegs them as a legitimate upset possibility against the Beavers. They have won four of their last five and have just two regulation losses in their past 14 games. 

While forward Max Humitz — whose 19 goals and 32 points lead all skaters in the series — will be pivotal for the Lakers, his consistency should not be a question. Rather, freshman Louis Boudon, will go a long way in adding second-tier offense against the Beavers with 26 points (6 G, 20 A) in 37 games.

Boudon has eight points (2 G, 6 A) in his past five games and has been a key part in the Lakers four wins in that span as they look to add two more victories this weekend.

(3) Northern Michigan vs (6) Michigan Tech

The 18-14-4 Wildcats have been hot-and-cold this season with nine of their 14 losses coming in two streaks: one of four losses and one of five losses. The offense has been steady, but with three underclassmen in the crease, there’s been a learning curve.

Sophomore Nolan Kent has garnered the most time, but after playing just two games last season as Atte Tolvanen’s backup, the workload has proven to be a challenge. That challenge has been there for freshman John Hawthorne, too, who has played in 17 games of his own.

The goalies can be considered wildcards heading into the series, where sophomore Griffin Loughran will be the cog for the Wildcats. Loughran finished second, nationally, with 23 goals while his 39 points placed him ninth. He’ll need to be the go-to player he’s established himself as and lead the Wildcats into battle.

Congratulations to 2019-20 #WCHA Scoring Champion @GriffinLoughran ❗️

2⃣8⃣ League games
2⃣0⃣ ?
1⃣2⃣ ?
3⃣2⃣ Points

? https://t.co/hFYVrJffO6#WeAreWCHA | #ChampionshipSeason pic.twitter.com/7JzqeG1JBw

— WCHA Men's Hockey (@WCHA_MHockey) March 2, 2020

Tech holds the season series lead at 3-1. Each team’s memory is fresh after a 1-1 series just last weekend, where the Wildcats won 3-2 following an 8-4 drubbing the day prior.

For the 19-15-3 Huskies, that means finding the play that earned them the Great Lakes Invitational title back in December and an eight-goal showing just last Friday.

With five 20-point players, the Huskies have a deep offense with four capable attacking lines. Captain Alex Smith, who is facing down the last stretch of his NCAA career, will need to lead those lines.

Smith has tied his career high with 22 points (6 G, 16 A) and is tied for third in team scoring. He has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in his past six games and will need to sustain that production to show the Huskies they are capable of upsetting a team that finished just six points ahead of them.

(4) Alaska vs (5) Bowling Green

The Nanooks have come a long way since last season’s 12-21-3 showing. They’re now sitting at 16-13-5, fourth in the conference, and hold home-ice advantage for the opening round.

They have largely traded off wins throughout the season, which will make that first game critical in holding off a Bowling Green whose last loss came on Feb. 1. The two teams went 0-0-2 with a pair of ties on Feb. 14 and 15, but something will have to give in a win-or-go-home scenario.

That’s what will make Nanooks goaltending tandem of Anton Martinsson and Gustav Grigals pivotal in the opening round. They’ve started 19 and 15 games, respectively, and have accounted for nine and seven wins, respectively.

With a minimum of one start each, they’ll need to be the true last line of defense against a Falcons team with a deep offense that has been attacking recently. The duo has combined for just one regulation loss over the past 12 contests (6-1-5) showing their support for the Nanooks offense. 

Despite a 19-3-4, the Falcons remain a team capable of walloping any opponents offensively. But they will only go as far as goaltender Eric Dop allows them. The junior’s transition to a full-time role has not seen his strong numbers from 2018-19 carry over, but he remains the best option as he works out the kinks.

Dop has a modest 17-11-3 record with a .902 SV%, and 2.39 GAA, along with three shutouts. Over his past five starts, where the Falcons have gone 3-0-2, Dop is showing more poise and comfort, regardless of his numbers remaining on track with his season progress.

So long as Dop holds his own, the offense should present the Falcons with a chance to upset in the first round.

Remember to tune into FloHockey this weekend to catch all of the WCHA conference tournament action this weekend.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.