Five storylines to watch in the Frozen Four

The Frozen Four is set.

On April 11, top-ranked Boston College will take on Michigan, while No. 2 Boston University will battle the 2022 champions, Denver. Then the winners will square off in the championship game on April 13.

With four iconic programs advancing, here are the top storylines to watch for in the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

1. Goals, goals, goals

If you love offense, this is the Frozen Four for you. These are the top four offenses in the country in goals per game, with Denver No. 1 (4.7) followed by Boston College (4.59), Michigan (4.22) and Boston University (4.15). 

The nation's four best goal scorers in terms of per-game production will be featured in St. Paul, too. 

Boston College left winger Cutter Gauthier is on top with an average of 0.95 goals per game, followed by Boston University star freshman center Macklin Celebrini (0.86), the youngest player in college hockey at 17. BC's Ryan Leonard and Michigan's Dylan Duke sit in third and fourth, respectively.

After low-scoring games in years past, goals should abound in this year's final games, regardless of which teams advance from the semis. 

2. Can Michigan get over the hump?

This is Michigan's third Frozen Four in a row and its fourth since 2018, but the Wolverines haven't won a game in any of those appearances.

Michigan last made a final in 2011, and before that, they lost four consecutive semifinals, giving them a total of nine Frozen Four appearances since their last title in 1998. 

This team is less star-studded than the past two, which featured top NHL draft picks Adam Fantilli, a forward, as well as defensemen Owen Power and Luke Hughes. 

3. Is Boston College too early?

The Eagles last reached the Frozen Four in 2016 and they've only made the NCAA Tournament once since a short, unsuccessful and uncompetitive appearance in 2021. 

An influx of new faces has revamped the Boston College roster, with the Eagles featuring four of the top five players in the nation in terms of points per game, led by center Will Smith's outrageous figure of 1.77. 

Even with all of that talent, can coach Greg Brown get the job done in just his second year at the helm?

With much less tournament experience than the other competitors, it will be fascinating to see how the Eagles finish. 

4. Michigan vs. Denver: A potential clash of titans

These teams met in a 2022 semifinal in Boston's TD Garden, an ugly affair won by Denver in overtime. Michigan is making its record 28th Frozen Four appearance. Denver, meanwhile, is second with 19. 

Denver won its ninth title in 2022 with a win over Michigan, tying the Wolverines for most NCAA hockey titles.

With the teams on opposite sides of the bracket, we could possibly see a battle for a historic 10th title play out April 13. 

5. A rivalry matchup for all the marbles?

The rivalry between Boston College and Boston University is one of the best in college hockey. This season, BC won two weekend games over BU in January, notching a victory on each campus. Boston University, however, beat the Eagles 4-3 in the semifinals of the iconic Beanpot tournament. 

Boston College is the country's unanimous No.1 team while BU is second in the NCAA poll. 

BC hasn't won a ring since head coach Jerry York's dynasty won the title for the third time in 2012, and BU hasn't secured one since 2009.

Can these teams turn back the clock to 2008-10, when the NCAA Tournament trophy resided in Boston?