After closing the books on the 2015-16 regular season last Saturday on a four-game winning streak, the University of Minnesota Duluth will now shift its focus to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs and a first-round, best-of-three quarterfinal round home series against Miami University. The puck drops at 7:07 Friday, Saturday and (if necessary) Sunday at AMSOIL Arena (6,756) in downtown Duluth.

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THE RECORDS: UMD owns a 15-14-5 overall record and finished in fourth place in the NCHC standings with a 11-10-3-1 mark. The RedHawks are 15-16-3 in all games and went 9-11-2-2 in league play (fifth place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and RedHawks stacked up in this week's USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the PairWise rankings:

           USCHO.com    USA Hockey    PairWise
UMD    No. 20                No. 15             No. 13
Miami    NR                      NR                No. 22(t)
    
ON THE AIR: The entire UMD-Miami playoff series will be carried live on 92.1 FM The Fan with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities and and ex-Bulldog winger Kraig Karakas providing color commentary. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing, Minn.; KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia, Minn.; 105.7 FM The Fan Siren/Pine City, Minn., and Red Zone Sports Radio 930 in Aitkin, Minn., as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and at: 921thefan.com or via the iHeartRadio app.

All of this weekend's action will also be aired on My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) with Tom Hansen and former UMD standout forward Judd Medak serving as the on-air talent. The telecasts are available on-line for a fee at: nchc.tv/umd.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Miami will square off for just the 12th time ever Friday night. The all-time series between the two clubs, which UMD leads 7-3-1, got its start at the 2008 West Regional title game in Minneapolis (where the RedHawks put the clamps on the Bulldogs' school-record six-game postseason winning streak with a 2-1 victory). UMD is unbeaten in six of its last seven meetings with Miami (5-1-1) and went 3-1-1 against the RedHawks this winter. In the first two meetings (Jan. 8-9), UMD skated off with four of a possible six points in a two-game set in Oxford, Ohio. After the two clubs battled to a 1-1 overtime deadlock in the opener (Miami prevailed in the 3-on-3 overtime for the extra league point), the Bulldogs throttled the hosts 5-2 the ensuing evening. Which leads us to ...

LAST WEEKEND: UMD put an exclamation point on the 2015-16 regular season with a pair of triumphs over Miami (5-0 on Friday and 3-1 the following evening) at AMSOIL Arena. Rookie defenseman Neal Pionk figured in on three of the Bulldogs' five goals in the opener, scoring once and assisting on two other tallies, while sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo turned aside all 20 shots the RedHawks sent his way. A pair of fourth-year Bulldogs -- defenseman Willie Corrin and left winger Charlie Sampair -- celebrated Senior Night on Saturday by each scoring once.

END OF THE LINE: This weekend will mark the final home appearances ever for UMD's eight seniors -- the second largest class the Bulldogs have sported in 29 years. That group of fourth-year Bulldogs, who were freshmen during UMD's final year of competition in the WCHA, includes forwards Tony Cameranesi, Cal Decowski, Austin Farley, Charlie Sampair and Austyn Young, defensemen Willie Corrin and Andy Welinski and goalie Matt McNeely. The last time a Bulldog roster was comprised of more seniors than the current one was in 2004-05 (11).

DANDY ANDY: For the second year in a row, senior Andy Welinski was chosen to the All-NCHC second team This winter, the minutes-munching team captain from Duluth is seeking to do something only two other individuals have ever done in the 72-year history of Bulldog hockey -- lead all defensemen in scoring for four straight seasons. Welinski would join Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Tom Kurvers (1980-84) ad All-American Bob Hill (1962-66) in that exclusive group. He currently tops the 2015-16 UMD blue line corps in points (17), goals (four) and plus-minus rating (+14) and is one of just three NCHC point men with a shorthanded goal to his credit this season. A member of the 2014-15 WCHA All-Rookie Team, Welinski has taken a shift in all 146 games since joining the UMD program three years ago.

WHERE PUCKS GO TO DIE: 2015-16 NCHC honorable mention honors were bestowed on sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo. He reigned as the NCHC's goals against average leader (league games only) in 2015-16 with a 1.69 mark and turned in the second best league saves percentage mark (.932) while seeing more minutes of league crease time (1,384:42) of any puckstopper. The Vantaa, Finland, product became just the third Bulldog to ever pace his respective league goals against average (the others were Rick Kosti in 1983-84 and Stalock in 2008-09, both in the WCHA). Overall, the Vantaa, Finland, product has compiled a 1.86 goals against average and a .926 saves percentage -- marks which would both be UMD single-season records -- in 33 appearances this season. Last Friday night against Miami, he registered his fifth shut out of the year, tying the club single-season record held by both Alex Stalock (2008-09) and Brant Nicklin (1997-98).Kasklsuo, a member of the 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team, also strung together three of those shutouts in back-to-back-to-back games between Nov. 20-Dec. 3 -- a UMD program first. A starter in 45 of the Bulldogs' last 46 outings, Kaskisuo has appeared in the highest percentage of his team's total minutes this season (95.3) than all but six NCAA I netminders this season. Last spring, he became just the third NCAA I-era (1961-present) freshman to be named UMD's Most Valuable Player.

WHERE PUCKS GO TO DIE II: Over the past four games, Kaskisuo is 4-0-0 with a 0.75 goals against average and a .974 saves percentage (he's turned aside 114 of 117 shots).

PLAYOFF PASTS: This weekend, the Bulldogs have their collective sets on nailing down their first-ever NCHC playoff victory, having been ousted in two straight games by host University of Denver one year ago and Western Michigan University at AMSOIL Arena in 2014.

PLAYOFF PASTS II: On the other hand, Miami is 4-1 lifetime in NCHC quarterfinal round playoff games and one year ago skated away with the Frozen Four Faceoff title after taking runnerup honors in 2014.

PLAYOFF PASTS III: The Bulldogs and RedHawks have met just once in the postseason and that was at the 2008 West Regional title game in Minneapolis where Miami prevailed 2-1.

BATTLED-TESTED BENCH BOSSES: Of the eight NCHC head coaches, only one (Miami's Enrico Blasi with 17 seasons) has been at his current school longer than Scott Sandelin (16 seasons).

HELLO, STRANGER: Miami has paid the fewest visits to AMSOIL Arena (just four coming into this weekend) of any NCHC club. St. Cloud State, on the other hand, has made the most with 12.

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: Junior defenseman Willie Raskob scored his first collegiate goal (and lone game winner to date) against Miami in a 4-3 UMD victory on Nov. 1, 2014 at AMSOIL Arena. The first of senior defenseman Andy Welinski's two career shorthanded goals came at the expense of Miami that same night. In last Saturday's 3-1 win over the RedHawks, senior left winger Charlie Sampair pocketed his first career game-winning goal.

FIRE AWAY: UMD is averaging 34.79 shots on goal per night this winter -- the sixth highest average in all of college hockey, taking a backseat to only Penn State University (42.38), the University of Michigan (37.00), Quinnipiac University (35.41), Robert Morris University (35.32) and Boston University (35.06). Senior center Tony Cameranesi ranks fifth among NCHC skaters in shots on goal (3.38 spg) while junior left winger Alex Iafallo is 10th (3.00 spg). The Bulldogs have held the upper hand in shots in 28 of their 342 games this season and are 2-4-0 when they've not done so (with that lone wins coming on Feb. 26 in St. Cloud and last Saturday night against Miami). On the flip side, UMD has allowed the seventh fewest shots in the nation (25.71 spg) while its shot margin average (+9.09) ranks fourth nationally and first among NCHC schools.
BUT MAKE THOSE SHOTS COUNT: UMD is 53rd among the 60 NCAA I clubs in shot percentage (.073).

FIRE AWAY II: The 2015-16 Bulldogs are on pace to break the school records for both fewest shots allowed (the current mark of 27.5 was set in 2014-15, 2009-10 and 2007-08) and shot differential (+9.1in 2011-12). They've also put the third most shots on target (34.8 per night) of any UMD club since the 1983-84 season, surpassed only by the 2011-12 (36.6) and 1992-93 (36.5) units.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 62-15 (including 19-2 in the opening period of play) in their 15 wins to date while going 15-for-61 on the power play (24.6 percent). They've connected at just 6.76 percent (5-for-74) with the man advantage in their other 19 games.

MAKING THEIR POINT: Senior center Tony Cameranesi (116) and senior left winger Austin Farley (102) are two of 38 current NCAA I pucksters (eight of which compete in the NCHC), who have reached the 100-point career mark.

SOME CLOSE SHAVES: UMD is 2-7 in one-goal games thus far and each of its last six losses have been by that margin.

BACK ON THE POWER GRID: Since putting the clamps on an 0-for-38 power play skid against Colorado College on Feb. 5, the Bulldogs have cashed in on five of their last 28 opportunities with the man advantage over the past nine games.. Senior left winger Austin Farley is tied for third nationally and paces the NCHC in power play goals with eight (although his last one came back on Dec. 5 against Western Michigan at AMSOIL Arena).

FREE HOCKEY: UMD has won just three of the last 25 games that have required overtime, going 3-6-16. Only three active Bulldogs -- junior left wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg and senior center Cal Decowski -- have an overtime goal on their collegiate resume. UMD's most recent extra-session victory came on Dec. 5, 2014 -- a 3-2 decision over Colorado College at AMSOIL Arena in which Osterberg scored the game winner. The Bulldogs are 0-2-9 in overtimes since (0-1-5 this winter).

A COUPLE OF REAL KILLJOYS: The Bulldogs rank eighth nationally in penalty killing (86.0 percent) and have thwarted 22 of the opposition's last 23 opportunities with the man advantage. Miami sports the country's second-best penalty kill unit (92.6 percent) and has surrendered just eight power play goals all season, including one to the Bulldogs last Friday night.

BULLDOG BITS: Neal Pionk was chosen the NCHC Rookie of the Week after collecting three points and blocking four shots -- both team highs -- in UMD's two-game sweep of Miami. Pionk who was a +1 and cashed in on the only shot he put on target last weekend, has now been honored by the league on two occasions this season (he was the Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 26)

• Of UMD's 10 lifetime NCHC sweeps, six have been registered on the road -- Colorado College (Nov. 20-21, 2015), St. Cloud State (Feb. 26-27, 2016 and Nov. 7-8, 2014), Miami (Feb. 28-March 1, 2014), Western Michigan (Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2014) and Omaha (Jan. 10-11, 2014). The Bulldogs' other four sweeps came at AMSOIL Arena on March 4-5, 2016 vs. Miami, on Feb. 5-6, 2016 and Dec. 5-6, 2014 vs. Colorado College at AMSOIL Arena and Dec. 4-5, 2015 vs. Western Michigan.

• The Bulldogs have compiled a 8-6-2 record at home this season and as a team are a collective +32 in Duluth. They are a +58 on the road.

• UMD currently possesses the nation's 11th-highest scoring senior class. The eight, fourth-year Bulldogs have combined for 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 points. Miami ranks 15th with 84 points.

• Two of senior defenseman Willie Corrin's four career goals have been registered against Miami while 18.5 percent of junior left winger Kyle Osterberg's lifetime scoring production (54 points) has come at the expense of the RedHawks. Osterberg has a team-leading 10 points in 10 career outings with Miami.

• Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 60 of the 61 games they've struck for more than three goals (55-1-5). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

• Senior right winger Austyn Young, who returned to the UMD lineup last weekend after being sidelined the previous three games while tending to an upper body injury, and sophomore right winger Blake Young are the only Bulldog veterans (there are 19 of them) who have established career scoring highs this winter. Austyn Young's seven points (five goals and two assists) are two more than his previous best, which he amassed one year ago, while Blake Young has been credited with one point (an assist) this winter after being blanked in the scoring column as a rookie. Sophomore right winger Karson Kuhlman needs one more point to match his career best (18).

• UMD's most potent period this season has been the third, where the Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 33-19.

• Junior left winger Alex Iafallo has scored three of UMD's last four empty-net goals, including its two this season.

• UMD has given up two more shorthanded goals this winter (four, including a pair on Nov. 7 in Omaha) than it did all of 2014-15. The Bulldogs haven't surrendered a shortie, however since Dec. 12 against visiting North Dakota, which came with an empty net.

TO THE WINNER: The four, first-round playoff series winners will advance to the NCHC Frozen Four, which is set for March 18-19 at the Target Center. The Bulldogs have never played at the downtown Minneapolis facility.